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"Archie Nesbitt is a hunting machine, a pure predator on two legs" Tom Miranda

Raised in the backwoods of Northern Canada where hunting and fishing are a way of life, Archie quickly developed a passion not only for subsistence hunting but for the sport of archery when his grandfather gave him his first bow at the age of fifteen. Starting his pursuit for the ultimate trophy with local white tailed deer, Archie quickly proved to be a natural with the bow. Inspired by his grandfather and his early success, Archie delved deeper into the sport of bow hunting, practicing archery fundamentals, while honing his skills as an outdoorsman, tracking and shooting at every opportunity he had.

“I realized early on that there was a lot more to the sport than simply hunting and I developed a profound respect not only for the tradition of the archer, but for wildlife conservation efforts that protected one of the world’s most precious resources – it’s animals.”

Archie’s father, John C. Nesbitt was a pioneer of the north, working in the mineral exploration business as a miner and later as pilot which instilled an adventurous spirit in the young Nesbitt. Growing up in the mineral exploration industry provided Archie with the opportunity to hunt in the most remote regions of the world – many of which had never before been hunted and have never again been hunted by humans.

"Although animals were our source of food, they were not afraid of humans. I decided to pursue archery as it added the challenge that I felt was missing from gun based hunting. Besides that, you get a real sense of connection with the environment and the animals when you hunt with a bow. There’s a very real element of danger and suspense when you’re out in the bush tracking game. You just don’t get that with gun based hunting.”

 

After finishing school, Archie decided to move to the Alberta, where the magnificent Rocky Mountains became his backyard and remain one of his most beloved stomping grounds to this day. Home to a wide variety of trophy species, Archie was able to capture the bounty offered by this rugged landscape, adding Elk, Antelope, Mule Deer, Big Horn Sheep, Grizzly Bears and Cougars to his list of world records. These Rocky Mountain excursions would provide Archie with valuable experience pursuing game in adverse weather conditions across rugged terrain.

"Joining the Pope & Young Club gave me an association with the likes of Fred Bear and with thousands of other archery hunters committed to the same ethical and wildlife conservation objectives. The general public unfortunately has no idea of how much money hunting organizations provide towards wildlife and habitat protection. Things are starting to change slowly, but battling public perception has always been a challenge and associations like Pope & Young offer first class commitment to conservation which is why I support them to this day.”

The Pope & Young Club recognized Archie as only the sixth man to successfully complete the North American Super Slam, harvesting all of North America’s big game species. With twenty-eight species of game in total, the Super Slam represents a very difficult achievement, particularly for a bow-hunter. Archie continued his pursuit of North American animals and with his first and only Atlantic Walrus, with bow and other species like Perry Caribou, Archie’s list swelled to over 30 .Adding to his list of achievements, Archie became the first bow hunter to ever complete the GRAND SLAM CLUB OVIS Triple Slam, consisting of four North American sheep species and an additional twenty four species of sheep & goats from around the world.
Soon after his move to Alberta, Archie was captivated by a friend’s pictures of the Big Five (African Elephant, White Rhinoceros, Cape Buffalo, Lion and Leopard) taken on a Safari in Africa. This prompted him to join the Safari Club International. With approximately 200 member chapters world-wide, Safari Club International (SCI) is a formidable organization that promotes hunting advocacy while providing generous contributions to wild life conservation efforts around the globe.

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Archie’s involvement in SCI now spans some thirty years, and has given him an international appeal in the bow hunting world, as he’s hunted and made great friends on six of the world’s continents. Like his father, Archie is a pioneer and an innovator of a sport that is increasingly gaining international recognition. In many cases Archie Nesbitt was the first ever bow hunter to open the doors to a country in pursuit of wild game.
“I really enjoy hunting in foreign countries and often find myself surrounded by extremely talented people who share a similar vision and commitment to wildlife conservation efforts. I’ve found that introducing the sport of bow-hunting to a new region of the world is almost always an exceptional challenge. It’s a challenge, but it’s also very exciting to bring our sport to new stages. It has taken a lot of patience and commitment to further the sport, but it’s been worthwhile because bow-hunting is hunting in the truest sense of the word. You feel connected with the wild and I’m honoured to carry forward the ancient tradition of the archer”
Archie achieved the monumental African Big Seven in 2004 – a life long dream and high point in an already accomplished career. Despite his achievements, Archie remains humble and always has his heart set on the next hunt.
2010 marked the debut of the Ultimate Shot: a reality hunting show based on Archie Nesbitt’s hunting expeditions. Airing on the Sportsmen Channel in the US, this show represented another major milestone for Nesbitt who produced the episodes with the dedicated Safari Season and Mitrel Ltd. team from Bulgaria. Each episode features a series of hunts from different regions of the world from the plains of Mozambique to the high mountains of Canada; right back to the beautiful landscape of South Africa. The Ultimate Shot manages to convey a remarkable appreciation for the environment and the traditions of local people – a feat that is as breath-taking as the landscapes conveyed within each episode.

