Archery Stag Do

An archery stag do hands everyone a bow, points them at a target and lets them find out they’re not Robin Hood. After a short lesson from an instructor, you’ll be loosing arrows, keeping score and quietly hoping nobody noticed yours went into the hedge. It’s calmer than most stag activities, but the competition gets surprisingly fierce once the scores go up.

It’s also the perfect excuse to put the stag in green tights. Tell him it’s for the Robin Hood theme. It isn’t, it’s for the photos.

Archery is easy to pick up and hard to master, which is the sweet spot for a group. After a few pointers, most people can hit the target, so nobody spends the day feeling useless. But only one of you will find the gold consistently, and it’s rarely the one who said he’d be good at it.

It suits a laid-back stag too. If your groom would rather have a good time than throw himself off a bridge, a morning of archery followed by a long pub lunch is a cracking day out. There are venues dotted all over the country, so you shouldn’t need to travel far.

Make it a tournament. Knockout rounds, a final, and the loser picks a forfeit from our stag do dares. The trophy in the kit list below goes to the winner. The booby prize medal goes, inevitably, to the stag.

If standing still and concentrating sounds too much like work, book archery tag. It’s dodgeball with bows and arrows. Two teams, foam-tipped arrows, a few barriers to hide behind, and the aim is to hit the other side before they hit you. You’ll usually wear a face mask, and the arrows are designed to bounce off rather than hurt, so it’s chaos without the casualties.

Archery tag is great for bigger groups and for lads who get bored easily. It lets you settle old scores without anyone needing a plaster, which you can’t always say for paintball.

• Drinks after, not before. You’re firing arrows. Venues won’t let anyone shoot who’s had a drink, so save the pints for the pub afterwards.
• Wear something fitted. Baggy sleeves catch the bowstring. A t-shirt or fitted top is ideal, and venues usually provide an arm guard.
• Indoor or outdoor. Outdoor ranges can be glorious or freezing, depending on the British weather. Ask if there’s cover if you’re booking in winter.
• Group size. Smaller groups get more time shooting. If there are loads of you, ask how many can be on the line at once.

Archery goes nicely with other ways of launching sharp things. Axe throwing is the obvious next step, and some venues have a bar attached, which makes it a good evening option. If you want more running around, laser tag and airsoft keep the combat going. And for a base, Nottingham is Robin Hood’s home turf, so it would be rude not to.