Archery
“The mystical flight of the arrow” — that’s how Ted Nugent refers to the sport of archery. You may or may not be a fan of “Uncle Ted,” but if you’re an archer (or you want to be), and you’re reading this in a newspaper, you’re probably a short drive away from learning how to shoot a bow, or learning how to shoot one better than you do now.
Erie, Pennsylvania is one of the few small cities with a certified Level III NTS Coach in USA Archery, a national organization involved in archery at every level up to and including the Olympics. Tim Case is that coach, and as of February 1 he relocated a business he started a few years ago called Archery Encounters to a spacious, highly accessible building in the Millcreek Mall complex, right under Ollie’s Outlet. It has 16 lanes, and shooting distances up to 50 yards.
Case’s archery resume includes working with numerous celebrities in the entertainment industry including the Mandrell sisters, Cristina Ferrare (actress, model and ex-wife of John Delorean of sports car fame), and Melissa Gilbert (along with other cast members) from “Little House on the Prairie.” He has also been a consultant to the Hallmark Channel TV show “Home & Family.”
That should tell you archery isn’t just for hunters. “Anyone can benefit from shooting a bow,” Case emphasized. He went on to explain, “The bow and arrow was the first technological system in the history of man — not the wheel, or the lever and fulcrum. Those were simple inventions. The bow and arrow make up a complex tool that accomplishes a specific, critical task. It’s a case study in mechanical physics.”
Archery Encounters is in the business of teaching people how to shoot, and promoting archery as a way of life. Two principles undergird everything that happens. The first is that archery should be accessible, available, and affordable to all people. The other is the truth that archery has touched every culture on earth for millennia, so it can unite people of every demographic.
Those two principles mean Archery Encounters isn’t just for hunters. It’s for everyone. It’s for beginners and experts. Women as well as men. (Females make up a majority of clients). It’s for hunters, for people interested in target shooting, and for people who want to improve their mental health.
Now, a word to hunters. Tim Case was a hunter to start with, but began with a negative experience based on bad advice and ill-fitting equipment from an archery shop. But the bug hit him. He read everything he could, got professional training, and now wants to share the archery experience with everyone he can.
Suppose you’re at the other end of the spectrum. You’re an experienced hunter, have been shooting for years, and your accuracy is flawless on 3-D targets and on game. That doesn’t mean you have nothing to learn, because you probably learned from a buddy, who learned from a buddy. It has worked out for you, despite the fact that they couldn’t teach what they didn’t know, but no matter how good you are with a bow Archery Encounters can make you better.
What’s more, if you have a kid or a friend you’re teaching to shoot a bow, why teach her or him your bad habits? Why risk them failing to learn proper biomechanics of shooting (which are the same for all bows)? Why try to teach what you haven’t been taught?
Whether you’re in teaching mode, an avid hunter, a serious target shooter, or you just want a relaxing hobby, Archery Encounters has plenty to offer. The new building can not only accommodate classes, it can foster leagues, tournament events, family activities, private coaching, open range time, seminars and more. Get in and grow with it.
At this time of year it’s great to have a place to shoot indoors, and to work on becoming a better archer. So check out the website, www.ArcheryEncountersLLC.com, or go to the Facebook page Archery Encounters LLC and learn more. Then give Tim Case a call at (814) 932-7093.
When “The Everyday Hunter” isn’t hunting, he’s thinking about hunting, talking about hunting, dreaming about hunting, writing about hunting, or wishing he were hunting. If you want to tell Steve exactly where your favorite hunting spot is, contact him through his website, www.EverydayHunter.com. He writes for top outdoor magazines, and won the 2015 and 2018 national “Pinnacle Award” for outdoor writing.
