3D archery is considered one of the fastest growing trend sports. In Austria alone, there are archery courses in almost 130 locations, and in neighbouring Germany there are about 110 places where male and female archers can practise their sport.
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Large selection of 3D archery courses in Austria
Several archery options await in some locations, with four different routes in Waidring in Tyrol alone. All courses have something in common: they are excitingly set up in charming landscapes and offer many difficulties. Most of them have different shooting positions for the individual targets, they are set according to international competition rules, for beginners the distances are shorter, more experienced archers shoot at longer distances.
What is 3D archery?
Find relaxation in the mountains, enjoy a unique landscape and then do some sport at the same time. Go it all together, you can have it all in archery while “hunting” three-dimensional representations of animals. This trend sport with enormous growth rates can be practised in many regions of Austria. It’s a sport that almost anyone can do. And even on some 3D courses all year round. We took a look around and found out that you can really find relaxation in “big game hunting”.
For whom is 3D archery suitable?
By the way, 3D archery – and also the aforementioned Olympic archery – knows hardly any age limits: even quite young children can learn this sport and even seniors and senior citizens are involved in archery. Even people with physical disabilities can practise the sport. Among the 3D archery courses are facilities where some targets can be shot with restrictions. For the curious and beginners, a holiday with archery in Austria is a good idea.
What a 3D archery course has to do with a wild animal hunt
When hiking and mountain walking in Austria, there is a lot to discover. For example, huge bears, deer and even a polar bear from time to time. “Is he completely crazy?”, some people ask, but soon realise that all this really exists. And what’s more, all these animals – from small marmots to huge polar bears – can be hunted. You can hunt them without violating any hunting regulations: Bear, polar bear, deer and marmot are made of plastic, “hunted” with bow and arrow. And you can discover them in the many 3D bow courses – including those in the vicinity of the hotel TUI BLUE Schladming and the TUI BLUE Fieberbrunn.
3D archery course from a professional’s point of view
We met Hartmut at the TUI BLUE Schladming, he has been practising 3D archery for over 40 years. “It’s where I can really relax,” he says, but stresses that you have to tense up quite a bit before you get to said relaxation. The reason: the bow he uses to switch off requires a bit of strength – which is not true for every bow, after all, children can also practise the Robin Hood sport.
To find relaxation in archery, he almost always travels with his own equipment. During his travels, bows and arrows accompany him between Denmark and Portugal. Many of his tours are planned so that he can spend as much time as possible on courses. And he plans in such a way that he doesn’t have long journeys from the hotel to the destination of his bowhunting dream areas. Like from the TUI BLUE Schladming in Styria or the TUI BLUE Fieberbrunn in Tyrol.Hotels near 3D-Parcours
What equipment do I need for the 3D archery course?
In the immediate vicinity of both hotels there are fantastic 3D courses, which offer their charms for beginners as well as for experts. Newcomers to archery learn how to handle bow and arrow under expert guidance, they learn how to shoot instinctively with the classic hunting bow without sight, but they also learn how to hit the targets with the modern compound bow. At many bow courses, all those who do not have their own equipment can borrow bows, arrows, quivers and arm guards and try out whether they too are infected by the bow virus.
How has 3D archery developed?
Like Hartmut, who took his first archery viruses on a FITA course. FITA is the name of the type of Olympic archery that is shot at four fixed distances on one course. This quickly changed to hunting and field archery in the great outdoors. This type of archery then developed into shooting at 2D animal poses (animal pictures), which was quickly followed by 3D shooting at animals of all sizes made of special plastics.
What does a 3D archery course look like?
These plastic animals are also set up on the archery courses in Austria according to international rules. Small targets such as marmots, rabbits or small birds are placed from five metres in front of the firing peg, while large targets such as bears and deer are placed at a maximum distance of 56 metres. But there are also courses where the maximum distance for large animal displays is 70 metres. A challenge even for experts. A problem for all archers: There is no indication of the distance between the shooting stake and the target, and rangefinders are absolutely taboo in 3D archery – for beginners as well as for experts.
What is special about 3D archery courses in Austria?
This also leads to challenges on the courses in the vicinity of the TUI BLUE Schladming and the TUI BLUE Fieberbrunn, because the facilities there also have it about them that they are only extremely rarely at ground level, keyword Alpine terrain. So users should be “all-terrain” and wear sturdy shoes everywhere, it’s pretty much uphill and downhill – often pathless only on paths. Thanks to the landscape, the targets are sometimes well above or well below the shooting stake. This is what the athletes call “steep shot”.
