Jeff Waring, Publisher

THE LAST THING Editor Dwight Schuh said to me was, "If you've got something burning in your belly that you want to talk about, write the editorial."

In a matter of hours, Dwight would be on a flight to the Northwest Territories where he'd be hunting mountain caribou for Bowhunter Magazine TV. And I think he still had to finish packing.

Whenever one of the Bowhunter team is on the road, the rest of us know that we must take up the slack. That's especially so now.

In the last year and a half, TV has greatly changed our lives. Now we not only have to publish a successful magazine; we have to produce a hit TV show, too. This has brought many new challenges to our small staff.

It's mid-August now, but by the time you read this, our magazine team will be well on the way to finishing up our '05 magazines and publishing over 1,000 pages. Additionally, we will have completed the 13 original episodes for the first season of TV and will be working on video for our second season on The Outdoor Channel.

Most readers probably look at the column-long masthead on page two and think that all of those folks are involved. True. But the staffers who actually put the magazine and the TV show together can be counted on two hands.

As we wrap up this landmark year and look toward the magazine's 35th anniversary next year, I feel compelled to salute the Bowhunter crew's work and give you a run-down of who these hard-working people are and a sense of their valuable contributions:

Founder/Editor Emeritus M.R. James' historic role has been well documented. No longer involved in the daily business of the magazine -- and looking forward to "retirement" -- M.R. remains the inspiration for what we do here. Just look at what he started.

Editor Dwight Schuh loves bowhunting so much that in recent years he's overcome ailing shoulders by shooting left-handed, right-handed, and even drawing with a mouth tab. He's the visionary for both magazine and TV content. If he's not combing over manuscripts, writing, editing, or proofing text for print, he's busy consulting with our TV staff, reviewing video online, or writing narration. As someone who is ready and willing to meet every challenge, this admitted "grumpy old man" sets the tone for all of us.

Assistant Editor Brian Fortenbaugh celebrated four years with the magazine this year. Toting degrees from Gettysburg and Marshall, including a Master's in Journalism, this talented young editor is a hard-core bowhunter with a sharp eye for both game and grammar. But come bow season he has to be restrained to get any work out of him.

Continued -- click on page link below.