We’ve probably all heard the sayings about owners and their dogs looking alike, but what about shared mannerisms?  I’ll venture our bird dogs mimic their hunting masters in a variety of ways.  Here’s a sample of the similarities and adaptions I believe my shorthair, Trammell, and I share.

Methodically Short and Deliberately Dainty.

I am not the tallest guy in the room, any room, even an 8th grade classroom.  At 5’ 7”, my short legs work harder than most to cover the fields and forests.  Thankfully, my shorthair works slower and more methodical than other pointers I’ve observed.  Amongst my Pheasants Forever co-workers, Trammell is referred to as a “dainty” hunter.  To some guys, those may be fighting words, but I’m pretty sure Tram and I bag more roosters than those China Shop Bulls.  We may not vacuum up big expanses of ground, but I’m relatively certain we don’t run over too many hunkered birds either.

Hunting Marathoners.

While Tram and I may not beat many tag teams to their daily limit, our deliberate pace does allow us to hunt from the day’s sunrise to the day’s closing bell.

Cattail Skirters.

Unless one of us gets “birdy,” we’re both content to work the outside edge of the cattail sloughs and keep our feet dry.

Rain, Rain, Go Away.

Speaking of dry feet, Tram and I both avoid being outside on rainy days.  It’s funny to watch Tram go outside for a potty break in the rain, she tip toes into the yard as if she’s literally melting and zooms back inside the minute her “business” is complete.  Likewise, I’ve been quoted as saying “this isn’t fun for me anymore,” during a rainy hunt.

No Water Wings.

While I love to eat ducks, I’d rather spend my time and energy walking in pursuit of any bird without webbed feet.  Tram has a similar aversion to spending her hunting hours stuck in the mud over plastic fake birds when the real thing is to be had one step in front of the other.

Favorite Color is Orange.

Hunter orange and Detroit Tigers orange compose our wardrobe’s two seasons.

Birdy Buddies.

Probably most important of all is our shared affinity for upland birds; including, pheasants, quail, grouse, woodcock, sharpies, and prairie chickens.

What about you?  What traits do you and your bird dog share?

This story first appeared on http://www.pheasantblog.org

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Are You Like Your Bird Dog?

With today’s outfitter’s get-rich-quick mentality coupled with amplifying quantity versus quality, weld has been forged on the wallet of several thousand hard working hunters in search of a legitimate deer operation to spend their well-earned dollars. With outfitters sprouting from every nook and cranny of the country, it’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff.

In these difficult economic times we face, hunters looking to find an operation that provides one-on-one attention, reasonable expectations, and a proven track record is an absolute necessity before even entertaining cutting a deposit. I firmly believe that as a “client,” there should be virtually no room for shards of doubt or speculation in the booking process. On the very same token – you cannot expect a 150” buck served to you on a silver platter, that’s just not realistic when hunting free range whitetails. At the end of the day, you must find an operation that is not only genuine, but works with you to provide a fair opportunity to fill your tag and conquer your dream.

My hope is to help guide you in the right direction before throwing your greenbacks into the flames. I want to set the record straight and speak for every hunter in the country stashing their savings for a hunt this fall and give a few outfitters a well-deserved shout out for their relentless ability to deliver incredible hunts year-after-year.

Blue River Whitetails

I’ve had the great opportunity to hunt at a place that has not only proved successful for me the last five years, but currently maintains a 100% turkey slaying record and a world-class whitetail rate that’s very near that. The birds are plentiful, the landscape’s spectacular, and the privilege to hunt side-by-side with a hunting guru is truly a blessing.

My Kansas go-to-guy is David Schotte, owner of Blue River Whitetails. Schotte runs a superb family oriented operation and has been doing a successful job putting his clients on both species year-after-year.

Schotte relies on Moultrie trail cam pictures to scarf big buck activity and insight. As we all know, trail cameras significantly reduce hunter error and keep human pressure and activity at the extreme minimum. This is exactly how Blue River Whitetails is able to provide their big buck hunting clients an unheard of 70% success rate with a 150” average!

