Just-Hunt a Blog

Jan. 9, 2012, Columbus, OH – The Fred Bear Archery and Bowhunting Communicator Award, created by the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) in 2005, recognizes outdoor journalists who make significant contributions to the sports of archery and bowhunting, excel at their journalistic craft, and mentor up-and-coming outdoor journalists.
 
Although the award is presented to active journalists, a special exception was made this year. The late Bill Krenz, founder of Zebra Publishing, whose untimely passing on Dec. 13, 2010 shocked the industry, was named the 2012 honoree.
 
The award was presented by POMA and the Archery Trade Association during the OutTech event the night before the ATA Show in Columbus, Ohio. Krenz’s wife, Sherry, accepted the award. POMA President Kevin Tate and ATA CEO Jay McAninch spoke of Krenz’s impact on the industry and the many lives he touched.

 Photo Courtesy of Zebra Publishing

“Some awards honor the people who receive them, but in this case, it’s POMA’s honor to be associated with Bill,” said Tate. “The people who drive the archery industry, people who dedicate their minds to their business and their hearts to the outdoors, who combine their lives with their livelihood and pour everything they have into a cause they love, those people give to life far more than they could ever receive, and far more to our industry than we could ever return.”
 
For nearly four decades, Krenz was an energetic defender and communicator of all that is right about archery and bowhunting. Businessman, writer, speaker, video and television personality and grassroots bowhunter and archer, Krenz demonstrated an unwavering vision and commitment to promoting archery and bowhunting worldwide.
 
His career included 20 years in the archery industry with PSE, Hoyt and Bear, and a lifetime as a journalist and communicator, sharing the excitement and the passion found in our world’s wild places.
 
He and Sherry founded Zebra Publishing in 1998 and launched “Inside Archery,” a title that quickly became the industry’s number one trade magazine. The launch of “Bowhunt America” magazine a short time later balanced the “Inside Archery” offering with a consumer title that has become well respected in the marketplace. Both publications continue their mission today.
 
“Bill was not only an outstanding outdoor writer and editor, he was also a passionate participant in the sports of archery and Bowhunting,” McAninch said. “He was committed to portraying bowhunting in a respectful, ethical manner. Bill also was a strong advocate of the archery industry and worked to support the success of all the companies with whom he worked.”
 
Nominations for the Fred Bear Award are accepted from all archery industry journalists and professionals. Nominations may be made on the POMA website.
 
For more information, contact:
 
Laurie Lee Dovey, Executive Director
Professional Outdoor Media Association
lldovey@professionaloutdoormedia.org
814-525-6989
 
Amy Hatfield, Communications Manager
Archery Trade Association
amyhatfield@archerytrade.org
 
About the Organizations
 
Professional Outdoor Media Association, www.professionaloutdoormedia.org
 
Mission:  The Professional Outdoor Media Association is a group of individual communicators and Corporate Partners who believe in, defend, support and promote the heritage of hunting, fishing, shooting, trapping and traditional outdoor sports through writing, photography and other means. By doing so, members hope to educate the general public about these sports and encourage more participation in them. The organization serves the membership by helping members grow professionally, improve their skills, better their working environments and enhance their businesses.
 
Archery Trade Association, www.archerytrade.org
 
Since 1953 ATA has been the trade association for manufacturers, retailers, distributors, sales representatives and others working in the archery and bowhunting industry. ATA is dedicated to making the industry profitable by decreasing business overhead, and reducing taxes and government regulation while increasing participation in archery and bowhunting. ATA owns and manages the ATA Trade Show, the archery and bowhunting industry’s largest and longest running trade show worldwide.

*As published at www.GlobalOutfitters.com

By Kevin Reese

When considering hunter ethics, the most important element beyond the scope of wildlife conservation and habitat preservation is shot placement. Good bowhunters understand this critical ingredient and practice year round to ensure their prey receive nothing short of best efforts from confident, ethical integrity-minded sportsmen. 

