Into the Woods! My First Field Archery Adventure 🌳🏹
Trees, tricky targets, wandering arrows and a rather unexpected medal!
Last weekend, I was trying to shoot arrows as far as I possibly could at my first Flight competition. This weekend? I was standing in the middle of a forest, trying to shoot arrows between trees.
Archery really does have a way of keeping you on your toes! 😂
My dad and I had entered the County of Warwickshire and Visitors Field Championships 2026, which also incorporated the West Midlands Archery Society Field Championships, held at Merlin Field Archers. It was a UK Record Status competition, and as this was my first field archery competition, I had absolutely no idea what to expect!
Well, apart from trees.
We were fairly confident there would be trees.
Wait... we're shooting in a forest?
When I think of archery, I normally picture standing on a shooting line, with targets lined up in front of me. Sometimes that's outdoors on a big field. Sometimes it's indoors, where it can get quite noisy with lots of people shooting together.
Field archery is completely different.
Imagine going for a walk through beautiful woodland, following winding paths and enjoying the sunshine coming through the trees. Then, every so often, stopping to shoot three arrows at a target!
That's pretty much what we did.
There were more than 60 competitors, but because everyone was spread out around the course, it never felt crowded. The whole place was surprisingly peaceful.
In some areas, it almost felt like walking through the gardens of a stately home. Dad and I were imagining what it might look like when all the flowers were out, or even with snow covering the ground.
Although I'm not sure I'd fancy trying to find Dad's missing arrows in the snow!
Every target was a new challenge
One of the biggest differences was that no two targets were quite the same. In normal target archery, you usually know the distance you're shooting and can get into a familiar position. Here, distances ranged from just 5 metres all the way to 60 metres.
We shot from flat ground, slopes and platforms, with targets uphill or downhill. That meant thinking about my footing and balance, and bending from my waist to keep my shooting position rather than just moving my arms.
Sometimes we had to shoot between trees, and sometimes we had to look carefully just to work out where the target actually was! The sunshine was lovely, but it also created some interesting challenges. One moment we were shooting in bright sunlight, and the next we were standing in deep shade.
It sounds simple when you describe it. It isn't always simple when you're standing on a slope!
Why are the targets so tiny?!
The targets themselves were different too. Some were large 80cm faces, a bit like the targets I'm used to. Others had four smaller faces arranged in a square, and each archer had their own designated target.
Then there were the really little ones!
Some targets had 12 tiny faces, arranged in three rows and four columns. Each archer was assigned their own column. I was shooting column 4, Dad had column 2, and the other archer had column 1.
We had to shoot three arrows, putting one into each of the three faces in our column. And you couldn't just put all three arrows into the same face. If you did, you'd lose your highest-scoring arrow!
So not only did I have to aim carefully, I also had to remember which little target I was supposed to be shooting. There was certainly plenty to think about.
The strange thing about short distances
Before the competition, I managed to practise a few distances and check some sight settings, but I didn't have settings for everything we would encounter. And that turned out to be one of the trickiest parts of the day.
You might think that shooting at 5 or 7 metres would be much easier than shooting at 50 or 60 metres. That's what I thought too!
But actually, I found some of the shorter distances really difficult. At those distances, the arrow is still at an early stage of its flight, and I found it much harder to predict exactly where it would land using my sight settings.
I had a few arrows that didn't score, which was frustrating. They did stay on the target board, though. Unlike some of Dad's, which were apparently still enjoying their woodland adventure. 😂
Strangely, I felt more comfortable at some of the longer distances! I'll definitely need more practice at the shorter ones, but I was smiling all the way around.
Dad's arrows went exploring 🌿
Dad was shooting too, which made the day even more fun. Although I think some of his arrows enjoyed the forest a little more than he did.
Every time we finished shooting, we walked up to the target, recorded our scores and collected our arrows. Well, I collected mine. Dad occasionally went on a little expedition into the undergrowth to find his. I think his arrows were trying to explore the woodland without him.
And then his sight mount decided it wanted to join in the fun. It kept coming loose, so he had to tighten it after practically every end before eventually replacing the screws.
Luckily, we'd packed spare equipment and tools. Field archery definitely teaches you to be prepared!
Because you follow a one-way route around the course, you have to carry everything you might need with you: drinks, snacks, spare arrows, spare strings and equipment for those unexpected moments.
And with Dad shooting, apparently quite a lot of patience too! 😂
A little walk, a little shoot, a little snack
We started at target 8 and worked our way around the course. Because it was our first time, we were paired with an experienced field archer who shot alongside us and helped guide us around. That made such a difference.
Everyone was really friendly, from the judges checking our equipment before we started to the other archers chatting about where we'd travelled from and how pleased they were that the weather was dry. There were experienced field archers, people who shoot there regularly, other juniors and beginners like us.
Between targets, we followed the woodland paths, sometimes waiting for the group ahead to finish and sometimes finding the next target already clear. There was no rushing around. We could just enjoy being outside.
Partway through, we had a chance for a snack break, which was very welcome. Although I was often snacking on our homemade flapjacks as we walked!
Later, the forest opened up near the Merlin Field Archers log cabin, where we could buy some hot food and have another rest before tackling our final seven targets. I think food tastes even better when you've been walking around a forest carrying archery equipment all day!
So... how did I do?
I had such a lovely time that, honestly, I wasn't really thinking about winning anything. I was too busy enjoying the course, trying to work out my sight settings and wondering what the next target would look like.
But at the end of the competition, something rather exciting happened.
🥇 I finished first in the U14 category and became the 2026 West Midlands Archery Society U14 Field Champion!
Which means... yes. Another badge for my collection! 😂
But there was something even more unexpected. My score was also being put forward as a claim for the Staffordshire Archery Association and West Midlands Archery Society U14 field records.
And even more excitingly, there was a claim for the national U14 field record!
A national record?! On my very first field competition!
We're still waiting for the record claims to be checked and confirmed, so I'm trying not to get too carried away. But even having a score submitted for consideration is something I'm incredibly proud of.
Oh, and there's one more thing I was rather pleased about...
I beat my dad by over 150 points. Yes, 150! 😂
I think he might blame his loose sight mount and all those arrows that went exploring in the undergrowth. But I'm still counting it as a win!
Sorry, Dad! 💙🏹
Would I do field archery again?
Absolutely!
Last weekend, Flight archery taught me what happens when you try to shoot an arrow as far as possible. This weekend, Field archery taught me that sometimes the shortest distances can be the hardest!
And that you should always pack snacks. And spare equipment. And possibly a tracking device for Dad's arrows. 😂
Mostly, though, I came away wanting to do it again. I loved the quiet, the walking, the different targets and having Dad out there shooting alongside me. I can definitely understand why people get hooked on field archery.
Whatever happens with the record claims, I'm really glad we gave it a go. I arrived having never tried field archery before. I left with a medal, a new badge, lots of things to practise and a huge smile.
Not bad for a walk in the woods! 🌳🏹💙
One arrow at a time,
Hope
(where stated photographs courtesy of Hughes Photography — @Hughes_photography23, with thanks for capturing my first field archery adventure.)
