“Next Generation Insight to the Outdoors.”
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The Dream INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Comeback Kids: 2013 Turkey
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Reader Question of the Week
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What do you think?
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New Property, New Adventures
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New MO Apparel
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Hunting Tips for Morel Mushrooms
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Mahoney Outdoors Spring Photos
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Thinking Independently
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Spring: The Second Turkey Season
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Subscriber Profile: Charles Marsh
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High School Bass Fish- 13ing 14 Product Review: Rapala Shad Rap
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How Turkey Hunting Humbles You 16 Contact Information Wish to advertise?
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Lee’s Summit, MO—Since I was young, my dad had always immersed me in the outdoors, whether it be hunting for squirrels or fishing in the pond behind our house in Martin City, MO. It was something that I grew to love as the years went by and eventually realized that I wanted to share the stories of my adventures and experiences with everyone I knew. By the time I was halfway through high school, I was officially obsessed with all things outdoors, most notably deer and turkey hunting. Each fall I would spend over 100 hours in the woods in the pursuit of trophy bucks. When the Spring came around I began my annual tradition of skipping class on opening day of turkey season, much to my mother’s dismay and disapproval. I began filming all my hunts and was soon having great success capturing
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By Tyler Mahoney
several kill shots on camera while hunting by myself. The aspect of the camera added a new challenge and a deeper appreciation within me for the
Pro-staff members Tyler Mahoney (left) and Ryan Miloshewski with a doe taken in Fall 2012. pursuit of each animal. It wasn’t until reaching Rockhurst University where I met Ryan Miloshewski, who was a member of the same fraternity as me, that I really started thinking about how I
could turn what I was doing into a career. Ryan was the first person I had met in my life that was equally as passionate as me about the outdoors. We of course quickly became best friends and I realized that together we might be able to create something truly unique that the outdoor world hadn’t seen. From that, the idea of Mahoney Outdoors was born. We both believe that we can revolutionize the way people look at hunting and fishing by offering the insight of a younger generation. We hope that our dream of having our own show and magazine will help other young people like us understand how much the outdoors has to offer.
YouTube Page hits 10,000 views The Staff Lee’s Summit, MO— Mahoney Outdoors’ YouTube page recently hit a major milestone in late April. After uploading 26 amateur hunting and fishing videos, ranging from deer and turkey hunting to predator hunting and bass fishing, the Mahoney Outdoors channel finally hit 10,000 views. The views have
been increasing dramatically week by week. The goal behind the YouTube page is to gain a grassroots following for Mahoney Outdoors. By doing so, Pro-staff members Tyler Mahoney and Ryan Miloshewski hope to gain the attention of some major outdoor companies for potential sponsorships. The more the brand
can be spread, the better. The channel can be located through the Mahoney Outdoors Facebook page or by just simply searching “Tyler Mahoney” or “Prohunter172” in the YouTube search bar.
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Comeback Kid(s): Success in Missouri’s 2013 Spring Turkey Season By Ryan Miloshewski
“He hit the ground and gobbled again, closer. I sent some enticing cuts and provocative yelps his way and he gobbled again, much closer.”
MAHONEY OUTDOORS
Rosebud, MO—The rising April sun slowly crept over the ridge line, illuminating the freshly bloomed dogwood blossoms. The birds of the woods came alive with their songs of spring. A rooster crowed in the distance. It was the perfect morning in the spring turkey woods— except one thing was missing: a gobble. Back in 2010, times were tough and turkey populations were hit hard with cool weather during prime nesting in the previous years before on my cousin’s farm I hunt in Rosebud, MO. It was a discouraging time for turkey hunting and being in the woods seemed like a waste of time, money and effort. This trend continued for a few years. I started hunting this property in the spring of 2005, and I can tell you that was the most exciting time I’ve had in all my turkey hunting years for gobbling activity and turkey populations. Every spring morning I could step into the woods and hear ten or twelve different toms gobbling fifty times each, all roosted within 400 yards of each other. Back then I was a novice and lacked the calling skill and woodsmanship to be a successful hunter. I killed my first turkey, a Jake, the next spring, and the “Golden Years” lasted until 2008 on the farm. After that, the invigorating hunts and thundering gobbles slowly began to decline. But, as a stubborn man and genuine lover of the outdoors, I continued to hunt and keep trying. Fast forward to this spring and it’s easy to see the turkey comeback has started. After all the hardships, it really is a glorious thing and sends chills down my spine to hear and see more turkeys this year. During pre-season scouting I heard eight different toms sounding off in the early morning calmness, a lot on the neighboring land. I felt as giddy as I did when I heard
Pro-Staff member Ryan Miloshewski with his first turkey in 2006.