As a matter of shot placement, accuracy and consistency are key. Many say practice is the only answer to consistently accurate shot placement; while this is true, it’s not the entire formula; well tuned equipment is also vital to your accuracy. Confidence in your equipment is as important as competence in your shooting abilities. Archers of all ages struggle with shot placement at some level whether dealing with target panic, buck fever, improper form or a bow in need of proper tuning; they key to mistake-proofing is using the process of elimination.

 Ensure your bow is well tuned, including timing, tiller, center shot, etc. and that your shooting equipment matches your needs, i.e. correctly spined arrows. Once you are sure of your equipment, ensure your shooting is consistent and accurate; at this point, accuracy doesn’t necessarily mean you’re making great shots, it simply means you are grouping your arrows and establishing a pattern. Now it’s time to sight in your bow.

Here’s a simple to tip to make sighting-in a bit easier.  Consider a cross, or crosshairs – a cross pattern is made of both a vertical and horizontal line; the point at which those lines meet is the bullseye. The problem most archers have when sighting in is that they focus on the bullseye as a point of aim instead of one line at a time.

Pick a side of your target specifically used for sighting-in and tape or spray paint a cross that spans the entire target. Decide which line you would like to aim at first; I like to aim at the horizontal line so we’ll begin there. Aim at only at that horizontal line and shoot well to the left of the vertical line. Move your aiming point to the right a couple of inches and put your pin on that horizontal line again, shoot, then move your aim to the right a few inches and shoot again; continue shooting at the horizontal line, moving from left to right, until you establish a consistent vertical distance above or below that horizontal line. If you consistently shoot below the horizontal line, adjust your pin or sight elevation down. Conversely, if you’re shooting above the horizontal line, adjust your pin or sight elevation up. ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR ARROW WHEN ADJUSTING YOUR SIGHT!

Now, follow the same method for adjusting your windage (left to right adjustments). From the top and moving down every few inches between shots, aim only at the vertical line and shoot enough arrows to consistently show a pattern of hitting either to the left or right of that line. If you are hitting to the left of the line, adjust your sight to the left; if you are hitting to the right, adjust your sight to the right. Again, ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR ARROW WHEN ADJUSTING YOUR SIGHT!

Many people understand how to sight-in a bow; however, many struggle with the process because they concentrate on hitting both lines at the same time. Sighting-in on one line at a time simplifies the process by concentrating your focus on one broad focal point – just try to hit the line, period. When you adjust to hit one line and then the next, your next shot will be exactly where you need it – in the vitals.  

Hunt hard, hunt often.

Kevin can be reached at kevinr@just-hunt.com for questions and comments.

MISSOULA, Mont.–Grunting and squealing, growling and screaming, America’s best elk callers are headed to Las Vegas to vie for a world title.

The 2012 RMEF/Leupold World Elk Calling Championships will be held as part of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) convention and International Sportsmen’s Exposition, Feb. 2-4, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The raucous event is open to the public.

Elk are the most vocal species of North American deer. The signature call is a “bugle,” a loud, high-pitched whistle or scream used during mating season by bulls trying to attract cows and advertise their dominance to other bulls. Bulls also grunt at cows straying from their harem. Cows bark to warn of danger, mew to keep track of each other and whine to signal distress. Calves bleat when they are lost.

Mimicking these sounds has been a competitive sport for almost 25 years, but 2012 will be the RMEF/Leupold World Elk Calling Championships’ first time in Las Vegas.

“This event is always a spectacle,” said David Allen, president and CEO of RMEF, a conservation organization focused on conserving and stewarding elk habitat. “It’s been featured by The New York Times and CBS Sunday Morning, and now we’re pleased to introduce this competition to a city that appreciates spectacles like no one else.”

“If a bull elk shows up and rips the doors off the Las Vegas Convention Center, at least you’ll know why,” he joked.

Competition is held in six divisions: professional, men’s, women’s, natural voice, youth (age 11-17) and pee-wee (age 10 and under). Amateur-level callers have 30 seconds to make general cow elk sounds, followed by bull sounds. Professionals are required to make specific calls such as bugles and barks. Most callers blow across a latex reed placed inside the mouth. In the natural voice division, however, no reeds are allowed. A variety of plastic tubes are used like megaphones, giving the sounds realistic resonance.

