ARCHERY ANCIENT ENGLISH WAR GAMES by EUGENE HALVERSON

DATUS ARCHERY 
ANCIENT GOLF, CLOUT, TARGET GAMES

By Eugene Halverson

A Day on the Mountain

Eugene--Fred Larsen-- Bill Houghton

In the old days Datus always maintained a golf course at the Point of the Mountain just south of Draper. There was always someone up there especially after work when the day became cooler. I remember the evening Alene and Fred Larsen and I met up on the “Golf Course”. We had shot several holes going up the mountain and the next hole was off the ledge down to the valley below.  It was a long ways away and Fred and I was in deep thought.  Well, “How far is it”, Alene asked.  Fred piped up with an, “I don’t know”, “how, about a Clout Shot”, we told her.  Then she pulled the string back and raised it up to shoot, aiming way up in the air.  We watched the arrow fly and fly, and then, “Pop”, she hit the puck dead center.  I can still hear her scream, and see the puck jumping and rolling away.  We lost the course and the mountain to houses. 

Long Bows

canting bow to look down the arrow

In the 1938 film Earl Flynn of the “Adventures of Robin Hood”, Howard Hill shot an arrow into the “Bulls Eye” splitting one arrow with another.  It was the most famous archery shot of all time.  He always shot instinctively, no sight, he shot by feel, this requires time and effort.  With this bow an archer could shoot an arrow every five seconds and penetrate four inches of Oak.  If I had of known about the accuracy and the power of the long bow, I would have used it instead of the recurve, but the recurve treated me well.  It was the stupid compound bow that ruined my shoulders and forced me to quit shooting.  I voted to ban it in tournaments but it came anyway.  I voted against changing target faces too but lost again.    

Howard Hill’s bow was the “Old English Long Bow”.  He made archery hunting possible. Very few people took archery seriously until he came along. No one has ever beaten or even matched his records.  The Longbow dominated medieval warfare.  The long bow was used by the English to a devastating effect.

Robin again

Hill’s fame with hunting had already came to Utah.  I remember back to 1938 when I was admiring the “Bow and arrow that killed this large buck deer” hanging in Tracy Wigwam.  Could I do that someday?  I had many dreams.

Lee

My brother, Lee began shooting while I was still in dream land; Lee and Garland began shooting at a tub hanging on the old garage.  Well, they were lucky to hit the garage and I went away laughing.   But they soon learned about buying the right arrow for the bow and they really improved.  I still remember the day Lee brought home the two deer he had killed near Puffer Lake.  His stories finally woke me up. 

I couldn’t stand it so I borrowed his bow and some arrows and off I went.  Well, they don’t call it “Bear Canyon” for nothing.  I heard many stories about it so in the quite of the evening I often looked up and wishing I was there.  The top was a light green and the rocks were so white, white granite.  I finally got there and explored until the sun went down.  It was beautiful, I had never seen such big boulders, and I was happy.  I looked over the valley looked down at my house.  I was day dreaming again, so I got a late start home.  I did get off the upper cliffs before dark but I could never make a step down without touching and feeling each step with the end of my bow.  It was slow and I had a terrible time getting off the mountain.  I t was about three in the morning when I finally got home all scratched and bruised.    

During the 1950’s Lee and I shot in Les Hunt’s Archery shop in a league and it was fun.  We learned with the help of other archers about the basics of a good bow arm and a good release, and how to make arrows and strings.

OLD ENGLISH WAR GAME PRACTICE

Gene canting bow for line

My first tournament with the Timpanogos Archers where we shot what we called the “American Round” but it should be called the “English Round”.   It is the same target that Howard Hill shot in the movie; gold center, red, blue, black and white.  We shot 30 arrows each at 40, 50, and 60 yards. 

The 80 Yard “Imperial Round “(sounds English to me), we also call it a FITA Round and measured in yards and scored it like an American Round.  I have shot it at 80 yards; some even go back to the 100 yard line. 

The Ancient Practice of CLOUT

The term clout shooting is derived from the act of shooting a clout.  The event dates back to Elizabeth the 1st it is an "old English form of competitive archery at a single mark."  Our target was a pole 180 yards away, the center was a three foot mat the outer circle was a 20 foot radius mark from the pole (40 foot diameter).  This was a very effective form of artillery. During The Hundred Years War, the outcome of battles at Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt would certainly have been different without the massed firepower of these ancient archers.  I think we scored it 5 and 10 points, I cannot even remember how many arrows we were allowed to shoot.  We never paid much attention to rules anyway.

