2019 Summer Issue - American Outdoor Revolution

Photo Credit, Caleb Copeland

Article By, Mike Burnside Photo Credit, Caleb Copeland When you think of going on a coastal brown bear hunt in Alaska, you think of all the planning and preparation that takes place; I had just over two months from the time I found out I was going to the beginning of the hunt. Sometimes it really pays to be lucky!

You see, on June 30, 2017, I submitted a video on the Facebook page of DiamondBlade Knives as to why I should be chosen to go on an Alaskan hunt for either moose or coastal brown bear in late September, 2017. I made it to the top ten videos and after a telephone interview, was selected for the top three from which they drew my name as the winner on July 15; I would leave Anchorage, Alaska on September 23, 2017.

As part of the hunt, Josh Dahlke with the internet-based hunting show The Hunger would be along for documenting the hunt and Caleb Copeland would be filming all aspects of the hunt. This in turn meant sponsors of the show would be supplying most gear for the hunt, keeping the good luck rolling!

I have been fortunate to do many self-guided public land hunts in the western United States so I was able to get myself in condition for the hunt. Being self-employed let me move my schedule around so I could have the time off, and my wife has flexibility with her schedule so she could be able to be home to care for our adult daughter, who is physically disabled and requires care from one of us. With the details taken care of, the hunt was on!

I met up with Josh and Caleb in Anchorage on September 22nd, and we boarded a plane for Cordova, Alaska on the 23rd. From there, we were shuttled by a smaller airplane to the lodge. We would be hunting with Mr. Charles Allen, the owner of DiamondBlade Knives and Knives of Alaska and is also a registered Alaska Master Big-Game Guide. He owns and operates the Alaska Expedition Company (www.alaskaexpeditioncompany), where the fishing and hunting operations are based along the Tsiu River, renowned for its’ silver salmon fishing.

Upon arrival at the lodge in the early afternoon, we bought our licenses, got settled in, and verified zero on the rifle; with those tasks behind us, we went to the river to experience the silver salmon fishing. And experience it we did; the salmon didn’t seem to notice I hadn’t used a fly rod in over twenty-five years! While watching a few bears enjoy their fishing, we caught many fresh run salmon ourselves.

The next morning involved moving upriver by flat bottom boat, moving through shallow water, and stopping to hunt potential bear feeding areas. Seeing bears at 500 to 700 yards upstream was one thing but stalking close enough for a shot was an entirely different matter.

Walking along the river on bear trails, with the thick tangle of brush growing right up to the river, kept you guarded that a bear encounter could happen at any time. All told that first day, I spotted seventeen bears from cubs up to three large boars. As happens so many times, the reality of why they call it hunting would bring me back down to earth.

Day two brought us to hunting with no bear sightings for the first part of the day; we changed locations and hunted a tributary stream feeding into the Tsiu River. This change of scenery didn’t produce any

bear sightings. As we ended the day, moving back downstream at dusk, we spotted a large boar at 400 yards along the river’s edge, slinking into the brush; this bear became the only one spotted this day.

The third morning found me riding a four-wheeler with Charles Allen before daylight heading towards the river launch point, stopping and walking to a tall sand dune, and to set up for glassing.

Within minutes, we had located several bears from 200 to 600 yards away. The largest boar was 600 yards and after some time began quartering towards us. We gathered our gear and moved quickly 200 yards towards his travel path, sitting on the edge of a dune. He would pass by within 120 yards in front of our position. As he reached 110 yards, he stopped with a drift log covering the bottom part of his body. I hesitated in taking the shot, knowing to take a heart shot if possible. That momentary hesitation turned into five seconds and the bear caught our wind, turned, and ran back in the direction he came from. Knowing opportunities like that may come along only once weighed on me the rest of the day, as we saw very few bears with no other mature boars sighted.

The fourth day found our area under a high wind advisory with a front moving in. We did venture out for a couple of hours and fought the driving rain and gale force winds and were rewarded with spotting two bears, one of which appeared to be a good bear at 700 yards.

The sixth morning of my seven-day hunt found us heading to where we had spotted the bear the previous evening; we would park the four wheelers and walk to set up on a sand dune, hopefully intercepting the bear as he traveled back to the timber for his daytime slumber. As we got into position, we spotted a bear walking towards us from 400 yards out. I rested my gun on the shooting sticks, counting on the bear crossing in front of me at a distance of 100 yards. He meandered slowly, giving us plenty of time to prepare and for my heart to really begin to race. In the coming light, another bear was spotted in the distance from where we had traveled. After spotting the bear again, we pointed him out to Charles and he glassed him for evaluation. After he looked both bears over, he stated I needed to take the bear that was walking to us from the other direction.

I immediately turned to 4 o’clock from my position, steadied the sticks and found the bear in the scope. As I found him, the brute had also spotted us and raised up on his hind legs at a distance of 89 yards. As the crosshairs settled on his chest, Charles whispered to take the shot when I could. I immediately fired the .338 Winchester Magnum, hitting him in the chest. As he came down, I followed up with the other three rounds in the rifle as he walked and stumbled for another 20 yards. After giving him plenty of time to expire, we walked over to see the brute. This was an instance when there was no ground shrinkage upon getting to the magnificent animal! This old boar measured approximately 9 ½’ and after the 60 day drying period, he measures approximately ½” above the Boone and Crockett minimum of 26”. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the ages!

Article by, Robert Fenton Photo credit: Jeff Fasano “If you need a little turn it up Friday night / A crowd with their hands and the cans up high / Wanna raise one with the raise-hell kind / We the people / We the people with the needle in the red on cruise / Out setting fire to a neon moon / Wrecking them backroads reppin’ our roots / We the people” –Colt Ford, “We The People” single and video Country rap pioneer Colt Ford is talking about his latest single, “We The People,” the first release from his upcoming album (We The People, Volume 1) that’s due out in 2019. With “twangy electric guitars, pounding drums and saw-tooth fiddles,” raved the Sounds Like Nashville website, it’s a song about unification--no matter race, color or religious affiliation.

But, as Colt points out, “It’s not a political song--it’s a song about enjoying one another, finding a way to get along, finding a way to have fun, finding a way to continue to build this country and this world into a better place. Music has a way of bringing people together and that’s what this song is all about.”

For the album project, Colt—who has achieved over 1 Billion streams and sold over 2 million albums—has completed almost 30 songs, with the second volume of the album to come out in 2020. “I just want to keep making better music, the best music I can make,” he told the newspaper. “I just want to give the fans the best I can and push the boundaries yet remain who I am.”

Colt stays closely connected to his fans by engaging with them on social media where he has over 2.5 million followers. Describing his career overall, Sounds Like Nashville wrote: “Ford has six studio albums and a longstanding reputation for edgy, all-star collaborations under his belt–the most recent being with Brantley Gilbert and Lukas Nelson on “Welcome to Hazeville.”

Lately he’s been teaming with up-and-coming artists from his Average Joes Entertainment record label like Sarah Ross and Sam Grow.” On his last album Love Hope Faith, Colt Ford sang in the song “No Rest”: “You can kill the lights and the amplifiers/But dreams don’t care if you’re tired.” Colt Ford continues to live out his boyhood dream–the one where you “wake up on a mission/to buy that beat-up Gibson,” as he further sings on “No Rest.” Love Hope Faith is exactly that, a message to his loyal fan base, and a strike against the divisiveness plaguing our country, celebrating the

things that bring us together – friends, family, our faith in a better future.

Featuring such guests as Music City stalwarts Brad Paisley (“Lookin’ for a Hand Out”), Toby Keith (“Time Flies”), Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley and brother Josh (“Young Americans”) and veteran rockers Lit (“I’m Mud”); promising newcomers like Waterloo Revival’s Cody Cooper and George Birge (“Dynamite”), Tyler Farr (“My Truck”), Taylor Ray Holbrook (“Reload”), Javier Colon (“No Rest”) and Granger Smith (“Keepin’ It Real”), Love Hope Faith is the ultimate populist country record, featuring a little something for everyone.

“I’m just trying to bring people together,” says the Georgia native, a one-time golf pro who still frequents the links and the cofounder/owner of his own Average Joes Entertainment. “There’s so much conflict out there, it’s hard to decide who’s right and who’s wrong.” And while he admits to a populist fan base and down-to-earth, “Keepin’ It Real” attitude, Colt cautions, “I’m not a politician. I’m a musician, a performer. We have to get past our differences and find a common ground.” And what better way to do that with Colt Ford’s groundbreaking hybrid of country, blues, rock and rap rhythms, who has built up a following that started with mud trucker events and graduated to arena status sharing the stage with the likes of golfing buddy Toby Keith.

From the statement of beliefs in “Reload” (“We can agree to disagree. That doesn’t make you a bad person, I’m just telling you what I think. If you pet that dog, you might get bit”) and the adolescent dreams of “trying to live big in a small town” in “Young Americans,” singing “Free Bird” and “Free Falllin’ to the country/EDM mash up of “Dirt Road Disco” (“Can there be a more fun song than that?”) and the ode to the joys of running your fingers in the wind of an open car window (“Lookin’ For a Handout”) or “one more shot of Baccardi” in “Time Flies,” Colt Ford breaks boundaries and mends fences along the way.

