A Pennsylvania archer is the new world champion in senior professional archery.
Tony Tazza, 56, of Boswell, Somerset County, received the International Bowhunting Organization World Championship, Triple Crown Award and Rifleman of the Year honors during the organization’s final shooting of the year at Seven Springs Mountain Resort on Aug. 13.
“I feel very blessed to be able to accomplish this,” he said. “It is very rewarding that all my hard work has paid off in such a way.”
The tournament featured compound bow shooting at 3-D animal foam targets on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. “I ran wire to wire,” Tazza said in the pro division for archers over 50.
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He was fortunate to be on the podium at many tournaments during his career.
This is the sixth year in a row that he has been named Rifleman of the Year. He has won the IBO World Championship four more times. He also won the prizes in 2018.
The Somerset County native holds seven National IBO Triple Crown wins. Two of the wins were in the semi-pro division and five in the senior pro division. In 2016 and 2018, he also received the National Archery Shooters Association Overall Shooter of the Year.
Last weekend’s event took place on the Seven Springs ski slopes and the various animal targets were up to 50 meters away in places.
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“The courses are super challenging,” Tazza said of the different distance rating requirements.
How he got into archery
Tazza has been shooting competitive sports for 27 years and owns The Archery Zone sporting goods store in Johnstown.
“I started hunting with a bow when I was about 15, but I wasn’t good at it,” he said. He decided to participate in 3D shooting of foam animals to improve his accuracy for the hunting season.
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In 1995 he took part in his first national IBO tournaments. “I haven’t missed one since 1996,” he said of the events, which are held each year in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.
In 2000 he turned pro. “I only did it professionally for two or three years,” he said.
“I just have a really competitive nature. I like to compete, no matter what it is, I’m competitive at it. I just want to win,” he said of his long run at the tournaments.
He said he wasn’t really good at most sports in high school. However, when he tried archery, he realized it was for him. “I took it and ran,” he said. “It’s one of those things that once I found out I’m good at it, I’ve tried to keep improving.”
His efforts have paid off as his skills have improved over time. “It doesn’t usually work that way, but it was like that. I’ve had some really good years, but probably the last two years have been some of my best.”
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Tazza writes to practice more efficiently and to work on his distance recognition. Competitive shooters are not made aware of how far away the targets are.
He examines targets at known distances and then correlates that mental image to what he sees during competitions. Foam animal targets are spread up to 50 meters.
At the age of 56 he is considering the future but he still has two years left in his archery contract with Hoyt. “We’ll probably make a decision when that’s up, whether I’ll continue or hang it up or go to a limited schedule.”
He also enjoys time in the woods with archery. Whitetail is his favorite game animal, but he is also bow-hunted for moose and black bear in the western states.
He shot a bear weighing about 250 pounds with his Hoyt compound bow on October 28 in Somerset County.
“He was just wandering around and walking under my tree stand,” he said of the surprise encounter. He also shot a bear with a bow in Canada in the 1990s.
Help other archers
Five years ago, Tazza bought The Archery Zone sporting goods store, where he and his staff help other archers improve. “There are 10 competitive archers who come here frequently.”
He also helps with the Sportsmen Fellowship Ministries in Jerome, Somerset County, who care for young archers with their indoor archery range.
“I’m just helping the sport grow,” he said.
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“The biggest misconception about archery is that it’s all about hunting. It’s not just about hunting,” said Tazza. “I see it all the time in the kids who come here from the Sportsmen Fellowship. Some of them are not athletes. They don’t become top athletes and it kind of reminds me of myself when I was in my 20’s and teens that I was never a great athlete. That doesn’t mean you can’t be a great archer. Someone who wants to fulfill that competitive need and isn’t a team sport could really excel at archery as a sport.
It is a hobby that challenges the archer to focus mentally and physically. “It builds confidence, it builds discipline, and the things you learn about archery can help you in many different aspects of your life.”
Part of the challenge is knowing your gear is set up and working properly. Tazza said trained instructors can teach novices how to do things right before they start learning bad habits like hitting the trigger on their trigger when shooting. “There are many form errors that can be eliminated by learning to get it right the first time.”
He suggests that new archers look to YouTube and local trainers for advice.
archery season
With the nationwide archery season opening on October 1, Tazza believes there is still time for people to get into the sport and make themselves proficient. “With today’s equipment and with the right guidance, people can come here and within an hour they’re hitting a snuffbox at 20 meters with every shot.”
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The archery equipment on offer is constantly being improved. “If you get a compound bow with a mechanical trigger and a peep sight, they can be pretty accurate in a short amount of time,” he said.
However, the instructors want people to start shooting at the beginning of summer and understand their limitations with the equipment.
Crossbows are also available.
He said they work great for those who have trouble drawing a compound bowstring. Crossbows can be difficult to shoot, however, due to the amount of effort required to pull the string and bolt into place. “You’ll exhaust yourself cocking and firing, but there are cases where crossbows are good,” he said.
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Compound bows require more customization of draw length and draw weight, which can be costly for parents with multiple children who may want to shoot their own bows.
“If a gentleman or lady gets older and isn’t strong enough to shoot a strong enough compound bow, then we take them[to crossbows],” Tazza said.
He said some compound shooters also buy a crossbow to have an extra tool for days when it makes sense, such as extremely cold weather.
Points to remember
Archery is a close-range sport, and Tazza encourages archers to wait until their pet is closer than 100 feet. At longer ranges, the deer might take a step or be startled by the sound of the shot and an arrow or bolt will miss its target.
The biggest mistake his store sees is people buying a bow from a friend or at a flea market and it doesn’t fit them right.
“The best bow in the world that doesn’t fit you properly isn’t going to work,” he said. “You’re not going to enjoy archery if it’s not properly prepared,” he said.
For those who have owned a bow for several years, he recommends a check-up to check the quality and condition of the string and to ensure cam wheels and limbs are in tune with the string.
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“I really recommend going out and shooting 3D tournaments at your local clubs. There’s no better practice than going out and shooting 3-D tournaments,” said Tazza.
The tournaments place foam animals such as deer, turkey and bear in wooded areas to simulate hunting conditions.
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Some clubs offer shots from elevated positions, similar to shooting from a tree stand.
Tazza suggests visiting Facebook groups such as Western PA 3-D Archery and your local archery store to find shooting schedules in your area.
Before heading into the woods in search of deer, he recommends archers coordinate with broadhead points to see where they hit a target compared to field points.
“Archery is a sport for all ages and all genders. It’s a sport that everyone can enjoy, whether you’re hunting or shooting for the sport,” Tazza said.
Brian Whipkey is the outdoor columnist for USA TODAY Network’s websites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at [email protected] and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter via email from your website home page using your login name. Follow him on social media @whipkeyoutdoors.
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