Mahoney Outdoors E-Magazine issue 2

TM

ahoney OUTDOORS

“Next Generation Insight to the Outdoors.”

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2

FALL 2013

TM

Inside this Issue:

Huntforce: Future of Trail Cam Software 4-5 Missouri Outdoor Communicators 6-7 The Not So Beaten Path 8-10 Lessons for College Hunters 10-11 Mahoney Outdoors on ESPN Radio 11 What do you think? 12 Reader Question of the Month 13 Mahoney Outdoors Apparel 13 Tips for Using a Climber 14-15 Subscriber Profile: Tim Mahoney 15Trolling for Crappie 22-23 Trail Camera Product Reviews 24-27 The Ghosts of Autumn 28-29 Firsts and Lasts 30-32 Tribulations of Self-Filming 34-35 About Mahoney Outdoors 36 Advertisement Opportunity 40

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HuntForce: The Future of Trail Camera Software Tyler Mahoney

Photo courtesy of Huntforce

Is deer hunting your passion? Are ed with how trail cameras could comyou an owner of multiple trail cameras? pletely alter hunting strategy and the Do you get hundreds, or thousands, of way people pursue wild game, but were photos a week and don’t quite know not fond of how time consuming camhow to make sense of them? Do you get eras could be to use. Additionally, they annoyed looking at blank photos or realized there was a great need to get photos of other animals you don’t want more young people involved in the to waste your time looking at? Lucky for sport of hunting. Experienced hunters you, “Huntforce”, a revolutionary new know that hunting takes much patience trail camera software, is here to solve all and skill to be successful when pursuthose problems. ing whitetails and any game animal.

The idea for But those traits the software was don’t exactly conceived by match up well Ryan White and with the instant his father, Jim. gratification Ryan began society we have shooting bows today, especialand rifles at a very ly when using young age with trail cameras his father. Amazseemed to be ingly, on his first making hunting actual hunt when more like time he was ten, Ryan consuming successfully took work rather a wild boar. Even than having fun. with that under For Ryan and his belt, deer Jim, that’s hunting quickly when it all became Ryan’s clicked. Havpassion. He grew Ryan White, Co-Founder of HuntForce. ing been an expeup in Southern Massachusetts, hunting rienced software developer for his own thick, timbered public land. His family car detailing company in the past, Ryan eventually relocated to Montana while knew that creating a cool, interactive he was in high school, which exposed application could generate mass appeal him to an entirely different hunting to younger, tech savvy generations and landscape. Not long after, Ryan’s pargreatly reduce the time people spent ents once again found themselves movindoors and increase the time they ing to Kentucky, which gave the father spent out in the woods. and son duo the chance to hunt yet anThe initial start-up efforts focused other part of the country. And that’s on creating a very broad app that would when they started getting into trail camhelp with developing hunting strategies eras. ranging from weather conditions to As years passed, they were fascinatentries and exits from stand locations.

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Ryan and Jim tried and failed, twice.

They felt discouraged, but not defeated, and quickly rebounded. They talked to hunters, land managers, and outfitters to focus in on a specific problem they could address. That consensus was that everyone had way too many photos and didn’t have a clue what to do with the data they generated.

The revelation led to their new concept for the application, which is now undergoing beta testing. The Huntforce app takes all of your trail camera pictures and generates detailed reports about the deer activity on your property. Through special recognition algorithms, the software can detect a deer in a photo even when all you can see are the glowing eyes in the background.

Once it recognizes a deer in a photo, the software sorts it to the top of the list and begins sorting out all other superfluous photos, like blanks that were falsely triggered by wind or raccoons that always seem willing to pose for the camera. Once the photos are sorted, you can create profiles for individual bucks and then drop photos of that buck into the profile. Once that occurs, the Huntforce software generates detailed reports of each buck’s activity, telling you the percentage of time it appears in daylight and where it is most likely going to be in a given week, among many other things. Instead of having to analyze the data of each individual photo yourself, Huntforce does it for you and provides a quick snapshot of deer activity that you can use to greatly increase your time spent in the woods instead of looking at photos.

Word spread quickly about their great idea and soon, “Straight Shot,” a start-up accelerator program created by Dundee Capital, reached out to Ryan and Jim and they were quickly convinced to apply to it, along with 367 others. Only seven start-ups were chosen to participate, and Huntforce was one of them. By October, Huntforce had graduated from the program and

secured several hundred thousand dol- ble. It just might help you bag the lars in funding to get the product com- next state record. pletely ready for market.

Beta testing for the app will be finished in early December and the product will be ready for release by January 6th of 2014. You can check out their website at www.huntforce.com and even reach out to both Ryan and Jim directly from the site. Maybe you don’t own or use any trail cameras yet, but you will want to get your hands on one and download this app as soon as possi-

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Missouri Outdoor Communicators: Providing the Future for Mahoney Outdoors Ryan Miloshewski

Photo by Ryan Miloshewski

skeet shooting, and seminars by renowned The weekend of September 6th,Tyler and writers. A silent auction and raffle littered I had the great pleasure of attending the 20th with excellent items donated by Bass Pro annual conference of the Missouri Outdoor Shops, CVA, Mathews, Rapala, and a variCommunicators in the historic river town of ety of other major outdoor brands was a Hannibal, Missouri. The Missouri Outdoor great time. Ron Kruger, an amazing phoCommunicators (MOC) is an organization, tographer and writer, taught us all about founded in 1994, consisting of many of the getting the best photos while in the field. outdoor writers who reside in Missouri, or Brandon Butwrite about Misler, president souri outdoor of the MOC sports. The orand fellow ganization seeks Pike, talked to “advance the about getting knowledge of the most out natural resources of your weband related recsite/social reational purmedia page, suits…to proand Missouri mote outdoor Department communicaof Conservations...and to tion Deer Bimentor the next ologist Jason generation of Sumners preoutdoor commusented the nicators” (MOC risks and conwebsite). After tainment tacattending the conference, it is Pro-Team member Tyler Mahoney speaks with Larry tics of Chronic easy to see how Whiteley, the voice of BassPro, and Larry’s wife while the Wasting Disease. Those forimportant the Missouri Outdoor Communicators gathered after dinner. mal talks were outdoors and invaluable to conservation is new writers like to the MOC. us, and those guys did an amazing job.

As fledgling writers ourselves, this was an However, the most impressionable and unbelievable opportunity and we learned an important things we learned did not come enormous amount of tips and tricks of the from these seminars and touring Hannitrade. The entire conference gave us a wealth bal. It came from simply conversing and of knowledge, and we believe we learned “hanging out” with the writers at the conmore this weekend than we would have in an ferences. Just having a conversation about entire year without it. Uncertainty was high hunting or fishing with them was the best for both of us, as we had no idea what to exthing that could have happened. At first, I pect, what the writers would be like, and how was a little star struck. There was Joel much we’d get from it. After an early mornVance, perhaps the most noted writer in ing guided fishing trip and talking with a few Missouri communication history. Larry writers, we knew it was going to be an expeWhiteley, radio host and the voice of Bass rience we’d never forget.

Pro Shops radio, was sitting with his wife.

The weekend consisted of the aforemenMy cousin John Neporadny, Jr, long time tioned fishing trip, catered lunches at HanniBassmaster Magazine and B.A.S.S. Times bal’s most notable restaurants, a hog roast, Continued on next page...

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senior writer, brought us to the conference.

How they’d react to young, inexperienced guys was a concern. But, every single one of these writers was willing to help us in any way they could, from offering hunting and fishing trips to wanting to write for our magazine. Sharing a beer with Larry Whiteley and talking about how he got started was the highlight of the trip. The welcoming attitude and willingness to help

from the MOC was incredible, and something we will forever be grateful for. There is no doubt going to this conference was a very important step in our writing careers, and we plan to attend every conference from here on out.

Contact information for the MOC www.missourioutdoorcommunicators.org.

North American Sportshow Sign up and find out more at: http://www.nasportshow.com/

Only $10 for 90 days!

Date: January 7-April 7, 2014 24-7 Access!

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The Not So Beaten Path

Photo courtesy of Joey Purpura

The 4:00 a.m wake ups, the crunch of cold, frozen dirt beneath the sole of rubber boots, the glistening of a crescent moon under a starlit pond, the subtle cry of a whip-poor-will, the rustling of leaves piercing through the silence of a morning spent in the deer woods: these are all things we as outdoorsmen experience while taking part in our greatest passion. For me, however, hunting is a lot more.