that first gobble back in 2005. The fire was lit, in a big way. Opening day 2013, April 15, and falling on a Monday per usual, would find me in the woods for the eighth consecutive year, in my familiar spot we call ‘The Knoll.’ It sits in between two steep ridges like an island in the south Pacific. It has a textbook look and feel of a strut zone in the timber. It was a rainy, chilly morning (much like the entire spring thus far) and I set up on a tree I’ve put my back against many a time. Due to the overcast sky, I figured gobbling activity would be low. I was wrong. Toms sounded off as soon as the darkness turned to light, and I had them answering me in no time. However, a live hen is usually more enticing than an unknown, far off yelp. The day was
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filled with close encounters with two different toms, but no shot was taken. A late spring is ahead of us and the season started early this year, and it seems the hens are still ready to breed; thus, henned up is an appropriate term. The following day was too rainy and cold to hunt for long, although I did hear a few gobbles. The final morning of my three day hunt started out much like opening day. It was very calm in the woods and a few toms gobbled as soon as I entered the woods. I debated where to set up, but something always brings me back to ‘The Knoll.’ I placed my decoy and started mouthing some soft yelps with my Primos Diamond Cutter. A tom across the railroad tracks that separates our property from the neighbors answered me enthusiastically. But, they rarely come across the tracks, so I figured it’d be a longshot. He hit the ground and gobbled again, closer. I sent some enticing cuts and provocative yelps his way and he gobbled again, much closer. “Is he really going to defy the years of toms before him and cross these tracks?,” I thought to myself. I gave out soft clucks and purrs, and minutes passed between gobbles, and he kept getting closer. That meant one thing: he was coming. And fast. All of a sudden, movement caught my eye and there he was, running into my decoy full speed ahead! He spit and went into half strut and circled my decoy. I raised my gun and the two year old tom dropped in his tracks. I felt great elation, respect, appreciation, and emotion after I pulled the trigger. I felt like St. Louis Cardinal’s third basemen David Freese after hitting a walk-off homerun in Game Six of the 2011 World Series. It was a great comeback—a great comeback
for me as a hunter (my first turkey in three years there), but an even greater for the gobbling ghosts of the spring woods. It wasn’t the biggest turkey I’ve ever killed, but it certainly is one of, if not THE, most rewarding turkeys I’ve harvested. It’s significance goes way beyond filling a 2013 tag. The turkeys are back and are here to stay, and you can bet I’ll be back on ‘The Knoll’ again this season, and, God-willing, many more years to come.
Pro-Staff member Ryan Miloshewski with his 23 pound Spring 2013 tom.
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Reader Question of the Week The Staff
“What are the best weather conditions to hunt turkeys in?”
This edition’s question comes from Aaron Chambers, a junior at Rockhurst University. He asks, “What are the best weather conditions to hunt turkeys in?” Well Aaron, there are quite a few people that would give you a lot of different answers on that one. We definitely have a few favorite weather scenarios here at Mahoney Outdoors that we would strongly recommend everyone try to capitalize on
when given the chance. First, a sunny day with a high of 60 degrees accompanied by light winds is ideal for turkeys. The toms will normally gobble very well and most likely continue to be gobbling for a large part of the day, which is good for hunters who are trying to locate them. Additionally, warm cloudy days after a light rain have been extremely productive in our experience as well. There just seems to be something
about those days that gets the Toms worked up and ready to roam around looking for a hen after the bad weather moves out. Be sure to email Tyler Mahoney or Ryan Miloshewksi, whose contact info is on the last page, with any questions you would like to have answered!
What do you think?
The Staff
Clinton, MO—To the right is a picture of a giant track that was larger than a human hand found on the Mahoney property in Clinton, MO. After researching it heavily, we cannot come to a conclusive answer. All evidence points towards it being a black bear. But what do you think?
Tim Mahoney (below) with his 157” 10 point buck on the new property in Clinton, MO.
