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Old 06-20-2018, 09:21 PM
BigGirth BigGirth is offline
 
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Default Where do you fling arrows?

I bought a bow this year in hopes of being able to go to the outdoor range on the way out to Bragg Creek since I work on that end of Calgary. Dreams of flinging hundreds of arrows a week and getting better where dancing around my head. Then I found out it was removed due to construction.

If you are like me and you want to get into a rhythm of shooting hundreds of arrows a week and get ready for 3d shoots in the future where would you go to shoot?

Ideal would be a 100 yard chunk of dirt to setup a foam target that i would bring and take when i leave that is close enough to Calgary that i could spend the most time shooting as possible without having to be constrained by the costs and hours of operations of a lane. I mean i have been out for drives out to public land and such but that really doesn't work well for a working man.

Is there such a thing?
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Old 06-20-2018, 09:51 PM
jcrayford jcrayford is online now
 
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I live in the NW and there are. Couple of undeveloped government road allowances within 5 minutes of me. Calgary (and Edmonton) are surrounded by these. Drive down one, set up target (with safety in mind always) and shoot your 100's of arrows. I can stretch out my shots to 100+ yards or more if I want

J.
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Old 06-21-2018, 09:38 AM
sdb8440 sdb8440 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jcrayford View Post
I live in the NW and there are. Couple of undeveloped government road allowances within 5 minutes of me. Calgary (and Edmonton) are surrounded by these. Drive down one, set up target (with safety in mind always) and shoot your 100's of arrows. I can stretch out my shots to 100+ yards or more if I want

J.
Can you point us in the right direction for these roads? Thanks in advance.
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  #4  
Old 06-21-2018, 09:59 AM
Grump Grump is offline
 
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Can you point us in the right direction for these roads? Thanks in advance.
*gasp* never ask a man for his honey hole if you don't want to be lied to!

BigGirth, I too was heart broken that the range was torn down. I live 5 minutes from it and just picked up my first bow this year. I'll keep my eyes and ears to the ground for some place to shoot (close-by) and send you a DM if I find something - maybe we head out together at some point if you don't mind adding someone to the mix.
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  #5  
Old 06-21-2018, 12:17 PM
crawfish crawfish is offline
 
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unfortunately not anywhere near as close, but I have started driving to Carstairs and shooting at Bighorn Archers. Great outdoor range, and only $100 a year. Well worth it to make the drive in my opinion, until something closer opens. I've never been a big fan of shooting indoors.

http://bighornbowhuntersandarchers.com/
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  #6  
Old 06-21-2018, 12:37 PM
jcrayford jcrayford is online now
 
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Originally Posted by sdb8440 View Post
Can you point us in the right direction for these roads? Thanks in advance.
Anywhere that a GRA is undeveloped. The important things are:

1) Safety is always paramount for me; if there is a house close by, use some common sense and discretion. Nothing that'll tick a home owner off faster than a ricochet floating through their yard

2) Make sure you're outside of the City's legal boundary limits. Local bylaws will probably make your life a little exciting if you're not.

As for my own private shooting range? I have 3 of them. One is a little more heavily used than the other two, but it's closer. Typically only visit that one at first/last light for low light practicing as the other "traffic" would be lighter during those times (but not always). The other 2 are in a N-S direction and provide alternating wind / no-wind shooting scenarios.

Just takes a little Google Earth browsing in your neck of the woods to come up with possibilities. Saves time/gas and will give you a pretty good birds-eye view of the area; enough that it will eliminate most of the spots and hone you in on the likely ones.

IF HOWEVER, you check out one that looks good on GE and there's a fence/gate blocking your access - leave it alone. More than likely it's been closed off by agreement between land owner / county and you would be trespassing. Not all closed lands are evident, but fences/gates are a very good indicator that it's no longer public access. Sometimes this isn't the case, but it would cost you money to investigate and be sure - and then the possibility of harassment still would exist. Just move onto the next possible spot.

J.
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  #7  
Old 06-21-2018, 12:40 PM
jcrayford jcrayford is online now
 
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Can you point us in the right direction for these roads? Thanks in advance.
Send me the location of the closest intersection to you and I'll Google Earth some book marks for you to check out.

J.
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Old 06-21-2018, 08:55 PM
BigGirth BigGirth is offline
 
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Awesome thanks J.!
To be honest with you I'm not sure if my city slicker eyes can't tell between a Gravel road going to a property and a government road allowances road. I had gone for a drive a couple of times and found that all the land around the city looks like private drives. The very last thing i want to do is pi ss anyone off that might own land and give all you great archers a bad name.

I have looked at https://maps.alberta.ca/RecAccess/Vi...ewer=RecAccess and i see a few spots open to rec use but they all have names attached so I'm not sure what that means.

Thanks again for helping a Noob out
BG
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  #9  
Old 06-22-2018, 12:23 PM
jcrayford jcrayford is online now
 
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Originally Posted by BigGirth View Post
Awesome thanks J.!
To be honest with you I'm not sure if my city slicker eyes can't tell between a Gravel road going to a property and a government road allowances road. I had gone for a drive a couple of times and found that all the land around the city looks like private drives. The very last thing i want to do is pi ss anyone off that might own land and give all you great archers a bad name.

