With the fresh carpet of snow offset by little wind and a mild temperature, Bismarck's outdoor archery range was well visited Saturday.

Bowhunters and archers came and went for the Nishu Bowmen Freezer Shoot, a February opportunity to get outside and send arrows toward a variety of 3-D animal targets.

Nishu member Bob Richardson, who organized the event, had set out 16 targets around the south course. Animals ranged from turkey-sized to a bear.

Scorecards were optional, and Richardson put out no stakes, allowing archers to shoot at whatever distance they felt comfortable.

"I don't want people losing arrows. This is supposed to be a fun thing," he explained.

Arrows that miss target and backstop often bury themselves in the snow, becoming difficult, if not impossible, to find.

Richardson was tending hotdogs and hamburgers on a propane grill as families, fathers and sons or daughters or singles shot the course or came in and signed up to shoot.

"I brought four arrows that are more expendable than my others," said Paul Shannon.

He had come by himself and was facing the prospect of shooting by himself.

"It's more fun when you have someone along to laugh at, and they can laugh at me," he said. "But there's no snickering."

He also was debating the merits of waiting and letting more folks trample the fine crystals of snow that made walking the trail a more strenuous workout than a summertime shoot.

"Let the young guys break the trail," explained the most senior archer shooting Saturday.

Shannon has been involved in archery for about 50 years. That was after he gave up golf and looked around for another hobby.

He shoots a recurve bow, although he started with a compound bow and its pulleys and wheels. "I went through the training-wheels phase, and then I got rid of the wheels and went back to real archery," he said.

He was one of several participants to shed a layer of clothing before trekking around the course. Others opted to wear all of their layers.

Shannon had just started his round when Curt Pearson showed up and offered to join him.

Rick Olson and his son, Marshall Olson, 11, had just returned from their round. "I lost one arrow, broke one, and the fletching came off another," Rick Olson said. Marshall Olson had ruddy cheeks to show for after his workout around the course.

Almost as many youngsters as adults showed up for the shoot.

Michaela Weltz, 10, and her brother, Aanders Weltz, 4, were shooting with their parents, Colleen and David Weltz. Aanders had the easiest trip around the course. David Weltz pulled him in a sled. "The snow wears you out," David Weltz said after the family had finished.

Depending on the number of people in the group and each group's pace, most people finished the course in an hour or less.

Although some people took off immediately after their round, others stayed around, ate something and visited.

Michaela Weltz hauled the sled up a snow-covered mound of dirt and slid to the bottom as little brother Aanders simply tumbled down the bank. As she drank hot chocolate to warm up, Aanders got in a snowball fight with his mother, Colleen.

Kevin Jensen, meanwhile, had added some Cajun-stuffed venison loin to the grill.

Although the name Freezer Shoot was intended to refer to the time of year it's held, some bowhunters lightened their freezers' wild-game loads and brought out sausage or other treats to share, he explained.

Shannon finished the round with two useable arrows of the four he started with.

But he lost only one.

"I shot the feathers off of another," he explained.

"It was tough walking," he added. "I'm going to need a shower when I get home."

And he was one of the people who shed a layer of clothing before starting.

(Reach outdoor writer Richard Hinton at 701-250-8256 or richard.hinton@bismarcktribune.com.)