

The front of my home in North Carolina faces woods. The opposite side faces water. The two views are completely different. My targets are set to that when I practice I shoot toward the woods. The range on my yard is marked, using a tape measure, out to 60 yards. Over the course of a week’s practice I’ll encounter all sorts of creatures in and around my yard. Occasionally, there are less common observations.

The riverside of the house holds the markers from 40 to 60 yards. The 35 yards to 20 yards stakes approach the woods side of the house. There are also porches and decks from which to shoot. Certainly, many archers have similar arrangements on their property.


Often I shoot several times a day. Typically, I’ll practice archery in the morning following a run and again in the afternoon following a bike ride. As such, I am outside for hours each day. I am not alone outside.


Our isolation encourages animals, wild and domestic, to roam on and around our property. It is not uncommon to see deer, turkey, and raccoons on the woods side of our home. On the riverside, geese, duck, osprey and eagles are common sights.

Navy and Coast Guard helicopters frequently fly above the river. There is a blimp plant nearby and occasionally a dirigible passes overhead. For sure, practice here on Little River is always interesting.
