Giant Alberta Bears!

Want to Win a Thermacell, Hunter Safety System Harness and Plano Bow Case?  Want to come hunt with us next year in Alberta for an awesome bear hunt? Watch the Wired Outdoors Webisode below and see how you can win! Good luck.



I recently returned from my bear hunt in northern Alberta with Alberta Backwoods Outfitters, www.AlbertaBackwoodsOutfitters.com and once again, shot the bear of a lifetime!  Just when I think I can't top the year before, here I am making another trip to the taxidermist.

Jason Say and Don Ott's Giant bears taken on the same night in Alberta

I hope you enjoy the show above because it was a blast filming it!  Remember, by watching the webisode you can win a Thermacell, Hunter Safety System and Plano Bow case so make sure you watch a see how you can win these great prizes!  Good luck.  Also, we are doing a very special hunt next May, 2012 with Alberta Backwoods Outfitters and taking 4 Wired Fans with us for an amazing week in Alberta.  For all the information watch the show and email Jason Say at info@sportsmenportal.com. 

Huntin Monster Hogs with the Family

SEE THIS ENTIRE WEBISODE NOW - CLICK PLAY ON THE VIDEO BELOW
 

Stacking up the hogs in Texas - See the video of these hunts at www.WiredOutdoors.com

In my younger years, spending time in the outdoors with family and friends used to be almost a daily occurrence, but as we get older, time spent in the woods with brothers, cousins, and uncles becomes harder to come by. 

Shot my first coyote in Texas!  Came right in to the FoxPro Call

On this hunting adventure I would be taking my twin brother Eric.  I know you will look at the photos and the video and say, we don’t even look like brothers, much less twins, but trust me, we have the birth certificates to prove it.  Like most twins growing up, we shared everything together.  We grew up grabbing the shotguns after school for some squirrel hunting to skipping school to get in an extra day of deer hunting together.

My twin brother Eric at the airport ready to do some hog hunting in Texas

Eric has never had an opportunity to travel out of state for a hunting adventure and since I began Wired Outdoors I have always wanted to go on a hunt where I could bring Eric along as well as our two cousins, Mike and Shawn Bell for a family adventure.  Nothing seemed more appropriate than a late winter hog hunt in Texas.  We have been cooped up all winter long, and boy has this winter ever seemed like a LONG winter, so why not travel south to Texas for a sunny three day hog hunt in early March.
We would be hunting with Manx Outfitters in Central Texas, www.ManxOutfitters.com, and were we in for a treat.  When speaking with Richard, the owner of Manx Outfitters, he asked, “What are you looking for, big hogs, numbers, etc…?”  I said we were looking to just come and shoot some stuff, and not real picky.  We were just looking to have a really good time.
Richard assured me they had lots of hogs and we would have a blast.  He explained that they had 5,000 acres of land, 4,000 fair chase and 1,000 acres of high fence.  I told him that we were only  interested in hunting fair chase hogs and he assured me there were just as many hogs on the outside as there were on the inside, and he wasn’t kidding.  Little did I know we were going to be hunting monster fair chase hogs!
After arriving at the airport we would have a short hour and twenty minute drive to Manx Outfitters and be hunting that afternoon.  I would be up first with field staffer Andy Traister filming.  About an hour in and after scaring about a 100 hogs, we finally got lucky and saw a nice boar coming our way.  To make a short story short, I had my first hog within an hour of the first hunt.  The other guys were not as lucky as me and that was the only hog for the first night.

My first Spot and Stalk Hog. See the video of this hunt on our website at www.WiredOutdoors.com

The next evening I was really excited, because I would be filming Eric and I was hopeful that we would have a great hunt.  Little did I know what we were in store for.  We hunted hard all afternoon and had a few close calls with hogs, but just didn’t have an opportunity to shoot.  About an hour before dark, we came to a field that was just covered up in hogs, including a very BIG BOAR.  After being patient and waiting for the right shot, Eric had his first hog, and it was big.  It weighed out at 300 lbs and just blew me away that there are things like this beast out there just wandering around in the wild!  But like I say in the video, “This hunt wasn’t about trophy animals, but about spending time in the outdoors with our friends and families, but trophy animals are pretty cool too!”  Day two was a really good day with Eric’s giant boar, Shawn connected on a 250lb hog and Andy Traister took his first hog with a bow.