New Property, New Adventures By Tyler Mahoney Lee’s Summit, MO—In October 2012, Tim Mahoney successfully executed a deal to sell the 740 acre family property in Warsaw, MO in order to relocate to a place closer to home in Lee’s Summit. During the search for a new tract, Tim Mahoney found a 220 acre piece near Clinton, MO, just an hour away from home. The pre-
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vious property had been roughly a two hour drive. While the Warsaw property might not ever be matched in terms of wildlife, the new place in Clinton is probably the next best thing. The Mahoneys saw numerous deer throughout the season, culminating in the harvest of a 157” 10 pointer by Tim Mahoney. In January 2013, Tyler Mahoney
watched as a flock of 116 turkeys came out of the woods in front of him. Needless to say, the family is very excited to see what the property has to offer for years to come.
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New Mahoney Outdoors Apparel The Staff Recently, Mahoney Outdoors acquired some new apparel. We now have shooting shirts, camouflage jackets, solid color jackets, and hats. If you are interested in any of them, please see the contact information on the last page and get in contact with
Tyler Mahoney. We can get virtually any color and any size so there is something for everyone!
Hunting tips for Morel Mushrooms Clinton, MO—It’s getting to be that time of year again and I’m actually not referring to turkey season! The Morel mushroom season has come upon us as well. There have been mixed reports across the state regarding the numbers that are being found. The drastic change in weather conditions has had a negative effect on them this Spring in multiple areas throughout the state of Missouri. There has only been a couple really warm days this Spring so it looks like the Morel season could last into early May.
In order to maximize your find this year and in the future, here are a few tips when you go hunting for Morels. First, if you want to find a large number sprouting at once, wait to go searching until the first really warm several days after a substantial rain, preferably when it is 60-70 degrees out and the nights aren’t colder than 40 degrees. Next, you need to make sure to look around places like burn sites, dead or fallen trees, old logging areas, old flood plains, near rivers, and basically anywhere that water has disturbed an area.
By Tyler Mahoney
When you look in those conditions, you are likely to find a good number of mushrooms. If you are having trouble identifying a mushroom, remember the old adage, “when in doubt, throw it out.” Over 150 Morel mushrooms found on the Mahoney property in Clinton, MO.
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RIGHT: Pro-Staff member Tyler Mahoney (right) with his 23 pound Spring 2013 Gobbler.
RIGHT: Pro-Staff member Tyler Mahoney shooting Jim Hansen’s new Mathews bow at The “Big T” Ranch. BOTTOM: Round two of morel mushroom hunting yielded 70 morels on closing day of turkey season.
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ABOVE: Pro-Staff member Ryan Miloshewski showcases his bird along with the turkey call he used and some Mahoney Outdoors Apparel. BOTTOM: Pro-Staff members Ryan Miloshewski (left) and Tyler Mahoney pose with some fish caught in Clinton, MO. LEFT: Pro-staff member Tim Mahoney (right) and good friend Denny Petrie pose with some Rio Grande turkeys killed in Western Nebraska this past spring.
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Thinking Independently: A Review on the Leaders Pushing for Gun Control By Tyler Mahoney
PEW Research Center
“Are these the type of leaders we should trust to push gun control reform?”