Golf

The Scotts is credited with the discovery of “Archery Golf” with a pleasant walk in woods carrying a bow and arrows, it was called “Roving” today we call it “Archery Golf”.   The Pucks (4 inch rubber hose) set in front of the Flag (Red, Yellow, etc. Courses)  18 Flags are placed from maybe 20 yards to 300 or more yards away.  Every hole is a “Par 2” no matter the distance.  A shorter course is more popular especially if “One Arrow” hits the puck making it “a hole-in-one”.

The DATUS is the home of Archery Golf in Utah.  It is their favorite sport (mine too).  It is a money raising Invitational every spring and most of the money is given back in prizes.  DATUS invites anyone who wishes to compete.  An expert may win a Course or even the whole event.  But there are also many prizes for the “Average Shooter” who otherwise could not compete with the “Best”.  DATUS members have a “Campout” every year somewhere high in mountains in the National Forest, playing this game and maybe a game of Clout.  They eat together, I remember roasting some pigs on a spit.  What a wonderful smell, turn it a little pore some more “Wine” then turn some more.  “When is it done’, I asked.  Hooter said, “When the cook falls in the fire”.  The Datus Campout was the high-light of summer every year, and I loved it.

We also had either a set of Field Targets or Hunter Targets set up all summer long near the mouth of Big Cotton Wood Canyon, on the abandoned Auerbach Estate in their garden and under many, many trees. That disappeared with the 115 Belt Route. 

All the outdoor shoots except the Field and Hunter Rounds are old English Rounds and were war practice games sponsored by the King.

Animal League
When I joined Datus back in the 1960’s they were shooting the “Animal Round”.  No other club that I know even knows what it is or where it came from.  I believe some brilliant Datus member dreamed it up.  There are four animals on a white card-board and you shot from top to bottom, 1^st -a big goose, 2^{nd -} a rabbit slightly smaller, 3^rd a small duck 4^th tiny squirrel on the bottom.  1^st all four arrows are shot from the 20 yard line.  2^nd - a walk up 20, 15, 10, 5.  3^rd - a walk back. Forth four arrows shot from the 20 yard line with double score.  Vital 10 points none-vital 5, with a possible score 200.  Many including myself shot a few 200 games but no one ever put all three games together.  This was a favorite game, even my wife began to shoot, I can still hear the giggles, laughter and cackles.  Everyone shot fast and had fun; no one was allowed to hold up the game without getting yelled at.  I remember Old S. K. Daniels, 90 years old having the time of his life. 

Datus Hunter League

With a new building I started a new league just for the Bow Hunter.  When I used up all in Datus, I invited all my friends.  We used the old blue and white indoor target, 5, 4, and 3 rings.  This was a more serious league but with all instinctive shoots it still moved fairly fast.  Most of the best instinctive archers in the state were now competing every week.  I would name them but there were just too many real good archers.  Many of us were shooting close to a perfect game, close to the 290’s.  These scores were raising the eye-brows of the sight shooters (Freestyle) people.  So UBA changed the target face and a few others to boot. 

DATUS stands for—Devoted Archers True Utah Sportsmen

DATUS ARCHERY CLUB

About 1961 we had a “Wild Cat Strike” and it was very successful a couple of years later I had given up my Boiler shop job and was now a Mechanic.  Well I was now working with four or more Datus Members.  They signed me up and I loved it.  We rented a building for meetings and the winter archery leagues.  One was right next to the Railroad tracks and the next was in a stores warehouse.  Both were small and crowded, it felt like we were in a closet.

Then in 1978 after 22 years of renting we decided we needed $20,000.00 to build our own club house, so we assessed each member $200.00 and eventually built our club house in West Jordan.  Jim Jensen was contracted to build the cement walls.  Soon after we put a roof on it and shingled it.  Then it just sat, nobody doing anything.  I kind of took charge and asked Larsen to pour the floors, Kartchner to sheetrock it.  Butch put in the gas line.  We put the deck in and did a hundred other things; most everybody I asked worked and was able to have our winter leagues and invited other clubs to our tournaments.  If we failed to get our leagues going we would be in trouble with the bank and the town. 

A few years ago I opened up a box from Datus and in it was the most beautiful plaque I had ever seen.  I had a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye.

Thank you DATUS for making me a
LIFETIME member

GENE HALVERSON

HOORARY LIFETIME MEMBER

DATUS ARCHERY

This was printed on top of the Datus Arrow point symbol.  I heard the deer in the Quaky Forest was cut, burnt and colored by Doyle Atwood.  I thank all of those who had any part in making this and bestowing the Honor.  It has always hung on the wall where anyone can see it and of course I brag a little.  I have always felt privileged to have been a member of the Greatest Archery Club in the world.  We all worked and we all did our share or else we would have been in deep trouble that year.   