My twin brother Eric's Giant Hog - See this video on our website at www.WiredOutdoors.com

 So like is customary on these trips, we found ourselves in the last hour of the last evening and my cousin Mike still hadn’t had an opportunity to take a hog with his bow.  After many stalks and CLOSE encounters, we found ourselves staring at an absolute monster, and I mean MONSTER hog.  This thing looked like it was something out of a scary comic book.  Now all we had to do was close the gap of about 75 yards.  Even if we were able to close the gap, the closest we will be able to get was about 40 yards because of a stream between us and the hog.  If this was going to happen on a hog of this size, it was going to require an absolutely perfect shot.  After closing the gap, Mike let the arrow fly and we watched it arc over the stream and hit perfectly on this hog as it was quartering away.  (You have to watch this shot available on our website at www.WiredOutdoors.com and click on Webisodes)

Mike's Giant 400lb Monster!  See the awesome video of the shot at www.WiredOutdoors.com

After two hundred yards of tracking we came upon the monster and it actually sent chills down your spine to know that you are in the woods at dark with these giants.  All in all we took 6 hogs in 2 and half days of hunting including two absolute giants, with Manx Outfitters.

See the video of this giant at www.WiredOutdoors.com

Like I had said before, the trip was all about spending time with family and friends!  I will never forget our first trip to central Texas to hunt with Manx Outfitters and I can guarantee you one thing, it won’t be my last.  I can’t wait to see them again next year.  This entire show is now available on our website at www.WiredOutdoors.com and click on Webisodes.

Outfitter - Manx Outfitters - www.ManxOutfitters.com
Manx Outfitters hunts are more than reasonable.  It only costs you $200 for your first hog then $100 for every hog after that.  This includes lodging and meals, so you can do the math.  This hunt is a no brainer and the cost is more than reasonable.  They have 1,000 acres of high fence and 4,000 acres of fair chase so you can hunt them however you like.  To give you an idea of how awesome the hunting is, all our hogs were fair chase hogs.  For more information about Manx Outfitters, watch our webisode below.

Late Season Pennsylvania Whitetail

By Jason Say, Wired Outdoors
WiredOutdoors.com
Facebook – www.Facebook.com/wiredoutdoors

I love to archery hunt, but I will be honest, the thought of late season archery hunting in Pennsylvania has never really appealed to me.  Maybe it is the rut being over, much harsher conditions, not real sure, but the combination has always had me hanging up my bow at the end of the first archery season. Not this year though, I intentionally saved my doe tag to give the second season a chance, and I am glad I did.

In Pennsylvania, when you share the woods with almost a million other hunters, by the time gun season is over and second season archery and flintlock rolls around, these deer tend to hit the deck, making hunting very tough.  I am far from an expert in hunting late season whitetail with a bow, but I have learned a few things that might help a newbie who is looking to hunt the late season.

• Shooting your bow with 4 layers of clothing and temps in the teens, is MUCH different than shooting a bow in early September.  So practice with all your clothing on.
• Dress appropriately.  Nothing will end you hunt quicker than getting cold and wet.  I can honestly say that I was comfortable every night on stand and had no problems sticking it out.
• The woods are COMPLETELY wide open during the late season.  So those stands that were close to the bedding area that you could sneak into early in the season, are no longer an option.
• Stands that had good cover while there was foliage in the woods may no longer have any cover.  I got caught more than once during the late season in stands that I never got busted in early season. So look for stands that might have 3 or 4 trees together instead of ones where you hang out and are easy to pick off.
• You may go nights without seeing a deer, but when I found the food sources they were hitting, it wasn’t uncommon to see 12 to 15 deer together.
• As always, pay attention to your scent.  It is much more difficult during the late season, because who the heck wants to dress in the field when it is freezing cold outside. If you are going to wear your clothing in the truck, filling up with gas, stopping by a friends house, you BETTER make sure you play the wind because if you don’t, you will not have a prayer.  You have to remember, these deer have been shot at for two weeks straight and have zero tolerance for people.  I would encourage you to dress in the field, but I completely understand if you refuse to be dressed only in your underwear standing in a field with temps in the teens
• Always take care of your equipment.  It is getting near the end of the season and some hunters may have a tendency to get a little lazy and not be quite as careful with their equipment.  I store my bow in nothing but the Plano All Weather Series bow case and never have to worry about it getting banged around.
• During the late season most stands and climbing sticks can have ice or snow on them making them very slippery.  It can be treacherous getting in and out of your stand.  While we feel it is important to always be attached from the bottom of the tree to the treestand all year long, there is even more chance of slipping and falling during the late season.  So make sure you are always strapped in.  We use the Hunter Safety System Pro Series vest along with the Tree Stand Life Line.

