Meet Judy Kovar - one of bowhunting's greatest ambassadors. She annually influences hundreds of thousands of school children - and others - with a strong archery, bowhunting and conservation message.

For several years now, archery industry leaders have voiced concern that bowhunting is no longer experiencing the great increases in participation it enjoyed during the 80's and early 90's. They say more young people need to be recruited into archery, and hunting of all types. Recent industry studies imply that when older bowhunters leave the sport, the entry of new, younger archers does not come close to replacing their numbers. Age, they say is catching up with archery. The average age of bowhunting participants is increasing at an alarming rate.

Kovar address these industry concerns. Through her imaginative program, Kovar reaches the young and impressionable segment of the American population with a pro-hunting and conservation message. And she succeeds using a very unique method.

It is well know among sportsmen and hunting organizations that your people are often bombarded with anti-hunting propaganda. Often-in school and regularly on television. Kavor uses her Native American Heritage to present her pro-hunting seminar and message to young people. As a Northern Plains Cheyenne and granddaughter of a Northern Cheyenne medicine man, Kovar tells young people about the great respect that Native Americans have always exhibited for wildlife and the environment. She expertly and cleverly transforms a history lesson into a hunting conservation and archery advertisement.

Kovar wears her traditional white elk skin dress as she begins her presentation to groups of wide-eyed school children. Following her presentation kids are given a "hands-on" opportunity - touching skins, hides, bows and arrows, pelts and furs, Native American tool and bone needles, flint and steel arrowheads. Often, when schools are close to Kovar's home range, she includes full body animal mounts.

Kovar's approach has attracted the attention of major archery manufacturing and hunting organizations. She has received financial support in the form of grants from the Pope and Young Club 1993 through 2000 and The Foundation For North American Big Game 1993, and 1995. She is also furthered supported by sponsorship by Martin Archery, Scent-Lok, Predator/clothing, Double Bull Archery, Wolverine Boots and Shoes, Antler King, Easton, Delta Industries and local archery clubs and private individuals.

Though she's been a hunter practically her entire life, Kovar took up bowhunting in 1985 - upon the suggestion of the man who later became her husband, Herman Kovar. Early in life she learned to stalk animals, read sign, hunt and trap. Also included was the digging of roots and herbs for medicine and food.

During her teenage years she helped put game on the table and prepare furs for market. She continues to practice other Native forms of woodcraft and wildlife conservation from the woods and fields new her home in Hardin, Illinois.

She met Herman while she was employed by the State of Illinois at a turkey checking station. Soon after their first meeting he presented her with a Martin DynaBo and a dozen arrows. Ironically, her first bowhunting trophy was a 27-pound gobbler with an 11 1/2 inch beard. During the initial bowhunting season she harvested a doe and small buck. She now has six whitetail bucks listed in the Pope and Young record book. She also has the record for the largest mountain lion taken by a bow, by a woman in the State of Montana. She also used her bow to harvest numerous wild turkeys and other game animals.

During the first months of 2000, Judy Kovar has been a positive influence on more that 150,000 young people during her school programs. In 1997, she toured South Dakota and in nine days she saw 7,832 students and adults. For the year 1999 she logged a mind boggling 75,000 miles. Judy started the year 2000 by doing a six-day school speaking tour in Wisconsin and Minnesota, logging over 1,500 miles. And for the 2001 year, she has a nine days tour of Iowa schools planned for late March at the Missouri Deer Classic. In addition, she attends many other sportsman's exhibitions on behalf of archery as a field representative for Martin Archery, Scent-Lok, Wolverine Boot and shoes, Predator/clothing, Delta Industries, Easton, Double Bull Blinds, Antler King and Cabela's.

While it is impossible to measure the immense impact Judy Kovar has had on archery and bowhunting in a few short years, it is also hard to imagine what it would be like without her. Undoubtedly, as she continues her work, she will have a major influence on the future of archery and bowhunting - which is why so many organizations support her activities.

With her unique approach and formula, she reaches a very important segment of our population in desperate need of conservation, wildlife and hunting education.

And nobody does it like Judy Kovar.