Continued on page 8

COLT FORD, Continued.

Love Hope Faith was created with some of the leading songwriters in music today, Jeff Hyde (“Lookin’ for a Hand Out”) and Justin David (“Time Flies”) to Jaren Johnston, Neil Mason and Jesse Frasure (“Dirt Road Disco”) to Walker Hayes & Thomas Archer (“No Rest”) and Eric Dodd & Alex Hall (“Dynamite”). Still, it is the sturdy persona of Colt Ford that gives them their consistency. “There are a lot of different styles on this album, but I think my fans will hear it’s just me,” he says. “As long as I remain true to myself, I can delve into all of them. ”Songs like the rock/hip-hop “Dynamite” reference the Scorpions (“rock like a hurricane”), Marvin Gaye (“let’s get it on”), Michael Jackson (“Billie Jean on the radio”) and Jay Z, while the first single, “4 Lane Gone,” sports a full-blown rock intro before settling into a lament for a lost romance in which the individuals are on their separate paths.

“My Truck” is a hilarious “can you top this” playground rank-out session, while the anthemic “I’m Mud” is just that, a self-deprecating, but inyour-face song from the perspective of the dirt below (“I’ve been played on, spit at, kicked until I turned to dust”). “Keepin’ It Real” is just that…

Colt on staying the distance, “headlights on the highway/just keep going… Beer is cold and life is good.” “No Rest” probably sums up Colt’s ambitions on Love Hope Faith, his tribute to being a working musician, what he calls “my version of ‘My Way.’” “I’m proud of that song,” he says. “I think it’s one of the best I’ve ever done.

It’s not just about being a rock star, but accomplishing your dreams, a passion that can’t be stopped.

Anyone who has that drive will appreciate it.

Everybody’s got fears, but when you hear that song, it’s me.” “I built walls… and I’ll be here when they’re gone,” he says, taking the role of “I’m Mud, ”but you know he might as well be talking about himself. Love Hope Faith is Colt Ford’s musical message, one so universal it tears down those walls, then invites everyone into the tent. And with the release of We The People, Volume 1, Colt Ford continues to evolve his artistry and, as only he can, amp things up even further.

Article By, Billy J. Daw My name is Billy J Daw, I'm 27 years old. I'm in a Wheelchair full time because I am paralyzed from waist down due to a condition called Spina- bifida. I was also born with Hydrocephalus, which means water on the brain. I have a tube that runs from my brain, to my heart pumping the water off my brain so I can live. When I was born, the Doctors gave my mom an option to have an abortion because they had told her that I was gonna be born with some type of disability, and that when I was born I would have a lemon shaped head, and that I wouldn't live to see age 13. As you can probably tell, those Doctors were wrong. They told my mom that if I lived past the age of 13 I would be a vegetable and wouldn't live a normal life.

Well here I am 27 years later hunting, fishing and doing all the things I was told I wouldn't do. I don't let my disability stop me from doing what I love. God put me here to inspire people and to let them know that just because life has dealt you a difficult hand, doesn't mean you cant live a normal life and chase your dreams. No matter what happens in life, you must move forward and stay positive. I am the proud owner of an Outdoor page called Wheel Chair Outdoors, and what Wheel Chair Outdoors is about is simply just Inspiring and educating others that if we can do it, then YOU can too. Ive had my Wheel Chair Outdoors page for about 5 years now and it has truly changed my life.

The people Ive met throughout the years because of the Outdoor industry is incredible! Through Wheel Chair Outdoors and meeting new people, Ive also became Pro Staff for some great companies, Like Realtree, Scentlok, Raptorazor Knives, SRB Field Rest, and also Raxx Inc. These companies and the fans of Wheel Chair Outdoors help make Wheel Chair Outdoors what it is today. Ive had many Opportunities to be on Television, Ive been on the Pursuit Channel, The Hunt Channel and also The local news to share my story and to tell the world what God has done for me.

Everyone in the Outdoor industry has one thing in common, helping others, helping each other. Thats what this world needs more of, we all need to come together and help people grow, mentally and physically, and also spiritually! So to all of you who read my story, Don't let anyone tell you what you can and can not do. You can do anything you put your mind to and with God ALL things are possible. Get up, Get Out and Enjoy life in the Great Outdoors!!

The Bond Continues

The issue of veteran suicide has hit close to home recently. As a wounded and disabled veteran, myself, to me personally this issue hits a little closer than to some. I have been in that dark place as well, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. There are many resources after discharge at the VA, your local Vet Center and other fellow veterans. I will talk about a few more here today that have played an active role in my personal situation.

The hardest thing for me was being thrown back into civilian life without the support chain that I had in my unit. After Iraq and Afghanistan, I was not the same person that I was before. Social venues did not interest me, I had a hard time being able to go to the grocery store and getting everything on my list, if my wife and I went out to eat we sat in a corner booth with my back to the wall. Not feeling like I belong. I was more comfortable in Afghanistan on my last deployment, than I feel at home even now. These are just a few of the struggles. I have been in that dark place, but with a strong support chain you can persevere and make it through.

After being medevac in 2013 from Afghanistan, I was sent to Ft. Belvoir in Virginia.

While in the recovery process, there was a group meeting at the USO on Monday’s called Project Healing Waters. I started attending regularly. Bob Gartner is the chapter president and does an amazing job. Especially then, being away from my soldiers, not knowing how they were doing. I felt like I had failed them as a leader. I was not doing that well. Project Healing Waters gave me a therapy that benefited me more than the traditional sit down and talk approach. They teach you how to tie flies, cast, and all-around fly fish. They even go on fishing trips. This was my first taste of therapy through the outdoors. Being an avid outdoorsman, this was perfect for me. I am currently attending school at Lakeland Community College. The Student Veteran Government has partnered with the local chapter of Project Healing Waters to meet on campus once a month. I am absolutely thrilled to have this resource there at school.

A couple of years later, scrolling on Facebook one day in 2015, I came across a post about a wounded and disabled veteran hunt opportunity with a group called the Sportsmen for Heroes Foundation. I decided to send a message to the foundation asking how I may help? Shane Tunnell, a Board Member responded and put me in touch with Sonny Tapia the foundation founder. I wanted to see what the organization was all about. So, in 2016 I headed to Arizona to film the bear camp. I was amazed at the time and effort put into the prep. The guides, cooks, sponsors, everyone is there to make these veterans feel like they are with family. I started hosting a spring turkey hunt in Ohio the same year. Sonny is very passionate about the foundation. I believe that you will never find another man with the drive that Sonny has. They host on average 45 veteran hunts a year with 2 minimum veterans and no more than 4. They try to keep the personal connection involved in the experience. They also accommodate mobility impaired children on hunting adventures. I speak with Shane and Sonny regularly, they have both become like brothers to me over the course of the last few years, along with several other veterans that I have filmed and hunted with or guided throughout that time frame. I even chat with veterans that I have never even met in person on a weekly and monthly basis.

Another family style group is Waterfowler’s for Warriors. Scott Kline is the current Pennsylvania chapter President; he has been there for me on several occasions to pull me out of that funk. Everyone in the “Waterfowler’s Family” is just that, Family!

Some of the guys I have only met a handful of times and some I have never met.

With Facebook and other social media sites, we all stay in contact and when we do get the pleasure of seeing each other, it’s like no time has passed and we have known each other our entire lives. No matter what the issue, we will drop what we have going on to be there for the family. Waterfowler’s have demonstrated this time and time again.

I know that most people will never understand. I also know that I am very fortunate to have these organizations. I am also fortunate to have my Gorgeous wife Nikki and daughter Paige that support me when I host our spring turkey hunt in Ohio and Pennsylvania, or travel to film these hunts for the comradery and therapy. They hunt as well, so this helps with my daddy daughter time! These are the thoughts and reasons that assist me in the daily battle against that dark path.

Being able to be around other veterans doing something in the outdoors such as the hunting trips, or fishing at the spring “Trout Camp” with Waterfowler’s, or just tying flies with Project Healing Waters or even having a camping trip together. All of this give us a sense of normalcy that we do not otherwise have. It gives us the chance to share techniques that have worked for us. Find new ways to manage our demons. For that short period, I feel like I belong. I feel normal again.

Now, with these great organizations, the bond from time of service is there to continue. I have that support chain within a new unit. With the tight knit brothers and sisters that are part of it along with their families.

So, if you know of a veteran that might be in a dark place, is interested in the outdoors, or just needs to hang out with other veterans. Send them our way. Depending on the organization there may be some qualifying criteria. Look into your local community as well, I am sure there are similar organizations out there. I have included the links to the 3 organizations below. I hope this helps the veterans in your life.

https://projecthealingwaters.org

www.sportsmenforheroes.com

https://waterfowlersforwarriors.org

Please share your veterans’ outdoor experiences with us here at American Outdoor Revolution at emgersper85@gmail.com Evan Gersper American Outdoor Revolution Magazine

“We have a distinct opportunity here with the Tribe to provide insights and intellect to construct the best hunting gear, headwear and accessories in the industry,” said Tribe pro Amy Ray, a former Cabela’s pro staff member and the revered owner of The Sisterhood of the Outdoors. “Paramount is a 90-yearold company that employs 700 Americans in Central Missouri and is still owned by the founding families that wants to make a major impact in the hunting, fishing and outdoors industries.

