JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019
Family
MATTERS
Jeff Kyle wants the day honoring his hero brother changed
GOING
TOP GUNS Meet the man
Who teaches A-list actors and celebs how to shoot
Hog Wild
Controlling the swine population with a helicopter hunt
Prowling for
PREDATORS
The surging trade of coyote trapping
LIBERTE Austin
is a paralegal with a purpose
there’s a rumor goin’ around about
rise to stardom (and the rumor’s true)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
VOLUME TWO, ISSUE ONE
40 48 54
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019
MORE THAN A MEMORY Country music’s golden boy, Lee Brice, has figured out a few things on his way up the Billboard charts by thor christensen
MATCHING WITS WITH THE WILY COYOTE The rise in popularity of predator hunting by connor judson garrett
GOING HOG WILD Taking to the air to have fun ridding ranches of the invasive wild hog by matthew howe
05 CONTRIBUTORS 06 EDITOR'S NOTE
A PRO 28 ASK NRA spokesman Colion Noir shares his top 10 New Year's resolutions by narae kim
31
IN THE BAG
A dopp kit for the travelhardened road warrior
LOADED 09 FULLY The latest in gear and wear for the modern outdoorsman
GOOD GRUB 16 Local legend and former restaurateur Trey Chapman shares his love of food by michelle williams
LIBERATION 18 LIBATION Six vodkas to start off the new year
TRIP 32 FIELD Skip the beach and head to Johnny Morris' Big Cedar Lodge in southwest Missouri by adam pitluk
STAR 36 SHOOTING Hollywood weapons expert Taran Butler arms your favorite silver screen gunmen by teresa bitler
by tyler hicks
21
NEW TUNES
On the road, and in the field, with rising star Riley Green by jeff gage
PROFILE 24 Jeff Kyle reflects on Chris, his heroic late brother by carlton stowers 02 | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | HOOKANDBARREL.COM
STYLE 47 RANCH A staple of Western wear, Stetson has something for everyone on the ranch
TROPHY ROOM 61 THE Paralegal and social media star Liberte Austin shares her love of hog hunting by jacquelyne froeber
A fisherman heads out of the Bent Hook Marina at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
John Radzwilla DIRECTOR OF SALES
Natalie Radzwilla
LOGISTICS COORDINATOR
Gary Paparella
EDITORIAL OFFICE
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All material is strictly copyright protected and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the copyright holder. All prices and data are correct at the time of publication. Opinions expressed in Hook & Barrel are not necessarily those of Midwest Luxury Publishing, and Midwest Luxury Publishing does not accept responsibility for advertising content. Any images supplied are at the owner’s risk and are the property of Hook & Barrel. Printed in the USA
ON THE COVER Photographer: Chase Lauer
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C O N T R I B U T O R S
teresa bitler
thor christensen
jacquelyne froeber
jeff gage
Teresa Bitler is a freelance writer, photographer and author of four guidebooks who is passionate about the Southwest, outdoor adventures and Texas barbecue. Her work has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, American Way and Sunset.
Thor Christensen is a former music critic for The Dallas Morning News. His work has appeared in The New York Times and other publications. He’s interviewed two Beatles, a pair of Rolling Stones and hundreds of musicians, from Willie Nelson to David Bowie to Beyoncé.
Jacquelyne Froeber is an award-winning editor and luxury-travel consultant originally from Detroit. Her work has appeared in numerous shelter and lifestyle publications, including Coastal Living, Midwest Living and Celebrated Living magazines.
Jeff Gage is a freelance music critic based in Dallas. A former music editor of the Dallas Observer, his work now appears in Rolling Stone, Billboard, VICE and other publications.
connor garrett
reed j. kenney
tyler hicks
matthew howe
Atlanta-based storyteller and 2017 winner of Edward Readicker-Henderson Travel Classics Memorial Scholarship, Connor Judson Garrett’s writing has appeared in Private Clubs magazine and in countless advertisements around the Internet.
Tyler Hicks is a freelance writer from Austin, Texas. He currently resides in Dallas, where he can most likely be found reading with (or to) his four dogs or writing at the closest coffee shop.
Matthew Howe is a Texas veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Raised on the rivers, beaches and Chesapeake Bay of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, he spends his days testing the limits of his wonderful wife’s patience.
narae kim
wyman meinzer
carlton stowers
michelle williams
For the last three years, Seoul, South Korea, native Narae Kim has been working on her Ph.D. in mass communications at the University of Oklahoma. She is an outdoor enthusiast whose past work has been published in international travel and lifestyle publications.
Wyman Meinzer is the official state photographer of Texas. He has been featured on at least 50 national covers including Sports Afield, Field & Stream and Outdoor Life. Prior to his photography career, he spent time as a professional trapper.
Carlton Stowers is the author of 40 books, has twice won the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Allan Poe Award in the Best Fact Crime category, and is a member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame. He was a finalist in the Texas Institute of Letters’ Best First Fiction.
Based in Dallas, Michelle Williams is an award-wining freelance writer of wine, food and travel. She is one of the 15 Most Influential People in Wine, and her work appears in numerous publications, including Forbes, The Daily Meal and USA Today’s 10Best Eat Sip Trip.
Reed Kenney is a Dallas-based freelance photographer with a specialty in capturing the beauty of the culinary world for local publications, including D Magazine. When not behind the camera, he can be found hanging out with his pug, Captain.
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A
L E T T E R
F R O M
T H E
E D I T O R
Chad (right) and I at The Outpost
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ach year, some of us resolve to lose weight, save money or, like me, to be better than I was last year. These resolutions generally last about 60 days max and then we are right back to chowing down on BBQ, blowing cash on guns and making bad decisions. The one resolution, that I always keep is my vow to live life so that I always have a good story to tell. I position myself outside my comfort zone; I look for risk and surround myself with interesting characters. One such character is my good hunting buddy Chad. Unwittingly, Chad and I started what would become a new year tradition — our annual guy’s trip to hunt predators. Each January or February, Chad and I drag two trucks' worth of gear to Central Texas for a one-day hunt. We post up in an abandoned log cabin that we lovingly refer to as The Outpost but that should be more aptly named “Hostel de Raccoon.” After a few minor disagreements with the raccoons about their place of residence, we layer up like we are in Antarctica (because inevitably the date we choose has the worst weather of the new year), gear up like our prey may shoot back at us and set out in search of some not-so-friendly, mangy-looking dogs. Hunting with Chad is special. He is semi-overly enthusiastic about concealment; he rolls through cedar trees to hide his scent while still puffing on his cotton candy flavored vape. He picks up scat and says “this one’s fresh” while handing it to me to sniff (which I, without hesitation, decline). And he still believes in superstitions, omens, cursed Indian burial grounds and/or any other odd derivative of supernatural nonsense. But it takes a guy like Chad for this hunt, a person who enjoys sleep deprivation, close encounters with bloodthirsty animals and who likens shivering in the dark to a great time. But then again, who am I to talk? I’m the fool shivering right there next to him. Now, I will never claim that I am a great predator hunter. I am probably subpar at best, but Chad can call in a coyote from three
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counties away. He claims he can smell them and even goes as far as howling himself, declaring he is having a good conversation with them. I just smile and nod, knowing my value to the team: being quick on the trigger and holding the flask of whiskey. Like two stooges, we stagger through cedar thickets and across dry creek banks, tripping over each other and our gear in the darkness. Once settled in and hidden, Chad will take a hit of his electronic cigarette and exhale a cotton candy scented cloud to “check the wind.” Next, he will brief me on the plan of attack. “When I call out the direction, you aim there, and I will light it up. If I say 1 o’clock you aim at 1; if I say 3 o’clock you aim at 3. Got it?” I have never had the heart to tell ol’ Chad that I really can’t hear him too well through my two layers of beanies and a trapper hat and even if I could, he and I are facing separate directions, so his time references are quite subjective. For hours, we sit motionless in the darkness as frost begins to form on our outer layers. As we sit there I drift off in thought, half awake, wondering why Chad is scratching himself and barking like a dog. To his credit, though, he always seems to call one in, and my quick shooting seals the deal. Who would have thought that coyotes are attracted to the scent of carnival snacks and that cursing at owls (because apparently they are bad omens) would ever pay off? Happy New Year.
