Clark County Archery Range offers area sportsmen a faux animal

Clark County Archery Range sits tucked down a dirt road at 6800 E. Russell Road—one of the valley's best-kept secrets for archers who want to practice in actual hunting conditions instead of a flat range.

The facility operates under arrangement with Pacific Archery, which manages the course and maintains targets. Here's what you get:

• •The 3-D Course (May through early September)
• •15-20 foam animal targets set up in natural brush and trees
• •Numbered stations at varying distances
• •$10 per adult archer; free for ages 15 and under with adult supervision
• •Most of the fee goes toward target upkeep and replacement
• •Open during daylight saving time, closed mid-August through late summer heat

• •The Standard Range (year-round, free)
• •Hay bale targets at fixed distances
• •Dawn-to-dusk daily access
• •No fee

Archers typically use rangefinders to estimate distance but often take shots with the naked eye—just like real hunting. Because of the rocky soil, hitting your targets matters; arrows are reusable if you connect with the foam or hay. Once you've invested in a decent compound bow ($400-$2,000), the sport stays inexpensive.

The range draws archers from Henderson, Summerlin, Whitney Ranch, and across the valley. It's the only place in the area where you can walk a realistic 3-D course in a natural setting. Setup starts around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoons and runs until dark.

"There's no place else like it in the valley." — Luke Milansi, regular archer

Range closes during fall hunting season.