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I have already shown you how to protect yourself in my post about protective archery gear.
There I talked about finger tabs, arm guards, and chest guards.
Now it is time to protect others, too.
Especially when you shoot at home, there are certain things you have to pay attention to.
There is archery safety equipment you need and some rules you have to follow.
Archery Backstop Netting
This one is a must have! No exceptions!
The backstop netting is placed behind the target to stop arrows that miss the target. Never forget that you are handling a weapon that can injure or even kill people and animals easily.
You are responsible for your actions and when you shoot a bow you have to keep this in mind.
Especially when you start with archery, you will have many arrows missing the target. But even as an experienced archer, you will have a bad day and your aim might not be as good as on other days.
Or you are testing a new bow, the draw weight is too high, your fingers slip, etc.
There are many reasons why an arrow can miss the target and for these occasions, you need the backstop netting to stop the arrow.
Additionally to safety reasons, a backstop netting will save you a lot of time you might waste with searching for an arrow that has gone astray. Especially if you are shooting on a field or in a forest.
You can get a high-quality backstop netting from Amazon.
To place the backstop netting correctly, you have to follow the instructions that should come with the netting, but to give you a headstart I give you some advice here:
Most important is, that you don’t span it too tightly! Keep it loose so that the net is wavy.
Even though backstop netting is tough, it is better to erect it loosely, because it can absorb the arrows’ energy much better then.
A broadhead arrow shot from a strong bow might pierce through backstop netting and this is something we don’t want, obviously.
(Besides that, you shouldn’t use a broadhead arrow in your backyard anyways, in my opinion.)
Alternative Type Of Backstop
If you don’t want to buy backstop netting, there are other ways to catch stray arrows.
One would be a plywood or sterling board, you can place behind the target to catch your arrows.
It has to be big enough, of course, so that arrows don’t just fly past it.
Depending on the arrow type you are using, a wooden board can damage your arrows.
Therefore I want to suggest to put some bales of straw before it.
The bales will already catch most of the arrows while keeping your arrows safer.
If an arrow should get through the bales of straw, it has already lost most of its energy and can be easily stopped by the plywood/sterling board behind it.
You can also pile up gunnysacks filled with straw or other material like it was done here:
Archery Safety Rules
Besides archery safety equipment you have to follow some rules to make sure you don’t harm other archers, neighbors or passersby.
- Never aim at a neighbors house!
I have seen videos on youtube, where someone shows off his archery skills without even thinking about possible consequences.
The target is just put in the backyard and you can see the neighbors house behind it.
One stray arrow can break window glass or injure your neighbor severely.
Don’t aim at your neighbor’s house!
If you live in an urban area, you have to make sure your archery can’t hurt other people.
Use a good backstop or find another place.
- Only shoot when the target is clear!
What I mean by this is: only let your arrow fly when nobody is in front of you.
Even when someone is standing to the very left or right. As long as he is in front of you, you must not draw your bow and let fly.
Accidents happen quickly and often at home.
Please keep yourself and everybody else safe.
- Only collect your arrows when everybody has finished shooting!
This is true for archery at home and in a club and goes hand in hand with my second rule.
You don’t want an arrow in your back or anywhere else, for that matter.
Don’t trust in the archery skill of other people blindly.
Nobody is perfect and everybody is capable of doing something wrong and hit you by accident.
Get your archery safety equipment, follow my rules and stay away from the most common archery mistakes, and nothing stands in your way of having a great time with archery.
I hope you are having a great and informative time on my site.
Don’t forget to leave a comment, if there is something you want to ask or share and I will be happy to come back to you and answer any question.
Have a great day and see you soon.
Moritz