MAHONEY OUTDOORS

Joey Purpura

As my 8th grade year drew to a close, Papa (my dad) informed me that a coworker of his had offered to take me turkey hunting. The days leading up to this first hunt felt like decades, but the day finally came and excitement had completely taken over me. As the sun began to rise over a Kansas crop field, the turkeys began to gobble. More picturesque than anything I had ever seen, a Rio Grande tom worked his way across the field to our decoy setup.

With adrenaline racing through my body, I took a deep breath and slowly squeezed the trigger of the shotgun Papa had bought me. From that moment on, with a turkey flopping on the ground, I knew there would never be a feeling that would compare to the emotions I was experiencing at that point in time. I had just done something I never thought would happen. Only months before, I had been sitting in a chair on a Saturday morning watching ESPN hunting shows and now was standing over my first turkey. To make this accomplishment even sweeter, Papa was right there with me witnessing the entire hunt unfold.

Little did I know at the time, this would spark an interest in turkey huntJoey Purpura with two toms taken near Dwight, ing for Papa as well. So as the month of KS on April 14, 2013.

May came to an end, Papa and I made our way to a public hunting area in At a young age, I developed an insa- hopes of bagging his first bird. After an tiable desire to become a hunter. There unsuccessful morning hunt, we decided was something magical about this hob- to give it one last go in the afternoon. It by that drew me into its grasp and was the last day of the Kansas season, would not let go. Coming from a family and sunset was fast approaching. With who had a great sense of respect for the a slate call in hand and a diaphragm outdoors and would often spend weekcall in my mouth, I went for the Hail ends fishing and hiking, I found myself Mary strategy. Trying to emulate a yearning for an additional outlet to exgroup of fighting jakes, I began cutting perience more of nature. Luckily for and purring frantically. Within me, I had two parents who supported minutes, five jakes were storming down that desire. Although they had no hunt- the field edge right toward us. Stopping ing background either, they were willing a mere 4 yards from our camouflaged to help me in any way that they could. bodies, I watched the biggest jake fall in Without any knowledge of hunting, I the confusion of gun smoke and ringing began reading books, magazines, and ears. We had done it. Pride, accomwatching any program on television plishment, and joy filled the air as we that could teach me something. hugged and celebrated. One spring, Continued on next page...

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Photo courtesy of Joey Purpura

two turkeys, a father and son, and memories that will last a lifetime: my dream to hunt had come into fruition.

I did not understand it at the time, but this passion I had developed for hunting had carried over to Papa, and because of this we had a new tradition in the family. Where most fathers pass their love of hunting onto their sons or daughters, I had done the opposite. It would have been very easy for Papa not to embrace my newfound hobby, but because he did, it gave me the opportunity to give back to him and teach him something that I had learned.

Since then, Papa and I have been on many hunts together, and he’s supported me all along the way. When I developed an interest in filming my hunts, he purchased a video camera for me to use. I then found myself Joey Purpura (left) was elated as he helped guide his dad, “Papa,” to his very first turkey on the in contact with some of Perry Conservation Area in May of 2006. the guys from Heartland Bowhunter Television and began filming for their show. Although or including him in my hunting adven- that I’ll never forget.

Just a few months later, when I I am in college and have filming obliga- tures because I just wanted to ensure that I would have a successful hunt, and returned home from Kansas State, tions most every weekend, Papa and I Billy and I headed out to a spot I looked at him as a hindrance to that. make sure we get a hunt or two in towhere I had scouted for turkeys.

After learning more about patience, and gether each season. These are always Our morning hunt was unsuccessful, the truth of what hunting is really my favorite hunts of the year. but after driving along the road and about, I realized that teaching him Working for Heartland Bowhunter seeing a group of birds that would be could be one of the most rewarding has been one of my greatest accomaccessible to us through a dry creek things I would ever do. plishments in hunting. To be able to bed, we decided to put a stalk on.

The times I spent with Billy in the capture a hunt on video for other people One step after another, choosing woods last winter for the end of the to view and get enjoyment out of is a every spot with the utmost care, we Kansas deer season were very special. great feeling. Oftentimes I spend the majority of the season filming, and may We had unsuccessful hunts, close calls, made our way 200 yards until we were within range of the turkeys. but most importantly I watched him not even get to hunt myself. This has taught me an extreme sense of patience, learn, and saw a progression in his view Crawling up the creek bank, Billy rose up next to a tree, picked a bird, of the outdoors. On our 4th hunt, at and brings me to my next greatest acand fired. I jumped up to see his about 4:00 p.m., 8 does and fawns complishment: teaching my brother to bird lying in the field, and again I worked their way in front of the cedar hunt. was filled with pride. Being able to Billy is my younger brother, a junior ground blind we had constructed. share those first two hunts with my Standing at 60 yards, Billy picked the at Rockhurst High School. Because we brother are two memories that I apdoe he wanted, took aim, and fired. have a 6-year age difference, I used to preciate more than any successful Immediately I saw the doe drop her get annoyed with him growing up. hunt I’ve had myself. I realize now front shoulder and run into the woods; Within the last couple years, however, why there is such an emphasis on she crashed just inside the field edge.

Billy has begun to express interest in the outdoors, both hunting and fishing. To this day, I’m not sure who was more passing the tradition of hunting on.

For families everywhere, tradiexcited, Billy or me. It was one of the When I was in high school, I never wanted to spend my time teaching Billy proudest moments of my life and one Continued on next page...

Photo courtesy of Joey Purpura

Joey Purpura (left) with his brother Billy after Billy took his first deer on January 11, 2013 in Paola, KS. The doe weighed 140 pounds. tion makes up a big part of their lives.

These traditions include people, places, activities, but most of all, feelings. I have been lucky and blessed to have been gifted a passion for hunting. It is

one of the few things in my life that keeps me up late at night, consumes my thoughts throughout the day, and drives me to be successful in my other endeavors.

Having that passion means nothing, though, unless it is shared with other people. I’ve been fortunate enough to share it with two people that I love. By sharing my love of hunting with Papa and Billy, we have developed new traditions in our family. The memories I’ve made with my dad and brother are special, and the best thing about them is that I know there are more to come. Share your passion with others; it doesn’t matter if they’re older, younger, family, friends, or strangers. A genuine excitement and willingness to teach and share will motivate anyone to give your passion a chance. It can prove to be one of the most rewarding things you will ever do, and it just might take you down an unbeaten path.

Lessons for Every College Hunter, by a College Hunter Ryan Miloshewski

1. Hunt the Prime Times The time you have to allot to hunting will decrease when you become a freshman. It just happens. So, plan four or five trips a semester (weekends, mostly) to deer hunt and two or three for turkey hunting. That will give you enough weekends to have fun at school with your new friends and keep your hunting addiction at bay. Focus your hunts during the chase phase for deer (roughly Nov. 1-14) and the first week or two of turkey season, when toms are hot but are being neglected by hens.

2. Get your work done before hunting This is the most important of all

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these tips. Be a good student first. Your parents aren’t paying for you to get mediocre grades so you can kill big bucks.

Finish all your homework and papers before you leave for hunting or fishing trips and life will be easier, inside and outside of class. Trust me, bringing homework along doesn’t work. Ever.

3. Budget for Hunting Season Hunting isn’t cheap. The nature of a college student is to be cheap and live cheaply. So, budget for hunting season.

Set aside some cash for food, gas, deer lures, or, if 21, that cold beer you’ll need when you get to deer camp with the rest of the boys. Or, ask your dad or grandpa for a little help. If they’re hunters, Continued on next page...

they’ll usually understand and slip you an extra 20 when they see you.

4. Keep your hunting Gear Discreet Having a gun on campus is a big nono in today’s society. Don’t tote your Mossberg around like you’re a badass.

Campus security and the Five-O will be on you like white on rice. That’s just stupid to do. Also, not every person agrees with hunting (potentially that attractive neighbor you’ve been trying to court), so be sensitive to others. Be discreet and no problems will arise. Or just try to meet a nice girl who loves to hunt and fish. Problem solved.

