The sport of hunting with a bow is growing every year in Montana.The Montana Bowhunters Association is taking advantage of the sport’s popularity to showcase the beauty and artistry of handcrafted bows by craftsman, along with the latest in high-technology compound bows.
It will all take place this weekend starting on Friday evening at the Hilton Garden Inn convention center in Missoula.
The state convention for the MBA is rotated around Montana, as different cities take turns playing play host to the event. It has been seven years since it last been held in Missoula.
“We want people to bring their bow, and shoot the pop-up 3-D course,” Clark said.
There will also be seminars, including Jim Posewitz, the founder of Orion - the Hunter’s Institute, who will talk on Friday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday will feature Dutch oven cooking from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., jewelry beading from 2 to 4 p.m., and and turkey and elk calling from 3 to 4 p.m. Also on Saturday, you can take in Gene Wensel describing the making of primal dreams and using trail cameras from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and outdoor survival and rescue by Aerie Backcountry Sports Medicine from 2 to 4 p.m. On Sunday, Missoula’s own Les Rutledge, “The Fish Guy,” will present his seminar from 9 to 10:15 a.m.
The charge for the public to attend all three days, including seminars and activities, and to check out Manufacturers Row, displaying the best in outdoor equipment, is $5 or free if you sign up for an annual MBA membership for $25. The hours for the conference seminars and exhibits will be Friday from 4 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon.
In conjunction with conference, the MBA is also holding its annual banquet Saturday night at the Hilton. The banquet will have the normal auction items on display such as handmade traditional and compound bows, a canvas tent, tent stove, jewelry, 3-D targets, fishing rods, custom arrows and more.
“We are also raffling off an authentic African safari, a special youth/ladies/senior Montana hunt, a Canyon Ferry bow hunting excursion and two Montana float fishing trips,” Clark added.
The banquet tickets are $60 at the door. Kids 16 and under will be $30.
Sounds like the MBA and its 1,000 statewide members have a lot of information and fun packed into the Hilton Garden Inn this weekend that you and your family will enjoy whether they bow hunt now or just enjoy the great Montana outdoors. For further information, check out www.mtba.org.
Mark Ward’s statewide Montana Outdoor Radio Show airs Saturday’s from 6 to 8 a.m. in Missoula on KGVO 1290 AM. E-mail Ward at captain@montanaoutdoor.com.
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