Pope and Young has a mission to Preserve, Promote, and Protect bowhunting. The club and its record book are the reason we have bowhunting seasons in this country (and several others). More recently, they worked with their membership base to provide comment to the New Mexico bear and cougar rule when the anti-predator flood gates were opened.
Boone and Crockett is the granddaddy of them all. Founded in 1887 by Teddy Roosevelt and George Bird Grinnell, it is the oldest wildlife conservation organization in North America. B&C was the initiator and champion of the first national parks including Yellowstone, Glacier, Denali, and Grand Canyon. The club championed the first legislation for funding wildlife conservation, including the Pittman-Roberson and Federal Duck Stamp Acts. The club also spawned and supported key wildlife conservation organizations including the New York Zoological Society (1895), National Audubon Society (1905), Wildlife Management Institute (1911), National Wildlife Federation (1937), Ducks Unlimited (1937), and American Wildlife Conservation Partners (2000). Obviously the beloved month of September is a busy one for die-hard bowhunters, but I would be happy to answer any questions people have about either club. I'm also an official measurer for both if you're in the Albuquerque area and interested in getting an animal scored. The record books are a whole separate discussion, but do know that the data is used by a number of wildlife conservation departments and entities.
I agree that banding together is important. I've never trapped, but I was/am pretty disappointed with the trapping ban. I worry that my kids won't have the freedom to hunt behind hounds. With the exception of crossbows, bowhunting feels pretty safe in this state, but no telling what the future holds.
