Mechanicals Legal in All 50 States

For the first time since their inception approximately 30 years ago, mechanical broadheads are now legal in all 50 states. As announced earlier this year, the final stand out, Idaho, will now allow bowhunters to use mechanical broadhead designs while hunting big game.

“Unlike early models, where material short comings and poor designs compromised lethality, today’s mechanical broadheads are more fatal then ever and have proven themselves the be extremely reliable and durable on all of North America’s big game animals,” said FeraDyne Outdoors Chief Commercial Officer Jon Syverson. FeraDyne Outdoors is the parent company of Rage, Muzzy, Wac Em and Rocky Mountain broadheads.

According to FeraDyne, advancements in both design and materials have led stalwart states into reversing previous opinions on the lethality of mechanical heads. With numerous studies and field-proven citizen science, Syverson says there’s no question as to the impact modern-day mechanical broadhead designs have on recovery and success on big game.

The brands under the FeraDyne Outdoors umbrella bring to market a wide variety of mechanical and hybrid mechanical broadhead designs from Rage, Muzzy, Wac Em and Rocky Mountain. Through the use of premium titanium, stainless steel and aircraft-grade aluminum, broadhead ferrules have never been stronger or more consistent. Meanwhile, today’s custom-hardened steel blades are sharp, durable and devastating upon delivery. With a variety of blade angle configurations, tip styles and grain weights, there’s a mechanical broadhead to fit the needs of nearly all bowhunters regardless of individual gear setup.

  

Central Canada Barren Ground Caribou in Velvet Tops the Charts as Official World Record

Pope and Young recently announced a new world record in the velvet central Canada barren ground caribou category. The animal was taken in 2005 by Rodney Cockeram at Humpy Lake in the Northwest Territories.

Originally measured in 2006, this trophy was invited to the 2007 panel and convention where the score was confirmed by a Pope and Young panel team. At that time, no other velvet animals had ever been verified at panel sessions. In 2021, Pope and Young began recognizing velvet category world records. As a result of this decision, this is one of many newly recognized official world records.

“World records are always fun to hear about, but sometimes there is so much more to the story,” said Dylan Ray of Pope and Young. “Big animals are exciting, but getting to hear the stories of the hunt, and what the process is like for the hunter who shot a world record is awe inspiring. We had the pleasure of hearing Rodney’s full story of the hunt and the world record process on the Pope and Young Podcast, and it’s a must listen.”

Occasionally, there is an area that tends to just hold giant, record book animals. Humpy Lake has proven its worth in holding giant caribou with more than 34 entries having been received for central Canada barren ground caribou from the area over the years. Ray says that having this kind of knowledge about where to find big, mature animals is one of the vital roles that the P&Y record book plays, and part of the reason we as hunters should enter our animals, so we can continue to see what areas produce healthy, mature animals.

Click here to listen to the entire story told by Rodney as he relives the hunt on the Pope and Young Podcast.

 

Pope and Young Introduces Kevin Hisey Youth Program

Pope and Young recently announced the development of the Kevin Hisey Youth Program. These programs are designed to increase opportunities for youth within Pope and Young and its conservation efforts focused on preserving, promoting, and protecting the sport of bowhunting.

Pope & Young is dedicated to promoting the sport of bowhunting with today’s youth through outreach programs, the Junior Outdoors Program, and the Youth Bowhunting Awards. The goal of all these initiatives is to expose young hunters to the joys of fair chase bowhunting, with the hope of creating bowhunters for life.

The Kevin Hisey Youth Program is named in honor of Kevin Hisey a highly respected employee of Pope & Young since 1992, and former executive director for 15 years, the longest tenure in that role in Pope & Young’s history. Kevin had a passion for bowhunting and youth participation; he passed away in 2015.

“Kevin was a passionate bowhunter and conservationist, dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of bowhunting, and promoting the ethics of fair chase,” said P&Y President Kurt Ebers. “He was an official measurer, senior member of Pope and Young, and was always involved in the organization’s youth activities, and we couldn’t be prouder to name the youth program in his honor.”

The newly developed Junior Outdoors Program is possible through partnerships with private donors, and awards big game hunts, and other prize packages to Pope and Young youth members on an annual basis.

Like their adult counterparts, Pope and Young youth members are eligible for their own awards program via the Youth Bowhunting Awards. Three bowhunting awards were created specifically for Youth members: First Harvest, Youth Big 3 and Small Game Slam.

“There are tons of reasons why a youth hunter should join Pope and Young, and be active,” said Pope and Young Youth Director Ricky Krueger. “They’ll be in great company to advance their bowhunting skills and interact with other youth bowhunters from all over North America.”

For more information about Pope and Young youth programs, visit Membership Options, Junior Outdoors Program, or Youth Bowhunting Awards.

 

Lancaster Archery Foundation Assists Camp Victory for Special Needs Children

The Lancaster Archery Foundation recently awarded a grant to a Pennsylvania camp that offers archery as one of its activities for kids with special needs and chronic health issues.

Camp Victory received $1,000 from the foundation to replace and upgrade its archery equipment.

The camp is a 130-acre facility in Millville, Pennsylvania, that offers typical summer camp programming to children with a variety of special needs.

“Our goal is to always give our campers the experience of a lifetime,” camp organizers said.

The camp’s archery program could use some equipment upgrades and additions.

“When more equipment is available, more campers can participate and enjoy the archery range,” organizers said. “We don’t have a way to formally track which campers develop a spark for archery, but they sure have fun giving it a try at camp.”

Rob Kaufhold, president of Lancaster Archery Foundation’s Board of Directors, has long been a proponent of the healing power of archery.

“Archery is a sport that’s available to everyone,” he said. “The concentration that it takes has a way of calming the mind. We have seen people recovering in many different ways find comfort in archery.”

Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the Lancaster Archery Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expand, develop and promote 3-D and target archery to help people improve their confidence, discipline and leadership skills through participation in competitive archery.

For more information on how you can donate to help organizations like Camp Victory, visit lancasterarcheryfoundation.org.