2026 WTA Banquet & Convention 

February 28th- Madison Marriott West 

Madison, WI 

2026 Keynote Speaker: Gene Hopkins 

Mark your calendars and get signed up to attend The Wisconsin Traditional Archers Annual Banquet & Convention on February 28th, 2026! Come and enjoy a great day filled with fun events including games/raffles, kids shooting range, lots of vendors and seminars throughout the day. Your Annual WTA Membership Meeting will be Saturday morning prior to all the activities, please try to take part. 

Banquet registration for dinner activities and/or early purchase of WTA Bucks (used for raffle monies) is located on one of the following pages and can be mailed in or you can go online to wistradarchers.com, click on the banquet tab to find all the information you need and register using our AffiniPay system. Please be sure to put all the names of guests, meals choices and amount of WTA bucks in the reference section when paying. You do not need to purchase dinner to buy WTA Bucks for daytime raffles and attend the daytime activities, but dinner tickets are required to attend the evening keynote presentation and activities.  

 

“WTA Bucks” 

Discounted prices valid for Advanced Purchase Only!  Order must be received by

February 6th, 2026 

 

$25.00 = $30.00 of WTA Bucks 

$50.00 = $65.00 of WTA Bucks 

$75.00 = $100.00 of WTA Bucks 

Discounted WTA must be purchased by February 6th, 2026. WTA Bucks must be used at the Banquet February 28th, 2026, for games and raffles.  WTA Bucks may NOT be used for Silent or Live auction items.  There is no limit to the amount of WTA Bucks that can be purchased.  Your WTA Bucks will be in an envelope with your name at the Banquet Check-In table (Raffle rules don’t allow distribution of WTA Bucks prior to banquet date).   

*Cash, checks and credit cards may also be used on the day of the event to purchase more WTA Bucks* 

 

2026 Arrow & Photo Contest 

Please Bring your Arrows and Photos to the Check-In table 

Voting will be during the social hour and dinner approximately 5pm – 6:30pm 

All arrows will be on display for WTA member voting.  The arrows will be raffled off at the banquet!!! 

Photos can be of a hunt, beautiful scenery, etc.  Photos should be 8x10.  WTA members will vote on the best photo.  Photos will be returned so please place a name on the back of your photo.  NO PHOTO FRAMES 

 

Schedule of Events: 

8:30am – 10:30am      WTA Annual Meeting 

9:00am – 4:30pm        Vendors Open 

11:00am – 4:00pm      Games & Raffles Open 

11:00am – 12:00pm    Seminar: Gene Hopkins 

12:00pm – 3:00pm      String Making Workshop with Joe Howland (At Joe’s Vendor Table) 

2:00pm – 2:30pm          Knife & Broadhead Sharpening Workshop  

1:00pm – 4:30pm        Youth Workshop and Giveaway (At the Shooting Range) 

4:00pm – 5:00pm        Posting winners of Raffle Games 

5:00pm – 7:30pm        Social hour, Dinner, Photo & Arrow Voting, & Silent Auction Bidding 

7:30pm – 8:15pm        Keynote Speaker – Gene Hopkins 

8:15pm – 9:30 pm       Raffles and Silent Auction 

 

Sponsorships: 

Please consider becoming a WTA Sponsor.  $250 cash or $300 value of material donations qualifies for sponsorship.  Our WTA Sponsors will receive (2) dinner tickets, one 8-foot vendor table and an advertisement spot for one year in our WTA quarterly membership magazines, as well as advertisement on our Facebook page.  Local Archery Clubs that WTA works with are encouraged to sponsor this event.  Please ask your local club to become a sponsor! If you sponsor and are interested in advertising in the Stump Shooter, please contact Lori Leahy at fletcharrows25@gmail.com. 

Donations/Volunteers: 

The Banquet Committee asks for your help with donations for silent auction items and prizes for the games and raffles.  Small cash donations are always appreciated as well. The WTA reserves the right to use donations in ways to best benefit the WTA Banquet & Convention.   

We are also always looking for volunteers to help run games/raffles during the day and evening.  If you think you can spare a couple of hours, it would be greatly appreciated.  We will make sure you have plenty of time to enjoy the day’s activities as well.  This is your chance to get more involved in the WTA! 

To donate to the banquet or volunteer to help in any way please contact: 

Teresa Cardinal:  mrsredbirdarcher@gmail.com, Tim Cardinal:  redbirdarcher@yahool.com, 

or Jeff Behring:  livin4therut@gmail.com  

Vendors: 

Vendor tables are available for $30 (No charge for sponsors).  Vendors may set up after 3pm on Friday or Saturday morning and must be taken down at 4:30pm Saturday unless it is stated later the day of event. Please reserve your table by filling out the WTA Sponsor/Donor/Vendor Table Form below and mail to the address listed on the form.  Or fill out it out online at wistradarchers.com from the Banquet Tab. 

 

Book your group rate for Wisconsin Traditional Archers 2026  

Room Reservations: 

WTA Rate $153.00 

Please call Madison Marriot West at 1-888-810-3990 and reference booking for 

Wisconsin Traditional Archers Banquet & Convention 

There is a limited block of rooms, and the rate is good until February 6^th, 2026 so try to reserve early! 

 

                     Gene Hopkins Bio 

Gene Hopkins has been bowhunting for over 50 years, with his bowhunting adventures having taken him from Alaska to Mexico, from Oregon to Maryland, and many points in between.   

 

A passionate Archery historian, Gene is the Official Historian for the Archery Hall of Fame & Museum, as well as the Compton Traditional Bowhunters.  Additionally, Gene was recently elected to the Board of Directors for Compton Traditional Bowhunters.  

 

Gene is also a Senior Member of the Pope & Young Club, a Master Instructor for the National Bowhunter Education Foundation for almost 40 years, past President of the Indiana Bowhunters Association, current President of the Indiana Sportsman’s Roundtable, and Life Member of several state bowhunting organizations. Gene has always demonstrated a desire to give back to the sport which he has enjoyed for so long.  

 

His love of archery & bowhunting history has given Gene the opportunity to speak to many groups over the years, including several state bowhunting organizations as well the prestigious Pope & Young Club convention held recently in Phoenix.  Even groups such as the Detroit Ophthalmologists Club have invited Gene to share his passion for the sport of bowhunting, where he can introduce people who likely have never participated in our great sport to learn about us and understand what drives our passion.