Maven's Mavens: Phil Mendoza

Every once in a while you come across someone who makes you think, "this dude's got it figured out," a stand-out who excels beyond the ordinary and is respected for their knowledge and passion. They embody the essence of what it means to be a Maven. Enter Phil Mendoza, archery guru, creator of Alpha Bowhunting, and owner of No Limits Archery in Denver, Colorado. We recognize a Maven when we see one, so we thought what better way to introduce one of our favorite Mavens, than in the Maven Journal. Here's a quick bio from Phil...

"Foremost, I'm a husband, father, bowhunter, teacher, and student.

I was born and raised in Colorado. From a young age I became enamored with the outdoors and loved joining my father and uncles in pursuit of big game throughout Colorado and New Mexico. With great role models, it didn't take me long to develop a passion for hunting and archery. As a result, I began competing in 3D archery and quickly developed credibility as a shooter on the local scene. In 2009 I began competing on a national level on the Archery Shooter's Association (ASA) circuit and then earned a Pro Card by the end of the 2013 season.

March of 2009 also marked a major transition in my life - I turned my passion into a business. My wife Missy and I opened No Limits Archery, one of the largest pro shops and shooting facilities in the western United States. With my experience as a pro shop owner, shooter, and shooting coach, I authored "Targeting Buck Fever," a book about overcoming the issue of target panic, a problem that many bowhunters experience throughout their archery careers.

"March of 2009 also marked a major transition in my life - I turned my passion into a business."

More recently, I have taken my love for competitive archery and created the Alpha Bowhunting Challenge. By understanding the benefits of shooting under pressure, I created an event that adds a physical element to shooting while competing head to head with another shooter."

We first met Phil when our very own Brendon Weaver was interviewed on the Natural Born Hunter podcast. Since then, all of us here at Maven have had a chance to work with Phil. We admire the way he promotes hunting and the way he helps to make hunters better shooters. Not only is he selfless in his pursuit, his ambition is infectious, and we're excited to see where he and his endeavors take him. If you find yourself in the Denver area, be sure to stop by Phil's amazing archery range and pro shop. Not only will you get a chance to chat with Phil himself, but you'll get a chance to check out his growing supply of hunting and shooting gear. As one of the few places in the country that you can demo a Maven optic, you can also test out a Maven bino or spotting scope.