“They aren’t beholden to the proverbial ‘way it’s always been done’ theorem and have turned the hunting industry inside-out and upside-down in 8 months with their unique strategic initiatives, tremendous partnerships with Mossy Oak and overservicing their major retail partners.

That’s a championship recipe when you throw in the fact we Tribe members get to have input into each line.”

The Tribe pro staff, featured in a separate sidebar piece in this issue of American Outdoor Revolution.

COLT FORD

What happened when Paramount Outdoors gathered all of these Tribe pro staffers in Moore Haven, Florida at Mike Tussey’s 10,000 acres he leases for Osceola Outdoors?

To be put simply and succinctly: Pure, unadulterated magic both afield, in the lodge and during breakfast and Tribe dinners. “The stories, the conversations and the interactions amongst us all – literally within the first hour of meeting each other – were just inspiring,” said Tina Henry. “The respect was a given, but a couple of hours into meeting we were all like family, joking around and picking on each other. It was awesome.”

Brandy Bennett echoed Tina Henry’s sentiments: “We’re all successful hunters and anglers and it was like we had all known each other for years from the very start. That made everything that much more special and is what resonates and rings true with the Tribe.”

AMY RAY

MIKE BURNSIDE

The Tribe pro staffers harvested a total of 11 alligators, 12 hogs and 4 Osceola Turkeys during their inaugural hunt, with Taylor Phillips and Justin Bertoldie bringing their Nashville magic to South Florida with their respective South Florida Slams.

BRANDY BENNETT

Continued, EHG TRIBE HUNTS

“Incredible hunt with incredible professionals who all share the same goals and objectives who are all blessed to be part of this incredible company Paramount Outdoors and this Tribe pro staff,” said Justin Bertoldie, who grew up hunting, fishing and spending time in the outdoors and is now passing his and his wife, Abby’s passions onto his daughters Mylea and Molly.

“I look forward to many more hunts with my Tribe family.”

While Colt Ford didn’t record a harvest during the Tribe hunt, his oldest son, Reynolds, also made the trip and ended up taking a nine-and-a-half foot gator with his proud father, watching.

Colt, who recently released a new song called “We The People” that’s shooting up the country music charts, couldn’t have been happier spending time with Reynolds and his new Tribe family.

“Great times with great people make for great memories for sure,” said Colt, who just launched his We The People Summer Tour across 40 different concerts in the United States. “Ren (Reynolds) and I had an awesome time with Mike Tussey guiding us on the Osceolas and just spending time out in the woods with my son brought back incredible memories from my past. “Paramount Outdoors has put together one heck of a pro staff and it was great to get away from everything and spend time with them and Tim and his team. I can’t wait until we get back together again to do this some more.”

Paramount’s Engineered Hunting Gear line, powered by Mossy Oak camos, were featured during the hunt and worn by all Tribe pro staff members when afield.

The EHG apparel and headwear features cutting-edge performance fabrications, technical characteristics, trend-ahead accoutrements, unique articulation points and raglan constructions for ease-of-movement in any terrain.

The Tribe gear featured Mossy Oak’s Original Bottomlands and Greenleaf fabrications, which made the Tribe pro staffers and Osceola Outdoors’ guides like David Sichik, Mark Moore, Jim Hook, Anthony Brown and a host of others virtually invisible in the South Florida ranch terrain.

The Tribe gear featured Mossy Oak’s Original Bottomlands and Greenleaf fabrications, which made the Tribe pro staffers and Osceola Outdoors’ guides like David Sichik, Mark Moore, Jim Hook, Anthony Brown and a host of others virtually invisible in the South Florida ranch terrain.

“It’s simply amazing that 33 years after it first debuted, Original Bottomlands still is as effective as it is,” said Mike Burnside.

“Even against the vegetation and terrain of South Florida, it basically allowed us to melt into the background.”

What also made the hunt unique is that Paramount Outdoors worked with their industry partners to provide an all-inclusive experience.

Those included: Winchester Repeating Arms – supplied the shotguns & rifles Leupold – supplied the scopes for the shotguns and rifles Tactacam – supplied the game-cameras to film the hunts Hillbilly Iced Teams & Bourbons – supplied the drinks for the entire Tribe David Halloran Turkey Calls – supplied the custom EHG TC turkey calls Buck Knives – supplied the knives for the entire Tribe pro staff “The fact that Paramount was able to pull all of these companies into the hunt shows you the power of the company and the EHG brand,” said Kristy Kellick, who recorded two crossbow kills during the hunt, slaying a gator and a 400-pound hog.

What happens when three of country music’s brightest stars join two outdoors show stars.

Colt Ford isn’t just one of Country music’s biggest stars, songwriters and the co-owner of a groundbreaking Nashville multimedia company, but also an avid and talented hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman. That’s why Paramount Outdoors, a 90-year-old, fourth generation, family-owned company steeped with a significant history in the hunting/fishing/outdoors industry, asked the music superstar to become a founding member of its Engineered Hunting Gear Tribe pro staff.

you get to spend time with your son in the woods hunting, is time incredibly well spent,” said Colt.

“Those are memories that last forever. “He had a great time; I had a great time; and we both enjoyed spending time with everyone.”

Colt, who grew up hunting, fishing and spending every waking moment outside in the woods and waters down a dirt road in Athens, Georgia, is a founding member of the best pro staff in the industry. Colt joined his Tribe family of 13 professional hunters and anglers in South Florida in early April for an unique Osceola Turkey, alligator and hog hunt at Osceola Outdoors’ 10,000 acres of ranch-land. It was a hunt that soon became legendary as Colt and Tribe donned their EHG gear powered

by Mossy Oak camos and melded into the landscape.

Fueled by a deep-seated belief system instilled by his parents of God-Family-Country-Veterans, Colt also was a Division 1 golfer at the University of Georgia and a PGA pro golfer for 10 years. Oftentimes, people wonder just what Colt hasn’t done in his remarkable 49-year on Earth that started out in his hometown of Athens, Georgia. Starting in 2008 with his debut album “Ride Through the Country,” Colt has recorded six studio albums with numerous Gold songs and albums on his resume. He has perhaps the most diverse, avid and loyal fan bases in the music world, ranging in age from 5-to-95 with a music style that crosses numerous boundaries.

Those four days are 96 hours that Colt won’t soon forget. “Truly epic is what I’d call it,” said Colt with his trademark smile pursing his lips. “To be around all of these well-known, professional hunters and share stories and hunts of the past and present was an incredible experience and something I am looking forward to doing with my Tribe family for years to come. “We shared a lot of laughs and got to really know each other. It was something I won’t forget and that I can’t wait to do again. Those are special times that won’t be forgotten. Paramount Outdoors has really put together an incredible team and I am thrilled to be a part of it.”

EHG Tribe female pro staffers Amy Ray, Brooke Benham-Wright, Brandy Bennett, Hannah Hatch, Tina Henry and Kristy Kellick joined Colt, along with male pro staffers Mike Tussey, Mike Burnside, Taylor Phillips and Justin Bertoldie at Osceola Outdoors’ incredible lodge. Unfortunately, two other Tribe members, Mike Flaskey and Matt Wright, couldn’t make it, but it didn’t stop the entire team from spinning yarns from hunts of the past and sharing their daily experiences afield. “Crazy, crazy amount of talent and a group of people who care deeply about the outdoors, hunting, fishing and conservation,” said Colt. “I was honored to be there.

Colt’s son, Reynolds, traveled to South Florida to hunt with his dad as well. Reynolds harvested a giant gator during his time in South Florida. “Any time

Colt’s spent a lifetime creating memories for millions of music fans around the globe. His music resonates across continents and speaks to fans everywhere.

“I’m just trying to bring people together,” says the one-time golf pro who frequents the links as a headliner for celebrity pro-ams and is the cofounder/co-owner of his own Average Joes Entertainment. “There’s so much conflict out there, it’s hard to decide who’s right and who’s wrong.”

Colt continues to live out his boyhood dream – the one where you “wake up on a mission/to buy that beat-up Gibson,” with the recent release of his latest hit song, “We The People.” “This is not a political song, it’s a song about enjoying one another, finding a way to get along, finding a way to continue to build this country and this world into a better place,” said Colt. Love Hope Faith, one of his more recent studio

Continued, COLT FORD

COLT FORD, REYNOLDS & MIKE TUSSEY

albums, was designed to be exactly that, a message to his loyal fan base, and a strike against the divisiveness plaguing our country, celebrating the things that bring us together – friends, family, and our faith in a better future.

Country music’s top recording artists, ranging from Jason Aldean, Tim McGraw and Toby Keith to Eric Church, Lee Brice and a host of others, have all partnered with Colt on his numerous top hits. And while he admits to a populist fan base and down-to-earth, “Keepin’ It Real” attitude, Colt cautions, “I’m not a politician. I’m a musician, a performer. We have to get past our differences and find a common ground.” And what better way to do that than with Colt Ford’s ground-breaking hybrid of country, blues, rock and rap rhythms. He’s built up a massive and loyal following during a music career that started with mud trucker events and graduated to arena status sharing the stage with the likes of golfing buddy Toby Keith.