When it was all said and done, after my 6th night of hunting, moving stands, constantly scouting, watching my scent, I was able to fill my Pennsylvania doe tag.  Might not sound like a big deal to many, but anyone who has hunted Pennsylvania will understand.  More importantly, it was an opportunity to extend the season and spend MORE time in the outdoors – and that is always a good thing.

Late Season Pennsylvania Whitetail

Douglas Gets It Done!

As many of you know, for the past three years, the Wired Outdoors team raises money to send children with life threatening illnesses on their Hunt of A Lifetime.  This past year we decided to take our fund raising to another level and from that idea came the event "Camo Cares".  This year the entire community pulled together and raised $20,000 for Hunt of A Lifetime.  While we raised enough money to send 7 children on their dream hunt, our main recipient was an AMAZING young man, Douglas Fickel.

Douglas with the Wired Team and Olsen Hunter Group Corporate Sponsors

Wired Outdoors Presents Hunt of A Lifetime a Check for $20,000.00

Douglas suffers from Ataxia-telangiectasia.  A-T is like having muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy and cancer all rolled into one.  This disease is also very rare and only 600 children in the United States have been diagnosed with this disease.   A-T is a fatal genetic disease that causes progressive loss of muscular control, various types of cancer and immune system problems.  Children with A-T are usually unable to walk by the age of ten and rarely survive their teens.  If A-T wasn't enough, Doug was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, T-Cell on December 5, 2008.  Douglas has spent almost 200 days in the hospital in 2009 and receives chemo every single day of his life, 365 days a year. With all of Douglas's issues he still loves to hunt and reminds us all of how precious are time in the outdoors is.

Meeting Douglas and his family at this year's Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I knew then and there, that we had to do all we could to help Douglas' dream come true.  Douglas' first pick for his dream hunt was a moose hunt.  Now, I will be completely honest, I was very hesitant and actually tried to sway Douglas to possibly go with his second choice of a black bear hunt.  Hunting moose can be very difficult, including lots of walking and being very mobile.  Since Douglas is confined to a power wheel chair that weighs over 200 lbs and must be used on a completely level surface due to its very low clearance, I knew a moose hunt could be very difficult. I soon learned that there is nothing you tell Douglas that he can't do.

Kyle, Douglas and Myself shortly after arriving.  He was all smiles and ready to go!

The Cabin we would be staying in with Douglas and his family

Inside the Cabin

We would be hunting in northern Maine the week of October 9th during the second season.  Kyle and I would both be making the journey to share in the hunt with Douglas and his family as well film the entire hunt for an episode this year on Wired Outdoors.  Once arriving, Douglas was very excited to see us and even more excited to go hunting the next morning.  The cabin we would be staying in was beautiful and we were excited to be staying with the Fickels to share the entire experience.

Douglas setup the first morning

Douglas evening set up

The next morning couldn't come soon enough and I don't think any of us slept much that first night and Douglas was all smiles and ready to go.  The first day was very uneventful and we didn't see any moose.  Things were really put into perspective when Kyle and I were both feeling pretty bummed out about not seeing a moose, but you could tell that Douglas loved every minute of it.  Just being in the outdoors, sharing in the hunt with the guys, busting chops like guys do, put a smile on his face all day long.  While it was so important to Kyle and I to see him shoot a moose, we soon realized that regardless if we saw an animal or not, Douglas just got to be a part of something that has been very rare in his life. For Douglas just going in the middle of the woods with all the guys and hanging out was something that he rarely got to do!  He loved every minute of it.

