At the Springfield Sportsmen’s Show in February of 2024, I went to visit my friend Jon Higgins at a table representing the Massachusetts Bowhunters Association, which, admittedly, I hadn’t really heard much about in the past. After talking to Jon and joining, I reached out to them to see if I could get involved. I helped at their annual fundraiser in April of last year and then took on the role of secretary later in the year. I think what has struck me the most about this organization is the lack of participation as a whole, as well as the lack of participation of women.
I asked our Treasurer and Board Member, Lisa, why she feels it’s important to be involved, and she was very passionate in her answer. I feel that being a female in a male-dominated sport is important not only to take a leadership role but to encourage other women and girls to get involved. The youth are the future to organizations like the MBA, and we need to work together to ensure organizations such as ours are around for generations to come.
This also led to me putting up a poll online to some women's groups, and here are the responses I got from just under 200 ladies:
49% of women participating answered “I don’t know” when asked if their state had a bowhunters association. 20.5% of women participating answered “Yes, but I had to google it,” which means they did not know before seeing the poll. 30% of women participating answered, “Yes, but I am not a member,” and LESS THAN 1% answered, “Yes, and I am a member.” What this tells me is that we need to spread awareness AND encourage others to get involved! Even if that only means becoming a member.
What is the mission? While I cannot speak to that of all states' Bowhunters Associations, I can speak to that of the mission of the Massachusetts Bowhunters Association:
It is the mission of the Massachusetts Bowhunters Association, being an organization whose membership consists of persons who are considered sportsmen and bowhunters, to promote and support: The taking of wild game with legally defined archery equipment in a humane, ethical, and sportsmanlike manner. The sharing of our experiences, knowledge, and shooting skills with others. The promotion of bowhunting and our organization by working to elevate ethical organizational standards and ethical hunting standards for those who practice the art of Bowhunting. The training in safety, shooting skills, and hunting techniques of current and future Bowhunters. The wise use of our natural resources, the conservation of our wild game, and the preservation of our natural habitat while upholding all local, state, and federal hunting laws. The evaluation, promulgation, and modification of laws and regulations to support the evolving interests of bowhunters and bowhunting through legislative, regulatory, and other efforts.
Most others that I have looked up are similar in that they want to maintain archery in their states with clean ethical harvests and to promote the sport.
Where can I find more info? Google your state! Every state in the US has a bowhunters' association or a similar organization dedicated to promoting and protecting bowhunting.
I also asked MBA President, Ken Brown, to give me some insight as to his thoughts on the importance of groups like this one:
Many changes are occurring with the structure and the tactics needed for advocacy organizations to be relevant and effective. As our members age, including those who have driven these organizations, finding the next wave of advocates to carry the torch becomes critical. The Massachusetts Bowhunters Association (MBA) has had to evolve. While we used events and things like group hunts to attract members, we have found that fewer and fewer people have the time to participate in these kinds of things, even as putting them on requires workers, of which there are fewer available. We have heightened our focus on legislative and regulatory issues affecting bowhunters. This also requires the ability to activate and notify our members when a key issue needs action.
The fastest growing group taking up bowhunting is women. With this newfound passion comes a level of activism that has been a huge asset to the MBA. Often, becoming a bowhunter is accompanied by a strong interest in the outdoors, our environment, natural resources, and the conservation of these. With some of the innovative formats that have been created for sharing content, we have been fortunate to be exposed to the American Daughters of Conservation. Our alignment with their leadership has resulted in fantastic idea sharing that is helping us to grow our organization and effectiveness. Lisa Billiel, our Treasurer, was our lone woman board member. She is a force in the growth and resurgence of the MBA. But she is no longer alone on our board, as Sheryl has joined our board, and we are seeing increased interest in significant engagement from more women. The truth is that many of our organizations have missed the boat in not doing more to attract and recognize the importance of women to our future.
I write this to encourage a few things to my readers. First and foremost, join a local organization like this one! Even if you can’t be a super active participant, the money generated from membership fees really helps keep these organizations running. They’re fairly inexpensive in my experience, too; for example, a year's membership to MBA is $25.00.
Spread the word! Tell your friends who enjoy the outdoors about these organizations; heck, tell your friends who are thinking about getting into archery or any part of this outdoor world. In the short time I have been involved with the MBA, I have had more members join through word of mouth and planting seeds more than anything else. Follow them online and share their social media posts too!! I spent a lot of time posting on the MBA Facebook page, and it’s great to see people sharing our message.
Get involved! We, as women, are hungry to get involved, so if you are an avid bowhunter, what better place is there to focus some of your time? You could quite literally be helping advocate for your rights and the rights of your entire community.
