Ben Rising - The Looong Off Season

For anyone who is a die hard hunter like I am, Feb through April can be a long haul. Deer season came to an end and the wait for Turkey season began.

We have had a tough winter here in Ohio which included one crazy snow/ice storm which turned into a massive flooding that trapped most of us in our homes for a day or two. The flood waters preceded and eventually we were able to find routes to get into town. But it made for one crazy week. The pic that I have included is at a downtown intersection.

The great part of all that flooding was the fact that it meant all the snow had melted and the shed hunting could begin. We found several nice ones and I was able to include my oldest 3 boys in our search. Of course with boys there age it became a competition to see who could find the most. We found our fair share this spring including a match set from a 12pt I had my wife trying to hunt at the end of the season. He was wounded from a neighboring hunter and we weren’t sure if he would make it so we were tried to get in on him to “see how bad he was”. We never did see him while hunting, but finding his sheds let us know that he at least made it through the winter. Our biggest downfall this shed hunting season was finding Mule. He’s the big one I was after in the beginning of deer season. I watched this deer for quite a while and had TONS of trail photos. BUT he just dropped off the map 2 weeks into the season. I had assumed he must of traveled off our farm and someone else had the fortunate luck of harvesting him. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case and I can honestly say I wish it had been that way. I just happened to be driving past the farm and a shine caught my eye in the woods. Of course I pulled off and took a harder look. My heart sank! How I never noticed him in that patch of woods before is beyond me, I must have drove past it a thousand times. There lay Mule locked with another buck. We have never seen the other buck before, but he was a nice one also. I have heard plenty of stories and seen several pics of deer that have come to a horrible death like this before, I just wish that I never had to find one like this. The DruryOutdoors.com Inner Circle has a Kodak video of me finding these deer in March. If you haven’t seen it, you should check it out.

Shed hunting is over and we are now finding other things to keep us occupied. Hawkins Lumber Co and Wolf Creek Outfitters put together an ATV benefit this past weekend for a very good friend and family member Clem Sours. He became ill this past Oct and ended up with a blood infection. As an end result he had to have a leg amputated, but oh so lucky to be alive!!! This benefit was to help raise money to cover the cost of a prosthetic leg. We had an ATV ride, LOTS of food, DJ, and silent auction and reg auction that were all donated items. We also raffled tickets off for a new ATV and drew a winner (pic included of Clem Sours, Rick Hawkins, Paul from Valley ATV with the winner-Dane Donely). It’s amazing how many people pulled through in a small community to donate items for the auctions, food, and paper items. All of this went on for 2 days. I’m not sure about Sunday but I do know that we had over 130 ATV’s going through over 40 miles of rugged, muddy, rocky climbing trails. It was a blast!! Check out the Inner Circle for new videos that I am sending in of us getting MUDDY!

I would like to say a special THANK YOU to Drury Outdoors for donating several items for this benefit. You guys are great and we couldn’t thank you enough for what you did! I ended up being the auctioneer at this event (not quite sure how that happened…I sure wasn’t expecting to have to do it, they just handed me the mic and said go ahead and start J) But I can say that your "Giant Whitetails" book was one of the highest bid items. Thanks again from ALL of us!!


Well, last but not least my final bit of my blog I’d like to announce that my family is expecting a new addition to our family. NO, we are not having any more kids LOL. At the time I wasn’t so sure if it would be a good idea or not, but my 13yr old son started reading Where The Red Fern Grows a few months ago. Naturally, he has been begging me for a coon dog ever since. Lucky for him, I grew up coon hunting and it was one of my deepest passions. If you would have told me 15yrs ago that I wouldn’t have a coon dog now, I would of laughed in your face. I lived for coon hunting. Unfortunately, having a large family like ours, owning a logging business, deer hunting, turkey hunting and coon hunting…something had to give. I started working with Drury’s and it just came to the point where I didn’t have the time for my dog like he deserved (if you have ever heard of Timber Cutter the red tick English- he was mine originally) so I sold him. Once I sat Jarod down and we discussed just how much dedication and work he will have to put into this dog, and he agreed to keep up his end of the deal, we got to looking for a pup. We are keeping our fingers crossed, but I’m pretty sure that we have a 14 month old lined up that should be arriving in a few weeks. Not quite sure who is most excited, Jarrod or me, though I have to say that I am ecstatic to see him carry on a tradition that I grew up with. Nothing better than spending your teen yrs in the woods with a dog. I also have to mention that I don’t think Feb-April will be such a drag anymore. Look for a new blog soon!

Ben

Steve Coon - Kids Hunting For A Cure

LongBeard Madness 17 starts off in a special way for 2011! Comstock and I were invited to Huntingdon Tennessee for a special event “Kids Hunting For A Cure”. So after talking to Comstock we didn’t waste any time packing our equipment and gear to be part of a great event on behalf of Drury Outdoors.


After we were packed and loaded it was off to the great state of Tennessee for this Turkey Extravaganza! Once our feet hit the ground it was time to do the leg work. After meeting the landowner and him showing us the property lines it was time to scout. So after the morning lacked the early morning gobbling that we had hoped for, it was time to put our thinking caps on and to take to the timber even though we were new to this Tennessee dirt but also the short time we had to scout. We knew we had to be on the money to make this hunt successful for the hunter we were taking the following day.


