Most bowhunters have no idea what the Pope and Young Club is outside of the record-keeping vaults for all animals hunted successfully with a bow and arrow. However, the Pope and Young Club (P&Y Club) is far more than a record-keeping consortium.
Bowhunters everywhere owe a tremendous amount to the founding members of the P&Y Club. The non-profit conservation and bowhunting organization is named for Dr. Saxton Pope and Art Young, two of the men recognized as saving bowhunting for animals in the early part of the 20th Century.
Beginning on Jan. 27, 1961, Fred Bear and Glenn St. Charles formed the Pope and Young Club. From the onset, the P&Y Club has been dedicated to scientific record keeping, sound conservation practices and quality hunting with fair chase. Today that has been morphed into a simpler phrase of “Preserve, Promote, Protect.” In short, the P&Y Club is the foundation of all things related to bowhunting in North America.
But what does that really mean? Let’s break it down so you can see exactly how important the P&Y Club is to you, the bowhunter.
Preserve
The preservation of the heritage of bowhunting and the records that go along with it are critical for the mission of the P&Y Club. To date, more than 100,000 animals from all 29 North American big game species taken with recurve, longbow and compound bow have been cataloged in their database. These records are more than just a collection of the finest specimens of their kind in North America. This data is used by federal and state agencies to help establish important management decisions, as well as establish seasons for these same animals.
Every animal in North America must meet a minimum score to be admitted into the records of the P&Y Club. For whitetail the minimum is 125 inches of antler as measured by a certified P&Y scorer. The method of scoring an animal is explained, and free scoring sheets are available on their website.
Promote
As stated on the club website (www.pope-young.org), “It is not enough to merely preserve our heritage. It is our duty and responsibility to carry on the work of the icons of bowhunting…” One of the key elements of the P&Y Club is to promote the sport of bowhunting among all walks of life. By “helping Americans embrace our outdoor lifestyle, we will promote the benefits of free range, natural and organic nourishment that wild game can provide and celebrate the ethical harvest and use of such game.”
The P&Y Club’s stance on celebrating the take of game animals in an ethical, fair chase method is not to be overlooked or downplayed.
In a world where hunter numbers are falling faster than the value of the US dollar, it is imperative that organizations, like P&Y, promote and celebrate the sport and art of bowhunting for us, and generations to come.
Protect
This leads to the last, and arguably the most important, of the three emphases of the P&Y club. To protect our right to pursue game, in general, and with archery equipment, in particular, the P&Y Club is out in front in the fight to protect bowhunting wherever the line is drawn.
As Americans, we are spoiled in the heritage of hunting. We believe it is our God-given right that is protected under the Constitution. Unfortunately, many of the politicians who represent our interests do not agree with our assessment and view bowhunting as a privilege and not a right. Privileges can be taken away with the stroke of a pen; rights are stronger. As persons passionate about our right to bowhunt ethically, safely, and legally within the parameters of seasons and sound biological science for the game, it is our responsibility, dare I say our duty, to support organizations who are fighting on our behalf to keep our sport alive. Not just for ourselves, but also for future generations.
Record it:
The Pope and Young Club keeps records on all 29 of North America’s big game species, including the whitetail deer, which need a minimum score of 125 to be included in the club’s record book.
The post “The Pope and Young Club” first appeared on CarolinaSportsman.com.
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