The time and efforts Schotte put toward planting food plots, installing waterholes, building brush blinds, and strategically placing cameras all boiled down to that very moment; his clients grinning behind a set of gnarly antlers.

There truly is no greater feeling than the gift of accomplishment coupled with the fruitful passion of the outdoors. Together, they are a winning combination that defines the pinnacle of a hunter’s success. The fond memories of bonding with great company and waking up to a buffet of wild game is a dream come true.

If you are in search of a place to hunt spring turkey or fall deer; look no further than www.BlueRiverWhitetails.com.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Hot Spot Outfitter Spotlight: Kansas’ Blue River Whitetails

Calling on all women in the field to share your stories, pictures, thoughts…women need girl talk!

After many years of sharing my adventures on many platforms, it was a great honor to write for the InterMedia Outdoor publication Game & Fish/Sportsman Magazine in print and online. The product review allowed me to examine and comment on women's challenge of finding the right gear in the field!

Why is it a passion of mine is to encourage everyone to support women in the outdoors? Short story long, I have only been huntin’ and shootin’ things since 2000, and without a weekend workshop at Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Becoming an Outdoors Woman (B.O.W.) along with my husband’s encouragement later that year, I may not having the wonderful adventures I am having now! It is still fresh in my memory and very much aware that it takes information, encouragement, and inspiration to enable some people to step outside of their comfort zone and try something new. I was lucky enough to have all three, and  I now strive to make those available to all who are curious. It may not be for every girl, but I am thankful that I had the chance to decide it was for me! As I always say about shooting, “You may like it, or you may not, but I‘m here to tell you, it’s worth a shot!”

I want to appeal to you girls out there that have already taken the leap of faith into the outdoors, be it hiking, four wheeling, fishing, camping, shooting, hunting, watching wildlife and capturing them on camera, etc. You are outdoors breathing that fresh air, loving life, and it is only fair that you take the time to inform, inspire, encourage…and share your experiences!

There are many ways to tell your tale, review a product, share a tip or show your trick. You may write on your own website; submit newsletters to various websites; also send content onto a few outdoor websites may approve a story. There are many social platforms available, but it is important to remember that if you take the time to write it, you want people to be able to find it and read it! So in addition to what you are doing now, I personally want to recommend and enlighten you about OutdoorHub.com. This organization is on track to be the online Mecca of information, the hub of all outdoor information/new/stories/photos and will link all aspects of outdoor information and products across the world. I know the history and capabilities of one of the founders in this organization and have every confidence that the company will live up to their name and goal to be the main hub for the best in resources for outdoor information, services and products!  Accepted and approved by P.O.M.A., they verified their credibility and can only create confidence in their missions and goals.

Outdoor Hub is actively seeking real stories from real people in various sports, with different platforms to offer, they will talk to you and decide where your words belong! They are currently providing outdoor content to over 12,000,000 people, growing steadily as I type. They have staff that work with you for editing, and also full time website masters that work continuously to help people find and actually read your story and allow you a link back to your own website! Thankfully they realize that not everyone is a professional writer and have developed carefully written guidelines that have been a tremendous help to me in my efforts to blog, write, and just share in general. Just ask and they are yours. Email them at content@outdoorhub.com. These are great people, a wonderful organization, and I am sure that once you begin working with them, you will totally agree. I say these things wholeheartedly and without reservation. Please contact me and I will give you all the direct contact info.
I am sincerely hoping that this information has encouraged and inspired you to begin sharing your stories somewhere…. ANYWHERE!

Shootin' skeet!

If you have any questions, I look forward to hearing from you!

BeckyLouOutdoors@gmail.com

“Camo can be Classy”

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - “Let’s Hear it From the Girls!”

Turkey season is fast approaching among us hunters and huntresses. I find it intriguing to know some facts about the wild turkey. I know some of us just go out and shoot a bird, but do you actually study them? I decided this year I would do some research on the wild turkey and share with you some important facts.

I think it’s amazing that Benjamin Franklin’s first choice for the United States’ National Bird was the wild turkey. The turkey was well liked by the Native Americans as well as the Europeans. It was the choice for Thanksgiving Dinner. It’s also the largest game bird in North America.

