Of the 32 state parks in Oklahoma, one of the most popular is Beavers Bend. Whether it’s hiking, camping, swimming, fishing, biking, boating, river rafting or even scuba diving, Beavers Bend offers just about everything. In April, the park will add one more arrow to its quiver of “on target” destinations: 3D archery.
April 1-3, Beavers Bend will host the Black Rifle Coffee Company Total Archery Challenge. Held in scenic venues like Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, the Black Hills of South Dakota, and a variety of locations around the U.S., Total Archery Challenge (T.A.C.) brings its popular event to Oklahoma for the first time ever in 2022.
“We professionally design our archery courses to test the marksmanship of all skill levels,” according to totalarcherychallenge.com. “Each event includes over 100 3D targets which challenge shooters to adjust for distances, angles and natural obstacles. In addition to our main courses, we have a Future Champions course for beginner youth and other novelty shots to win major prizes like a new truck.”
T.A.C.’s owner Sean DeGrey says they had looked at other sites in Oklahoma, but it took a couple of years to find the perfect location. Once they found Beavers Bend, DeGrey says “we were sure we’d found [it].”
He continues: “We wanted to do something for people in Oklahoma and east Texas who were traveling great distances to events, and now there’s something right in their backyard.”
This year is T.A.C.’s 10th anniversary of the challenge, which according to DeGrey is an event of camaraderie. Frequent T.A.C. participant, Darlene Fugett, of Paris, Texas, echoes this sentiment.
“It’s a strong community, very family-oriented.”
Fugett started shooting in 2015 and won shooter of the year in her first tournament. She loves the Total Archery Challenge because it combines archery with hiking, stalking and endurance.
“It pushes you to be your best,” she says.
Dan Horgan, director of special projects for the event’s main sponsor, Black Rifle Coffee Company, expanded his arsenal to archery several years ago when his company presented him with a bow. He has shot the T.A.C. course in Snowbird, Utah and Big Sky, Mont., and is looking forward to the first T.A.C. in Oklahoma.
Entry fees, accommodations and an event schedule are available at totalarcherychallenge.com.
Photos courtesy T.A.C.