5. Introduce hunting/go with your new buddies/fraternity brothers I was fortunate enough to join a fraternity at my school (the prestigious Pi Kappa Alpha). I met a lot of guys that hunted in the fraternity, and we were able to go together quite a bit during my time at Rockhurst University. Going with others is always more fun. If other people you met on campus want to try

hunting, take them along if you can.

The world always needs more hunters.

And you’ll most likely develop a long lasting bond with that person.

6. Don’t Bring your Kill Back to Campus I learned this one the hard way— cleaning a turkey on your front porch while thirty sorority girls watch isn’t the best thing in the world. I got a lot of questions the next day. If you can, do the dirty stuff at your hunting site and simply cut the meat up at your campus residence (discreetly). Be sure to bag up any scraps in a black trash sack. Again, trust me on this one.

7. Incorporate Hunting/Fishing into your Classes I was a biology major so this wasn’t hard for me to do. But I took a business class and wrote about bringing Bass Pro Shops into Japan. If you can write a paper or do a project on hunting or fishing, you can bet it’ll be a hell of a lot easier to complete. You obviously like these topics, so this should be a no

brainer. It’s not always possible, but do it as best and as much as you can.

I was able to actually be excused from class one year because I did my research project on deer alert behavior. I was EXCUSED from class to GO HUNTING. What more can you ask for?

8. Enjoy it—hunting and college College is an awesome time, and I loved every minute of it. But hunting and the love for it will never be drowned out by beer kegs or McCormick’s. Use hunting as a mini vacation from the city and crowded campus life. Being able to successfully fill a tag while in college is no easy feat, and it makes it that much more fruitful if you are able to. Hunting is in your blood and way of life, so you might as well embrace it and let it coexist with college. Have fun doing both, and your four years will be a blast!

Mahoney Outdoors on ESPN Radio This past October, Tyler MaThursday of every week to hear show can be found at outhoney was contacted by Brian Ken and Brian talk hunting, fishdoorguysradio.com or on a podWright, co-host of The Outdoor ing, and the outdoors! cast, which is available for free Guys Radio Show on ESPN download on itunes. Be sure to 1510am Kansas City. Both Britune into ESPN 1510am at 4pm on an and fellow Co-Host Ken Taylor are members of the Missouri Outdoor Communicators. They had heard that Tyler won the MOC Buck Rogers Memorial Scholarship this past summer and wanted to bring him in as a feature segment to talk more about that and Mahoney Outdoors.

Tyler was more than happy to accept the invitation and headed into the studio on October 31st. During his segment, Tyler was asked many questions regarding topics like the MOC scholarship, how he got started hunting and fishing, what he saw as the future of Mahoney Outdoors, and how to get young people more Tyler Mahoney (left) in-studio with Ken Taylor, Co-Host of The Outdoor Guys Radio Show on ESPN 1510am. involved. A recording of the

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What do you think?

Clinton, MO—Below are trail cam pictures obtained from a property about three miles away from the Mahoney property. At first glance, it appears that it could be a small mountain lion, one of which had been sighted nearby in previous years, but never fully confirmed. The photo to the right is a cropped version to give you a close up view of the animal, but it is somewhat blurry. The photo at the bottom of the page gives a better perspective of the surrounding area and how the animal relates to things around it. There have been many photos of coyotes taken on this property, but this appears to be a little different. The tail ends in a

MAHONEY OUTDOORS

Tyler Mahoney

defined black tip and the hind legs are massive. Conservation department officials have described it as a “mangy coyote,” but what do you think?

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Reader Question of the Month Ryan Miloshewski Q: What's the best height for a tree stand when hunting whitetails?--Rob Fort, Liberty, MO. A: I’m convinced this is going to be a debate amongst hunters forever. Truth is, there really is no correct answer.

Most manufactured tree stands are set to heights of 15 to 18 feet, and that usually does the trick. If you go any higher than that, a good shot angle, especially with a bow, is going to be difficult, and more deer might be missed than shot. Going too

low exposes you to a deer’s line of sight and to wind currents that will travel directly to a deer’s nose, which is no good. In a climber, I usually go between 16 and 18 feet up, depending on the tree. It really comes down to comfort level. If you aren’t comfortable with how high or low you are, then you won’t be successful, as you’ll be thinking about that the entire time on stand. With that being said, the best heights I’ve come to sit at are between 15 feet and 20 feet up.

Between those heights, you’ll be comfortable, stay out of a deer’s

line of sight (unless they look up— which they do), have good shot angles, and, for the most part, stay above critical wind currents that could alert deer to your presence. Just look at the situation and area you’re hunting and make the best decision.

Mahoney Outdoors Apparel

Mahoney Outdoors has developed and acquired new apparel over the last six months. Shooting shirts, camouflage jackets, solid color jackets, and several varieties of hats ar now available. If you are interested in any of them, please see the contact information on the last page for information on how to contact Tyler Mahoney. We can get virtually any color and any size for very reasonable prices, so there is something for everyone!

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Tips for Using a Climbing Deer Stand Ryan Miloshewski

4. Pick the right tree Make sure you pick a tree that’s as straight as possible, has little to no branches twenty feet up, and has good cover around it and behind it. Climbing up a crooked tree is nearly impossible, and stopping every few feet to trim a 1. Give yourself an extra hour..or branch gets you sweaty and annoyed. more You also don’t want to stick out like a Finding the perfect tree (see tip sore thumb up there. Make sure you four) is not an easy task. It gets even blend in. I try to pick trees that have a harder in the dark. I’ve taken 45 big cedar tree behind me so if deer apminutes to find the right tree someproach they aren’t able to make me out times. Unless you have an exact tree picked out, take that into consideration. as easy. When attaching your climber to Once I find my tree, it usually takes 15- the tree, make sure you get the angle as 20 minutes to get up the tree, set up my best as you can. The tree will shrink in diameter as you climb up, so adjust for pack, safety harness, and camera arm (not applicable to all). So, that’s an hour that. I usually angle it about 45 degrees (for both top and bottom), but someand five minutes, conservatively. It times that’s wrong. This just takes exwon’t always take that long, but it could. So, I usually get up an hour and a perience on different sized trees. Messing this up will make your sit uncomhalf before the rest of my camp if I know I’m hunting from my climber. It’s fortable and unsafe. You don’t want to be standing on a slant or a steep incline a lot of work and requires more time, 20 feet up. This takes time and practice, but hunting out of a climber is usually so I advise practicing before the season. worth it.

2. Bring a long rope—and an extra Picking the right tree is paramount to climber success.

I carry a 25’ rope to haul my bow, 5. Surprise ‘em backpack, and such up to the stand A killer tactic is to set up near a peronce I’m situated. I rarely climb higher than 20 feet, but you want to have extra manent stand on your property. I don’t rope instead of trying to climb up a tree care what anyone says, deer know with the weight of your gear dangling in where permanent stands are and will check them out for an extra blob when midair. Bring an extra too. I’ve lost a they enter the area. It’s happened to me rope while walking to my stand location. I don’t know how, but it happened. and others I know who hunt. If you think deer have patterned a stand, set And I had to go back to the cabin and up 20-25 yards away from it with your get another one. To combat being sweaty and ticked off, just throw anoth- climber. The deer won’t know your there since they’ll be focusing on the er one in your pack. permanent stand. They won’t know 3. Bring toilet paper and a Walwhat him ‘em when the arrow flies true.

Mart Bag This comes from my cousin Bob Ne- 6. Clear shooting lanes or make sure you have them poradny, and this might be the single Again, this is a difficult task to acmost important tip in this article. When complish. If you are set up in a great nature calls on stand, you want to be area but won’t be able to get a shot, you able to go up there and not have to might as well sleep in or go on a nature climb down. It’s easier, controls scent, hike. There’s nothing worse than havand you just never know when you ing a deer 20 yards away that you can’t might not be able to make it down in time. Better to be safe than sorry…really shoot. Clear a couple shooting lanes where you think deer will travel, or sorry.

Continued on next page...

Hunting out of a climber is a whole different ballgame compared to hunting out of a permanent stand. Let’s take a look at a list of tips I’ve learned since I bought my first climber back in 2010.

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make sure you have openings to squeeze an arrow through before you climb up. Take into account what everything will look like when you’re up the tree, too. I’ve climbed a tree in what I thought was a perfect area, only to get up and see I had nary a shooting lane.

It’s disheartening, but proved to be a valuable lesson.

