[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 3179]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


          GARY BOGNER: INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADOR OF BOW HUNTING

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 13, 2002

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend and 
fellow bow hunter, Gary Bogner, as he prepares for his new role as 
President of Safari Club International and the Safari Club 
International Foundation. Gary and I share a love of big game hunting 
and I have enormous respect and admiration for him as a hunter and as a 
leader in wildlife conservation.
  A native of Muskegon, Michigan, Gary traces his passion for the 
outdoors to his youth when he first began hunting small game and 
whitetail deer. The son of a Michigan Conservation Officer, Gary 
quickly developed a zeal for wildlife conservation and hunting, 
especially bow hunting. By age 17, he owned an archery shop and was 
producing arrows for local archers. Today, after more than 45 years 
devoted to archery and bow hunting, Gary is known as the 
``International Ambassador of Bow Hunting.''
  An avid sportsman, Gary's hunting skills and achievements are 
legendary throughout the world. He has hunted five continents and has 
harvested over 60 different big game species with his bow. He was the 
first bow hunter to hunt the former Soviet Union and take a Russian 
Kamchalka brown bear, Russian Saiga antelope, Chukotka moose, Sika stag 
and a Marco Polo Argali sheep. He holds an astounding number of hunting 
records. Gary has taken over 25 African species of big game animals and 
his white rhino currently ranks as the top one ever taken with a bow. 
In North America, he has more than 29 big game species to his credit, 
including his Safari Club International top-ranked polar bear. Gary is 
only the fifth bow-hunter to successfully complete the North American 
Super Slam, harvesting all 28 North American big game animals with a 
bow and arrow. He also is currently the only bow hunter to have taken a 
Marco Polo sheep with a bow and arrow.
  In 1995, Gary earned the Safari Club International World Bow Hunters 
Hall-of-Honor Award for exhibiting the highest degree of integrity, 
success in the field and lifetime contribution to the past and future 
growth of bow hunting and archery. He deeply believes, as do I, that 
wildlife is a renewable resource and that hunting plays an important 
role in its management. Gary credits his wife, Nanette; sons, Gary Jr. 
and Chris; and, daughter, Kimberly, with allowing him to pursue and 
achieve his dreams
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding Gary Bogner 
for his many contributions. I am confident he will continue to shoot 
straight and true on behalf of hunters, archers and wildlife 
conservationists throughout the world.

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