John Radzwilla editor-in-chief
COME AND DRINK IT www.lone-elm.com AUTHENTIC TEXAS WHISKEY Distilled in Forney, Texas
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HOME PROTECTION
FIELD PROTECTION
DUAL COVERAGE STARTING AT 90
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Fully Loaded The Latest Gear and Wear for the Modern Outdoorsman
Hogue HK Karma 3.75" First Response Tool $190; hogueinc.com
HK VP9 " The Advocate" (Noir Edition) $2,495; tyrdefenseindustries.com
5.11 Tactical Hard Time Gloves $70; 511tactical.com
Hogue ARS Stage 1 Carry Holster $50; hogueinc.com
Gerber Center Drive Multi-tool $126; gerbergear.com
HOOKANDBARREL.COM | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | 09
KUIU Venture 2300 Backpack $219; kuiu.com
KUIU Bino Harness $84; kuiu.com
KUIU Iron Cap $25; kuiu.com
When it comes to camouflage systems, KUIU is at the top of our list. Originally designed for ultralight mountain hunting, KUIU has expanded its offerings far beyond backcountry hunts to just about anywhere a technical layering system could be used. It is designed with an athletic fit to eliminate bulkiness (which we really appreciate) and crafted with Toray fabric for optimal water and wind protection. The system is constructed to be soft and quiet, with incredible stretch, and provides protection from the elements while regulating body temperature. Held to the demands of mountain sheep hunting, the system can withstand extreme weather and storms, wide temperature swings and unforgiving terrain. Having the opportunity to field-test the gear for ourselves, we can say without a doubt, KUIU holds true to its reputation. This selection was specifically chosen for the avid hunter and to be used during cool or cold times of the year — perfect for midseason to late-season hunting. It held up to long spot and stalks, crawls across rocky terrain and navigation through brambles, all while keeping us warm in 20-degree cold front weather. We recommend KUIU’s Ultra Merino collection, designed with itch-free, moisture-wicking merino wool fabric. These mid-layer pieces worked perfectly as we shed or added layers throughout the hunt.
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KUIU Axis Hybrid Jacket $269; kuiu.com
KUIU ULTRA Merino Zip-T $109; kuiu.com
KUIU Axis Hybrid Pant $229; kuiu.com
KUIU ULTRA Merino 145 Neck Gaiter $26; kuiu.com
KUIU Kenai Beanie $49; kuiu.com
KUIU Attack Gloves $59; kuiu.com
Custom Rifle Custom Marlin Express by Jim Brockman brockmansrifles.com
HOOKANDBARREL.COM | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | 11
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Mountain Fit Training Pant
Mountain Fit 2000 Bag
$99; kuiu.com
$99; kuiu.com
Mountain Fit Hoodie
Mountain Fit Aero T-Shirt
$99; kuiu.com
$45; kuiu.com
Atlas Trainer Frame System $299; outdoorsmans.com
Training just got more demanding with Outdoorsman’s Atlas Trainer. It's common for backcountry hunters to place sandbags or weights in their backpacks and hike a few miles to get in hunting shape. The problem is that the sandbags and weights aren’t always evenly distributed. The Atlas Trainer solves that by allowing you to attach Olympic-style weight plates directly to the frame. Taking the system into the field, we decided to push the limits. Using 45-90 pounds, we hiked and did pullups, pushups, lunges, squats and even burpees. Later, we took it to the gym and climbed the stair machine, did battle ropes and generally any other movement we could with weight on our backs. The system performed flawlessly. We can’t say the same for the user. We highly recommend the Atlas Trainer for year-round physical fitness. It will make you sweat, it will make you sore, but it will strengthen you to the core. Couple that with a full workout outfit from KUIU and you'll be the most stylish hardcore hunter in the field.
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predator hunting essentials FOXPRO Hammer Jack Digital Game Call $300; basspro.com
FOXPRO Eye Scan Light $350; basspro.com
Mojo Outdoors Super Critter Decoy $60; cabelas.com
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MADE IN THE U.S.A.
The 12” Sna-Koil pro-style snake is so close to the real thing it’s scary. A true snake shape, the Sna-Koil’s lifelike profile slithers through weed lines and over matted vegetation producing heart thumping strikes. Fish weighted, Tex-posed, Carolina or Drop Shot. Its unique coiling action triggers strikes from stubborn fish when others can’t. Available in 6 realistic colors.
Compact and durable, the PT-7’s aerodynamic body casts like a bullet and skips into tight places where others can’t. 3 inches in length and 5/8 oz., this soft plastic minesweeper detonates explosive strikes like no other topwater on the market today. Lunker largemouth bass to saltwater redfish, snook and seatrout find its “walk-the-dog” action simply irresistible. Pre-rigged with a single premium 7/0 EWG hook, it keeps the big fish on where standard trebles fail. Available in 12 realistic colors.
w w w. d o a l u r e s . c o m
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G O O D
G R U B
From left: Chefs Dee Saunders, Trey Chapman, Stefon Rishel and Manuel Vasquez in Fort Worth for the Tarrant Area Food Bank Culinary School.
Texas Chuckwagon Trey Chapman shares his passion for food, chefs and life
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story by michelle williams | photography by reed j. kenney
rey Chapman’s passion for food and fun is as big as Texas. As a self-proclaimed “ultimate food experience guy,” Chapman publishes Trey’s Chow Down, a popular website for all things food, drink and fun in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Offering more than just restaurant reviews, Trey’s Chow Down brings to life the entire dining experience, from the food to the ambience to the way the chefs interact with their customers. “Dining is an experience,” Chapman says, “an exploration for your palate as well as socializing and meeting new people.” He seeks out hole-in-the-wall spots and champions �the little guy� by highlighting food trucks and suburban restaurants in addition to fine-dining establishments. He begins a review by simply sitting at the bar or a table at the back of the restaurant and taking in the atmosphere. “I am a big fan of open kitchens,” he says. “It is a friendlier atmosphere when everyone can see each other. I also like it when chefs come out of the kitchen and talk to their customers.” Chapman was raised in the restaurant business. His family opened their first eatery, Lacy’s, in Lake Worth, Texas, in 1905. As a youth, Chapman worked in many facets of the family business, earning hands-on experience and acute insight about the industry, including the importance of offering a great dining experience. He recounts one key lesson he learned from his grandfather: “You cannot run a restaurant from the kitchen. You’ve got to talk to the customers, and you’ve got to see what’s going on.”
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Chapman’s family spent summers in Italy, which introduced him to the “Italian Art of Living” — a passion for community, great food and drink, laughter and connection, what he calls the “experience of food and life” that still informs his ethos. After four decades in the restaurant industry, Chapman transitioned about 10 years ago to writing about and promoting restaurants. He calls himself a “positive” reviewer, preferring to promote the industry in a positive way. His goal is “reaching people on a personal level by sharing my honest experiences.” Although his website doesn’t have the vast reach of larger corporate food publications, his boundless positivity has earned him a large and loyal following and social media audience. His annual “Best Burger” recommendations have become so hot that he had to divide it into two lists: Classics and Gourmet. As a result of Chapman's passion for food, some of the world's bestknown chefs, such as Stefon Rishel (see sidebar), align themselves with him and Trey's Chowdown. Additionally, Texas news affiliates seek Chapman's ferver as a regular contributor to culinary stories. “I am in love with food,” Chapman says — all kinds of food, from white-tablecloth restaurants to the burger joint down the road. He especially loves those chefs who connect with their clients on a personal, heart-felt level. “Whether you are working out of a truck as a cowboy cook or in the top restaurant in Dallas,” he says, “it’s imperative to serve the customer.” treyschowdown.com
Rubbing Shoulders with Chef Stefon Trey Chapman admires fun and creative chefs like Stefon Rishel, Fort Worth’s Top Chef 2015. Rishel shares his recipe for Wild Boar Shoulder Guisado exclusively with Hook & Barrel. Wild Boar Shoulder Guisado (Serves 6 to 8)
Ingredients • 3 lbs. cubed wild boar shoulder (soak in milk overnight) • 2 medium yellow onions diced • 3 medium carrots diced • 2 ribs celery diced • 2 medium zucchini diced • 2 cups diced potato (larger cut) • 2 tbsp. roasted jalapeño purée (add more if you like spicier) • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro • 2 qtrs. chicken stock • 2 bay leaves • 1/2 cup blackening seasoning • 16 oz. dark Mexican beer, such as Negro Modelo
Trey Chapman sits at the bar, taking in the smell of bacon, at Texas Spice in the Omni Dallas Hotel.
Directions Drain and pat dry boar shoulder. Season boar with blackening spice and sear all sides in Dutch oven until browned. Reserve on side. Deglaze pan with beer and reduce by half. Add chicken stock, all vegetables and boar to the pot. Cover mostly and simmer for 2 hours until boar is fork tender, potatoes have started to break down and the liquid has thickened. Add cilantro and jalapeño purée to taste, season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with freshly toasted corn tortillas, fresh pico de gallo, cilantro, queso fresco and lime wedges. Enjoy!
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L I B A T I O N
L I B E R A T I O N
Recipes that Rock
and Some on the Rocks
Six vodkas you need to try and the recipes to go with them story by tyler hicks | photography by david halloran
Texas Wildflower Vodka texaswildflowervodka.com
Frenchie Bualé frenchiebuale.com
This brand of spirits knows that love — and a strong, tasty drink — can conquer all. That’s especially true of their must-have Moscow Mule recipe aka the Moulin Mule. Ingredients • 2 oz "Whats the Tea" Sweet Tea Vodka with Pineapple • 1 oz pineapple juice • ½ oz ginger beer Pour into Moscow mule mug, mix and enjoy.
bogart’s vodka bogartspirits.com
Bogart Spirits has spent the last two years providing moviestar-quality drinks to Americans across the nation. Their vodka is the perfect balance of strong and smooth — something Bogie would be proud of. Try the Bogart Bloody Mary, a classic beverage picture-perfect for any occasion. Ingredients • 2 oz Bogart’s Vodka • 4 oz tomato juice • ½ oz lemon juice • ½ oz Worcestershire Sauce • ½ oz Tabasco • Salt and pepper Mix all the ingredients in a tumbler with ice, garnish with a celery stalk and enjoy.