7. Let others in your camp know where you’ll be This seems simplistic, but it is very important. For one, you don’t want to

be within 200 yards of your buddy, for safety and success reasons. Spread out as much as you can. Tell them which ridge or hollow you’ll be hunting so they know not to shoot in that direction. Also, if you do kill a deer there, they’ll know the area to go to help you drag out your buck. They’ll have no excuse not to help.

Simply walking into the woods and placing a climber on a tree is not the right way to go about it. These tips will help your experience as a climber

hunter go more smoothly and successfully. It’s not easy, but many times it is worth it to take these steps to ensure your hunt is the best it can be.

Subscriber Profile: Tim Mahoney, 50 years of Outdoor Adventures and Counting Tyler Mahoney

In each issue of Mahoney Outdoors, the subscriber profile section is meant to highlight the outdoor adventures of one of our followers. This past October, my father turned 50 years old, and even though some might say he is automatically required to subscribe to my magazine since he is of course my dad, I still thought he was more than worthy of being the highlight of this month’s issue.

Tim Mahoney was born in Omaha, NE to Bill and Colleen Mahoney. He grew up with two brothers and one sister. At a very young age, he developed a close friendship with Shawn Dougherty and together they pursued numerous outdoor adventures almost daily as they grew older. They could often times be found hunting pheasants on the outskirts of Omaha or chasing Mule deer in the Sand Hills of Western Nebraska.

During high school, Tim and Shawn would often run traps for raccoons and other furbearers, waking up early to check them before school started.

After graduation, he attended DeVry University in Kansas City, where he met my mom, Robyn. Their first home was located in Martin City, MO, which rested on 7 acres and had a fishing pond in the backyard. When my sister Katie and I were born, my dad wasted no time teaching us how to fish. He had us casting and winding in our very own “Mickey and Minnie Mouse” fishing

poles by the time we were three.

Even with two kids and a busy work schedule, my dad still found time throughout the years to travel the country with friends and business associates in pursuit of virtually every game animal one can imagine. His hunting success has included the harvesting of countless white-tailed and mule deer, three species of turkeys, black bears in Canada and Alaska, elk in New Mexico, wild boars, Axis deer, ibex and mouflon sheep in Hawaii, pheasants, antelope, and much more.

His fishing repertoire is no less impressive. He has been fortunate enough to catch hundreds of beautiful salmon and trout in Alaska, Mahi Mahis in Hawaii, giant spoonbill and catfish in Lake of the Ozarks, lemon sharks off the coast of California, and even a Blue Marlin measuring nearly six feet long.

But perhaps the most impressive aspect of his hunting and fishing career is his constant willingness to share the outdoors experience with others. Over the past 25 years, he has owned four different properties ranging from 40 acres to 740. Realizing that he was extremely fortunate, my dad made it a priority to share the land with everyone he could. He has sponsored numerous underprivileged youth hunters over the years, in addition to making the property open to friends and family to enjoy.

During years when the number of deer PAGE 15

harvested off the property was substantial, he donated many of them to the “Share the Harvest” program, which is organized by the Missouri Department of Conservation. On top of that, he has donated both time and money to aid the Conservation Agents of Missouri so they can continue to protect and enforce the rights of outdoorsmen across the state.

His love for the outdoors and desire to preserve it for all of our future generations is truly inspiring. There has been no greater role model in my life and as his son, it will be challenging for me to fill his shoes as I grow older. My dad’s accomplishments and generosity are extraordinary. I hope that I can someday be able to make at least half the contribution he has made to the outdoor world and to his family. If I can, I will have had great success.

Fifty years have come and gone, and here’s to another fifty, going strong!

Photos of Tim Mahoney’s many great outdoor adventures can be found on the following pages.

Subscriber Profile: Tim Mahoney, 50 years of Outdoor Adventures

ABOVE: Tim Mahoney with a 157� 10 pointer killed in 2012 on the Mahoney property in Clinton, MO. RIGHT: Tim poses with his Hawaiian Ibex.

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BELOW: Tim Mahoney with a 40 lb King Salmon caught off the coast of Alaska. RIGHT: Tim Mahoney posing with the toms he and Tyler Mahoney killed in Spring of 2010.

ABOVE: Tim Mahoney with a 50+ pound spoonbill caught out of the Osage River Arm of Lake of the Ozarks. RIGHT: Tim Mahoney (right) with good friend Steve Brown take a moment for a photo with their pheasants in South Dakota.

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RIGHT: Tim Mahoney with a great Wyoming antelope taken with a 7mm-08.

ABOVE: Tim Mahoney with an exotic Mouflon sheep from Hawaii. RIGHT: Tim Mahoney with a +200in White-tailed deer taken by rifle in the state of Oklahoma.

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ABOVE: Tim Mahoney (left) and his son Tyler Mahoney posing with two management 8 pointers scoring in the 130s that were taken off the Mahoney Ranch in Warsaw, MO. LEFT: Tim Mahoney posing with a 40lb Mahi Mahi caught in Hawaii.

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ABOVE LEFT: Tim Mahoney with a massive wild feral hog. ABOVE RIGHT: Mahoney with 320 class bull killed in New Mexico. RIGHT: Tim Mahoney posing with his daughter Katie’s 10 point buck taken during the youth hunt in Missouri. BELOW: Mahoney stops for a quick shot in the Alaskan mountains.

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ABOVE: Tim Mahoney (front) and friends with their impressive catch of blue catfish from Lake of the Ozarks.

LEFT: Tim Mahoney with a beautiful Axis deer taken in Hawaii.

ABOVE: Mahoney with a gigantic Halibut caught off the Alaskan coast.

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Crappie Fishing: Trolling at a Glance, Part 1 Ray Kiel

MAHONEY OUTDOORS

Photo by Tyler Mahoney

“Drift socks are the cats meow for speed reduction in the wind. The harder it blows the better they work, just let them out a little further.”

lutely no control. You go where she blows Mark Twain Lake—In this series of artiand at a speed she sends you. It is useable cles we will look at some of the basic means and can be very effective. If you really of propulsion by which we can troll. We will don’t care where you go or how fast you be looking at using the wind to drift, current get there, this is the way to go. Some times to drift and the use of motors to provide the wind gets kicking up a bit too much to movement. allow you to present baits properly. This is Webster’s dictionary defines “Troll” as; a) the time to put on the breaks. You do this to fish with a moving line, esp. one with a by adding resistance to the boats moverevolving lure behind a moving boat, b) to ment. Any time you add resistance it move (a lure, bait, etc.) through the water in should almost always be applied from the fishing. It is a proven effective technique of bow of the boat. If you are going to drag fishing that has been around for a long, long something like a piece of chain or old time time. In a nut shell, what it amounts to is window weights, always attach it to the moving baits through the water in an effort to catch fish other than by using a cast/retrieve method. You can use Mother Nature as your source of propulsion, allowing the wind or a current of some sort to move you from point A to point B, or you can make use of today’s wide array of motors to get you around. Ray has rods set directly out the back and to the side of the boat with a total of 4 going at one time.

Mother Nature provides no conbow. The bad thing about dragging any trol; you go where she blows or where she object is it becomes an anchor when the flows. Mechanical means is by far the most wind lets up a bit. Drift socks are the cats precise means of propulsion. meow for speed reduction in the wind. The Before we even start, as is any activity on harder it blows the better they work, just the water, always know the limitations of let them out a little further. If you don’t your boat in the conditions you will be in and have drift socks, no problem, use plastic your own limitations in dealing with it. Alpaint buckets. In a strong wind you will ways check the forecast before you leave the probably have to use a couple of them. ramp, and even then expect the unexpected.

Drift socks are funnel shaped canvas bags In all trolling, control is non-existent or with a small opening in the trailing end greatly compromised due to the speed you and a large opening in the lead end. Some will be operating at. Today we will be looking of the better ones have adjustable throats at wind power. This is a situation of absoContinued on next page...

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Photo by Ray Kiel for the small openings. They are designed to take in a lot of water from the front and try to force it through the small opening in the rear, and they are amazingly effective at slowing you down without a lot of hardware. When not in use they can be folded up and stored out of the way. While dragging objects works fine it limits the amount of water you can cover. With socks deployed out the sides of the boat, you drift sideways greatly expanding the swath of water you can cover. In some states it won’t matter which way you drift due to the limitation on the number of rods an individual can use. Drifting can be the ticket for about any species of fish because you do have precise depth control. Every species of fish suspends a lot

more than a lot of fishermen are willing to admit. Whether they are suspended deep, shallow, or in between, you will be able to fish for them. There is a lot more to drifting with the wind and some anglers have made an art out of it. Always remember, safety is in your hands so don’t throw it away. Have a safe trip and always save some fish for seed.