After not seeing a moose the first day, the news got a little worse. Douglas has vision problems that make it impossible for him to use a normal scope.  Instead of a traditional scope he uses a hologram sight that makes it possible for him to see his target and he was also given a laser permit, so his dad could assist and make sure that he was on the target before shooting.  That evening we discovered that the laser was no longer working and it was going to be impossible to get a new one for a couple of days.  This meant that Douglas would be on his own, making sure of his target. I was really beginning to wonder if this was going to be possible.

Douglas ready to go.

The next morning came and once again Douglas was up and ready to go with that awesome smile!  We all gathered before heading out and said a little prayer that everyone would be safe, have fun and god would send a moose Douglas' way.  Needless to say, we weren't out the door and 75 yards in front of the cabin, Douglas got to see his first moose.  It was a big female and we knew then it was going to be a good day!

Douglas taking a nap before the evening hunt

We were driving to our morning location and I look off to my right and there is a big bull moose in the middle of a broccoli field.  The bull was making his way to the wood line and our guide Joe was a little hesitant, not knowing if we could get Douglas into a position where we could call the bull.  I said, "Joe, pull this truck over, we will get him in position!".  Joe was hesitant and for a good reason. The road was bordered by think alders, but at the end of the field in the direction the bull was heading was a small road.  We whipped the truck over and got Douglas in position in record time!  The bull was still about 300 yards out in the middle of the field and we would need him to respond to the guides calls if Douglas was going to get a shot.

After some calling and raking the the tree branches, it didn't take long and the bull was making his way right to us.  Now everyone who knows me knows, when it gets close to moment of truth I can get very excited/nervous/focused, whatever you want to call it.  As I am sitting about 6 or 7 yards behind Douglas and his father, getting very anxious, I will never forget how Douglas just kept looking back at me smiling ear to ear as if to say, "Oh yeah, this bull is in big trouble!"  The kid literally had ice in his veins.

The bull finally came to about 75 yards and turned broadside and Joe gave the green light.  Douglas let the first shot ring out. At that point and time, we weren't sure if he had hit him or not.  The bull wheeled out about 40 yards and turned broadside again and Douglas let another shot ring out and there was no doubt, he put it right in the boiler room, an absolutely PERFECT shot!  After reviewing the footage later that day, we saw that his first shot was only about 4 inches from the other one directly through both lungs.  The kid had just made two perfect shots on a 1000 pound animal all on his own.

Needless to say, the woods erupted with cheers and celebration as Douglas' father Doug ran right at me and hugged me so hard I thought he was going to break my back.  Douglas put both his hands in the air and just kept yelling, "That was awesome, that was awesome".  It wasn't long and the tears started to flow as everyone realized what had just taken place and we all thanked the man upstairs for making it happen. There was no doubt that he sent that bull our way!

Douglas and his father Doug!

The memory that will always stick with me was watching Douglas' father put Douglas on his back and carry him to his awesome bull moose and getting to see such a special moment between a father and son.  In Douglas'  interview he was so concerned that he thank everyone that had helped him.  As he ended his thank you's he said, "and most of all, I want to thank my Dad for coming hunting with me!"  Immediately following, Douglas broke into tears and so did every person in that field.  Still with all the things stacked against this young man, the most important thing to him was to say thank you.  On that day, I realized that Douglas was not only a great hunter, he is an AWESOME human being!

You DA' Man Douglas!

Kyle and I both felt honored and privileged to be there in that field on that very special day.  We both said to each other that we wished everyone who helped send Douglas' on his dream hunt could have been there with us.  There are so many people to thank that I can't possibly list them all in this article, but you all know who you are and should be very PROUD of what you helped us accomplish.  We can only hope that the show will give you all an idea of what it was like to be there that day with the Fickel family.

Myself and Kyle with Douglas and his dad

This show will air the middle of November and more details will be available on our website at www.WiredOutdoors.com and our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wiredoutdoors.  Many people ask us how they can help us make dreams like this come true for kids.  If you are interested in helping, you can visit our website at www.wiredoutdoors.com and click on Camo Cares.

Douglas' mom Pam on a full sprint to see her son's moose!