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This smooth and flavorful brand was founded by two Texans who set out to create a vodka that deserved to carry the Texas name. Texas Wildfire comes in three flavors: Craft, Pink Lemonade and Blood Orange. Try it with some Topo Chico for their signature Cranberry Senna Snapdragon recipe. Ingredients • 2 oz Texas Wildflower Craft Vodka • 3 oz cranberry Juice • Top with Topo Chico Garnish with cranberries and serve.
Global Vodka global-vodka.com
True to form, this Italian vodka has won awards across the globe. Equipped with a faint almond scent and lightly sweet palate, Global Vodka is what you need to class up your cocktail glass. Make it an Italian affair with an Ascot: a creative cocktail fit for any dinner party.
Rapsody Vodka rapsodyspirits.com
This exceptionally smooth vodka works on multiple levels: You can try it on the rocks or just sip and savor. For your game-day festivities, grab a bottle and go with a Quarterback Sack.
Ingredients • 1 oz Global Vodka • 1 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac • ½ oz Carpano Antica vermouth • ½ oz Dolin dry vermouth
Ingredients • 1 oz Rapsody Vodka • 1 oz peach schnapps • 3 oz cranberry juice
This Is Texas Vodka nowthisistexas.com
Hailing from Carrollton, Texas, this vodka packs a flavorful punch befitting its lofty title. This is Texas has a sophisticated flavor and a refreshing bite, making it the perfect choice for a tall glass of adult lemonade. Grab some moscato, some pink lemonade and pull up a chair to watch that stunning Texas sunrise. Just be prepared for flavors as big as the Lone Star State. Ingredients • 1 bottle pink moscato • 6 c. pink lemonade • 1/2 c. This Is Texas vodka • Lemon slices
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N E W
T U N E S
In the Hunt Keep your eye on the meteoric rise of country music and TV star Riley Green
story by jeff gage | photography by samuel crabtree
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he road to country music stardom doesn't leave much room for detours, but that hasn't stopped Riley Green from making time for his other life's passion every chance he gets. An avid outdoorsman, the Alabama native is never far from his next hunting trip, even as he's landed a major-label recording contract and his first Top 40 single, "There Was This Girl." "The first time I went deer hunting, I fell in love with it," says the 30-year-old Green, who released a four-song EP titled In a Truck Right Now in June on the Nashville-based Big Machine Label Group. "I remember getting off work and going in the woods to try and catch this deer. I had a camera and all that. It's still the same stuff that I enjoy about it today, what got me hooked on it to start with: The chase." Green hasn't had to worry about chasing a fan base in his music career, as his grassroots following has helped his music accrue more than 46 million streams. Five million of those belong to "There Was This Girl," which has climbed all the way to No. 26 on Billboard's Country Music Chart. His progress hasn't gone unnoticed, with outlets like Billboard and Rolling Stone naming him a country artist to watch. That rise has been fueled in part by an unexpected source: 22 | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | HOOKANDBARREL.COM
Green's role hosting an online hunting show, In the Hunt, that airs on DirtRoadTV.com. "Most [country] fans are hunters, or at least outdoor-type people, which has been a huge help," he says. "I don't know that it really catapulted me into signing a record deal, but it definitely didn't hurt. A lot of people who know me from the hunting show didn't reality star even know I played music." "The hunting show deal was Some fans have even gotten to really none of my doing, other know Green personally through his than that they asked me to host hunting. His radio commitments a hunting show," Green says of his moonlighting gig on In the and headlining of the Outlaws Like Hunt. "I was like, 'What do I have Us Tour keep him crisscrossing the to do?' They said, 'Just hunt,' and country, but in October alone he I'm like, 'OK, I get to hunt for free? squeezed in hunting trips to Georgia That's great!' One of my goals my and Wisconsin. "To be honest, I do whole life has been to find a way that kind of stuff a lot. I've gone and to hunt for free." The program has followed Green to the tree stands carried my guitar and become an of Georgia and duck ponds of honorary member of a lot of hunting Texas, where he's been joined by clubs because of that," Green says. fellow musicians like Texas country singer-songwriter Breelan Angel. Yet for all the time that music and hunting take up in Green's life today,
Green hasn't had to worry about chasing a fan base in his music career, as his grassroots following has helped his music accrue more than 46 million streams. Always the showman, Riley Green says he loves interacting with fans.
he came to both activities later in life. Growing up near Jacksonville, Alabama, he loved the outdoors, playing three sports in high school and football in college. "My entire family is from within 10 miles of where I grew up," he points out. "My granny is still alive, who's 96 or 97. I remember going to the beach when I was 8 or 10 and she was playing whiffle ball with me when she was 70-something." Alabama wasn't ideal for hunting — he recalls "walking 400 yards through places that were just pull-your-boots-off with mud, just to get in there and possibly see a duck," — but fishing was a family pastime that he shared with his father and grandfather. "We'd go down to Gulf Shores, Alabama, and go out deep-sea fishing every year," Green says. "It's a whole different experience for me, too. With hunting, you're going somewhere cold — or someplace north, like Mississippi or Arkansas. So to go down to the beach, that feels like a vacation to me." Music, too, was something of a vacation for Green, who worked with his dad framing houses after college. Though he'd taken guitar lessons as a child, he didn't think of music as a potential career until he started hosting concerts on his family's property. "I was like, 'If we built a stage back here, I bet you I could get 200 to 300 people to show up.' So we built the stage — and had 1,400 show up for the first show," Green marvels. Scraping together money saved from framing houses, Green began self-releasing EPs in 2013, and four years later he racked up over 2 million views of a video he made for his song "Bury Me in Dixie." That helped get the attention of BMLG, which boasts Florida Georgia Line and Lady Antebellum on its roster. "I remember when I came home to tell my mom I'd signed a record deal with Big Machine, she was like, 'Oh, that's great. Do you want mashed potatoes?'" Green says with a laugh. "A lot of my family don't comprehend what's going on with me, and to be honest, I didn't either till a few months ago." With the whirlwind of changes taking place for Green, who plans to release his first full-length album early this year, hunting has become an even more important refuge in his life. "For me to be able to go out in the woods, where I don't have good cell service, and get away for a few hours, that's where my enjoyment comes from now," he says. "To disconnect and get out in the woods like that, I don't know that I haven't written a lot of songs out there and don't even realize it." HOOKANDBARREL.COM | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | 23
P R O F I L E
Out of the Shadows
Jeff Kyle reflects on the good times with Chris, his heroic late brother
eff Kyle sat in his office chair, smiling broadly as he pushed back his gimme cap and remembered the good times. There was that cold, icy morning at his family’s hunting lease in Brown County, Texas, when he was 8, sharing a deer blind with his mother. Nearby, his dad and 12-year-old brother, Chris, sat in another blind. On that foggy dawn, it was Jeff who saw an eight-point buck amble into a nearby clearing, raised his rifle and made the shot. Though his older brother had been hunting longer, he had never bagged a buck. Jeff had won the day. Competition bonded the Kyle boys, from childhood games to teenage bulldogging and bronc riding in West Texas rodeo arenas to working together as young ranch hands. Then, both decided to enlist, Chris with the Navy, Jeff the Marines. In time, the four-year age gap closed, then all but disappeared. “Sure, there were times when we fought, like all brothers do, but we were close. We always had each other’s back,” Jeff recalls. “We loved each other.” Which led to another fond recollection. When he entered Midlothian High School, the younger Kyle was faced with a traditional freshman initiation. In the school foyer there was a life-size statue of a panther, the school mascot. New male students were required to battle with upperclassmen determined to subdue them and hoist them onto the bronze statue. On that first day, Chris, who had graduated the previous spring, was on hand to watch. In his hand were several bills that he pro24 | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | HOOKANDBARREL.COM
claimed would go to anyone able to get his little brother atop the mascot. None were successful. The elder Kyle pocketed his money, gave his brother an approving nod, then left. Then, as his thoughts fast-forward to a February evening in 2013, past his eighth year in the Marine Corp, seeing his brother only on leaves before he, too, ended his service career, Jeff Kyle’s smile disappears. The memory turns somber. His wife, Amy, was putting daughters Brintley and 8-day-old Leighton to bed when a phone call came from his father. “Chris is gone,” was all he said. “Gone where?” Jeff knew that since publication of his brother’s bestselling autobiography, American Sniper, Chris had traveled constantwhen should texans ly to speaking engagements, book mark chris kyle day ? promotions and media interviews. Chris Kyle, the Navy SEAL and four“He’s gone,” his father repeated. tour Iraq war veteran, was killed on In time, details slowly came from Feb. 2, 2013. Two years later, Texas a breaking voice: Chris and a friend Gov. Greg Abbott declared Feb. 2 had taken a troubled Marine vet — Chris Kyle Day. Jeff Kyle believes the day honoring his brother should be who had been in and out of mental his birthday, April 8, for a true celhospitals since his discharge — out ebration of the life of an American for a day at a shooting range. hero, and plans to ask Abbott to There, Chris and companion Chad shift the date. Littlefield had been shot and killed
PHOTOS DAVID HALLORAN COURTESY JEFF KYLE
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story by carlton stowers
“I felt I was suddenly living in my brother’s shadow.”
