Today I had the pleasure of introducing a new friend to an old friend.
After the massive winter storm of 2021 in central Victoria, the forest roads were closed for a very long time as tens of thousands of trees had been blown down by the cyclonic winds. This whole area is also scheduled to become national park in the next few years. One way and another, trips to archery rove at Blackwood North, and shoot at the legendary “stump of woe” seemed like a thing of the past.
Today I had a hunch that there might be at least one more chance, and sure enough as I drove down Amblers Lane today, all the “road closed” signs were gone, and the road was open. So I went on down to visit the stump.
Around the time I arrived the wind was building, and after a while there was a howling in the treetops – a little too reminiscent of the big storm, so didn’t stay long. I strung the Simurgh and headed in, shooting at all the familiar old roving marks.
The tree that we always stood beside to shoot the 60m down into the gloom where the stump lurks in the old pine plantation had been decapitated in the storm.
In the past when I shot a flatbow, 3 fingers under, 60m seemed like a bloody long way. Since I’ve been thumbshooting Asiatic reflex bows and becoming more and more accustomed to 50, 60, 70 and 80m shots, it really doesn’t seem so far anymore. The old mystique is still there though.
Got it on the third shot, and finally the new friend Simurgh got to meet the dear old friend, properly.
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