Area bowhunters will have several opportunities to hone their shooting skills in a wooded setting next month as two archery clubs host 3-D archery competitions.
If bowhunting isn’t your thing, you can still shoot in the clubs’ field archery contests.
Clintonville Bow Hunters recently rebuilt 17 of its 28 wood-framed field targets, according to club president Jim Schoenike. The frames hold bag-style targets with cardboard deer silhouette targets attached to the front. A sheet of heavy rubber behind each target stops any stray arrows that miss the mark, potentially saving a valuable carbon or aluminum arrow. Club treasurer Mike Bevernitz used his carpentry skills to rebuild the frames, which are designed to be left outside so club members can use them almost any time.
Field archery pre-dates the more recent sport of 3-D archery. As the name implies, targets are three-dimensional and typically animal-shaped, with popular game animals like deer, elk, bears, antelope, bobcats and other critters laid out on an extensive wooded course. Field targets are flat, cardboard deer or other options, and cost an archery club much less than the expensive foam Reinhart or McKenzie targets, which can cost hundreds of dollars each.
Field archery courses normally include known distances from the shooting position to the target, and are marked on stakes. Three-dimensional courses normally do not include distance markings to help bowhunters practice their range-estimation skills in preparation for the shot.
Most high-speed compound bows today have precision sights with closely bundled sight pins; if a bowhunter guesses the wrong yardage and therefore the wrong pin, it’s likely the shot will miss by several feet or more. Some clubs allow shooters to use digital rangefinders, while others do not.
Both the Clintonville Bow Hunters and the Shawano Archery Club welcome non-members to the club shoots. These events are a good time to meet club members, fling a few arrows to get the cobwebs off your equipment (and muscles), and perhaps even join.
First up is a Clintonville Bow Hunters 3-D shoot Aug. 6-7 at the 28-target club course, N11517 Boy Scout Lane, Clintonville. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 6 and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 7. Food and beverages are available. Various categories are available at sign-up, depending on your equipment and age. Entry fee is $10 for adults, $2 for age 14 and under, which includes hot dogs, chips and soda. There are no cash prizes.
Shawano Archery Club has a Two-Man Scramble 3-D shoot Aug. 13 at the club range, N5820 Old Lake Road, Shawano. Each two-person team must register for the 20-target event by 11 a.m., with a shotgun start for the event at 11:30 a.m. Hunter’s rules apply. The fee is $40 per team with a 70% cash payback.
The Shawano club will host a unique Cricket Tournament shoot Aug. 26. This two-person event combines darts and archery, with the paper targets resembling a dart board and scored the same, explained club president Rick Habeck. Registration begins at 7 p.m. and shooting is under the lights. Food and drinks are available at both Shawano shoots. The fee is $30 per team with a 70% payback. Contact Habeck at 715-853-6800 for more information.
Clintonville Bow Hunters offers its second 3-D shoot Aug. 27-28, again featuring the club’s 28 targets but with a fresh set-up. Hours are the same as the Aug. 6-7 event. Entry fee is $10 for adults, $2 for age 14 and under, which includes hot dogs, chips and soda. The club also features its reverse raffle on Aug. 27, with only 300 tickets sold. All tickets are drawn and placed on a large board. Every 10th ticket wins $50, the 100th and 200th tickets drawn win $200 and the last ticket wins $1,000. Those present for the 6 p.m. drawing can enjoy free beer.
The club, currently at 35 members, is trying to gain new members. In addition to the club ranges, members may hunt on two land parcels totaling 353 acres for a modest fee after a one-year probation period, Schoenike said. His grandfather, John Schoenike, founded the club and donated the land for the club’s range and hunting woods. At one time, John Schoenike’s Stalker Archery Co. in Clintonville was the largest archery shop in Wisconsin.
“He was right on Highway 45 on the way up north for the bowhunters,” his grandson said. “He sold thousands of bows and many thousands of arrows.” John, an avid bowhunter, died in 1996, but his legacy lives on with the club.
In 1940, John was one of only five hunters to kill a deer with a bow. He received a personal letter from state natural resources staff congratulating him on his harvest. That letter remains one of Jim’s most prized possessions.
Wisconsin was the first state to have an archery deer season. Bill McCrary’s book, “The History of Wisconsin Bowhunting,” includes a section about John Schoenike. The book is available through Wisconsin Bowhunters Association in Clintonville and online.
Ross Bielema is a freelance writer from New London and owner of Wolf River Concealed Carry LLC. Contact him at Ross@wolfriverccw.com
Bow clubs host 3-D archery, other contests
