The 2025 Awardee, Henry Ferguson, needs no formal introduction. He was recently our past chairman for 3 years after serving the CBA, in other positions, for a long time.
Born in Couer d'alene, Idaho, Henry moved around a lot until he eventually landed in Colorado to pursue a job in Denver. Henry met his wife Staci at a Halloween church dance, and the rest was history. Not long after, Kyle was born. Many of us feel this was an attempt for Henry to have his own meat packer in the future, but Kyle has become a great hunter in his own right.
If you spend any time around this man, you’ll take away one constant theme in his presence… enthusiasm.
Sure, Henry can shoot lights out at a 3D shoot, he always has been a competition shooter. Sure, Henry can stand toe to toe with Colorado lawmakers and hold a firm voice as our CBA representative. Of course, only the most mature animals fall to Henry’s efforts in the field. But the common theme here is ENTHUSIASM.
When Henry tells a story, you feel it. He puts you there, and he allows you to soak in his excitement as he describes detail in Henry's way. When Henry listens to a story, he is present in the conversation and asks questions that provoke the storyteller to reveal details he didn’t consider before. He cares, and he makes sure you know it. Watch Henry’s body language change when a child needs assistance, or an older CBA member has a request. His service to the CBA set the tone of expectations for others behind him to follow in his footsteps. He is truly what we want to embody as an organization, and I was sure proud to call him up on stage after a night of celebration, humor and honor of the man.
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.
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.