Gun Owners of America (GOA) announced a new Corporate Membership program enabling pro-Second Amendment businesses to formally join GOA's fight to defend the Second Amendment. The tiered program offers annual memberships at $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 based on company size, with complimentary individual memberships for eligible employees.
Jeff Rawlinson has been named President of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP®), succeeding Dr. Thomas G. Floyd, who is retiring December 31, 2026. Rawlinson, who previously spent 26 years with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, becomes NASP®'s third president in its 24-year history.
The Boone and Crockett Club verified the Sam Aiuppa/James Martin typical whitetail deer at 207 7/8 inches, making it the largest typical whitetail ever taken in the United States. The buck, killed in Illinois in 1991, surpasses the famous Jordan buck by 1 6/8 inches and ranks second worldwide behind Milo Hanson's record.
Whitetails Unlimited partners with the Tree Stand Safety Awareness Foundation to promote Tree Stand Safety Awareness Month throughout September. WTU President Jeff Schinkten encourages hunters to review safety guidelines before bowhunting season begins.
BOG, a Columbia, Missouri-based manufacturer of hunting equipment including trail cameras and shooting sticks, has renewed its national sponsorship with Whitetails Unlimited. WTU President Jeff Schinkten praised BOG's commitment and product quality, noting the company's continued support of the organization's conservation and hunting tradition mission.
The National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF) sponsored the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame event honoring hunting and fishing leaders. NBEF Executive Director Marilyn Bentz, a 2005 inductee, attended the 2026 ceremonies at the John A. & Genny Morris Conservation Center in Springfield, MO.
The National Bowhunter Education Foundation sponsored Nebraska's Hunter Education Conference in Omaha, with NBEF Executive Director Marilyn Bentz, Tree Stand Safety Association President Glenn Mayhew, and instructor Jackson Ellis leading workshops on tree stand and hunting saddle safety. NBEF and Nebraska Hunter Ed Coordinator Kyle Gaston debuted a new combo Today's Hunter and Today's Bowhunter Manual at the event.
Whitetails Unlimited offers complimentary Whitetail Watch signs and decals as part of an anti-poaching initiative to improve hunter/landowner relations. The PVC signs and matching decals serve as visible deterrents to poaching and encourage reporting of suspicious activity to wildlife law enforcement.
The Boone and Crockett Club, the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, and the UWSP Foundation established the Stephens Family Foundation Boone and Crockett Wildlife Professor position at UWSP with a $1 million endowment. The professorship, led by associate professor Cady Sartini, will expand black bear conservation research and education across Wisconsin through the Searle-Dew-Thomas Boone and Crockett Wisconsin Black Bear Fellowship.
Friends of NRA has reached a historic milestone, welcoming more than 5 million attendees to its volunteer-led fundraising events since 1992. The organization has hosted over 27,000 events across all 50 states, generating more than $1.2 billion in gross revenue and funding over 66,000 state grants supporting firearm safety, education, youth development, and shooting sports programs.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation hosted its inaugural Big Game Days in Missoula, Montana, attracting thousands of hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. The four-day event, presented by onX Hunt and Montana Knife Company, featured hunting gear displays, shooting competitions, archery challenges, and the 35th World Elk Calling Championships. RMEF recognized conservation partners including the late Daryle Singletary and the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
Whitetails Unlimited announces that Executive Director David Hawkey will retire at the end of the month, with Chris Konop, former Vice President of Field Operations, promoted to Executive Director effective August 1, 2026. WTU President Jeff Schinkten praised Konop's organizational knowledge and management experience to guide the conservation organization forward.
The Boone and Crockett Club appointed Al Clark as chief development officer. Clark brings over two decades of nonprofit leadership and fundraising experience, including previous roles at Ducks Unlimited, the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
Canati Tripods has joined Pope and Young Club as a Gold Level Corporate Partner to support bowhunting conservation. Pope and Young Executive Director Justin Spring praised the partnership, noting that corporate support demonstrates commitment to protecting bowhunting's future.
Pope and Young, North America's leading bowhunting conservation organization, opposes Alaska's Proposals 2 and 3, which would legalize electronic scopes and high-tech optics in archery-only hunts. Executive Director Justin Spring warns that introducing technology increases harvest rates and threatens declining hunting opportunities. The organization urges bowhunters to submit comments opposing these proposals.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation strongly supports a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed rule providing greater state flexibility in managing grizzly bears. RMEF, alongside the Boone & Crockett Club, Property and Environment Research Center, and Wyoming Wildlife Federation, submitted public comments that helped shape the proposal, which marks a critical step toward balanced grizzly management.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed a new rule for grizzly bear conservation that the Boone and Crockett Club celebrates as an innovative solution. The rule authorizes state and tribal wildlife agencies to manage grizzlies in coordination with FWS, addressing the recovery of bear populations from 136 animals in 1975 to over 1,000 in the Greater Yellowstone area today.
The Wild Sheep Foundation welcomed a new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service draft rule that recognizes grizzly bear recovery and empowers state and tribal wildlife agencies to manage bears in their jurisdictions. The rule addresses modern conservation challenges while building on decades of recovery efforts in areas like Greater Yellowstone, where grizzly populations have increased from approximately 136 bears in 1975 to more than 1,000 today.
Whitetails Unlimited announced its 2026-2027 Program Service Initiatives including the Deer Poster & Target initiative, Clean Optics Hunt Safely initiative, Donate a Deer Initiative, and Kids on Target shooting team program. Members attending WTU events will receive educational materials, lens cleaning cloths, and resources supporting hunting safety, conservation, and youth shooting sports engagement.
Whitetails Unlimited offers complimentary Deer Management signs and booklets to help landowners manage their properties. The PVC signs measure 11.25 inches and are suitable for use throughout the United States. Contact Whitetails Unlimited at 920.743.6777 or nh@whitetailsunlimited.com to order.