Beyond the Bow, Presented by ATA

Kurt speaks with fellow ATA staffer, Samantha Seaton, to discuss an upcoming segment of the Beyond the Bow podcast - The Draw. These special episodes, hosted by Seaton, will turn the focus to the customer. Archers and bowhunters are what make this industry, and each of them has a different story of what they shoot, how they hunt, and most importantly - the draw that keeps them behind the bow.

Korbin's Archery (Seminole, TX) has established itself as a successful archery pro shop. In this episode, hear from owner Korbin Williams as he shares some advice on what has brought about this success. Korbin also shares a crucial mistake that caused a major disruption for his business in hopes that fellow retailers can learn and avoid encountering a similar situation themselves.

Your ATA has established a great working relationship with the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, and continues to participate in that organization's efforts to protect game populations and promote bowhunting. In this episode, ATA vice president & chief conservation officer Dan Forster joins Kurt to talk with Mark Tisa of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife. We discuss some current projects funded by federal excise tax dollars paid on archery equipment, and also the emphasis on gathering hunter data from across the country so industry businesses and wildlife agencies can make informed decisions.

Growing archery participation has consistently ranked at the top of the list when ATA members are asked what is going to have the biggest impact on their business going forward. One of the most effective ways to grow participation is recruiting and retaining new archers, but to truly expand the reach of the industry we must look outside of our current circles. In this episode, Sam Seaton (ATA), Immanuel Salas (Texas Parks & Wildlife), and Mike Jasper (Bethel University) discuss their experiences in archery and how the ATA is working to not only identify areas in need of improvement, but also to create a plan to act upon them with the goal of a bigger, better, and more inclusive archery industry.

Ben talks with us about how his brands of TRU Ball and Axcel got to be where they are today. We also discuss some trends in the archery industry and get insights into what it's been like to serve on the ATA Board of Directors.