When we had an opportunity to hunt Saskatchewan this year, this was going to be one trip I was going to make sure I was on.  I have hunted Saskatchewan 6 years in a row in the past, but hadn’t been there in over 4 years, so I was really excited to get back.  This year we hunted with Jeff Smith of Kutawagan Outfitters.

Our new Remington’s showed up a week before the trip, we were quick to get our new Brunton scopes mounted, guns sighted and we were ready to head north.

The week started off at -18 F and was quick to test everyone’s endurance right away.  LTH guest, Tom Andes was about to find out what hunting Saskatchewan is all about.  The first few days found us seeing a lot of deer, but not the big mature bucks Canada is known for. Jeff had trail cameras out at each bait site and was trying to move everyone where he was seeing the best deer activity.

Day 3, Tom had his first opportunity at his first Saskatchewan bruiser.  He was quick to find out how difficult it really is with a camera over his shoulder and how everything has to line up perfectly for us to get the footage we need and the right shot.  To say Tom was disappointed that night after not getting a shot, would be a huge understatement.  He went back into that stand the next day, but the deer he saw on Wednesday didn’t show up again.  It was then, that he realized that he had his opportunity and it didn’t pan out.  But, they went right back into that stand on Friday again and the Lord blessed him with another opportunity on the same deer, but this time everything worked out and he was sitting over his first Saskatchewan bruiser.

I saw a lot of deer during the week and a lot of 2 and 3 year old bucks, but we just weren’t seeing those 4+ mature bucks that we should have been.  Again, Jeff was monitoring his sites and felt that I should go into this one stand that he had a good buck on a couple days earlier and felt that deer would show up.  Ed and I sat there all day Friday and saw a couple young bucks, but not the one he was hoping.  Last day and we go back to the same stand we were at the day before…9:15 am he makes a showing and the rest is history.

If you are looking for an outfitter that makes you feel a part of their family the week while you are there, then you need to give Jeff and Annette Smith of Kutawagan Outfitters a call.  The hunting, food and lodging is some of the best we have experienced.  If you love the cold and love seeing big deer, then you need to head to Saskatchewan.  You can count on us being back there again next year.

After getting completely shut down in October and not putting 1 kill on tape, November couldn’t get here fast enough.  This year we were hunting with Midwest Finest Whitetails in Kansas.  Sam Moore, is a very accomplished hunter and has had great success over the years, so we knew we were going to be in the right spot for the November rut.

Team member, Frank Fontanella, was very quick to show everyone how to get it done.  On the night of day 2, this Kansas giant came in and gave Frank a great broadside shot at 20 yds and ….well things didn’t go quite as planned.  Anyhow, the deer read the script and knew he wanted to be a movie star, so he gave Frank another chance.  This time Frank and the deer were on the same page and got it done.

Member, Brian Caliguri, from New York had a tough week.  It just seemed like the deer didn’t want to cooperate for Brian.  He sat from dark to dark each day and even through pour down rain, but the deer as they normally do weren’t on their feet as much as we were hoping for this time of the year.

Sam moved everyone around trying to get them on deer all week long.  Sam did everything he could to try and get everyone on deer, but as normal, you can’t control deer movement or the weather and both ended up being a factor.  Midwest Finest Whitetails runs a 5 star operation and without a doubt works hard and does everything they can to put you on deer.

If there is one hunt we wouldn’t miss each year, it would be the Kansas early muzzleloader season.  This year we were invited to hunt with Mark Uhlik of Uhlik Hunting.  As soon as we got into Kansas and met up with Mark and he showed us his stand sites and some of the deer he had on camera, we knew this was going to be a great hunt.

The week started off a little slower than we were hoping, but as usual, changed quickly.  The deer were not being cooperative, so Mark started moving cameras around to find out where the deer were moving the best so he could get us on them.

Joe Nailer from WI was seeing some good deer, but just not the mature bucks we were looking for.  Finally on the 4th evening, he and cameraman Ed moved to a new stand location that Mark had some good pictures and sure enough…Joe was able to make a great shot on this great Kansas buck.

Member, Jay Miller from North Carolina, was seeing a lot of buck activity as well, but again, not the mature bucks we were looking for.  Morning of day 5 gave Jay his first opportunity, but…we’ll just have to let the tv show tell the story.  Day 6, final day, comes around and we were out of options.  So again, Mark knew exactly what to do and sent Jay and cameraman Cody into an oak stand to see if they could catch one hanging in the timber before hitting the fields at night.  The picture below speaks for itself.

We had a great hunt with Uhlik Hunting and when it comes to knowing where to be and monitoring stands, Mark does a great job.  Kansas muzzleloader season can be a great opportunity to harverst a very nice buck, but it takes an outfitter that knows his area and knows the deer habits to make it all happen this time of the year.

September 2012 can’t get here fast enough.

Our annual blacktail hunt was a great success this year with Shamrock Ranch Outfitters.  It was a tough week of hunting, but we finally had success on the 5th day.   Member, Mike Olsen from Michigan, was the lucky member to join us on this hunt.

