BU Member Wins

Join in our fight to pass legislation that will reinstate the eligibility of federal funding for archery classes and hunter education. We’re confident that a legislative fix is in reach and needed to durably restore funding eligibility for these critical enrichment programs. You can do your part by sending a personalized message to your U.S. Representative encouraging them to support passage of H.R. 5110 the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act.

Congress passed — and the President signed — the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act on June 25, 2022. The goal was to protect America’s children and reduce threats of violence across our country in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York, tragedies. The very carefully crafted language was never intended to impact longstanding and successful enrichment programs like those involving archery and hunter education. Unfortunately, archery and other education programs are now deemed ineligible for federal education funding under the U.S. Department of Education’s interpretation.

In an earlier Action Alert message, we asked you to contact your Congressional delegation and encourage them to reach out to Department Secretary Cardona and ask him to reconsider their liberal interpretation. In spite of an overwhelming response from members and Congressional leaders on this issue, the Department has only reaffirmed their interpretation that longstanding in-school hunter education and archery classes, including the National Archery in the School Program, are no longer eligible to receive federal funds under the BSCA. This unfortunate position will impact millions of American children enrolled in archery and hunter education programs if not corrected immediately!

This is an important issue for the entire archery community, and we must remain vigilant until its rectified. You can do your part by sending a personalized message to your United States Representative.

Your voice made a difference.

A few weeks ago we sent the Bowhunters United members in Vermont an Action Alert encouraging them to stand up and make their voices heard in opposition of SB 258 and we applaud them for a job well done. “It is very satisfying to see misaligned efforts like SB 258 be soundly defeated” Dan Forster, ATA’s vice president and chief conservation officer said. “It would have had long-term negative impacts to wildlife conservation, the hunting community, and the archery industry if adopted into law.”

One of many benefits of being a BU member is we keep you informed of political, environmental and economic decisions that could directly or indirectly impact archery and bowhunting. Bowhunters United is committed to delivering tools, such as the Action Alert System, to assist you in taking action with a few simple clicks.

If enacted, SB 258 would have changed the requirements, structure and authority of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board, allowing for individuals who are philosophically opposed to hunting, angling and/or trapping to get a seat on the Board. The Board is the critically important body that decides on regulatory frameworks and other issues governing the access and harvest of wildlife in Vermont.

There was absolutely nothing positive in this bill for Vermont’s dedicated hunter-conservationists. This was an ill-advised attempt to dilute the voice of sportsman regarding future wildlife management and regulatory issues involving hunting, fishing and trapping in Vermont.

Deer hunting has a long-standing tradition, is a highly valued resource, and is a strong economic driver for Vermont and the outdoor recreation industry. We are keenly interested in maintaining strong hunting, fishing and trapping constituencies in Vermont, and we appreciate that all sportsman came together through our advocacy efforts and defeated this no-good bill.

Join Bowhunters United today for free, and you’ll receive alerts like this on items that affect your state and other national archery and bowhunting legislation.

Bowhunters United and the Archery Trade Association’s position on arrow-shooting airguns — often inappropriately referred to as “airbows” — is that they lack the basic components of standard archery equipment like a string system and limbs and should therefore not be authorized for use during archery hunting seasons. The Airgun Sporting Association, which is the trade association for the airgun industry, agrees! ASA’s “Guidelines for State Wildlife Agency Regulations” clearly conveys that “arrow shooting airguns should not be considered ‘archery’ equipment.”  These sentiments prevail among related industries, constituencies, state legislatures all across the U.S., and even on Capitol Hill with the Congressional Sportsman Foundation. 

Just by purchasing archery products, bowhunters have contributed well over 1 billion dollars in federal excise taxes since 1973 through the Pittman-Robertson Fund. Last year alone, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife received over $27 million from this fund to conduct critical wildlife activities across the state. Unlike bows and firearms, airguns, including arrow-shooting airguns, are not included in the items taxed under the Pittman-Robertson Act and do not contribute to conservation funding. Your conservation funding is at risk!   

BU and the ATA are keenly interested in maintaining one of the strongest archery deer hunting constituencies in the country and we strongly oppose the effort to include airbows in Oklahoma’s traditional archery season. 

Please join BU, ATA, and other archery hunters across Oklahoma to stop ill-conceived legislation by asking your Oklahoma legislators to VOTE NO on all legislation seeking to admit the use of airguns during archery only seasons.