March 4, 2011

Reliving the moments all over again

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There’s something amazing about really good taxidermy. I’ll bet that’s something you don’t hear everyday!

But something magical happens for me each time I sit in my man cave and let my mind wander back to the hunts of yesterday, reliving each moment of many specific hunts and then piecing them all together to reflect on the success that came out of those days.

Kurt's 2010 Illinois buck mount


This week I was able to pick up both of my 2010 whitetails from my big game taxidermist, Eric Gardner. He did a fantastic job. My Illinois deer couldn’t look better and I’m pleased I decided to go with a wall pedestal for the mount. The second I saw the deer on Eric’s wall ready for pick up, I couldn’t help but be taken back to the moments before the shot.

The thrill of seeing the deer movement out of the corner of my eye … deciding to capture him on video … praying he would give me a quality shot … watching him for what seemed like hours rub on small saplings … and the climactic moment of the shot … all the way to the recovery and the great times in camp with great friends.

It’s crazy to me how all those memories can light up a soul in less time than it takes to write them for this blog.

Another view of the buck


I’m off today to showcase the Illinois deer on behalf of Riverview Outfitters at the Dixie Deer Classic in Raleigh, N.C. I’m looking forward to it primarily for the opportunity to catch up with both Tyler and Josh. With very little voice after a bout with a cold this week, I’m expecting to go hoarse reliving many of the moments of the hunt this weekend with fellow outdoorsmen.

Stop by if you’re headed that way. We’ll be at 1-K06. I’ll probably be smiling next to the big guy pictured in this post!

4 Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in 2011, General Tales

February 8, 2011

The “Majors” of Hunting

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Fresh on the heels of a fantastic Super Bowl, and just a few wake-up calls short of the biggest NASCAR race of the season – the Daytona 500 – I wonder what would be considered the “majors” for hunters.

My hunting buddy, Jason Shell, and I pondered the topic last weekend. And for the most part, he and I are in accordance with what we consider the “majors” in our hunting minds. There is no question that majors of hunting are quite a bit different from the top events in sports like golf. With hunting, it surely is a more individual thing.

Hunting elk with a bow is among this blogger's "majors" in hunting!

I think most hunters in our country would consider hunting the majestic whitetail in the midwest as one of their majors. After several trips to the corn belt, and seeing some of the deer that roam those parts, I would easily agree, and I consider chasing deer there one of my favorite pastimes.

Having the opportunity to hunt elk with a bow is one of the majors I hope to accomplish someday. It’s a dream I’ve had for a number of years. Whether it’s a do-it-yourself expedition or with an outfitter, having the chance to get within bow range on a bugling 1,000-pound elk is on my bucket list! Could you imagine? I’m envious of all my friends who have had the opportunity to do that!

Also on my to-do list is hunting mule deer, chasing a 30″ monster in the western part of this fine Union. Consider this a slight hint to a certain friend who grew up in North Logan, Utah, to think about hooking his favorite blogger up with the right folks to make that happen!

At some point in my hunting career, I’m going to schedule my spring around completing the Grand Slam in turkey hunting. Fueled partially by the end of deer and duck season and the turkey season being next on my hunting agenda, I get ridiculously excited about considering the challenge of completing the royal flush of hunting thunder chickens – successfully killing all four major subspecies of turkeys (Eastern, Merriam’s, Osceola and Rio Grande). I know of several friends who have accomplished this feat and, once again, I’m envious. This is one where family and work might make it hard to achieve until retirement, but mark my words that it will happen at some point! I can’t wait.

Much like golfers who lift above all else the possibility of holding all “majors” in one season, I can’t help but think that completing all the “majors” above in the same year would be the greatest of all hunting achievements.

Of course, it would come with a helluva taxidermy bill!

Tales: Just a heads up that the Daytona 500 will air live on Fox, Feb. 20. Green flag is slated for 1 p.m. EST.

1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in 2011, General Tales

January 29, 2011

Next Hunt: Youth Hunt!

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Today marked the end of the 2010-2011 duck season, and it went out with just a couple small bangs! I shared the blind this morning with three friends, one being my hunting buddy Harrison.

Harrison is 8-years old and has the bug for hunting like few kids I know. And hunting alongside him helps remind me of all the great reasons why I started hunting. Santa recently delivered a sharp new compound bow to young Harrison that I look forward to him shooting with me all summer long.

Now that the season is over for me, the next two times I will take to the woods or waters will be two of my favorites. And I won’t even be toting a gun. Next week is North Carolina’s Youth Day for duck hunting. I’m planning to join friends, who also will be accompanying youth, to make sure we provide some kids with an awesome day of duck hunting – regardless of the number of ducks we go home with.

After that, it’s time to start thinking about April’s Youth Day for turkey hunting. I’m hoping I can join the folks at Fort Bragg again. That hunting day last year was among my favorites of 2010.

Here’s hoping we’re making it “Youth Day” as often as possible throughout the rest of the hunting seasons.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in 2011, General Tales, Gun Hunting

January 22, 2011

Hunting: My favorite sport.

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I am a proud venison eater. Just last week, I went to a dinner event – attended by more than 100 people – where we enjoyed more than 20 different entrees prepared with the harvests of many successful hunts. And each bite of food that hit my mouth was tasty. This post, though, is less about venison and more about the reasons why I have a freezer full of it.

One of this blogger's early whitetails with a bow.


Venison is not the reason I hunt. And I’m not looking to use it as an excuse for explaining to people why hunting deer makes me happier than a lab’s jowls lapping up peanut butter.

I hunt deer because I enjoy the challenge, the time in the woods, and the sport that comes with outsmarting an old, wily whitetail. My preferred method of success is with a bow and arrow, but I don’t mind shooting a deer with a gun.

The food my family gets, and the fact that it’s the most effective manner for conserving wildlife, just so happen to be great byproducts of hunting. Let that be crystal clear to anyone who’s wondering.

Far too often, I find my fellow sportsmen having to defend the reasons why they hunt. That’s hogwash. No one in our country should have to defend their participation in an honest and legal sport that has roots as deep as the trees in the Redwood Forest.

You might wonder why I’m a bit feisty about this topic. I just watched a propaganda-filled video being kicked around the digital world where an alleged veterinarian presents a case that bowhunting is an ineffective way to hunt deer. He spends a great deal of time pointing out that deer, when shot with archery equipment, do not die instantly. At this point, I’m hoping I hear a collective, “Naw, really?” from our readers.

I have shot somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 deer with a bow. While that number might represent an “insignificant sample” in the world of research, I can tell you that my successful retrieve rate for bowhunting is better than my own rate with a gun. I know that reams of data exist to point out a variety of metrics on what is the best way to kill a deer. Articles published on the topic are probably in the hundreds. I can read all that until I’m blue in the face, but what matters to me is the experience I’ve had in the woods. That is my first-party research. I assure anyone who reads this and might question otherwise that a compound bow is more than effective at placing a lethal shot on a whitetail deer.

Is every shot lethal? No. Much like hunting with a rifle, a shotgun or a sling shot, hunters are not perfect. Heck, even Peyton Manning throws interceptions. While it’s not a pretty point to make for some, that too is part of the sport.

While you think about that, I’m headed to the kitchen to cook some venison chili.

1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in 2011, General Tales