Mike quick to find out how challenging hunting blacktail really are, especially with a bow and arrow.  He had several attempts during the week, but just couldn’t get within that magical distance needed to launch an arrow. 

Trevor had a lot of action during the week as well and was more fortunate to get a couple of opportunities.  Finally on the 5th day, Trevor was able to get an arrow in this great 2×2.  What most people don’t realize, is that only 6% of hunters that hunt blacktail with a bow will be successful.

We want to thank Shamrock Ranch again for a phenominal hunt and the opportunity to spend another week with guide, Frank Sanderson.  Can’t wait to get back there next

We just finished our annual spring bear hunt in Alberta, Canada.  This was our 2nd year with Clayton Royer of Grand Slam Adventures.  If there is one thing Clayton knows, it’s how to put us on bear. Our goal was to hopefully shoot one color phase bear on film this year, and the Lord blessed us with two.

Trevor and I drove up from Wyoming and met up with Cody and member, Andrew Garay, in Edmonton last Monday night.  We hooked with with Clayton on Tuesday morning, purchased our licenses and head to camp.  We finally made it to camp Tuesday mid-day and had time to get unpacked and get the truck unloaded.  Trevor along with Andrew were hunting on this trip, so they headed out back and shot their bows to make sure they were dialed in.

By 4:00 pm, we were heading out for our first night’s sit.  Trevor and I only sat for a couple of hours, and we had a very nice black bear come in.  As soon as Trevor and I saw this was a larger bear, Trevor decided to take a shot.  13 yds, on the ground in a ground blind with bow in hand, Trevor made the shot and his bear only ran about 20 yds and piled up.  Trevor made an absolute perfect shot and he had his first bear on the ground.  I think he was a little spoiled for his first bear.  Not only did he only sit for a couple of hours, but he scored first and his bear ended up scoring pope and young.  Andrew and Cody had a couple of nicer bear in on them the first night, but decided to pass.

Now that Trevor was done, the next morning we decided that I would hunt and so Clayton had seen a larger bear at a bait after taking Trevor and I in, so they decided to put us in that blind.  We decided to go out at noon, since the bear were starting to move during the day.  Trevor and I were only in the blind for 15 minutes and this large bruin came in.  We knew that there was a larger bear on this bait, so we sprayed down heavy with Dead Down Wind and thank goodness we did.  This bear circled us twice before committing to the bait.  Once he finally came in, again 13 yds from the ground in a ground blind with my bow in hand and I introduced him to the Rage.  This bear is one of the largest color phase bear they have taken and it was one of the only times I was speechless.   Less than 24 hours of being at camp and we have two super nice bears on the ground.

Andrew decided to go out on the 3rd day on a bait that they had seen some blonde hair.  Andrew and Cody went to sit at 10 am in morning hoping that they would have a very short hunt like I did the day before.  Unfortunately, they weren’t that lucky.  The bear Andrew shot came in at 9 pm that evening.  Not only is this the first time Andrew is ever bear hunting, but this is his first real hunting trip away from home.  To top that all off, he shot a bear of a lifetime.  Many hunters will hunt their whole life and never have an opportunity to harvest a blonde bear.  What a gorgeous animal.  Again, 13 yds from the ground in a ground blind and he put a killing shot on this bear.

The Lord truly blessed us with success on this hunt.  Not only were we successful, but we shot 3 bear in 3 days.  A black, a chocolate and a blonde and 2 of them are pope and young.  We would like to thank Clayton for all of his hard work and his hospitality.  This is one hunt we are definately looking forward to going back to next year.  Congratulations to Trevor and Andrew on taking your first bear.  What an exciting time shooting them from the gound at close distances.

See you in camp…Shane

Congratulations to the following members who were drawn for hunts in 2011:

Jimmy Arnold, GA     Andrew Garay, TX     Ron Raymond, MI     Brian Caliguri, NY     Debbie Charnock, OH     Davidde McIntosh, AR     Steve Turk, TX     Burton Maurer, IA     Jay Miller, NC     Andy Filizetti, MI     Travis McClendon, NV  Mike Olson, MI

We have a few more hunts that we are finalizing schedules for later in the year and will be drawing more members for those hunts.  Stay tuned…

Season 1 DVD’s are now available in a 2 DVD set.  Head over to the store and purchase your copy now! 

This will be a must have for your collection.

There is only 1 place we would even consider hunting spring Osceola turkeys…Santa Fe River Ranch.  When you take approx 1700 acres and combine that with very little to know hunting pressure for years, you get a magical place.  Jake Hitchcock knows how to not pressure his birds and it shows by his 100% success rate.  This was our second year with Jake and this year we came with a challenge…kill 2 Osceola spring thunder chickens with a bow.

Member Jimmy Arnold got drawn for this hunt.  This was to become a very memorable hunt for Jimmy, because he had attempted 2 other years to take an Osceola turkey to complete his grand slam. On top of that, we asked if he would be interested in attempting it with a bow.  Jimmy was up for the challenge.  The first afternoon…pictures speak for themselves.  Jimmy is a turkey hunting fanatic and it showed with his calling abilities.  He made a perfect shot with the bow on a beautiful longbeard and it went down in sight.  Wait till you see his reaction…can’t put in words how excited he was.  To finally get his grand slam and to do it with a bow on tv…Jimmy will remember this one for a long time.