Kansas City—In recent months, we’ve seen control advise gun owners how to properly rea flurry of government officials trying to get their spond in specific scenarios, shouldn’t American name on every gun bill they can to make sure their citizens be able to rely on them and trust they voters know “they care” about gun violence. Couknow the laws? pled with that has been a surge of media reports The next case of severe gun safety cluelesscovering murders and violence by guns. Whether ness involves Senator Dianne Feinstein (CA-D), that has been a ploy to build more support for gun who has been another leading proponent for control laws as some argue, remains to be gun control. During a fairly recent anti-gun seen. However, what can be said definitively is news conference, numerous photos were taken that there has been unbelievable ignorance exhibof Feinstein while she held an AK-47 with her ited by many of those who have proposed extenfinger on the trigger as she addressed the sive gun control legislation. crowd. Throughout her speech, the gun was What worries me is why US citizens trust pointed at many bystanders in the audience. those oblivious leaders to make efficient gun conNot only does that violate the number one rule trol laws when they appear to have virtually no understanding about gun safety and guns in general. The top 4 most important rules of gun safety are: Keep the gun pointed in a safe direction at all times, treat every gun as if it were loaded, keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot and be sure of your target and what lies beyond it. Perhaps the most publicized and blatant offense to those rules was committed by Vice President Biden, who was asked to lead the push for gun control legislation after Sandy Hook. He has since traveled the country giving “common sense” gun advice to citizens. One recommendation he made during an interview was, “[if] you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the ABOVE: Interesting poll findings of public opinions on gun control provided by the PEW Research Center. door." That clearly violates the fourth rule, which every ethical and responsible gun owner knows. Furthermore, of always making sure the rifle is pointed in a in another interview he was asked about the adsafe direction, but she blatantly kept her finger vice he had given his wife. He told her, “if there's on the trigger the entire time. Both offenses ever a problem, just walk out on the balcony here, make every responsible gun owner cringe. walk out and put that double-barrel shotgun and The last example I’ll talk about involves a fire two blasts outside the house." leader exhibiting a complete misunderstanding According to attorneys in Biden’s home state, of how guns actually work. “shooting a gun in the air could result in felony On April 2nd, at a gun violence forum in reckless endangering and aggravated menacing Denver, Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-D) referred charges, in addition to misdemeanor charges.” Continued on pg. 15 One man in Florida actually took Biden’s first bit to high capacity magazines by saying, “These of advice and fired through his bedroom door at are ammunition, they are bullets, so the people two masked men. The police never apprehended who have those now, they're going to shoot the perpetrators and the man who fired through them, so if you ban them in the future, the the door was charged with reckless handling of a number of these high capacity magazines is firearm. If the primary leaders advocating gun
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Spring: The Second Turkey Season By Mark Wood Overland Park, KS—This spring might go down as one of my more frustrating seasons, but I don’t get frustrated over it because I was lucky enough to double with my dad on two mature toms in January. Hunting turkeys in the fall can be a lot like deer hunting and the same patience and hard work are necessary to fill your tags. You will find me just as excited on the October 1st opener as I am on April 1st for spring bow season. In early fall the toms are getting into their bachelor groups where they are establishing their pecking order for the following spring when they split up again during the breeding period. Larger toms will let the subordinate toms and jakes know where they stand on the totem pole. Just as a fullstrut decoy can be effective in the spring, a Jake or half strut tom decoy can be equally
as effective in October. I have killed a number of early fall toms by placing it in a known fly-down, mid morning, or afternoon gathering area. These toms crossed fences or came several hundred yards across an open field to attack the subordinate decoy. The beauty of hunting turkeys in the fall is that hens are fair game. With game cameras or even by scouting while deer hunting, you can pattern turkeys, just as you would deer. Knowing their daily travel routes and feeding areas, allows you to position yourself ahead of the flock. On days before a big winter storm, or the days after with snow on the ground, you will often find the birds together in very large groups. You may even see toms mixed in with the jakes and hens. They are congregated together to protect the flock and with all those eyes, and the little foliage and
cover in the winter woods, a ground blind is a great option. There’s no need to take anything out of your turkey vest when you fall turkey hunt. Every call I run in the spring gets brought out again in the fall. The only changes I make are mixing in some “kee-kee’s” and a lot longer cadences on my early morning yelps when I am trying to simulate the boss hen making an assembly call.
Mahoney Outdoors contributor Mark Wood (left) with his father after completing a winter double on two monster toms in January 2013.
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Subscriber Profile: Charles Marsh RIGHT: Mahoney Outdoors subscriber Charles Marsh with his 315” elk killed in New Mexico. BELOW: Charles Marsh (far left) posing with some friends and some large Silver salmon caught near Cordova, Alaska in the Copper River Delta.
ABOVE LEFT: Charles with a +230” non-typical whitetail killed in Oklahoma. ABOVE RIGHT: Charles with a huge black bear killed in Alaska. The SCI score of the bear exceeded 20”.
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RIGHT: Charles Marsh (left) and Tim Mahoney stop for a quick picture looking over the mountains in Alaska. BELOW: Charles Marsh poses with both birds killed by him and a friend on a perfect Spring morning in Missouri.
ABOVE: Charles Marsh (left) and his father pose with Charles’ 9+ foot brown bear shot in Alaska. LEFT: Charles with a monster Spanish Goat shot in Hawaii on the big island of Kona. The horns measured 28� tip to tip.