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“Africa is a place of majestic beauty not only in its landscape and wildlife, but in its various cultural traditions. I’ve hunted in eleven different African countries and they’re always in the back of my mind – everyone should experience Africa at least once .Go one and you will go back !”

1997 TOP TEN AWARD *DIAMOND LEVEL
1997 NORTH AMERICAN 29 *BOW
1997 GRAND SLAM BEARS OF THE WORLD *BOW
2000 GRAND SLAM NORTH AMERICAN CARIBOU *BOW
2000 GRAND SLAM NORTH AMERICAN DEER *BOW
2002 GRAND SLAM NORTH AMERICAN WILD SHEEP *BOW
2003 HUNTING ACHIEVEMENT *DIAMOND LEVEL
2003 WILD GOATS OF THE WORLD *DIAMOND LEVEL
2003 WILD SHEEP OF THE WORLD *DIAMOND LEVEL
2003 GRAND SLAM NORTH AMERICAN ELK *BOW
2003 GRAND SLAM MOOSE OF THE WORLD *BOW
2003 AMERICAN 29 *BOW
2003 PINNACLE OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARD *BOW
2004 ANTLERED GAME OF THE WORLD *DIAMOND LEVEL
2004 WILD PIGS AND PECCARIES OF THE WORLD *DIAMOND LEVEL
2004 WILD OXEN OF THE WORLD *DIAMOND LEVEL
2004 ANIMALS OF SOUTH PACIFIC *DIAMOND LEVEL
2004 ANIMALS OF SOUTH AMERICA *DIAMOND LEVEL
2004 ANTLERED GAME OF THE AMERICAS *DIAMOND LEVEL
2004 GRAND SLAM CATS OF THE WORLD *BOW
2005 GLOBAL HUNTING AWARD *DIAMOND LEVEL
2005 ANIMALS OF ASIA *DIAMOND LEVEL
2005 IBEX OF THE WORLD *DIAMOND LEVEL
2005 GRAND SLAM DANGEROUS GAME OF AFRICA *BOW
2005 CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT AWARD *BOW
2006 ANIMALS OF EUROPE *DIAMOND LEVEL
2006 RED DEER/WAPITI OF THE WORLD *DIAMOND LEVEL
2006 ANIMALS OF N.AMERICA *DIAMOND LEVEL
2006 S.AMERICAN INDIGENOUS ANIMALS OF THE WORLD *BOW
2007 PYGMY ANTELOPES OF AFRICA *DIAMOND LEVEL
2007 MOUNTAIN GAME OF THE WORLD *DIAMOND LEVEL
2007 GAZELLE OF THE WORLD *GOLD LEVEL
2008 GSCO FROST HOFFMAN AWARD for the highest scoring bow hunted ram of the 4 species of North American Sheep
2009 PREDATORS OF THE WORLD *DIAMOND LEVEL
2009 CHAMOIS OF THE WORLD *DIAMOND LEVEL
2009 INTRODUCED ANIMALS OF N.AMERICA *DIAMOND LEVEL
2009 SPIRAL-HORNED ANTELOPES OF AFRICA *DIAMOND LEVEL
2009 ANIMALS OF AFRICA *DIAMOND LEVEL
2009 GRAND SLAM NORTH AMERICAN WHITE-TILED DEER *BOW
2009 EUROPEAN DEER SLAM - FORTH PINNACLE *BOW
2010 GAZELLES OF THE WORLD DIAMOND
2010 DESERT GAME OF THE WORLD DIAMOND
2010 NORTH AMERICAN 12
2010 ASIAN 8
2010 SOUTH AMERICAN 8
2010 EUROPEAN 12
2010 SOUTH PACIFIC 8
2010 AFRICAN 15
2012 GSCO FROST HOFFMAN AWARD for the highest scoring bow hunted ram of the 4 species of North American Sheep
2013 RINGED HORN ANTELOPE OF AFRICA DIAMOND
2013 INTRODUCED ANIMALS OF AFRICA BRONZE