Anybody that knows me, knows I'm a fan of first time experiences. This past weekend was the most epic adventure on the mountain, without actually hunting anything. Whatttt? Yes, my first ever Total Archery Challenge, paired with my first trip to Utah, is an experience I won't soon forget!
First Year at TAC in 2017
WHAT IS TOTAL ARCHERY CHALLENGE?
Total Archery Challenge is a 3D shoot that takes place all over the country, where you get to shoot multiple courses of 20+ animal targets in some of the most realistic situations. Living in Texas, most of my shots don't require me to practice past 40 yards, so shooting next to 90% Northwest hunters on the mountain (who sling arrows out to 100 yards regularly) was extremely challenging, but equally gratifying. Everybody wanted to help me however they could. Showing up with a bow that was only sighted to 60 yards didn't stop me from hitting some targets that stretched to 100 yards. I owe it to the people around me for hitting foam on those 70+ yard bombs. This is an event that I plan to attend from this point forward. It's an excuse to see some incredible views, be surrounded by knowledgeable people, and boost your confidence WAY up in multiple ways. For me, shooting long range is scary, but after getting a few shots under my belt, I was fearless. NOBODY cares if you're missing the target completely, and EVERYBODY is having fun! I feel silly that I was ever intimidated, and so accomplished that I went outside of my comfort zone.
After meeting so many wonderful people and catching up with old friends, I'm finally back home in Texas and trying to adjust to my extremely flat farm town again. Now that I have a minute to breathe (literally struggled all the way up the mountain with the elevation change), I'm noticing many of my social media followers are asking about the same thing over and over again - EQUIPMENT! I was able to talk about my must-haves on the mountain with some awesome people, but it's tough to sum everything up in a picture caption on my social platforms. This will cover some of my most asked about equipment over the weekend, and give you a sneak peak at some pictures that I've never shared!
UPDATED JULY 11, 2021:
I’ve now attended TAC every year since the first year in 2017 and I’ll be leaving again in a few days to head to Big Sky, MT and Park City, UT. This time, however, I’ll be working a booth for Huntin’ Fool, a job I accepted in November 2019 that permanently brought me to Southern Utah. I will always love my Texas roots, but being here has allowed me to train in the mountains where I live at 6,000 feet in elevation and can get to 8,500+ in under 20 minutes. Altitude sickness is a real thing and it’s not uncommon for people to get it at these events if they’re not used to the jump in elevation. I didn’t realize years ago when my heart was beating out of my chest all night long with insane headaches that I was actually suffering from altitude sickness, so be sure you’re drinking a TON of water if you plan to attend the higher elevation TAC shoots. I have now attended 6 different locations and hope to attend more next year!
TOTAL ARCHERY CHALLENGE CHECKLIST
MUST-HAVES:
I use an Initial Ascent pack and yes I realize my extra arrows in my pack aren’t fletched. I fletched them on the mountain after this! There are several booths that sell the equipment to do your own, or will do it for you.
Hiking boots: I admit that I have complicated, sensitive feet, but I still can’t imagine going to one of the higher elevation courses and having tennis shoes on. This is probably the biggest mistake that I see. Wear some comfortable hiking boots, or bring some that you’ve started to break in that need some extra miles before season. This is a great time to test your equipment before getting in the field and your shoes couldn’t be more important for a western big game hunt.
Range finder: this isn’t a “serious” 3D shoot where you have to keep score and you aren’t allowed to range the target. This is supposed to be fun and there are zero parameters for what you can do. There have even been several targets each year that I move up on so I wouldn’t lose arrows. Do you!
Binos: bring some 10s or 12s so you can see the target and watch other people’s shots for them!
Extra arrows: I wouldn’t bring less than 8 arrows to one of these events. Just trust me on this one.
Snacks: each course averages about 3-4 hours each. I don’t do well without food for that long, so bring some snacks with you just in case!
Water: there’s typically a water station on each course about halfway through, but I’d highly recommend taking your own with you. The higher elevation, the long hours on the course, the heat, etc means you’ll want to stay hydrated. Take a water bladder in your pack if you decide to carry one, or throw a nalgene in your buddy’s pack. There are 25 targets on each course, just so you have an idea of when to expect a water station!
Sunscreen: I’m certain that some of my audience will roll their eyes at this one, but the sun at higher elevation is nothing to play with. I don’t care how dark you are, you’ll want some SPF!
Hat: this obviously compliments the sunscreen, but it also helps when you’re shooting into the sun.
Proper layers: There are extreme temperature and weather variations, particularly at the mountain shoots. Be sure to layer well and bring rain gear. I’ve been stuck on the mountain in several afternoon showers.
OPTIONAL:
Tip: flip a bugle tube upside down and put your arrows in it! PVC pipe works great too. Side note: I was in a rush and brought extra bare shaft arrows that I fletched at the event. Nothing like being last minute, ha!
Pack: I personally like to shoot with my pack on for practice as if I were hunting, but it also allows me to carry extra water and snacks, a handful of extra arrows, and get a little weighted hike in while shooting. I wouldn’t put this on the must-haves simply because you can always throw your water & snacks in someone else’s pack and only take the arrows in your quiver or even get a hip quiver. I would say MOST people will have a small pack on though.
Pants: ok so clothing isn’t “optional,” but my point is that I wouldn’t personally wear shorts. This is my preference due to the terrain, where sometimes you’re walking through brush or tall grass, but also because I’m a ginger and I’d probably get scorched while being so close to the sun. Also, as mentioned before, this is a great time to test your gear and I always wear a thin pair of pants during early season. These bayou colored pants are my favorite pant! You will see a lot of people wearing camo too.
Camera: your phone will do the trick, but I think it’s important to mention how beautiful the mountain shoots are! You’ll want to capture a few moments for sure, especially when you get a 12 ringer on a target *wink wink! :)
Arrow Puller: this is very much an extra item, but after pulling arrows all day they’re nice to have, especially when you have someone in your group shooting heavy arrows that bury into the target or someone gets one stuck in a tree; this will happen at some point.
Sheep Feet: I mentioned the importance of hiking boots above in the must-haves section, but I’ve been running custom orthotics for several seasons now and highly recommend investing in some for every day use, especially in the mountains! Use code FOLLOWHERARROW for a discount.
Of course, there are multiple 3D shoots throughout the Spring & Summer months that are all great for helping you get prepared for the upcoming season or just to do something fun in the outdoors! Check out my article I wrote for Huntin’ Fool in February 2021 that compares two of the most common archery shoots.
GIRL POWER in Park City, UT // July 2019