There are also difficulties in estimating the distance if there is an elevation or a depression between the archer’s or the archer’s location; the geographical conditions also cause many a misjudgement and thus a hit that does not necessarily land in the “kill” – as the target point is called on the animal display.
When are the 3D archery courses in Austria open?
3D archery is not a sport limited to particular seasons – even if some courses are closed over winter. In Weißbach near Schladming, you can also shoot in the snow at the Schiefer Adventure Farm, and in Waidring near Fieberbrunn, the animal displays are also waiting for archers who want to go hunting despite the snow. Both courses say, “If there’s too much snow, you can also walk the courses on snowshoes.” Which makes the areas a bit more exciting than during the snow-free periods between spring and late autumn.
Where can you find 3D archery courses in Austria?
You can often take part in a taster course for just a few euros. Here we have listed a selection of 3D archery courses around Fieberbrunn in Tyrol and Schladming in Styria.
3D course in the Schladming-Dachstein region
3D course for beginners, terrain for experienced skiers. Courses for beginners, seminars. Traditional archery on targets is also offered. Winter break from the end of October to May.
Rittisberg Experience, Schildlehen 76, 8972 Ramsau am Dachstein, +43676 6089050, www.rittisberg.at
The course with 22 animal representations is located next to the Schieplechnerhof, has a shooting range, a target hut and the refreshment station “Bärenhöhle”. The trail through the forest is also easy to walk for families with children. Winter break from late autumn until April.
Bogenranch Bruno, Janerweg 30, 8971 Rohrmoos Untertal, +43 664 4038040, www.bogenschiessen-bruno.at
3D archery park with 25 animals above the farm in Fleiß near the reservoir. Booking by telephone is essential.
Dachstein Tauern Adventure, Fleiss 3, 8961 St. Nikolai / Großsölk, +43 676 6370970 www.dt-adventure.at
Three 3D courses of different lengths with 28, 14 or 8 animal representations. The courses are open all year round, but the use of snowshoes is recommended in snowy conditions.
Abendeuterhof Schiefer, Schladming/Weißenbach 17, 8967 Haus im Ennstal, +43 368 65517. www.abenteuerhof.at
Around the Schaupphof is the course with 20 3D targets. Closed in winter.
Archery Donnersbachwald, Donnersbachwald 39, 8953 Donnersbachswald, +43 676 7076073, www.schauphof.com
At the Wennermoserhof, the 3D course with 28 animal representations is open all year round. There is also a round with 24 hunting and field targets. Bogenparcours Donnersbach, Ritzenberg 13, 8953 Donnersbach, +43 660 6554662, www.bogenschiessen.at
On a varied course covering 3.5 kilometres, 42 targets await archers. Open from early June to mid-October.
Robin Hood Land, 8953 Donnersbach, +43 3683 8175, www.bogenschiessen.at
3D course around Fieberbrunn/Tyrol
Directly at the north end of the Pillersee there is the lake circuit (13 animal representations) and the mountain circuit (28 animals). There is a bow and arrow rental at the Seestüberl kiosk. The courses are open from spring to late autumn.
Piller Lake Archery Club, Niedersee 4, 6393 St. Ulrich am Pillersee, +43 664 1619730, www.bsv-pillersee.at
The four rounds with a total of 56 animal representations are open all year round. Snowshoes can be provided if there is snow. Courses for beginners are offered. Courses for children from about six years old are also offered.
B.O.W. Bogenparcours Oberweissbach, Weissbach 2, 6384 Waidring, +43 660 5544469, www.bogenparcours.co
There are two courses with 28 targets each and a FITA range up to 70 metres. The courses are only open from spring to autumn
.Archery Paradise – Gasthof Strub, Strub 16, 6385 Waidring, +43 676 9410945, www.strub.at
There is a 38 loop up to the Riedlalm. This is divided into the easy Sonnbergrunde with 30 targets and the Hochgebirgsrunde targets. The course is open all year round (summer up to 38 targets, winter 28 targets). Courses are offered.
Schosi 3D Targets, Sonnberg 11, +43641 210514, www.schosi3d-ziele-bogensport.at
More 3D courses in Austria
The magazine 3-D Archery always has a list of courses in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, South Tyrol and Germany in the magazine. www.bogensport.cc