Leupold & Stevens, Inc. Continues “Trailblazer in Conservation” Support for Boone and Crockett Club; Sponsorship Dedicated to Poach & Pay Research

MISSOULA, Mont. – The Boone and Crockett Club announced today that Leupold & Stevens, Inc. will be continuing its support as a Trailblazer in Conservation sponsor with the funds dedicated to the Club’s Poach & Pay project. Trailblazer in Conservation is the highest, mission-focused partnership level available with the Club. Leupold has been a strong partner of the Club for many years and this year’s support will help with research on poaching detection and prosecution rates, as well as for coordinated outreach to clearly distinguish between legal hunting and poaching. The research conducted through Poach & Pay will be the first of its kind to use a modern statistical and sociological approach to describe the complex issue of wildlife crimes in North America. 

“There is a vast difference between hunting and poaching and the Boone and Crockett Club’s Poach & Pay project aims to ensure that the public recognizes this difference, and that poachers meet the justice they deserve for their crimes,” commented Club president, James F. Arnold. “We greatly appreciate the support from industry leaders like Leupold to help us conduct the critical research necessary for this project and to help convey the message that the illegal take of wildlife is unacceptable.”

For over 130 years, the Boone and Crockett Club has led the way on hunting ethics and the Poach & Pay project continues this tradition in an effort to raise the stakes against wildlife crime. Poach & Pay research will assess the barriers to prosecuting poachers, evaluate the detection rate and conservation impacts of wildlife crime, describe the motivational factors and potential deterrents that influence poachers, and provide solutions to improve prosecution and conviction rates, as well as a defensible framework for poaching penalties. In addition, the Poach & Pay outreach campaign will arm U.S. sportsmen and women with real poaching data that clearly separates poaching from hunting. 

“In-depth research on poaching and ways to prevent it will help protect both our nation’s hunting heritage and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation itself,” said Bruce Pettet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Leupold & Stevens, Inc. “Leupold is proud to support the Boone and Crockett Club on this project.”

Founded in Oregon more than a century ago, Leupold & Stevens, Inc. is a fifth-generation, family-owned company that designs, machines and assembles its riflescopes, mounting systems, tactical/Gold Ring spotting scopes, and performance eyewear in the USA. The product lines include rifle, handgun and spotting scopes; binoculars; rangefinders; mounting systems; and optical tools, accessories, and pro gear. 

Other companies that support the Boone and Crockett Club as a Trailblazer in Conservation are Advanced Telemetry Systems, Bass Pro Shops, Bushnell, SITKA Gear, and YETI.