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from left:
Jeff Kyle models one of his collaborations with KUIU; throwing out the first pitch for the Texas Rangers; during his time in the Marines
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“There were a lot of things Chris wanted to do, and I’m going to continue to do what I can to see that they get done.”
PHOTOS JOHN RADZWILLA; COURTESY JEFF KYLE (2)
by a schizophrenic 25-year-old, Eddie Ray Routh. Woven into that tragedy was a life change for Jeff Kyle. Now 40 and working in research and development for Robinson, Texas-based Emco Supply (providers of tactical gear for military and law enforcement), he lives daily with his brother’s legacy. While an Oscar-nominated movie was being made of Chris’ military career, and while the Texas governor proclaimed the date of his untimely death as Chris Kyle Day, Jeff Kyle was being summoned into the spotlight. “It was an uncomfortable feeling,” he admits. “I felt I was suddenly living in my brother’s shadow.” He felt it when NASCAR officials informed him they would like him to travel to Indianapolis for the running of what they had named the Jeff Kyle Sprint Cup race, when the major league Texas Rangers invited him to throw out a first pitch before a sellout crowd, when a small high school in Montana asked him to deliver the commencement address at its graduation ceremony. There was a steady request for him to give speeches and media interviews. “I was talking about it to a good friend one day,” Jeff says, “and he told me, ‘You’ve got to live well for your brother, make him proud.’ That helped. It made sense to me.” Today, the speeches he gives are easier, more polished. He still doesn’t write them down; he talks from the heart — about his brother and the respect that returning veterans should command.
It has become his mission. When his parents, Wayne and Deby, established the American Valor Foundation five years ago to offer aid to military veterans and first responders, Jeff became president of its board of directors. “We’re facilitators,” he says, “helping in any way we can, arranging medical treatment, sponsoring therapy sessions, organizing fundraisers to help get mortgage payments and medical bills paid, establishing gym memberships — whatever it takes to get families on their feet and functioning.” And he does so with his late brother constantly in mind. “I’m reminded of him every day,” Jeff says. With the passage of time, it is the good times, the fond memories, that he most often thinks about. “There were a lot of things Chris wanted to do, and I’m going to continue to do what I can to see that they get done.” On Jeff’s personal to-do list is asking Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to change Chris Kyle Day from the date of his death to his April 8 birthday. Though he has not yet reached out with his request, Jeff says, “That, I think, would make it a more happy celebration.” With that thought, the smile returns to his face.
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New Year’s Resolutions with the NRA's Colion Noir
story by narae kim | photography by reed j. kenney
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olion Noir, host of the NRA web series NOIR, has more than 74 million views on YouTube and more than 600,000 subscribers to his channel. Hook & Barrel recently caught up with Noir at the Frisco (Texas) Gun Club, where he told us his top 10 New Year’s resolutions.
Do more long-range shooting. My overall goal is to become the Bo Jackson of the gun world. I want to be moderately proficient in every shooting style you can think of, and my weakness is long-range shooting.
Design my custom Glock. I want a very minimalist conceal carry (probably a Glock 26) that inspires confidence and absolutely no printing on the gun. I want it small enough that I can make it completely disappear with the way that I dress.
Improve my work/life balance, and as I get more time back, make it a priority to make what I do with that time non-work-related. I have occupational FOMO (fear of missing out on work). Take time to have a mental vacation. Do more social activities and actually be present and not multitask.
Start writing my book or books. I have several in me. A memoir or a sort of gun control talking points for dummies. Something that educates on the talking points of gun control so people can speak and respond intelligently at their next dinner party.
Finish writing my urban tactical Black Mirror-esque episodic series. I am a big fan of the Black Mirror series. I want to write my own episodic series of everyday situations we find ourselves in and take it to our worst-case conclusion. A combo of entertainment and reality.
Actually take a real vacation anywhere that I can unplug. Some place with water, maybe foreign like Tahiti, where I can disconnect, relax and not do any work related to firearms.
Write on my blog more consistently (mrcolionnoir.com). It is not a write-and-post process. It is very time-consuming but I need to carve out more time to post consistently.
Buy that Ducati I’ve always wanted. Everyone I talk to has always tried to talk me out of it, but I still want one.
Call my mom, dad and aunt more. My mom worries about me immensely and calls me every day. They all check in on me all the time, but if they didn't, I don't make a point of calling them first.
Learn a new skill. I don't know how to cook. I don't know how I am going to find time to do it, but it is a skill set I need.
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DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS ...far from the bustle of the cities, a 20,000 acre oasis exists along the fringes of the Hill Country. The AC Ranch, 60 miles southeast of San Angelo, is the getaway destination for those seeking to connect with the outdoors without leaving behind the comforts of home. Fully furnished rooms, gourmet meals and a clubhouse like no other are just a few of the amenities that make the AC Ranch stand out from the others. Unparalleled hunting ranging from Native Whitetail to Upland Birds and Turkey to Exotics are what put the ranch in your scope. While visiting AC Ranch, don’t miss out on an array of shooting sports, including fully automatic rifles and clay pigeons. But the pièce de résistance is the 2.5 mile dirt track where guests can get behind the wheel of a trophy truck.
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Dopp Kit I N
T H E
B A G
When it comes to travel, being on the road can feel like a battle. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a travel-hardened pro, having the right kit makes all the difference. We know some people who still use zip-lock bags to transport their toothbrushes and cleansers, so we decided to equip you with better travel tactics. Here’s how to dopp-erate.
Friendly PSA for the TSA
If you fly with this kit, the TSA will frown upon anything that looks like a bomb, could be used as a knife, or anything over 3.4 ounces. So use your head: Check items that are over 3.4 ounces (or purchase smaller sizes) and leave the grenade deodorant at home. Unless you enjoy interrogations, body searches, confiscations and a lot of awkward looks.
1) Hazard 4 Reveille Bag Designed for remote lodgings but civilized enough for five-star hotels, it's made with durable fabrics, and a suspension swivel hook keeps it off questionable surfaces. $50; hazard4.com 2) Grenade Tactical Toothbrush A rugged, durable, field-use brush built to last and withstand the elements. Use it to clean your sidearm or your teeth. $40; grenadesoapco.com 3) Grenade Antiperspirant Deodorant in the shape of a grenade – enough said. Not recommended for airline travel. $10; grenadesoapco.com 4) Grenade Soap Being badass is great, smelling like it is not – pack soap. 3 bars for $20; grenadesoapco.com 5) Grim Dollar Straight Razor Not all warriors don a beard. When it comes to tactical shaving, there is no better weapon than a single blade. $66; classicshaving.com 6) Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25 Armed with superior lip conditioners, this balm offers protection against the sun, windburn and temperature extremes. $8; getjackblack.com 7) Jack Black Deep Dive Glycolic Facial Cleanser This multifunctional formula purifies and deeply exfoliates, clearing away buildup and oils that clog pores and dull skin. $22; getjackblack.com 8) Jack Black Eye Balm De-Puffing & Cooling Gel Shake off the night before with a clear, hydrating gel to help de-puff, energize and refresh tired-looking eyes. $25; getjackblack.com 9) Jack Black All-Over Wash This single fully-loaded, all-in-one solution does the job of three. Be covered on all fronts: face, hair and body. from $10; getjackblack.com 10) Jack Black Double-Duty Face Moisturizer SPF 20 Be prepared with a formula that provides lasting hydration without oiliness and provides built-in SPF 20 protection. from $18; getjackblack.com 11) Jack Black Bump Fix Razor Bump & Ingrown Hair Solution Designed to exfoliate the top layer of dead skin cells and unearth skin-trapped facial hairs that cause razor bumps. $27; getjackblack.com
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Missouri A Holiday in Southwest MO
You don’t need the beach when you can vacation at Big Cedar Lodge story by adam pitluk
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Range patrons shoot clays over the expansive Ozark forests that surround Big Cedar Lodge
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arents who have done the parenting thing long enough will tell you that by and by, they get pretty good at planning the family vacation. They’ll point out who in their brood likes to do the beach and who likes to ski; they know who wants peace and quiet and who likes a lively crowd; and the breadwinners among them can distinguish between who likes to spend the savings account and who likes to plan for something more cost-effective. The successful parent will avow — not aloud, but to oneself — that they are the World Heavyweight (or Lightweight, depending on whether they’re trying to bulk up or slim down) Champion of family vacation planning, as they somehow managed to take the variances of the masses and funnel them into one outstanding trip. Then there’s me and my planning of the family vacation. One daughter wants to do Disney, the other wants to ski, my wife wants to lounge on a beach south of the border, and I want to go hiking and shoot guns. The sum of all parts does not a whole make. Usually, we’ll be quite democratic and politely debate where we want to go. That will go on for a good seven minutes and then I’ll become authoritarian and make an executive decision because, well, when it comes down to it, whoever does the planning — no small feat, any parent will tell you — should be the one to call the shots. That shot caller is me, or at least in print that shot caller is me, because I’d never avow it, not quietly or otherwise, in front of my Italian wife.