Judges–biologists, naturalists and hunters–score each competitor anonymously.

Prizes and cash ranging from $500 to $2,500 will be awarded for first- through third-place in all six divisions.

Prize sponsors include Leupold, Block Fusion, Cabela’s, Horn Hunter Packs, Hoyt, Kershaw Knives, Montana Decoy, Montana Silversmiths, New Archery Products (NAP), Remington, Schnee’s and Traditions Performance Firearms.

Defending world champions: Professional Division–Corey Jacobsen, Boise, Idaho; Men’s Division–Dirk Durham, Moscow, Idaho; Women’s Division–Misty Jacobsen, Priest River, Idaho; Natural Voice Division–Michael Hatten, Elko, Nev.; Youth Division–Greg Hubbell Jr., Belmont, Calif.; Pee-Wee Division–Colton Crawford, McMinnville, Ore.

To compete in the 2012 RMEF/Leupold World Elk Calling Championships, see complete rules, registration info and entry fees posted at www.rmef.org.

Preliminary rounds of competition begin Fri., Feb. 3, at 10:00 a.m. Finals begin Sat., Feb. 4, at 9:00 a.m., followed by awards and crowning of new world champions.

Spectator seating is included with daily admission to the RMEF convention and expo: $12 per person, free for youth 15 and under, and free for active military with military ID.

The expo includes attractions, displays and activities for the whole family, plus 385 exhibiting companies in booths filled with outfitted hunting and fishing opportunities, art, gear, firearms and everything elk and outdoors. Hourly seminars led by authorities detail hunting strategies, destinations and gear; urban and wilderness survival; fishing; and travel nearby and around the world. Cabela’s will sponsor game-calling clinics. International Sportsmen’s Expositions, which produces America’s premier hunting, fishing and travel shows, is managing the exhibit hall and expo. Expo hours: Thurs., Feb. 2, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Fri., Feb. 3, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Sat., Feb. 4, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The convention, expo and RMEF/Leupold World Elk Calling Championships help raise awareness and funding for conservation. In 2011, RMEF passed the 6 million acre-mark in habitat conserved or enhanced for elk and other wildlife. In Nevada alone, RMEF has completed 190 different conservation projects affecting 275,870 acres.
About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
RMEF is leading a conservation initiative that has protected or enhanced habitat on over 6 million acres–an area larger than Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Great Smoky Mountains national parks combined. RMEF also is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. RMEF members, partners and volunteers, working together as Team Elk, are making a difference all across elk country. Join us at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

About International Sportsmen’s Expositions (ISE):
Founded in 1975, ISE produces five consumer sportsman shows across the western United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada (Las Vegas) and Utah. Check dates and show special events at www.SportsExpos.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – Families are making plans now to attend the
Western Hunting and Conservation Expo (WHCE) here Feb. 9-12 at the
Salt Palace Convention Center. On pace to set records with
235,000-square-feet, new hands-on activities, world class
entertainment, special big game tag drawings, outdoor celebrities and
more than 400 exhibitors, WHCE has become “the outdoor show to
attend,” according to organizers Miles Moretti, President and CEO of
the Mule Deer Foundation, and Byron Bateman, President of Sportsmen
for Fish & Wildlife.

Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with hundreds of
exhibitors, including guides, outfitters, manufacturers, conservation
leaders, wildlife agency staff, lodge owners, artists, hunting VIPs,
clothiers, jewelers and others. Adults and children will enjoy acres
of world class taxidermy displays.

A highly anticipated new attraction for 2012 is the “Youth Wildlife
Conservation Experience.” Throughout the Expo, youngsters will
participate in interactive outdoor and conservation-related
activities like laser, air gun and archery shooting ranges, plus
wildlife identification and CSI habitat scavenger hunt. There will
also be free gifts and a youth gun drawing.

Adults and youngsters can enter the indoor archery competition
sponsored by Rick V Hunt Adventures and Stickflipper Archery. And
they can attend free seminars, like Official B & C Scoring by Rusty
Hall and Bow Hunting Tricks and Techniques with Shawn Monson and
Anthony Dixon of Full Moon Productions. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy will
be Talkin’ Huntin’ on Sat., Feb. 11, at 3 p.m.