In the early 20th century wild turkeys were no longer roaming over the land. They had been killed off by hunters and many of their woodland habitats were destroyed. It’s thanks to the conservation programs we have now that wild turkeys are not extinct. We now have five different types of turkeys that are grouped in slams for turkey hunting.

These are five slams:

1. Grand Slam: Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam’s and Osceola (Florida Birds)
2. Royal Slams: Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam’s, Osceiola, and Gould’s
3. World Slams: Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam’s, Osceiola, Gould’s, and Ocellated
4. Mexican Slams: Rio Grande, Oscellated, and Gould’s harvested only in Mexico
5. Canadian Slams: Eastern and the Merriam’s are harvested in the Provinces- Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Manotoba or British Columbia

The male turkey is also known as the gobbler or the tom. They usually have large red, featherless red- head, red throat, red wattles (warts or abnormal growths) on throat and neck. The long fleshy skin that lay over the beak is called a snood. When they get excited the blood rushes to the head and neck causing the snood to expand and may even conceal the eyes and the beak.  When they’re ready to fight the head and neck turn blue. The Toms are known to have beards and the longest beard reported through the National Wild Turkey Federation is 18 inches long.  They also have little reddish-yellow to grayish-green legs and a black body.  The male is substantially larger than the female, and his feathers have areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze, and gold iridescent shade.  The primary wing feathers have a white bar through them. The bird can have up to 5000-6000 feathers on them. Their wings expand up to­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ 47-59 inches. The adult males weigh 16-24 lbs. The record-sized adult male, according to the National Wild Turkey Federation, weighed 37 lbs.

The female turkeys are smaller in size weighing 8-12 lbs. Their color is dark dull gray and sometimes black. They camouflage the nest very well. The hens can lay 10-14 eggs and the incubation period is 28 days. Some beards are found on 10-20% on hens.

Turkeys are known to be omnivorous. They eat fruit such as juniper and bearberries in addition to seeds, insects, frogs, roots, acorn and nuts. They even eat small reptiles such as snakes, lizards, and frogs. They eat spiders and other insects that are found on the ground or in trees. They eat grain that is grown out in the field. They also eat tall variety wild grasses.

The sounds they make are yelps, gobbles, clucks, purrs, putts, whines, cackles, and kee-kees. Their gobbles can carry up to a mile. In the spring time they’re announcing their presence to the hen and other males. The males are polygamous and mate with as many hens as they can. They attract females by puffing out their chest, dragging their tails, and expanding their wings. This known behavior is called strutting.  Their color also changes around their head and neck. The mating season is March and April. The female hens yelp to let the gobbler know their presence. The immature turkeys are called jakes and they often yelp.

The turkeys nest up in a tree along streams at night to protect themselves from other preying animals. They have very poor night time vision. Turkeys have very good eyesight and hearing at daytime. They’re also extremely fast runners.

Wild turkeys have a pecking order, it’s usually the oldest to the youngest.

I enjoyed learning about the wild turkey that I will be hunting this spring. Remember it’s not about the kill, but the fun of hunting and enjoying wildlife. Seeing all the wildlife up close and personal and studying them is exciting to me. You just need to sit back, be patient, and observe. You will be amazed at what you see.

If you’re looking at registering your Wild Turkey this year with the National Wildlife Turkey Federation please check out this link http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/records_FAQ.html

Have fun and be safe on your wild turkey hunting excursion, and remember to always use common sense while you’re hunting.  Practice your turkey calling off-season so you can be prepared doing the turkey season. To improve your hunting skills watch videos and turkey hunting shows to help you become a superior turkey caller.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Just a Few Turkey Facts

Whitetail Properties is an organization of land management specialists and expert hunters in business to help buy or sell hunting property or farm land mostly in the Midwest and southeast United States. Whitetail Properties TV was created to demonstrate to hunters and farmers how to manage their land through an exciting hunting show. Get to know some of the members of their team with the bios below!

