The idea of forming an archery club began with Mike Drewett and Benny Berry. Two avid bowhunters who wanted a place to practice during the off-season. A signup sheet was placed in Mike's sporting goods store, The Rod & Rack, to see if there was enough interest to form an archery club in the Pine Bluff area. Many people signed the sheet and an advertisement was placed in the Pine Bluff Commercial. Over fifty people came to the first meeting held at The Rod & Rack. Two experienced archers, Richard Bettison and Jerry Baxter, were instrumental in organizing the first club. From the start, Pine Bluff Bowhunters became one of the most organized, respected, and influential archery clubs in the state of Arkansas. The year was 1979.
Pine Bluff Bowhunters obtained a land lease and built an archery range at the end of McFadden Road. In 1980, the club held the first Ben Pearson Memorial Archery Tournament. Attendance was around 250 shooters, very impressive for the first time.
In 1987, the range was moved to land leased from Ben Pearson Jr. at the entrance of the Pine Bluff Arsenal. This range was short lived due to timber cutting that rendered the land unsuitable for the club's purposes.
In 1990, Pine Bluff Bowhunters moved the archery range to Jefferson County Regional Park. In 1996 the club was moved once again so that Gov. Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center could be built on land occupied by the club. The new location is now off the Island Harbor Marina Road. The club has continued to grow and prosper in this location. The Ben Pearson Memorial 3-D Tournament is now the biggest archery tournament in all the surrounding states, having drawn in excess of 700 archers.
In January of each year the Mid-Winter 3-D Invitational shoot is held and in May we host the Ben Pearson Memorial. In addition to the Mid-Winter and Ben Pearson Memorial tournaments, Pine Bluff Bowhunters periodically holds club shoots throughout the months of February through September.
With the leadership of the club officers and the dedication of the club membership, PBBH continues to excel in the promotion of the sport of archery.
Pine Bluff Bowhunters, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that promotes fellowship and sportsmanship.
