Unmarked Course

Unlike on a standard Marked course, where every shooting position has a signpost telling you the exact yardage to the target, on the Unmarked Course, the training wheels come off. There are no distance signs. Instead, you must rely entirely on your eyes and instinct to judge how far away the target is before you draw your bow.

Here is everything you need to know about how the course works, how to shoot it, and how to keep score.

The Basics: What is the Course?

Our unmarked course consists of 28 targets placed along a bush trail. Instead of traditional circular targets, you will be shooting at flat, 2D printed images of animals and insects set up at various distances in natural surroundings.

ANZUS Animal Targets

Dimensions (Width x Height):

Group 2 Turkey - 46 x 66cm
Group 2 Small Pig - 66 x 46cm
Group 2 Small Goat - 66 x 46cm
Group 2 Wallaby - 66 x 46cm
Group 3 Quartering Goat - 66 x 92cm
Group 3 Billy Goat - 92 x 66cm
Group 3 Sneaking Spiker- 92 x 66cm
Group 3 Chamois- 66 x 92cm
Group 4 Shaggy Goat- 115 x 87cm
Group 4 Large Pig - 110 x 72cm
Group 4 Bedded Fallow Deer- 90 x 100cm
Group 5 Red Deer - 110 x 70cm

These can be purchased from our supplier, Attitude Archery.

Buy

Understanding the Shooting Pegs (Distances)

At each target station, you will see colored stakes in the ground called pegs. These indicate where you must stand to shoot. Your age, equipment type, or experience level determines which color peg you shoot from.

Because this is an unmarked course, you won't know the exact yardage, but the colors tell you the maximum possible distance for that shot:

Yellow Peg: Up to 20 yards max
Blue Peg: Up to 25 yards max
White Peg: Up to 35 yards max
Red Peg: Up to 48 yards max
Silver Peg: Up to 60 yards max

How to Play: The Three-Arrow System

The goal of this round is to "harvest" the target with as few shots as possible. You are allowed to shoot up to three arrows per target, but you stop shooting the moment you hit a scoring zone.

Preparation: Before you start, you must clearly number your arrows 1, 2, and 3 (usually written on the fletching/feathers) and shoot them in that exact order.
Arrow 1: You stand at your designated colored peg and take your first shot. If Arrow 1 hits the scoring area on the animal, you stop. Your turn for that target is over, and you walk away with the highest points.
Moving Closer (Arrow 2 & 3): If Arrow 1 misses the scoring area completely, you step forward to the next closest peg to shoot Arrow 2. If Arrow 2 misses, you move closer again for Arrow 3.

Note: If your arrow hits the paper image of the animal but misses the actual scoring rings drawn on it, it counts as a miss, and you must move to the next arrow/peg.

Scoring: Rewards for Accuracy

The scoring system heavily rewards first-shot accuracy. Each animal target has three internal rings hidden within its anatomy: the Heart (inner circle), the Lung (middle circle), and the Body (outer circle).

Points decrease significantly with each extra arrow you need to use:

Shot Attempt	Heart	Lung	Body
1st Arrow	20 points	18 points	16 points
2nd Arrow	14 points	12 points	10 points
3rd Arrow	8 points	6 points	4 points

Important Rules for Members & Visitors

Line Cutting: On our relaxed club days (like our weekly club muster), if your arrow shaft is just touching the line of a higher scoring zone, you get the higher points. However, in official competitions, local rules usually require the arrow to completely cut through the line into the higher zone to count.
Safety First: Because archers move forward between shots if they miss, always ensure your group stays aligned and communicates clearly before moving to a closer peg.

Scoring & Badges Shooting Rules