March 19 saw a lot of activity at the 105 Riding Arena, as the Bighorn Bow Hunters Archery Club hosted its first 3D shoot of the 2011 season.
The indoor event attracted 55 shooters who came from as far away as Chase, Kamloops, Chilliwack, Williams Lake and Quesnel.
Allen Pickering from the Bighorn Club was winner of the Men's Longbow and Yak Crame, also from Bighorn, took second in the Longbow and second in Compound Barebow competition.
Bighorn Club members had a good day and other top finishers were Adrian Messner, who won the Men's Recurve, and Frank Lanchester who took second place.
Tamara Van Loon was the winner of the Ladies' Longbow event and denise swift took second. Liz Jones placed second in the Ladies' Recurve division.
The Junior Longbow winner was Sarah Batalha, and in Youth Recurve, it was Brieana Van Loon in first place and Trevor Parent in second. Kira Saenger won the Cubs' Longbow event.
Dirk Dunkel was first place in Compound Barebow and Jennifer Sprecher was the winner in Junior Open Unlimited. Her mom, Dora Sprecher, won the Ladies' Open Unlimited event.
Bighorn president Crame says the shoot was one of the most enjoyable he had been to.
"People were laughing and the overall ambience was very good."
Each competitor was allowed 15 shots at the targets.
Organizers made a special effort to make the range resemble a natural forest. Crame says that it's not something many other clubs do, but the Bighorns are known for it.
Club members have had the opportunity to keep their skills sharp during the winter with access to a unique permanent outdoor shooting range that the Bighorn Club maintains. It incorporates about 30 3D animal targets in a wooded area, which Crame calls an oasis for archers.
"It's like going golfing, but you can shoot for three or four hours and it only costs you $1 at a time. You can go for a long walk in the bush and pick the shots you like, from 50 yards to 10 yards."
Annual adult membership for the Bighorn Bow Hunters Club is $30 and a family memberships costs $50. For more information, contact Crame at 250-706-0413.