Franco Longo received a bow as a Christmas gift from his wife Linda and their two sons back in 1999.

"It came with a couple of arrows, so I figured he'd open it, get really happy, shoot it once or twice, and that would be the end of it," Linda recalled.

Little did Linda know at the time, the hobby turned into a passion for her husband.

"It snowballed," she said.

Longo currently owns a handful of bows and is a member in good standing with the B.C. Archery Association, and the B.C. Wildlife Federation.

He has turned his sloped backyard into an archery range, where he practises his accuracy on an array of 3D targets.

He sits on the executive of the Maple Ridge Archery Club and holds the position of 3D director with the club.

He is also a "pro staff shooter" for a Canadian archery company called APA Innovations in Biggar, Sask. Longo regularly attend 3D shoots held by local archery clubs in the Lower Mainland. These shoots vary from flat field 3D's, to 3D's on more rugged terrain. During these competitions, Longo consistently places in the top three in his category, and he competes at the provincial and national level.

From 2003 to 2006 Longo took on the role of publicity chair for the B.C. Archery Association - at the time he was responsible for fundraising and obtaining sponsorship for the BCAA Junior Olympian Program (JOP).

Archery is a natural fit for the 52-year-old Longo, who has hunted since he was nine years old.

"My uncle was a hunter, and my dad hunted when he first came to Vancouver," Longo said.

He now hunts with a rifle as well as a bow, and in August 2006 completed the International Bowhunter Education Program.

"I have received three bow-hunter pins through the British Columbia Archery Association, one for a blacktail deer, two wild boar, and one for an elk," Longo said.

The challenge drew him into archery.

"I enjoy it because I'm a hunter," Longo said, noting that he completed a course on how to ethically kill an animal with a crossbow. "It's easier to kill an animal with a rifle than it is with a bow. With a bow you have to get up real close."

TURKEY SHOOT

This Sunday (Nov. 25) the Maple Ridge Archery Club is hosting a turkey shoot inside the Beef Barn at the Maple Ridge Fairgrounds.

It's the club's largest fundraiser, with all money raised going towards its JOP.

All shooters are welcome, with their own equipment, however, no binoculars or rangefinders are allowed.

There will be a concession stand, 50/50 draw, many door prizes, and turkeys to be given away.

Start time is 9 a.m. The final scorecard is issued at 1 p.m.

Cost to take part is $7. An extra mulligan is $1.

"It's a fun shoot," Longo said. "Plus there's probably $1,000 worth of door prizes that we are giving out as well."

While the turkey shoot has been around since the 1980s, the Maple Ridge Archery Club started operations around 1955 and currently has 60 members.

The late Marj Saunders was among the early club members and competed for Canada in the Munich Olympics in 1972.

The turkey shoot has been can-celed twice, both due to snow and freezing weather. No such risk this year, with the event being held indoors.

For anyone interested, the Maple Ridge Archery Club holds "try it" nights, and provides equipment. For information, email mapleridgearchery@gmail.com.

tlandreville@mrtimes.com