MassWildlife will open six free temporary archery ranges across Massachusetts Wildlife Management Areas this summer and fall. Archers must obtain a 2026 range pass by completing an application to use facilities at locations including Ayer Game Farm, Erwin Wilder WMA, and Wayne F. MacCallum WMA.
Block Targets, a FeraDyne Outdoors subsidiary, unveiled the Block Backyard Range Target, a 34" x 34" dual-sided archery target designed for long-range practice, bow tuning, and backyard competition. Built with layered foam technology, it accommodates field points and broadheads while featuring built-in aiming T's and a dartboard game side for versatile shooting.
The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) student archers raised $35,152.09 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through the 2025–2026 NASP St. Jude E-Championship Charity Tournament Series. Eleven schools, including Centennial High School, Prosper High School, and Heritage Academy, each raised $500 or more, demonstrating NASP's commitment to developing compassionate, service-minded students.
Team Mathews dominated the fourth stop of the 2026 ASA 3D season in London, Kentucky, winning five of six Pro classes with 11 podiums overall. Kyle Douglas claimed first in Men's Known Pro, while Brady Myers, Sharon Wallace, Kaitlyn Bordwell, and Jack Wallace also secured victories for the team.
Field & Stream selected the Wicked Ridge Commander 400 as the 2026 Best Value Crossbow, praising its accuracy, built-in ACUdraw cocking system, and American-made quality. The crossbow, manufactured by TenPoint Crossbow Technologies in Mogadore, Ohio, features Gordon Glass limbs and retails for under $600.
The Wild Sheep Foundation announced Gervasio Negrete as the 2027 Conklin Award recipient, recognizing him as the 25th winner of this prestigious "Tough Man" award. Negrete, a dual citizen of Mexico and Spain, has hunted across all continents and achieved 39 Ovis species and 36 Capra species worldwide. The award presentation will occur at WSF's Legacy Night banquet during the 2027 Sheep Show in Reno, Nevada on February 5th.
Tony Zimbelman, 23, was sentenced to suspended jail time, $3,000 in fines, and a two-year hunting privilege revocation for illegally shooting a trophy white-tailed buck with a rifle before archery season opened in September 2025. The Boone & Crockett-scored deer was discovered following a tip from a concerned citizen to Montana game wardens.
NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, is promoting Gun Storage Check Week June 1–7 with the message "Make Sure It's Secure" to encourage responsible firearm storage practices. The campaign aims to prevent accidents, thefts, suicides, and unauthorized access, offering resources through GunStorageCheck.org and a sweepstakes featuring a B.O.S. Lock Fusion biometric device.
Legacy1846 Outdoor Group, based in Aurora, Ohio, is hiring a Controller to oversee financial operations across its portfolio of businesses including sales and marketing services, digital marketing and commerce, and global sourcing operations. CEO Andrew Sibble seeks an experienced financial leader to support the company's growth initiatives.
Steiner Optics has launched the eDiscovery 10x42 binoculars, designed for birders to capture 12MP still images and 4K video while observing. The binoculars feature high-definition optics, IP67 waterproofing, and Wi-Fi connectivity through the Steiner Connect 2.0 app for seamless documentation and sharing of sightings.
The Wild Sheep Foundation and its chapters pledged $213,500 at their summit to combat cheatgrass invasion in Wyoming's Mullen Fire burn scar, protecting the Douglas Creek bighorn sheep herd. The funding supports habitat restoration efforts targeting approximately 12,000 acres through 2028, with support from multiple WSF chapters including Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, Texas Bighorn Society, and Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society.
The U.S. Forest Service and Boone and Crockett Club signed a Memorandum of Understanding to enhance outdoor recreation opportunities on public lands, with 14 partner organizations including Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership collaborating to improve hunting, angling, and wildlife conservation access.
Outdoor Cap announced a new Red Dirt Hat Co./Mossy Oak collaborative collection combining Western style with camouflage patterns for independent retailers. The retail-ready program features low minimums, fast shipping, and premium construction, alongside expanded offerings from Lazy J Ranch Wear and American Cattle Co.