Berry, Paramount Outdoors’ Divisional Vice President of Sales & Merchandising. “But what truly sets him apart and makes him an incredible human being, is that he honestly cares deeply about his roots, his fans and everyone that he meets.

“Colt has given so much to so many, but has never forgot where he came from. He’s wildly successful, but is as humble as the day is long.” As importantly, Colt is also an avid hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman with close ties to conservation organizations and veterans groups. He’s played concerts at the National Wild Turkey Federation Super Show and Convention, as well as the National Rifle Association convention. Colt hunts with his 19-year-old son Reynolds, who is also a diehard hunter and Mossy Oak aficionado like his dad. Colt also spends as much time as he can with his 9-year-old daughter, Skylar.

“Family always comes first,” said Colt, who spends as much time as possible with Reynolds, Skylar and both his parents.

Colt recently participated in a Paramount Outdoors’ photo shoot in Franklin, Tennessee, for Paramount’s Engineered Hunting Gear, Engineered Angling Gear and EHG TC turkey lines. He joined goods friends and fellow country music superstars Lee Brice and Brantley Gilbert for an early morning photo shoot on Lee’s farm. The shoot started at 6:00 a.m., but Colt, Lee and BG powered thru and enjoyed the shoot. “Lotsa fun with great friends and great people,” said Colt. “Looking forward to seeing the results.”

As one of the only country music stars with over 1 billion streams across Spotify, Pandora, Amazon and Apple Music, Colt’s fan base is incredibly loyal.

“Without them, I am nothing,” said Colt. Colt’s talents extended to the business world: he is the co-founder and co-owner of Average Joes Entertainment with legendary rap producer Shannon Houchins. Average Joe’s is a multimedia company that not only introduced the now standard 50/50 split in Nashville with recording artists, but also producing videos, movies and TV shows from their 50,000 square foot facility. Colt is also the first country music artist to successfully place his concert and tour merchandise at traditional retail while working on additional retail projects with Paramount Outdoors. “To say that he’s smarter than the average bear would be an incredible understatement,” said Tim

COLT FORD, LEE BRICE, BRANTLEY GILBERT

MUSKIE ADDICTION Article By, Mark Hutchinson, SR.

The story begins many, many years ago.

I used to work at a tool & die shop in Meadville Pa. On the outskirts of town, is Woodcock lake. Good for musky, & walleye, a friend introduced me to fishing for Musky at the "Spillway" where the water leaves the lake, & starts a creek. It's rather deep there, and people bait fish for muskie. Walleye are also caught there, as well as an occasional 21 inch smallmouth. I spent probably 10 years fishing like this, and then, forgot about it for probably 10 years, due to having more children. Once my youngest son was 5 or 6 however, I was back at it, and we enjoyed our trips up there, as we would never know what we were going to catch!

My oldest son, Mark Jr, & youngest son, Matthew, both landed their first muskie there!! A very enjoyable place indeed! Half a dozen years later, I met a man named William Waychoff, who is now like a brother to me. "Bill" as I will refer to him from here out, was an avid muskie & walleye fisherman, and I had been catching a lot of northern pike from the Allegheny River.

Bill, it seemed, was into top water fishing for muskie. I had only ever bait fished for them, and it wasn't long until I had a new passion.

I watched Bill catch Muskie the first several times we went, & while I was happy for him, I could nt wait to catch my own!!! One overcast evening, my string of bad luck seemed to fade away, as I watched my top water lure get "BLOWN UP" After attempting to set the hook, I tried to reel the giant in, & it was off in about 10 seconds. Rookie mistake.

I tried pulling straight back to set the hook, & having a bone plate for a mouth, you need to sweep either to the left or right, & sink the hook in soft cheek tissue. I only had to wait about 10 minutes for a shot at redemption, as another muskie blew up my lure!! I swept the hook to the side, set the hooks, & landed my first top water muskie!! Within 25 minutes, I had let the 40 incher go & had a 3rd muskie blow up my lure. I set the hooks, & landed the 40.5 inch muskie, 3rd one in an hour to blow up my lure, 2nd top water muskie landed. I might as well have injected drugs into my arm, as this was fuel for a new addiction!! Top water muskie fishing!!!

My son, Mark Jr had recently come home from a 4 year stint in the Marine Corps.

Being an Army Veteran, who spent 2 years overseas myself, as was Bill, we got along rather well!!! Bill, Mark & I went fishing together numerous times, and Mark Jr soon landed his 1st top water muskie!!! His addiction was born as well!!

Even though he had been to Woodcock with me, the entire top water process is so much more addicting & fascinating, it really isn't even close to anything else. At any rate, one day I told Mark, I was "Feeling it, & going to catch a HUGE one tonight after work" I told him what lure I was going to use, where it was going to happen, everything!! Mark, instead of waiting for me to get off work, took my truck, my pole, my lure, & went to the spot I told him I had felt I was going to catch the BIG one from, & he went & caught the fish in my vision!!! PUNK!!! Lol!!

That's the one with his orange muscle shirt in the picture!

Mark ended up moving to Chicago, the three of us didn't get to fish as much this past summer, but Bill & I are looking forward to spring, & a new attempt to beat our own personal records!!

Muskie are called the "Fish of ten thousand casts, as it usually takes 10 thousand casts to get one to even hit something you're presenting to it" I once read.

Between Bill, Mark Jr, & myself, we have landed close to 70 muskie within the past several years, & probably had two or three times that many get off the line. This passion we share, is a lifelong pursuit of a formidable opponent!!! I could think of no better way to spend an early spring morning, late spring evening, clear through fall. And so to all the other anglers with the passion, & patience required to catch this elusive fish, I simply say, "Tight lines"

Blackened Crappie Jason Dendy Recipe Blackened Crappie Looking for something else to do with all those crappie fillets you brought home this spring? Try this Blackened Crappie recipe and you may never look at fried fish the same way again. It doesn’t have to be crappie, mind you. Bass, catfish, or any fish would work great in this application. If you choose to use crappie, I would suggest larger fillets be used. Some of those nice slab crappie you might have tucked away would work perfectly.

When dealing with blackening, there is a fine line between perfect and ruined. I tend to err on the side of caution when blackening and not try to push it too much. Your seasonings have all the flavor, but if you get them too hot, you’ll end up with a bitter, inedible dish. The key in all of this is to make sure your pan is not too hot. The fish cook quickly, but if the pan is too hot; the seasonings will burn almost instantly. Medium heat is what you should shoot for. Also, a cast iron pan is a must when attempting this recipe.

INGREDIENTS: 4 Large Crappie Fillets 2-4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil (depending on the size of your skillet) 1 ½ Tsp Kosher Salt 1 Tsp Paprika 1 Tsp Garlic Powder 1 Tsp Black Pepper 1 Tsp Dry Parsley 1 Tsp Dry Oregano 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper (add ½ tsp or more depending on your tolerance for heat) DIRECTIONS: Start pre-heating your cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add your cooking oil after a few minutes. While your pan is pre-heating, lightly brush each fillet with vegetable oil. Next, sprinkle each piece with the seasoning mixture, making sure to coat them evenly. Do not over-do it on the seasoning. Too much and the flavor will be too strong. When your oil is hot, place each fillet into the skillet. Cook for about 4 minutes and turn each piece. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, then remove the fish from the heat. Place on a plate lined with paper towels.

Serve with white and wild rice. Enjoy!

THE HUNTERS WORLD Twenty-nine years ago I married a hunter, my high school sweetheart.

We married right out of high school at the tender age of 18. It has been an amazing journey. Did I know he was hunter when I married him.

Sure, I knew he liked hunting but I never knew how serious, intense and even contagious it could be. I was quickly introduced to a whole new world-"his world, the Hunters World".

Being married to a hunter means you do things differently. Including your honeymoon. Where does the hunter go for his honeymoon?

Hunting of course!

The wedding itself was actually your normal affair. Dress, cake, flowers, and even got him in a tux. Have no idea how we got him to agree to that. Anyway, since we had an evening wedding, the plan was to head to the mountains the following morning. Rule #1 when married to a hunter-Plans can change at anytime and should not come as a surprise when they do.

After the wedding we went to the apartment we would be calling home for our first year together. After the normal wedding night activities my dear husband announced that he couldn't sleep so we should just leave town now. At 1:00am?!! Okay, welcome to his world. So we packed up and left for our 3 day deer hunt/honeymoon. At 3:30am we find ourselves an a rough, rocky road stuck on something. 4wd won't get us out and with little light, it is hard to see what needs to be done so my husband calls it quits for the night. I gratefully crawl into the back end of our pickup truck, with it's little camper shell and mattress, and quickly fall asleep. Unfortunately though, morning comes very early in his world.

Morning sheds light on our situation and we were soon able to get on our way.

Our 3 day hunt comes to an end and though we didn't get a deer I had begun to see what makes this man tick. I had never spent so much time in the woods and the beauty is almost overwhelming. The cool crispness of the morning makes you thankful to be alive. The morning sun peeking over the mountains through the trees, brings anticipation for what the day may bring.