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Still, as shooting goes, I decided to take my family to a place I’d been twice ozark outings before, though one they'd never visited: Big Cedar Lodge is open year-round, and each Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri, season presents different just a spit from Branson. The reason is views, experiences and that even though Big Cedar has neither adventures for vacationers. white sand beach nor snowy slope, I To start planning your trip, knew that if I planned it right, a couple visit bigcedar.com. of days and nights in the shadow of the Ozark Mountains would get my girls to want to vacation my way. My way has a mission statement, which is this: You’ll have more fun in two days in southwest Missouri than you’ve had during past vacations in southwestern Mexico or Southern California. I was right. For starters, as I’ve been telling people in travel circles over the years, Big Cedar Lodge is like a Bass Pro Shop with beds. Johnny Morris, the owner of both and a living legend in the state of Missouri, fashioned his shops and his resort with one goal top of mind: Get people outside. I’d been to Big Cedar Lodge in the past with my dad to watch the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf tournament at the Top of the Rock course, and another time with my buddies on a fishing trip. Each time, I remember wishing I had my girls out there in the rugged wilds of the Show Me State. I knew they would enjoy the various restau-
clockwise from left:
An aerial view of Big Cedar Lodge; one of the wellappointed lofted cabins; and the Pitluks ready for the range.
rants, the free putt-putt golf course, the kids fishing hole, the Ozarks natural history museum and the cave tour. Yet there was one activity onsite that I wanted them to partake in more than any other. The Bass Pro Shops Shooting Academy and the gun-firing that goes on there is more foreign to my girls than jet skiing in Puerto Vallarta or snow skiing in Switzerland. To me, that’s a sad commentary and one that makes me a rank amateur in the vacation-planning sport. I needed to change that. I’ve been shooting for years and after 15 years of marriage, I finally got my wife into it. My daughters, however, had no desire to learn to shoot. Parents who have tried to force their kids to do something they like but that the kids don’t will fail almost every time. But the savvy parent loves their daughters just enough to trick them into thinking something they don’t want to do is actually their idea in the first place. That parent is the World Heavyweight [or Lightweight] Champion of Parenting. And I wanted a belt. When we left our cabin and got in the car for the short drive over to the Shooting Academy, I told the girls they were in for a big surprise, something they’d never done before and that they’d never forget. That piqued their interest just enough. When they met shooting instructor David Storch, who emerged from the gun vault holding a freshly-oiled 20-gauge shotgun for my wife and 12-year-old daughter, a
BB gun for my 9-year-old and a 12-gauge for Daddy, and once they were informed they’d get a chance to wear yellow sunglasses, don big ol’ earmuffs and shoot clay pigeons, they immediately perked up. My daughters started doing the equivalent of an Ozark Mountain Happy Dance, which means they began talking a mile a minute and asked Storch a range of questions, like: “What’s your favorite gun?” “Have you ever missed a shot?” and “Who’s better at shooting, you or that guy?" (My younger daughter said this loudly and pointed to the cashier.) After 50 moving clays and hundreds of BB’s shot at stationary clays, my girls were hooked. They talked about the shooting trip for a fairly good portion of the six-hour drive back to Dallas. And they asked the magic question — the one that’s a telltale sign of a vacation well-planned and a job well-done: “When are we going to go back?” Parents who have done the parenting thing long enough will tell you that by and by, they get pretty good at planning a family vacation. I’d gotten good at getting my girls to think they are vacationing where they want to vacation. That was until Big Cedar Lodge, the Bass Pro Shops Shooting Academy and the striking Ozark Mountains worked their magic on my family and turned a reluctant tribe into genuine outdoorspeople. And that makes me the World Heavyweight [though I’m slimming down] Champion of Parenting for this vacation. HOOKANDBARREL.COM | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | 35
S H O O T I N G
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Shooting Star Hollywood weapons expert Taran Butler arms your favorite silver screen gunmen f you find yourself on the edge of your seat during an onscreen shootout, Taran Butler just might be the reason why. Since 2012, the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) Triple Crown Winner and three-gun champion has injected speed and versatility into the shooting repertoire of Hollywood A-listers like Keanu Reeves and Jon Bernthal. What Butler teaches has applications for any gun enthusiast, whether a hunter tracking white-tailed deer in West Texas or a recreational shooter practicing at the range. Butler’s story ironically begins with the movies. When he and his brother took an interest in movies like Dirty Harry, Magnum Force and The Shootist starring John Wayne, Butler’s mother encouraged her sons to learn to shoot. “She wasn’t against guns,” he explains. “We started shooting on our property and watching videos of [pro shooters] Rob Leatham and Jerry Barnhart.”
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While his brother’s interest subsided, Butler’s only grew. He followed competitive shooting “forever” but made excuses for not competing until 1994 when stuntman Bruce Barbour let him borrow a Glock for a competition. Butler finished seventh out of 118 shooters and was hooked. As he racked up competitive titles, he became friends with other shooters, including those working as consultants in Hollywood. In 2004, one of those friends invited him to meet Tom Cruise, who was training for Collateral. That led to an introduction to the movie’s director, Michael Mann, and an invitation to design guns for Mann’s next movie, Miami Vice. The guns had a brief cameo in the movie but were later featured in the TV series Heroes. Mann reached out to Butler again when he needed someone to train Stephen Lang to reload rapidly for Public Enemy. Unfortunately, that scene ended up on the cutting room floor.
PHOTO NIKO TAVERNISE/LIONSGATE
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story by teresa bitler
Taran Butler aims with an STI Combat Master from Taran Tactical (left); Keanu Reeves' action-packed stunts have become a staple of the John Wick series.
On Keanu Reeves training for John Wick: Chapter 2: “No one had ever seen an A-list actor handle a gun like that.”
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clockwise from top:
Butler with director James Cameron; with Halle Berry and Keanu Reeves, who were training for the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 3; with Nikki Grey (from left), Jade Struck, Khloe Kardashian, Kendall Jenner, Rochelle Hathaway and Jennifer Irene
four common mistakes hollywood makes The entertainment industry doesn’t always get it right when it comes to firearms. Here are four common mistakes Taran Butler has noticed on the big and little screens: Grip: Butler sees a lot of actors use a “cup and saucer grip” with one hand on the grip, the other cupping it underneath. Pierce Brosnan used this grip as James Bond before working with Butler. Aim: Actors don’t always aim at the target. Butler cites Rick from The Walking Dead, who aims at the pavement yet miraculously shoots zombies in the head, as an example. Reaction: When they fire, some actors flinch even though they’re portraying “badasses.” Check out Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop. Reloading: Hollywood doesn’t reload, and its guns fire more rounds than their magazines can hold. Butler again points to The Walking Dead as one of the biggest offenders.
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Butler’s next Hollywood contribution went viral, though. Director Chad Stahelski wanted his upcoming movie, John Wick: Chapter 2, to feature the intense, fast-paced action you can only achieve with three-gun training, so he sent his star, Reeves, to Butler. After working on technique, accuracy and speed, Butler recorded Reeves accurately hitting 19 targets using a rifle, pistol and shotgun in 19 seconds. The video received more than 16 million views online and was broadcast by TMZ, Access Hollywood and other major outlets. Needless to say, the public was impressed. “No one had ever seen an A-list actor handle a gun like that,” Butler says. Hollywood was impressed, too. Butler has since consulted on The Fate of the Furious, Black Panther and yet-to-be-released movies, and he’s worked with the cast of several TV series including S.W.A.T., Hawaii Five-O and Fear the Walking Dead. Specifically, he’s trained Chris Pine, Pierce Bronson, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Josh Duhamel and John Krasinski, to name just a few. Even Kendall Jenner and Khloe Kardashian taped a segment of their show at Butler’s range. Some celebrities need a lot of instruction when they come to him, Butler says. Others, like Reeves, (who he says hopes to compete in three-gun competition someday) and Mark-Paul Gosselaar of Saved By the Bell fame are naturals. Aptitude and skill level aside, everyone can improve. Butler says if you want to improve, the No. 1 thing you can do is make sure you have a solid stance and a proper grip with as much skin on the gun as possible. Then, practice as often as you can and
watch videos of competitive shooting. “YouTube three gun,” he recommends. “If you want to get good at shooting, watch what they do.” Practice and instructional videos won’t help if your equipment isn’t at its best. Butler regularly sees dirty components, scopes not tightened down and sights not zeroed in. Take the time to care for your equipment. Zeroing in your sights is particularly important. Butler says he has worked with military personnel and police officers whose shots are off by as much as 6 inches or more. “Guns don’t come out of the box dead on, and most people are going to put different sights on anyway,” he says. “You also have to keep in mind that if you travel with the gun, it can need to be zeroed again.” The quality of your equipment — whether the gun you use, the scope you add or other components — makes a tremendous difference. “Good equipment really improves your shooting,” Butler says. “A good shooter with a bad gun isn’t going to shoot as well. It’s like a race car driver going from an F1 to a Honda Accord. The car just isn’t going to perform the same no matter how well he drives it.” If you’re looking for a good, basic pistol, he suggests a Glock since it's accurate and rarely jams. However, if you’re ready to invest a little more, Butler’s company, Taran Tactical Innovations, sells competition-quality pistols, California-compliant rifles and accessories. tarantacticalinnovations.com. HOOKANDBARREL.COM | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | 39
More Than a Memory Country music’s golden boy, Lee Brice, has figured out a few things on his way up the Billboard charts story by thor christensen | photography by chase lauer
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Country singer
Lee Brice has performed at the Grand Ole Opry, collaborated with his boyhood idol, Garth Brooks, and written a string of hits as long as the neck on his battered old Gibson acoustic guitar. But Brice’s biggest achievement has nothing to do with music. He says he’s most proud of raising kids who are happy as ants at a picnic whenever they’re outdoors, without an iPad anywhere in sight. “I thought to myself ‘Yes! This is awesome!’” Brice says of the time he discovered his boys Takoda, 10, and Ryker, 5, hard at work digging a big hole in the ground, just for the heck of it, at the family’s farm outside Nashville. “There’s something about exploring the outdoors and hunting and fishing that’s always been a huge part of who I am. I want my kids to be like that, too — to be outside, not thinking about a computer or a phone or a remote control.” Brice had plenty of practice living his life unplugged. Long before he wrote Brooks’ No. 1 hit “More Than a Memory” and became one of Nashville’s busiest songwriters, little Lee was a dreamy country kid living on a dirt road on the outskirts of Sumter, South Carolina. When he wasn’t creeping through the swamps on hunting trips with his dad and his younger brother, he was busy singing alongside his gospel-music-loving parents, listening to music on his bedroom alarm clock/radio, and writing songs. At age 11, inspiration struck. Brice sat at the piano and merged his two great loves — hunting and music — into “God Gives Every Man One Great Hound,” a song about his father’s hunting dog, Train.
