Most people are familiar with the colored target used in many archery and firearms tournaments, with the highest points scored by hitting the bullseye center.
Now, imagine a contest where points are scored the same way - but you can't see the target, because it's molded into the sides of life-like, molded-foam models of North American game animals.
Welcome to the world of 3-D archery, experienced Saturday at the new Lincoln University/Parks and Recreation LINC center by around 400 students from throughout the state.
"This is the second time we've ever done it - it's growing," said Eric Edwards, the state Conservation department's Education Outreach Coordinator.
The 3-D tournament is another outgrowth from the department's participation in the National Archery in the Schools Program.
"We started in 2007 with 20 schools; we're up to 620 schools that do this program as part of their in-school curriculum," Edwards said. "A lot of schools form archery clubs, either before or after school, and they compete in many of our tournaments."
The animal targets are of different sizes, ranging from a small turkey to a bear - with a coyote, sheep ram, antelope and white-tail deer in between.
The targets are placed at different distances from the shooting line, creating extra challenges as the archer shoots five arrows at each of the six different targets.
Kurtis Wilson, a Helias Catholic High School senior, got interested in archery in grade school, as an outgrowth of his hunting experiences.
"I believe this is a heck of a lot more fun than firearms," he said. "I believe this takes a lot of mind skills."
Senior Evan Rackers also started shooting with a bow when, like Wilson, he attended St. Stanislaus grade school in Wardsville.
"We both grew up hunting and bow hunting," Rackers noted. "(Archery has) helped my bow-hunting and it's helped my shooting for fun.
"I love football, basketball and baseball - but this is my favorite."
The National Archery in the Schools program is found throughout the state, in the big cities as well as the very rural country schools.
In Mid-Missouri, the Jefferson City area parochial schools have it, as well as Jefferson City High School and Thomas Jefferson Middle School.
T.J. Kirk, a Trinity Lutheran sixth-grader, said archery is "my second-favorite sport," behind baseball - where he plays pitcher and catcher.
"You have to, probably, concentrate more on this, and be more on-balance," he explained, "than to do baseball."
Carter Hunget, another Trinity sixth grader - whose father is the archery coach - said he's developing a routine to help him concentrate.
"My Dad says I have a lot of little things to do to shoot (well)," Carter said.
Lincoln University's Wildlife Club helped run Saturday's tournament.
"This is just a great opportunity to get active in the community and help out," freshman Chanelle Quinn, from Charleston, explained. "I hope that (the archery students) learn new skills and that they really take advantage of this great opportunity.
LU senior Blake Bockting, from Chamois, added: "I hope more than anything it will keep them involved in the whole archery thing."
And, as for the club members, she noted: "This is one of the ways we raise money - last year we used the money to pay for disabled veterans," including providing food and some activities for a special camp at the National Guard's Camp Crowder in Southwest Missouri.
Kevin Roper, the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation's executive director, agreed archery provides an athletic activity for all.
"It's an incredible opportunity for a different way, a different sport out there that's not a traditional one," he said. "It opens up a door for people to learn how to discipline themselves.
"We find that kids who do this have high ACT scores and do very well in school."
In fact, Edwards added, "We have a couple of kids who are going on college scholarships to shoot target archery, to pay for their college tuition.
"We have kids who are trying out for the Olympics."
Helias senior Grace Yarnell said: "I started shooting in 6th grade at Immaculate Conception, and it was just something that everybody could do - you didn't have to be super-athletic to be a part of this sport.
"Archery is definitely something I could see myself doing for a long time, whether it's hunting or just shooting for fun."