Dan Perez

Dan Perez, of famous Pike County, Illinois, has bowhunted whitetail deer since he was old enough to draw a 40 lb. bow. Since then, he’s harvested in excess of 350 whitetail deer. Over the past thirty years Dan has focused his attention on exclusively bowhunting mature trophy bucks.

This Specialization has earned him 50 bucks that exceed Pope and Young’s qualifications. Exclusively hunting these old monarchs has provided him a much greater opportunity to study and refine his proficiency as a big buck predator. Hence, all the information Dan conveys on Whitetail Properties TV as well as during his seminars, book and magazine interviews and bowhunting DVDs have been learned firsthand. This intimate relationship Dan has with big buck habitat has provided the basis for his new seminars, “First Time In” and “Holding, Growing and Hunting Big Bucks on a Small Tract”. These two seminars elucidate how to successfully hunt big old bucks in highly pressured areas.

Dan has spent the greatest part of his life pursuing trophy animals with a stick and string and introducing people of all ages to bowhunting and the great outdoors. Back in the nineties Dan was a very prolific outdoor writer, his pen often appeared in “Bowhunter,” “Bow & Arrow Hunting,” and “Bowhunting World,” to name a few. For over 17 years he was the Midwest regional Sales Manager for Precision Shooting Equipment. This lifelong romance with the outdoors led him to an even deeper relationship with every aspect of God’s Country: dirt, trees, leaves, water, production land and wildlife.

Today Dan co-owns and brokers Whitetail Trophy Properties Real Estate, specializing in hunting properties and farm land in the great states of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska Kentucky and Oklahoma. Along with this Dan is the co-owner and host of the remarkably popular program, Whitetail Properties TV. You can reach Dan at dan@whitetailproperties.tv.

Gabe Adair

Born and raised in the heart of south central Iowa, Gabe has roamed this whitetail Mecca since he was a young boy. Gabe has become an accomplished bow hunter with several outstanding bucks to his credit. His outdoor passion has carried over into a very reputable guide service in southern Iowa and northwest Missouri chasing big whitetails, spring snow geese, and wild turkeys. Gabe’s knowledge of the area as well as his understanding of the habitat it takes to grow and hold big whitetails has made him one of the leading recreational land specialists in the area.

Gabe has made quite a name for himself in the outdoor world through his appearances on Chasing the Flight TV and Whitetail Properties TV as well as his field production with Knock Em Down and cover photo placement with North American Whitetails.

If you are in the market for land in south central Iowa, get in touch with Gabe Adair: gabe@whitetailproperties.tv.

Jason Cleveland

Jason Cleveland saw his dad shoot his first deer with a bow in 1976. Five years later, at age twelve, on that same island on the Mississippi River, Jason shot his first deer with a bow… and the passion for the outdoors began. Since then he has avidly hunted whitetail deer, mule deer, elk, turkeys, upland birds and waterfowl. He lives to be outside.

His education includes a degree in agricultural business with a minor in sales management as well as twelve years in sales. Guiding deer, upland bird, waterfowl hunts and fishing trips has also taught him the fine tuning of an ideal experience for an outdoorsman.

Jason has been involved in wildlife management on family-owned hunting properties for over fifteen years. Five years ago Jason started bringing his dreams into reality by purchasing his first hunting property. Since then he has been personally involved in buying, selling and managing several thousand acres of hunting property.

With the combination of education, experience and overall passion for hunting and the outdoors, Jason is armed and ready to match you with the property of your dreams.

Looking for that perfect place in eastern Missouri? Get in contact with Jason Cleveland: jcleveland@whitetailproperties.tv.

Pete Alfano

A native of Pike County, Illinois, Pete has lived the outdoor lifestyle most of his life. His pursuit of bowhunting trophy whitetails has led Pete across seven states. His love for hunting and the outdoors has also led Pete to previously own and operate two successful hunting lodges, producing hundreds of satisfied customers over the years

Pete has a love for the land, land ownership, and land development. He has owned and managed numerous different properties throughout the years, giving him the first-hand knowledge and personal experience to develop and maintain a world-class hunting farm.