Ray is a crappie guide at Mark Twain Lake and owns Fish’n Podna LLC guide service. He can be contacted through www.cannondam.com/raykiel or by searching on face book for “fishnpodna.”

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Ray Kiel poses with an impressive number of crappie caught off of Mark Twain Lake. All of these keeper crappie were caught trolling.

Fish’n Podna LLC Full Service Crappie Guide Ray Kiel (573) 470-5855 www.cannondam.com/raykiel Search “Fishnpodna” on Facebook for more photos!

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101 Bass Fishing Tips from Skyhorse Publishing is available at John Neporadny, Jr.’s website www.JNoutdoors.com, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other book suppliers.

Get your copy today!

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Trail Cam Technology: Reviews From Everyday, Average Hunters Covert Extreme Black 60—Reviewed by Tyler Mahoney Over the summer, my dad and I were interested in finding some new brands of trail cameras that could offer us more capabilities we hadn’t been able to take advantage of in the past, such as video, photo burst, time lapse, and infrared technology. After doing some research, we purchased two DLC Covert Extreme Black 60 Trail Cameras for $189.99 each. These cameras tout some pretty awesome specs such as HD Video with sound, up to 32 GB SD card capacity, adjustable sensitivity, 60 foot flash detection range, and much more. I will preface this review by saying that I am by no means an expert on trailcam technology, but hopefully I can help you decide if you’d like to buy one of these Coverts as well.

Immediately upon pulling it out of the box, I was impressed with how user friendly it was. It sports a 2 inch color view screen, making it very easy to read and to maneuver through as you view photos and input all of the settings. It’s fairly simple to figure out without reading directions, but obviously I wouldn’t recommend doing that. It is small and camouflaged, which I liked a great deal because of its ability to blend in more to the tree. Additionally, it was very easy to open and close without having to screw anything shut, which made it very quick to handle when approaching the camera to insert or retrieve the chip.

I was most excited to see what the video would do, so I set them both up on high sensitivity to take video at 3 minute intervals if triggered. After one week, I came back to find that each camera had over 300 videos and I was pumped. However, I began going through the files and realized that many of them were a result of being falsely triggered. Both cameras were pointed in directions that received a great deal of sunlight during the day that heated up the surrounding area significantly. After consulting the manual, I realized the mistake I had made and switched the MAHONEY OUTDOORS

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sensitivity to low. That helped decrease the amount of false triggers caused by “heated up” plants and small trees swaying in the wind. However, if you are going to have your camera in a shaded area like heavy forest, high sensitivity would work fine. Either way, I definitely learned it is a must to be aware of where North, South, East, and West are when selecting a direction for these cameras to face. The overall quality of the videos was outstanding during the day, but not nearly as much at night unless the animal was close up. If you want quality night videos, the animal has to be within 15-20 feet, otherwise the quality dramatically decreases. The sound was crisp though, as well as the color. I quickly learned that while video is very cool, the unfortunate thing is that you can’t analyze a buck very well by pausing the clip because it often blurs and you can’t zoom in. That issue can be solved by setting the camera to take a photo and then start recording video. While that function worked some of the time, I noticed that many times the camera would take the picture, but not begin recording until the animal was completely out of frame, thus resulting in a useless video. That happened more and more if you had the camera set to take two or three photos before recording video.

The battery life on these cameras is impressive. You can insert anywhere from four double AA batteries to 12, depending on what mode you want to use (video or photo). I put in all 12 and found that somewhat annoying because they fall out easily. However, after leaving both cameras on video mode for six weeks, which resulted in over a thousand videos, I saw why you would want to put in the maximum amount of batteries. Feedback I’ve heard about other cameras indicates they would’ve died after recording half the number of videos that these Covert ones captured. I changed both cameras to take only photos a couple weeks ago Continued on next page...

Photo by Tyler Mahoney

and expect that the batteries will last dramatically longer.

So far, I’ve been pleased with the overall quality of the photos each camera has taken. After getting the correct sensitivity figured out, I have virtually zero pictures that don’t have an animal in them. As with the nighttime video, the quality of nighttime photos is substandard to daytime ones. In fact, my white flash cameras actually produce much better photos at night than these Covert cameras. Additionally, I’ve now utilized the photo burst function and it works extremely well, as does the time lapse mode. If you have these cameras set up over a large food plot, the time lapse function could The Covert Extreme Black 60 comes in a sleek cam- actually be very useful in ouflage pattern that helps it blend in to the tree. catching bucks that might Its long strap allows its to be attached to virtually not necessarily be in range any sized tree.

to trigger the camera. Depending on how much time you have to look through photos, you will have to be cognizant of how often you should have the time lapse function trigger because it can rack up a large amount of photos very quickly.

Overall, I would buy this camera again. Not having a bright flash makes it beneficial for not spooking animals and also for not giving away its location. We’ve had problems in the past on our farm with our flash cameras getting stolen because people were able to spot the flash from a distance. Even though the nighttime photos aren’t great unless the animal is close up, they still can get the job done. Additionally, the capabilities of this camera for the price are unmatched by others we’ve used that fall in the same price range. I would give it 3.5 out of 5 if I had to put a quantifiable number to it. In my opinion, while there are some downsides, the variety of options for what you can do with it are endless and make it a must have for your hunting arsenal.

Wild Game Innovations N2X—Reviewed by Caleb Phillippi For the past three seasons, I have branched out and tried to find my own trail camera that matched my utility for price and function. I played with some old Moultrie models of my uncle’s, and a new high end black flash Bushnell model of my father’s. I ended up originally buying a Moultrie M80. I was new to the working world and enjoyed my paycheck, I ended up spending $200+, and it was promptly stolen after only owning it for a few short months. In those months, I was greatly disappointed with the quality of the camera and made me hesitant of using trail cameras altogether. I had decided no camera was worth my money, but I soon became far too curious as to what was walking through the deer trails on my farm.

I stumbled upon a Wildgame Innovations model # N2X while at

Bass Pro. It was cheaper, so I thought I could give a $69 camera a try. I now own 4 of the same model.

At a quick glance, obvious features that the Wildgame Innovations camera lacks are; no video, low picture quality (2MP), and a red flash for those black flash fans out there.

Those features aside, I have had at least one Wildgame Innovations camera running in the woods for the better part of a year and a half now. I have changed the batteries once in that time. I have been completely satisfied with the camera thus far as well as the other 3 cameras that I purchased this summer.

It comes packaged with a mini USB cord and two bungee cords.

No batteries and no SD card are included with the camera. A user manual is included and that is about it besides some marketing PAGE 27

materials. Upon first glance, the camera has a nice look to it. The camera is all black, with the clear display screen and clear cover for the LED red flash. The display is well lit, easy to read, and the only external button for the camera is the power button. Two latches secure the bottom of the camera, where you insert/ remove the SD card, and insert/ remove batteries. Next to the SD card insert are two arrow buttons as well as an enter button, used to navigate the display screen and enter the time, date and other settings. From here you can choose your PIR (Passive Infrared Sensor) activity to be 24 hours, day or night. You can set the amount of time to trigger another picture from 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, or 5 minutes. The camera requires 4 C-Cell batteries, which last a factory estimated 1 year or 25,000 Continued on next page...

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Photo by Caleb Phillippi

photos. Overall the camera is simple, but sound upon first impression.

Out in the field, the camera is easy to position. The bungee cords do limit the size of tree that you can use to attach the camera. That being said, you could easily use a replacement for the factory bungee cords if you find the need to use a bigger tree than the cords will stretch for. I was extremely impressed with the Redux technology that helps to minimize blur in the images. After using the camera for several months, looking for blurred images or less than quality images, I had a hard time finding any. Occasionally you would find a blurred deer that had ducked its head during the picture, or a deer bolting through in the background. The Wildgame Innovations camera does not have the fastest trigger speed. So some deer running by will not be caught, while coyotes and bobcats moving past the camera might get a half of the body in the picture or more depending on the angle they are taking and how quickly they’re moving.

