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2023 Bowhunter of the Year - Kurt Hovanec
 

The CBA Bowhunter of the Year Award, is the most prestigious award presented by the Colorado Bowhunters Association, and may be the most misunderstood.  Some of this could be due to the title as it could imply that the winner had a very successful hunting season.  While bowhunting success is certainly a consideration; the award is really much, much more.

Introducing  Kurt Hovanec

Colorado Bowhunter of the Year

Kurt is a passionate member of the CBA because of the mission to promote and save the great sport of bowhunting and the opportunity to work with amazing people.

CBA Leadership Positions 

  • Director at Large
  • Corporate Donations for CBA Events
  • Club Affiliates Director multiple years while on the board
  • Contributed to the revised CBA Handbook
  • 2019 Banquet Co-Chair for the 50th Anniversary CBA Awards Banquet Area Representative: 2022 to current
  • CBA Service Award 2013 & 2020
 















 
The criteria to receive the award includes*:
  • Contributions to the CBA (serving as an officer, other CBA leadership roles, committees, seminars, and articles written for the Colorado Bowhunter); and,
  •  Involvement in bowhunting and archery outside the CBA; and,
  • Demonstration of sportsmanship; and,
  •  Success in the field with emphasis on hunting in Colorado.
    *to learn more about criteria, please click here

Programs & events Kurt has volunteered (Jamborees, Banquets, Shoots, etc.)

  • 2011: Attended the CBA Banquet (Colorado Springs) and coordinated the Silent
  • Auction with Dave Iverson.
  • 2012-2018: Committee member for both the CBA Banquet and Jamboree securing donations of compound bows, recurves, long bows, archery equipment, hunts, items from Bass Pro Shop and Cabela’s for these events (Ignacio, Northglenn, Glenwood Springs, Denver,Pueblo,Northglenn, & Fort Collins).
  • Jamboree set up and helped with many functions at the Jamboree.
  • 2019: Banquet Co-Chair for the 50th Anniversary CBA Awards Banquet in Grand Junction; committee member for the CBA Jamboree securing donations of compound bows, recurve, long bows, archery equipment, and hunts. Worked the Jamboree set up and helped with many functions at the Jamboree.
  • 2020: Committee member for the CBA Banquet prior to cancellation due to COVID 2021: Helped solicit CBA Banquet donations for the live and silent auction/raffles
  • 2022-2023: Committee member for both the CBA Banquet and Jamboree securing compound bows, recurves, long bows, archery equipment, hunts and items for the event (Loveland).

Banquets, Jamborees & other events

  • Kurt has helped the CBA raise over $200,000 with all the donations and gifts he has obtained for the CBA. No one in recent memory has helped get so many items for the CBA and/or helped the CBA generate so many funds from these efforts.
  • Kurt has worked setup and tear down for the CBA Booth and Shooting Range at the Denver ISE show for several years. He also helped with children shooting bows at this event.
  • Kurt helped with the Cabela’s Lone Tree Grand Opening: coordinated, setup, and manned the CBA Booth. Provided information on behalf of the CBA and CBA mission to multiple organizations/individuals. A year later, set up a shooting range at the Cabela’s Lone Tree location. He also worked with the Bass Pro Shops in Colorado Springs at one of their seminars led by Fred Eichler and Wayne Carlton.

Articles written by Kurt

  1. “Nick’s Fist Elk” – Son’s First Elk with a Bow (Dec 2011) - CBA magazine
  2. “Successful Hunt” helped write this article for the CBA magazine (Dec 2011), for a CBA member from Denmark
  3. “First Bull” son’s first bull (Oct 2018) - CBA magazine
  4. “My Idaho Bear Hunt with Dave Gusky” (Dec 2019) - CBA magazine
  5. Co-authored CBA Banquet articles for the CBA magazine

His memberships also include: 

International Bowhunters Education Program (IBEP) instructor, 1990s
Kurt is a qualified IBEP course instructor. Kurt gave 15-plus training sessions for the IBEP course during the 1990s taught at Ft. Belvoir, VA; as part of the Ft. Belvoir hunting program, the Belvoir Bowhunters, and the Virginia Bowhunters Association, covering all topics to include shot placement, blood trailing, and bowhunter ethics.

Belvoir Bowhunters
As Activities Director and Vice President (1985-1993) of the Belvoir Bowhunters, helped edit, write and distribute monthly articles for the club newsletter. After moving to Colorado, he wrote an article about “Hunting the Flat Tops” in 2007 and it was published in the Belvoir Bowhunters Newsletter. Kurt was a Charter/ Founding Member of the Belvoir Bowhunters (Ft. Belvoir, VA, 1984 to present) helped build the Ft. Belvoir Archery Range, worked mostly all 3D Tournaments, Coon Shoots, Annual Banquet from 1984 to 2004, missing two years while deployed to Korean DMZ. Belvoir Bowhunters, Recipient of the Belvoir Bowhunters “Straight Arrow Award” in 1992, their top award.

Colorado Traditional Archery Society (CTAS)
Current member for over 6 years; attended many Annual Banquets and Annual High-Country Shoots. He helped solicit and secure donations for one of their banquets.

US Air Force Academy Archery Club (2005-present)
• Participated in USAFA Triple Crown Tournaments.
• Range and Triple Crown Tournament Volunteer for 2021, 2022 and 2023 Volunteer.
• Supported the annual Feed the Hungry Shoot for several years.

Colorado Becoming a Bowhunter Program
Kurt helped establish the Becoming a Bowhunter Program (starting in 2014), working with Manager, Steve Mitchell, and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife {CPW)
and state director to develop the three-phased program of instruction.       

Kurt has Attended numerous CPW Commission meetings, representing the CBA and as a bowhunter concerned over elk and deer populations, habitat, archery tag allocations, and the introduction of wolves planned for 2023.