# Sligo, PA Field Course - setup pics (in progress)



## bowpro34 (Jun 17, 2007)

Here are a few of the targets that are in, and some that might end up being temporary.

A big thank you goes out to Mike, Brady, Rich, and Lenny for all their help. Its really hard to believe that we did the majority of this setup in about 3-4 hours.

Brady and I got a little excited yesterday and had to shoot it early or we might have got another target set... :thumbs_up


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## bowpro34 (Jun 17, 2007)

*Target #2*

target #2


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## bowpro34 (Jun 17, 2007)

*Target #3 - Large Pond*

Large Pond - 40 yards


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## bowpro34 (Jun 17, 2007)

*M & M Shot*

Mike and Brady picked this shot... however Brady and I lost about 5 lbs hauling bales up this hill!ukey:


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## bowpro34 (Jun 17, 2007)

*Up-the-stairs shot*

Not sure what distance this one will be. But Alan found it during a 3D shoot last year. For those of you that know Sligo, it is right beside the stairs.


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## 2-STROKE (Aug 17, 2006)

What are you using for the backstop? Only hay bails?


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## bowpro34 (Jun 17, 2007)

*Cliff to Cliff shot*

This one is my favorite. Cliff to Cliff 55 yards. There is at least a 70' drop in between. The walk to retrieve arrows won't be as hard as it looks but isn't the simplest either. 

We got in a hurry and didn't take pictures of the target in place but it is there now.


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## bowpro34 (Jun 17, 2007)

*Elk-shot*

This shot is nicknamed the Elk shot because we used to set the 3D course up with an elk at the bottom.


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## I BOW 2 (May 22, 2002)

Those are all nice shots if you are only catering to the adult shooters. You have no provisions for the shorter distance kid shooting provisions. Also you have a very unsafe "flight" target on the crest of the hill that your insurance will not cover! :thumbs_do Ken


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## TNMAN (Oct 6, 2009)

Cubs shooting out of a boat. Reminds me of an IPSC stage I shot down in Louisiana.:smile:

The devil is always in the details. Very glad to see a new range going up.


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

they look cool.....the hay is probably just there for the time being....

But how the heck are you gonna shoot a hunter round on the water targets? Let alone pull arrows? :noidea: you can't shoot a hunter on the cliff shot either :wink:

BUT like Ken said safety first :wink:


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## bowpro34 (Jun 17, 2007)

kinda screwed ourselves on the hunter round. I'd hate to give up all those nice shots just to be able to shoot a different target face. If it works out, we easily have enough ground for 14 hunter also.

As for the hay bales.... that's how we do it around here. All the field rounds are hay bales. in western PA. At $22 each, that's about all we could afford. We actually still owe money on the hay bales yet and need a couple more. 

I have yet to see a cub shoot a field round in our area so we didn't adjust the course for them. It wasn't that we don't want them. I just didn't want the entire course to be flat boring shots


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## bowpro34 (Jun 17, 2007)

oh and for the water shots... there is lots of room between the water and the bales for pulling arrows. The pictures were taken to give the vantage point of the archer


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## shakylx (Nov 21, 2008)

the hay bales will not hold up.


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## J3100 (Mar 4, 2006)

They are probably the compressed bales , they are made locally just for that purpose takes a special machine


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## Speed 1B (Nov 14, 2006)

The bales are special purpose bales...they will hold up longer than any target you could buy.

This club is very small and has very little money. Nobody in this area even knows what field archery is (my self included til recently) so we want to introduce them to it and try to grow the course at sligo. We have to start somewhere. Not only can we not afford to make a luxurious course but why would we when we have no idea what the reaction to it will be? If we pack the place and everyone is raving about the course it will get better. There will be nicer targets, and more stakes. But for now this is a starting point. If you dont like it and think it looks unprofessional, thats fine. You dont have to come shoot it with us. This isnt the BMW owners club of america... its a bunch of hicks looking to have a good time! And that we will. We would love to have anyone looking for the same fun come join us.


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## GOT LUCKY (Apr 30, 2005)

*HEYYYYYyyyy.......I kinda like the idea of an 80 yard..."FLOAT UP"...*

.