The night time flash produces high quality images. The flash is a red glow, which does little to startle the animals, I set it up in my apartment when I first got the cameras and was surprised by how unnoticeable the red flash was with the lights off.

I have been extremely impressed with the camera’s performance in terms of durability as well. In Kansas, we get a variety of weather extremes during the year. The Wildgame Innovations cameras have held up through it all. No water damage in the display as I have experienced with previous cameras, and no breakdowns to mention. Also, I unintentionally ran over one of my cameras with a tractor. The camera suffered a bent latch on the bottom, but otherwise was perfectly fine and the damage unnoticeable after some careful bending despite being crushed between a tractor and concrete. That camera has performed all fall without a hitch. If that doesn’t speak for the ruggedness of these cameras, I am not sure what will.

While the Wildgame Innovations camera lacks current market “buzz features” such as video capabilities, and black flash, the camera is simplistic, rugged, dependable, long lasting, and at $69, a high value camera. I would definitely purchase this product again. Why spend $100, $200+ on a camera with new, top of the line, (under tested and

The Wild Game Innovations camera bungee cords allow for quick and easy installation in the field. under reviewed) technology gimmicks, when you can be sure you are getting a dependable, long lasting camera for well under $100? In my opinion, the fact that it takes quality photos, is rugged, and has incredible battery life is enough for me. That is all I ask of my trail cameras, and all that I can expect.

Primos Truth Cam Blackout—Reviewed by Ryan Miloshewski tually unnoticeable to a human eye, which prevents theft, which is always a great thing. Battery life is always a concern with any trail camera, but with the Truth Cam you can throw that concern off the corner of your deer stand. I’ve had 3,000 pictures taken in a month and the battery only dropped 30%. I’ve never had it run out of battery on me, at least up to this point. That’s a major plus for me, as the property I hunt is

the camera and all you see is the hind end in the distance. But, this occurred only a handful of times. For a pricey $200, it is not a camera for a hunter on a budget or looking to buy a few of them for their property—that’s why I only have one. Minor flaws always occur in a new product, and I’m sure Primos is working on these problems as we speak. There will be a better version

Photo Courtesy of Ryan Miloshewski

Unveiled in 2012, Primos’ (famous for hunting calls) Truth Cam Blackout was a must have for me. The attribute that sets this camera apart is its undetectable nature. There are no flashes, only infrared light used to capture images at night (hence the name, Blackout). As a loyal customer to Primos, I had to try this camera out. I purchased one before the 2012 deer season and immediately set it out over a deer feeding area and waited. Programming the camera was about as easy as it comes.

With a lighted LED screen, you can set date, time, number of LEDs used (at night), picture or video, and number of pictures taken within minutes. It takes four D cell batteries, which come in with ease, and can take memory cards with up to 32 GB of data storage. Painted in camouflage greens and browns, it is a slick looking camera and blends in well. An easy to use strap is used to hold it on a tree of your choice (Primos also offers a mount that can make the camera pivot up/down and side to side if you use it for security purposes (i.e. placing it high in a tree)) making installation extremely simple.

Let’s look at the positives of this camera. Number one is its ease of use.

Primos seems to always advertise their products as simple but high tech, and I agree 100% with that statement. I haven’t used another camera that’s easier to use than this one. Not once was I confused or have I ever had to look at the manual to figure out how to run it. Another great plus, and the reason I bought this camera, is the undetectable nature of it. Some cameras with white flashes spook game and alert them to a presence of some sort (game animals would usually get used to it, however).

But the infrared night shots with the Truth Cam are designed to not spook deer. I can tell you after viewing over 10,000 pictures on this camera, only three times has there been evidence that a deer has spooked at the camera triggering. That is pretty remarkable to me. A Moultrie I had before this, which used a flash, seemed to spook deer at night every tenth picture or so. They’d return, but it still had an obvious effect on them. Not having deer know they’re being watched, so to speak, is an advantage—at least we hunters like to think so! In the dark, the camera is vir-

The Primos Truth Cam Blackout provides very good photo quality a majority of the time, but may suffer somewhat if the camera triggers when the animal is moving. three hours away, and I can’t get down there every weekend. The trigger distance is advertised as up to 60 feet, but I’ve had deer 70-90 feet away trip the camera, which is pretty unheard of in the trail camera market. The positives of this camera are pretty numerous!

The only major negative about the camera is the blurriness of night photos. If deer are moving when the shutter snaps, the picture is blurred and all you are left with is a distorted image of a buck, but you can’t tell how big it is, or how many points it has. That is never a good thing when trying to take inventory of your bucks. The trigger speed is above average, but I have had deer trip PAGE 29

of this camera coming in the near future.

Overall, this is an excellent camera and performs as well as any out there on the market. It is not perfect, but no trail camera is. If you are looking for a new camera to try this fall or next spring, and want an undetectable, sharp option, take a look at the Primos Truth Cam Blackout or the smaller Ultra Blackout. You won’t be disappointed.

Mark Wood

Tuesday, October 8th was one of come just shy of the field edge and rethose days. You know, the kind where treat to the timber. His sighting and you just know you have to be in the the trail camera pictures were all the woods. A comfortable fall day with persuasion I needed to slip out Tuesday breezy south winds and 75 degree afternoon. weather that was too good to waste doI knew the birds would either have just ing paperwork. This weather was not left the shadow of the oak tree or would ideal for a deer hunter, so I headed out be coming to it within a short time of dead set on not wasting the day and arriving at the farm. Without wasting grabbed my turkey vest and Remington any more time, I quickly gathered my 870 in pursuit of the “Ghosts of the Au- gun, a half strut jake decoy and started tumn Woods”. the walk in. With the possibility of the Our small lease butts up to a large birds being near my setup, I chose to agricultural field and the small fingers walk in south and west of them through of timber we hunt lead into a big stand of timber to our east and south.

We rely on game cameras to take inventory of and track the movement of not only the deer, but the turkeys. The previous week, I had checked the game cameras and 4 toms were showing up every day at 7:30AM, 2:00 and 5:30PM to feed on the acorns that Mark Wood’s trail camera positioned over this lone Oak tree helped were starting to him pattern this toms and give him the ability to harvest two awedrop on this some birds! single oak.

This oak tree is located in the corner of a tall uncut pas- the timber and as I neared the clearing ture next to a small pond. This area has where the big oak tree stood, I caught a been a proven travel area for does, so glimpse of red heads peering over the we had hung a stand there the month grass and into the woods. The stare before hunting season. The 4 toms who down for the next minute or so had me were showing up on the camera were 3 thinking I had been busted, but by comone and a half year olds and a big maing in from the southwest and the fact ture tom. Sunday, October 6th, my dad that it was 3:30 meant the sun to my actually bow hunted the stand overlook- back was casting enough shadows and ing the large oak and had the 4 toms reflections, so I was in the clear. Over Continued on next page...

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Photo courtesy of Mark Wood

The Ghosts of Autumn

Photo courtesy of Mark Wood Mark triumphantly hauls his two fall gobblers back to the truck after a successful hunt in Kansas. the next few minutes I contemplated my next move. With the birds feeding about 60 yards out, I shed my extra jacket, backpack, and the decoy I had intended on setting out and decided to use the terrain to my advantage. With the pond to my left, I dipped through the woods and got to the edge of the pond just below their eyesight. After my short belly crawl, I looked into the field and my stomach dropped as they were nowhere to be found. Before calling it a bust, I scratched in the leaves and gave a few deep yelps and clucks and within seconds the first tom emerged from the tall grass to investigate the new bird coming into “his� field. When he was within range, I put the bead on him and dropped him at 25 yards. Knowing there were several

toms there, I started some aggressive purring and another tom sped out of the grass to come whoop up on his injured friend and I dropped him before he got too suspicious.

The knowledge you can get from trail cameras and talking to other hunters on your lease or on adjacent properties is invaluable. Early fall toms are very territorial and can often times be predictable if you know their patterns and what they are feeding on. I knew that after the first freeze these birds might not be in this pasture as often eating on insects and the acorns from one big oak tree, but would more than likely head to the corn field on the next property more regularly once it was harvested. Looking at the forecast for the next 10 days, I see no freeze in the near future so knowing that there are at

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least 2 other toms using this spot and a group of hens as well, I know I will be taking my dad back as a token of appreciation for scouting these birds for me.