General booth space selection for ATA Show Week 2027 opens June 9, following priority selection. The event takes place January 7-10, 2027, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, combining the ATA Trade Show, Archery & Bowhunting Supershow, and NFAA Rushmore Rumble.
PEET Dryer, maker of the original boot dryer founded in 1968, has renewed its national sponsorship with Whitetails Unlimited. The company offers various dryer models powered by electricity, 12V adapters, propane, and 220V outlets for boots, gloves, helmets, and waders. WTU President Jeff Schinkten praised PEET's reliable solutions for keeping outdoor gear dry and comfortable.
Outdoor Channel's "American Wild" block launches every Friday at 7 p.m. ET, featuring shows including Renovation Hunters with Hal Shaffer and Kevin Tarkovich, Nick's Wild Ride with Nick Hoffman, Dropped: Arctic Drift with the Keefer Brothers, Dr. Bob's Wild Diaries with Dr. Bob Ledda, Wardens, and Wardens: Case Files showcasing conservation officers and game wardens.
Sportsman Channel's "Monday Night Hunts" lineup features seven hunting shows airing Mondays 8-11 p.m. ET, including Night Crew, Steve's Outdoor Adventures with Steve West, Art of Wild with Nick Ventura, Predator Pursuit with Jeff Thomason, MOJO TV with Terry Denmon, Jim Shockey's The Professionals, and back-to-back MeatEater episodes with Steven Rinella.
MyOutdoorTV now offers over 200 episodes of Buck Commander featuring Willie Robertson, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Tyler Farr, Adam LaRoche, Ryan Langerhans, Tombo Marin, and Ryan Busbice. Season 16 and four seasons of JUST SHOT are available on the premier global subscription streaming platform from Outdoor Sportsman Group.
The United States topped the medal table at the 2026 Pan American Youth and Masters Championships in Medellin, Colombia, earning 31 total medals while setting multiple world records. Mark Williams and Janis Grellner established a new world record in recurve 50+ mixed team, while Paige Lee set Games and Continental records in recurve U15 women competition.
The Garden State Deer Classic, held June 6-7, 2026 at Griffin & Howe at Hudson Farm in Andover, NJ, features outstanding white-tailed deer from the Outstanding White-tailed Deer Program. The New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs Sportsmen's Jamboree includes the inaugural Griffin & Howe 3D Archery Classic, youth programs, expert speakers, and outdoor vendors. Admission is free with a non-perishable food donation.
The National Field Archery Association's Rushmore Rumble will return to ATA Show Week in 2027 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, taking place January 8-10. The tournament attracted over 900 archers in 2026 and is open to all competitors with no membership required.
By the time you read this, I’ll be in Croatia hunting mouflon sheep - with a rifle.
Why mention this Jay? This is The Archery Wire, after all.
Well - I'm doing so because bowhunting is illegal in Croatia.
What’s important to understand is Croatia is not anti-hunting. Hunting is deeply respected there. Hunters pursue red stag, wild boar, roe deer, and mouflon through a culture built around conservation, game management, tradition, and serious respect for wildlife.
They simply do not trust bows the way Americans do.
Part of that is history. Europe never experienced the modern bowhunting movement North America did. Part of it is ethics. Critics there argue bows increase the risk of wounding loss and animal suffering. Part of it is public perception and politics. Whether American hunters agree with those views or not is beside the point.
The point is this: bowhunting rights are not universal, and they are not guaranteed.
In America, bowhunting exists today because generations before us fought to prove it could be ethical, conservation-minded, and worthy of respect. They built hunter education programs. They established standards. They represented the sport with discipline and humility.
That responsibility now belongs to us.
Because much of the world still looks at bowhunting with skepticism. Archers should be the most ethical hunters in the woods. Why? Because every animal we shoot at carries the reputation of bowhunting with it.
Croatia reminded me that the freedoms we enjoy as American bowhunters can absolutely disappear if we fail to protect them.
That protection comes from sportsmanship, humility, discipline, and respect for the animals we hunt - and for each other.
