Nov. 30, 1912 
FOREST AND STREAM 
G 93 
Long or Short Range? 
Chicago, Ill., Nov. 25 .— Editor Forest and 
Stream: Times change and we change with 
them, though many questions in archery are to¬ 
day as unchanged as they were years ago. 
It is not likely that an agreement will ever 
be reached as to whether, in order to become a 
FABUSTINO, SON OF GOVERNOR OF TARAHUMARES, 
MEXICO. 
Photo by Edward Hoeflich. 
good shot, our early practice should be done at 
the longer or the shorter ranges. Probably some 
will advance faster by one plan and some by 
the other. 
The following article is interesting, because 
this question is discussed, and also because it 
was printed in Forest and Stream on April 24, 
1879. It is signed N. K. D. 
LONG-RANGE ARCHERY. 
The interest in archery, which within a few 
years has been created in this country, and per¬ 
haps in a great measure by the magazine articles 
written by the Hon. Maurice Thompson, of 
Crawfordsville, Ind., spread to a large number 
of towns, both east and west, last season. And 
if we read aright the signs of the times, this 
grand sport and exercise will extend still more 
widely during the season now opening. Those 
archers who have acquired any degree of skill 
are now practicing diligently, and although it is 
beyond question true that ‘'once an archer al¬ 
ways an archer,” it is also true that the activity 
thus early displayed has been stimulated by the 
organization of the National Archery Associa¬ 
tion, and by the grand annual meeting which the 
association will hold in Chicago next August. 
At this meeting many large money prizes and 
valuable specials will be given. Championship 
medals will also be given for both ladies and 
gentlemen. 
The competition for these medals will in¬ 
volve shooting at longer ranges than most prac¬ 
ticed at last season, viz.: For ladies at 30, 40 
and 50 yards; and at 60, 80 and 100 yards for 
the gentlemen. Now the following question arises 
in many minds: What course shall we pursue 
in order to become skilled at these longer ranges? 
Shall we continue shooting at the shorter ranges, 
from 30 to 60 yards, until we attain a degree of 
proficiency and increase the distance as our skill 
increases, or shall we begin at once to shoot only 
at the long ranges? This question is one about 
which the theory and practice of equal good and 
enthusiastic archers differ. Those advocating 
only long range practice say. ‘‘He who can shoot 
well at long distances can shoot well at short,” 
and advocate shooting at long range, even to be¬ 
come a good short range shot, and shooting only 
at long range for this purpose. Granting that 
it is true that in most cases he who can do good 
far shooting can do good near, the question is, 
what course shall be pursued in order to do good 
far shooting? Maurice Thompson, in his pub¬ 
lications, advocates shooting at very short dis¬ 
tances until an almost perfect score can be made. 
Aldred, the celebrated London bowmaker, advo¬ 
cates the same course, and it seems to us that 
this is the true one. It is of our American 
natures to be impatient and strive to accomplish 
the most difficult things at once without first 
resolutely engaging in the necessary prelimi¬ 
naries. But let us “make haste slowly” and sure¬ 
ly. Long range shooting is beautiful; there is 
strong temptation for the young archer (young 
in archery, if not in years) to indulge in it too 
soon. Our advice to anyone wishing to shoot 
well at the York round, and at the short ranges 
next August would be about this: Shoot at 40 
yards, thirty arrows, until a score of 200 can be 
regularly made; at 50 yards until 175 can be 
averaged ; then at 60 yards, until you can be de¬ 
pended on for 125. 
Let 11s hear from other archers on this sub¬ 
ject. Edward B. Weston. 
Archery-Golf. 
Wayne, Pa., Nov. 22 . — Editor Forest and 
Stream: In your issue of Nov. 23 there is an 
article called “Archery-Golf.” A claim is made 
in it that a contest between an archer and a golf 
player, each with his own tackle, is a new form 
of sport. This is not true. 
In the fall of 1910, I played a nine-hole game 
on the course of the Saint David's Golf Club 
against the club champion, Frederick J. Wendell. 
The game was refereed by Herman Wendell, and 
the score was kept by Douglas C. Carey and 
Stewart Wendell. I reported the score to Dr. 
Weston, President of the National Archery As¬ 
sociation. We halved the game for both medal 
and match play, winning an equal number of 
holes and making a gross of 81. 
At the first hole I shot clear through the 
iron cup so that thereafter we used as my target 
a piece of paper of the diameter of the cup, but 
laid on the green beside it. 
The game offers a good opportunity for 
sport, but played under the ordinary rules of 
golf, it is not at all fair. To the archer it makes 
no difference what hazards lie before him, as 
his arrows fly over the top of everything, even 
a grove of trees. Fie is sure of a drive of 200 
yards, his approach shots are without risk, and 
because of his holding the missile in his hands 
he can shoot almost straight down into his target 
for a short putt. The chances could be made 
more even by limiting the archer to a path not 
over five yards in width between the tee and 
putting green, and stipulating that his last shot 
should be made from a point not less than five 
yards from the target. Robert P. Elmer. 
“Bow Skirmish” or “Arrow Fight.” 
Cos Cob, Conn., Nov. 22 . — Editor Forest and 
Stream: For twenty years I have been actively 
interested in archery and for fifteen years have 
been advocating and using it in my Indian scout 
camps, so you can imagine that I am very happy 
to see the revival of this ancient and honorable 
sport, led by Forest and Stream. 
I want to suggest a game that you will find 
described on page 293 of my new book of “W'ood- 
craft,” a copy of which is being sent you. We 
call it a “bow skirmish” or “arrow fight.” Two 
teams or patrols or bands stand side by side. 
Thirty or forty yards away is a row of wooden 
dinner plates set up in split sticks. Each man 
is represented by a plate, but the six that repre¬ 
sent one team, for example, are opposite their 
enemies. The plates are distinguished by num¬ 
bers and colors, and each man has a dozen ar¬ 
rows. At the word “Go,” each band sets to work 
to exterminate the other by shooting at the rep¬ 
resentative dishes. As soon as a man’s dish is 
down, he is dead and out of it. It is a fight to 
the finish, and extremely amusing and interest¬ 
ing, as well as furnishing fine tests of nerve and 
archery. Ernest Thompson Seton. 
AN EXPERT MEXICAN BOWMAN. 
Photo by Edward Hoeflich. 