Firsts and Lasts Looking back on my childhood, I’ve been very blessed to have experienced so much that most people won’t have the opportunity to do in a lifetime. But I now find myself struggling to remember much detail about any of it, except for one thing: our family property in the Ozarks. I can recall virtually every adventure I had over the time I spent down in those mountains from ages 8 to 21. Sadly, we sold it to another man just over one year ago. I cannot express the heartbreak I felt and still feel from parting ways with the property that helped me learn so much and shape me into the person I am today. The following is a story I wrote about my final rifle hunt there for deer, which I had forgotten I had written until I discovered it amongst my computer files not too long ago. While my words might not ever be able to do true justice to what a place like that can mean to a young boy as he grows older, I hope it will give each of you that reads it a new sense of appreciation for the woods you know and hold dear to your heart.

It was Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011, the last day of rifle season for deer and I had yet to fill my buck tag. But it was an important day for another reason as well. My family was in the process of selling our land in the very near future and in the coming months, the property would be turned over to the new owner, which meant it would be my final day ever of rifle hunting deer on the property.

I woke up early with a strong determination to end successfully. As I got dressed in my camo, it slowly sank in that it would be my last morning hunt on the property I had grown up going to virtually every weekend for over a decade. I asked my dad for his thoughts on where to sit, but he seemed distant, like he felt the sorrow of the inevitable parting with our land as I did. He offered me a few words of advice, but I got the feeling that he wanted me to make the ultimate decision. I don’t think he wanted to be responsible for the potential misguidance that could result in a heartbreaking memory for my last rifle hunt on the property. So I narrowed it down and finally decided I would hunt in what we called the “Power lines Stand.” It had been a producer of big bucks in previous years and I just had a MAHONEY OUTDOORS

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Tyler Mahoney hunch the deer would be moving there.

I drove out our gravel driveway until I got to the path that would lead me to the stand. It was a cold, quiet morning.

There was little to no wind at all and the stars were shining brightly with no moon amongst them. The walk was not particularly far, but it took longer than usual. I found myself walking slower, soaking up the night. What had previously been fear in my younger days of what looked like monsters lurking in the darkness was now appreciation. I closed my eyes and listened to the solemn brilliance of the night, hearing nothing but the beat of my heart. I pictured myself from above, looking down on “the me” that was walking through the woods. Everything seemed so miniscule – me, our land, past memories – everything except this final day of the season.

With about 45 minutes left before light, I arrived at the stand. I took one last long look at the starry sky, marveling at its vast nature. It seemed especially fantastic that morning, like it was a sign for the day I would have. After a few moments passed, I climbed up and got ready for daylight. Sure enough, it wasn’t much after dawn when the first deer came running out into the field. It was a group of does that fed their way across and then out of sight. Pretty soon more does were funneling into the field and I could feel my heart start pounding because I knew there must be a buck close by. But after an hour passed, there were 19 does in the field, and not a single buck. This was the primetime of the rut and the bucks were nowhere to be found. Finally, at about 9 o’clock a small eight pointer came running out chasing the does in the field. He was soon followed by another small 8 and a little fork horn. It didn’t take long and they had run off every single doe in the field with their chasing antics, leaving no deer in sight.

I sat until about 10 o’clock, but nothing showed up again, so I got out of my stand and headed back to the house.

I started to feel a deep, sinking feeling in my chest, much like the one I had felt over the previous three years when I went home empty handed over and over. It seemed like the perfect day so I did not understand why the big bucks Continued on next page...

Photo by Tyler Mahoney Two does appeared late in the afternoon while Tyler was sitting in the “L stand” in pursuit of filling his buck tag on the last day of rifle season. weren’t moving. I tried not to let my attitude slip into negativity, but the all too familiar feeling of having time run out before I could bag a mature buck was creeping up on me. I prayed to God to not let my final hunt that afternoon be a disappointment.

After arriving back at our cabin, I made lunch and just sat on the couch thinking about what my last rifle hunt later that day would hold in store. I couldn’t help but shed a tear as I recalled all the great memories I had of our land travelling the wooded hills and honing my skills as a hunter. We had owned it since I was eight years old and now at 21, we were finally selling it.

Imagining my life without it seemed unreal and impossible.

There were a lot of firsts that took place there. It’s where I shot my first deer, raccoon, bobcat, coyote, rabbit, and deer with a bow. I first learned how to drive a tractor there. I caught my first smallmouth in the creek down on the neighbor’s. And, it was also where I first got the call about my friend, who was killed in a car accident at 17 years old. Whether or not they were filled with joy or sorrow, each moment was a first in my life that I would never forget.

It’s funny how coming to the end of something makes you think about the beginning and how fast it all went by.

Reflecting about all the firsts made me want to go back and do it all again – sit in the stand going after my first deer as my dad says, “Okay Tyler, take the safety off and shoot her when you’re ready,” call my dad in excitement that I just shot “Patch”, the famous 12 pointer we had watched for years, look on in disappointment as one tom turkey walks off out of range, but then have two more come in to 13 yards and get it all on film, guide a youth hunter to his very first buck as his dad and I watched in excitement - all those recollections seemed to just flash before my eyes. I knew this last hunt would be the culmination of all those memories. It would be the one that superseded everything and would leave me with my final remembrance of the place I spent my childhood growing up on.

All of a sudden, my trance was broken by the ring of my phone. It was my dad, who had just left to head home. He called to tell me that he saw several deer on the way out of our property and that I should get back in the woods sooner rather than later. I knew he was right so I quickly got my stuff packed PAGE 33

up and headed out. That afternoon I decided I would sit in the “L stand,” which sat looking over a big field in one corner of our property that was shaped like an L. I had sat there many times over the years and never seen a shooter buck, but for some reason I had a good feeling about it that afternoon. I parked on the road and didn’t waste any time getting to the stand because I wanted to get as much time to hunt as possible. After two hours of sitting and seeing nothing, I finally heard some rustling in the leaves at about 3:30. I looked around and could not find the source of the noise, but then I looked down and right beneath my stand were five does, which had snuck up from behind me in complete silence. With two hours of shooting time left, I knew this was a good start to the hunt. They fed past me about 30 yards and stayed there for the next hour and fifteen minutes. Throughout that whole duration, only three more deer had come into the field, all does. Time was starting to run out on me once again. I texted my dad and vented my frustration at not having seen anything worthwhile yet. He told me Continued on next page...

Photo by Tyler Mahoney

followed him into the woods. There was not a trace of blood anywhere, which had me worried, so I just walked in the direction I thought he would have gone. After about 40 yards, I came to a dry creek bed. I neared the edge with my flashlight and scanned the area and right at the bottom, there he was. I let out one of the loudest celebratory yells I could muster. My prayer earlier that day had been answered in a way that could not have been more spectacular.

The rest of the night involved a lot of hard work, as it was the first time no one was there to help me with the process of recovering and cleaning the animal. It took about an hour just to drag him out from the creek bed and load him onto the four wheeler. After finally getting him back to our house, I took pictures and then hoisted him up with our tractor. Having to cape him out along with harvesting the meat all on my own gave me an entirely new appreciation for the help my dad normally offers. After a good two hours of work, I had him in the freezer. He may not have been my biggest buck, but he was a mature deer and I admired that animal just the same. Not only was he was the first buck I harvested entirely on my own with no guidance or advice from dad, but he was also the last buck anyone would ever shoot on that great property.