Pete has turned his knowledge and passion for the outdoors into a career in the outdoor industry were he has written many articles and has an extensive list of trophy whitetails harvested on film to his credit. Pete’s hunts have aired on Whitetail Properties TV and Realtree’s Monster Bucks volumes 16, 17, and 18.

Buying, developing, and maintaining your own piece of property is a passion of Pete’s and his goal has now turned to helping others find their own piece of paradise to fulfill their dreams. Let Pete put his extensive knowlege to work for you to help you find your dream!

If you’re looking for land in Pike County, Illinois, then contact Pete Alfano: pete@whitetailproperties.tv.

Tom McFarlane

A native of Minnesota, Tom McFarlane has been a dedicated outdoorsman all his life. He has hunted big game in 22 different states and provinces, of which 17 have been in search of whitetails. With these travels, he has not only become an expert on whitetail behavior and habitat in the Midwest, but much of North America. Tom has invested massive amounts of time into research, management, scouting, and hunting strategies. With numerous Boone and Crockett class whitetails to his credit, Tom knows what the recipe is for targeting, developing, and sustaining a world class whitetail property and its herd.

Tom has owned and operated several businesses including a tree nursery company, and part ownership of a golf course. With these businesses he also has experience in the development of investment properties and city planning. He is a certified pesticide applicator and has thorough knowledge of grasses, soils, fertilizers, and trees. In the outdoor industry he has published several articles and has extensive experience in outdoor multimedia, including television. For several years Tom has also served as a consultant to hunters, allowing them to use his knowledge as a tool to pursue something better.

Looking for that perfect piece of land in south central Kansas? Get in touch with Land Specialist Tom McFarlane: tmcfarlane@whitetailproperties.tv.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Get to Know the Whitetail Properties Team: Part One

I knew this was going to be a long and exciting day. We reached the hunting cabin the night before, set up all our gear and played with my new toys from Christmas. It would be my first wild boar hunt with a brand new bow and some arrows. With my deer and bear hunting experience, I figured it was going to be a breeze.

As the sun peered from the top of a distant mountain, we began our adventure with snow on the ground, a light 3-5 mph west wind, and a brisk 35 degrees. It was a clear Saturday morning, and the woods were completely silent. While walking, the guide told my father and me about the tendencies and habitats of wild hogs. All I heard was “charge and attack.” I figured he gave this little pep talk to everyone because “no way could a little hog attack me.” Being a stubborn Navy SAR Diver, I asked the guide to point us in the direction and let us do a stalk hunt. The look on his face was just awful. As my father and I charged up the hill, I faintly heard our guide’s wish of “good luck” fade into the distance.

I nocked an arrow and we walked for hours, looking for trails and signs of hogs. How hard could it be to find tracks? These things destroy hundreds of acres of land and even eat fresh meat such as deer and other animals. At 8:15 a.m., I notice movement in the valley and, from the corner of my eye, I saw more movement. It was a whitetail deer cruising by. We stopped on what was clearly a game trail where heavy tracks made a blazing path in the thick woods of Upper New York State. The area we were hunting was primarily old evergreens, where many older logs had fallen. I remembered the guide saying that hogs love to lay under them for protection.

It felt like days of walking up and down the mountain with little sign of fresh tracks. But suddenly, we saw hogs running from the foot of the valley to the other side of the mountain. There were at least 30 little piglets and six boars of 150-300 pounds. We decided to split up and conduct a mini drive. My dad would go around the top of the mountain they just passed over, and I would go the opposite way to post. As my old man disappeared into the mountain, I could hear his footsteps crackling the ice and branches. I was trying to tip toe as I approached a fallen tree and was taken by surprise by three hogs bedded down. I couldn’t get a good visual to determine if they were mature hogs, so I continued on, paying more attention to fallen trees and brush piles. I could hear my dad in the distance, so I whistled my location.

I came upon another long, old log with a perfect cover of brush and limbs over it and thought there had to be a hog or two under it. Boy was I right; there were six to eight. I picked one of the larger ones and knew I wouldn’t get a better shot. The hog was trotting. I drew back and let an arrow fly, but I had clearly misjudged the distance. The arrow flew right over the hog’s head and, before I knew it, I was face to face with the 200 pound hog. As he trotted towards me, I could see my dad’s face in the distance and heard him yell, “shoot it, shoot it.”