The building was near completion and the black top was holding things up.  We would poor cement after work but if it was wetter than usual I had to come back later.  It was very dark that night it was about eleven o’clock.   I had returned to finish the concrete curbing.  I was alone with a flash-light in one hand and a trowel in the other.  All of a sudden it was light as day and a bunch of Cops were pointing guns at me.  Here I was with a trowel in my hand,  “Drop it so I dropped my trowel”. 

I spent many hours and days in the West Jordan Inspectors Office getting help and clearance before they were happy.  If I wasn’t happy with what they decided I would demand another conference.  In the end we were all happy. 

Short Bows

I learned that the Long Bow was more accurate and had better penetration.  If I did I would have used them instead of my short recurve.  Jim Pickering let me try a dozen different “Carol Recurve Bows” .  I shot the "Gentleman Jim" he developed the most accurate bow they had.  I always shot “Bow Hunter Class” (no sights).  At one time there were more Bow Hunters than any other class.   Compound Bows don’t even look like old bows and I don’t like it.  The Bare Bow people and Bow Hunter Classes used to be the largest group in most tournaments, now they have kind of disappeared.  Now all you see are sights and gadgets. 

Field Round

A  Field Course has marked yardages.   The NFAA field round is made up of 14 targets and usually shot twice to make the round.  You may shoot all four arrows from one marked stake or you walk up and shoot one arrow at four different stakes.  Distances vary from 20 feet to 80 yards.  There are four different size targets. Targets are black and white with 20 points possible.

Hunter Round
uses an all-black face with a white dot and the distances vary between 33 feet and 70 yards.  All on the roving course. Scoring is identical to the field round.

Animal Round

The target is a colored animal faces with marked distances using three marked arrows.  A hit with the #1 arrow ends that target, but if you missed you keep moving until the third arrow is shot.  A vital is (20, 16, or 12) and non-vital is (18, 14, or 10).

An Aggregate score is the total of all three rounds. 

 In the summer of 1971, I scored enough points to place “3^rd in the 26^th National Tournament in the National Forest above Cedar City.  It was the total aggregate score of all three rounds, with 5 day score.  I was in high Heaven.  There were a couple a  thousand people shooting for five days.  I was shooting my new white Carroll  Recurve developed by Jim Pickering from Datus, it was called “Gentleman Jim”.  

The Archers and Ceder City did a wonderful job taking care of us.  You should have seen the Steak and Dutch dinner they provided after the ceremony. 

In 1972 I won 2nd second place in the “Southwest Sectional, (all western states).  This was hosted by the “Timp Archers, it was a two day shoot with hundreds attending.   

Lee won the first indoor tournament we ever competed in.  It was hosted by the Brigham Archery Club.

But I won all the “Indoor and Outdoor Tournaments” in Utah for next ten years.

As I got older and my eye-sight began to fail I was on borrowed time but I kept a going until I could no longer shoot without pain in my shoulders.  I blame the “Stupid Compound Bow” for ruining my shoulders and ending my beloved sport.  It made it easy to draw but the shock was too much for my shoulders.  I remember when “Jennings” built the first one.  Soon all the manufacturers were stealing his ideas and compounds were everywhere.  Compounds caused quite a stir all over the country and UBA had to decide if they would be legal to use them in their tournaments.  I voted against them.  They did not even look like a bow, it was an abominable contraption.  The shortness made it ideal for hunting but without the releases and stabilizers, it was a piece of junk.  

The Bow Hunter Class must shoot hunting bows and arrows during all tournaments, 125 grain points, 40 pound bows.  He must have one finger above the arrow (no string walking).  He must shoot instinctively (no sights).

  

I got ribbon from UBA that said;

Eugene Halverson belongs to the “Fellowship of Robin Hood”  he has Duplicated ye most Extraordinary feat  of “Robin of Sherwood”  who shotte wythe his Bow and dydde  splitte an Arrow previously lodged in ye Eyye of ye targette.

Eugene with "Gentleman Jim, Carroll Bow"
I shot higher scores with it than with any compound Bow

INVITATIONALS

The Buckhorn Bowmen in Price was the regular field/hunter round, but the long distant animal shoot was always fun.  For 25 cents you competed until someone hit the lion in the heart.

The ONE MILLION BC INVITATIONAL that the Logan Bowmen put on was the greatest of all.  Giant Mammoths at 90 or better yards, but there were every kind of dinosaur at various yardages and even a couple of pterosaurs (giant birds) came flying overhead, 10 or 15 miles an hour.  The last shot of the day was from the top of the mountain to quilt on the bottom of the canyon.  It was a long shot 180 maybe 200 yard, like a clout shot with an unknown yardage, with three animal marked arrows. 