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Bass Fishing at Rockhurst High School: The Time is Now By Tyler Mahoney
“Rockhurst High School has the unique chance to lead the forefront of this sport across the state and bring it notoriety and popularity.”
MAHONEY OUTDOORS
fishing has the opportunity to enjoy their hobKansas City, MO—Rockhurst High School by like others do. Current student Keegan Wilcontinually stands above the rest of Missouri’s liams agrees. private and public school sector – why? There are “Like many other students at Rockhurst, I many answers to that question, but there is one am an avid outdoorsman and would rather be that stands above the rest. As a past student of the on the lake than anywhere else,” he said. “By school, I can say that the way the faculty and staff transform all the students to be better men outside of class is what makes it such a renowned institution. Being a better man outside of school entails many things. However, being truly passionate about all the things you do in life can be argued as the true root of becoming a better man. If you are passionate about something, you give it your all, you respect it, you work to get better at it, you work to share it with others, and as a result, you learn many valuable lessons and skills along the way that make you a better person. There are many things that the students at Rockhurst High School are passionate about. Some are dedicated to sports like football and golf, others to theater and choir, and some even pursue their pilot’s license as a member of the flying club. Luckily, the recent founding of the ABOVE: Rockhurst High School Junior Keegan Williams with a 4 and a outdoor club was a great half pound bass caught near Lee’s Summit, MO. first step towards giving all putting together a bass fishing club at Rockstudents the chance to share in the instinctive hurst, it would allow students to share in a passion for the wild that all men possess to some common interest, participate in something they degree. But there is still an even more specific love, and get involved in something new.” focus within the outdoors that many of the stuEssentially, those in the club would be able dents enjoy: fishing. Now that the Missouri State to build a bond of brotherhood, not unlike that High School Activities Association (MSHAA) reof the players on the football team. Rockhurst cently approved bass fishing to become a new High School is about cultivating young men to sport starting in 2013, I, and many others, strongfollow their dreams and be passionate about ly support the school sponsoring and establishing what they do. Being in the club would allow an official bass fishing club/team. Besides students to experience something where they MSHAA’s approval, there are many reasons for can learn valuable skills and life lessons. Theredoing so. Some of those reasons include allowing fore, Rockhurst High School must become an students who might not necessarily have had the enabler for those students who love to fish so chance, to go fishing and enjoy the outdoors, exthey can develop their passion and share it with panding the already dominant sports program, others. and giving students a chance to earn scholarships When people think of Rock High, they think for college. of its prestigious education and teachers, its At Rockhurst, not every student who loves reputation across Missouri for developing qual-
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ity young men, and much more. But perhaps the most well-known fact about the high school locally and nationally is the successful sports program. That leads us to the next important reason for starting a bass fishing club. It gives students a greater chance to compete in a sport for Rockhurst High School and thus will help expand the sports program. Creating a fishing team would give students a new and unique avenue to compete against other schools or in high school tournaments and help the sports program push into new areas of prominence. “The unique thing about fishing is that it allows a person to compete not just against other anglers, but also specifically against the fish he is trying to catch,” Keegan said. “Not everyone is cut out or many times even interested at all in playing extremely physical sports like football, basketball, or tennis. Joining a bass fishing team is just another way for students interested in sports to represent Rockhurst High School.” There is no physical training or duress involved in fishing. It is simply a mental game, using wit and instinct to outsmart other fishermen and the fish. The chance to represent Rockhurst High School on a bass fishing team should not be denied to those who want to and can only add to the outstanding reputation of the sports program. The most vital reason for establishing a fishing team is to give students a chance to
win scholarships for college. Fishing is becoming more and more popular as a sport across the nation, not just in Missouri. As fishing is becoming more popular, so are college’s interests in it. Fishing scholarships are rewarded as athletic scholarships and they can range into the thousands of dollars. A bass fishing team would give students at Rockhurst a chance to earn a scholarship to help them get a higher education and continue doing something they love. In addition, Rockhurst High School itself would also have the potential to benefit monetarily from a bass fishing team. According to Keegan, who has researched high school bass fishing extensively in the past two years, for every tournament won by a high school angler, half of the earnings go back to the school. Depending on the tournament, the earnings could be anywhere from $2,500 to $50,000. If a victory occurs, the award money could easily be put to funding new projects for the school and other student organizations to help perpetuate the effort of giving all students the ability to be involved in something they are interested in. “If Rockhurst were to get a fishing team, it would help out the students just as well as the school itself,” Keegan said. Now I know there are the naysayers and those who don’t want to deal with the hassle of creating a new club sport. When I was in school, it was all about the “liability.” But I
ABOVE: Rockhurst High School Junior Keegan Williams patiently reels in his line while competing in a bass fishing tournament on Lake Truman.