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## 60X (Nov 8, 2002)

Great looking course. Can't wait to fling some arrows on it. The hay bales will last awhile. We only get two years out of them indoors but that's getting shot every night for 4 or 5 months. With the amount of arrows the field course will see these will last a long time. We actually take out old indoor bales for our field course and get a few more years out of them.


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## JEDIROCK (Feb 1, 2003)

*Good job John...*

John,
Looks like you guys are putting in a lot of work, and the course should be fun. Congrats on getting it started and having the commitment to get something in field archery started up there. I know it will improve over time. I will definitely get up there and shoot with you guys when it is up and running.
John D.


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## alan_gruver (Feb 11, 2003)

*Count me in!*

I will be at your shoots, I think they look great!!!

Well done SLIGO!!!


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## 60X (Nov 8, 2002)

I checked and we get about 10 years out of our bales on the field course.


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## TimD (Aug 25, 2005)

*Bale protection*

If you are interested in getting maximum life out of your bales the trick is to keep the water from coming in from the top. I looks like you are using plywood and that is fine for the short term but eventually the water gets through. I have a similar setup at my range with no target sheds. I was able to get a bunch of used conveyor belting for free from a rock plant that had to change out its old belts. It is about 24" wide and I cut it to length to hang over the bales a foot on each side. Cargo straps or a borrowed banding machine can be used to go around the whole Bale, Pallets and belting to hold it on during a storm. Mine have been outside now through three winters with no noticable rotting.
The range looks great!


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## Speed 1B (Nov 14, 2006)

We have plastic from old chemical totes for the rooves. They are rounded at the edges so the water will run off. Eventually we would like to build "dog houses" for each target...but money talks and we just dont have any right now.


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## bowpro34 (Jun 17, 2007)

We actually have scrap plexi-glass coming that we'll have enough to put all the way around. They are pretty big sheets too but this will work until we get the course 100% in place


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## GOT LUCKY (Apr 30, 2005)

*GREAT JOB!!.....and thanks for sharing your pictures and innovated target ideas and materials with the rest of us out here....
Please take some close-up shots of your targets and materials....it might spur on others to set up a course.

Maybe if more folks could see that there is a less expensive way to start out a Field Course....we might have more popping back up...

HECK.....take a look at the NFAA symbol....when I first started shooting archery I called them the "Stump Boys"!! 

Like mentioned above....just be careful and check closely the safety aspect of your target presentations...."Don't want your neighbor...Mr. Farmer's cows looking like pin cushions"!! :wink: 

Like with most businesses.....It's trying to bring in enough money to cover the start-up cost that usually kills a business in its first year...

If I can offer 3 more things....ADVERTISE...ADVERTISE...ADVERTISE!! :wink:

Post here as often as you can with pictures and results of any FUN shoots you have....Put flyers with pictures, a map and phone numbers at your local archery shops. Be sure to let the folks at Lancaster know about your course....they will help steer folks your way.

Also include a link to a map in your signature and phone numbers so if anyone is traveling through or just looking for someplace new to shoot...they can get in contact with someone to be able to shoot your course.
That has to be one of the biggest downfalls of some Field Courses....you hear and read about them.....but can't get in touch with anyone to shoot them...

Good Luck!! *


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## Speed 1B (Nov 14, 2006)

Great post lucky. Thank you for the great ideas.


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## Stash (Jun 1, 2002)

I BOW 2 said:


> Also you have a very unsafe "flight" target on the crest of the hill that your insurance will not cover! :thumbs_do Ken


That's an extremely unsafe target. Nice to look at and challenging, but you'd better change it.


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## Bownut61 (Dec 15, 2007)

*Awesome!!!*

Great to see a new course being built. I love to shoot at some place new as much as possible. Make sure you post on here so we know when you have shoots. I'd love to come up from Central, Pa. to shoot. Best of luck!!!:thumbs_up


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## TimD (Aug 25, 2005)

Amen Lucky! Anyone willing to go through the time and aggrevation to find land and then set up a field course deserves nothing but encouragement.
Good luck and keep it up guys.