Douglas with him mom and dad and Kyle and I

Camo Cares - What A Day!

For the past three years Wired Outdoors has been raising money for "Hunt of A Lifetime" and special kids like Timmy Mickle, Arianna Evans and Matthew Ciarlone, but a little over 8 months ago, Kyle and I discussed the possibility of taking our fund raising to the next level. We wanted to have an event where we could send as many kids as possible on their dream hunts and little did we know the magnitude of what was about to take place.

After some serious deliberation we came up with the name for the event, Camo Cares. We felt this name best described the event we envisioned, all about Sportsmen and women taking care of each other. The name also embodied one of the values that all of us at Wired Outdoors hold dear - ALWAYS GIVE BACK!

Fryburg Sportsman's Club hosts the first annual Camo Cares

So began the planning of an event that the entire family could enjoy. Like they always say, one of the most important things is LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION and we knew the best place that we could hold the event was the Fryburg Sportsman's Club in Fryburg, Pennsylvania. With over 300 acres of rolling hills, fields and hardwoods with pavilions and food booths, it was the ideal location for our event. After several conversations with the club President, Pam Shattenberg, not only would the event be held at the Fryburg Sportsman's Club they went over and above to became a corporate sponsor. Special thanks to all those folks at the Fryburg Sportsman's Club for all their hard work and donations, we couldn't have done it without you!

Taking Aim on one of the two 30 Target Courses

The day was a full schedule of events including an archery shoot in the morning. The shoot had approximately 170 shooters from all across Pennsylvania with some of the best shooters you will ever see. The highlight for the shooters that day was a archer shoot off at the Plano Tough Buck. The way this event worked was all shooters would line up and shoot at an iron deer target with a 5" open circle over the vitals. Each shooter would only get one arrow and would begin at 20 yards, back up to 30, 40, 50 and so forth. During a round to win an All Weather Series Plano Bow Case two shooters ended up shooting all the way back to 90 yards! Yes, that is right, 5" inch circle at 90 yards. Truly an amazing display and the crowd roared with applause.

Me taking time to introduce some special kids and people, Arianna Evans, Douglas Fickel and Michael Ciarlone

After the archery shoot we had an opportunity to introduce some very special people to all the folks before the raffles began. This is what the event was all about and this year we were blessed with having our past recipients, Arianna Evans, Michael Ciarlone, the father of Matthew, who passed away with leukemia during our fund raising last year and this years recipient, Douglas Fickel. As usual I always find myself getting choked up when it comes to these kids and this year was no different. Each year I am so personally attached to each of the families it always becomes emotional. Most of you have heard Douglas' story but in case you haven't he is suffering from a disease called Ataxia-telangiectasia. A-T is like having muscular dystrophy, cystic fibrosis, cerebral palsy and cancer all rolled into one. This disease is also very rare and only 600 children in the United States have been diagnosed with this disease. A-T is a fatal genetic disease that causes progressive loss of muscular control, various types of cancer and immune system problems. Children with A-T are usually unable to walk by the age of ten and rarely survive their teens. If A-T wasn't enough, Doug was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, T-Cell on December 5, 2008. Douglas has spent almost 200 days in the hospital in 2009 and receives chemo every single day of his life, 365 days a year. With all of Douglas's issues he still loves to hunt and reminds us all of how precious are time in the outdoors is.

View the video below all about Douglas and Camo Cares!





This fall we will be hunting with Douglas in Maine for moose to air on our show Wired Outdoors. For more information on the program and when it will air, visit, WiredOutdoors.com.

Douglas, Co-hosts of Wired Outdoors, Kyle, Teresa and Jason and Corporate Sponsors Bobby Yeany of the Olsen-Hunter Group

After introducing the kids and distributing the awards to all the archery shoot winners, the raffles were underway. This year's raffle was unbelievable with tons of prizes including everything from a jet tub, guided hunts, guns, bows, and more. All of our corporate sponsors really stepped up and supplied thousands of dollars worth of products. We would like to thank everyone who donated this year.

Crowd gathers for the raffles

Once the raffles were complete we had an awesome lineup of bands beginning with Cherry Run Junction, then Attagurl Rex and ending with Leverage. The bands were packed and everyone had a blast. Thank you to all the bands and their members for helping making this a special day.

