Archery Course Helps Pay College Tuition

Archery Course Helps Pay College Tuition 34-4-9 A dinosaur. A skunk. An alligator. Those are just three of the 34 "game animals" that guests can "shoot" at Clint Casper's farm. The critters are actually self-healing foam targets strategically placed around the edges of fields and in the woods. Casper started the weekend archery business when he was still in high school as a way to make money for college. The Caspers had the land for it. Three generations farm 700 acres, milk cows, and raise hogs and beef cattle near Carrollton, Ohio. Old logging roads through the woods serve as natural paths for the shooting course to follow. Young Casper invested about $10,000 in the foam targets, scorecards and other expenses. He set up his business in a cabin where he takes admission fees and hands out scorecards. He stocks the cabin with refreshments for sale, and has satellite television and tables and chairs for visitors to hang out. The course gives shooters three levels to choose from. The first is up to 25 yards, the second up to 35 yards and the third up to 50 yards. Casper constantly moves the yardage stakes he made out of rebar, so that shooters need to judge the exact distance. "That's the main reason for this, to judge yardage, which hopefully leads to more success," Casper says. He hunts with a bow, as do about 90 percent of his customers. He sets up the course with hunters in mind, with targets in various realistic situations. The course includes shots uphill, downhill, from stands and over logs and between trees. The different animal targets keep it interesting, ranging from small (skunk) to large (elk and moose). "A lot of guys compliment me that because it's a hard course, it has made them better shooters," Casper says. "I mix it up so you really have to work at judging yardage." Casper notes that he is safety conscious and sets up targets so that arrows can't ricochet and hit other shooters on the course path. He mows lanes to the target and behind the target so that archers can find arrows that missed. Each target has four circles worth various points. Casper sets up 30 targets, which take a small group of two or three shooters about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to finish. No special permits are required in his area, but for people considering setting up a range, he recommends checking into local regulations. Casper also stresses the importance of purchasing liability insurance to cover the course. Casper gets 50 to 60 customers a weekend. As his reputation has grown, some travel from nearby states. Others drive three hours out of their way while traveling. "You're never going to please everybody," Casper advises. "So, figure out who your main customers are and cater to that." In his case it's hunters who want more challenging shots. Many come back with photos of their hunting successes. There have been other unexpected benefits too for his family. Some of Casper's customers have purchased beef, pork and sweet corn the Caspers raise. "The range has become a marketing tool that made the farm a little money," he says. The range is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, except for the first weekend of each month. The course fee is $10/adults and $5 for age 12 and under. Casper plans to continue the range for at least two more years until he finishes college. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Clint Casper, Hycrest 3-D Archery, 3467 Bronze Rd., Carrollton, Ohio 44615 (ph 330 312-0157; ccasper1@kent.edu).

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