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## wheelie (Mar 2, 2009)

Just move the one on the crest target 15 or 20 feet down the hill. Since most pull back high and move down to target. Number one rule of hunting, never shoot if you don't know whats behind target. Would hate to hit a kid that sneaks over the fence just to wander around the bush. Insurance company shows up one day for a walk through, they would pick that out in a heart beat and with insurance these days, that could make a differance between having or not having a club at all. Insurance companies rule the world now. Either pay them or risk losing everything you have ever worked for your whole life.


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## bowpro34 (Jun 17, 2007)

*point taken*

The hard uphill shot has been moved already (halfway down the hill). Thanks for the "constructive criticisms"

We've got some others that the following target lines up with the preceding target so we need to change some angles there too but its coming along. We shot all 13 targets last night and it was a blast.


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## GOT LUCKY (Apr 30, 2005)

bowpro34 said:


> The hard uphill shot has been moved already (halfway down the hill). Thanks for the "constructive criticisms"
> 
> We've got some others that the following target lines up with the preceding target so we need to change some angles there too but its coming along. We shot all 13 targets last night and it was a blast.



*WOOO-HOOOOO....that's what I like to hear!!!.....Wish you weren't so far away....... :sad:*

.


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## mag41vance (Mar 13, 2008)

Brown Hornet said:


> they look cool.....the hay is probably just there for the time being....
> 
> But how the heck are you gonna shoot a hunter round on the water targets? Let alone pull arrows? :noidea: you can't shoot a hunter on the cliff shot either :wink:
> 
> BUT like Ken said safety first :wink:


I think the 58y walk up through the lake might be nice on a hot summer day.


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## BOWGOD (Aug 11, 2004)

Looks like a fun course.
Personally I liked the looks of the hard up hill shot, but it definitely had safety concerns. Rather than moving it I would have put up a huge backstop around it like the BCY backstop netting or something. That way it could be left there, and safety wouldn't be an issue.


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## JawsDad (Dec 28, 2005)

Those are some great shots... You should put in a small green next to each target and make it a great combo field/par 3 golf course.. Looks fun for sure.. :thumb:


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## bowpro34 (Jun 17, 2007)

LOL I think my golf background might have creeped in a little when setting up these shots.

Thanks everyone for the kind words. We will keep you posted.

Also a HUGE THANK YOU to Mr. Mike Mason who just donated all of our yardage signs. :clap: I'm sure they will look great! This has been a complete group effort and most of these guys have never even shot a field course before. They just thought it would be something they would like and chipped in. Big thanks to you!

:star::star::star::star::star:


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## Speed 1B (Nov 14, 2006)

HA! Nice stars.

"Low and Loud John, low and loud Ahhhhgggggghahaha"


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## bowpro34 (Jun 17, 2007)

*Field Sign Pic*

Here is a pic of our field signs that we just got. We are planning to have the first shoot the weekend of June 5/6. More details to come


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## Bobmuley (Jan 14, 2004)

bowpro34 said:


> ... We are planning to have the first shoot the weekend of June 5/6....


Best of luck with it. :thumbs_up I appreciate what you're doing back there and using what you have available to kick it up a bit. 

Just make sure you can accomodate all the different markers while setting them out...use a five-gallon bucket as a "test target" while laying out and you won't have to lug bales back and forth.


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## PA.JAY (May 26, 2004)

It's a 1:50 for me I like the looks of it for sure ! put in the regional shoots see If some guys around here will go .


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## bowpro34 (Jun 17, 2007)

*thanks*

Thanks for the kind words guys. 

FYI - we have fixed the questionable shots and still maintained most of the creative integrity of the course. I don't have pics yet but will soon.

We are also going to have a completely optional money class to keep things interesting for those who want to throw their hats in the ring. It will be $5 to start with 100% of the money going back to the shooters. We'll see how it goes initially and alter things from there.

I'm also thinking of keeping a public log of top shooter scores and x-counts. Since it is a completely new course, it will be neat to watch the scores progress and give targets to those getting started.

I anticipate a lot of our shooters will be completely unfamiliar with field and target archery so anyone who would like to accompany a group and 'show them the ropes' would be greatly appreciated.


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