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“My daddy heard it and started cryin’ his eyeballs out,” Brice says. “I’m still proud of those early songs. Even at 11, I took songwriting seriously.” He listened obsessively to everyone from George Strait to Guns N’ Roses to Whitney Houston. But the transformative musical event of his teen years came in 1997, when he saw Garth Brooks tear up the stage at the North Charleston Coliseum. “It was my first real concert, and I just knew at that moment it was what I was going to do for the rest of my life,” says the 39-year-old Brice. He landed a football scholarship at Clemson University, but when an injury sidelined his career as a long snapper, he says “it was a sign from God that now I had to do what I was really meant to do.” So he dropped out of college, moved to Nashville and fell under the wing of veteran producer-songwriter Doug Johnson, who quickly recognized Brice’s talent. “The first time I heard Lee, it was obvious he has music in every fiber of his being,” Johnson says. “His passion is inspiring. He’s a great writer, great singer, great performer and a good guy as well.” Brice’s career took off slowly as he gradually started co-writing tunes for everyone from Jason Aldean to alt rockers Sister Hazel. Finally, 2007 marked the big moment he’d been waiting for: Brooks recorded Brice’s “More than a Memory,” and it shot straight to the top of the Billboard country charts in its first week, the first time a song had ever done that. “It was like I was dreaming,” Brice says, still
“There’s something about exploring the outdoors and hunting and fishing that’s always been a huge part of who I am. I want my kids to be like that, too.”
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lee's five favorite spots “All these places replenish my soul.” Waccamaw River, South Carolina Right above North Myrtle Beach is a beautiful little black water river that we have been camping at for 20 years. Ducks, catfish, largemouth bass, bluegill … you name it, we cook it and we eat it fresh. Homestead Ranch, near Crawford, Colorado You’re talking about land that’s been in the same family for 150 years, a place that allows folks to see and hunt the most amazing elk, mule deer and bear. This place is beyond special. Southern Illinois Whitetail Connection Hunting Club, near Fairfield, Illinois I’ve hunted whitetail my whole life, but South Carolina just doesn’t have the size and quality of deer that Southern Illinois does. The cats that run this place are so cool. It’s one of the most fun atmospheres to be in for a few days. Hudson Farm, Andover, New Jersey To me, it’s like the Augusta National of hunting clubs. It’s got the highest-quality instructors for shotguns, rifles and pistols, and great pheasant hunting, of course. It’s a beautiful place. Brice family farm, near Nashville It’s my dream I have pictured in my head since I was a kid. My boys and I spend time together doing all kinds of fishing and hunting — whitetail, ducks, dove, quail, turkey, squirrel, rabbit, coyotes — and riding four-wheelers, cutting trees and riding horses.
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Lee Brice and his band live on NBC's Today Show
sounding tongue-tied a decade later. “Here comes Garth Brooks, with my song I wrote about my college girlfriend, and it debuts at Number 1. It was like ‘This is surreal!’ ” The ensuing attention helped Brice jump-start his own long-simmering recording career. In 2010, he released his debut album, Love Like Crazy, and the title track broke another Billboard record by spending 57 weeks on the country singles chart, the longest stretch in chart history. Since then, his career has been a whirlwind of touring, recording his own albums (his fourth, Lee Brice, came out in late 2017) and writing and co-writing songs for the likes of Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill and Blake Shelton. In 2011, Brice took home the Academy of Country Music Award for song of the year, for “Crazy Girl,” the monster hit he co-wrote for the Eli Young Band. But he’s also racked up plenty of his own hits, including “I Don’t Dance,” a semi-autobiographical ballad about a macho dude who finds himself changing after falling in love. Brice’s lyrics tend to be witty, sweet and a bit philosophic. While he name-checks God in many of his songs, he also questions his own devotion in the recent tune “What Keeps You Up At Night,” singing “I believe in God with all my heart / Sometimes I doubt and wonder, and I know that'd break my mamma's heart.” “I grew up in the church, but I’ve had struggles,” Brice says. “That song is me being honest and putting my true heart on my sleeve, hopefully in a positive way. My mother is old-school, where everything is right or wrong, black or white. But I think there are a lot of gray areas. I think it’s OK to doubt.” Like most country artists, Brice has sung or written his fair share of drinking songs, including “Buzz Back Girl,” a hit for Jerrod Niemann,
and his own hits “Parking Lot Party” and “Drinking Class,” a song about blue-collar workers getting loud, rowdy and tipsy. Brice admits to having an up-and-down relationship with alcohol. As a teenager, he resisted peer pressure to drink, explaining “I was like, ‘If my daddy catches me with a beer in my hand before I’m 21, I’m dead meat.’ ” But it was a different story when he turned legal. Brice spent much of his 20s performing in bars where fans and friends offered to buy him drinks after the show — invitations he seldom turned down. “Partying it up became a big part of that scene, and there were times when drinking had a very negative effect on me. But I’ve learned from those moments,” he says. “Now, when I get offstage, I go straight to my bus, put my P.J.s on and go to work in the studio I’ve built on my bus. When I get home to my family, I can’t be worn out and hung over. I’ve got three kids, they deserve all of me, and so does my wife. It’s a completely different life now.” Today, as he inches closer and closer to 40, he wouldn’t trade his life for anything. He calls his wife, Sara Reeveley, “an amazing woman” (that’s her in the video to “Rumor”), and he gushes about his 1-year-old daughter, Trulee. “I’m just crazy over this little girl,” he says. “She’s got me wrapped all around her.” When Trulee is old enough, Brice hopes to take her arrowhead hunting — a favorite pasttime for him and his sons — and introduce her to the joys of outdoor living, just as his father did for him. “Hunting and fishing and exploring the woods teaches you at a young age about so many things,” he says. “It teaches you about safety and how to focus and pay attention. Our family didn’t have much growing up, but I learned a ton from the outdoors. It’s in a lot of the songs I write because it’s a big part of my life. It’s who I am.” HOOKANDBARREL.COM | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | 45
TROPHY
ELK HUNTING EST. 1914 U.S.A
“He turned broadside and after I quit shaking I got him with the first shot, about 75 yards out. I’ve never been elk hunting so this was quite an opportunity.” - Mark
Urban Cowboy > Ranch-Inspired Fashion S T Y L E
True cowboys these days are a dying breed, but their style still runs wild. You don’t need to be on the Professional Bull Riders circuit to rock the look — here are a few for dirt roads and city streets. No Western look is complete ...
Vest Up
Cooler weather is here, but there's no need to conceal-carry. Keep warm while showing off your guns.
Western Felt Hat
It’s OK to be all hat nowadays. Women love a man in a hat, and that's all that matters.
… without a snap-front shirt
Pearl, horn or, in this case, turquoise snaps are quintessentially Western. Layer up or wear alone in the field or on the town. Saloon Letters Tee, $35; Modern Fit Snap Front Western Shirt, $65
Distressed
… a Stetson hat
Denim
Stetson embodies the spirit of America. Winning the West or a night out, a good hat is a must.
A little mileage on your denim goes a long way. Tears and abrasions add rough-and-tumble character.
Open Road Royal Deluxe Hat, $225; Elk Run Hat, $90
… and exotic leather boots Skyline 6X Hat, $245; Black Plaid Quilted Vest, $90; 1014 Fit Jeans, $75; stetson.com
“It’s not about owning cows, it's about the way we approach everyday life. Living life under a cowboy hat is about character traits nowadays — not just a livelihood. It's about being someone who doesn’t waver in what they believe in, seizing opportunities, respecting everybody and taking calculated risks while learning from our failures. It’s about being a find-a-way, make-a-way kind of person. You don’t need to be a ‘cowboy’ to dress Western, you just need to live with cowboy values.”
