Teepee Tonka Park in Faribault has an Archery Range. It has been in that location for many years. Newly added is a platform in the fenced-in range area.

City Parks and Recreation Director Paul Penansky tells us the activity is free. Of course, you have to provide your own equipment.  Teepee Tonka is now open to the public.  Eventually, people will be able to drive all the way back to the archery range.  Fencing will be installed to allow that to happen.

Currently, you have to park about midway into the park and walk the rest of the way to the range.

The Faribault Archery Range allows field archery in addition to target archery. In field archery, the ground is often far from level.  Teepee Tonka has some hills behind the targets which act as a barrier that arrows can't pass through for safety purposes when shooters miss the targets and the bales they are attached to.

This looks like loads of fun.  When I was young my neighbor was an avid bow hunter and was teaching me by shooting at flat targets on his property.  Sadly he became sick and died from brain cancer when I was about 13 years old.

I have not picked up a bow since but have to admit it is tempting to try again. There is a lot of difference in the equipment from when I was 13.

Ugh, nearly 50 years ago.  Yeah, that's a half-century.  Five decades.

In field archery, the shooting lanes are set up so any arrows that miss the target will not travel to areas that could be populated with other archers or spectators.

Certain common-sense rules generally apply at these ranges:

  • Always draw the bow pointed toward the target, with or without arrows.
  • Avoid physical contact with an archer in the shooting position.
  • Do not shoot arrows up into the air.
  • Do not use damaged equipment.
  • Never use arrows that are too short for your draw length.  Do not use cracked arrows.
  • Wait behind the shooting line until all archers are finished shooting and the signal to collect is given.
  • Never handle another archer's equipment without permission.
  • No broadheads.
  • No broached or expandable arrows.
  • Do not cross the shooting line to retrieve arrows until everyone is done shooting.

Penansky believes the new platform will be a hit and draw more people to the range for a fun activity.

I have lived in four different states so far and all have been in the midwest.

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