J.J. Kolesar - "NOT AGAIN!!!!"

Well, if you have followed Drury Outdoors at all you may have heard us say more than once that “we are on a new lease.” Unfortunately it has happened again, but hopefully we can maintain this one for long-term period. It is not that we get kicked off or anything, but situations like land auctions, outbidding (money), outfitters, and insurance scares, make it a difficult time to wrap up the type of property we and maybe even you would ultimately like to have. However, after 3 county plat books, 43 no’s, 2 maybe’s, and 1 we will see, we final broke into pay dirt. We have been on the hunt for better ground for the last 3 and half months and just now feel as if we have found where it is we want to be. We feel though we have found a piece that will hopefully lead us down a more successful road and hope that we can bring you some fun and exciting hunting action.
If you find yourself in a similar situation here are a few ways to make it easier and not feel so depressed about the rejection that you will probably face. These were some of the aspects we feel will help your cause:


1) Choose to make 3 calls/trips a day! (Simple, but not overwhelming, not as depressing or frustrating, but doing diligence is the only way to discovery)
2) Find someone in common with the landowner (“Kind of like the Kevin Bacon Game, if you know what I am saying”)
3) Have an answer for any question the landowner may ask:
a) Insurance, # of people, typical season, etc.
b) Know what it is you want, alleviates problems in the future that could cost you your opportunity.
c) Expectations of both you and him!
4) Most importantly, BE HONEST & COMPLETE ON YOUR INTENTIONS, stones left unturned could come back to haunt you!

This brings us to our Blog topic of the early spring. Now that we have acquired a new tract we are in the process of breaking down what is taking place on the farm. We have not set foot on the tract, but in all honesty, didn’t have the choice. We had to pull the trigger and hope that the reputation of the ground treats us right. Without having set foot on it, we have been eagerly studying the buckview program within Reconyx’s new software. With the tools we are able to highlight what we think the deer would do, and identify spots that we believe should be good. Needless to say, we are excited to compare our computer notes to those of the real landscape. With this being said, we at Drury Outdoors would love to hear more about how you break down your new tract and any tricks of trade from which you have benefited, and we will also share what we have done in the past that has led us to some of our mild success on green ground. Good Luck Shed Hunting and we look forward to hearing from you.

Kyle and JJ

Matt Bullins - Endless Beginnings

I’m not sure which is worse for an avid hunter, the anticipation and excitement that the upcoming season is just around the corner or the bittersweet taste of the final chapter of an ongoing season. However you may take it, there is no worse feeling than both. The problem lies hidden in the fact that most serious hunter’s season never actually begins or ends. It’s simply a full time job on top of another full time job, added to life’s treasures such as family, friends, and other obligations and duties. The point being that it’s truly an endless beginning.

As Jason and I made our way to Tara Wildlife in late January 2011, we realized that this season was approaching its end. However, without much despair, we found ourselves pondering and strategizing for the upcoming season. It’s hard to believe that we had more or less already planned our upcoming seasons hunting schedule nearly nine months ahead of time. One of our goals was not only to hunt several of the same states as this season, but to try to add new adventures in different states to the upcoming slate.

Without doubt, this has been one of the most promising and successful seasons of our lives, but we had high hopes for the years to be. Looking back and taking note of where we had ventured and what states we had hunted, we began to highlight each and became rather fixated or stunned of the opportunities we had this year. After tallying the results, it was apparent that we had traveled through most of the south and Midwest and had the privilege of hunting ten different states throughout.

With the hopes of having lady luck by our sides throughout the upcoming season and during the 2011 DNR license lotteries, who knows, we may be able to add such states as Iowa, Colorado, and more to our highlighted maps of great fortune. It’s hard to believe that the timeless effort of chasing whitetails just recently passed and it’s only a short time until everyone will be checking websites and waiting impatiently to find out where and when they will be hunting during the upcoming season. It just seems to never end or grow old and that’s perfectly fine with us.

Safe Travels,

Matt Bullins

Bart Goins - Seasons End

I saw the last white tail flicker off into the distance as darkness slowly rolled in. I have watched countless sunsets from this particular stand, but this one would be different. The disappearing sun had brought an end to what is now last years whitetail season. This is always a weird time for me because for the last five months of my life I had been in the woods day in and day out. As a deer hunter, you just get in this routine everyday to suit up and hit the deer stand. As I sat there many thoughts ran through my head. My twelfth season as a whitetail deer hunter had come to an end. But this season was definitely a life-changing season for me.

The ride home from the farm brought somewhat of an empty feeling … knowing that I wouldn’t be returning to the farm to actually hunt deer for a grueling eight months. It seems like such a long season and towards the end your almost ready for a break … but not an eight-month break. There is a drive there that never gets filled. No matter how many times you go or how many deer you kill. That’s what separates me from a lot of “hunters” today. It’s a madness ….a sickness for real! This season was different for big brother and I. This season was special in the fact that my brother and I were apart of the Dream Season Workin’ Man Cast. So that meant an end to being on Dream Season as well. As I thought more about the season … I was overwhelmed with a sense of satisfaction and completeness. I had given it my all and hunted my tail off. I traveled more than 3500 miles with hunting seven states. I made the most of every opportunity that was given to me this season. I had introduced new people to the sport that I love so much. I had also learned more things about the animal and myself. I had watched more sunrises and sunsets than I care to remember … and loved every minute of it. I definitely grew as a hunter and an outdoorsman.

As I look back on the season, one of the greatest things was the people that I had met. Every year I meet great people in deer camp … but this year was the best. I feel like I have made a few new best friends for life. The type of people I could call on anytime, anywhere for help. There is no telling how many times I had gut aches from laughing so hard with some of the new people I met this season. I’m certain I wont remember every single deer I saw from a stand … but I will remember the people that I was blessed to get to meet. There was also one experience in particular from the season that I will never forget as well. I am so grateful that I got to be apart of the Catch A Dream Banquet at Tara. Its not everyday you get to see something like this and it literally blessed my heart to the core. Makes you realize really how blessed and fortunate you are.

The next few days will consist of me putting the hunting gear up for the year and finish logging tapes for the Dream Season editors. One of the greatest things about being an outdoor videographer is that you get to go back and relive all the memories of the previous season. For many previous seasons in that matter. Everything that happened to us this past season is documented on video … both good and bad. I can’t wait to see how Dream Season 8: Workin’ Man turns out. I would like to thank each of you who took the chance to get to know my brother and I this season. Thanks to all of you that HELPED our cause in one way or another. I know I have said it before, but I will say it again … Thanks to Drury Outdoors for giving the two Bama boys a chance. Blair and I truly were blessed this season, and for that I am grateful. Even though next deer season is several months away, turkey season for us is a mere 6 weeks away. Lets get ready to bust some heads boys’! Roll Tide , over and out!
-Bart