We head back home, but the honeymoon is not over yet. We now have a 3 day turkey hunt/honeymoon combo. This hunt took place on the opposite of the state as our deer hunt. We got home and actually spent a whole night in our home. We took showers, restocked our food and clothing supplies, and headed back out.

This half of our honeymoon opened my eyes even wider to this world of his. I had never seen a wild turkey before and here were 5 of them feeding in the early morning light. My husband shot one and for the first time I examine a turkey beard, spurs, and the different colors of the feathers as the sun shines on them. Our honeymoon took place in the month of Sept and the elk were beginning to rut. My ears perked up, as for the first time I heard the call of the majestic bull elk. I had heard one and now I longed to see one. We began the search and I smiled with wonder as my husband pointed to the top of a mountain where I got a glimpse of the bull elk moving through the trees.

But as we all know, all good things must come to an end. It was almost time for us to go home, so now I must tell you that not all went well in those final days of our trip. As I mentioned earlier, my husband and I

were both 18. He had only had his drivers license for a few months and had very little experience driving off road. The day before we were to head home, we rolled our truck. He tried to make a turn too fast and we ended up upside down. Fortunately the Good Lord was watching over us and we both crawled out without a scratch. The tires of our truck pointed upward as we sat there on the ground stunned. With the help of his cousin, ( who was also there turkey hunting and camping next to us,) his cousins two friends, and a fellow passing by, we were able to roll our truck tires back onto the ground. The body of the truck had very little damage. The camper shell was smashed beyond repair, and the windshield was shattered. It could have been so much worse. Of course when my husband saw his shotgun he wasn't concerned about the truck. I guess that might be rule #2.The guns of a hunter are very important and may take priority over many other things. Somewhere along the way in the crash, the gun barrel had found it's way out the window and ended up bent at about a 45* angle. When someone mentioned shooting around corners with it, he was not amused.

Our time in the mountains was over and it was time for us to go home.

We cleaned out all the broken pieces of the wind shield and headed home. If you've never driven 70mph on a freeway with no windshield, you don't know what you're missing. Bugs smacking you in the face, eyes watering- a truly unforgettable experience.

Well, 29 yrs has gone by and I am no longer a stranger in his world. I have made myself at home here. I have found myself nearly frozen as I sit next to him calling coyotes on an early winter morning and I am the one holding the gun. He was by my side when I took my first deer with a bow. He grinned as he listened to me tell the story of my hunt to anyone who would listen. He was a couple of hills over when I killed my next two deer with a bow but he hurried over to help me drag them out.

I have since had successful deer hunts with muzzleloader and rifle. I've taken turkey, elk, antelope, and javelina. All with my "hunter" by my side.

While being married to hunter does give you access to a wonderful world, it does have a couple of downsides. Such as he can remember when and where he has killed every single deer and turkey,(yours too), but can't remember where the coffee filters are kept. He knows every season opening and closing date, but has to to be reminded about birthdays and anniversaries. You get the idea. But I believe the good far out weighs the bad. There is something so peaceful about sitting in a mountain meadow watching deer feed in the early morning light. The birds are singing, the dew is glistening on the leaves, and at that moment in time, all is right in the world. I became a part of this world the day I got married. I can only pray that it will always be here and I will never have to leave it. If you are a part of the Hunters World, share it with someone. Show them what they are missing. Pass it on to the kids in your life. Let them get to know your world and they will make it their world too.

Melissa Thomas- Melissa Thomas and her husband are currently making custom fishing tackle. You can find them at www.thomascustomlures.com

The broadhead for me is the broadhead for you! Or is it?

Article by, Trent Crumpler

We see it all the time in social media hunting groups, “What’s the best broadhead?” undoubtedly the comments on the post are filled with promotional staff members and a response that goes something like, “These work awesome for me!” followed by a link or picture of the corresponding head, or even worse just a link or picture of the head without the slightest explanation as to why they choose that head. What never seems to be in these comments is someone asking what setup the hunter is shooting, reality is this is the most important question that needs to be asked anytime anyone is asking for advice on which broadhead to choose. Not every broadhead is a good choice for every hunter, when it comes to new hunters it is important to educate so that in the future they can make educated choices, not choices influenced by 100s of posts that lack substance. So, let’s talk about how to choose the right broadhead for you.

Your Setup As I hinted at above this is the number one most important factor when determining what broadhead is right for you. What is your setup? For these purposes we are talking your bow, your draw weight and draw length, your arrow weight and arrow diameter. Below I’ve compiled a table as a rough guideline for whitetail sized game and compound bows.

Bow IBO 280 or less = 1 281-310 = 2 311-340 = 3 341 or more = 4 Draw Weight 40 or less = 1 41-50 = 2 51-60 = 3 61 or more = 4 Draw Length 25.5 or less = 1 26-27 = 2 27.5-28.5 = 3 29 or more = 4 Arrow Weight 350 or less = 1 351-400 = 2 401-450=3 451 or more = 4 Arrow Outer Diameter Standard (.244) = 1 Small (.204) = 2 Micro (.165) = 3

Kole & Kalob Poitra

WATERFOWL CALLING TIPS My name is Kole Poitra and I’m going to give you a few tips to calling in waterfowl. Tip #1 don’t be ashamed of how you sound if it doesn’t sound like a championship caller, that doesn’t mean to be discouraged; everyone starts somewhere and you should never give up!

If you score 12 or below I recommend shooting a fixed blade, 13 or more I recommend shooting whatever head you’d like to. There are exceptions to this chart though, for example, a hunter shooting a bow that has an IBO of 330, with a 26” draw at 80lbs with a standard diameter arrow that weighs in at 400 gr should be able to shoot anything the archer wants at whitetail, but would only score a 12 on the chart. Situations like this aren’t common but they do exist, so understand that the provided chart is, as I said before, a rough guide to get you headed in the right direction for broadhead choice.

Tip #2 PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!! I always like to tell myself practice makes better... no one, nor call is perfect!

Mech vs. Fixed Now that you’ve seen the handy dandy chart where do you from here? Well if you scored a 12 or lower start looking for quality fixed blade broadheads, simple enough, but what if you scored higher than a 12? If you did, that chart doesn’t help narrow your search down at all. Not to worry, I’ll give you a few pros and cons of each type of broadhead here that should help in your decision making.

Tip #3 picking a call. Picking a call is kind of hard if you have a specific price range; my go to call is Buck Gardner’s Quackhead it’s affordable and sounds amazing, these calls will always get the job done in any weather!

Fixed Broadheads Pros: No moving parts or opening mechanisms to fail, Greater durability Cons: Can be sensitive to wind drift which affects accuracy, may not fly well if bow isn’t properly tuned Mech Broadheads Pros: More forgiving to both tuning mistakes and wind drift, typically have a larger cutting diameter Cons: Less durable, may not penetrate as well as a fixed blade Still not helping? Well to tell you the truth any well built broadhead will do what it was made to do provided you hold up your end of the deal and are shooting it out of the proper set up, really it’s up to you to decide what you like and why. Don’t be afraid to try new things until you find something that really works well for you. Enjoy the woods and shoot straight.

I’ve been calling roughly for 4-5 years now and I still ain’t as good as I want to be, but I'm getting there every time i practice!

Tip#4 know your surroundings. When calling in timber your sounds will echo through the woods so you don’t need to blow a lung trying to call them in.

While blowing in a wide open field you might want to try a little harder with the wind and wide open area carrying sound in different directions.

Tip #5 and the most important one, is to always have fun! Calling isn’t only for the sport, it's much more than that and when you see the ducks working in because of your calling you will realize it all paid off and all the hard work you put into calling, finally means something and that, my friend, is the greatest feeling of all!

Article By, Kole Poitra

DAKOTA PRAIRIE TAXIDERMY Article By, Michael Bakke

Proper field dressing tools are just as important as your favorite rifle or bow. A sharp clean knife can make a world of difference in the field whether it’s -20 below or 60 above and a pair of rubber gloves can make clean up a breeze.

While field dressing is rarely the favorite part of the hunting trip, it’s one of the most important. Properly field dressing game allows the meat to cool quickly and stops bacteria growth.

There’s a few things to keep in mind to ensure your kill cools quickly, is clean and stays fresh.

• Prior to field dressing or moving the animal, the appropriate hunting-license tag or permit must be attached to your kill (check your local laws) • Always make cuts with the blade moving away from your body.

1. Put on a pair of gloves, get the animal on its back, pinch the hide just below the breastbone and carefully make a small, shallow cut to start your incision.

If you’re going to have a mount done, cut just to the rear of the breastbone leaving as much of the skin uncut as you can.

2. Cut the hide down the belly, around the genitals and to the pelvic bone.

3. Skin some of the hide away from the belly, but not too much, as it serves as a protective layer during transport.

4. Insert two fingers into the body cavity behind the blade and hold the knife blade between them. As you hold the skin and membrane up, cut from the sternum to the crotch, penetrating the hide and the membrane below, being careful not to puncture the stomach.