So during our scouting mission we located two great spots. One being in the timber and one at the edge of a pretty food plot in a cut corn field. At the time we set up both blinds and we decided if it was raining we would hunt the field if not, it would be the timber set.

Now it was back to the convention center to meet our hunter and what a great young man he was Mr. Ty McClain. So after a meet and greet at the convention center it was off to the McClain’s residence for a restless night of sleep! So as all turkey hunters know prior to opening day it’s tuff to sleep! Oh yea! it was real tuff for Comstock because he put so much thought on where to hunt the next morning.

Now 4:00 a.m. the alarm clock sounds off and it’s off to the timber set, no rain at this time but once we were set up, are morning turns into a 45 minute rain. So as we sit in the blind did we make the right choice? But then the rain stops and we have two longheads gobbling in our face. So once they hit the ground one of the birds made his way to Comstock’s calling and Ty’s Thompson Center! So at that please check out Drury’s Inner Circle along with the Drury’s Journal for further on this great hunt and for the great cause!! -Coon Dog

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

John O'Dell - Jacob's First Deer

Well I had been waiting all year for a really special hunt in North Carolina with our good friends Matt Bullins and Jason Bowers who are on Dream Season Working Man. During spring turkey season Matt had invited my dad and my son Jacob to come and do some whitetail hunting on his family farm in NC. I look forward to these opportunities to spend time with my dad as we live in different states and don’t get to see each other often Also this was to be Jacob’s first deer hunt ever so to say I was excited would be a huge understatement.

After putting in the time on the practice range I felt comfortable that Jacob who is 9 would be able to handle his TC safely and make a good lethal shot so fast forward several months from April to December. My dad, Jacob, and I were on our way down to NC for our family deer hunt. Matt said the deer had been moving well and that he had filmed a friend’s girlfriend harvest her first deer ever with her TC muzzleloader a nice 8pt buck. He also said that he had a couple of spots picked out for us that he thought would be very productive. Jacob and I were headed to a shooting house on the edge of a food plot and my dad would be hunting a funnel along a hardwood ridge that the deer had been frequenting.

When we arrived in deer camp we went out to dinner and shared hunting stories and jokes (that were age appropriate and mostly at my dads expense). Then the next day we were in the blind and set up by 2:30PM. Right away Jacob and I had some big gobblers come into the field. He had fun watching them through his Nikon binoculars. I was just hoping that they stick around till spring and that Matt invites us back for turkey season. After that we had several hours with no movement of any kind. I would be lying if I said I was not getting a little discouraged as I was hoping we would see some deer even if Jacob could not get a shot. Well just when I thought the days hunt was over I caught some movement on the edge of the field and sure enough there were 2 does and 3 fawns headed to our food plot. There were some tense moments as Jacob and I worked to make sure that we were on the same deer (me with the camera and Jacob with his rifle). Luckily for us the biggest deer which was a big mature doe stepped away from the group at about 80 yards and offered Jacob the shot he had been waiting for. Jacob made a great shot with his TC Contender. As you can imagine there was much celebration in that little shooting house! I was so proud of him. He said “it was the most exciting thing that has ever happened to him in his whole life”! Later we found out that my dad had also harvested a doe (Jacob told him later that his was way bigger). We also received word that Amy Bullins (Matt’s wife) had also harvested her first deer ever, another doe and she did it with her Browning/PSE bow!

All in all it was as much fun as I have had in deer camp in as long as I can remember. To have my dad along and to be able to introduce my son to the great sport of hunting and be with him for his first deer harvest was awesome! It reminds me of how lucky we are as sportsmen to have the opportunity to go hunting and to pass on this great tradition to future generations!

A HUGE thank you goes out to Matt and Jason for making this hunt possible!

Until next time good hunting!
John

Matt Bullins - Uncommon Ground

For Jason and me, our journey not only begins several years back as we became hunting partners, but it begins every time we pack our bags. As most of you may know, we live on the east coast and hunt primarily in both North Carolina and Virginia. Most anyone who hunts on the east coast can reflect upon and have experienced what we feel as some of the toughest whitetail hunting in the country.

However, take nothing away from hunting in the Blue Ridge Mountains as we do, there are wildlife a plenty and we love where we live. Growing up in northwest North Carolina and Jason in southwest Virginia, we long dreamed about one day being able to chase whitetails somewhere far from home. Having said this, we had no idea that it would actually come true and have Drury Outdoors and their pro-staff to thank.


Reflecting upon the season thus far, Jason and I began to tally mileage, time, and all the necessities that come with traveling out of state to hunt. Needless to say, we were stunned at the results. We had no idea at the efforts we had put forth for this deer season and filming for Dream Season 8: Workin’ Man.

Ultimately, at the end of the road, we will have traveled through nineteen states, hunted in nine states, drove (ALL DRIVING TIME) over 220 hours, and tacked on 13,600 miles, which doesn’t include our flight from Greensboro, NC to Kansas City, Missouri and back for our late season hunt with the rest of Team Reconyx.

Over the past several seasons, Jason and I have become accustomed to traveling and spending much of our time driving to different parts of the country to hunt. However, without doubt, it is something that we enjoy and hope that Drury Outdoors will continue to allow us to do for many years to come. On each trip we take, our goal is to not only to produce hunts, but to meet new people and share experiences with them while doing so.

If you’re on the road somewhere, you never know, look around and you just might see the Virginia Boys in route to their next destination.

Matt Bullins