New P&Y World Record Typical Velvet Mule Deer and Other Industry News

New P&Y World Record Typical Velvet Mule Deer

On May 14, 2022, Pope and Young convened a special panel of judges in Ogden, Utah, for a potential world’s record typical velvet mule deer. Bowdy Gardner’s typical velvet mule deer scored 218 2/8 inches and is now the largest bow-harvested typical velvet mule deer in North America. This amazing buck was taken and entered into the records program nearly 10 years ago and is now recognized as the new world record after the original score was upheld by a panel of measurers. Measurers present at the special panel were Larry Streiff, David Nielsen, Stan Zirbel, Pope and Young’s Director of Records Tim Rozewski, and Pope and Young’s Records Chairman Roy Grace. With a confirmed final score of 218 2/8” Gardner’s buck is officially the new Pope and Young World Record.

“This is a tremendous mule deer that has been awaiting this moment since it was taken in Kane County, Utah in 2012,” said Pope and Young’s Records Chairman Roy Grace. “When Pope and Young changed their stance in 2021 and allowed velvet antlered animals to be eligible for world record status within their own respective categories, we were finally able to authenticate this buck. It also demonstrates how sportsmen’s dollars, coupled with oversight from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, can properly manage these incredible animals and provide opportunity for sportsmen to pursue them.” New world records are verified and proclaimed, and awards are presented for these outstanding animals, during Pope and Young’s Biennial Convention and Awards Banquet.

S3DA Offers Online Coaching Certification

Scholastic 3-D Archery (S3DA) currently provides two main levels of coach certifications: Basic Instructor, and Advanced Instructor. To become a coach in the S3DA organization, any interested party must complete the Basic Instructor Training Class. After you have been certified as a Basic Instructor, S3DA would like you to continue your archery training and eventually become an Advanced Instructor.

The Advanced Instructor course is usually taken over two days in-person. In the Advanced Instructor course, you must demonstrate mastery of intermediate archery skills, thorough understanding of the S3DA curriculum, ability to communicate well, and ability to teach large groups in a classroom setting. During the global pandemic, S3DA took the plunge into the world of remote learning, and the need has exceeded expectations. While S3DA instructors will continue with in-person classes, those who prefer may instead register for the online option.

Frank McDonough will be teaching both the Basic & Advanced Archery Instructor Training Courses remotely. Frank has a wealth of knowledge about the sport of archery as he founded and currently hosts a podcast called The Barebow Project, which provides a positive environment for growth of barebow and traditional archery classes.

Adults across the United States can take this remote learning course from the comfort of their own home. The course is designed to allow adults the opportunity to work on their certification at their own pace over a 4-week time frame. Readings, assignments, and meetings are pre-determined allowing the learner to do their work in the same format being used by educational institutions across the world at this time. This self-paced course will have weekly virtual meetings and assignments that will be due via Google Classroom.

To sign up for the June - S3DA Basic Archery Instructor Course Virtual Class, visit the S3DA website via the link here to purchase the materials for the course and click here to fill out the Google Form so you can be contacted with further instructions about the class.

To sign up for the June - S3DA Advanced Archery Instructor Course Virtual Class, please visit the S3DA website via the link here to purchase the materials for the course and click here to fill out the Google Form so you can be contacted with further instructions about the class.

After you have purchased the materials and completed the Google Form, wait to be contacted by the instructor of the course. If you have not received an e-mail 3-5 days prior to the start day of the class, then send an email to infos3darchery@gmail.com. The instructor of the course will contact the S3DA National Office at the completion of the course, and you will be contacted by email after your credentials are validated with a “Welcome to S3DA” email with steps on how to build and purchase your coach membership on the S3DA Sport:80 platform, as well as how to complete your background check and SafeSport Training.

Josh Kuder Joins National Deer Association Board

The National Deer Association (NDA) recently welcomed Josh Kuder of Florida to its Board of Directors. Kuder is a life member of NDA, Level 1 Deer Steward and managing partner and Chief Investment Officer at Revolent Capital Solutions, a private investment enterprise based in Tampa, Florida.

“I could not be more excited about joining the NDA board,” said Kuder. “As a lifelong whitetail hunter and conservationist, I believe deeply in the NDA mission. It is an honor to be a part of one of the preeminent educational, research and conservation organizations in the country. I look forward to serving the NDA members and continuing to ensure the NDA mission is carried out through the Board membership.”

“Josh has been an active board member of multiple companies and has driven strategic change within each organization,” said NDA Board Chairman Rick Dahl. “He has also demonstrated that he’s a dedicated supporter of NDA’s mission. I’m confident he will contribute significantly to the strategic direction and continued success of the National Deer Association.”

Kuder has hunted deer since he was 10 years old, and he has studied deer, wildlife habitat and conservation. He is a certified Level 1 NDA Deer Steward and follows deer research through NDA’s materials and by following the work of several university deer labs and researchers. He creates educational quizzes for his hunting partners on topics such as aging bucks on the hoof.

“In short, if I did not have a day job and was better in biology, I would pursue a master’s in wildlife management with a focus on quail and deer,” said Kuder.

Kuder loves spending time with his family, hunting deer, chasing fish on and under the water, and hunting with his bird dogs, Tilly and Maisy.

GSI Outdoors Acquired by Pelican International

Pelican International Inc. recently acquired a majority stake in GSI Outdoors. This transaction marks a major step in the growth of Pelican, which is building on a solid foundation to diversify its offering in the North American and international outdoor market.

"The acquisition of GSI Outdoors, our third since 2019, allows us to pursue our ambition to be an eco-friendly leader in the outdoor equipment sector by investing in a portfolio of renowned brands that respond to the growing desire of the population to connect more with nature,” said Danick Lavoie, president and CEO of Pelican International. “While our last acquisitions consolidated our leading position in the paddle sports, fishing boats and nautical accessories sector, the integration of GSI Outdoors into our fold allows us to diversify our activities and makes a remarkable entry into a sector that has shown sustained growth for several years which is expected to be maintained for the years to come."

"It was our love of the outdoors and our desire to provide quality products that motivated us to found GSI Outdoors in 1985. Today, our commitment remains the same and in Pelican International we have found the perfect partner to take the company to the next level," said Don, Ian and Kathy Scott, co-founders. Ian and Don will remain at the helm of the company for the next cycle of growth for GSI Outdoors.

According to the North American Camping Report 2021, the growth prospects for the outdoor and camping market were excellent, long before the pandemic which has caused an unprecedented craze for outdoor activities and products. In 2021, the global market was estimated at $15 billion and is expected to reach $21 billion by 2026, boding well for steady demand for camping products in general.

"Pelican intends to quickly leverage the reputation, distribution channels as well as the supply and innovation capabilities of both companies to offer more to our retailers, and meet the expectations and aspirations of camping, fishing and paddling enthusiasts," said Lavoie.

As GSI Outdoors joins the Pelican Group of companies, the Laval, Quebec-based company will now have more than 1,100 employees in North America, revenues in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and a portfolio of well-established companies and brands.