I have looked at https://maps.alberta.ca/RecAccess/Vi...ewer=RecAccess and i see a few spots open to rec use but they all have names attached so I'm not sure what that means.

Thanks again for helping a Noob out
BG
The spots on your "rec access" link are more than likely GRL leases and most leasees will have their own individual thoughts on public access on public lands (this has been hashed out too many times). I'm talking about undeveloped government road allowances that are dead ends (no medium/high grade gravel surface).

I've just done a quick search West of Calgary. Look on Google Earth 1.5 miles south of Hwy 1 and Calaway Park, then West 2 miles, then North 1 mile. I haven't been to this location personally, but this looks similar to locations that I go to and also view on GE.

But because I haven't been to this particular location, I can't guarantee that it would work for you or that adjacent land owners wouldn't squawk. Use this information at your own peril.

J.
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  #10  
Old 06-23-2018, 05:36 AM
calgarychef calgarychef is offline
 
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Regarding the range being torn down. When it comes time to vote don't forget who was the mayor at the time.. Every other damned sport gets special accommodation in Calgary but archery? No they eliminate our range. I'm still fuming mad about that one.
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  #11  
Old 06-29-2018, 02:57 PM
sdb8440 sdb8440 is offline
 
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Thanks J, much appreciated.
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Old 06-29-2018, 02:59 PM
sdb8440 sdb8440 is offline
 
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I think it was the province that closed it down due to the extension of Stoney trail, it would be nice to have another one for sure.
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  #13  
Old 07-05-2018, 04:58 PM
sdb8440 sdb8440 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jcrayford View Post
The spots on your "rec access" link are more than likely GRL leases and most leasees will have their own individual thoughts on public access on public lands (this has been hashed out too many times). I'm talking about undeveloped government road allowances that are dead ends (no medium/high grade gravel surface).

I've just done a quick search West of Calgary. Look on Google Earth 1.5 miles south of Hwy 1 and Calaway Park, then West 2 miles, then North 1 mile. I haven't been to this location personally, but this looks similar to locations that I go to and also view on GE.

But because I haven't been to this particular location, I can't guarantee that it would work for you or that adjacent land owners wouldn't squawk. Use this information at your own peril.

J.
I downloaded the Rockyview County map and identified over a dozen possibilities so did a little tour...every single one had a gate/fence in front of them, so I will have to expand the search.
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  #14  
Old 07-05-2018, 11:20 PM
lastlatvian lastlatvian is offline
 
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Originally Posted by calgarychef View Post
Regarding the range being torn down. When it comes time to vote don't forget who was the mayor at the time.. Every other damned sport gets special accommodation in Calgary but archery? No they eliminate our range. I'm still fuming mad about that one.
Yeah like those right wing arseholes who torn down race city. The only net profit city sporting event. So he could build homes on it just like the land he bought in front of the 17th c-trian line.
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  #15  
Old 07-08-2018, 11:01 AM
sheerules sheerules is offline
 
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Anywhere around Edmonton you guys know of?

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  #16  
Old 07-08-2018, 11:16 AM
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Passthru Passthru is offline
 
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I shoot at my 18-1 target just inside of town in subdivisions where the sewer and roads are being put in, only after the work day is done for those guys. Put it up against a topsoil pile so no rocks wreck any arrows if missing at long ranges. Luckily there are a lot of local law enforcement that are also bow hunters and understand. You also must understand that if somebody phones in a complaint then they must do their job. Just make sure there is nothing important beyond your backstop aka dirt pile and keep out of sight if possible. Gotta get creative to get thos reps in if your in the city
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Old 07-09-2018, 01:49 PM
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bowhunter9841 bowhunter9841 is offline
 
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Anywhere around Edmonton you guys know of?

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You can shoot out at Sherwood park fish and game shooting range. I believe that the general membership (which does not include use of the firearms ranges) includes the use of the archery range. They have target butts out to 50 yards. But you can back up to 60 if no one else is there. Also a nice 20 target 3-d course. And a practice deck that mimics shooting from a tree stand. Very nice facility. I think, but I’m not positive, that the general membership is like $60/yr?? Bit of a drive from Edmonton, but definitely worth it!!
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Old 07-09-2018, 03:08 PM
jcrayford jcrayford is online now
 
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Originally Posted by bowhunter9841 View Post
You can shoot out at Sherwood park fish and game shooting range. I believe that the general membership (which does not include use of the firearms ranges) includes the use of the archery range. They have target butts out to 50 yards. But you can back up to 60 if no one else is there. Also a nice 20 target 3-d course. And a practice deck that mimics shooting from a tree stand. Very nice facility. I think, but I’m not positive, that the general membership is like $60/yr?? Bit of a drive from Edmonton, but definitely worth it!!
Be sure to protect that facility with everything you've got!!!!! We here in Calgary are missing our one and only outdoor facility that was disbanded a couple of years ago.

I'd most likely pay 3X the amount quoted above to have another outdoor facility here....

J.
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Old 07-10-2018, 11:24 AM
Grump Grump is offline
 
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I'd most likely pay 3X the amount quoted above to have another outdoor facility here....
100% in agreement. I'd be happy to pay ~$200/yr to have somewhere to get reps in locally. Everything is on the other side of from me so I'm consistently looking at 60-75 minutes round trip commuting time.
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