Josh Bowmar may never be able to shoot a bow again. His archery and bowhunting career might be over due to injury.
The extremely popular and ever controversial Iowa-based outdoorsman hopes a custom-built brace will allow him to keep going.
If he is not able to get back to hunting, Bowmar would take a huge hit to his brand, to his lifestyle and to his
Who is Josh Bowmar?
According to his website, Josh Bowmar is a “fitness, nutrition, and hunting expert, entrepreneur, author and podcast host.” The former Division-III All-American track and field athlete is also a (clean) national bodybuilding champion at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds.
He and his wife, Sarah Bowmar, have more than five million followers across multiple platforms. Their main YouTube channel, Bowmar Bowhunting, is ~10 years old and has 2.61 million subscribers with more than 1.4 billion views. She has more than one million followers on Instagram. Their nutrition and hunting brands also combine for approximately one million followers.
Most of the Bowmars’ content focuses on hunting and health. They are both extremely jacked.
In addition to their promotion of health, wellness and the outdoors, the Bowmars focus a lot on family. They are great examples of a midwestern household that values time with loved ones, shared experience and a deep-rooted faith in God. They live well.
However, many critics consider their brands (both joint and individual) to be tainted by controversy.
What was the controversy with Bowmar Nutrition and Bowmar Bowhunting?
One of the most significant disputes involves Bowmar Nutrition and allegations regarding product labeling and advertising. The company previously faced multiple lawsuits that alleged certain protein powders contained less protein than advertised. Some of the ingredients were allegedly counted as protein even though they did not contribute high nutritional value. It is a practice known to the industry as “protein spiking.”
Other complaints challenged marketing claims related to supplement effectiveness and ingredient transparency. Plaintiffs argued that consumers were misled (perhaps intentionally) about the quality of product and nutritional value.
Bowmar Nutrition denied any wrongdoing in many of these cases. Although they were never found liable and resolved many of the legal dispute through settlements, the litigation had a significant negative impact on the company’s reputation. It is an example that is frequently cited in broader discussions about the dietary supplement industry. Especially when it comes to regulation.
The other controversy stems from multiple Nebraska hunts from 2015 to 2017. Josh Bowmar and Sarah Bowmar were sentenced for “conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act” after a guilty plea.
The investigation centered on Hidden Hills outfitters in Nebraska. Jacob Hueftle was accused of providing illegal outfitted hunts to nonresidents while exceeding the number of landowner permits allowed and facilitating the unlawful taking of wildlife. Federal court records alleged that the Bowmars knowingly participated in hunts that were not conducted in compliance with state regulations regarding outfitted hunting and landowner permits and transported the wildlife across state boundaries. They accepted a guilty plea — only on conspiracy charges.
All of the poaching charges and baiting charges against them were dropped. The conspiracy charges essentially mean that they should’ve known the illegal behavior was happening and kept going back. Josh had this to say in 2023:
The Bowmars and their supporters argue that the offenses were technical regulatory violations, not examples of poaching. Critics countered that compliance with hunting regulations is a fundamental part of ethical hunting and that their conspiracy charges are in direct conflict of the couple’s public role as conservation and lawful hunting advocates. Make of it what you will.
There were a few other incidents in addition to these main two. Bowmar Nutrition was at one point sued over claims of unpaid rent and product. Josh was also under fire in 2024 for killing what he claimed was a world-record crocodile in Tanzania.
All of this goes to say that the Bowmars are often subject to scrutiny by nature of their popularity. People are always looking for something that they are doing/did wrong, and in certain instances, maybe they are/did. That is up for individual interpretation.
His archery career might be over.
Josh Bowmar tries his best to keep things positive and happy on his YouTube channel. Rarely does he show the things that are bothering him. He wants to keep the viewers in good spirits. His off-camera problems are dealt with off camera.
Unfortunately, this latest news might require him to change everything about his brand. Bowmar, of Bowmar Bowhunting, may not be able to bow hunt.
“Bowhunting has been my life for decades. It’s how I’ve made a living, built this channel, and connected with millions of hunters around the world. The thought of losing the ability to draw a bow has been one of the hardest challenges I’ve ever faced.”
He has suffered multiple devastating injuries, including double tricep tears that required surgery, severe shoulder nerve damage, and various neck injuries, that left him with months of chronic pain. It has been a long road to recovery and it’s not done yet.
Fortunately, Bowmar seems confident that he will be able to one day get back to bowhunting. He is working with doctors and specialists to figure out a solution.
“This is not the end. It is just the next challenge,” he says.
If Bowmar is able to return to what he loves, a custom-built brace will play a big role. The goal is to take the weight off of his bicep to allow him to pull back. The path forward is “bleak” but it’s not “complete doom and gloom.” Now we wait and see.