Couple having a great time at the bands!

Once it was all said and done, we had raised over $20,000.00 for our kids and "Hunt of A Lifetime". Far beyond our goals, expectations and wildest dreams. It is truly humbling and overwhelming at the same time. To see folks pull together in tough times like these and open their hearts and wallets to these very special kids, it is what being a sportsman is all about. So many times you see a guy sitting over a giant deer on tv saying, "This is what it is all about!" For us at Wired Outdoors, what happened on Saturday is what it is all about! Things like Camo Cares and the support we received from the community, sponsors, shooters, and fans makes me PROUD to call myself a sportsman.

We look forward to bringing you all the action of Douglas' hunt this fall on Wired Outdoors on the Sportsman Channel. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU all for your support and you should all be very proud of what you have helped us accomplish, we couldn't have done it without you!

Special Thank You to the event staff and all the committee members behind the scene, Gary Rex, Wayne Meier, Kirk Byerley, Wendy Wenner, Mike Weigle, Mike Bell, AJ Johnson, Al Hogue, Vaughn Stewart and Andy Traister.

Tina Pattison, founder of Hunt of A Lifetime

How fitting! Arianna Evans wins the Jet Tub!

Hunting hogs in the Florida "Hammocks"

Jason and I have talked about hog hunting for several years.  Hunting hogs with a bow has been something I’ve wanted to try since I first picked up a bow.  When Jason called and offered me a chance to go on a 3 day hog hunt with him and friend, Mike Switzer, I jumped at the chance.

Before I knew it, we were off to Florida Cracker Outfitters for our late January Hog hunt.  After getting off the plane, we made the short drive to “camp”.  When the trip particulars were described to me, I was under the impression we would be “roughing it” for the week.  I envisioned a run down camp with the bare necessities.  Upon meeting Courtnay (one of the outfitters), we made the 4.5 mile trip off road back to camp.  As we drove back the grass road, I was surprised and excited we would be staying so far back in the Florida woods.  As we turned into the driveway of “camp”, I was in shock.  Before us was a beautiful house/camp where we would be staying for our hunt.  This place was butted right against a lake which, as I was told, was chalk full of crappies and bass.  It was quite apparent we wouldn’t be “roughing it” this week.

Our "cabin" for the week

View from the back porch

Upon arrival, we were met by a young fellow named Jake who was going to be one of our guides for the week, and Julie our camp cook.  Courtnay gave us the rundown on how the week was going to go:  The hunt was going to be out of blinds in the morning/evening.  In the afternoons, we would try to spot and stalk on any pigs we might see on our travels.  We were hunting on private property but these hogs were unfenced and 100% wild with absolutely no human contact.  We learned from the outfitters, that Florida hadn’t received much rain and the hogs were hanging in the un-huntable “meadows”.  Meadows, by their definition, were practically impenetrable scrub marsh, with saw grass mixed in.  After seeing one of these meadows, I quickly understood why we wouldn’t be archery hunting in those areas.  Even after receiving this information, I was still thinking this is a slam dunk… we’re hunting hogs after all.  Minus my first opportunity, I was proven about as wrong as any individual could be.  My perceptions of hog hunting before the trip couldn’t have been more off base.  Honestly, I figured they were blind dumb animals, and the hunt would be an easy relaxing adventure with the guys.  If I would have handled my first encounter with hogs correctly, I might still believe that.  As I quickly found out, I didn’t give these animals nearly enough credit.

