BASC and archery

[Ken Davies]

Hi everyone.

I'd like to get some reaction to something that has come to my attention.

Our club has been approached by the BASC to promote archery to kids at a local event. In case you don't know the BASC are the British Association for Shooting and Conservation with over 120,000 members.

I am totally opposed to this, as the BASC are basically a bunch of hunters who go around shooting birds and pretty much anything else that crosses their path for fun. I personally don't think archery should be associated with them and have told my club the same.

They say the event is to get kids interested in target shooting, but surely their main goal is to increase their future membership and decrease the UK wildlife population into the bargain. (the 'conservation' part of their name is a joke)

When I got interested in archery, I was worried it would be frequented by the 'hunting shooting' set. My club doesn't appear to be, which was good.

I'd be interested to get the forums reaction to this and see if you, like me, think archers have no place mixing with these people.

I'm sure this may be a lively debate. (would like to have had this as 'topic of the week' but don't know how to)

Cheers

Ken

[JohnK]

First off, I'm not into hunting or shooting firearms either, despite the fact I'm a country lad born and bred.

In the UK, there is a distinct cultural separation between archery and other shooting sports, which seems in no small part to be down to the fact that bow hunting of any kind here is strictly illegal and has been for some years.

Now, any attempt to associate archery more closely with other shooting sports, especially those involving hunting, risks making archery a target (pun intended) for animal rights campaigners* and people campaigning for tighter restrictions on firearm ownership. Neither of these are good things in my opinion. It is also possible that some people may get the idea to get a bow and start hunting with it anyway. (Yes, this does happen already, but thankfully not on a significant scale, or so it seems).

While I wouldn't like to see a situation where people involved in other shooting sports were excluded from archery, I fully agree that such a show is not a place for an archery have-a-go stall, as it creates an association between archery and hunting that does not currently exist in the wider community within the UK.

* I once explained to someone that field archery often involved shooting at animal target faces or foam animals, and to my surprise they went off on a rant about how disgusting this was. I have no doubt there are people out there who would vandalise field archery courses - or even target courses - if archery came to be associated more closely with hunting here.

[Ken Davies]

Thanks for your comments John.

My wife could be described as 'animal rights campaigners' (my ad agencey produces work for both The League Against Cruel Sports and Uncaged the anti-vivisection group) and archers. We don't have a problem with foam animal targets, thought we know people who might. But I totally agree that we should keep archery apart from the BASC and alike. Cheers ken.

[Rik]

I'm afraid I don't agree.
Anything which gets the sport positive exposure (and there's little that's more positive than a good have-a-go) is a good thing.

What is the bias against hunting in this country? I can understand not wanting to see animals ripped apart by dogs (I wouldn't call that a "hunt"). And I have no urge to go out shooting animals myself. I just can't see a problem with someone else wanting to hunt, so long as they approach the matter competently.

At base the bow is a weapon, designed for killing things. We can't really get away from that. It's not a multi-purpose tool like a knife. The recent fetish for putting holes in pieces of paper may be just a passing phase

Originally Posted by Rik

At base the bow is a weapon, designed for killing things. We can't really get away from that. It's not a multi-purpose tool like a knife. The recent fetish for putting holes in pieces of paper may be just a passing phase

That can be said about the Javelin, discus and probably the shot put too Rik. I agree with Johnk on this. Not a good group of people to promote archery. If anyone gets so much as a sniff that archery "could" be used to hunt/kill in this country things we will end up going down the gun law route and end up applying for certificates and such like to just own a bow, animal rights people don't mess about, they can be very extreem, they will get involved, like it or not.

I feel the BASC should be avoided at all costs.

[Wrexham Exile]

hi ken,

hope all is well,

just read the email that was sent out now. on a more "basic" (cant think of the word??) level i think it is going to be a big ask of the club anyway, and everyone may not be able to give their time to help etc due to work or what ever reason, which is fair enough.

however, as you say about the hunting thing, it may not be the best way to promote the sport. by all means have a go's are fun and really do work, but when its being so closely associated to something which is more dangerous then maybe not this time.

as for the comments about putting holes in paper - maybe it is a phase but its LEGAL (also modern recurves are primarily designed for target shooting not killing)
bow hunting isnt legal and something like this may, in a round-a-bout kinda way, encourage someone to have a go anyway.


whats the rest of the clubs general opion on this so far?

Al

ps you tried the avalon yet?

[Wrexham Exile]

Originally Posted by rgsphoto

If anyone gets so much as a sniff that archery "could" be used to hunt/kill in this country things we will end up going down the gun law route and end up applying for certificates and such like to just own a bow.

thats the point i was getting at rgs when i said "round a bout way"

they may think "oh bows can be deadly - dont need a licence or such to own one, lets see what they can do..."

i have also felt that archery has had a good safety record and level of discipline, and incidents like this could only end up harming it.

[Cakemeister]

I think it would be extremely dangerous to go anywhere near any organisation promoting hunting in any way. Right now hunting has a very emotive image in the UK- and the idea of 'free promotion by association' is reckless in the extreme. Don't touch it.

[Ken Davies]

Originally Posted by DMU_AC

hi ken,



ps you tried the avalon yet?

Nope. Still at Border as the limbs are going to be another 3 weeks. Doh!

[orius]

Woah there folks,

I thought this interchange was about archery and its various forms and not to discuss the pro's and cons , rights and wrongs of other peoples LEGAL sports be it Hunting Fishing Shooting or needlework for that matter.I'm neither pro nor against hunting ,but do recognise the fact that they are a law abiding pastime when carried out in a legal way. I fear I detect a political statement brewing in this thread and recognise it as being a dangerous path to tread which could lead to the good harmony of these forums being disrupted. Lets keep the subjects for discussion total archery eh ? and let the anti hunting discussion carry on in Parliament or Trafalgar square where it is best suited.