2022 Lancaster Archery Classic Recap

The 2022 Lancaster Archery Classic is in the books. Approximately 2,000 archers competed in the largest indoor tournament on the East Coast, which was held in Manheim, Pennsylvania, January 27-30.

Champions were crowned in 17 divisions, including the Men’s Open Pro champion Nick Cappers, who took home the tournament’s top prize of $20,000. To see the results from all four days of the Classic, click here.

Besides the archers who competed, a record crowd tuned in to watch Competition Archery Media’s live video coverage of the Classic. As of the morning after the tournament ended, the two days of live-streamed finals matches had nearly 100,000 views on YouTube alone. The Facebook versions also had nearly that many.

The finals livestream has been cut up to separate each of the 17 divisions into individual videos, which have been posted to the Lancaster Archery YouTube channel. Those individual videos draw views for years after each Classic, and are among the most watched on Lancaster’s YouTube channel. For example, the 2018 Men’s Barebow Finals has more than 500,000 views!

 

Dates Announced for 2022 Muzzy Classic Bowfishing Tournament

Initial planning has begun for the 2022 Muzzy Classic Bowfishing Tournament, and Muzzy Bowfishing recently announced a new partner, Muddy Water Outdoors Bowfishing, who will be co-sponsoring the June 11-12 event. This comes in addition to a new location based out of Vicksburg, Mississippi, with access to fish-filled waters of the Mississippi River.

Together, Muzzy Bowfishing and Muddy Water Outdoors Bowfishing are looking forward to assembling the bowfishing community under the fanfare and traditional style the Muzzy Classic has been known for over the years. The first-place payout for the 2022 event is $20,000!

In addition to great bowfishing, participants can take part in meet and greets, raffles, field games, music and more. Information regarding pricing, payouts, additional sponsors, fishing formats and more will be announced soon.

Early bird registration will take place from February 15 through April 1. This year’s bowfishing participants will launch in registered order, so early registration is important to making the most of time on the water. Early registrants will also have exclusive eligibility for prizes that include a Covert Optics HS1 handheld Thermal Scanner, Covert Optics 8X42 or 10X42 binoculars, $100 FeraDyne gift card, or a Muddy Water package valued at $399.

You can keep an eye out for tournament updates on Muzzy’s Facebook and Instagram platforms, as well as the Muzzy Classic web page.

 

NBEF Turkey Anatomy and Shot Placement Guide

The National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF) offers educational items to increase success and safety for bowhunters. The NBEF’s Advanced Turkey Anatomy and Shot Placement Guideis an informative shot placement training aid with full color 8.5x11-inch transparent overlays. Separate acrylic overlays feature the muscular system, skeletal system, circulatory system, and vital organs specific to turkeys. Accompanying text includes shot placement information and illustrations for both firearm hunters and bowhunters.

Technical expertise and guidance for this guide was provided by the National Wild Turkey Foundation. This is part of the International Bowhunter Education Program Hunter Responsibility Series which includes anatomy and shot placement guides for whitetail deer, bear and elk. MSRP: $12.50.

For more information on the NBEF, visit www.nbef.org.

 

2020 Harvest of Whitetail Bucks Largest Since 1999

According to the National Deer Association’s latest Deer Report, hunters killed an estimated 6.3 million whitetails during the 2020 hunting season, which is the most since 2011 (see chart below). The report showed that harvest numbers of antlered bucks and antlerless deer were up over the 2019 season. The headline, however, is this: The estimated buck harvest of 3,041,544 in 2020 was the most since 1999.

“2020 saw the highest buck harvest in the new century, and amazingly we estimate that we set another new record for the percentage of those bucks that were 3.5 years old or older,” said NDA Chief Conservation Officer Kip Adams. “U.S. hunters are taking fewer yearling bucks and killing more of them as mature deer, but this doesn’t mean fewer bucks harvested overall. We’re killing older bucks and more bucks than ever in America.”

Adams says that the steadily climbing percentage of 3.5-and-older bucks in the harvest (see chart below) is the result of declining pressure nationwide on yearling bucks (1.5 years old). Only 26% of the 2020 antlered buck harvest was yearlings, a new record low in modern history. The total buck harvest of 3,041,544 in 2020 was up 5.3% from the previous season; it is estimated 41% of them were 3.5 or older, or 1.2 million.

The change in hunting pressure on yearling bucks is clear when you look at the numbers from 1999. Compared to 2020, deer hunters killed slightly more bucks in total in the record 1999 season. However, that 1999 harvest included more than 50% yearlings, compared to only 26% during 2020.

The new Deer Report covers data for the entire 2020-21 hunting season, the most recent season with complete harvest data available from all major deer states. Click here for a copy of the report.