As I sit here in my tree stand on a frigid cold January afternoon. I am thinking about how our first bow season with crossbows in it is drawing to a close. The data will tell us how much or little of an impact they have had on the season and harvest totals. This was a very hot topic last year, a topic that caused the UBNJ many strained relationships. I think people misunderstood our position on the issue. The UBNJ’s charter states we exist to protect and promote the bow season. That is what we were doing protecting the bow season as it stood. Read More...

I hope that the bowseason has been treating you all well, and that you have been rewarded with new memories and experiences that you will cherish. This bowseason has been a difficult one for me so far. Here it is November the 13th and I’ve yet to take a step into the woods, or spy a deer except from a moving car! Work responsibilities and life in general have made this bowseason exceedingly difficult for me. I understand why people drop out of the sport, there just seems to be a never ending pull and demand for TIME that there just never seems to be quite enough of…
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As hopefully most of you know, the Governor has signed S802 (Sunday Bow) into law. So beginning this fall you will have the availability of bowhunting deer on Sundays during any archery season on State WMA’s and private property. Sunday Bow was a long uphill fight, and a personal quest for me. I wrote the current version of the bill that was signed into law nearly five years ago and have had the pleasure and pain of seeing the bill advance only to be shutdown year after year. This year, with the help of the Democratic Leadership; Senator Stephen Sweeney and Assemblyman Joseph Burchachelli, and the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance (NJOA) the Sunday Bow bills finally came to fruition…

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I find it extremely odd that I’m writing the “Summer Campfire” when it’s 14 degrees outside! Printing deadlines, I just can’t grasp them sometimes. Well all the hunting equipment is packed up and put away, well almost all of it anyway, and my thoughts are turning to sandy beaches, waders, screaming drags, and tight lines attached to big Bluefish and Striped Bass as I wait impatiently for the Spring run to start. I had a good hunting season this past year, I got to travel and hunt in the Mid-West twice and made many new friends along the way as well as sharing some great memories with my closest friends. I truly hope that your season was as memorable as mine was.

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My fellow bowhunters, here we are with another deer season upon us. UBNJ’s ninth annual 3-D Jamboree, an even that has for many become the ultimate pre-season warm-up and prelude to the early fall bow season, has successfully passed into the pages of history. I’d like to take this opportunity to personally thank our council members and those individuals from our general membership who stepped up and worked so hard to make the entire weekend a success (you know who you are).
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My fellow bowhunters as we head away from the cool, mild days of spring into the hot, humid dog days of summer the UBNJ Council has a lot on its plate. Before I delve too deeply into any of that though first let me take a moment to congratulate anyone how was fortunate enough to have harvest a wily gobbler during this past spring turkey season, with special kudos to anyone who managed to do that with their bow. Having just harvested my first longbeard with a bow this past season I know firsthand just what a challenge it is. If you were fortunate enough to taken a nice gobbler with your bow be sure to send us a photo and if your so inclined a little story about your hunt. Kurt Willie our magazine editor will be more than happy to add your adventure to the UBNJ magazine and Pola Galie our webmaster would love to put it up on our website.
  
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The UBNJ is starting off 2008 with a lot of momentum, our Council and our membership continue to grow, we are dedicating more time and energy to the two main resources we have for communicating with our membership, namely our magazine and our website. As our new Executive Board, which now includes the three Regional Vice Presidents, settles into their respective roles, the organization has already hosted or been party to several major events.

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My fellow bowhunters, as 2007 is winding down I find myself with pen in hand drafting the President’s Campfire, as Executive Vice President this task fell to me upon the resignation of our newly elected President Matt Trembow. Shortly after our October elections Matt’s work responsibilities virtually tripled and he found himself in a position where he would be unable to dedicate the time required to properly execute the office of the President. As his Vice President I became acting President following his resignation, the office of the President will be filled by a Council vote in January.
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