The CVA Board and membership has decided that we need a webpage of links that will help our new and older bowhunters in improving their abilities in the field. I was asked to help out in this endeavor. I think this is a very good idea and have listed my personal list of go-to sites that I use in planning a hunt. I’m bringing it to the newsletter in the form of my monthly column just to get it out there for the membership to use, the web page done by David Jockisch will most likely be a better read and more professionally done, certainly beyond my computer my skill set. This is a great idea, and I can see that other clubs will most likely adopt this idea as time goes by.

Bowhunting links:

Your state wildlife agency is always your first “go-to” point of information for hunting in your state. If you choose to hunt out of state, then contacting that states agency’s web site is where you always begin.

Learning the rules of bowhunting and how to acquire preference points for drawing certain hunting areas, game tags and special seasons can all be done on the DFG web site.

Taking a Hunter Safety Course is mandatory before one is allowed to purchase a license to hunt. This is once in a lifetime requirement, once it is done you just show your card and you are good to purchase license and tags. The Bow Ed course is required in eleven states (your most popular ones) but California is not one of them, but the Hunter Safety Course is.

Purchasing your hunting license and applying for various game tags can be done through your local sporting goods retail outlet (ie: Turner’s in Oxnard, or Dick’s Sporting Goods) as well as through the DFG web site.

California Department of Fish and Wildlife: https://wildlife.ca.gov

Next on your list is finding groups who take bowhunting seriously and have knowledge to help you along your road to becoming a better bowhunter, this means bringing your people skills to the forefront and joining groups of “like minded people.” The very first group you should consider joining is California Bowman Hunters State Archery Association (CBH/SAA).

The most important part of this group is the Legislative Team, The Big Game Club, The Small Game Club and the International Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP) Chairman, Johnnie Waddles. The Big Game Club maintains the record books of the big game harvested by California bowhunters, the Small Game club puts on two small game hunts each year, one for small game and another for bow fishing, the records are kept within the big game book. Johnnie Waddles is your source for finding a “Bowhunter Education Course” nearest your home. The Leg-team will keep you up to date on the happenings of the California F&G Commission meetings with advanced notice on rules, regulations and new laws.

The majority of the finest bowhunters in the state of California are involved active members in CBH/SAA and their local archery club. Being involved means associating and working with those who hunt hard and often and that stay on top of their research of what is happening in both CBH/SAA and California Department of fish and Wildlife. Working with the Big Game Club, Small Game Club or the Bowhunter Education Program are all ways to enter the world of the premier bowhunters in your area.

Consider becoming a measurer in CBH as you progress where you will learn some of the secrets of trophy bowhunting by meeting and listening to some of the most successful bowhunters in California. CBH/SAA https://cbhsaa.org CBHSAA Big Game Club https://cbhbgc.com 2nd VP Hunting Bret Scott Big Game Club (951) 2202-0140 cbh.2vphunting@outlook.com

California IBEP Chairman: “International Bowhunter Education Program” Johnnie Waddles john_waddles@yahoo.com (916) 381-4130

Big Game Records Chairman: Jerry Maytum (661) 733-4906

Small Game Club 2nd VP: Vacant

Measuring Chair: Jerry Maytum

Pope and Young Club: https://www.pope-young.org (507) 867-4144

Club magazine: “The P&Y Ethic” Keeps you informed of the world of trophy bowhunting and keeps the record books of all the best game harvested by bowhunters, their measurer clinics are the best!

Professional Bowhunter Society: https://professionalbowhunters.org

Similar to the P&Y Club but the members are primarily those who use traditional bows ie. recurves and longbows, top of the line bowhunters are drawn to this group of dedicated bowhunters.

Bow hunting is a vary large capacity sport involving many types of game that require specialized knowledge to harvest. Few learn to do them all, however for those that have a special interest in specific species there are groups just waiting for you to join them. Below is a list of a few of the more popular associations that are very helpful to any hunter.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION (RMEF)

San Fernando Valley Chapter

7870 Fairchild Ave. Winnetka, CA. 91306 - (818) 371-5659

Magazine: “Bugle” is the next best source of information for elk hunting to the states regulation booklet. I have always relied heavily on this magazine for learning how and where to hunt elk!

National Wild Turkey Federation: https://your.nwtf.org

Mule Deer Society : https://muledeer.org

Antelope Valley Chapter : Frank Gaither (707) 772-6838 fgaither@muledeer.org

CALIFORNIA DEER ASSOC. BAKERSFIELD CHAPETER - DAHL JOHLE

(661) 619-6507

cadeer.org – Taylor Arrowsmith (530) 999-8713

Eastman’s Bowhunting Journal:

PO Box 798

Powell, Wyo. 82435

(307) 754-5584 www.eastmans.com

Eastman’s “Bowhunting Journal” is the most comprehensive and reliable source of information for researching and planning a western big game hunt that I know of, I have relied of this magazine as my major source of intel for many years.