After our brief orientation, we quickly shot our bows to make sure they were on and got showers for our first evening hunt.  Jason and I were going to hunt together for the week, while Mike Switzer and Courtnay (the outfitter) were going to pair up for the week.   On the first evening, Jason decided he would run the camera and I would be the shooter.  Jake and Courtnay set us in a Palmetto blind over looking a small wet field next to a swamp.  After getting settled in, I was trying to figure out how to get a shot out of our set up.  I figured there was a spot in the blind that, if I sat straight up, I could clear the palmetto branches.  After about an hour in the blind, Jason whispered “pigs coming from behind us”.  I turned and saw 3 hogs coming right to the front of our set up.  I readied for the shot and realized the first unexpected problem in trying to take a hog with a bow.  These dog gone things just won’t stay still!  As I was trying to communicate to Jason on which one I was going to “take”, they would move.  The boars were all about the same size with the color variations being orange/black, blonde/black, and all black.  I figured I would shoot the first one that gave me an opportunity.  As one would present a shot by the time both Jason and I were on him, the hog would move.  Before the hogs moved off, I had committed to “taking” each of the three hogs, but we couldn’t get both the camera and the bow on them before they moved.  As the last one moved out of the wet field into the swamp, I was becoming disappointed at our misfortune, but that was short lived.  The orange/black boar came back out and stood at a perfect slight quarter away at 18 yards.  With both the camera and bow settled on him, I released my arrow.  To my disbelief, I saw my Lumenok sail about 1 foot high and 2 feet to the left of its mark.  I couldn’t believe I missed that shot, let alone missing that bad.  I was thinking how did I pull the shot that badly, but after examination from where I was shooting, it was clear I didn’t get over the palmetto.  In other words, I completely blew my first ever “slam dunk” shot at a hog, and in front of the camera at that.  As we made it back to camp we met with the other outfitter Jeremy and his father Glen.  They had already arranged to take us out to some of the blind sites to check trail cams and make a plan for the next morning.  After checking 6 different cams, there was no doubt there were plenty of hogs at this place, but 2 sites looked to be much more active than others.  We had our plan set for the morning hunt.

Our palmetto blind for the evening

View from inside the blind

Jason and I would be hunting a stand called the eagles nest; while Mike and Courtnay would be hunting the same blind I had my miss out of the previous night.  The next morning came, and I made the decision to be behind the camera.  We arrived at our location and Jason offered to install the tree arm (holds the camera) for me.  We only had one light between the two of us, so Jason took it up the tree to install the arm which left me on the ground with no light.  There was a stream about 20 yards on the opposite side of the tree we were about to set up in. I heard splashing and “growling” in the stream.  Without a light, I couldn’t see a thing.  I figured about that time, I would take the opportunity to run up the ladder to see if Jason needed any help with the tree arm.  Jason got a good chuckle out of my availability to help and we finally got settled in our setup just as light was breaking.     This morning was a perfect example of how our hunts went for the next day and a half.  We heard hogs chasing each other and growling around us, but we never saw a hog.  They knew something was up in our area and wouldn’t commit to coming through.  As we were finishing up our hunt, we received a text from Mike.  He had the same 3 hogs I saw the evening before in front of him, and put a good shot on the blond/black one.  We met up shortly after to trail, and hopefully recover this hog.  I was filming the recovery and couldn’t believe the blood trail this hog left.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  After 30 yards Mike recovered his first wild hog, with a perfect shot behind the shoulder.

Mike Switzer with his 1st wild hog

The next 3 hunts were all the same.  We had hogs around us but they just wouldn’t commit to our stand locations.  After our morning hunt on the last day, Jeremy came to get us and we could see how excited he was for our last evening hunt.  The wind finally settled down and the hogs were on their feet.  He was scouting while we were on stand and found a couple areas that were “torn up”.  He saw several hogs and suggested we go back for a quick lunch while he made a blind and hung stands in the two new locations he found.  Since Mike had already had taken a hog, he was on camera duty while I was the shooter for our final evening.  As we were getting into our stand, I received a text from Jason saying they had seen 1 big boar and 4 smaller pigs as they were going in to their blind.  We also had an encounter with a nice hog within a half hour of our sit but I couldn’t get a shot at him before he moved off.  They were definitely up and moving and I was excited to see what the rest of the evening would bring.  About 45 minutes before dark, Mike spotted 4 hogs on the hillside directly across from us heading our way.  The 2 big boars came into the right of us with the 2 decent hogs standing about 15yards in front of us.  I told Mike I wasn’t waiting and I was going to take the boar in front of us.  Mike gave me the go ahead so I drew, settled the pin behind his shoulder, and this time my arrow found the vitals.  The hog moved off slowly to our left and disappeared into a thick patch about 50 yards from us.  The bigger boars circled us and apparently came across my hog because they stopped roughly where we last saw the hit hog and started growling.   Now it was time to wait for our guides and Jason to make it over to our stand, but I felt good about the shot and the hog’s reaction after the hit.  After about 45 minutes the guys came and we made a straightforward recovery.  The blood sign was solid and we found my hog about 70 yards from our stand.  It felt great to finally get my first wild hog on the ground!