Walk the walk. Find a pair of snip, rounded or square-toe exotic leather boots with a colorful upper this season. Amazon Huachinango Fish Boot, $370
— travis wheat, director of the mesquite rodeo in mesquite, texas HOOKANDBARREL.COM | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | 47
Wyman Meinzer stands outside his half dugout, where he spent three winters trapping coyotes in big ranch country of northwerstern Texas.
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Predator hunting is up and gaining in popularity story by connor judson garrett | photography by wyman meinzer HOOKANDBARREL.COM | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | 49
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In Native American folklore, the coyote is often portrayed as a trickster, using deception and humor to get its way. The Navajo believed that the coyote brought death into the world. According to legendary trapper Dan Brown of Mountain Home, Idaho, the Navajo were on to something. “They don’t call them wily coyote for nothing,” he says. “They’ve been around for 3,000 years and they breed faster than you can kill them. Worst of all, they have a 70 percent predation rate on fawns. Coyotes are extremely smart, so it’s all about matching wits with them.” Brown has been trapping coyote since he was 12 years old and now has 40 years under his belt. Twenty-five of which, he says, have been serious business. Last year, he killed more than 800 coyotes and estimates he also trapped anywhere from 150 to 200 bobcats. “I got into the business because of the market,” Brown says. “It changes every few years, but right now the western heavy coyotes are hot. Anyway, trapping put food on the table. I’m a contract trapper. I’ve been working the ranch I’m on right now for 10 years, covering half a million acres. You should see about 30 to 35 percent of fawns to doe. If you don’t, it means you’re not doing a good job keeping the coyotes under control. Most big ranches keep someone on staff just to kill coyotes. That’s what I do.” The United States government shares his conviction. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services agency sends helicopters to fly over coyote habitats with a policy of shooting onsight. USDA gunmen can kill as many as 100 coyotes in a single day. Other gov-
ernment methods deployed by Wildlife Services include trapping and shooting as control measures. In total, the government kills roughly 80,000 coyotes per year at an annual cost of $20 million, passed on to the taxpayer. But the reason they’re willing to spend such a whopping sum on killing coyotes is simple: population management. Coyotes wreak havoc on livestock and deer and will eat virtually anything, even small dogs and crops such as watermelon and cantaloupe. The popularity of coyote fur is surging. The North American Fur Auctions 2018 auction season reports that although the fur market as a whole has been struggling, coyotes proved to be in high demand, with 100 percent of the 73,000-plus pelts selling out even as their prices spiked. According to NAFA, heavy coyotes averaged $106 per pelt, semi’s averaged $57, and eastern coyotes, which were selling for about $20 a pelt two years back, more than doubled in average price to $41. These prices are not entirely indicative of what coyotes might fetch at a local auction or what country buyers would pay, but it confirms that the global demand for coyote fur is on the rise. Before the fur is ready for sale, the coyote has to be skinned and its fur fleshed to get rid of any mud, burs or blood, debugged of fleas and other insects, and stretched and dried over a forming board. This process helps maintain the fur's “primeness” — a subjective assessment of its color, quality and size. The trapper sells it to a buyer, who works with a manufacturer to turn their catch into the collar or trim of a high-end coat — like the trim of the popular HOOKANDBARREL.COM | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | 51
Canada Goose brand parka. “In the 1930s, a famous trapper by the name of E.J. Daly revealed one of the secrets of the trade: the dirt hole set,” says Thomas Duke, director of Duke’s Traps in northern Mississippi. “Before then, it wasn’t well-known or widely used. Daly would always say he learned it from watching the fox dig his hole and put his food down in it. The same tactic works for coyotes. Mimic the way they dig it sloping down, put food in, make sure there’s an obstacle to make them come in facing forward, and set up a backer so they can’t come in from the back.” Dan Brown says that the dirt hole set is 99 percent of his coyote hunting arsenal. “I use Duke’s 1¾ traps. I see a lot of guys with bigger traps. They’re not catching what I’m pulling in. I don’t get paid if I don’t catch. I’m spending eight to 10 hours a day, seven days a week in the field.” Coyotes reproduce faster, have larger brains and are more efficient killers than dogs and wolves, as evidenced by its trademark single, fatal bite to the throat. Sheep, goats and calves are the most vulnerable to these attacks, which is why the coyote has developed a particularly nasty reputation among ranchers. They say that scaring off a coyote is only a temporary solution since the wily canine wises up. If you shoot, shoot to kill, or else the coyote just becomes smarter from the experience and harder to get rid of. Clint Cary, a well-known trapper from eastern Tennessee, echoes the difficulty of coyote trapping. “It’s not like catching raccoons, where you can put out a trap and they’ll just go wandering in,” he says. “With coyotes, you have to be persistent. You may not even have a coyote come by for days, but don’t adjust until you’ve seen tracks or signs that they’ve been through.” He adds “I like to use multiple baits and odors in a set. I use a call
by the numbers Firm statistics on coyotes killing livestock can be as elusive as trapping the coyotes themselves. In 2015, ranchers reported to the USDA that 28 percent of adult sheep losses and 36 percent of lamb losses were caused by predators. Of those losses, nearly two-thirds of all predation deaths were attributed to coyotes. However, because the data was self-reported, it is possible that some were killed by dogs and some had died of other causes but were scavenged by coyotes. Anecdotally, farmers and ranchers cite coyotes as a major threat to their livestock and deer populations, especially to smaller livestock such as goats, sheep and calves — and a reported 50 percent predation rate of fawns.
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clockwise from left:
Preparing a dirt hole set; pelts after processing; a coyote on the run
lure within 10 feet of the set, gland lures to intrigue the coyote, multiple odors and baits in a set, and besides that, I check and recheck the traps. To landowners, I tell them to put three to four sets in an area, depending on state regulations, and to just put in the time.” Cary says the behavior and predatory habits of the coyote are site-specific. In his part of Tennessee, they do not pose as big a threat to livestock or deer herds as in neighboring areas. He says that’s why it is essential to keep track of fawn recruitment to assess the problem. “There’s a special kind of satisfaction from catching a coyote,” Duke says. “You have to create a specific set for a specific type of animal. Trapping from one area to another is also different, and coyotes can adapt to all of them.” Stephanie Braman of Mellon Creek Outfitters in Refugio, Texas, is well-versed in a variety of environments for hunting coyote. However, she specializes in calling coyotes, the act of mimicking their sounds to lure them close enough to shoot. “It’s not just about location or species: There are so many factors that go into it,” Braman says. “I’ve hunted in New Mexico and over,
and every scenario is unique. I tell people that here in South Texas, it’s difficult to control the coyote because there’s so much dense brush. It’s extremely hard to see them coming. On our ranch, certain areas flood and you can’t really get to them, so that exacerbates the problem. On top of that, we have a ton of dogs and dogs that people bring on hunts, so we can’t really set traps for them even if we wanted to. I have about an 85 percent call rate and kill about 60 percent of them. That adds up to about 75 to 100 coyotes per year.” It’s a constant battle to stave off the eastern coyote on her 100,000-acre ranch. Their pelts, usually coarse with inconsistent coloration, have practically no fur value. However, the Montana, Alberta and western coyote can fetch $50 to $100 for their soft, sandy-colored pelts. “A guy came from North Carolina recently. I taught him the basics of calling like paying attention to the direction of the sun and the wind, limiting your movement and a few other things,” Braman says. “He wanted to learn how to kill coyotes on his own property to protect his livestock. That’s really the best way to learn. Go a couple times with someone who knows what they’re doing.” HOOKANDBARREL.COM | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | 53
Hog
if you haven’t hunted by helicopter, you haven’t gone
Wild story by matthew howe | photography by john radzwilla
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The main lodge at Sully Ranch where guests are greeted is adorned with native and exotic species mounts.
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When people think of
exclusive
hunting
experiences,
they more often than not conjure up images of wealthy people in exotic locations with big-game trophies. However, thanks to Andy Anderson, owner of Executive Outdoor Adventures, this is no longer the case. Now, anyone can enjoy an experience of lifetime, limited only by the adventurer’s imagination. As Anderson so casually puts it, “We offer a Lamborghini experience at VW prices.” Situated an hour-and-a-half drive northwest of the Dallas Metroplex in Bowie, Texas, Executive Outdoor Adventures is leading the way in affordable outdoors excitement by raising the level of professionalism. They offer a multitude of services, from night hunts with thermals and night-vision goggles to fully automatic experiences to military-style insertions and sniper experiences. The cornerstone of Executive Outdoor Adventures is helicopter hog hunting, and that’s what brought me to Andy and his team at Sully Ranch to find out more. As the buildings of the city grew ever smaller in my rearview mirror, the D/FW perma-construction gradually changed to vast open and untouched prairies. Upon arrival at the ranch, visitors are immediately welcomed in the lodge’s great room. Adorned with local mounts as well as trophies from hunts around the globe, the space is an obvious starting point on any hunter’s adventure. The area, with full projection screen, is perfect for team-building and corporate meetings while the fully stocked bar, leather furniture and entertainment center are perfect for relaxing after a long day. HOOKANDBARREL.COM | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | 57
more fun with a group While adventures are personal and can be had on an individual basis, I highly encourage you to make this a group event. For an experience like this, it is definitely better to take friends. The competition and camaraderie will enhance your time and you’ll have stories to tell for years to come. The team at Executive Outdoor Adventures has extensive experience in law enforcement and military service and welcomes the chance to create an unforgettable adventure. Once you’re ready to have Executive Outdoor Adventures plan your unique experience, visit their website at executiveoutdooradventures.com to find out more about accommodations, experiences and hunting packages.
