“A field round is a challenging course, generally placed in a woods, in varying terrain, at different distances from target to target.
There are a few basic differences between field archery and most 3-D courses. Most notably, that field courses have marked yardages. You shoot four arrows at each target. Some of the shooting positions let you shoot all four arrows from one marked stake; some shooting positions have stakes at four different positions where you walk toward the target on each shot, or in a fan position.
The distances vary according to the round you are shooting. The standard NFAA field round has distances that vary from 20 feet (6.7 yards) to 240 feet (80 yards). There are four different size faces, the further the target, the bigger the target. "Hey," you say, "I don't shoot at deer that are 80 yards away." No, neither do the rest of us. The idea is that it teaches you to aim at a spot and will make a better all around archer out of you. Field round targets are round, black and white faces. The hunter round, something like the above field round except that you shoot at an all black face with a white dot. The ranges on this round vary between 33 feet (11 yards) and 210 feet (70 yards). Again, 2 fourteen target units make a round.
Now the younger folks get a break. If you're under 15, your longest distance is 50 yards; if you're under 12, the longest range is 30 yards.”
Exert from NFAA website @ www.nfaa-archery.org/field/info.cfm
At Tri-County, we have 2 14 target field ranges, the White & the Red. In 2012, we will be cleaning these up. If you would like to help, contact one us for more information.
At this time, our field league is a multiple week convenience league. Basically, you can shoot your weekly score when you have time. We only shoot a 1/2 round (14 targets). We usually don't have trophies for this league. It's just for fun and practice.
"3D archery can be set in the woods, fields, and sometime even indoor ranges. The goal is having the ability to guess how far away the target is and know where to shoot to achieve the highest possible score.
There are two types of 3D events, marked yardage and unmarked yardage. The majority of the shoots are unmarked yardage. This means you stand at your designated stake and try to guess how far the target is. You then take your shot trying to score the highest possible points.
In Marked 3D archery, they will tell you at each stake, how far the target is. Some clubs will even put a small dot on the highest scoring ring. Your object is to hit the highest scoring ring.
Scoring
Each 3D target will have a set of scoring rings on it. The scoring is normally club dependent or association dependent." Example: IBO scoring - "The smallest circle scores and 11 or 12 points, the next ring is the heart, 10 points, the lung is 8 points, the body is 5 points. The hoof or antlers on deer score a zero.
Types of 3D Targets
Generally, 3D archery shoots at various animal shaped targets. These are close to life sized animals. The types of animals will vary depending on the club. You may see everything from antelope, deer, sheep, snakes, beaver, skunk, moose, elk, cougar, bobcat and much more.
Archery Skill Levels Required
3D archery has many classes for different skill levels and equipment. Even beginners and children can have a lot of fun in this sport. The archery equipment you use, is the deciding factor on how far away your targets will be. For example, bowhunter class is 35 yards and under.
Which 3D class do I belong in?
Each club will have their own requirements so please check with them. However, here are some general classes. The closest stake to the target is for the Cub class (usually under 11 yrs). The next will be the Youth stake (16 and under) followed by the traditional archers stake and then bowhunter, open and competition stakes. Competition and Open classes are generally 45 or 50 yards as a maximum distance. This does not mean they are all that far.
What about guessing yardage in 3D archery?
Guessing the distance is probably the number one skill in 3D archery. In unmarked 3D Archery, you must guess how far the target is in order to make a high scoring shot."
Exert from www.3dshoots.com/3d-archery.html
At Tri-County, we offer outdoor 3D starting in February or March and hold monthly shoots until September. Our shoots are usually the 3rd weekend of the month. Early in the year, we set 20 target courses. When the weather warms up a little more, we usually set 30 to 40 target courses.
We can set our 3Ds in woods, meadows, and mowed grass. It is usually a mixture of these settings.
We are affiliated with ASA (Archery Shooters Association). We offer ASA qualifiers and the state championship for Kansas.
We also have club 3Ds. There are trophy and fun (not for trophy) classes available at the club level. See our Shoot Prices tab for the descriptions of our club level classes.
We usually have one 3D each year for the traditional archers. It has been set by a dedicated group of traditional archers for 2 years in a row. The shots are very realistic. And if you are asking "What do you mean by traditional?", it means no compound bows are allowed at this shoot, only long bows, recurves, etc.
We may have a couple 3Ds that are different than the normal 3D. In 2011, we had a Head-to-Head Team Competition and 3D Under the Lights. These were one day or night events. 2011 was the first year for both them.
The Head-to-Head Team Competition is a double elimination event with 2 person teams.
The 3D Under the Lights is an individual competition within the each of the classes. Each person shot 30 targets. The top 50% of each class shot 10 targets to decide the winners. It is held at night using the lights on the trap range.