{"id":6565,"date":"2024-06-21T19:02:34","date_gmt":"2024-06-21T19:02:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kevinfell.ca\/?p=6565"},"modified":"2024-06-27T09:02:38","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T09:02:38","slug":"rad-course-awesome-gear-incredible-people-big-sky-total-archery-challenge-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kevinfell.ca\/index.php\/2024\/06\/21\/rad-course-awesome-gear-incredible-people-big-sky-total-archery-challenge-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Rad Course, Awesome Gear, Incredible People: Big Sky Total Archery Challenge 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"(Photo\/Nick<\/p>\n

Total Archery Challenge (TAC) at Big Sky always ends up being a little work, a little play, and a lot of reunion for me.<\/strong> There’s a sense of community when you take the top folks from all the brands you trust in the field and toss them out onto a mountain to shoot together.<\/p>\n

I know GearJunkie is usually all about the gear, right? But sometimes, it’s worth slowing down and noting the fact that behind that knife in your sheath is a guy who started in a garage. Behind that bullet in your chamber is a team of dedicated people who put a passion for hunting in every round. It’s the people that make this event one of my favorites.<\/p>\n

Of course, awesome products are on display, and I have the chance to reconnect with brands like LaCrosse<\/a>, GFC<\/a>, Sitka<\/a>, YETI<\/a>, and more. But for many attendees, myself included, TAC is more about the person shooting next to you, rather than what<\/em> they’re shooting. Unlike a trade show or true media event, TAC takes folks out of the office, off the show floor, and puts them on the mountain to send arrows and share laughs together.<\/p>\n

I’ve bonded and created more friends on the wet ski slopes of Big Sky Total Archery Challenge than I ever have in any convention center.<\/p>\n

If you’re a bowhunter, target shooter, or recreational archer, you should consider registering for a Total Archery Challenge<\/a> course near you. They’re held all across the country, and you will not regret it. You may end up creating lifelong bonds while losing a quiver’s worth of arrows.<\/p>\n

Big Sky Total Archery Challenge 2024<\/h2>\n

The Village <\/h3>\n
\"Total<\/a>
(Photo\/Rachelle Schrute)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Big Sky ski resort looks a lot different when summer rolls around. The parking lot fills up for TAC, bringing incredible food and the best hunting brands out of the cold and into the summer days.<\/p>\n

This public 3D archery shoot brings together the best archers in the industry and new folks just getting started. You may end up shooting with Joe Sixpack from Kentucky or Jocko Willink<\/a>. That’s the beauty of TAC; it puts everyone on the same level playing ground.<\/p>\n

Big Sky is a unique event in the lineup for TAC, and it all comes down to location. Not only is Lone Peak a formidable place to create a 3D archery course, but the proximity to some big brands and names in the hunting space also means this event attracts a who’s who of shoots.<\/p>\n

Bozeman is just a stone’s throw away, so the Big Sky TAC event typically involves eating Dilly Bars with Randy Newberg<\/a>, listening to Jason Matzinger<\/a> discuss conservation topics, and chatting with the reps from all the Bozeman-based hunting brands.<\/p>\n

Maybe I’m biased, but nobody does it quite like Montana does.<\/p>\n

The RMEF World Elk Calling Championships<\/h2>\n
\"RMEF<\/a>
(Photo\/Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Big Sky also plays host to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation World Elk Calling Championship<\/a>. This is one of those events that I always look forward to, mostly for the youth buglers.<\/p>\n

Competitors in the bracket-style competition battle it out, head-to-head, in three rounds: Cow & Calf Calls, Bull Bugles, and Freestyle.<\/p>\n

This year, some of the world’s best stumbled with small errors that knocked them from the podium, allowing new challengers to take the lead.<\/p>\n

This year had some upsets and surprises, as well as some seasoned winners taking home the top spot and prize money for another consecutive year.<\/p>\n

The top honors in each division went to:<\/p>\n