“Master of the Longbow” Byron
Ferguson to make special guest appearance
Alabama’s fifth
community archery park is set to open on June 28, 2012 in Point Mallard Park in
Decatur. The Decatur/Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Decatur
Parks and Recreation, and the City of Decatur will hold a ribbon cutting
ceremony at 2 p.m. to officially open and introduce residents to the city’s
newest recreational venue, the Decatur Community Archery Park. On hand for the
special occasion will be trick archery expert and Morgan County native Byron
Ferguson who will perform at the conclusion of the ribbon cutting ceremony.
The Decatur Community Archery Park features 40 targets,
including an eight-target adult range from 15 to 50 yards; an eight-target
youth range of 5 to 20 yards; a four-target range of 10 to 40 yards with a
12-foot platform, and a 20-target walking course. The Decatur Community Archery
Park will be host to competitive tournaments, outdoor educational programming,
and day recreation.
According to Stuart Goldsby, Regional Hunter Education Coordinator
for the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, the park will be open to
the public 365 days a year during daylight hours for recreational shooting,
preparation for fall hunting seasons, and archery tournaments. Day use of the
park is free for those under 16 years of age or over 65 years of age not
requiring a hunting license. Residents between 16 and 65 years old without a
hunting license or fishing license may purchase a $10 annual Wildlife Heritage
License for admittance. For non-Alabama residents, a $16 annual Wildlife
Management Area license is required. All activities including school and park
and recreation archery activities will enjoy free use of the park by permit
under Point Mallard authorized programming.
Top bowhunter and trick archery expert, Byron Ferguson will
be demonstrating the skills that have placed him in the international spotlight
following the ribbon cutting ceremony. Ferguson performs all over the world in
countries such as France, Japan, Chile, Italy, Spain, Canada, and Sweden
drawing crowds of over 100,000 people to witness his longbow skills. He has also
appeared on numerous television shows including the Jay Leno Show, American
Shooter on the Outdoors Channel, Shooting USA, and Impossible Shots, and has
served as host and producer on TNN’s “Everything Outdoors,” the world’s first
“how-to” outdoor television program. He is also the author of Become The Arrow, a paperback
instructional book on bare bow shooting as well as the video of the same title
and other archery related videos. He currently resides in Hartselle, Ala. with
his wife, Wanda.
The Decatur Community Archery Park has been made possible by
the following sponsors: Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater
Fisheries; TVA; U.S. Fish and wildlife Service/Wheeler Wildlife Refuge; Archery
Trade Association; and the City of Decatur. The community archery park is
located next to the west entrance of the Aquatic Center in Point Mallard Park.
The Decatur park is the fifth park of its kind in Alabama
constructed over the last six years. Parks are currently in operation in
Athens, Cullman, Dothan, and Demopolis; and three more in Ozark, Heflin, and
Lincoln are currently under construction. The series of parks are being
developed by the Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries in partnership
with Park and Recreation agencies and the Archery Trade Association. The parks
are one component of a Community Archery Strategy in which the life skill of
archery becomes as recognized as baseball, football, soccer and others as a
mainstream activity.
For more information, contact Assistant Parks and Recreation
Director Tom Chappell at 256.341.4930.
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