Hat Tip to Pope and Young's 2013 National Convention

Bowhunting is absolutely vital to conservation today. The Boone and Crockett Club is acknowledging this too-often underappreciated truth with a tip of the hat to the upcoming 2013 biennial national convention of the Pope and Young Club.

The event is set for April 10-13 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas.

For more information, visit www.pope-young.org.

"Every two years, Pope and Young hosts the premier celebration of bowhunting's contributions to conservation and the big-game trophies that result," said Richard Hale, chairman of the Club's Records Committee. "Crucial funding and leadership, advanced sporting skills and fair chase ethics, an increasingly important wildlife management tool and a growing constituency. All this makes bowhunting ever more relevant to the future of America's outdoors."

Pope and Young uses the Boone and Crockett scoring system to maintain its archery records. Both records programs are used by biologists to gauge herd health, habitat quality and management strategies.

The relationship between the two organizations actually dates back to the 1950s when archers were working to establish bowhunting as a legitimate harvest method. Boone and Crockett Club members supported dedicated archery seasons as another means of hunter opportunity and selective game management. Through the advent of the compound bow, both P&Y and B&C records swelled with archery entries. In fact, the most recent review of B&C data showed that hunters with a .300 Magnum take more North American trophies than with any other caliber--but, surprisingly, the second-most popular trophy taker isn't a firearm. It's a bow.

"Our sport has come a long way," said Kevin Hisey, executive secretary of Pope and Young Club. "Back in the day, prospering big-game resources created a new window of opportunity for those first few modern bowhunters. Now we're a force for conservation in our own right. Today's bowhunters are proud to be giving back and contributing in meaningful ways to help sustain and bolster those same big-game resources."

Highlights of the Pope and Young Club 2013 biennial convention include an exhibit of nearly 100 recently taken P&Y trophies featuring several potential World's Records. Also included are awards, seminars, auctions and banquets. For more information, visit www.pope-young.org.