I panicked for two seconds, knowing I couldn’t outrun this thing. There were too many fallen trees and branches, deep snow and mud banks to pull a Carl Lewis. My heart was racing. The hog must have heard my dad because it suddenly stopped at 30 yards. With my heart pounding, I tried to get a second arrow out of the quiver. I could barely hit a target at 20 yards with my new bow, and I had to hit a boar at 30 yards with my heart thumping and my hands sweaty. I pulled myself together, aimed and released an arrow. The hog let out this noise the entire mountain heard—a sound of desperate anger and defeat.

I killed my first hog and was both relieved and prouder than ever. With big smiles, my father and I exchanged high fives. This was no ordinary hog hunt; this was something special—a bond between father and son and the sacrifice of a hog for the meat and excitement.

Back at the cabin, news and much laughter spread fast about my close encounter with this hog. The ride home gave me time to reflect on the amazing weekend. To those who are thinking of going wild boar hunting, go for it. It’s a thrill you will never forget. Just listen and pay attention to your guide.

Jason Delgado is an avid angler, who also regularly pursues trophy game such as deer and bear.  A member of the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance from Mason Tenders District Council PAC, this was his first wild boar hunt.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Hog Attack: Coming Face to Face With a 200lb Beast

Hunting becomes a whole new ballgame when the hunter owns the property. Land management along with expert hunting skills come into play to harvest the biggest bucks with the most points. Whitetail Properties TV is a television series that showcases all there is to know about managing the property that the show’s cast owns.

Whitetail Properties is an organization of land management specialists in business to help buy or sell hunting property or farm land mostly in the Midwest and southeast United States. The show, Whitetail Properties TV, was created to demonstrate to hunters and farmers how to manage their land through an exciting hunting show.

On top of all the exciting hunts, there are plenty of new developments surrounding Whitetail Properties TV. The show just took home the 2011 Sportsman Choice Award for Best Animal-Whitetail Deer, awarded at SHOT Show 2012. More recently, Whitetail Properties became the latest author on Outdoor Hub where they will have a platform to publish content surrounding the show, land management, hunting and more.

The video segment below shows a preview of two exhilarating minutes of plentiful buck hunting on the property as Jason Cleveland hunts from his Banks Blind.

Catch the sixth season of Whitetail Properties TV at 8 p.m. E/P every Tuesday during The Realtree Hunting Camp block on the Sportsman Channel.

Sponsors who make this show possible include Bear Archery, Bad Boy Buggies, Banks Blinds, BIG&J Industries, Boss Buck, Hadley Creek Outfitters, Reconyx, Nikon, Hunter Safety System, Lone Wolf, Scent-Lok, Tink’s, QDMA, Trophy Ridge and Whitetail Institute.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Whitetail Properties: Land Managers, Skilled Hunters and Award-Winning Show Hosts

We caught up with MidwayUSA at RMEF’s Elk Camp 2012 in Las Vegas to discuss Larry and Brenda Potterfield’s role in helping high school students learn about conservation, ethical hunting standards, and wildlife research.

Through the Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience program, MidwayUSA has donated money to 6 key conservation groups, enabling these groups to educate students on the importance of wildlife conservation and the role of the hunters, outfitters, conservation groups and local governments in the sustained use of wildlife around the world. Students also get to participate in various shooting events at some of the conventions.

To learn more about this exciting program, see MidwayUSA Sponsors the Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience at the 2012 DSC Convention.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Larry Potterfield on MidwayUSA’s Sponsorship of the Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience

Giant canadian moose had always been a bow hunting dream of mine, so in 2010 I booked a trip to British Columbia to chase the largest deer in North America.  Ten days in the bush, chasing moose all day, and camping in the wall tent at night.  I was geared for this trip, and from talking with the outfitter, I knew bow hunting grouse would be a bonus along the way.  Forty-seven arrows were packed and ready to rock, with every style of broadhead,  judo and whatever else I could muster for the end of my arrows for bow hunting grouse.