Ladies won’t want to miss the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party on Fri., Feb.
10, at 11:30 a.m., featuring Dueling Pianos and a “Most Unusual Hat
Contest.” This fun-filled afternoon of female camaraderie is
sponsored by Sisel and Barrick North America.

Hunters can apply for 200 of Utah’s Premiere Big Game tags through a
unique partnership with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Non-residents of Utah can apply for all the tags, and as a special
incentive, five of the 200 tags will be available for non-residents
only. There will also be at least 15 sheep hunts given away.
Additionally, the WHCE boasts the largest collection of State
Auctions (Governor’s Tags) gathered together in one place!

In the evenings, the WHCE features gala dinners with celebrity
speakers, awards, entertainment and thrilling auctions. This year’s
entertainment will include Jeff Foxworthy and country music stars
Craig Morgan and Daniel Lee Martin.

The WHCE combines the very best in hunting expositions with a joint
national convention between two major North American wildlife
conservation organizations – the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) and
Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife. MidwayUSA is the official sponsor for
the Expo.

The WHCE is the main fundraiser behind MDF’s mission to conserve mule
deer, black-tailed deer and their habitat. Other goals supported
through the WHCE include recruitment and retention of youth into the
shooting sports and conservation, and MDF’s support of regulated
hunting as a viable component of wildlife conservation.

Daily admission is $20 per person, and multi-day discount packages
are available. Save $50 on the WHCE Full Registration Package by
registering by Feb. 1, 2012.

Don’t miss this exciting and important event for conservation. Get
more information or register for the Western Hunting and Conservation
Expo at www.huntexpo.com.

Contact: Miles Moretti
Tel.: 1-888-375-DEER
E-mail: president@muledeer.org
(photos available)

About MDF
The Mule Deer Foundation is one of the key conservation groups in
North America working to restore, improve and protect mule deer,
black-tailed deer and their habitat. With a focus on science and
program efficiency, MDF has raised millions of dollars and put
countless hours on the ground for mission-critical projects. MDF
acknowledges regulated hunting as a viable management component and
is committed to recruitment and retention of youth into the shooting
sports and conservation. Get involved at www.muledeer.org or call
1-888-375-DEER.

About SFW
Headquartered in North Salt Lake, Utah, Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife
is a charitable, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The mission of
SFW is to promote the protection and enhancement of wildlife habitat,
assist in providing quality wildlife management programs, educating
the public about the role hunters play in wildlife conservation, and
perpetuating the family tradition of hunting and fishing. Visit
www.sfw.net or call 801-936-1386.

A Bowhunter’s Legacy

*As published at www.GlobalOutfitters.com

ByKevin Reese

We snuck around the outcropping of mesquites then froze in our tracks. I looked back at my huntin’ buddy and put my finger to my lips. Shhhh. Slowly pushing through the briars brought us to a clearing where our prey its destiny. My buddy stayed behind me, holding onto my shirt to keep his balance. I steadied my bow and came to full draw. I could feel my buddy’s excitement building as he wringed the back of my shirt. Thwack! The jackrabbit ran frantically through the briars but escape was futile; he piled up a short 15 yards away. I turned and fell to my knees as my buddy rushed in for a high-five, “Congrats, dad!” The hug that followed was a reminder of one of few bigger-than-life reasons we fight so fiercely to protect our outdoor heritage.

What were you expecting, a bunch of guys hunting trophy whitetails? A day in the woods with my son is much better than that! A mountain of memories has been piled upon that distant day yet the details are no less vivid. Whether remembering the first time he watched a buck clear a barb-wire fence or the day he conquered his fear of heights by conquering my treestand, the memories never fade – only fuel my desire to share more with him; watching him develop his own appreciation for the outdoors while thanking God for its splendor is a blessing in its own right.

At home, we sit in the deer-stand (our couch). With his bow (and suction cup arrows) at the ready, we silently sit in wait for the trophy of our dreams to trek across our television screen. I watch him draw his bow, then release. His arrow finds its mark on our television screen with a puck. He’s harvested some incredible trophies!

