Purpose of the WVBA |
The West Virginia
Bowhunters Association is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to represent
and serve the bowhunting sportsmen and sportswomen of
Goals of the WVBA |
We want the
WVBA to be the voice of the 140,000 bowhunters of the Mountain State; to
protect bowhunting in West Virginia against anti-hunting groups; to have a
constant voice in hunting legislation through cooperative exchange with the
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources; to promote ethical bowhunting and
the education of bowhunters in safety, hunting skills and techniques; and
furthermore, to educate the non-hunting public so they have a better
understanding of bowhunting and its principles.
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Our History |
The WVBA was
founded October 19, 1980 by a group of 23 bowhunters. Today, the association
has members in every county of the state.
The initial goal of the WVBA, one that is still central to the
association, is to represent the growing number of bowhunters in our state in
political matters. This representation
has proven to be the best way to protect the rights of sportsmen/women, and to
better the sport for all the bowhunters of
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Our Administration |
The WVBA is an
independent, non-profit organization whose officers are elected by the
membership every two years. It is led by an 11 member board of directors
including 4 officers, 7 Directors and a large slate of Regional Representatives
from throughout the state.
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Officers President: Ed McMinn Vice-President: Secretary: George Coleman Assistant
Secretary: Treasurer: Assistant
Treasurer:
Bryan Elkins Past
President: Tim Ross (advisory
position) Board of Directors Bryan
Elkins Justin Hettick Rusty
Reed Chairmen John
Edman - Records Chairman Tim
Ross - Awards Chairman |
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Accomplishments |
- In
2005 WVBA worked with WV Chapter of NWTF and fought back an early
muzzleloader season proposed in the legislature that would have ended fall
turkey season and required bowhunter to wear blaze orange in the
pre-rut. This season would have
allowed gun hunters to kill bucks prior to breeding impacting the
population for future years.
- In
2005 WVBA worked with many other sporting groups to keep Deer Penn
regulations under control of the Division of Natural Resources.
- Since
2004 WVBA members instructed over 5,000 youth in shooting archery
equipment
- In
2004 WVBA kept it’s membership informed about developments of House Bill 3106 and Senate Bill 186
- In
2004 WVBA sponsored the third annual WV High School Archery Tournament, at
- In
2004 WVBA helped organize and kick off the ARCHERY IN THE SCHOOLS PROGRAM
in conjunction with the West Virginia Department of Natural
Resources. There are 18 schools
participating in the Pilot Program.
WVBA donated the archery kit (bows, arrows, targets, etc.) to be
used for the state-wide teacher trainings by the DNR.
- In
2004 WVBA continues to support the Becoming an Outdoor Program by
providing materials, equipment, and instructors for the
Archery and Bowhunting courses; - In
2003 WVBA sponsored the second annual WV High School Archery Tournament,
at
- In
2003 WVBA members assisted with a Wheel’n Sportsman's event just east of
Parkersburg, WV, at Mountwood Park.
- In
2003 WVBA and many of it's members donated money to purchase several
Genesis bows to be used in the
Youth and BOW archery and bow hunting classes;
- In
2003 WVBA sponsored and or co-sponsored many Youth Archery and Bowhunting
Jamborees across the state;
- In
2003 WVBA members have continued to help with Kamp No-Koma (a camp for
diabetic children) by providing the children with an archery class;
- In
2003 WVBA continues to support the Becoming an Outdoor Program by
providing materials, equipment, and instructors for the
Archery and Bowhunting courses, in the Spring of 2000, WVBA sponsored the first WVBA all women team to teach the two classes; - In
2003 WVBA informed it’s membership of House Bill 2666 which would have
allowed for the commercial sale of the meat from wildlife taken. This could have wiped out wildlife as
we know it today in WV.
- In
2003 WVBA was instrumental in keeping the deer on deer farms under the
control of the Department of Natural Resources and away from the
Department of Agriculture due to the threat of Chronic Wasting
Disease. This was done by
informing the membership of House Bill 2396 and Senate Bill 130.
- In
2002 WVBA members organized and assisted in the
first WV High School Archery Tournament.
- In
2002 WVBA informed it's membership of House Bill 4142 which would
have stopped Sunday Hunting altogether until
voted on by each county;
- In
2001 WVBA kept it's membership informed regarding the status of
House Bill 2146, which would make it legal to hunt
on Sunday (It was passed);
- In
2000 WVBA also voiced their dismay at the suggestion that crossbows be used
in the reduction of the deer herd on
- In
2000 WVBA played an important part in putting a stop to House Bill
4378, which would have taken the control of the buck/gun season out
of the hands of trained professional game biologists and put it into the
hands of legislators. This might have set a
precedence for them to take control of other
seasons. Not to mention that it would have stopped many
family members, from out of state, from joining us for a traditional first
day of buck/gun season;
- In
2000 WVBA also spoke out against House Bill 4030, which allowed crossbows
into the hunting seasons in WV;
- In
1999 WVBA assisted in stopping House Bill 2630 which would have led to the
widespread abuse of crossbows by people that were not legitimately
handicapped;
- In
1998 WVBA assisted in the defeat of House Bill 4053, which would
have reduced the deer herd all over WV to 30 deer per
square mile;
- In
1997 WVBA began working with the DNR on their first "Becoming an
Outdoors-Woman" workshop to introduce women to archery and bowhunting
and continue to do so. In the
Spring of 2000, WVBA sponsored the first all WVBA women team to
teach the two classes;
- Saved
hunting and fishing license money by helping to prevent the WV Legislature
from rolling these designated funds into the general fund (1990, 1992),
and successfully supported the passage of Constitutional Amendment #1 in
the 1996 election to permanently keep these funds where they belong;
- Began
a continuing series of free "Future Bowhunter Jamborees" in 1995
to introduce teenagers from non-bowhunting families to the sport;
- Provided
financial support in 1993 & 1994 for the Minnesota DNR/WVU joint
research project on deer wounding;
- The
WVBA and its affiliated clubs have been major financial contributors to
the DNR's "Hunters Helping the Hungry"
program since 1992;
- Provided
financial support for Wildlife Legislative Fund of America efforts to
battle anti-hunting in the
- Convinced
DNR to allow bowhunters to use Class R license to take either-sex deer in
`extra doe' counties in 1991;
- Convinced
DNR to allow bowhunters to use Class R license in
- Assisted
House Natural Resources Committee in blocking blaze orange posting bills
since 1988;
- Instrumental
in implementing statewide use of class R bow license in 1987;
- WVBA
is directly responsible for the DNR Trophy Review Committee which was
formed in 1985 to clean up WV deer records;
- Conducted
informational campaign to cause defeat of all crossbow bills introduced in
the WV Legislature since 1983;
- Introduced
and helped structure the present R-Type License (second archery deer tag)
in 1981;
- Assisted
in wild boar research capture program by providing transmitter for
implantation;
- Provided
financial support for WV Wildlife Federation's Sportsmen Alliance
Fund since its inception;
- Have
attended and taken part in ALL WV Game Commission meetings and DNR
Sectional meetings since 1981.
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Affiliations |
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West Virginia Wildlife Federation
Professional Bowhunters Society
U.S.
Sportsmen's Alliance
International Bowhunting Organization (IBO)
Other Wildlife Related Sites: