Hitting the Bull’s Eye – Archery in Alaska

Shortly after “The Hunger Games” blockbuster films recently hit the silver screen, the sport of archery saw a sudden rise in popularity all across the country — Alaska included. Alaska has a thriving hunting culture, and bow hunting is quite common. The state’s vast wilderness plus a decent number of archery outfitters make it easy for anyone to channel his or her inner Katniss Everdeen (the main character in the films).

Post-apocalyptic inspiration aside, bow hunting is actually a popular way to hunt big game in Alaska, and archery itself a fun hobby otherwise. To make it easy, we’ve rounded up some of the top destinations for archery in the Great Land.

Full Curl Archery, an Alaska-owned and operated archery store in Anchorage with a 10-lane indoor archery range, offers options for individual and group lessons and competitions. The shop features a huge selection of archery equipment available for rent as well as a friendly staff to help get you started. Another option in Anchorage, Cabela’s, one of the leading outdoors outfitters in the state, is a popular new addition to Alaska’s archery scene and has just about every accessory an amateur or professional archer could dream of. From kid-sized bows to bow fishing equipment, this is also great place to get started. Cabela’s also features a small indoor archery room for you to try out gear.

Up north in the Golden Heart City of Fairbanks, the University of Alaska Fairbanks has its very own community archery range. It’s free and open to the public, and provides many different targets to practice on. The range is located on Range Road off Farmers Loop. Also in Fairbanks, Precision Archery has an indoor archery range and a full-service shop.

If you’ve already tried your hand at archery and are looking for something a little more official, the Alaska State Archery Association in Palmer is the place to go. Established in 1963, the association has a full schedule of archery tournaments, with indoor and outdoor archery events the whole family can attend.

Cook Inlet Archers is another society for Alaska bow hunters. The group holds regular shoots that are open to the public at Loretta French Park in Chugiak. On the third Sunday of each month from October through May they hold special shoots with 3D models of bears and other animals.

Whether you’re looking to hunt or just want to step into Robin Hood’s shoes for the afternoon, these tips should send you in the right direction.