Not long ago, as I tucked him in, he asked the question that truly validates the effort and time we’ve taken to begin building his legacy, “Daddy, can I have your truck?” Puzzled, I asked him why but wasn’t prepared for his answer, “So I can take you hunting when I grow up.” I came dangerously close to opening a floodgate of tears. “Yes, you can have my truck when you grow up.”

I share the same joy as him, perhaps more so, I suspect. For me it’s not as much about the fun as it is about my legacy and our outdoor heritage. When I see him smiling back at me, I think, my son is the future of our outdoor heritage. I think about the legacy I hope to leave him and the lessons he continues to learn such as patience, discipline, self-control, self-reliance, confidence, ethics, reasoning, decision-making, respect for our natural resources and appreciation for the miracle of life and permanence of death; however, the most important lesson he is learning is how to build that same legacy or better in a concerted effort to guarantee enjoyment of our outdoors and the teaching of those same invaluable lessons for generations to come. I look forward to the day when I can honestly say he’s a chip off the ol’ block. What could be better than that?

Hunt hard, hunt often.

Kevin can be reached at kevinr@just-hunt.com for questions and comments.

Seven Tips Every Extreme Hunter Should Know

*As published at www.GlobalOutfitters.com

By Kevin Reese

Cold weather bowhunting offers great opportunities to see and harvest some of our nation’s finest trophies in some of the most pristine environments on the planet; however, doing so comes at a price. Do you have what it takes to stand up against brutal subzero conditions? Hunting deer in some of Montana’s most brutal, bone-chilling environments, where survival is dependent on preparation and on the fly decision making has taught me some valuable lessons. Here are the top seven:

Stand Guard… in Layers!

Dressing for cold weather hunting is not as much about dressing in layers as what comprises the layers. Starting with a moisture-wicking under garment like Under Armour is a great way to suppress moisture, by way of perspiration. The next layer, also good as the initial base layer is a set of polypropylene thermal underwear. Polypropylene also possesses great moisture wicking, great drying, breathing and insulating characteristics. The next layer may be comprised of fleece. Fleece shares the nearly the same insulating ability as wool at half the weight; however, because of its inability to protect from biting wind, I do not recommend it as your outer layer. My personal choice for an outer layer is wool. Yes, wool is heavy, but it’s virtually waterproof, protects well from the brutal whipping wind and has a phenomenal insulating factor. And, because bulk is a bowhunter’s enemy, wool is quieter and far less bulky than most down outer wear applications. Because we also spend a lot of time on our feet, heat loss via conduction is a serious concern. My premier choice for footwear is a 1600-gram Thinsulate waterproof hunting boot at mid-calf height; coupled with wool socks and ThermaCELL’s new Heated Insoles, the combination cannot be beat! Turn the ThermaCELL Heated Insoles to the high setting of 111 degrees and you’ll swear your sitting fireside!

Hypo What?

Hypothermia! It’s the number one killer of ill-prepared hunters in blistering cold conditions. Hypothermia attacks when your body temperature drops to a point that impacts normal metabolism and your body is incapable of replenishing lost heat, usually around 95 degrees. As hypothermia quickly progresses uncontrollable shivering and mental confusion set in leaving a slightly disoriented hunter utterly lost and incapable of making critical, sound decisions. The number one catalyst for a healthy dose of hypothermia is moisture. Killing moisture at its onset is critical to combating opportunities to develop hypothermia.

Keep it Covered!

Keep every exposed part of your body covered, at least within reason. We can’t very well run around like wool mummies but we can protection from conduction as mentioned above. A fleece or wool balaclava is perfect for dangerously cold temperatures where frostbite is a concern on exposed skin and ice particles may be as comfortable to breathe in as you would like. Good boots and insulated bowhunting gloves also are essential to protect against frostbite.

Compression is King!

