Pro Am Bowhunter Education Press Release

Cabela’s-ASA Continue Their Commitment To
Bowhunter Safety and the National Bowhunter Education Foundation

The Archery Shooters Association is proud to demonstrate its continuing commitment to Bowhunting and Bowhunting Safety by offering the International Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP) Bowhunter Education and Safety Course at each of the Cabela’s-ASA Pro/Am events in 2004. ASA is excited about being able to keep Bowhunter Education at the forefront of its National Program by hosting these courses at Pro/Am events. ASA also keeps a master database of all course attendees, so that anyone can confirm their certification and replace lost or damaged cards at any time.

The International Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP) is the course now required by 14 states and 3 Canadian Provinces. The IBEP is the course recognized by all 50 states, Canadian Provinces, and 10 other countries in Europe and Africa. The courses will be coordinated by the IBEP State Chairman for the state in which the Pro/Am is held and he will be assisted in teaching the courses by certified Bowhunter Education Instructors.

ASA membership is not required to attend these courses. The Bowhunter Education Courses hosted by ASA are open to anyone 12 years and older who wishes to attend and earn their (IBEP) Bowhunter Education Certification. It is suggested that participants pre-register by calling the ASA office (770-795-0232) or by filling out the online registration form at http://www.asaarchery.com/Registration.htm . This is to insure that the Bowhunting Education Coordinators are able to request enough materials for the class.

The course covers bowhunting equipment, bowhunting and tree stand safety, range estimation, shot placement, game recovery, field dressing, hunting regulations and much more. Each segment of the course is followed by practical exercises covering the subject matter and the course covers approximately 10 hours of instruction. Upon completion of the course, each participant will receive an identification card certifying that they have completed the Bowhunter Education Program (IBEP) for the state in which the class was held. This card is honored by all 50 states, Canadian provinces, and 10 other foreign countries.

Until the National Bowhunter Education Foundation’s (NBEF) Distance Learning System is in place, course attendees will need to plan on attending the course according to the following schedule. The course will begin at noon on Thursday, the day before the tournament, and will be completed by noon on Friday. That allows participants to attend the course and graduate before the True-Flite Team Shoot on Friday. All course materials are provided on site.

The NBEF Distance Learning System should be operational by April 2004. At that time course attendees can complete the classroom portion of the training online and receive a certificate for that portion of the course. Participants will then present the certificate and complete the field portion of the course (approximately 4 hours) at the Pro/Am site on Friday morning. This will facilitate those who must travel great distances to attend the course. The NBEF Distance Learning System is an exciting project and will greatly expand the International Bowhunter Education Program.

This arrangement between the Archery Shooters Association and the National Bowhunter Education Foundation will allow more archers the opportunity to receive their IBEP Bowhunter Education Certification, and will expose those who haven’t attended a national level archery event to a different and exciting pastime. Both bowhunting and tournament archery are a sport for some and a livelihood for others, but in the end they are both based on fun, friends and the values of sportsmanship and fair play. ASA’s alliance with the National Bowhunter Education Foundation has allowed them to put Bowhunter Education in the spotlight of national archery events and they are committed to keeping it there.