5. Using the pelvic bone as a guide, cut around the rectum to fully separate it. Pinch or tie off the rectum to make sure no waste escapes, and reach into the front of the pelvic canal and pull the intestines and connected rectum into the stomach area.

6. Open the chest cavity and detach the diaphragm.

7. Reach deep into the chest cavity, find the gullet and windpipe, sever both and bring them back toward you.

Keep in mind if you’re having the deer mounted to reach

inside under the breastbone to cut the windpipe as far up as possible making sure not to cut the hide.

8. Pull the entrails out, starting from the crotch, while also cutting the membranes linking the innards to the spine.

Take care not to cut too close to the spine or you may cut the tenderloins.

9. Entrails will come out in one package, keeping the cape as clean as possible.

• keeping a couple jugs of water on hand is a very easy way to clean the body cavity and pelvic area of bacteria before packing it up. Those of us fortunate to have snow on the ground during the hunting season, snow is also very useful for cleaning the animals body cavity, as well as getting any blood or dirt off the hide before taking those award winning photographs or dropping it off at your local Taxidermist.

Michael Bakke is also a member of American Hunting Revolution Pro Staff.

Facebook.com/dakotaprairietaxidermy

Why Do I Hunt?

Evan Gersper

I am frequently asked by others “Why do you hunt?�. The first time that I was asked this question, I admit that I had to think about my answer. It is important to deliver this answer in a tactful manner to non or anti-hunters. For me there are many reasons for me to hunt.

The most important reason, the Good Lord has provided these animals for us to harvest and eat. I know where my food lives, and that it has a free and wonderful life. I know that there are zero growth hormones and medications within the meat. The meat has almost no fat at all, which also provides slew of health benefits.

Then there is the fact that I can experience the outdoors in a way that most will never know. Seeing the sunrise and set throughout the different seasons.

Viewing different species of wildlife within their natural environment. Seeing deer rut, a wild turkey strut in front of me, a Bald Eagle land in your decoys, deer fawns and fox pups play in the spring. You see, hunting is not just about taking the life of an animal. There is more to it for me.

My wife and daughter also hunt. We share these experiences together. These memories made are adventures that we will talk about forever. It is an opportunity to show my daughter why we must respect the environment and the animals that live in it like my father taught me. There are times that we go into the field just to watch the wildlife, or just to run the video camera and make memories. We will take everything that we bring into the woods and any trash left by others when we leave. When we are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to harvest an animal, we do our best to make a clean shot so that the animal does not suffer and expires

quickly. We pray to God to thank him for every opportunity in the great outdoors. Most importantly we thank God for the sacrifice of our harvest and the meal provided.

So, for me hunting is learning about the animals that we share a habitat with, making memories, respecting the game we pursue and our environment. Hunting is being grateful for the blessings that the Good Lord above provides for us and taking the time to enjoy them. I feel closest to God when I am among his creations in the great outdoors. That is why I hunt.

Please share with me why you enjoy the great outdoors? No matter which activity you choose to partake in, whether hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, etc.‌ I would love to hear your stories.

Evan Gersper American Outdoor Revolution Magazine

Article By, Mike Burnside Our daughter Kenzi is 23 years old and is a surviving triplet along with her brother Thor; she lives with her mother and I in Oklahoma. Kenzi loves everything about life and doesn’t shy away from anything; she is willing to try anything at least once and she doesn’t know a stranger, just someone that she hasn’t made friends with yet!

She was born with cerebral palsy and has been confined to a wheelchair her entire life; during her middle school through high school years she had many different surgeries to help ease nerve and or muscle problems due to her diagnosis; she has had two hip surgeries on her right hip and one on her left hip to help with resetting her hip ball sockets due to muscles in her legs pulling the hip joints out of the sockets. After her first double hip surgery, she developed double pneumonia and had to be transported to another hospital for recovery. She additionally had a subsequent surgery to remove the hardware from her hip joints as she grew older. She had dorsal rhizotomy surgery (went into her spine and clipped nerves that were sending signals to certain muscle groups in her legs to reduce contracting muscles) along with clipping muscles in her legs to also help with muscles that were contracting.

Her surgery placing metal rods along both sides of her spine from her pelvis to the base of her neck, with having to be resuscitated at her recovery room due to her stopping her breathing. As well as other “minor” surgeries; as you can see, she is a fighter!

Kenzi has a love for the outdoors and any sort of physical activity. She loves snow skiing with an adaptive sports program and has skied yearly for the past 8 years; we have taken her snowmobiling (strapping her to my chest with Velcro straps), whitewater rafting, riding on a jet boat, participating in races up to a marathon with volunteer runners pushing her in a running chair with the group Ainsley’s Angels, and riding a horse during her therapeutic horseback riding weekly as well as during the Pinto world Horse Show held annually.

Of course, Kenzi got involved with fishing by me taking her fishing and she loves to fish. She has caught bass, catfish, and bluegill perch with my assistance and will request that we eat her fish when I begin cleaning! I asked her last summer if she would like to go deer hunting last fall and she said yes as soon as I completed the sentence. The Holy Pursuits Dream Foundation had told us that they would take Kenzi on hew dream fishing or hunting adventure and she decided on mule deer hunting as her dream; this decision took place towards the end of the summer which would put a time crunch on getting all of the details worked out for her hunt. I told her that it might be tough to happen that fall but that she and I would go deer hunting on our property no matter what.

The mule deer hunt could not be put together in the time we had but they did ask if she would like to come to Illinois during Thanksgiving week and hunt whitetail with a crossbow; a child that was scheduled to come could not be there due to illness so we arranged to go before Thanksgiving. We got her up at 4 a.m. every morning and hunted until well after dark for the

three-day hunt; she would fire the crossbow by sucking on a vacuum actuator that would transfer an electronic signal to the trigger guard mount that pulls the trigger. As luck would have it, she shot a doe during the last 20 minutes of daylight on the hunt! We drove back on Thanksgiving Day and she requested spaghetti for that Friday using her deer.

At the same time we were doing this, the Oklahoma firearms season was ongoing. After we returned home, we would hunt on days that her muscle spasticity and tone would allow. We hunted over the next week and during that Saturday, the next to the last day of the season, she told me that she would be done after that hunt and didn’t want to hunt the last day. As luck would have it, does came out feeding about 80 yards in front of us and eventually a small 8-point buck and doe came to feed also. Our times of me helping her hand over hand shooting the rifle came down to this moment. The video that I made of the hunt reveals her breathing hard and taking deep breaths, just like any hunter with buck fever. Calming her down, I helped her with the rifle and the 7mm-08 found it’s mark! The buck traveled about 40 yards before collapsing.

Kenzi was so excited before and after the shot, in which we all should remember that feeling when we got our first big game animal. Help a youth or someone who hasn’t gotten that opportunity and I’m sure it will help give you a level of excitement that you may not have had for awhile. I know these two hunts with Kenzi were two of the best hunts I have ever been on. She is going on her dream mule deer hunt this fall in Wyoming with the Holy Pursuits Dream Foundation (holypursuitsdreamfoundation.com) and also will be going on a free-range elk hunt in southwestern Oklahoma in which an individual has arranged for her to go. So I have some stiff competition now in the family with another hunter!

Mr. Big Horns

Article By, Angie Kokes In April of 2011 my husband Adam proudly “gifted” me a fenced off area in

our river pasture of several acres simply for food plots, conservation and hunting. He is as passionate about farming and ranching as I am about hunting, so it was a big move for him to take pasture away from the cattle who would surely otherwise utilize the land to give me an exclusive “Angie’s Playpen” as he refers to it still. While I was pleasantly surprised and grateful for the gift, I wasn’t convinced it was the greatest hunting ground ever or if I wanted to waste a lot of time hunting it, because it hadn’t yet really produced the caliber of deer I was interested in hunting.

So through 2012 I didn’t spend a lot of time in my Playpen. Fall 2013 rolled around and I was still on a high from taking my largest buck to date, an 18 point whitetail that I had put over 40 days into hunting, and not anywhere near my playpen, but instead a piece of ground my in-laws own and then one of my favorite places to hunt, and that’s where I had planned on spending most of this hunting season, when Adam questioned why I never hunted what he had taken the time to fence out for me on our own property. Feeling guilty I agreed to try and hunt at home that night. With no tree stands up I drug a ground blind down to the pasture and sat it up not really even giving much thought to it’s location. I hadn’t done any scouting, and didn’t have a single game camera up because I was convinced there were no deer on our property. I guess what happened over the next couple of hours is God’s way of saying don’t ever count what I can do out because things got crazy interesting in a hurry! With my bad attitude about hunting somewhere I didn’t want to be, I plopped myself down in a chair in the blind. Never even considering knocking an arrow I haphazardly just tossed my bow on the ground next to me and grabbed my phone to drown my boredom in a game of sudoku. I was probably three games in when things didn’t feel quite right, like the hairs on the back of my neck that had stood up at attention. Something was definitely watching me so I slowly raised my eyes, expecting to see a raccoon or squirrel, you know something small at a distance. What I didn’t expect, nor could I in a million years ever imagined was a small fork buck to have stuck his head through a window in my blind and be staring me right in the face! The term a@@holes and elbows has nothing on what I’m sure that little guy and I both looked like trying to get away from the other. All I can say is thank goodness my blind doesn’t’ have a floor or he’d have drug the blind and me attached to his head who knows how far! After checking my vitals and pants and anchoring the blind back down I text Adam and told him what happened. He replied simply, I told you there were deer down there. I had no comeback after what had just happened and so I let him have his moment and went on about my hunt wondering what county that scared little buck had made it to when I heard a splash. My eyes again moved before my head to the direction of the sound, the river but there was nothing, and then another splash, splash, splash! Instincts on full alert I panicked for a second when I realized I hadn’t knocked an arrow. Not moving my eyes from where the sound was coming I felt around until I touched my bow and quickly picked it up and knocked an arrow, just in time to see him step around the front of an island in the middle of the river. I gasped, heck I may have even said something similar to Holy crap out loud, I have no idea and had absolutely zero control of my emotions at that moment. He was a monster of epic proportions! I had only seen one other deer of this caliber in my life and he died of old age and ended up a

