Pennsylvania Game News - June 2020 - 59

Apply gift cards or bonus points
toward targets, put them on your birthday wish list, and don't overlook buying
secondhand.
Quality targets can be picked up
through auctions, online postings and
even at local archery clubs after the
competitive-shooting season ends.
Every few years, clubs replenish their
targets, and those used targets can sometimes be bought on the cheap. Sometimes
they just need a new insert, which costs
far less than an entire target.
One last thought: If you have space
for a lot of targets and can't afford to
fill it quickly, consider asking friends
and family who wish to use your range
regularly to chip in. It might help you to
acquire targets more quickly.
Even if you're solely funding your
home range, keeping a persistent eye on
target bargains can allow you to build your
collection in a few years.

COURSE LAYOUT
Course layout depends entirely on
the amount of space you can use. Two
common options are to create a walkthrough course, or a stationary, arena-style
course. Both are fun to set up as you try to
make shooting conditions as realistic and
varied as possible.
A walk-through course, much like a
3-D shoot, situates targets in field-like
scenarios at varied distances. Shooting
positions are marked with ground stakes
or survey flagging.
For example, the first shot might be
18 yards at a turkey, and the second 35
yards at a deer. Use natural vegetation or
obstructions to emulate hunting conditions and vary target distances to make
it more realistic. Also, be sure you're not
setting targets where they might strike
other shooters walking the course.
JUNE 2020

If your space is limited, an arenastyle layout might be your best bet. This
approach offers only one stationary shooting location, and targets are placed in a
broad gallery at varied ranges with safe
backdrops.
In this setup, archers can take aim
from a fixed position at targets spread
out at varied yardages, shooting multiple
rounds before retrieving arrows. This is
especially nice when a backyard affords
a downhill slope to mimic elevated shooting situations.
Galleries also are great for tree-stand
practice, offering multiple targets at
varying ranges from one location. I hang
a temporary stand through the summer
months to do just that, since I stand hunt
most of the archery season. It adds variety to my practice routine and helps me
maintain good shooting form.

STORAGE & MAINTENANCE

I recommend storing targets indoors
between sessions to maintain their integrity and longevity. A storage shed, barn
or garage with easy access is perfect, but
a tarp or weather-tight cover will help
protect them from the elements.
A lawn tractor or ATV paired with a
sturdy yard cart provides smooth setup
and takedown. With this arrangement,
I put out my whole course in 10 to 15
minutes, especially with help. I pull metal
stakes nightly, because forgetting them
might lead to hitting them with the mower
deck a few days later.
Higher quality, self-healing targets
definitely last longer - and are more
expensive. But the life expectancy of any
heavily shot target can be extended by
squirting a little expandable foam insulation into their weak spots. This can be
smoothed out with a knife and touched up
with spray paint, and it just might buy you
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Pennsylvania Game News - June 2020

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