The Traditional Archers of Oregon was formed to represent the interests of traditional archers at the state level with Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Oregon State Police and International Bowhunter Education Program.

All members are encouraged to participate in informal business meetings concurrent with regular annual events. Annual events include, but are not limited to:

• Annual Banquet hosted by affiliate clubs in various locations throughout the state in January each year. Activities include displays, vendors, guest speakers, dinner and business meeting.
• Annual Golf Shoot held in early April.
• Annual Pope Young Shoot held the last weekend of July each year in Brownsville, OR. There is ample room for long distance shooting at the Battle Clout, Wand and assorted novelties throughout the day, Saturday. A potluck dinner and business meeting is held Saturday evening. There is a 50 target trail shoot held on Sunday, followed by an awards ceremony where the Overall Men's & Women's high scores are recognized on vintage trophies dating to 1936.
• Traditional Archers of Oregon also partner in the Western States Rendezvous held each Memorial Day weekend and the North American Longbow Safari held each 4 th of July weekend. These shoots are alternately hosted by the participating states or provinces throughout the west.
• Members are kept informed of club activities, traditional archery events, legislation and regulations affecting seasons using several tools. Newsletters are mailed on an as needed basis. The Scroll, published quarterly, provides an opportunity for members to 'tell their story". Members that are on-line can use our website, www.taoregon.com , to keep up to date with events and pertinent information.

First, we stay in contact with archers whose membership has expired by sending them event flyers, newsletters and issues of The Scroll.  We look for opportunities to advertise our events that will draw new faces.
We have affiliate clubs around the state and we rotate responsibility for hosting our annual banquet in January, Golf Shoot in April and Pope-Young Shoot in July.  This exposes members of the local clubs to TAO and is fertile ground for growing our membership.
Do everything possible to light a spark for archery with kids (everybody I've ever talked to did it at some point when they were growing up - school, camp, etc).
Realizing that a strong membership base is important, our 'newly formed' membership committee will be considering many new ways to recruit.  For example: using the mailing lists of Oregon based traditional archery businesses for mailings and special offers.  In addition, we'll be more visible in archery shops and archery retailers.
One of our affiliate clubs is planning to offer a family archery night 2-3 times a month, limited to new people interested in archery, using recurves and longbows.  We'll also be teaching basic archery skills, like archery leather products, setting up a bow, fletching arrows and more.

This is a scary question from an archery hunter's perspective and there is no crystal ball!
With most compound manufacturers pushing the envelope on technology, cross Bow manufacturers doing everything possible to legalize their machines in archery hunting seasons and anti-hunters continuing to show strength in numbers and do everything in their power to stop hunting including support for large predators (cougar, bear, wolf) - it's not a pretty picture.
Archery is like golf for me.  Formal target archery (Olympic style, FITA, etc) and 3-D will always be possible but, without the incentive of bow hunting, I believe overall interest in archery will deteriorate and numbers of people involved will surely decrease.

  Make sure they join archery organizations on the local and state level and become involved in them.
For example, I belong to a local group called Black Rose Traditional Archers that has many great ideas:

1. Monthly meetings to plan activities, conduct business.
2. Informal weekly get-togethers to shoot.
3. "Learning sessions" to pass on traditional archery skills in everything from flint knapping to self bow and laminated bow building.
4. One such learning session has become an annual event where we meet over several Saturday's to build "KIDS" bows which are raffled off to youngsters that do not have a good quality bow, arrows and accessories.
5. Planning club hunts when ever there is a season and interest.  For example, one of our club members hosts an annual Arizona javelina hunt with support from friends still living there.
6. Keeping members abreast of hunting seasons, hunt application deadlines, game law changes and department of fish & Wildlife activities.

Affiliate clubs throughout Oregon have a similar venue.  These local clubs come together at the state level.  It's definitely a little harder to bring people together but, Traditional Archers of Oregon relies on these local clubs to host several of our annual events.  This gets the local guys involved at the state level and they can see how much work it takes to have fun.
It's really not that tough to become involved at the state level.  If you've gone to a shoot, look around and see who the workers are.  I bet they are the same workers you saw at the last event.  I would guarantee that if you ask "what can I do?" - there will be a job available and your help greatly appreciated!!!  

You can go to lots of places for the favorites: Whitetail, American Elk, Mule Deer, Antelope, Bear, Cougar, etc. (By the way, all inhabit Oregon).
But, if you want a Blacktail Deer of Roosevelt Elk, Oregon is a pretty good bet.  Best advice - do your homework!  These are very secretive game animals that live in steep terrain with the densest cover and as much wet weather as anywhere in the west.  Oregon has pretty good numbers of animals and lots of public land to hunt. 

But, if you want a Blacktail Deer or Roosevelt Elk, Oregon is a pretty good bet. Best advice - do your homework! These are very secretive game animals that live in steep terrain with the densest cover and as much wet weather as anywhere in the west. Oregon has pretty good numbers of animals and lots of public land to hunt.

I could relate so many great hunting experiences a book might be possible.  Most would take place here in Oregon but, there have been also been those high adventure trips to: Alaska for moose, Northwest Territories for Caribou, elk in Idaho & New Mexico, Mule deer in New Mexico, and whitetail in Iowa, Idaho and Nebraska and Javelina in Arizona.

When I think about all these adventures, I remember that traditional archery is small and tends to be a tight knit group of dedicated enthusiasts.  This means I can be 400 miles from home, in the opposite corner of the state, hunting in wide open sage brush with wild mountain views and meet up with friends and acquaintances I've met from being involved in traditional archery.  That's what I'm talking about and it happens every year. 

Why wouldn't I use both as it strikes my fancy?