shed record. Massive could not even begin to describe the head gear/crown/tree this thing wore on his head. He was most certainly a whtietail but the height of his antlers was like a mule deer and freakish as they were dark chocolate brown, nothing like what I’d ever seen before, nor have I seen since. I had prepared for moments like this almost my whole life, and still at this very moment my body was ravaged with shakes and I was certain I was going to pass out from the lack of oxygen do to the tightening of my throat and the insane pounding of my heart. I tried every trick I knew to clear my head and calm my nerves but to no avail, and then he started stepping again across the water, splash, splash, right towards me. I came to full draw, speaking to myself, stop looking at his rack, if you keep looking at his rack stupid that’s where you’ll send this arrow. My muscles burned with adrenaline and buck fever as he made it to the river bank, 42 yards from my blind. And that’s when reality set in, I have no clear shot, the brush is just to thick to thread an arrow through it, and it’s my own fault. I hadn’t prepped or planned anything, I begrudgingly had thrown a blind up in the easiest place I could and now I’m reaping what I’ve sewn. Arrogance and stupidity!

At the bank he turned staying in the river walked along the river bank and disappeared for almost 40 minutes before reappearing a mere 240 yards down from me, a pattern he would begin to repeat much to my excitement over the next several hunts and days I’d spend in Angie’s Playpen chasing this giant, freak of nature. I hunted almost everyday and I relayed every story to Adam of this massive buck I was chasing. While he was amused, I think maybe he thought I was exaggerating about his size a little bit. And then one day while he was directly across the river from my playpen chopping silage I got a phone call, proclaiming that Mr. Big Horns whom I’d fondly named him was heading my way.

He’d apparently been bedded in the field the crew was chopping and got up right in front of the chopper and as Adam put it, “was taking down rows of silage with his antlers”! I told you he was big I exclaimed! He replied with a go get him, he’s coming, to which I had to answer I’m not hunting today, ug! I was sick I’d missed him, but I was also excited someone else had seen him and could verify and talk about this giant with me and not think I was completely crazy. The cat and mouse went on with this guy for 3 weeks before I decided I was probably going to have to be in a tree to get close enough to him for a shot. He was weary of any clearing I would make even though he was fairly patterned. I just couldn’t’ get close enough for a clean bow shot. So I begged Adam and my brother in law to help me move a ladder stand. We got the stand drug down to the pasture and I told them where I wanted it. Adam asked if I was sure that was the tree, because they weren’t moving it again. I assured him that was the tree and the spot. This buck had come from the north off the island and traveled this path so many times I was sure this was going to work, although he was a little old and massive to be making such a silly mistake. So up we went with the stand. The slight breeze that was blowing from the north suddenly switched almost simultaneously with the last click of the ratchet strap to hold the stand in place, and my heart sank. I had wanted to hunt this stand that very day and put the sneak attack on that old boy and mother

nature just ruined my plans. Even the boys said you know you can’t hunt this stand now right? As if they had put three weeks in on this buck already. But I knew we were both right, I couldn’t afford to blow a stand I had just put in when I knew that conditions were wrong. So I went home heavy hearted, showered and headed back down with a different game plan in place to stay a little further east of the ground where he seemed a bit more comfortable getting close to the bank and I had a tiny not man made space in the weeds I knew I could sneak an arrow through. But the further I walked down into the pasture, that stand just beckoned me. I walked and fought this internal battle with my head and my heart. My heart and gut instincts were clearly telling me to ignore the wind and get in that stand, but me head said they won’t help you move it again and you don’t want to blow this buck out of the county. Even though he seemed weary of something, up to this point I had yet to blow him or him wind me and I didn’t want that changing, and still my gut tugged at my heart strings…get in that stand. In the end my head won and I headed east to the new plan spot and squatted on the cool damp ground on my knees and waited. I saw my phone flash a text from Adam asking if he was there yet, and to make sure I hadn’t gotten in the stand. No I didn’t, and no he isn’t, but at that time Forky had already made an appearance. Backing up to the first of the story, Forky is the buck that stuck his head in my blind and he unfortunately didn’t flee the county but instead took up a huge fascination with me and would find me every time I hunted. Not just often, but every single time. He’d hang around and feed and often even bed down within 20-40 yards of me. He was also fond of my game cameras and would find them and bed down in front of them giving me thousands upon thousands of pictures of Mr. Forky. So needless to say when I said Forky’s here Adam poked fun with texts commenting how much the little guy really must like me. But I was just annoyed with him at this point and especially today, the day I was going to surprise Mr. Big Horns from a tree and end this little game he’d been playing with me. I was mid text responding back to Adam when I heard something, it was faint but that was something moving, but wait it was coming from the south right through a food plot I had just walked by to get down here.

It can’t be him, it has to be a raccoon or something, and then I saw the tall cane stocks start to move with the sound of each step and I knew it was him. I had walked right past, we had driven right past him to put the stand in and I knew right then and there this was one extraordinary buck and he certainly didn’t get to be a giant by being stupid. I watched him stroll out of that food plot without a care in the world at 84 yards away and head you guessed it, right for the tree stand. My mind was reeling, watching this unfold. I had text Adam a simple he’s here, but south of me. He responded right back with I bet he walks right by your stand. At that point I had nothing, no response could come for what I was seeing. All I could do was sit and watch and I was in pure shock or a hunter’s hell I’m not sure which. You know when you’re in a stand waiting for a buck to close the gap it can take forever and sometimes longer, but not this day. Mr. Big Horns casually strolled across the pasture, never stopping for a single blade of grass, to scratch his big ole head with his foot or even to take a crap! Nope he was on a mission and couldn’t get to that stand fast enough to, wait for it…RUB ON IT!!!

I wanted to puke, I was shaking probably worse than the first time I saw

him. I had internal tears, but I was so mad they wouldn’t even flow.

How on earth could I have let this happen? My gut said get in that stand, everything in my bones said do it and yet I didn’t. I also, never would have guessed that he may up and decide to bed in the food plot and not on the island like he’d done for weeks prior. I mean in my mind this was an animal and he should have stuck to his pattern, to the pattern I knew and had spent days mapping out.

What was he thinking breaking my heart into a million pieces like that? Well I’ll tell you what he was thinking, as he rubbed that big ole crown up and down my stand, the sound of bone on metal is eerily similar to nails on a chalkboard. He was worthy of being called a great one, he hadn’t made a mistake in life yet and he wasn’t about to start that day. A day that will haunt me for the rest of my life, but also taught me many valuable lesson’s, number one being listen to your gut and two being don’t ever think you can outguess an animal. You can make your best guess, but that is it. I chased Mr. Big Horns the rest of that season and two more, yes 3 total seasons and I never got a clean shot to take with a bow. I had multiple opportunities with a rifle but elected not to do so. After so much time spent trying to take him with a bow, it just didn’t seem fitting for me to do it with a rifle. And it was almost as if he knew I wouldn’t take him with a gun. On one of my last encounters with him, I was rattling and I had already called in 3 bucks in a frenzy when Mr. Big Horns stepped out from a tree line 200 yards away.

He looked directly up at my tree stand, turned and flagged his tail and walked away. I always felt like he was flipping me the bird, but maybe he was acknowledging he wouldn’t have won our little war if I’d have set my bow down as that day was midweek rifle season 2015. As it is he too like the shed record of years before died a legend of old age. And will live on only in my memory as one of the worthy adversary’s I’ve been blessed to chase. Angie AK Creations Tack & Trailer Sales 1-866-313-1752 http:// www.akcreations1.com

Angie & Rubin James

Duke Largo Wimberly Lady Roughstock Rider

The unprepared hunt Article By, Shannon Beck I had just moved to Texas and started dating in the fall and after recently losing a bunch of weight I didn’t have much camo, just some spring camo. But I was invited along to hunt and wasn’t going to pass it up! One warm evening I sat with my boyfriend and his dad and watched Pop shoot an nice big wide 8 point!! I was drooling over this buck, what I wouldn’t give to shoot something like that! The next morning it was my turn and it had turned cold!

Way before sunlight we propped up on a log and waited and froze !

I remember just shaking telling myself don’t give up this may be your only chance to get to go! I could tell by Glens posture he seen something my heart began to beat faster and suddenly it got warm!