End of Day 1…Jimmy is done…Day 2…Roy’s turn.

Day 2 started out a little slow, but by the afternoon of Day 2, we were on em’ again.  Roy with bow in hand, me with camera ready and Jimmy calling…it wasn’t long and we had a love-sick longbeard looking for some love.  Talk about a perfect set-up…Roy’s bow shot is on the money and bird goes down within sight.  Again…you will have to wait to see his reaction on tv.  Priceless!

End of Day 2…Jimmy and Roy are done with the bows…Day3…talk Jake’s Dad Alan into trying to take his first spring gobbler. 

Before you know it, we are out on Day 3 calling and working the birds, but they were being very ellusive that day.  The barometeric pressure was low and had them quiet.  Not a whole lot happened that day.  Morning of Day 4 was a different story.  Had a bird respond right away and again…pictures tell the story.  Alan, found out that hunting spring gobblers is heart pounding and addicting.

What an incredible trip.  2 Osceola turkeys down with the bow within 24 hours on film and a third 2 days later…all I can say is the Lord had blessed us with some incredible success.  I would like to thank Jake and Alan for making us feel like family and for the wonderful opportunity to hunt such an awesome place.  Can’t wait till next year!

Our first annual all women’s hunt was a great success. We have been seeing a lot more women signing up as members and wanted to offer an all women’s hunt. Missy Eyester (left) and Amy Marbach (right) got it done.

Missy, from Florida, was the lucky member to get drawn for this hunt. When I spoke with her early last spring about being drawn for the hunt and informed her that she was headed to Texas in December, she was exicted. This would be her first opportunity to hunt outside of Florida and her first opportunity at a buck of a life time. Missy’s hunt started off with some great encounters and a couple of good opportunities. She quickly found out, that it was going to be a little tougher than first thought. By the end of the week and being close a couple of times, she was finally able to connect on a great south Texas whitetail. This will clearly be a memory she will have for a long time.

Amy…well, she didn’t have to work as hard as Missy. Her opportunity came right away the first morning. She didn’t waist anytime putting a buck on the ground. Although this was her first whitetail buck, she was like a pro in the blind.

Congratulations to both Missy and Amy on two very nice south Texas bucks. We want to thank COA Outfitters for all of the hard work they do and for hosting the women’s hunt. COA Outfitters was able to put us on bucks all December. If you haven’t checked them out, go to www.coaoutfitters.com and take a look. It is THE place to go for Texas hunting.

Three youth and three big smiles. Our annual youth hunt with COA Outfitters was a great success. This year we had member Kieran McShane, from New York, who was drawn for the hunt along with Cooper Gawryszewski and Parker Holekamp, from Texas, join us on this hunt. Kieran was drawn for the youth hunt and talk about excited! Here we have a young man who has shot one doe before on a dream hunt. What a thrill to be able to bring Kieran down to Texas and give him his opportunity to take a buck of a lifetime. The smile in the picture (upper left) says it all. His dad, Owen, was there to share in his son taking his first buck. This is what it’s all about! To watch the expression and emotions of Owen (and Kieran) when the buck hits the ground is priceless. On top of that, they’ll be able to enjoy the footage for years to come. Congratulations Kieran, way to go!!

COA’s youth camps are very instrumental in getting our youth involved in this sport of ours and Cooper is one of those young men who have been blessed to attend one of their camps. Part of the attending the youth camp is that the youth sell raffle tickets for a hunt that is offered by COA as part of a fundraiser to pay for their camp. Cooper’s dad was drawn for the hunt, so Cooper and his dad were invited to join us on this hunt. Once Cooper was in the blind, he didn’t waist anytime putting a nice whitetail on the ground (upper right). His experience from COA youth camp and what his dad has taught him made him look like a pro. Nice buck Cooper, great job!

Also joining Kieran and Cooper on the hunt was Parker Holekamp. Parker’s dad is a friend of Mike Marbach’s and was given a special invitation to join us for the youth hunt. The first opportunity that presented itself proved to be successful. Parker was able to put a great shot on a beautiful Texas hill-country buck (lower left). The smile on his dad’s face after the shot, also, was priceless. Parker was the first to score during the hunt and knew what it was like to have the pressure taken off. Congratulations Parker on a great whitetail.

We can’t emphasize enough about getting our youth involved in this great sport of ours. We need to take the time out of our busy schedules and devote that time to introducing our youth to hunting and fishing. If any of us look back, most of us can identify that individual that was instrumental in getting us involved and who sacrificed their time to teach us. We cannot forget to pass it forward. We owe it to the sport and our youth. If you haven’t gotten involved with organizations such as Christian Outdoor Alliance (COA) or Fathers in the Field, go to our homepage, click the link at the bottom and give them a call. You won’t regret it.

Do you think these 3 young men are hooked?