Bill Winebold pulls back the bowstring and takes aim at the squirrel scampering across a downed tree. He waits just an instant and fires, the arrow ripping through the air toward the critter.
The arrow finds its mark. It’s a kill shot, right in the chest.
12 points, shows the display.
Bill was not braving the January cold to go squirrel hunting Monday night. Rather, his shooting display demonstrated the Dart video system that allows hunters to hone their skills at 305 S. Webster St., inside the building housing Konitzers Lane Antiques. The building now also serves as the home of Avid Archery, and Bill and his wife, Karina, are eager to see their recently transplanted business grow in Spring Hill.
The couple already like their new building more than their previous location in Olathe, which Karina said felt like a warehouse. Everything fits perfectly in their new space, Karina said. Their current location is split into thirds, with a retail and service area featuring an impressive display of mounted wild game heads hugging the back wall. A 20-yard shooting range occupies the middle section, and the Dart area is near the front of the building.
In fact, Bill, a former collegiate baseball player, already has other plans to use the space. He said he hopes to set up an indoor batting cage in the shooting range so his 9-year-old son, Caleb, and other local children can take some swings before the season kicks off.
The Winebolds moved the business to Spring Hill to be closer to their home in the city. Many of their longtime Olathe customers have followed them south since the Jan. 3 opening, Bill said, while Miami County residents have journeyed up to Spring Hill to check out the area’s new archery shop and range.
Even more archers may make the trip starting next week, when a Dart league is set to begin. The store isn’t just for experts, though, Bill said. Equipment is available for rent, and he said local scout troops and other youth groups often stop in to test their skills. Avid also recently hosted a birthday party, he said.
Bill’s archery interest dates back to 1992, when he first started shooting. Karina soon followed suit, picking up a bow and participating rather than just watch as Bill competed in 3-D archery contests, she said. Bill’s passion for the sport also led him to work in an archery store, and the couple said they eagerly seized the opportunity to buy Avid Archery nine years ago.
The couple’s love of the sport has rubbed off on their children. Caleb first picked up a bow when he was just 3, and his little sister, 4-year-old Morgan, fired her first arrow when she was only 2. On Monday, both were pleading with their parents to try their skills in one of the Dart sequences.
This enthusiasm, often displayed by their customers and their family, is what the couple said Avid Archery is all about.
“I love working with the people,” Bill said. “You get somebody who’s newer to it, and you help them out and help build that fire.”
Story courtesy of KC Community News written by Dustin Kass. Link to original article --> Archery shop hits the mark in Spring Hill.
