Gary Socola lives in West Bloomfield, New York with his wife Dawn and three children. Gary has hunted big game across North America and the Dark Continent (Africa) with a bow and arrow for the past 30 years.

Gary has harvested Pope and Young Class animals as well as several Safari Club International (SCI) record book species. On a recent hunt in South Africa, he arrowed a 56 inch record book Kudu at 21 yards.

At home, Gary practices QDM (Quality Deer Management) on over 400 acres of property his family owns in Central New York. In less than a 365 day period he harvested three mature whitetails bucks on the same small parcel of hunting property in NY States region 8. The largest buck had a dressed weight of 200 lbs. and was aged at 5 ½ years old.

Gary is a Patron Life Member of the NRA and Life Member of the North America Hunting Club. He is a member of the Pope and Young Club and the National Wild Turkey Federation. He is a Life Member of New York Bowhunters, Inc (NYB) and currently serves as President of the organization. He is a past North Eastern Regional Chairman of the North American Bowhunting Coalition (NABC) and served on its steering committee for two years. Gary currently heads up the Physically Challenged committees for both the NABC and NYB organizations.

Over the past 15 years, the NYB Physically Challenged committee has helped hundreds of hunters with disabilities to get back into bowhunting using modified equipment. Recently, under Gary's direction, the NABC released the most comprehensive program ever assembled on assisting the physically challenged or aging bowhunter. The presentation is available for download on their website at www.nabowhuntingcoalition.com or a CD of the presentation can be ordered by emailing Gary at gsocola@spsmedical.com.

Gary has traveled the country performing seminars on Bowhunting, Urban Deer Management and bowhunting for the Physically Challenged. Gary promotes the sport of bowhunting to the next generation of hunters and oversees an annual youth archery camp for youngsters 11-15 years of age.

Be sure to attend Gary's seminar, "Bowhunting South Africa for the First Time."