As mentioned above, wool is a great choice as an outer garment not just because of its great insulating properties but also because unlike other bulky garments, wool is generally flat, laying close to your body contour. Before hunting in cold weather, dress in all layers you expect to hunt in and practice. Ensure there is no contact between you, your bow and your string. Also make sure your layers do not inhibit your ability to shoot with proper form and anchor in the proper place. Contact with layers must be dealt with and can be improved by applying a compression sock to the forearm of your forward hand and even an outer belt around your torso, if necessary.

Survival is Serious Business!

Carry a first aid kit and outdoor survival kit including water-resistant matches or a lighter, fire starters, a compass and or a GPS, your cell phone, emergency blanket, poncho and other items in your backpack. You may laugh but I also carry my ThermaCELL mosquito repellant unit. ThermaCELL operates by igniting a butane cartridge via a spark; one cartridge can burn for as long as four hours. In a pinch, that ThermaCELL unit does a great job of warming hands and other things and the butane may come in handy as a fire starter if you find yourself in survival mode! Great resources expanding on first aid and survival kits can easily be found via your internet search engine.

Eat Like a King!

 High calorie foods also are suggested; your metabolism has more to do with your body heat than many people realize. You must have calorie intake to keep your metabolism at a normal state. Slowing of your metabolism as a result of calorie intake can lead to loss of body heat and hypothermia.

Plan Your Hunt, Hunt Your Plan!

Having a plan before you hit the woods just makes survival sense! Adhering to a good plan only increases your chances of having a successful, memorable and safe hunt. However, things can and do happen when we least expect it. Anytime you venture into the woods, especially in extreme, life threatening temperatures, make sure you outline your hunt as much as possible. Include detailed information about your hunt locations, dates, times of travel, trail markers, companies, outfitters, other hunters in your party including contact information, etc. Leave a copy of all of your plans with someone you trust who is not going with you. If the unthinkable happens, people are more apt to effect product searches by using a copy of your itinerary and hunt plan.

Kevin can be reached at kevinr@just-hunt.com for questions and comments.

Inside the Mind of a Bowhunter

*As published at www.GlobalOutfitters.com

By Kevin Reese

 Friend and owner of Hardcore Huntin’ Music, Steve Conover says it best in a song from his Hardcore Huntin’ Hits CD entitled Real Tree Hugger. “Rise, kill and eat. That’s good enough for me. It’s a tree huggin’ way of life.” The shortest way to explain a real tree hugger is simply to provide sustenance for their family; however, hidden in the shadow of simple provision lies the complexity of what truly drives a tree huggin’ bowhunter into the woods. Human nature, spiritual fulfillment and the flat-out adrenaline rush that follows a double-lung shot at close range are a few of those complexities that keep us in the woods day after day, season after season with stick and string in hand.

Proud Providers

There is no debating our primary objective. While the “journey” and coinciding memories are a the heart of a successful hunt, there is no denying the principle reason we are hunting and passing on our heritage as hunters. We are either providing or teaching to provide. If we weren’t trying to fill the freezer we couldn’t really call it hunting, could we? We were perfectly designed to provide and by nature our instincts tell us we must in order to ensure survival. While we have any number of other options to provide in this day and age, the nature of provision has never loosened its grip. If anything it has become the driving force behind our total bowhunting experience; leaving us not just as providers but considering our means of take there truly is a sense of pride in success.

Finding YOUR Center-Shot

Establishing your center-shot in archery involves a tuning technique that perfectly aligns your arrow with your limbs, string, bow sight and arrow rest. With finely tuned center-shot your arrows fly much truer; there’s a certain raw beauty in good arrow flight that assures us we’ll hit our mark if everything we’ve done up to the point of release is also aligned.

While rifle hunters scratch their heads at a bowhunter’s shear tenacity in the stand, we seldom call it tenacity ourselves. We call it exorcising our inner demons, reversing our priorities and clearing out our waste baskets of meaningless-busyness. While rifle hunters wonder how we can spend countless hours waiting on one good shot, we wonder how they miss the greatest trophy of all… finding your center-shot.

