Commissioners approve purchase of archery targets

May 9—THOMASVILLE- The Thomas County Board of Commissioners held their regular meeting on Tuesday morning, where they approved the Purchasing Committee's recommendation for $33,371.08 to purchase archery targets for the Ranges at Oakfield.

According to The Ranges at Oakfield Department Head, Jay Knight, archery targets have been a vision for quite some time.

"The Ranges at Oakfield have been up and in operation for three years," Knight said. "It was always in the plans to add archery and fishing ponds."

Knight said both are now currently in the works thanks to the approval of the Thomas County Board of Commissioners.

"We have a 12-acre fishing pond that we are rehabilitating and will stock," Knight explained. "It will then be open for the public to come fish in."

In addition to the fishing pond, archery targets are now on the horizon.

Knight shared there will be approximately 15 different places archers can walk to and shoot targets.

The various targets mimic animals and are made of rubber. They are then placed in different wooded areas surrounding the Ranges at Oakfield.

According to the receipts provided by the Purchasing Committee, target animals include beavers, gobbling turkeys, strutting turkeys, alert turkeys, alligators, armadillos, a large black bear, coyotes, raccoons, squirrels, midwest bucks, bedded bucks, apple bucks, rubbing bucks and a bedded doe.

All targets are expected to be delivered by July 31, 2023, in time for deer season.

"Our big goal is to have it by archery season for deer," Knight said. "We are hoping by the end of July we will be up and running for archery."

While the Ranges at Oakfield do not have staff on hand to teach archers how to shoot every specific target, Knight said archers are more than welcome to ask how to get in contact with trainers.

"We don't offer teaching; we offer the experience," Knight said. "We do have people that come out and train and help you get going. Instructors are available; they just are not county employees."

Knight explained the same applies to their pistol and riflery programs.

"We have people that can help you and we can tell you how to get instructors; we just don't offer instructions," Knight said.

For those who may not be as comfortable on the 3D archery course yet, Knight said archers also will have the opportunity to shoot at the static course.

"We will have targets for 10 yards, 20 yards, 30 yards, that you can just shoot again and again," he said.

The Ranges at Oakfield will not provide bow-and-arrows, archers will be required to bring their own.

Regardless what course they are targeting, Knight expects a good turnout when the Ranges at Oakfield open their archery range.

"We have had people come out of the woodworks saying how much they can't wait for the archery course," Knight said. "I think it's going to be a bigger deal than we originally thought."

Knight believes there is a larger archery community in Thomasville than originally believed.

"I think the need for archery is greater than we can expect," he concluded.