Bart Goins - No Longer Rookies

August is finally wrapping up and I could not be more relieved. Its been a long and hot summer for us! I work hard all spring and summer with my business, and then I take off for deer season. I am definitely starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel! Not to mention, Alabama football kicks off this weekend!!! Roll TIDE!

In the next few weeks, our second whitetail season for Dream Season The Journey will begin. Last year we had so much fun despite having the toughest season we have ever had. We learned so much from all the Drury teams last year and I truly feel like I will be better prepared and equipped for this season. We have some amazing hunts lined up for this fall and our southern farms are looking promising.

After last years season, Blair and I began searching leasing opportunities in Illinois. We have great farms in our home state, but we wanted a farm that would really give us an edge to compete with the other teams on the Journey. So what better state, then in Illinois? We finally found the farm that we wanted in Brown County, IL.

Throughout the summer we have spent three different weekends up there preparing the farm for the upcoming season. We leased from one heck of a guy who has done everything he can to help us. This summer we have put together box blinds, put up Big Game lock ons, cleared off brush and planted Biologic, and set up several Reconyx cameras. The first batch of Reconyx pictures absolutely blew me away. We have got some true giants to hunt this year and I absolutely cannot wait for the game to begin.The biggest problem we have been faced with this summer is the drought. Our new farm has been so dry, literally only receiving four-tenths of an inch of rain since middle of June. Our food plots were planted last week, and I have never prayed for rain so hard! I even went to church on Wednesday! God answered our prayers with sending over two inches of rain on the farm this past Sunday night.

Good luck to all my fellow hunters out there this fall. Blair and I are going to do our very best to bring all of you the best footage that Dream Season can offer. Over the next few months we will hunt over five states and put tons of miles on our trucks. Definitely going to be a busy fall, and on top of that, Im building a house and getting married right after the season! Stay safe and good luck. College football is back and if ya'll want to watch a team that WINS, watch the TIDE! Number 15, here we come!

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

Bart Goins - Dream Season Workin' Man

November 25, 2010
Bart Goins- Highs and Lows


Wow, what a year it has been thus far! If you rewind one year ago today, my brother and I were on an all time low with hunting. Last season we hunted five states with only one buck harvest … and it was a management buck at that! It was one of those seasons where you were glad to see it go and start looking forward to NEXT season. Needless to say, there have been many changes since then. Back in April, my brother (Blair) and I submitted yet another video to Drury Outdoors. This time it was an application video for the new upcoming Dream Season 8: Workin' Man. This could be a dream come true … something we had wanted for so long. Matt Drury called us two months later and revealed the good news. The Bama Boys had made the cast for Dream Season 8! We were proud to be the first team ever for Alabama and we wanted to do the state proud. Can I get a ROLL TIDE?! Our summer routines of hunting season preparation was here and gone before we knew it. The season was here and upon us. The season started slow in Kentucky in September with only a doe harvest. But that was good to get our feet wet. I found out on September 8 that I had been laid off at my job at Wiser Company in Murfreesboro, TN. This brought mixed emotions. I was upset from losing my first professional job, but then again it came at a great time in my life. I have no wife, no kids, and no other responsibilities beside myself. After a couple of weeks, I moved all my stuff back to Alabama. At the end of September, we took the long trip out to Misty Morning Outfitters in Kansas. The plan was to look at some properties and hang some sets for November.

October 15 was the Alabama opener for bow season. One of our goals was to kill a four-year-old or older buck in our home state with the PSE. For those of you who are from Alabama …. You know this was not going to be a simple task. Killing a four-year-old buck in any state isn't a simple task., especially with archery equipment in 80 day gun season state. That's right, 80 days! Alabama is a tough state to hunt! But we were up for the challenge. In the days prior to the Alabama opener, the faithful Reconyx had found two definite shooters for us on one of our farms. Daylight pictures at that! Big Heavy and Big Tex were the two deer that were targets for this particular farm. October 15 was upon us and found us sitting on a white oak flat ridge. The conditions were sent from heaven. One hour after first light, the Bama boys had checked in with a four-year-old Alabama bruiser named Big Heavy! We were on an all time high to start the Alabama season. Not to mention … thirty minutes after Blair put a rage in Big Heavy, Big Tex walks twenty yards by our stand. Unreal!
October 22 found big brother and I headed north to Hadley Creek Outfitters in Illinois for the first group hunt of Dream Season. Excited - was an understatement! Upon arriving at the Castle and meeting everybody, the archery competition was underway. The whole Dream Season 8 Cast was given the brand new PSE X Force Dream Season Evo with our names engraved on them. Let me tell you …. I have shot a ton of bows in the past and I have never shot as well as I have the past few weeks with this bow. This bow is WICKED! Without revealing to many surprises on the new season of Dream Season … all I can say was the archery competition was a blast. You know Mark and Terry love to put new twists on things!


Seven days and one big buck later, big brother and I were leaving Hadley Creek and headed to Misty Morning Outfitters in Kansas. I made a ton of friends at Hadley Creek and had so much fun! There are some good people at that place. After 468 miles, we pulled into Misty Morning lodge in Kansas and were ready to start our hunt. I killed my biggest buck to date with a bow five days later. The roadtrip was an overall success!

Hunting can be compared to life in general. It's a series of highs and lows. Blair and I have definitely paid our dues over the last few years. Were on an all time high as this season keeps rolling. Today is Thanksgiving Day and I definitely have a lot to be thankful for: God's forgiveness, great family and friends, and the great sport of HUNTING! Thanks to Mark and Terry for being two of the pioneers of this industry. Thanks to Drury Outdoors for giving my brother and I this wonderful opportunity. Were having a blast! Good luck to you all the rest of the season. There's still a ton of season left so go kill 'em and be safe!

ROLL TIDE!
-Bart