think we all know that excuse is just a scapegoat. If liability is what the school is worried about, have the club members pay dues that cover the annual cost of liability insurance. It is a simple solution that I’m sure could even be fixed with something similar to the insurance program the football team uses. Besides, the liability in bass fishing is virtually nonexistent when compared to the brutality that students suffer from football, hockey, and lacrosse, all of which are sponsored by Rockhurst High School. There are several teachers who say they are interested in being a moderator or coach as well. Some of them say they might be too busy, however. That’s just fine. There doesn’t need to be that much hands on interaction anyways. Let the young men organize and be responsible for preparing themselves for tournaments, with the coach there simply to provide guidance. If having a boat is another worry of the school’s, then don’t fret. Several of the students interested in being on the bass fishing team already have access to one. I tried to get a bass fishing team started several years ago when I was still at the school, but it was not taken seriously. Since then, bass fishing has become recognized as an official sport in the state of Missouri. I can assure the administration there are alumni who would support the cause and the fishing talent amongst the students is already there, just waiting to be given an opportunity. Rockhurst High School has the unique chance to lead the forefront of this sport across the state and bring it notoriety and popularity. So I say again, start a bass fishing team. The time is now.
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Product Review: Rapala Shad Rap Having a go-to lure is something every angler utilizes. When the fish don’t seem to be biting on other fakes, they tie on the surefire bait that will most assuredly put some fish in the boat. Whether it’s simply confidence in using the lure, situational timing or the lure actually does catch more fish will almost always be a debate amongst breakfast diners, campsites, and streamside. I am no exception to this phenomenon. Like most anglers, I utilize the array of lures in my tackle box on most fishing outings. I catch bass on plastic worms, spinner baits, jigs, top water baits, and crank baits. But there is one lure that I’ve used the past few years that seems to get the job done in every water color, water level, or
weather situation: the Rapala 3” shallow running Shad rap. Toting a simple design and average paint job, it is not one of the new, flashy plugs that draw attention from the average fishermen. But, this lure simply catches fish. It can be worked in a variety of ways (straight reel, twitched like a jerk bait, or floating on the surface like its father, the original floating minnow from Rapala). I have caught bass, crappie, bluegill, and channel catfish on it, on every type of retrieve. Crappie, catfish and bluegill seem to fall to the straight reel more often, and bass to the jerk bait-style retrieve. The best way to work this lure, I’ve found, is to cast as close to the bank or structure your fishing, and start twitching it violently, causing it to flash and erratically swim
Gun Control, going to decrease dramatically over time because the bullets will have been shot and there won't be any more available." Basically, she thinks once the bullets are fired from a magazine, the magazine becomes useless and must be thrown away. To a gun owner, this is laughable. Magazines are meant to be reloaded over and over. Of course her quote was whisked away as a “misstatement.” I could name many more MAHONEY OUTDOORS
By Ryan Miloshewski
through the water column. I’ve had bass come charging at the lure from twenty feet away in clear water and just hammer it. Channel cats weighing 8 lbs. have succumbed to the Shad Rap on my line many times, and that sure is a fun fight. The Shad Rap is a versatile bait that has brought in fish to my boat in every fishing condition you can think of. The lure just works. I have extreme confidence in it and always have one tied on one of my rigs, or it’s waiting on the ondeck circle if the usual baits don’t produce. You can purchase the Shad Rap at most sporting goods stores, including Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Gander Mountain, and even your local Wal-Mart. And at a modest price of $6, it won’t break your bank. Before you head out on the water next, I suggest purchasing a Shad Rap and giving it a try. You might want to buy a few—you never know when you might go squirrel fishing in the trees and lose this prized item.