Beehive Wasatch held their big Animal shoot out at Park City.  The fee included the ride on a ski lift to the first three dimensional deer targets in Utah.   

There is an invitational every week somewhere in in Utah.  UBA regulates them so the smaller clubs are not lost in the shuffle, money to survive is necessary.  

BOW HUNTING for DEER and ELK

I went hunting during the 1960’s but I did not have the best bow or it seemed like I was not good but lucky.  I went alone up to the East Fork of the Bear I had lots of shooting but the only thing I hurt was my feelings.  I went to Fish Lake with Lee and chased deer all over the place.  I went Billy, Lee, Darald and even Keith Cowdell to Robins Valley.  We could hunt and fish and look for arrow-heads it was a marvelous mountain.   I followed the Datus Club to Monroe Mountain, it quite enjoyable at night spinning stories about the days hunt.  But I made the mistake getting stuck in Bob Covington’s deer drive; the poor deer were literally chased down and shot, I was left far behind.   

Elk Ridge, up Cotton Wood draw out of Blanding was something I still dream about.  I had never seen so many big bucks in such big herds.  

We hunted the Bear’s Ears and Elk Ridge mostly.  Lee’s wife Carol shot the biggest buck we ever got.  I hit a few monsters that I lost because I failed to wait long enough for them to die.  The ones I took home were like babies to the ones I should have taken home.  I learned to follow blood trails and not to make so many mistakes.  Coyotes traveled in packs, sometimes they would completely devour a deer left over night.  In the winter they would kill even the big bucks.  Mountain lions were all over and they were killing everything.  Bears were thick as flies and doing lots of damage.  It seems like all the fauns and the does were being eliminated as fast as fast as they were being born.     

Bow Hunting for Deer and Elk

Around 1971, Ally Burke represented UBA and was able to get us the privilege to hunt “ELK” for the first time ever.  We did not have to draw for a license, you just bought one.  A deer license gave you two deer, what a deal. 

Every week end I was somewhere looking for a place to hunt both of them, especially a place where I could camp on a fishing stream and hunt up.  One day I found an old Forest Service manager who told me about the “Muddy”.   What a wonderful out of the way place that was.  If you happened to be there when it rained you stayed there until it dried out. 

The MUDDY

We camped in a grove of  Aspen below the road on the Blacksmith’s Fork Creek.  We were so busy hunting we did not know about all its fish.  Our drinking water came from the coldest and biggest spring on the mountain.  We were in the middle of an ancient Aspen forest with top of the mountains covered with pine and fir trees.  The “Bear Hole” below us with Elk and Bears and the tops were full of them too.  One of us was always telling a story about a cougar, a bob cat, a coyote, a badger or a bear he had seen that day.  It was wild and beautiful.  Lakes full of fish all over the place.  There was petrified wood and arrow-heads to look for.  

Sage Hens were on the flats with Pine Hens and Ruff Grouse above us.  But with all the predators it was like Elk Ridge the deer and elk were very cautious.  It took all our hunting skills to get close enough for a shot.  If you drove up the road as far as the old saw mill, the elk would just leave, so we learned to walk up and where to walk up. 

white top mountains

In a few years I was getting an elk and a couple of deer every year.  I was making clean kills and not having to trail them as far. 

Then Jim Bell who took my job as UBA’s Hunting Representative gave us an elk season and a separate deer season that ruined everything.  I would be alone; my relatives could only be there during the deer hunt.   

But my eye-sight as well as my shoulders was hurting and I was no longer making these great shots.  The last year I hunted down there, I had wounded two deer and an elk.  So I quit and went fishing.  I did go down on the Boulder Mountain with family and went out and made a perfect deer shot, he dropped in his tracks, but I really did not like killing animals anymore even if I loved the meat. 

I took the deer back to the Shingle tree Camp Grounds and hung it in camp.  Then Jay Dee brought one more in to hang.  The Camp Host said, she was going to write me a ticket if I did not get it out of camp.  I said go ahead.  So here comes the Forest Ranger and he said it was perfectly legal to hang them there.  

Fish too

That night I fried up lots of liver and onions, my favorite dinner.  I also boiled the  heart in salt water.   But how do I get the kids to even taste it?  So, I called Marcie and Ashley over.  I cut a teeny tiny piece of the heart and got them to dare the other to eat it, and they loved and asked for more, soon all the kids wanted some.  Soon it was all gone; I was lucky to steal a piece for myself.  Well it was fun while it lasted, I have some wonderful memories to dream about.