What a weekend
at the
TAANS Legacy Shoot
2026
Held on beautiful Mi’kmaq land in Caribou Marsh, Cape Breton Island (July 11–12), this year’s shoot had everything you could ask for—great people, great weather, and some seriously fun archery.
The weekend kicked off with an opening ceremony and blessing by Lawrence Wells, followed by a warm welcome from TAANS President John Cann.
From there, it was straight into the woods with four rounds of 20 animal targets to master.
The weather could not have been better, and TAANS provided plenty of food, with archers invited to contribute by donation. Even better, complimentary water was stocked throughout the course to keep archers hydrated along the journey.
Saturday kept the energy high. After round two, it was time for the legendary milk-jug shoot, run by none other than Travis McLeod. As always, it delivered plenty of laughs—and a few adventures. Some arrows had a mind of their own, sailing high over the hill and sending determined archers climbing to recover them. In the end, the finals came down to Rodney Spencer with Hudson Boyce versus Marla Webber with Mike Brown. It was a tight match, but Marla and Mike took the win—congratulations.
Saturday night brought the classic campfire session. Stories were shared—some real, some maybe not so much—and the competition for “Best Campfire Story 2026” was on. This year’s winner: John Cann. No surprise there… we all know once he gets going, it is hard to get a word in.
Sunday wrapped things up with two more rounds, followed by the shoot-off to crown the overall champion. Three targets, one arrow each—steady nerves required.
With cheering, commentary, and a bit of friendly distraction from the crowd, it is always a highlight.
This year’s champion was JD (John) McLeod. Remarkably, JD only started shooting a year ago. An impressive performance—well done.
The weekend closed with the awards ceremony, marking another successful Legacy Shoot in the books.
Of course, no event is complete without a few hiccups—broken glasses leading to fully instinctive shooting, backup glasses breaking too, limbs mounted the wrong way on a takedown recurve, and the usual worry about running out of food.
But honestly, that is all part of what makes this event what it is: a great crowd, great spirit, and a whole lot of memorable moments.
A big thank you to all the volunteers working behind the scenes, to the archers who made the trip to Cape Breton Island, to the businesses and individuals who donated door prizes, and yes—even to whoever ordered the perfect weather.
See you all next year for the 30th anniversary TAANS Legacy Shoot in New Annan at Mike’s place.
