Archery in Winnipeg: Find a Place to Shoot

Archery in Winnipeg: ranges, clubs and pole archery

We list 8 places to shoot in Winnipeg. Three of them are pole archery clubs, where archers shoot up at wooden birds on a tall mast, and the oldest of those clubs has shot that way since 1926.

Where Can I Shoot Indoors This Week?

Heights Outdoors and Archery Range, at 2281 Portage Avenue, has served Winnipeg since 1991. It has 26 lanes at 20 yards, plus a pro shop, lessons, rentals and group events. Drop-in costs $14.00 an hour. If you have never shot, start here, since you do not have to join a club or buy a bow first.

Heartland Archery is on Keenleyside Street. Its 20-yard range has a pro shop for bowhunters attached, and it lets you shoot recurve, compound, longbow or crossbow. That last one matters, because some Winnipeg clubs do not allow crossbows at all. Heartland runs lessons and leagues and rents gear. Drop-in costs $12.00 an hour. Heights and Heartland are the only two pro shops in the city, and both of them will rent you a bow the same day you walk in.

Smokin' X's Archery Club works as a club rather than a walk-in range, so you need a membership. It takes all bow types. It is built for indoor events and tournament prep.

Which Club Shoots All Year?

17 Wing Archery Club is on Wihuri Road at CFB Winnipeg. It shoots indoors from September to May and then moves outdoors for the summer. It has a 3D course and takes all bow types. Most members come from the military, but people from outside it can join too. You need a membership. Drop-in sessions cost $10 to $14.

Is There A Club For Women?

Yes, there is one. Bows Broads & Bullseyes Archery Club started in Winnipeg in 2013 as a club for women only. It meets every second Friday night from October to May on the 26-lane range at Heights Outdoors.

Bring a compound, recurve or traditional bow. Crossbows are not allowed. You will need an Archery Manitoba membership, but you do not need your own bow, because the club gives lessons and rents out gear.

What Is Pole Archery?

Pole archery is a Belgian sport. The French community of Saint Boniface brought it to Manitoba. You do not aim at a target face at 18 or 20 yards. You aim up, at wooden birds set high on a mast. All three clubs are based near Archery Park on Mission Street, and all three list 625 Boulevard Provencher.

The oldest is St. Sebastian Pole Archery, which started in 1926. Its archers use traditional bows and only shoot in the outdoor season. Robin Hood Pole Archery Club started in 1929 and shoots at 37 birds on a pole that stands 110 feet tall. It meets on Wednesday nights from late April to early September. You must use a traditional bow.

The pole club for women is the St. Sebastianette Archery Club, which started in 1975 and shoots each week through the outdoor season. It is the only club in Winnipeg that gives us its price. A regular member pays $65.00 a year, and a junior pays $30.00. A lifetime membership also costs $30.00.

What Does Winnipeg Not Have?

Only 17 Wing lists a 3D course, and none of the 8 lists a field course. If you want to walk a 3D course in the bush, you will need to drive out to one of the ranges past the edge of town.

The seasons split, too. Four of the 8 shoot indoors only and three shoot outdoors only, and the pole clubs are done by early September, so if you start in October, you will pick from the four indoor places.

Where Should A Beginner Start?

Three of the 8 list both lessons and rental gear: Heights Outdoors, Heartland Archery and Bows Broads & Bullseyes. Start with one of those. Women who want to learn together can go to Bows Broads & Bullseyes on a Friday night. If you want to shoot this weekend without joining anything, pay by the hour at Heights or Heartland.

Archers who already shoot have more choice. 17 Wing gives you year-round shooting and a 3D course, and Smokin' X's is the club for indoor events. A pole club is the pick if you want a sport few archers ever get to see.