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instances of our supposed informed government officials committing blatant offenses of gun safety and ignorance. Our second amendment gives us the most important and vital right that make us citizens rather than subjects. So in conclusion, I pose a question to all of you on both sides of the argument. Are these the type of leaders we should trust to push gun
control reform?
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How (Turkey) Hunting Humbles You By Tyler Mahoney Clinton, MO – It was May 5th, and once again I found myself hoping for success and strategizing for the last day of spring turkey season with my hunting partner, Ryan Miloshewski. Milo and I each filled one tag already early in the season, but we were out to redeem ourselves after both missing on a double at 45 yards during the second week. During our hour long drive to the property, we planned to start listening at our usual spot, fully expecting to hear gobbling on our neighbors to the East, which is where they had been roosting virtually every night all season. They began gobbling early, just before 5:30am. However, like many other things that had gone wrong for us all too often throughout the season after our first bird, the turkeys were now roosted nearly a mile away to the North. Not a gobble was heard on or anywhere near our property. We began to get that sinking feeling in our stomachs that it was going to be a long day. Ending up, the morning was not a complete disaster. After a surprise run-in with a group of 8 jakes that appeared in our big field from the South around 9am, we decided to start running and gunning in a last ditch effort to fill our tags on some toms. We only had a few hours left because legal shooting time ended at 1pm. Slowly, we worked our way to the South where they had been known to roost in the late winter months. After following our trail for a few hundred yards, we decided to cut through the thick forest and make our way towards a small food plot we had cleared during the winter. As we ducked underneath the branches of a thicket of evergreens, I heard the distinctive “putt” sound of an alert turkey not far away. I went down on one knee instantly and had Milo stop in his tracks. “Putt, putt” we heard again. As always, something just had to go wrong for us. We stayed motionless as we both frantically maneuvered our mouth calls around to respond back. Milo gave him a couple putts and eased his way into some clucking and purring, which the tom responded to with more putts. We couldn’t tell how far he was with the trees and wind, but he was not more than 100 yards. We slowly and gracefully sat down next to some big cedars and
got into position. When I say gracefully, I really mean the extremely awkward way a hunter moves in slow motion when he knows the animal is on to him, something all of us outdoorsmen have experienced and understand, but that our wives, girlfriends, and friends would make fun of us to no end if they ever saw it. The tom’s deep-sounding clucks moments later confirmed just how graceful we had been. Ten minutes passed, then 20. He was still responding to our calls and moving around in front of us, closer then farther away. We had our guns up and waiting. 45 minutes. Then an hour. Finally, Milo and I decided we had to close the distance. I grabbed the tripod and camera and we crawled on our hands and knees from tree to tree. We were truly living up to our Mahoney Outdoors slogan of “revolutionizing pursuit.” As we crawled and paused at certain moments, we quickly began realizing we were literally sitting on top of numerous Morel Mushrooms. Since we pursue all things in season, we wasted no time stuffing as many of them in our pockets as we could while we continued our stalk. At last, we came to one final small hill to clear before he was in our sights. We could hear distinct, deep clucking 10 yards away. Knowing I probably wouldn’t be able to get great video footage, I set the tripod up behind us and let it record Milo and me as we popped up over the hill. We quietly counted down from three and jumped up side by side ready to blast. Nothing! We couldn’t see him. We looked around and looked at each other and then all of a sudden, “putt, putt.” We peered into the woods and up the next hill. That’s when we came to the most dreadful realization of all. Halfway up was a massive dead tree swaying in the wind. Every minute or so it would let out a “putt” in perfect cadence, just like an alert turkey would. Our initial engagement with the “tom turkey” had started around 10:15am. It was now 12:20pm and we were sweating profusely in nearly 80 degree windy weather, with nothing to show but a pocket full of mushrooms and only 40 minutes of shooting time left. If there was ever a time I felt
more stupid while hunting, I couldn’t think of one then and still can’t think of one now. Needless to say, the resulting video footage of us standing up suddenly with guns raised and just looking around for a couple minutes afterwards like two idiots standing in the woods was quite hilarious. I must be clear and emphasize it was only funny after the fact and not at the time… Many people who don’t understand hunting, especially turkey hunting, might ask why I’d ever keep going after that incident. Hell, even some turkey hunters might wonder the same thing. I’ll admit it was a humiliating defeat and blow to my ego. I can personally assure you that sincerely believing a creaking tree was a turkey brings you down to earth tremendously But thinking about it afterwards, it showed me again why hunting is so great. The task of taking a gun out to the woods to physically locate and shoot a turkey seems easy and mindless to many people. They don’t realize that it’s in a hunter’s experiences and at times utter failures that he can see the joy in hunting doesn’t come from the kill, it comes from the pursuit. It comes from the simple moments when you look down and find an elusive Morel Mushroom just waiting for you to notice it when it’s the last thing you expect to see. It comes from the sound of turkey gobbles and putts and clucks through the woods, causing your adrenaline to rush through your veins. It comes in knowing that as you embark on every new adventure into the outdoors, another one will always be revealed to you. The joy in hunting comes from how it humbles your intellect, and your soul.
