Out & About: Blue Mountain Archery Range

WALLA WALLA-Have you ever considered the way location affects recreational activities and sports? Clearly, it stands to reason that living on a snowy mountain would invite more skiing and snowboarding than, say, outdoor beach volleyball, but there are some regional differences that are a bit more subtle.

Being born and raised in Tennessee, I grew up learning about bluegrass (turf or lawn), which is a big deal when the grass is bluer on the other side of the fence (Kentucky), as well as bluegrass (music) and line dancing.

Having moved to central Florida in my teens, I was ushered into Gatorland, where all Floridian kids learn to wrestle alligators. Yes, really. People also take part in the highly dangerous game of jai alai in Florida. Then again, almost every sport is risky in a place where there are hurricanes and the constant threat of heatstroke.

If you were lucky enough to grow up in the Touchet Valley, you probably know all about archery. Forgive me; I'm new. Besides, what's not to love about a sport so perfect for social distancing?

My Walla Walla native husband Matthew, also known as Honeybee, says he learned how to shoot a bow and arrow at Green Park Elementary. He got to bring his own bow from home! Which, I'll have you know, is way cooler than line dancing. We won't get into how many decades ago that was.

Archery is elegant. It is as useful for hunting as it is just genuinely fun and meditative to do.

Honestly, archery had me at all the accessories. The bows themselves are works of art. There are three general bow shapes to consider: compound, takedown, and traditional recurve. Or, if you, too, are new to archery, the bow types are as follows: complicated, tricky, and true.

It's 2020, and though our time has been blighted by a viral pandemic, we also have countless advantages as the benefactors of historic archery lessons. The bow has come a long way from its ancient African origins.

The Egyptians were the first people known to use bows and arrows for both hunting and warfare. In medieval war times, the bow stretched to more than six feet long with a hundred-plus pound draw. It required a team to load and fire, so the elevated scale wasn't always advantageous.

Takedown bows are the traditional shape, but they disassemble for storage. Though the idea is a good one in theory, especially when space is a factor, takedown bows have more potential for errors.

Compound bows were developed in 1966 by Holless Wilbur Allen in Billings, MO.

They allow for more accuracy and power from a greater distance because they don't rely on physical strength as much. That means related skills, like stealth and concealment, are less critical, which is good because they are louder than you'd think.

If hunting was the goal, then a compound bow may be the ideal choice, but since we're shooting targets for fun, I'm sticking with the traditional recurve.

Depending on the bow shape, other accessories are necessary. Recurve bows must be strung before each session, and the string must be released for storage. Otherwise, the constant tension warps the bow. Bowstrings need waxing.

For recurve bows, archers often wear finger tabs and arm guards for protection. Meanwhile, compound bows remain strung and ready to go, but they require a quick release wristlet.

As fun as it is to shop, archery's many accessories can be cost-prohibitive. Before making a major investment, sign up for lessons. Not only do they provide personalized (or semi-personalized in a group setting) instruction, but borrowing or renting equipment can provide a cost-effective and helpful first impression of the sport.

My bow is an antique hand-me-down. It's a Kodiak Bear from the Collegian series. It's 60 inches long and has a 35-pound draw weight, meaning it is slight in hand and effortless to shoot but doesn't have a lot of power. Arrows shot from this bow are more susceptible to wind and don't penetrate as deeply.

Of course, Honeybee knows all this. He's learned from the best, his grandmother. Grandma Jo Shay is known as the mandolin and 12 string guitar playing frontwoman of the band, Grandma & the Boys, but long before that, Jo Shay was a tournament archer. Of course, Shay was a hunter. She grew up in Michigan, watching her father hunt (even off-season) to provide her favorite meal, which was venison.

"In the 1960s, when I was a single gal, one of my hobbies was tournament archery shooting. I sometimes shot at the state level, I shot the nationals one time when it was in Bend, Ore.," said Shay, "other than that it was local tournaments."

"I had a great time, did fairly well, and enjoyed myself. It's a great hobby because you compete against yourself and you get to know a lot of really nice people," Shay continues, "there's usually a club somewhere you can shoot at. Sometimes they have indoor ranges that you can shoot in the wintertime which gives you a hobby that lasts all year."

Try it! You could be Hawkeye from Avengers, Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games, or the next Green Arrow. Learn more about membership at the Blue Mountain Archery range at http://www.bluemountainarchers.com.