He said “do you see the deer to the right of the feeder?” Looking thru the scope I said “the one looking at me?” He said “kill him” I eased the trigger back and that old buck never kicked bucked or did anything he just turned around and ran away gracefully. I was confused and asked if I missed ? He said don’t think so. We waited a little while then walked up to look for blood and there was none!

My heart sank I didn’t know what I had done wrong but then we heard some thrashing in the tree row my heart skipped a beat I looked at glen with a smile and he said could be cows ... devastation again !! Then it stopped as suddenly as it had started and he said bet that’s him . We walked 50 yards before we found blood and then about 100 yards out we spotted him. When I got my hands on him I couldn’t believe it I asked Glen you really let me shoot him ??? I was in awe at the mass he had with 14 score-able points and gross score of 152”

One of my very best friends Duke Largo Wimberly competed in the Ladies Ranch Bronc riding during the 2018 Cheyenne Frontier Days™ Wild West Show along with 8 other talented women. She lost her stirrups about 4.2 seconds into her ride but managed to make the 8 seconds anyhow! Duke took 2nd place in the long go, behind another rider’s well deserved 1st place finish in this event.

The top 2 finishers got to return the next day to ride in the Cheyenne Frontier Days PRCA rodeo and earn the title of the Cowgirls CFD Champion.

Duke and a fellow competitor earned that privilege.

Duke rode her horse, taking home the win in the short go, the buckle, and title of 2018 Cheyenne Frontier Days Ladies Ranch Bronc Riding Champion.

Both ladies are such great competitors and athletes, and both fought hard to earn their wins!

Along with her riding, I admire how Duke always gives props to her fellow competitors. She can’t say enough good things about her competition, while giving credit to God for her success. She may be scrappy and ornery, but she’s a class act, too!

Billi Halverson

Our Fishin' Date

Holly Overman - Doe Range Blog It was a hot June day in 2019. My husband and I had a fishing date planned since my mom was going to babysit. I was meeting him at the lake once he left work, so I had to be loaded up and ready to go. When he called, I said my goodbyes and headed out. My excitement grew as I drove to the lake. It's been too long since I've been fishing as well as having alone time with my man. When I arrived, he was already out on the lake waiting on me. So I grabbed our stuff, jumped in, and we headed off. The wind had picked up pretty good but it felt nice on this hot afternoon. I was all smiles riding along in the boat. It felt so good to be out there again, just like old times. Once out there, we started fishing. I've caught bass before but this was my first time targeting them specifically.

I'm used to fishing with live bait and a bobber. Fishing with lures was all new to me, but I was ready to learn the techniques. I started using a Jighead with an underspin combined with a zoom zswim swimbait. After several casts and no bites, we moved to another spot. We trolled along a side of the lake that had plenty of structure in the water. It was much cooler over there from the shade. We seen and heart plenty of wildlife.

There was even a deer out in some lily pads as well. I still wasn't catching anything but grass, so he switched me to a zman chatterbait. He mentioned beforehand that it would probably be challenging to catch anything due to the heat and wind. However he did end up catching a little bass with his Shakeyhead Jighead with a Green Pumpkin Googan bait Slim Shake 6" worm. After awhile we received a warning that severe weather was coming through. So we kept an eye on the sky and continued fishing. When he seen the first strike of lightening, we put our stuff away and rushed back to the dock. The boat was secured and our stuff packed up just in time before the wind really picked up. That was a good sign for us to leave.I prayed the whole way home for our safety while dodging limbs and debris. Thankfully we both made it home and unloaded just before the storm hit. Our fishing date might've been cut short but it was still a great afternoon. When you have children time together alone is precious. I'd say our time out fishing was well spent and I can't wait to do it again but hopefully with better conditions.

TROY FLAGER

Article By, Troy Flager

Kansas, home on the range, and the place I call home.

My name is Troy Flager I’m 35, I have a wonderful wife, and amazing twin boys. I moved to Kansas at the age of 10. Hunting wasn’t big in my family. It wasn’t until I was of the age 13 that my dad took me on a upland bird hunt.

Going out in the field, experiencing what the outdoors has to offer was amazing. Little did I know what this would evolve into. Living in Kansas has been a blessing in disguise. While most of the country looks at us as a fly over state, those who hunt look at Kansas as a premier hunting destination. Kansas is home to some of the best turkey hunting in the Midwest, as well as amazing whitetail hunting, and some of the best waterfowl hunting available in the central flyway. Waterfowl is my passion. From my very first hunt 15 years ago, I knew this was my kind of hunting. Watching birds fall from the heavens, work your decoys, and fly with wings cupped, feet down, right in your face was something I had never seen or experienced before. I wanted more! Waterfowl hunting was all I could think about. The more I hunted, the more I learned, and soon realized this would be more than a weekend hobby, it would be a lifestyle! With the popularity of social media and the networking possibilities, little did I know what this passion would turn into. Around 2014, I met Jason Dendy with Insane Custom Calls. After several messages back and forth, I found myself buying my first custom call. With that purchase grew an amazing relationship and I am now proud to call myself Prostaff manager for the company.

From that point things grew exponentially. I found myself staffing for multiple companies, going to hunting shows, and then becoming a guide. Guiding waterfowl and turkeys was the name of the game for me. But it’s more than just hunting. It became sharing my passion and experiences with others. Putting a smile on a strangers

face became the most rewarding factor. If I could put a smile, and leave a memory with a client that would never fade....I did my job! Now that my kids are older, I have stepped out of the guiding business and am focused on sharing my passion for the outdoors with my boys. They have taken a very strong interest in hunting and fishing. As a father, I couldn’t be happier. This year in Kansas was a season to remember. Full of ups and downs, the ups made it all worth it, and the downs kept the determination. We received a lot of rain in October, setting the stage for something unexpected. In November something changed.

Typically in mid November we are still waiting for the big push of mallards and the Lesser (subspecies) Canada geese, aka Little geese. This time we had a big cold front come early resulting in a giant push of birds. With all the rain in October, it left flooded croplands and some prime feeding ground, one of which happened to be a field we have leased. The field was planted with soybeans but with all the water the farmer was unable to cut all his crop, and left a portion of the field uncut, loaded with beans. That portion of the field became prime ground, the “X”, and we were on it. November 16, 2018 we watched hundreds of ducks pile into this 40 yard X 40 yard parcel at dusk. The next morning seven shooters with high hopes gathered to hunt it. The wind was blowing 20-25 out of the north with overcast skies and a temp of about 38°F. We placed ourselves on the edge of some trees facing the open hole in the beans. With decoys set up, mojos turned on, wind to our backs, we were set up and ready for the first flight. Ten minutes before shooting light and ducks are everywhere!

They are coming from all directions, coming right to the hole, no calling needed. Finally, it’s shooting light, let the games begin! Bird after bird, mallard after mallard poured in. We even had some pintail, wigeon, gadwall, and green wing teal visit. Within an hour we all had our limits. It was a hunt for the books! Smiles on everyones faces and heavy game straps made the usually long walk out so much easier. What a way to start off the season. After that hunt the temps warmed up and birds became stagnant. We didn’t really get another big push of birds until January.

January can be a tough month to hunt in Kansas. For some areas of the state, duck season is closed, which was the case for me. All we had available was geese. We found a flooded field east of town that was holding a good bunch of birds. Typically we have thousand upon thousands of little geese, specklebelly, and snows; this field happened to be all greater Canada geese. Specks happen to be closed as well so this field is a prime target. January 11, 2019, we have a south wind, and a flooded cut bean field. On the south side of the field is a grass line perfect for the hide.

Unfortunately it rained the night before, and we would

subsequently have the walk our gear in almost a half mile.

That didn’t stop us. With bags of decoys loaded over our backs, we made the long muddy walk into the field. As we approached the water we could hear geese. Birds were roosting here! The geese spooked and flew off. Thousands of them. While scouting the field the evening before, only a 100 or so birds had remained and most were flying out to head back to the roost. Overnight the place loaded up with lessers, specks, and some snows. We had to hustle! It took us about 4 trips back and forth to get all the gear in. The sun was coming up, geese were trying to come back, and we still had decoys to set. After finally getting set up, we were not sure what to expect. Bumping a bunch of birds off a roost is typically not good. The only thing that kept our hope up was knowing we had seen most of the big geese fly away before dark the night before. With everyone and everything in place we waited with bated breath for the first flight. It didn’t take long. Soon group after group of geese cupped and came in. Specks kept things interesting, since they were out of season at the time. After a couple of hours we had our limit, mostly big geese with a few lessers mixed in. The walk out was about 10 trips. We could only haul 4 giant geese per person per trip out of the field. Plus we still had all the gear. After it was all said and done the hero picture was one to remember. A big pile of big geese and smiles from ear to ear. We finished out the rest of the season with a bang. The camaraderie and the memories shared throughout the season will not be forgotten. Until next year, it’s summertime. Time to break out the fishing poles and enjoy what life has to offer.

Paramount Outdoors - EHG TRIBE HUNT

Taylor Phillips - EHG TRIBE

Elijah & Graham Flager - Youth Pro Staff for American Hunting Revolution Tina Henry - EHG TRIBE