Alaska State Archery Association hosting annual spring bear target shoot in Wasilla over the weekend

The days are getting longer and the weather is warming up, just in time for the outdoor archery tournament season.

The Alaska State Archery Association (ASAA) will be hosting their annual Spring Bear 3-D Target Shoot at Grouse Ridge in Wasilla May 10 and 11. Shooters will have the opportunity to shoot at 35 life-size targets as close as four yards and as far away as 101 yards over the two day tournament.

“It's a really popular shoot,” ASAA Social Media Coordinator Julie Hall said. “I would say this is probably our most popular outdoor shoot.”

Archers will take two shots at every target both days of the event. Scoring is different for this competition, with arrows that hit the orange dot on each target receiving 11 points, arrows in the target insert receiving 10 points and arrows anywhere else on target receiving 8 points. This shoot mimics the Western Classic Trail Shoot in Redding, California. This event is an ASAA Triple Crown Qualifying Shoot. Participants who do not wish to shoot competitively have the option to shoot for a single day.

Archers will fall into a variety of different categories that are broken down by age, gender and style of shooting. The three most common styles are freestyle, where archers can use target bows with adjustable components and long stabilizers used for target archery shooting, bowhunter freestyle, where archers shoot a hunting bow with less features and better matches something they would normally carry on a hunt, and traditional archery, for archers who use a longbow or recurve. This event usually has 60 participants each year.

Participants do not need to be members of ASAA to shoot. Adult members pay $35 to shoot both days and $25 for one day. Nonmember adults pay $45 to shoot two days and $35 to shoot a single day. Shooters that become members and pay their member fees will have their first tournament fees waived. Prices are lower for youth shooters and children 11 and under shoot for free.

Registration for the shoot begins at 8:30 a.m. and shooting begins at 9:30 a.m. Door prizes will be available for participants and Hillbilly Kooking with Mamaw and Pops will be at the event with food to purchase. Hall said she is most looking forward to connecting with old friends and enjoying shooting arrows outdoors.

“It's a lot of fun,” Hall said. “Even if you're not there to shoot competitively, you should come out and just have a good time and be with your archery people.”

Upcoming Archery Shoots in Alaska

Spring Bear, May 10- 11, Grouse Ridge; Jay Massey. May 24- 25, Site TBD; Sam Weatherford, June 7-8, Kincaid; Midnight Sun Shoot, Date TBD, Fairbanks; KPA Independence Shoot, July 5- 6, Soldotna; State Field Shoot; July 12-13, Kincaid; Unmarked Shoot, July 26-27, Kincaid; Outdoor Target Shoot, August 2- 3, Site TBD; Last Chance 3D Shoot, October 4-5, Kincaid.