I ran a 3-D shoot last weekend and I really feel that people cheat on their scores. I set up one animal with the 12 ring behind a tree. In fact, most of the ten ring was blocked. My partner and I looked at the tree and found it had been hit 26 times. Only 11 people scored a 0. Now true there could be some of those arrows deflected into the target but, 6 people scored a 12 on the target. Darn good shooting? I think NOT! Why do people cheat at a shoot where there are no trophies are money involved? Beats me. Dick

I believe it is the nature of the beast! When a score on a plastic deer becomes more important that being honest and hunting for the real thing we have gone pretty far round the bend! Not that I am the most moral and ethical person in the world but there are some basic values my mom and dad taught me with a hickory stick. Spare the rod and spoil the Nation! Take a close look at how folks break even the simplest of our laws. When was the last time you drove the speed limit and did not have every body pass you like you were standing still. OH WELL, Ill get off my soap box now.

Ted A. may run for public office Young AKA COB

I believe this is very common. More so than we know. It isn't limited to trad shooters either!
I think we should eliminate scores altogether, or have an official scorekeeper with each squad (like we do with sporting clays)
Cheaters are only fooling themselves.
If your club offers no prize or trophy, why bother with score cards?

Your life is made of time, not money.

Just an idea, but you might try setting up a target where there is no chance whatsoever if hitting a 12 (or 10 even). Make sure the target is staked down good enough that it can't be moved, leaned, etc. and the obstruction can't either. After the cards are turned in, announce that it was done on purpose, just to see how honest folks would be. Probably wouldn't be a good idea to announce who cheated, but it might make them think twice about doing it again--at least you would know who to keep an eye on. Pride and ego mean everything to some folks, and some rather try to steal respect rather than earn it. Taking them down a notch might help jar them back to reality. Also, mistakes can be made--I know I have goofed before and marked a score on the wrong number, and just filled it in on the next target. Not likely that happened 6 times in the same place on the card, but maybe a couple of the shooters just goofed.

Chad

Long Bows Rule!

Guys, It really doesn't matter to me what the score cards say. I'm not good enough to be in contention for 1st,2nd ,or 3rd. I shoot to have fun. If I shoot well, great. But it's the other people that want to compete and see how they stack up to the other shooters that get screwed. It reminds me of something my father told me. "If you don't earn it, it has no value." I guess I just think differently than some other people.

Chad, Having people score the targets has been considered but we don't have enough people to police 30 targets. Nor should we have to!

Solution? I don't have one. Dick

Why do you guys put the targets behind trees? Stock in arrow companies or something?

Most of the guys I shoot trad with don't even keep score.

Errr...that was John that suggested scorekeepers--lol. If you had a target similar to the one you described, but fixed it so there would be no doubt that anyone that scored a 10 or 12 was cheating (without making it too obvious), you could call them out without actually calling names--make them feel like they were being watched, let them know that they had been found out. They might not come back, but who needs people like that anyway?

Long Bows Rule!

Sorry Chad, must be old age! Dick

Chad,

and you can help the process along by putting in a 1/4" steel plate in the 12 ring...

sorry, having an evil moment <img src=icon_smile_evil.gif border=0 align=middle>

RC

Score the goofy thing &quot;pass/fail&quot; ie: arrow inside the 8-ring=1 everything else sticking in foam=MINUS 1 and a miss=0

Your life is made of time, not money.