The world of archery is extremely broad in scope and is ever-changing on virtually every front. With each passing week, tournaments are held, new products are released, and the archery industry itself continues to evolve.
Little that is archery related stays the same from one month to the next, with each month holding its own distinct significance.
The latter half of December and the greater portion of January has been no exception to this rule. So far, much has taken place during the earliest days of 2021.
Bowhunting records have been broken, world-class competition continues to be held, and the ATA has honored several key industry figures.
ATA Announces 2021 Impact Award Winners
In 2020, the ATA (Archery Trade Association) launched a new award series known as the Impact Awards, which honored those who have played a pivotal role in the sport’s advancement. Just last week, the ATA continued down this path of recognition, by announcing its 2021 Impact Award winners.
Awards were presented for four different categories, which included individual, non-profit, retailer, and manufacturer honors. Each of these categories highlighted the continual efforts of those who have made great strides to ensure the sport of archery’s continued success well into the future.
This year’s winners are as follows:
- Individual: Randy Phillips
- Individual: Suzetta Wise
- Nonprofit: HHA USA
- Retailer: La Crosse Archery
- Manufacturer: Bear Archery
Team USA Dominates At World MICA Competition
Every year, the World Archery Americas organization hosts a mail-in tournament, known as the MICA (Multi-Sites Indoor Championships of the Americas) competition. This tournament tabulates the scores of many archers from across North and South America, which have been registered during prior individual competitions.
Each participant is scored against all other competitors within the given class in which they have competed. When all scores are tabulated, winners are named for each respective category, and top honors are awarded.
This year, Team USA took home first place honors in virtually every class of competition, with the only exception being in the Para-class.
The following archers took home first place honors in each of their respective classes.
- Senior Recurve Men: Jack Williams (596)
- Senior Recurve Women: Casey Kaufhold (584)
- Master Recurve Men: John Magera (571)
- Master Recurve Women: Tatyana Muntyan (579)
- Junior Recurve Men: Josef Scarboro (589)
- Junior Recurve Women: Samantha Lum (573)
- Cadet Recurve Men: Dylan Oblander (582)
- Cadet Recurve Women: Alyssa Artz (569)
- Senior Compound Men: Braden Gellenthien (600)
- Senior Compound Women: Alexis Ruiz (593)
- Master Compound Men: Keith Trail (588)
- Master Compound Women: Deanna Cronin (568)
- Junior Compound Men: Lane Brandt (595)
- Junior Compound Women: Sachiko Keane (585)
- Cadet Compound Men: Cole Zeug (591)
- Cadet Compound Women: Isabella Otter (581)
- Senior Compound Men Open (Para): Andre Shelby (589)
- Senior Compound Women Open (Para): Diana Romero (554)
- Senior Barebow Men: John Demmer III (557)
- Senior Barebow Women: Susan Snider (531)
- Master Barebow Men: Richard Stonebraker (535)
- Master Barebow Women: Jenifer Stoner (515)
- Junior Barebow Men: James Hughes (502)
- Junior Barebow Women: Olivia Artz (492)
- Cadet Barebow Men: Christopher Clade (474)
- Cadet Barebow Women: Abigale Lee (508)
Revisions Made To World Archery Rulebook
On January 1st, World Archery released a revised version of their rulebook, which governs all competition that falls under the organization’s oversight.
While the bulk of these revisions were purely editorial in nature, several rather significant changes were made in regards to applicant registration and matters of world ranking confirmation.
Many such changes were implemented in response to ongoing restructuring, which has come to light during COVID-era competition.
These changes seek to eliminate the need for mass gatherings and instead encourage the formation of many smaller competitions, which all would hold the same level of significance in regards to points tabulation and overall ranking.
The most substantial of these rulebook revisions eliminated prior limitations on the number of individual events that could be held per continent during any given year.
Previously, no more than six competitions could be held per continent, although this rule has now been abolished. As a result, competition can be spread out over a lengthier period of time and be conducted amongst smaller groups.
World Archery has also revised its practice toward post-event analysis, giving greater leeway for subsequent changes, should they be deemed necessary.
This allows for a faster response to pertinent environmental factors, such as those that have affected competition during the pandemic.
Alaskan Bowhunter Bags Record Mountain Goat
An Alaskan bowhunter recently harvested a mountain goat that eclipsed the score of the previous Pope and Young Record.
The Pope and Young Club serve as the official record-keeper of legally harvested game animals taken with archery equipment.
The lucky hunter, Kaleb Baird, stated that he spotted the world-class mountain goat on the fourth day of a recent hunt, which spurred him to commence a stalk.
Baird spent the better part of a day reaching the mountain goat’s location, before coming into range for the shot.
Baird made a stellar 31-yard shot, before watching the trophy mountain goat crash into a ravine. Upon reaching the down animal, Baird quickly realized the true magnitude of what had just occurred.
The Pope and Young Club officially scored Baird’s mountain goat at 53 4/8”, which bested the previous record by 2/8”.
Montana Fish and Wildlife Ponders Over Let-off Regulation
Over the past decade, much discussion has taken place over regulations surrounding permissible compound bow let-off in a hunting situation.
Many of today’s latest compound bows now feature let-off rates above 90-percent, yet several states stipulate that bows with such a high let-off factor cannot be used in the field.
One such state is Montana, where prior legislation made it illegal to hunt with a bow that possessed a let-off factor of greater than 80-percent.
This law has been hotly contested, with numerous parties stating that such a regulation penalizes elderly bowhunters or those previously injured and cannot shoot bows with a lesser let-off factor.
On the other side of the equation, some organizations have stated that recent advancements in compound bow technology have given hunters an unfair advantage.
These opposing views recently gave birth to a vote over whether or not to abolish the state’s long-standing let-off restriction.
The Montana game commission eventually shot down the idea of eliminating this oversight, in a 3-2 vote. As a result, the state’s prior ruling stands, meaning that the 80-percent let-off standard for bow use in the field remains.
archery bamboo self bow Bear BlackOut bleaching Bowtech bow tuning broadheads camo climbing Compound Bow deer deer skull Diamond Archery DIY dominant eye elk english longbow tutorial DIY food freezer habitat Hands-On Accessoires Hands-On Compound Bow hedge apple hunting land Mathews mineral licks News News August 2020 News October 2020 News September 2020 oak self bow tutorial Parallax property PSE recurve bow saddle safety self made bow trees treestand untuned bow wax whitening wood
