Archery is a sport that takes an immense amount of practice to perfect. And while practice makes perfect, far too many bow hunters are quick to fall into a target practice rut.
This rut looks something like standing flat-footed at exactly 20 yards while repetitively executing the same broadside shot—a situation that rarely presents itself in the woods.
If you’ve fallen victim to the monotony of draw, release, repeat, it’s time to introduce a little friendly competition into your target practice routine. Target practice can be as much fun as hunting with a SpyderWeb Target and a handful of backyard archery games to create different shooting situations to push yourself, identify your weaknesses, and become a better archer.
Here are four backyard archery games to effectively sharpen your hunting skills while also making target practice a more fun and social endeavor:
Balloon Pop
Everyone loves the satisfaction of popping balloons, which is why this game is a favorite among archers young and old. Of course, you can just tack balloons to your SpyderWeb Target and go to town, but you can also make this game more fun by making balloons of different sizes and colors and by adding a point system. The sky’s the limit!
Apple Shooter
Here’s your chance to test your marksmanship skills without risking a human volunteer. Simply make a paper cutout or use a large balloon as the head, grab an apple from your bait pile, and place it on top of your SpyderWeb Target. Precision is the name of the game. How do ya’ like them apples William Tell?
Pin the Arrow On the Donkey
Don’t worry—this isn’t the blindfolded version. Simply cut out a donkey image or purchase a cheap birthday party cutout. Pin the donkey cutout to your SpyderWeb Target and place it at the yardage of your choice. The person that places the arrow closest to the tail wins.
Horse
Just like in basketball, Horse is great shooting game to test your dexterity from different angles, positions, and ranges. All you need is your bow, an arrow, and a SpyderWeb Target and the same rules apply in the backyard as they do on the court. When you spell “horse” you’re out and the last person standing wins. Giddy up!
These backyard archery games will help you spice up target practice with a little imagination and simple supplies. Of course, it’s even more fun with family and friends, so invite them to play too!
Archery is a great activity for children as it builds confidence, develops discipline, gets kids moving, and can help foster an appreciation for the outdoors. But kids don’t really care about those positives. All they care about is that archery is fun. So whether you’re hosting the coolest birthday party ever, teaching shooting lessons, or just want to engage your kids in some friendly backyard competition, amp up the fun with these backyard archery games and kill two birds with one stone. Er, arrow.
Even if your kids are still too young to shoot, you can introduce them to archery by letting them retrieve the arrows. SpyderWeb Targets guarantees arrow removal so unbelievably smooth and easy even a small child can do it!
At SpyderWeb Targets, one of our top priorities is to foster a fun and enjoyable shooting experience. Contact us today if you have any questions—we’d love to hear from you!