One of the key factors in shooting 3D archery is the ability to be able to estimate the distance from the shooting stake to the target. This is due to the fact that at the present time in all competitive 3D Archery the distance from the shooting stake to the target is unknown and unmarked. Judging the distance from the shooting stake to the target is a skill that requires the archer to develop and continuously practice in order to be competitive, and progress in the sport of 3D archery.

The Canbow 3D Archery Skills Program is designed to help the young archers improve their skills in archery on a general level.  In the first levels, they will work on basic form and safety and they will be introduced to the beginning stages of estimating distances. While working on these skills, they will also be learning to recognise the different animals and the scoring zones that are often not as clearly defined as one would find in target archery.

When setting up the round, place five 3D targets in each of the zones. The 3D round consists of shooting 2 rounds of 20 arrows at 20 targets, [one arrow at each target]. If 20 targets are not available, 10 may be set up and shot 4 times.  The number of targets in each zone would be – 2 in the fox zone, 2 in the coyote zone, 3 in the bear zone, and 3 in the elk zone.  The scoring will be 10 – 8 – 5 [Superkill – Kill – Wound].

For the Fox zone, place five, 3D targets that are the size of the fox or smaller. You must place the first target, a fox, on the left-hand side of the shooting zone at the 15-meter line. The rest of the animals are placed anywhere between the shooting line and the end mark of the fox zone. The distance judgement process begins now.  The young archers will know that in the fox zone that one of the targets is at a set distance and they will have to estimate the distance of the other three animals in the fox zone.

For the coyote zone, place five, 3D targets that are the size of the coyote, javelina, etc. As in the fox zone you will place one of the targets in the zone at the longest distance in that zone [25m], which will be a coyote, with the rest scattered though out the zone [15 – 25 m.]

For the bear zone, place five, 3D animals that are similar in size to the small bear, small deer, antelope, and mountain lion. The first placement in this zone is the small bear placed at the 35m line and the other animals are placed through out the zone.

In the last zone, place the elk 3D target at the 45m line and scatter the remainder of the five targets though out the zone.

Archers will start at the left shooting mark and shoot one arrow at each of the targets as they move from left to right. Shoot only one arrow at each target as you move across the shooting lane’s width. Divide your group into units of four. You may need to set up several shooting lanes to accommodate your entire group. Another way that you can accommodate more archers is to have two archers start together. In other words, archers A & B will start at the first shooting stake on the left and move together across the shooting lane. This will allow you to move relatively quickly, eight archers at a time and this should eliminate having the kids standing around. They will be quite active and not bored. When the units of [4 or 8] have completed their swing through the shooting lane the arrows are scored and pulled.

Canbow 3D Range Organization

Indoor 3D Layout
Since it is a 40 arrow round, the course can be set up with either 10 or 20 target animals. With 10 targets, there should be 3 small, 3 medium and 4 large targets set at a maximum distance of 30 meters. With 20 targets, there should be 6 small, 6 medium and 8 large targets set at a maximum distance of 30 meters. The shooting line should be set in a straight line. The small targets should be no further than 10 meters from the shooting line.  The medium targets should be no further than 20 meters, and the large ones should be set between 20 and 30 meters. If 3D targets are not available, paper animal targets of equivalent size may be used.

3D Outdoor Layout
The outdoor field layout can be laid out on the club’s existing target range or a school field. The longest distance that is required for shooting is 45 meters. You must remember to include the safety zone behind the targets of a least 30 to 40 meters. The field is laid out into shooting lanes that are 10 meters wide and 45 meters long. Each shooting lane is marked into 4 zones.

The first zone is 15 meters from the shooting line and will be referred to and be known as the FOX ZONE. The second zone is from the 15-meter mark or from the end of the FOX ZONE plus an additional 10 meters which brings the end of this zone to 25 meters from the shooting line. This zone will be called the COYOTE ZONE. The next zone is 10 meters from the end of the COYOTE ZONE, and the end of the zone is 35 meters from the shooting line. This zone is the BEAR ZONE. The last zone is 10 meters from the end of the BEAR ZONE and the end of this last zone is 45 meters from the shooting line. The last zone is called the ELK ZONE.

3D Award Criteria – quantitative and qualitative – based on 40 arrows