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Article XII
A. Game Awards of the National Field Archery Association.
1. There shall be two: The “Art Young Big Game Awards” and “Art Young Small Game Awards”.
2. The purpose of the Art Young awards is to promote interest in hunting with the bow and arrow, to encourage good sportsmanship and to give recognition by the organized field archers to their members who obtain game with the bow.
3. Rules:
3.1 All animals must be taken within the laws of the county, state, territory, province or country, whichever is appropriate, and in accordance with the rules of fair chase.
3.2 In order to be eligible for awards, all animals must be reported within (1) one year of the date taken. A handling fee, to be established at the beginning of each year by the Executive Secretary, shall accompany each application.
3.3 The hunter must have taken possession of the animal to receive credit for the award.
3.4 It shall be the responsibility of the hunter to know the legal status of species hunted.
3.6 Animals specified as big game by the NFAA are not eligible for credit in the Art Young Small Game awards system.
3.7 Members who willfully take game out of season, take protected animals or otherwise violate game laws, falsify a claim or deliberately witness a falsified claim shall be expelled from the NFAA and all its programs. An expelled member may petition the NFAA for reinstatement after one year. The Bowhunting and Conservation Committee shall rule on the petition.
3.8 An additional award shall not be given for game previously accepted under a prior awards system. (Persons who have amassed a combination of seven or more pins under the original program as of July 1, 1973, and have so requested by January 1, 1974, shall be allowed to continue the original program. The same animals used in claiming any portion of the original Master Bowhunter award may not be used again for awards in another program.)
3.9 Any game taken from areas where they are officially designated as “rare” or “endangered” shall be ineligible for awards.
B. Art Young Big Game Awards:
1. Definition of Big Game: All species that are recognized as Big Game by responsible conservation departments in accordance with State, territory, province, country, whichever is appropriate. Reference material such as the “Audubon Society’s series on birds and mammals” may be used. Master species list available from Headquarters: the Bowhunting and Conservation Committee shall review recommendations for additions or deletions to the master list at each bi-annual NFAA meeting.
2. Eligibility: “Art Young Big Game Awards” is limited to members of the NFAA at the time of the kill. There shall be no geographical restrictions, either as to residence of the claimant or to the location in which the game is secured.
3. Claim of Award: Any member of the NFAA wishing to claim the Art Young Big Game pin, or the subsequent awards will apply to the NFAA Headquarters for an application blank, supply the information and evidence called for, and mail it to NFAA Headquarters.
4. Awards: An Art Young Big Game pin and an NFAA Big Game patch shall be given for the first example of each species taken with bow and arrow according to the NFAA rules, for a processing fee. Duplicate NFAA Big Game patches can be obtained by sending in the Big Game application form and appropriate fee.
4.1 An Art Young Big Game pin and an NFAA Big Game patch shall be given for the first example of each species taken with bow and arrow according to the NFAA rules, for a processing fee. Duplicate NFAA Big Game patches can be obtained by sending in the Big Game applications form and appropriate fee.
4.2 An Art Young Big Game pin, NFAA Global patch and a Species group patch shall be given for the first example of each exotic species group taken with bow and arrow according to the NFAA rules, for a processing fee. Each additional species within the group shall receive an Art Young Game patch only. Duplicate NFAA Global patches or species group patches can be obtained by sending in the Big Game application form and appropriate fee.
C. Art Young Small Game Awards:
1. Definition of Small Game. “All legal game shall be recognized for the Small Game Program, including subspecies. Reference materials such as the “Audubon Society’s series on Birds and Mammals” may be used. The Bowhunting and Conservation Committee shall review recommendations for additions or deletions to the master list at each bi-annual NFAA meeting.
2. Eligibility: This shall be the same as for the “Art Young Big Game Award”. If several species are taken within such a (1) one-year period, they may be held and reported at one time. However, no species may be reported more then (1) one year after taking.
2.1 The Art Young Small Game Arrowhead Pin shall be given upon taking the first six species of small game. An Art Young Small Game patch shall be available.
2.2 For each additional four species taken by a member an additional award in the form of a bar with the number four shall be presented to the hunter. There shall be no limit to the number of bars, which may be earned.
2.3 A particular species may not be claimed more than once by any Bowhunter participating in the Art Young Small Game program, except in states that have fewer than three species designated legal small game for bowhunting. At least one of the animals claimed must be considered “game” by the local conservation department.
D. Bowhunter Awards:
1. There shall be four classes of Bowhunter Awards:
1.1 Bowhunter Pin
1.2 Expert Bowhunter Pin
1.3 Master Bowhunter Pin
1.4 Grand Master Pin
1.5 A cloth patch corresponding to the above Bowhunter awards will be available for an additional fee. A chevron for first degree, second degree and/or third degree will accompany Grand Master Bowhunter Patch.
