The Valley fire burned 10,000 acres near Boise in the foothills back in October and one of the places it torched was the targets at the archery range the Idaho Fish and Game opened in 2019.
Idaho Fish and Game tells us they had insurance on the range and ordered new targets. They expect the range near Lucky Peak to be open by May or whenever they receive the new targets. However, they are also getting some help from the community.
"Obviously, it was so close to town and the range is so close to town. I was super curious if the range had suffered from the fire and when I learned it did, I immediately felt a call to action," said Richard Bettencourt. "I wanted to do something as soon as I could to try and help out."
Richard grew up in Meridian and played football at the University of Wyoming, but ever since he was a kid would go hunting with his father. After he graduated fall opened up and the two started bowhunting and they went on to create Steep Kuntry Outdoors.
This YouTube channel covers everything from hunting adventures, to gear reviews, to wild game cooking and archery in Idaho and he does it all with his father.
"For us to be able to document the journey and get those highs or those lows, it is really cool to capture it, put it together in a film and have it logged essentially for anytime we want to go back and relive old memories," said Bettencourt.
The 3D archery range is also a place where memories are made as we have done a pair of stories over the years with one focusing on a man taking his grandchildren to shoot at the targets and the other highlighting a love story forged through archery.
It's an important place to practice archery and for that reason, Bettencourt started a Go Fund Me page to help the Idaho Fish and Game get more targets. If people donate over $100 they will also get a hat provided by their partner Idahunt.
"The 3D range is a nice awesome hidden gem in this valley and for Boise," said Bettecourt. "Fish and Game did a really good thing and it gets so much use."
Sometime this spring the Idaho Fish and Game will need help from volunteers to help open the course back up and with the funds raised through the Go Fund Me it will ensure that people will have a special place to prepare for bow season.
"It’s just something I fell in love with," said Bettencourt.
Idaho Fish and Game also told us about a new archery course near Eagle that recently opened. It also has 3D targets and gives archers a place to hone their skills until the course near Lucky Peak opens back up.