Before leaving for our hunt, our group enjoyed a first-class lunch, which isn’t uncommon for Sully Ranch’s guests. Our hosts had outdone themselves within 30 minutes of our arrival. Over the last eight years, Executive Outdoor Adventures, or EOA, has been honing their craft and making sure their organization appeals to all clients and not just seasoned hunters. Their clients encompass the entire spectrum, from first-timers to big-game trophy hunters; from people who have never fired a gun to Navy SEALS. No matter what the level of expertise, they mitigate the risk by treating everyone the same. “When you visit us, our experiences are inside the confines of the law but outside of the box,” Anderson explains, “and all you need to bring is a change of clothes, your boots and your hunting license.” They have played host to bachelor parties, corporate team-building events and individuals looking for something new. They have stacked old cars at a client’s request and shot them with a minigun until they exploded with controlled ordnance. Their most recent 58 | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | HOOKANDBARREL.COM
addition, the Zero Dark Thirty experience, outfits your group with weapons, ammo, night-vision goggles and thermals just before dark. You then cruise thousands of acres through the night, hunting for boar, coyotes and other game. The fun doesn’t stop until the sun comes up or you’ve had enough. When working with EOA, you don’t get a silo approach to hunting. This is a personalized adventure; it’s not the experience of a lifetime, but rather an experience of your lifetime. Each client’s experience will never be the same as another's and they pride themselves on that service. Executive Outdoor Adventures is also leading the way in the aerial hog hunting industry to create a safer environment for all involved. With over 20 years of flight experience, pilot Richard Sidebottom, whose North Texas Helicopters provides EOA’s aviation services, has been approached by the state of Texas and the FAA to help develop policies and procedures to benefit all involved. “My goal is to make sure everyone has fun but that we all go home and there isn’t a scratch on the helicopter; that’s a good day,” Sidebottom says.
clockwise from left:
Natalie Radzwilla takes aim from a Bell Jet Ranger helicopter; a wild hog; writer Matthew Howe and Radzwilla ready for takeoff
Over dessert of made-from-scratch peach cobbler, we discuss the impact feral hogs have on the state of Texas. The rising feral hog population in Texas has created more of a problem than ever imaginable. Decimating the landscape with their endless feeding habits as well as spreading disease to the water supply and local livestock, feral hogs have become a substantial liability to Texas agriculture. With an estimated population of 3.2 million boars in Texas alone, population control has become a top priority for ranchers and landowners. Couple these problems with the rapid breeding rate of feral hogs and it becomes an overwhelming obstacle. Attempts at population control have gone on for years to no avail. Boars have been known to attack deer, feast on eggs of local birds like quail and turkey and kill local livestock. Their unchecked invasion of the natural ecosystem has left many to wonder if things could ever return to normal if the hogs were eliminated permanently. Unknown to most, these creatures breed at an alarming rate. A sow typically has two litters annually and can begin reproducing as young as 6 months old, with an average litter of six piglets, though up to 12 piglets in one litter isn’t unheard of. Anderson says that 70 percent of the 3.2 million wild boars in Texas must be eradicated annually just to maintain the current population. “And that’s why pigs just piss me off,” he says. After lunch it was time to hunt. We drove to the north end of the 47,000-acre ranch for our helicopter hog hunt. What struck me most
on arriving at our hunting ground was the level of detail applied to the operation. The logistics of our experience were planned before I had even left my house earlier in the day. Unlike other outfitters, EOA has taken a page from military planning and created a mobile base of operations. Our Bell 206/Jet Ranger helicopter was already onsite and gassed up by their mobile fueling station, and safety briefings and issuing of weapons took place in their travel trailer equipped with a kitchen and refrigerator for drinks and refreshments. Weapons and ammo are always included with each adventure, and when we boarded the helicopter, we were greeted by what seemed like an endless supply of loaded 30-round magazines. The ease of mobility and the professionalism of the staff play a crucial role in a successful hunt. They are even more important on multiple-day or overnight hunts to ensure that the proper supplies are in place prior to your adventure. Once we were airborne, we were reminded that while we are at a strategic advantage and will be able to cover 2,000 to 10,000 acres during the hunt, it was still a hunt. Everyone on board was responsible for calling out wildlife as we saw it. The skill of our guide and experience of our pilot was going to play a major role in the strategy of getting us on pigs as fast as possible. Moments later we were passing over a group of boars. Sidebottom’s expertise with the aircraft and Anderson’s knowledge of the land quickly put us into a position where both sides of the helicopter could take advantage of the targets. Within seconds we had emptied and reloaded our AR’s, dispatched the hogs and prepared to find our next herd. From liftoff to our first engagement was only a matter of about 15 minutes, and we still had plenty of time to hunt for more game. The thrill of hunting in flight is an experience that will resonate with me for the rest of my life. Thanks to Executive Outdoor Adventures, I’m already planning my next adventure with several of my friends to see how creative we can get. The next question remains: What experience will they be able to supply for you? HOOKANDBARREL.COM | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | 59
Helicopter Hunts, Traditional Hunts, Hog Hunts, Night Hunts, Full Auto Fun, Bucketlist Adventures, Corporate Retreats “Hunting and outdoor adventures is our passion. At EOA, you will find a wide range of hunting and outdoor activities, broad and diverse to satisfy even the most adventurous thrill seeker or hunter.� ~ Andy Anderson
CEO Executive Outdoor Adventures
Call Us - (940) 366-1565
www.executiveoutdooradventures.com
T H E
T R O P H Y
R O O M
Legally Blonde story by jacquelyne froeber
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Hog hunting is bigger — and better — in the Lone Star State, according to paralegal and social media star Liberte Austin
L
iberte Austin was born and raised in Austin, Texas. And no — this is not her legal name (more on that later) but a tribute to her professional law background and her admiration for Texas. When Austin isn’t winning in the courtroom, she’s hunting and fishing and posting her outdoor adventures for more than 173,000 followers on Instagram. She also combines both of her passions working as the program director for HunterShield, which provides legal defense for hunters and anglers. “HunterShield is my baby right now,” she says. “I get to work with amazing companies all the time — I'm very blessed — but this particular project feels very much my own.” No objection here. you have an amazing name. was it given to you by your parents or ... ? Liberte Austin is a pseudonym I created to protect myself online. A girl can't be too careful these days. It is a combination of my love for the Statue of Liberty, freedom and the city I grew up in. what sparked your interest in hunting? I love the idea of doing something adventurous and kinda dangerous at the same time. When I'm alone in the woods, I feel like I can take on the world. you are a tactical shooter: if you were a gun, what gun would you be? A Texas-made STI International 2011 DVC Limited. Of course. let’s talk hog hunting. where is your favorite place for a hog hunt? Texas is a great place to hunt hogs because there are so many different ways you can hunt them legally. From night optics, helicopters and even hot air balloons, Texas does it right. how big was the largest hog you took home? 300 pounds, easy. why hogs? With any other animal I hunt, there is a sense of emotion that goes along with taking a life. When I'm exterminating hogs there's no emotion, I simply feel like I'm doing my part to help our environment. you are also a paralegal who loves to fish. which fellow paralegal would you rather go deep-sea fishing with: comedian ellen degeneres or president abraham lincoln, and why? Neither, it would have to be Erin Brockovich. I feel like both Ellen and Abe would be overly political to converse with. Ruins the fishing.
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on your blog, you mention that you didn't have female companions when you first started hunting. how do you think social media has helped change the community of female hunters? There has been a flurry of female hunters since I started hunting and I think it's wonderful. I have had the opportunity to meet some amazing ladies through social media. you were a "vegan hunter"? please explain. Although I'm not a full vegan anymore, a vegan hunter eats only raw vegan meals except for meat harvested themselves. I love animals and I came to hate the treatment of cattle in the meat industry simply to satisfy our eating habits. While I am no longer a vegan, I still only try to eat ethical meat and limit most animal by-products such as dairy. with surf and turf probably off the table for valentine’s day, what is your advice for men who want to take their ladies on an outdoorsy date? If you want to take your lady to a special place that includes a little bit of the outdoors, a lot of wine, some shopping and amazing scenery, take your woman to Fredericksburg, Texas. You can thank me later. "if I give you my number will you promise to kale me?" is one of our favorite vegan-inspired pickup lines. what's yours? My heart is certified cage-free, so my love can roam to you.
“There has been a flurry of female hunters since I started hunting and I think it's wonderful.”
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NAME
Liberte Austin AGE
To quote Oscar Wilde: “One should never trust a woman who tells one her real age. A woman who would tell one that would tell one anything.” HOMETOWN
Austin, Texas
@liberteaustin
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