No moose, lots of grouse

A full quiver for bow hunting grouse

Which nine arrows survived a week of bow hunting grouse?

The only arrows I had left at the end of the trip were six moose arrows and three others, all tipped with Snaro bird points for bow hunting grouse. I lost all my judos and the two G5 tips I brought along through the trees. The Snaros flew from my 60 lb compound as well as my 50 lb recurve, and we killed lots of birds with each weapon. I used the 2 and 3 inch from the compound bow hunting grouse so they could clear the riser at full draw with my original hunting arrows, and I used the 3 and the 6 inch in my recurve bow to give me a margin for error (there’s a lot of air around a grouse). The Snaros were almost impossible to lose, and aside from the two I left in the top of different spruce trees, I came home with three of the five I left with.

The design of the Snaro heads keeps them from diving under grass, moss and leaves for birds on the ground. The grass and forest leaf litter ate my broadheads of every style at a quick pace. The Snaro bird point also keeps the heads from skipping through the woods when bow hunting grouse. My Snaros quickly became the head of choice for birds in the trees as well, as even a solid hit with a broadhead meant the arrow kept going far enough it was futile to search for them. The Snaro bird tips stopped in the brush and branches and we always found them. My best guess is the broadhead-tipped arrows lasted 2 to 3 shots before they were lost, and the Snaros were all I had left the last 4 days of the trip. I was glad I brought them along on my trip to British Columbia for what twisted from a dream moose hunt to a trip devoted to bow hunting grouse.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - A $10,000 Grouse Hunt: Bow Hunting Grouse While Pursuing Canadian Moose

I assume the first thing you’d think to yourself when reading this title is “what’s this story going to be about?” As a veteran hunter and outdoorsman, I’d be asking myself the same thing.

This year I was blessed with a wonderful opportunity to visit the 2012 ATA Show in Columbus, Ohio. I was like a kid in a toy store with my mind spinning in what seemed like twenty different directions. As I looked at all the new archery equipment in front of me, I didn’t know where to begin. I was getting front-row access to all the new bows, arrows, broadheads, tree stands, camo, and so much more. And to think, when I started hunting, there were only a few bow companies out there, some of which have fallen by the wayside, and the recurve bow was king. Fiberglass arrows were just coming into play and only the elite competition shooters were privileged to shoot aluminum. Yes, those were the days; bow sights were simple, arrow rests were no more than something resembling a brown toothbrush, and we even made our own bow strings.  Camo was often bought at an Army Surplus Store .

But there I was, standing just inside the main doors, gazing at over 200,000 square feet of archery eye candy. It was like an archery catalog laid out before me, but this time no turning pages and looking at pictures… this was for real. If you wanted to look at a never-before-seen 2012 bow…go ahead, you can even shoot it! Yes, everything imaginable in the realm of archery related equipment was there to check out. What was equally exciting was that TV celebrities from my favorite hunting shows were there too. The best way I can explain it without naming them all is that it was like Oscar Night in Hollywood. But instead of the normal red carpet, theirs was camouflage, and instead of movie stars, there were the biggest names in the hunting industry, as well as a country music singer and a NASCAR driver.

The ATA Show is not available to the public, so the only way to get into this candy store is by being a retailer buying inventory or as a media member. Outdoor Hub invited me to attend this year’s show as a media member, but with 1,600 miles to travel during month of January, I feared it might not happen.  However, being a ‘mild winter’ and with my tags all filled, I got to go. And all because there was no snow to snarl traffic, no snow to keep me home behind a snowblower for hours and no snow that would make me wish that it was gone so I could do something to get ready for this year’s archery season, I went and did something.  I went to the 2012 ATA. And, God willing, I’ll be there in 2013.

This year, the archery industry is going to see some terrific products from manufacturers both old and new. Being able to preview these products early makes me one lucky guy, but if there’s one thing I can say about this adventure, it would be that  a ‘ mild winter’ gave me an opportunity to see just how far the archery industry had come in the last 45 years.

Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - An Opportunity Created by a ‘Mild’ Winter