ORGANIZATIONS

Registration is now open for the 2026 International Hunter Education Association-USA Annual Meeting & Training, taking place June 1–4, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. The event offers in-person and virtual participation options, with support from industry partners including Recademics, Monologix, Federal Ammunition, PayIt, and Determinator Targets. Free virtual attendance is available for IHEA-USA volunteer members.

The National Bowhunter Education Foundation (NBEF) offers black bear hunting resources including the Advanced Black Bear Anatomy and Shot Placement Guide, Mini 3-D Durable Foam Bear Model by Rinehart Targets, and the Bear Aware Pamphlet. NBEF Executive Director Marilyn Bentz urges hunters to review shot placement information for safer, more successful hunts.

Executive Director Jim Curcuruto and Board Chair Jenifer Wisniewski from the Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation will attend the 91st North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Columbus, Ohio, March 29-April 3, 2026. They will highlight OSCF's successes including the "Come With" campaign with Kentucky Dept. Fish and Game, the "Keepers of the Wild" PSA, and research on traditional ammunition impacts.

Delta Waterfowl launched a new Planned Giving Department led by Bob Benson and J. Pierce Shields to help supporters create lasting legacies for waterfowl conservation. The initiative expands opportunities for philanthropic impact through estate gifts, bequests, and charitable trusts to fund Delta's science-based conservation programs in perpetuity.

The Boone and Crockett Club will host two women's retreats in 2026 at the Rasmuson Wildlife Conservation Center near Dupuyer, Montana. The Outdoorswomen Skills Retreat (July 24–26) and Women of the Hunt Skills Retreat (September 4–6) will provide hands-on instruction in outdoor and hunting skills, ethics, and community building for women 18 and older.

Turkeys for Tomorrow (TFT) has partnered with Grounded Turkey Hunting Vests, founded by Drew Able, to offer an innovative modular vest designed by turkey hunters. TFT members receive a 10% discount, with a percentage of sales supporting conservation projects.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has been appointed as the Democrat Co-Chair of the Governors Sportsmen's Caucus for a two-year term. Governor Shapiro signed Act No. 36 into law in 2025, repealing Pennsylvania's ban on Sunday hunting, benefiting the state's 850,000 licensed hunters and supporting rural economies.

Dallas Safari Club elected Rick Warren as Board President, along with Chris Ruhman, Colby Hale, and Daniel McGehee to the Board of Directors. The membership also approved proposed bylaw updates enhancing governance and board structure during the Annual General Meeting on March 19, 2026.

Bob Ameen's velvet blacktail deer scored 115 0/8, earning recognition from the Pope and Young Club as the largest bow-harvested velvet typical blacktail in North America. The deer was shot in Southeast Alaska and surpasses the previous record by 5 1/8 inches. The animal will be displayed at the Pope and Young's Biennial Awards Convention in Little Rock, AR, April 8-10, 2027.

The University of Montana's Wildlife Biology Program named Heather Johnson as the new Boone and Crockett Professor of Wildlife Conservation, the sixth researcher to hold this position since its establishment in 1993. Johnson, a researcher with the Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, specializes in large mammal conservation and climate change impacts on wildlife.

Langdon Tactical Technology has joined the Second Amendment Foundation as a Silver-level corporate partner. The firearm customization company, led by President Aimee Langdon, partners with SAF to support Second Amendment rights and constitutional protections for responsible firearm ownership.

The National Rifle Association unveiled its new official NRA App, featuring digital membership cards, Second Amendment news from the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, digital magazines including American Rifleman and American Hunter, local event discovery, and exclusive member benefits. CEO Doug Hamlin emphasized the app represents the NRA's commitment to innovation and serving members in the digital age.

The Airgun Sporting Association announced a fundraising initiative with Pyramyd Air and Airgun Depot to raise $10,000 for the Student Air Rifle Program's tenth anniversary. The ASA will match customer contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000, with support from industry partners including Umarex, Crosman, Daisy, and HatsonUSA.

The South Carolina Waterfowl Association is participating in a mallard research project at its Pinewood Wildlife Education Center, studying how game farm mallards and hybridization impact wild populations in the Atlantic Flyway. The collaborative effort with Clemson Kennedy Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Center and University of Texas at El Paso uses advanced tracking technology to monitor nearly 100 radio-tagged and GPS-tagged mallards.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed four legislative priorities backed by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation: the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act, the Mitigation Action and Watermen Support Act of 2026, the Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025, and the Save Our Sequoias Act. These bipartisan bills address lead ammunition regulations, invasive species control in the Chesapeake Bay, forest restoration after disasters, and giant sequoia resilience.

Federal Ammunition and the Mule Deer Foundation announced the continuation of their conservation partnership supporting mule deer, black-tailed deer, and western habitats. Federal, headquartered in Anoka, Minnesota, has supported conservation initiatives for over 80 years and continues developing innovative hunting ammunition products.

Women for Gun Rights announced its first formal paid membership program after ten years of volunteer-led operations. Founded by Dianna Muller, the initiative enables supporters to engage in education, advocacy, and safety programs while receiving exclusive benefits from sponsors including CZ, Federal Ammunition, Hornady, Ruger, Smith & Wesson, and others.

Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation celebrates Noah Winslow's top-20 finish at the 2026 Bassmaster Classic on the Tennessee River. Winslow, a conservation partner, actively participates in OSCF's Fill A Bag While Filling Your Tag program, which has distributed over 100,000 reusable bags and removed tens of thousands of pounds of trash from waterways nationwide.

Safari Club International (SCI) commends the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act (H.R. 556), introduced by Rep. Rob Wittman. The legislation prohibits federal agencies from banning traditional lead ammunition and tackle on federal public lands without scientific justification, protecting hunter and angler choice.

The Boone and Crockett Club has partnered with the University of Wyoming to establish a Working Lands Wildlife Conservation Professorship in the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources. The program will focus on wildlife habitat conservation, ranch management, and wildlife disease research, including chronic wasting disease, while supporting Wyoming's ranching communities and big game populations.