Look ‘Em in the Eye

I love a good hunting story. I’ve listened to scores of tall tales about spectacular kills from afar, fogged scopes, misfires at the moment of truth and perfect shots; however, a vast majority of the stories lack what a bowhunter craves most – intimacy. Certain intangible rewards reveal themselves to every bowhunter during the most critical moments that rifle hunters rarely experience. Look ‘em in the eye. Witness the haunting thud of your arrow as it pushes through hide and into the vitals. Experience the adrenaline of up close and personal hunting where you know your prey on a level rifle hunters simply do not understand or embrace.

Guts, Grit and Glory

This is where guts meet grit head on; the place where a bowhunter’s story rivets the rifle hunter; it rarely happens the other way around. Embracing the opportunity to get outdoors and close the distance means embracing the good, bad and ugly of bowhunting. Doing so surely leads to the one intangible reward bowhunters crave more than meat on the table – glory! Nothing plays in the mind and on the heartstrings of a bowhunter more than glory. Some would call it the X-factor. Whatever you call it; few rifle hunters ever experience it.  

…and they think we’re crazy!

Hunt hard, hunt often.

Support my friend and fellow tree hugger Steve Conover! His music is “by, for and about hunters.”

Like him on Facebook at:  http://www.facebook.com/HardcoreHuntinMusic

Click “Share” on Hardcore Huntin’ Music’s Facebook page then email HuntingMusic@mail.com to receive a free .mp3 of his hit song Real Tree Hugger!

Buy Steve Conover’s CD, Hardcore Hunting Hits, at www.HuntingMusicCD.com or in iTunes format at www.HuntingMusic.com.  

Kevin can be reached at kevinr@just-hunt.com for questions and comments.

Listen, Scout & Know Before You Go!

*As published at www.GlobalOutfitters.com

By Kevin Reese

I knew I was going to be hunting there and had the time to go. He even invited me to help check stands, etc. but I declined; I was simply too busy. The result of my inability to “make time” was the excruciating hunt I describe for you below.

The Cost of Poor Planning

My guts wrenched as panic struck. I watched as the sun rose while frantically scanning the ground below. 20 feet up in my climbing stand, I succumbed to the brutal realization that what I thought was a trail in front of me was simply the remnants of one. The searing heat radiating through my insides intensified when my eyes locked on a super highway not more than 100 yards to my right; it was heavily cloaked by a mesquite thicket but would have been easily seen in the daylight. The sight was double upsetting than simply hunting an old trail, and it got worse. Over my right shoulder where I never expected to shoot was a significant branch covered in trash, completely blocking any potential for a shot regardless of distance; the only remaining shooting lanes were to the front and on my left side at 90 degrees. With daylight now sweeping away the shadows, it was too late to adjust. I rattled quite a bit and brought in several great bucks that hit a doe trail early on and blew me off. I could have rappelled from my treestand and it wouldn’t have made any difference to them.

Several of the bucks I rattled in would have been considered a trophy in anyone’s book; they had mass, points, spread, maturity, everything! However, the only one I pulled within range of my ill-planned setup was young 6-point. It was nice to watch him from a distance of only five yards but frustrating at the same time. While watching those bucks file down the super highway in the distance and witnessing this young buck eating grass at such close range, all I could think about was “I can’t… I’m too busy.” If I would have spent even 30 minutes walking the area weeks before, I would have known exactly where to place my stand in that general area. The result was that my stand was hung in the worst possible area and in the worst direction.

Fool Me Twice… Shame on Me!

It was like rewinding a video tape to a previous year’s hunt. I thought I had learned my lesson but obviously had not. I’m reminded of an old adage, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” I don’t think it ever applied to my hunting life anymore than in those two hunts combined. The good news is I am still able to get into a climbing stand (or any other) and easily trek back up a tree. Lord willing, that ability will continue to exist for many years to come so I have ample opportunities to make good on lessons learned.

My advice is simply to walk on the rocks I stumble on; learn from my mistakes and hard-learned missteps to avoid pitfalls like the one I described above. The easiest way to prevent epic failures in your hunting experiences is by listening to people, scouting and learning about the animals you pursue. Be prepared for as many situations as you can dream up, especially with bowhunting where every detail is critical. In the end, success and mistakes combined, hunting is more about the journey than the end of a blood trail.  

Hunt hard, hunt often.

