RE: Sponsorships in Hunter Class ??
 

Staff shooter? Fine! Advisory staff? Fine! To me putting the word PRO in there indicates that you are getting paid to use their equip. and if you are good enough to get paid then you should shoot one of the higher classes. Maybe this pro thing is about egos ? I don't know and really don't care as I will never shoot against any of you anyway. I knew this would stir up the forum and get people talking !! Besides it makes the guys in the $8 Wal-mart shirt feel good when they can beat someone with sponsors. Other than the mathews on my shirts all I currently have is the ASA and IBO patches and a United Bowhunters of Penna. patch.

RE: Sponsorships in Hunter Class ??
 

I don't feel this is sturing anything up .No matter what class anyone shoots .The class for Pro or semi PRO is the cost of registration.
Like i said don't feel i'm a pro at the sport .i'm not a PRO ,but i do wear collard shirts with logo's representing the products i use.What shooters wear on there shirts is personal prefrence.And a Pro won't be shooting in the hunter class they will be shooting Open,semi pro or Pro.
Being sponserd is a good way to get a small discount at best.i'm not worried about getting payed .Or being a pro.
And Pro shooters that shoot there class didn't get there by loosing.They got there because they are great shooters .Some have been in this sport for years.50 yards is not easy to judge especially at nationals or Snowshoe Mt.
The word pro does not bother me .shooting against people with logo's ,sponsored by ,Mathews,Hoyte,PSE,True ball ,scott,carbon express,or what ever, there people just like me .Why critisize,and stereo type.
Just get out there and have fun.

RE: Sponsorships in Hunter Class ??
 

I have several names of sponsors on my shirt, and even have one that says pro. I am on the PRO staff for Whitetail Formulas, which is a deer, hog lure. That don't make me shoot my bow any better than the next guy, but I do promote their product and sell rtheir product. They reward me with free stuff..

RE: Sponsorships in Hunter Class ??
 

GA bowhunter, You don't wear the lure to the shoots do you? that might be a little distracting to the other shooters.

RE: Sponsorships in Hunter Class ??
 

You know I used to think that the guys with those fancy shirts were the best shooters out there. Then my (as someone called $8 dollar walmart shirts) started beating those high dollar shirts and I realized they were just like me and just chose to promote the stuff they like. I am now wearing a shirt that a shop asked me to wear to promote his shop and shoot on a team for him. I was honored to do that and think I have proved myself well for him as well as my other teammates. Are we pros? No! Do I want to be? NO! I am in this sport because I like it not to show off and make people talk. As long as I beat my previous score or feel that I shot as good as I could have that day I am happy. The fancy shirts in my opinion don't mean a thing.

RE: Sponsorships in Hunter Class ??
 

Patrick, at least you kind of see what I am getting at. It is psychologically(?) intimidating for a guy who is new to this game and already nervous to shoot with a bunch of guys wearing all the sponsorship patches. They might feel like they don't belong and if they don't shoot well may not be back or think that if these guys are the short yardage guys how good must the rest be? I know that the shirt means nothing when it comes to performing well but I didn't when I first started out. We took a kid to Worlds in New York afew years ago and it was his 1st big shoot, shot trophy round, he was running around getting autographs from everyone with fancy shirts and sponsorships. Alot of egos got inflated that weekend!!

RE: Sponsorships in Hunter Class ??
 

I don't have the word pro on my shirts anywhere, just my name and my sponsors which I've worked hard to get and want to represent to the best of my ability with my shooting and my sportsmanship. You should not be worried about what people are wearing because it has never mattered to me what anybody is wearing I am going out there to shoot the best I can and promote the sport any way possible. Also I live close to several pros and the shop I shoot out of is owned by a pro and they are some of the nicest people anywhere will answer any question I ask and when I shoot with them I'm not the least bit intimidated by the word pro-staff on their shirt, just consider it another challenge.

RE: Sponsorships in Hunter Class ??
 

I started shooting the FHC 3yrs ago when I started shooting. We own an archery shop and this yr some of the equipement we sell in our shop said that they were going to sponsors us. It is good way for companies to show off their new products and get it out in the field. I know a lot of you shooters are using the new low profile vane from Flex Fletch they are one of my sponsors because they made that vane for me. If you can get sponsors that is great to shoot is sport it takes a lot of money. My husband and me both shoot, and the more sponsors the you get it will save you a lot of money. We have shooters we sponsor in our shop to get our name out there and what we sell in our shop. And yes most of them are in the hunter class and are good shooters. I got some sponsors for my shooters to help them out with the expense. We are all in the working class and try and save money where we can.
I think we all shoot this sport for fun. Yes it is nice to win. I am looking forward to the day I have to move up. But I will not move up till I win.
I see nothing wrong with having sponsors. The ones who do not like it must not have any.
I shoot for fun and to meet people. And the hunter class is a great place to start. And I know a lot of new shooters who are in this class and they are shooting to have fun. Lets put the fun back in the sport!

RE: Sponsorships in Hunter Class ??
 

People are still not getting my point completely. I have been sponsored in the past and still am by some different people. I think it is the NEED to do well that keeps some in the lower classes in all organizations.Since 1996 I have never been below the top half of whatever class I was shooting, yet when I get back from a big shoot and tell people I was 18th or 13th or 31st or whatever, they say what happened ? Just because I win locally, these people think I should win all the time. They don't see the caliber of shooters around here that are typical at pro-ams and triple crown shoots. Yes, the main reason I shoot is because it is FUN ! I don't do alot of things I did when I was younger because they weren't fun anymore! And yes AR34 I can shoot my starmaster that I hunt with just as good as my 3-d setup!! Those that protest the most may be the most guilty?? Nothing will change so let's let this thread die.

RE: Sponsorships in Hunter Class ??
 

PaProud
I do not shoot in HC but will try and answer some of yout questions on the sponsorships. (1) Many sponsorships are not paid sponsoships but
the company offer discounted prices for Promoting and supporting the
company. How you shoot has nothing to do with it but how you Promote
and sell the product. (2) Many companies do not have paid Pro shooters,
and put their money into the amatuer shooters and regular old hunters.
They get a lot more representation that way. (3) These amatuer shooters
in turn spend some of their available time working shows and promoting
the product for the comapny at NO profit for themselves and with NO
monetaty expenswe to the company.

I shoot on a Pro Staff. I do not consider myself the same class shooter as Jeff Hopkins, Colen Booth and shooters of this caliber, but I do a lot
of promoting and selling of the product that I represent. I list each and every sponsor on my shirts at all events, that is what they want me to do
and the same with the shooters you are describing. If they show up and shoot without representing the company in the manner they were asked to do, they are not keeping their word to the sponsor