If you’re looking for a way to release some pent-up stress from your classes, why not try throwing some axes? There’s nothing more satisfying than the sound of an ax head embedding into some wood, and a designated target ensures the experience is safe and non-destructive.
While I went to the Bucks County location of Bury the Hatchet while home for the weekend, there’s a handful of ax throwing establishments near Elizabethtown College’s campus. Stumpy’s Hatchet House has both a Hershey and a Lancaster location, and the thematic Fantasy Axe Throwing is located in Camp Hill.
Stumpy’s Hatchet House is open from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.Wednesday through Friday, with varied hours for the weekend. For an hour of ax throwing, it’s $25 per person, or $40 per person for two hours with parties containing more than five people.
While most ax throwing places take walk-ins, the weekends can get busy so you may want to make a reservation through their website ahead of time.
Considering I paid $30 per person at Bury the Hatchet, $25 seems reasonable. Plus, if your arm gets tired and you need a break from throwing axes, there are also other games available like a giant Jenga set to help keep you and your friends or family entertained.
For safety, only guests over the age of 18 are allowed to throw axes, apart from Sundays. All minors need to be accompanied by an adult and no one under the age of eight is allowed in at all. So, make sure to bring an ID and be mindful of who you decide to take with you.
Upon arrival, an attendant gave a quick rundown of the ax throwing experience. Since my friends and I hadn’t been before, they taught us how to properly throw to get the head to actually stick into the wooden target. They also established a few rules, such as refraining from throwing while the people throwing beside us were retrieving their axes, to prevent accidents from happening. The attendants also suggested some lighthearted competitions to try with the scoring, such as Hangman and Around the World.
The first time I went, I had a bit of trouble getting my axes to land, and I ended up switching from the heavy hatchet to a lighter tomahawk. I was able to get up to 102 points, though unfortunately, I lost to my friend who had nearly 200.
The second time was much easier, as I’d already gotten the hang of the motion. I was able to win most of the games we played, though we decided that cheering each other on was much more exciting than being overly competitive.
The targets are pretty large, about four feet in diameter, with rings for one, two, three and four points, plus the six-point bullseye. While you may not hit the bullseye every time, the size of the board makes it easy to rack up at least a few points. I also found that the staff was extremely friendly and willing to give pointers if anyone was struggling with their throws.
Additionally, ax throwing can make a great workout. While I may not be adding it to my gym regiment any time soon, my shoulder was pretty sore the next day from using some underutilized muscles.
Some locations offer a collection of other items besides the regular hatchet, tomahawk and competition throwing ax. An additional fee could get you ninja stars or shovels to throw.
I plan on rounding up a few friends and trying them out the next time I go!