Kevin can be reached at kevinr@just-hunt.com for questions and comments.

Media contact: Steve Wagner, Blue Heron Communications, 800-654-3766, steve@blueheroncomm.com.
MISSOULA, Mont.–In the Idaho panhandle, on the south face of the Cabinet Mountains overlooking Lake Pend Oreille, 921 acres of elk and moose wintering range have been permanently secured for wildlife habitat and public access in a land-exchange deal finalized Dec. 22.

The swap between Stimson Lumber Co. and the Idaho Panhandle National Forests was made possible in part by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Formerly owned by Stimson Lumber, the 921 acres are now part of the adjoining Idaho Panhandle National Forests. In exchange, Stimson received a similar amount of U.S. Forest Service acreage in the form of small isolated tracts that are not connected to the main body of the national forest.

All of the lands involved are in Bonner County, Idaho.

RMEF staff helped broker the deal and RMEF volunteers in Idaho raised money to help cover project costs.

“This project is good for elk, moose, deer and other wildlife because it protects habitat in a scenic area that’s disappearing beneath summer-home developments. Plus, larger contiguous public lands are more easily managed for elk than small, isolated tracts,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We would like to thank the Bonner County Sportsmen’s Association and Litehouse Foods for their financial assistance with this project. We would especially like to thank Stimson Lumber for their patience through a long process.”

The project, originally dubbed the Rising Cougar Land Exchange, then renamed as the Hope-Sagle Land Exchange, took 10 years to complete.

The newly acquired public lands provide an ideal location for developing a new access point into the existing Idaho Panhandle National Forests trail system.

“This exchange provides excellent benefits to wildlife and recreation in north Idaho. We are thankful for the support of the partners to this transaction, especially RMEF and Bonner County Sportsmen, and the local communities who helped make this happen,” said Idaho Panhandle National Forests Supervisor Mary Farnsworth.

“This exchange benefits wildlife, the land and generations of people in northern Idaho.  Our company has been patient over the past 10 years to complete this exchange. Doing the ‘right thing’ just took a while to complete,” said Stimson Vice President Ray Jones.
About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
RMEF is leading a conservation initiative that has protected or enhanced habitat on over 6 million acres–an area larger than Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Great Smoky Mountains national parks combined. RMEF also is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. RMEF members, partners and volunteers, working together as Team Elk, are making a difference all across elk country. Join us at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Dead Down Wind proudly participated in the 7th Annual SCI Low Country Chapter Wounded Warrior and WheelchairHunt at Nemours Plantation in South Carolina held on Oct. 24-25, 2011.

Four Dead Down Wind pro staffers worked as volunteers during the hunt. Gus Congemi, host of Live the Wild Life, and co-host Ernie Wojtysiak were on hand to film the hunt for theTV show and distribute Dead Down Wind gift bags to the hunters. Congemi said each gift bag contained numerous scent-prevention products to aid in the hunters’ success.

 
“Attending this hunt was important  to my  pro staff and me,” Congemi, says.  “Pro staffer Mike Gilbert is a retired Army 1st SGT. Pro staffer Mike Leavitt’s father is retired military, and my daughter is a West Point graduate actively serving as a Captain in the Army. These ties to the military made us feel strongly about giving any support we could to this event and our troops.  We wanted to give something back to those who serve our country.”

Fifty hunters, including 30 Wounded Warriors, 10 adult disabled hunters and 10 sick or injured youngsters participated in the hunt, and more than 200 volunteers lended a hand. Hunters took 14 deer and two hogs during the two-day hunt.

” Support for the organization allows it to expand its Disabled Hunter programs and inspire other groups and organizations to get involved in offering similar outdoor activities for the benefit of wounded warriors, sick youngsters and disabled adults,” Mark Peterson, SCI Low Country Chapter Disabled Hunter & Wounded Warrior program coordinator, says. “Every year hunters have inspirational stories of courage, perseverance and faith to share. They are stories that deserve to be told, especially the stories of service and sacrifice by the Wounded Warriors.”

For more information on Dead Down Wind, visit them online at http://www.deaddownwind.com/.

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