You’ll lose arrows. You’ll second-guess your range. You’ll sweat your way up/down a ski hill, only to miss a foam elk at 102 yards and hear your buddies howling behind you. And if you’re like me and the thousands of others who make the pilgrimage to Total Archery Challenge events around the country each year, you’ll be counting down the days until you can do it all over again.
TAC isn’t just about archery. It’s about community. It’s about shared misery, missed shots, high fives and belly laughs. It’s a damn good time.
How a Total Archery Challenge Event Works
A cool breeze moves through the pines as the chairlift hums overhead. You’re halfway up a mountain at a western ski resort, bow across your lap, arrows rattling in your pack. The peaks stretch for miles. Foam animals are scattered across ridgelines and drainages. This is the Total Archery Challenge.
TAC is a 3D archery event series unlike anything else out there. Picture a mountain transformed into a full-send archery course, packed with life-size targets placed in the most unforgiving, creative and sometimes downright evil shot scenarios you can imagine. Now fill that mountain with thousands of archers—everyone from seasoned elk hunters to moms and dads dragging wagons full of snacks and kids. That’s the vibe.
The brainchild of Sean DeGrey, TAC started as a one-off event in Utah with a simple goal: Make archery fun again.
“We wanted to create something the industry had never seen before,” DeGrey said. “We wanted to create a social, engaging and fun event that brought people together from all aspects of archery, including vendors and manufacturers from across the spectrum.”
Today, TAC events pop up all over the country, from Vermont to Texas to Big Sky, Montana. Each one has its own flavor, but the core stays the same. This isn’t a tournament. There’s no scoreboard. Just you, your bow, a mountain full of targets and whoever you brought with you.
“Total Archery Challenge is an event that removes the intimidation factor of competing and opens the door to all archers, new or expert,” DeGray said about the no-scoring way of things.
What to Expect At a TAC Event
When you show up to a TAC event, it feels like archery camp for adults. And families. And kids. And a few dogs in backpacks. Vendor village is buzzing with food trucks, gear booths and music. Archers are everywhere—adjusting sights, taping up blisters, comparing notes, talking gear.
The real action starts on the mountain. Some courses require a ski lift. Others have you hiking straight from the base. You’ll cover three to five miles depending on the route. Each course has around 20 shots, most of them designed to test your skills, patience and sense of humor. You’ll shoot through timber, over drainages, down boulder fields and across wide-open meadows. Some targets are tucked behind trees. Others are deep into canyons. Some are generous. Others are foam goats that laugh at your confidence.
Shots range anywhere from 20 yards to over 120. Yes, seriously. Bring a sight tape that goes long.
And while the targets are fun, it’s the people that keep me coming back. Last year at Big Sky, I watched a guy miss four shots in a row, turn to the group and say, “You know what? I’m a vibes shooter now.” We all lost it. By the time he center-punched the next elk at 88 yards, we were fist-bumping like it was the Super Bowl.
TAC Isn't Just for Hardcore Hunters
TAC is open to everyone. You don’t need to be an elk slayer with a custom rig. I’ve seen first-time shooters walk these courses, smiling the whole way. Families show up in full force. Parents teach their kids how to range targets and draw properly. You’ll find couples out there, entire friend groups, guys preparing for fall hunts and folks just there for the views.
There are easier courses if you want them. And then there are courses like the “Leupold” or “Sitka” that will test everything you’ve got—legs, lungs and mental game included.
It’s also a place where archery culture shines. You’ll run into notable names like John Dudley, Elk Shape (Dan Staton), Jocko Willink and maybe a few NFL or MMA guys if you know where to look. But nobody’s walking around with an entourage. Everyone’s approachable. Everyone’s stoked to be there. That’s the vibe TAC was built on.
A Few Tips From the Field
If you’re thinking about doing a TAC event, do it. But also, prepare for it. This isn’t a walk-in-the-park shoot on level ground. It’s steep, rugged and often at altitude. Here’s what I’ve learned over the years.
Train like it matters
If you’ve got a hunt coming up, TAC is a perfect training ground. If you don’t, it’s still a good gut check. The terrain will humble you.
Practice long-range
This isn’t a 20- to 40-yard kind of day. Dial in 70, 80, even 100-plus yards.
Bring backup arrows
Seriously, you’ll lose a few. Everyone does. Embrace it.
Roll with a crew, or meet one there
You’ll connect fast. Archers are good people.
Keep it light. Have fun.
Crack jokes. Shoot your shot. Miss wildly. It’s all part of the awesome TAC experience.
Get Ready To Make Memories
I’ve had many memorable TAC moments, but my favorite happened at Canyons Resort, Utah, when I was shooting the Sitka course with a group I wasn’t qualified to be in. It was Levi Morgan, Aron Snyder, Derek Wolfe and me. A quarter of the way through the course, the world’s best archer (Morgan) said, “Let’s make it interesting: no rangefinder, no binos for the rest of the targets.”
For the rest of the course, it was Snyder and Morgan competing to hit 12 rings and Wolfe and I just thanking the Lord above every time we hit foam. On one particular target, a mini moose, I was first up to bat. Snyder was filming and asked me what was happening.
I said, “No range finder, no binos,” looked at the ground and proclaimed, “And I’m the least qualified person out here!” I drew back, settled my pin on the vitals, guessing 44-ish yards, let it rip and watched my arrow sink into the 10 ring.
Hearing Morgan cheer and proclaim, “Nice shot dude!” is not something I ever expected to hear in my life and will stay with me forever.
That’s TAC. It is everything I love about archery, wrapped into one challenging, beautiful, unforgettable weekend. It’s where community matters more than scores, where families and friends bond over wild shots, where you might lose a few arrows but gain perspective.
So, if you’re thinking about signing up, stop thinking. Do it. I’ll see you on the mountain. For more, visit totalarcherychallenge.com.
TAC Gear: What You'll Need to Compete
Here’s what you’ll want to have dialed before showing up:
- Long-range sight tape: Make sure your setup is dialed out past 100 yards.
- Extra arrows: Bring more than you think. Foam animals are unforgiving.
- Quality rangefinder: Vital for courses with elevation change and shadows.
- Good boots: You’ll be on your feet for hours. Traction matters.
- Daypack with water/snacks/sunscreen/bug spray: Hydrate. Fuel up. Keep moving.
- Spare release (if you have one): Because the mountain doesn’t care.
- Rain gear (just in case): Mountains make their own weather.
- Positive attitude: TAC is about fun, not perfection.
This content originally appeared in the September-October 2025 print edition of Hook & Barrel magazine.
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