Jason and I with my 1st wild hog

Our trip ended that night as we were flying out of Jacksonville early the next morning.  This hog hunt had so much more than I had expected.  The guides and outfitters were some of the best I’ve ever hunted with, and the accommodations were second to none.  Just by being around Courtnay and Jeremy for the week, I feel I’ve become a better hunter.  On many of my experiences, the outfitters and guides job was to put us on our game we were hunting.   When hunting with Florida Cracker Outfitters, the guys taught me everything from how they hunt Florida Hogs, turkeys, deer, and gators, to their heritage and the history of hog hunting in their area. They have great pride in what they do, and will share with you all they have learned through the years.  In general this is just a great group of people to hunt with.  As you can tell, my first wild hog hunt was everything I hoped it would be and more.

Spring Has Sprung!

Gearbox:

• Medalist Apparel
• LaCrosse Alpha Burly Boots
• Leupold Katmai Binoculars 8x32mm
• Leatherman Vista Multi-Tool

This time of year, I'll do almost anything to ward off cabin fever and I'm always anxious to get out in the woods and scour the ground for shed antlers.  I'm certainly no expert, but I usually manage to find a few every spring.  Plus, it gives me a great opportunity to scout for turkeys and check out some of the bedding areas and big buck sanctuaries that I try to avoid during the fall.

The first places I usually check out are where the deer have been doing most of their feeding.  Sometimes these spots are very different from the food sources they rely on during the fall.  However this winter, it seemed like the deer in my area were still hitting the oaks in search of the acorns buried under the snow.  And once all of that snow melted, I hoped that a few of those ivory antler tips would be easy to spot!

My first shed of the year!

I keep a close eye on my trail cameras to see when the majority of bucks have lost their antlers.  This year, it seemed like plently of bucks were still carrying their racks in early March.  Still, there were a few hot spots I couldn't resist checking out, and I got lucky on one of my early outtings.  I found my first shed of the year in a stand of pines that is bordered by plenty of oak trees.

Knowing that bucks sometimes shed both of their antlers in the same spot, I spent extra time looking around the location of my lucky find.  At first, I didn't think the matching antler was nearby, but then something white caught my eye.  It was the base of a small piece of antler that had been broken off sometime the previous year.

The small antler piece just as I found it

I was almost in shock when I realized just how small the broken antler was!  There was probably no way I ever would have found it if it had not been lying near the first anlter.  It was a milestone in my shed hunting career, because not only had I found two antlers in one evening, but I found a matching set!

Anyone can find the big ones, right?!

Some of you might be a little skeptical as to whether the two antlers actually came from the same buck.  I was too, but sorting through some old trail camera photos eliminated any doubt in my mind.  This buck was definitely a regular in my area and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of rack he grows this year.

Hiking around the forest in the springtime is always a great experience and I love carrying my camera along and capturing some of the unique sights I usually see.  Searching for sheds requires a pace quite a bit slower than my usual speed, so sometimes I notice things that I would probably otherwise pass by.

Streamside skunk cabbage sprouts

I don't know much about fungi, maybe someone can tell me what type it is?

This old deer skull was not the kind of bone I was looking for!

Part of the purpose for my spring wanderings is to keep track of the local flocks of turkeys in anticipation of gobbler season.  Warm sunny mornings seem to be the best for hearing gobbles and we've been fortunate to have several of them this month.  I never like to get too close to the birds for fear of pressuring them prior to my hunts, and I never do any calling before season.  However on my last scouting trip, a little luck and a big camera lens allowed me to capture a couple photos of some local toms who were putting on quite a show!

I love to see those big flocks of early strutters!

There are a few youngsters in the neighborhood who will be experiencing their first turkey hunts this spring.  I can't wait to tag along and see if we can call a few of those wily old birds into range!  Good luck to everyone with your springtime scouting.  Stay Wired!