MISSOULA, Mont. – Iowa-based Boyt Harness Co. is the latest name added to a growing list of supporters behind a new initiative led by the Boone and Crockett Club intended to highlight the core values of fair chase and to strengthen the image of the North American hunter.
“There was a time when sportsmen were openly admired and praised for their commitments to wildlife and habitat conservation,” said CJ Buck, the Club’s vice president of communications. “Today we’re subject to increasing attack and misrepresentation. As grossly unfair as this has become, no one is going to restore the positive image of hunters and hunting other than sportsmen themselves. The Hunt Fair Chase initiative seeks to help sportsmen become better brand ambassadors for hunting by rallying behind the time-honored traditions of fair chase and putting our best foot forward.”
The Hunt Right: Hunt Fair Chase initiative hopes to inspire sportsmen to unite behind an effort to improve their own public image and control the narrative about hunting that others have taken. The initiative will launch later this summer.
“Our society is governed by laws. Hunting too is governed by laws, but out of a sense of responsibility for the game we hunt and the country they live in, sportsmen go one step further,” said Buck. “A sporting approach ensures the game is respected and never threatened; the privilege of hunting is honored, and the no-guarantees nature of hunting and the memorable experiences we seek remain intact. There is a lot tucked up under the umbrella of what we know as fair chase.”
Theodore Roosevelt and the Boone and Crockett Club popularized the concept of fair chase at a time in history when the unregulated harvest of game was a significant factor in the extinction of some species and the near loss of others. Conservation was being promoted as the new model for the treatment of natural resources, to not only recover wildlife populations, but also to ensure they would never be threatened again.
Sportsmen of that era took it upon themselves to embrace conservation and aid in the recovery of the game they cherished by practicing a new code of conduct that spoke to their character and commitments. The new initiative asks today’s sportsmen and sportswomen to step up once again.
Boyt Harness Co. traces its roots to 1901 and an industrious family-owned saddlery in Iowa. The company produced equipment for the U.S. military through both World Wars, then adapted to emerging markets in the sporting goods industry. Boyt’s products and leadership have been shaping hunting and outdoor sports for more than 70 years.
Buck said, “Having an American company that has outfitted sportsmen for generations on board with this effort speaks volumes. Companies like Boyt don’t just sell products for use in the field, they sell tradition and memories, which have also sustained responsible, fair-chase hunting for generations.”
“All of us at Boyt believe very much in the concept of hunting fair chase and we all work hard to make sure that our personal hunts involve the highest amount of integrity possible,” said Tony Caligiuri, president and CEO of Boyt Harness Company. “We applaud Boone and Crockett for taking the initiative to promote fair-chase hunting and we are committed to being a partner that not only supports the campaign financially but also leads by example in all of what we do personally.”
The Hunt Fair Chase initiative will launch this August with an interactive website and social media effort.
To date Boyt Harness joins the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Buck Knives, YETI, and the Wild Sheep Foundation in support of this campaign.
About the Boone and Crockett Club
Founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club is the oldest conservation organization in North America and helped to establish the principles of wildlife and habitat conservation, as well as many of the institutions, experts agencies, science and funding mechanisms for conservation. Member accomplishments include enlarging and protecting Yellowstone and establishing Glacier and Denali national parks, founding the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, fostering the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey Acts, creating the Federal Duck Stamp program, and developing the cornerstones of modern game laws. The Boone and Crockett Club is headquartered in Missoula, Montana. For details, visit www.boone-crockett.org.