2. Eligibility:
2.1 A person may be awarded the Bowhunter Pin when he/she has earned the Art Young Small Game arrowhead pin and one four bar, and two Big Game Arrowhead pins.
2.2 A person may be awarded the Expert Bowhunter Pin when he/she has earned the Bowhunter Pin plus one additional four bar and one additional Big Game arrowhead pin.
2.3 A person may be awarded the Master Bowhunter Medal when he/she has earned the Expert Bowhunter Pin plus three additional four bars and three additional Big Game arrowhead pins.
2.4 A person may be awarded the Grand Master Bowhunter Pin when he/she has earned the Master Bowhunter Pin two additional times. He/she will earn one degree each time he/she completed the Master Bowhunter pin requirements; i.e., 1st degree master, 2nd degree master, Grand Master on 3rd degree.
3. Claim of Awards:
3.1 All applications must be made to the NFAA Headquarters. Another NFAA member must make verification that all species, to the best of his knowledge, were legally taken. No application will be accepted by NFAA without such verification.
3.2 A plaque listing all NFAA Grand Master honor roll recipients will be maintained and displayed at NFAA Headquarters.
3.3 All new Grand Master Bowhunters will be recognized at the NFAA bi-annual meeting banquet. A Certificate of Achievement will be given and new honor roll members encouraged to attend the award presentation. Their names will be added to the honor roll of Bowhunters to be displayed at Headquarters. Certificates will be mailed to those members not in attendance.
E. Bowfisher Program and Awards:
1. NFAA Bowfisher of the Year. This program would have six winners. The largest fish in each of the six categories would determine these winners. These species would be shark, carp, gar and ray, pike and tilapia Rules are as follows:
1.1 Must be a member of NFAA.
1.2 There will be six awards. One for shark, gar, carp and ray.
1.3 There will be no charge for entering a fish.
1.4 Entry deadline will be December 31.
1.5 The entrant will furnish NFAA with a picture of the fish next to a measurable object and a signed affidavit by two witnesses stating that they were present at the time of the weighing. Winners will be determined by weight.
1.6 All entries will be inspected by the NFAA to determine the winner. The winners will be notified by postal mail or e-mail.
1.7 The winners will receive an engraved plaque.
1.8 Application shall be available from Headquarters and sectional officers of the NFAA in charge of bowhunting.
2. NFAA Bowfisher Records. This is a program whereby NFAA keeps records of who holds the distinction of having taken the biggest fish of any certain species by means of bow and arrow. Rules are as follows:
2.1 Must be a member of NFAA.
2.2 There will be no charge for entering a fish.
2.3 These records will stand for one year, at which time the NFAA will review all entries and make all necessary changes to update the records list. If no records are beaten, they remain on the list for the next year. These changes will be done by the NFAA Bowhunting and Conservation Committee.
2.4 The NFAA Bowhunting and Conservation Committee will review submissions of fish received during the prior calendar year no later than January 31st.
2.5 The entrant must furnish NFAA with a picture of the fish next to a measurable object, and a signed affidavit by two witnesses stating that they were present at the time of weighing.
2.6 New entrants that make the top ten list will receive a certificate.
3. Patch Program: This program will consist of two different types of patches. One type of patch will be a regular shoulder patch denoting that you are an NFAA Bowfisher. The second patch will be a bar type patch that denotes the type of fish you have taken.
F. Diamond Buck Award:
1. The Diamond Buck Award will be given for the largest example in two separate categories (typical and non-typical) of mule deer, pacific hybrid, coues deer, whitetail deer and blacktail deer, based on antler measurements. The antlers must be scored by Pope and Young Club or Boone and Crockett methods, and verified by one of these club’s official measurers. Applications shall be available from NFAA Headquarters, and from sectional bowhunter directors officers of the NFAA in charge of bowhunting and conservation.
2. The Diamond Buck Award will be limited to NFAA members in good standing at time of harvest.
3. Entry deadline will be December 31st of the year of harvest.
G. Application Disapproval:
1. In the event an application is disapproved the hunter has the right to petition the NFAA Bowhunting and Conservation Committee Administrative Chairman. The petition must be in writing and must state the facts of the claim. It shall be the responsibility of the review committee to study the applicable game laws and the petition and make a recommendation to the Bowhunting and Conservation Committee. The chairman shall appoint the three-man committee to rule on the claim and act on the claim within sixty days.
2. The results of the petition shall be kept confidential, but the ruling shall be sent in writing to each member of the committee, the NFAA Headquarters and the petitioner.