SAFETY on the ARCHERY RANGE

The following guidelines are by no means the only safety aspects of archery you will need to be aware of to make your day enjoyable and free from incident, but they will help in making you aware of the commonsense attitude to safety that needs to be adhered to when shooting.

	Fire arms are prohibited on ALL archery ranges.
	Never point a bow and arrow loaded or unloaded at another person. You should only point your bow at the target. It's not a toy it can cause serious injury.
	Don't shoot an arrow straight up into the air; you don't know where it's going to land. You could hit another person, or even yourself.
	Never shoot an arrow into the distance not knowing where it might land. It's possible you could hit someone if you do this.
	Never shoot an arrow at an unauthorised target such as a tin, cactus, drum barrel, ect.
	On field archery or 3-D ranges, be sure to stay on the marked path and travel only in the direction in which the targets are laid out while shooting is in progress. Going backwards on the trail or across an unmarked area could place you in the path of a flying arrow, resulting in serious injury.
	When drawing the bow, keep it level with the target. Drawing high and then lowering the bow could be very dangerous should a premature release accidentally happen.
	Shoot from the yardage markers only.
	Arrows should only be nocked on the shooting line and pointed in the direction of the targets.
	Targets should be set up in such a way that no person can be hit by a stray arrow.
	Backstops or nets should be used wherever possible.
	Check your arrows regularly for damage. If you find any that have defects break them or remove the nock to avoid using them accidentally.
	The Bow should be checked for twisting or cracking. If it's damaged in any way don't use it.
	Check the condition of your bowstring regularly. It's cheaper to install a new string than to replace the bow.
	Always make sure the arrows you use are the correct length for your bow. If you are unsureask!
	No one should stand at the target end when shooting is taking place, no matter how far off to the side they might be.
	If two or more archers are shooting they should stand side by side. Never stand in front of anyone who is shooting.
	Before walking to the target to retrieve arrows make sure everyone has finished shooting.
	When pulling arrows from the target make sure nobody is standing behind you or they could get the rear end of an arrow in the eye or face.
	Stop shooting if there is the slightest chance of anyone crossing in front of you or the target.
	Loose clothing or anything on the clothing that might catch the bow string should not be worn or should be held back by a bracer and/or chest guard. Long hair should be tied back and neckerchiefs removed. Long, dangling or intrusive earrings should also be removed.
	If you are looking for a lost arrow behind a target, always leave your bow leaning against the target face so that it will be seen by other archers coming up. If possible, have one archer from your group stand in front of the target to prevent anyone from shooting.
	Never run towards the target. Walk slowly looking for arrows that may have fallen short. If you step on one you could end up getting injured.
	Children must be supervised at all time. Even if they are not shooting, they should be supervised to make sure they don't stray into the path of an arrow.
	Inexperienced archers should not shoot without supervision.
	Alcohol is prohibited on ALL ranges.
	Don’t just assume things are safe. MAKE SURE.
	IF YOU OBSERVE ANY UNSAFE CONDITIONS, REPORT THEM IMMEDIATELY TO THE RANGE CAPTAIN.