Who are we?

Advanced Archery is owned and operated by husband and wife team Kevin and Carol Watson who've been been in the business since 1996. We also have a great team of people making your arrows, tuning your bows and looking after your orders. Every one of our staff shoots a bow, hunting, competing and just for fun.

It is this depth of experience that allows us to help  you with whatever style of archery you're into. Advanced Archery supplies archery equipment to archers and hunters all over New Zealand and we can service ANY brand of bow.

Trips to the United States every year ensure we're up-to-date with advances in equipment, bowhunting, bow tuning, string making and arrow building knowledge. These visits to manufacturers and trade shows provide the opportunity to evaluate the latest products on offer and their suitability for New Zealand conditions. New products are rigorously tested by us and our staff shooters and if the products don't measure up, Advanced Archery doesn't stock them.

Carol Watson Kevin Watson

Carol is a five times NZBS (New Zealand Bowhunting Society) ladies champion, and was only the fourth woman in NZ to have shot deer - red, sika, fallow, whitetail and sambar as well as pigs - and the first we believe to take the mountain double, a tahr and chamois with a bow in New Zealand. In the United States Carol has shot elk and black bear and on a recent trip to Australia she was happy to take 3 chital stags in one week.

Carol also keeps busy volunteering her time as the National Co-ordinator and Trainer for the National Archery in the Schools Programme in New Zealand and as a member of the Game Animal Council

Kevin has taken many big game animals including chamois, elk, red, sika, sambar, rusa, whitetail and fallow deer as well as pigs and is a three times NZBS champion. Internationall Kevin has taken U.S. whitetail and elk, chital in Australia and Rusa from New Caledonia.

Kevin is an popular outdoor writer and has penned many articles covering all aspects of bowhunting equipment, shooting technique and bowhunting skills. You can read his articles and product reviews in the NZ Hunter magazine, Rod & Rifle's 'Your Manual on being a New Zealand Hunter" and in the news section of this website. Designed to entertain and educate all hunters these articles provide great tips gleaned from his years of bowhunting experience.

 

We have some of New Zealand's most enthusiastic and accomplished shooters and bowhunters on our staff.

BOWHUNTING STAFF SHOOTERS

Philip Bullivant

We like to call Philip the 'grandfather of bowhunting' in NZ. He has shot over 100 deer with bow and arrow and still gets as excited about shooting deer as he did when he started. He has helped many people along the way and in the last few years his wife Jenny has got back into bowhunting and together they are enjoying helping grandson Cooper get started. Cooper shot his first deer at the age of 8, how cool is that!?! Philip shoots the Mathews VXR 28.

Simon Bullivant

Simon Bullivant (yes he is Philip and Jenny's son) is a long-time hunting staff shooter and was a full time staff member in the shop from 2010-15. Simon is an NZBS Master Bowhunter and in 1999 and 2012 won "Bowhunter of the Year". He currently has the No.3 Red Deer in the record book at 280DS. Simon writes a regular bowhunting technical article in the NZ Hunter magazine. Simon is also an excellent taxidermist and runs his own taxidermy business, TruLife Taxidermy. Simon shoots the Mathews Traverse.

Steve Meadows

Steve was a long time rifle hunter before he took up bowhunting in 2009. He is the moderator on the FishnHunt Forum bowhunting section and is a regular feature writer for Rod & Rifle magazine. Steve shoots the Mathews Vertix.

Matt Willis

Matt produces the excellent Hooked on Adventures hunting DVD's Hooked on the Outdoors which screened in 2014 on Country TV. He is one of New Zealand's most successful bowhunters. Matt was the first NZBS member to shoot over 100 deer, has shot the most big game animals and is a 4 time winner of NZBS Bowhunter of the Year. Matt shoots a Mathews Chill-R.

Leith McKenzie

Leith McKenzie from Dargaville has been hunting since he was 12 years old and bowhunting for many years. Leith hunts all over New Zealand from the Far North to Stewart Island. He has won numerous awards, in 2005 Leith became the NZBS 53rd Master Bowhunter and has record book fallow, 2 sets of pig tusks and an 11.5kg koi carp. Leith shoots the Mathews Triax.

Cody Weller

Cody spends a lot of time in the bush and is rewarded with a great deal of success in his bowhunting and we are very proud to have him on our team. He hunts hard and earned his NZBS Master Bowhunter award at the age of 15. Records collected include: 3rd Rusa, two pigs in the top 10, 3rd tahr and two chamois in the top 10. Cody shoots a Mathews VXR 31.5.

Samantha Weller

Sam was introduced to bowhunting by her now husband Cody, when they first met in 2010. It has since grown into a passion and an addiction. Sam received her Masters in 2013, making her the fourth woman to ever receive the award. She currently holds the #1 record for Chamois in NZ by bow and has taken many other big game, including being the first female NZBS member to take a Whitetail deer. Sam says, "Bowhunting teaches you patience, it gives you some incredible experiences being so close to wild game, it provides you with hard lessons on failure and the highest of highs when you succeed." Sam shoots the Mathews Avail.

Conor Watson

Carol and Kevin's son Conor shot his first deer with a bow aged 13, and has been bowhunting ever since. He is also a keen spear and fly fisherman. The hunter/gatherer gene is strong in this one. Conor is an experienced bow technician and works full time in the shop. This year he is shooting the Mathews VXR 31.5. 

Karen Burnet

Karen has been a long-term member of the Advanced Archery staff shooting team and has been involved with administration of both the Kiwi 3D Series for 13 years and Pine Ridge Archers since taking up the sport 18 years ago. She has taken out many tournament and 3D trophies and loves chasing warm and cold-blooded critters! Karen shoots a Hoyt Carbon Spyder Turbo.

Craig Burnet

Craig has been a member of Pine Ridge Archers since 2000 and created the popular Kiwi 3D Series in 2005. He ran the Bowhunter Open tournament at Pine Ridge for many years and is a Director of the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP NZ). Craig currently shoots a Hoyt Carbon Spyder Turbo.

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