Originating in 1977, the Mount Isa Bowhunters Club has been growing in popularity ever since.

With the help of films such as Lord of the Rings and the Hunger Games, club publicity officer Tony Copelin said the club continues to grow in size. 

“What started out as a bunch of mates getting together and shooting, has become a strong family-oriented club,” he said.

“Numbers have fluctuated in that time, due to work commitments and holidays but the numbers are solid.

“Generally speaking, most of our members range from their late 20s upwards.

“But with recent movies such as the Hunger Games, we have seen an increase in younger shooters trying to emulate their heroes.”

One of the advantages of the sport is that all members of the family can compete against one another on three tailor-made courses.

“We have quite a few families registered in the club, and it’s great that they are able to compete against each other,” Copelin said.

“We have three different distances - juniors, cubs and seniors - that shooters can fire away from.

“And we have three courses, such as the pavex, hill and river courses, our shooters are constantly challenging themselves.

“We have 3D targets set up around all three courses, making it as realistic as possible.

“Distances are set by the Australian Bowhunters Association, ranging from 5 metres to 48 metres.

“It’s all about constant improvement and collaborating with each other, while testing your mind over matter skills.” 

Copelin also highlighted the sport did not have to be expensive if you did not want it to be.

“There is this perspective that this sport is expensive but unlike other sports it doesn’t have to be,” he said.

“You can spend a couple of hundred dollars on a bow, which would easily last you a couple of years.”

The club holds shoots every second Wednesday at 6pm and Sundays at 9am at the Mount Isa Bowhunters Club, and has the honour of holding an state invitational tournament in March next year, along with the B-Zone Titles in June.

If you are interested in joining, call club president Graham Bird on 0428768452.