i read the ibo rules again today, but could not find anything dealing with weather while on the ranges. would it be possible for the ibo to define conditions under which we could/would/should leave a range due to weather? in bedford we werent notified to leave the range, but did due to lightning. under rule 4 we could have been disqualified, but it was very evident we didnt need to be on the ranges. i know you cannot always hear the bell, whistle, siren, pa system or whatever method is being used to notify shooters to exit, and i know the host clubs will send a rider on a 4 wheeler onto the ranges to clear them. usually this does not happen until severe weather hits. that is too late in my opinion. removing shooters during a storm usually results in all shooters trying to get under the range tents. again, not the safest place to be. getting shooters to their vehicles or a building before the weather hits needs to be the goal of the ibo and host clubs. i know clearing the ranges is a huge undertaking, getting the cards initialed by the range officials again is a huge job, but a 30 minute warning prior to bad weather would be great.

a central notification system, defined in the rules for a rally point after the ranges have been cleared for notification to resume shooting would also be a huge help. just a few thoughts, i would like to know opinions of the ibo and shooters to get a better system in place and working.

if notification to exit the range occurs while the shooters are already in the storms, in my opinion it is too late. the ibo has been very lucky in years past, with the exception i think of 1994 when a strike did occur to a shooter. most shooters are carrying lightning rods with them. aluminum riser bows, aluminum arrows, aluminum shooting chair, umbrella.....not a good combination. i feel an established set of guidelines or rules needs to be in the rules section of the ibo page and in the handbook.