FIELD: FIRST TIME OUT

In field, the flat open expanses and precise repetition of target archery are replaced by rough terrain and a need for adaptability. A field shoot will involve trekking around a course of differentlysized targets set at a range of distances – most likely combined with a myriad of steeply angled shots and tricky lighting. In case this wasn’t hard enough, rounds can also involve unmarked targets, leaving the archer to guess the distance. Whilst I’ve known about field archery as a concept for years, giving it a proper go had never really occurred to me before this summer. The portfolio of skills required seemed like too much of a leap from my own comparatively narrow targetbased skillset. Often just shooting 70 metres on flat ground can feel challenging enough.

I dived in by booking into the Bracken High shoot, hosted by Wrexham