I’m not quite sure what the feeling was that I felt the rest of that night and later on afterwards. I guess it was a sense of accomplishment, but not just that. It was a feeling of contentment. When you work hard enough The 10 point buck had been quite a fighter, as evidenced by his broken brow tine and G2 and hunt long enough, the land always gives back to you in time and that is points on his right side. just what ours did. It didn’t just give me the harvest; it left me with a to stay patient and to remember that up, I looked to my left. Not 30 yards memory that could never fade away. I the last 30 minutes of the day is often away stood a ten pointer that we had finally realized even though I would the best time to be hunting. Not five seen pictures of on our trail cameras. physically never walk in those same minutes after he said that, ten deer He couldn’t have come at a better Ozark Mountains again after that year, I poured into the field. They were mostly time. I got my gun up and put the would never really be parting with them. does, but there were some small bucks crosshairs on his shoulder. I took one It was those steep, rolling hills that inas well. I quickly grabbed by binoculars last look around for any more deer stilled in me what it meant to be a and starting scanning the surrounding that may have entered the field and hunter and the lessons and memories I woods for more activity. As I searched, seeing none, decided it was time. I learned from them will stick with me for I spotted about seven more in the exhaled and squeezed the trigger. In the rest of my life. woods making their way towards me. two bounds he was gone and I listened It taught me that with every first, It was now 5:05 and there were closely for the sound of a crash, but there must be a last, but with every end, about 20 deer in the field with some couldn’t hear anything over the beat of there is new beginning. decent bucks, but none mature enough my heart and my breathing. to shoot. Only ten minutes of legal I knew I made a good shot and shooting time was left and I started to with darkness closing in, I needed to feel the thought of success slip away find him fast. I climbed down the ladfrom me. Just as I was ready to give der with my gun and a flashlight and I MAHONEY OUTDOORS

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The Tribulations of Self-Filming Colby Stuart

Photo by Colby Stuart

Hartsburg, MO- The 2013 bow season was the most exciting as well as the most stressful season I have had. I recently was granted permission to hunt on a new property that my dad and I row crop. This property has an extremely diverse habitat from productive low bottom grounds, to towering rock bluffs and tons of beautiful oak and hickory forests. The deer and turkey population seems to be doubled compared to every other property I have stepped foot on. I immediately began scouting out places to hang a stand and knew from the start I wanted to be up in the deep timber on top of the bluff where there was an abundance of acorns. It didn’t take me long to find the perfect spot. I placed my stand along the remnants of an old logging trail that Colby Stuart set up for runs down though self-filming with his Pine some thick cedar tree Ridge Camera arm. patches and up to a high spot right above a steep cliff full of tall mature oak trees.

There was already some good rubs in the area and it was easy to tell the deer had been cruising along that shelf pretty regularly. I picked a mature oak to put my Field and Stream hang on stand 21 feet up over looking two small openings that were logged in the past. I just had a feeling that would be the spot to get my first buck with a bow on film.

I began filming my hunts about two MAHONEY OUTDOORS

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years ago to show my friends and family all the experiences I had in the outdoors. It didn’t take me long to figure out that self-filming hunts would not be an easy endeavor. First, I found out that it is hard to find someone who wants to strictly film and second, I could not hold the camera and shoot the deer at the same time. So my new best friend became the Pine Ridge camera mount that I strap to my tree for my third arm, which then allows me to use my Sony handy cam HD video camera with relative ease. I say “relative ease” because the camera arm did make it easier, but it is still not an easy task to work a camera and be ready to take a shot with your bow, especially on a trophy buck. Still, I was bound and determined to succeed at self-filming so I continually practiced on squirrels and any other animal that came by my stand. Soon, I was able to also incorporate a Lid Cam that mounts under the bill of my hat for a second camera angle. For those looking at using a Lid Cam, be sure to practice with it quite a bit as well as it will take some time to know for sure when it is pointed down your arrow and at the deer. You may have to wear your hat in a certain position on your head until the hunt is over, which is what I have to do. All the extra gadgets make it hard to capitalize on an opportunity and may create additional stress, but it also adds to the experience of the hunt and allows you to share your adventures with everyone when you return home.

As soon as I began hunting the timber stand, I was having tons of action.

Amazingly, I passed up five different eight and nine pointers that needed another year in the first weekend. I have never had the opportunity to see that many bucks in one weekend, but I had a feeling a big boy would come by my stand sooner or later. The day of Continued on next page...

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yard shot! I anxiously waited until dark and found my buck just 60 yards from where I shot him.

I finally captured my first selffilmed buck. All the challenges and

Photo by Colby Stuart

my birthday, I made my way to my lane, I moved my camera on him and stand with an itchy finger knowing that drew my bow. But by the time my bow if a doe presented me with a shot, I was was drawn, he had already gone past going to take it. It wasn’t even daylight my shooting lane! It was another yet when the deer moved in all around blown opportunity, which once again me. Once there was enough camera light, I had a nice little doe come ten yards from me and I was able to self-film my first deer. Now that I knew I was capable of self-filming a doe, I was confident I could do the same for a buck.

My opportunity came on October 5th. I couldn’t wait to get in the tree because I had trail cam pictures of a really nice 13 point buck passing in front of my stand every other day for a week.

Right at 5 o’clock, that 13 pointer showed up and walked into 25 yards, but did not present me with a clear shot. It seemed like he knew something was not quite right so he turned around and went back up the hill from which he came. I had a feeling I might see him again, but I was surprised when he showed up about 30 minutes later and this time he brought a small eight point with him. He was soon in Colby with his beautiful self-filmed 11 point buck souri bow season. bow range and gave me a 23 yard shot quartering away. With both cameras rolling, I drew back my bow reminded me how tough self-filming and shot. My heart sank as the arrow can be. At that point I was about to flew right over the top of him! I had stop trying to film and just shoot one! nightmares about that hunt for the next That same evening I went back out in week. I couldn’t wait to get back in the hopes of getting another chance. I artree and redeem myself the following rived to my stand a little late, right at weekend.

3:50pm, but it wasn’t 40 minutes later Saturday came and the action had when a really nice 11 pointer came in slowed. I was pretty down in the dumps directly behind me. He offered me a thinking I ruined my one and only shot at ten yards, but this time I couldchance at harvesting a big buck on cam- n’t get my camera on him! He circled era for the season. Another week around me and decided to make a passed and on October 26th, I had a big scrape about 50 yards away. After he 9 pointer working his way towards me. got done making his scrape, he started He came in straight behind me to about walking away and I grunted at him six ten yards and stared right up at me. times. I couldn’t believe it; he turned After what seemed like forever, he final- around and headed back to me. My ly worked his way to the right side of my adrenaline was pumping and I could stand and presented me with a ten yard not control my body from shaking. He shot. As he was moving to my shooting gave me a perfect, quartering away, 22

taken in late October during the Mis-

missed opportunities made it that much more gratifying when I was finally able to capitalize. I quickly edited the footage of my hunt with Cyber link Power Director 12 and posted it on YouTube. My video hit 500 views in the first 24 hours. To anyone who wants to get into selffilming, I hope my story shows you the realities of how difficult it is and how many shot opportunities you may lose, but that when you finally get that buck on film, it is unbelievably rewarding and you can show the whole world exactly what your hunt was like. I encourage you to watch my video on YouTube “Colby Stuart 11pt bow kill (self filmed)” to see how you can make an awesome selffilmed hunting video too!

Mahoney Outdoors focuses on bringing the outdoors experience to viewers and fans everywhere with 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 the younger generation. Pro-Team members Tyler Mahoney and Ryan Miloshewski, many of their friends, and guest writers of any age are consistent contributors for the magazine, thus allowing Mahoney Outdoors to bring a new and refreshing look into the wild.

“What are the best weather conditions to hunt turkeys in?”

TM

Mahoney Outdoors Tyler Mahoney: 816-536-7038 Ryan Miloshewski: 314-799-8421

  

www.facebook.com/mahoney.outdoors.7 @MahoneyOutdoors Search Tyler Mahoney and Ryan Miloshewski on YouTube to check out Mahoney Outdoors videos or find them on our Facebook page!

Want to be a guest writer for Mahoney Outdoors?

Call Tyler or Ryan!

About Mahoney Outdoors: The Pro-Team 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 will 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 Outdoors © Magazine - Advertisement Opportunity

Wish to advertise in the next issue?

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. However, all subscribers of any age 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 Biology degree.

Points of Interest about Mahoney Outdoors: Has a large viewer audience on YouTube with over 13,000 video views Over 300 followers on Facebook Over 300 followers on twitter Featured on ESPN 1510 AM “The Outdoor Guys” Radio Show 2000 podcast downloads every week Featured in the North American Sportshow (www.nasportshow.com) Marketed to 1.6 million people Advertisement Pricing: Quarter Page Ad: $25 per issue $80 for placement in all 4 seasonal issues

Annual Savings: $20

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Contact Information: If you would like to advertise your company or small business, please contact either of the following: Tyler Mahoney Cell: 816-536-7038 mahoneyt@hawks.rockhurst.edu

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Ryan Miloshewski Cell: 314-799-8421 miloshewskir@hawks.rockhurst.edu

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