Stickbow Target Archery Forums

First I would like to say hello, I just registered here a couple of minutes ago. I am semi new to traditional archery, about 7 months.I shoot a long bow and wood arrows, I started with recurve but I always gravitate to the long bow.

I have some questions about field archery.

1. Ihave been shooting 3 under, I believe that is a no no in IFAA rules if I am wrong let me know. I dont mind changing if I need to, but I will wait for hunting season to close.

2. Can I shoot a R/D bow in a IFAA tounament?

3. Unless I missed it in the rules NFAA does not have a longbow/wood arrow class,and I can shoot 3 under. I guess I need to contact the club for the rules, but in december there is a North American Field Archery Championship in south Florida(Everglades Archers), and I have no idea if it,s NFAA or IFAA rules.

I guss my main question is do I need to switch to split finger to play the game?


I have shot 3d for years with my compound, and I have shot a couple with my recurve and long bow.I am very exited about shooting field archery, and cant wait to get started.

Thanks,
Bryan

I don't know if anybody has even read my post, but I have answewed some of my own questions by reading IFAA rules.

The only thing I dont understand is if I can use my Fred Bear Montana LB in the NAFAC???

I can switch to split finger in november after my last hunt, but I hope I don't have to buy a new bow.

Thanks, Bryan

Bryan,
I'm not really up on the field-archery rules. I've only ever shot 1 IFAA event. I guess it boils down to whether NAFAC is an IFAA event or a NFAA event, and I'm pretty sure it's an IFAA event...which means you'd have to shoot in a Recurve class with that bow.

Here is the website for the shoot:
Notice how they specify that the longbow is a class and how the 'bunny' is shot differently than NFAA shooters are used to? This is what indicates it's an IFAA event.

Good question though.

-Todd

NAFAC is considered an IFAA event as it's includes all of the Americas, Canada, North and South America, so it requires split finger and not 3 under in Longbow.


Take plenty of arrows as the course was once a Coral Reef a missed arrow often means a broken arrow.

Give my regards to Tim van Voorhiss and Dana Chatoo two of the best Field Archers in Miami\USA, watch them close you will learn heaps from these two guys.


Report from last years shoot, some cool people normally turn up for this tourney, well worth the trip.
http://www.floridaarchery.org/rs2008NAFAC.pdf

Just in case you're still unsure on these 2 points, NFAA does not recognize longbow as a seperate class EXCEPT at the 3D shoot in Redding CA. It is recognized as a class there because that natioinal shoot is "piggyback" with a novelty shoot where both the state of CA and the host club do recognize longbow. And if that Bear you mention is obviously an R/D profile when strung, then no it is not legal in longbow class for IFAA.
And one last thing, don't feel dumb because you haven't figured out all the rules yet. Its enough to make anybody feel like a drooling idiot. Especially where traditional longbow and recurve are concerned.

Thanks everyone.

I wish the NFAA had a long bow/ wood arrow classs.

Thanks again,
Bryan

This is kinda strange as NFAA is affiliated to IFAA which recognizes Longbow, in fact when it comes to IFAA Bowhunter the Longbow is the biggest division.

In IFAA Field how can Archers like Larry Yien and Dana Chatoo seriously compete on the international circuit and how can they send their best Longbow for the ‘Team of Nations’ trophy when they have no idea which Archer is performing the best

A lot of us want NFAA to recognize longbow. No it makes no sense whatsoever. Especially inlight of the recent affiliation with IFAA. Plus NFAA roots go back to a time when there were only longbows and recurves and there was no such thing as compounds. NFAA bases their refusal to recognize lb on the idea that there already too many different classes to keep track of. Which again makes no sense because lb predates what, 90% of those other ever proliferating classes?

You know for the NFAA is affiliated to IFAA they should mirror IFAA rules, you might have a good argument for Longbows by taking your case directly to the IFAA.

Maybe if there was enough long bow shooters to petition NFAA it would help.

we've down this long and harrowing road before, here at staf ....

ah yes, in essence, the classic reasons why target archery has SO many problems finding both recognition and truly outstanding shoot attendance among both seasoned archers and tourist wannabe spectators ... how can a sport be promoted and prosper when there is such dissension and rule discrepancies between the 'notable' target archery orgs?

it all boils down to politics, greed, ego and just plain stupidity.

at least a few years back i sought out the ifaa and nfaa, to discuss the rules plight of longbowman around the world. not ONE official, not one person was willing to compromise a set of longbow tourney rules concerning tackle and course that would make lonbow target archery accessible to ALL the archers of the world. conclusion - once again, politics, greed, ego and folks with their own agenda heads up their arses.

forget addressing/petitioning the orgs - you'll get nowhere and in the long(bow) run, your club actions will speak louder than talking with the goons of org archery.

you want fair and equitable longbow tourney recognition? you've got to just do it on yer own, create club tourney tackle and shooting rules that make sense to the majority - if you build it right, they will come. then it's up to the archers to demand the smarter homespun club rules be used at the state, national and world tourney levels. common sense always overshadows nonsense.

good luck.

Rob naturally you are right. Getting NFAA to recognize lb actually has been addressed before. Basically we don't bring in enough money. So as such we are to be dismissed. Maybe IFAA can bring political clout to bear. The members certainly don't matter. I'm an NFAA member because my state organization requires it in order to compete in state events. As for novelty shoots, I just follow the club rules.

When I was at the Fita European 3Di in Spain last year the IFAA were there having talks with Fita to share this tourney and allow Fita shooters to compete at IFAA tourneys, for this to happen they will need to makes changes to Longbow rules, as Fita Longbow rules are closer to IBO than IFAA the changes would mean 3 under and more simple Longbow rule definition and even talks of TD Longbows.

The cogs of change within the IFAA are slow so we will just have to wait and see.

If IFAA were to allow 3 under I would like that. I think that from end the big change would be for NFAA to recognize lb in order to be more in line with IFAA. I would hope that IFAA wouldn't quit recognizing lb in order to fall into step with NFAA.