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Mahoney Outdoors is focused on bringing the complete outdoors experience to viewers and fans everywhere through the use of videos, stories, and articles. Mahoney Outdoors differentiates itself in a special way from other outdoor shows and magazines in that it brings the perspective of a much younger generation. In addition to Pro-staff members Tyler Mahoney, Ryan Miloshewski, and many of their friends, guest writers of any age are also invited to write an article for the magazine, thus allowing Mahoney Outdoors to bring a revolutionary and knowledgeable look into the wild.
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About the Pro-Staff Tyler Mahoney was born in Kansas City, MO on July 15, 1991. He grew up in Lee’s Summit, MO, where he attended grade school. Since the age of 2, his dad, Tim Mahoney, began taking him fishing and by the age of 5, he was going hunting as well. He went on to kill his first tom turkey when he was 9 years old and his first buck when he was 12. Ever since then, he has been hooked on every aspect of the outdoors. No matter what time of year it is, he is always in pursuit of whatever is in season. Tyler graduated from Rockhurst High School and is now currently a senior at Rockhurst University, where he is getting a BSBA with a concentration in Accounting/Finance. In addition to being the President of his fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, he is also a student ambassador, a member of the Honors Program, and a member of the business honor society, Beta Gamma Sigma. He hopes that his business degree with help him form Mahoney Outdoors into a large-scale, successful business with the help of Ryan Miloshewski. MAHONEY OUTDOORS
Ryan Miloshewski was born August 19, 1990 in St. Louis, Missouri. As soon as he was able to hold a rod and reel, his grandpa and uncle had him fishing for trout in Lake Taneycomo's fabled waters. A late season muzzleloader hunt in 2004 and an exciting encounter with a buck got him hooked on hunting as well. His first buck was harvested in 2008 during bow season. Since then, many deer and turkey have fallen on the Rosebud, MO farm that the Miloshewski family hunts every Fall and Spring. Ryan graduated from Christian Brothers College High School and attended Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO. He became an important part of his fraternity, serving as vice president, and graduated with a degree in Biology and Communications. Ryan won the Barbara Wynne Most Outstanding Biology Student award his senior year. Ryan met Tyler in 2010, and an immediate bond arose, as both are driven, successful individuals who have a passion for the outdoors. Soon after, the idea of Mahoney Outdoors was born.
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Mahoney OutdoorsŠ Magazine - Advertisement Opportunity Company Overview: Mahoney Outdoors is an innovative media start-up that publishes an outdoors magazine on a seasonal basis that is specifically marketed to men and women between the ages of 15-30. Those that fall into this age group are given the special opportunity to submit guest articles for the magazine and become a published writer. Mahoney Outdoors is based in Kansas City, MO and is directed by Tyler Mahoney, who attends Rockhurst University, and Ryan Miloshewski, who recently graduated from Rockhurst University with a degree in Biology and Communications. Points of Interest about Mahoney Outdoors: Has a large viewer audience on YouTube with over 10,000 video views Direct market consists of: Rockhurst University Population Rockhurst High School Population Greater Kansas City Area Looking to expand market to St. Louis through the use of social media Over 250 followers on Facebook Over 300 followers on twitter Advertisement Pricing: Quarter Page Ad: $25 per issue $80 for placement in all 4 seasonal issues Annual Savings: $20 Half Page Ad: $50 per issue $160 for placement in all 4 seasonal issues Annual Savings: $40 Contact Information: If you would like to advertise your company or small business, please contact either of the following: Tyler Mahoney
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