MIDLAND GOES WORLD WILD.....   Hunt Texas – June 13, 2013 – Judge Julie Mogenis, Host of World Wild Adventures TV and Midland Radios have “partnered up” and anticipate some incredible results from this innovative collaboration. WWAO is one of the fastest growing adventure shows on the Pursuit channel ( www.WorldWildAdventurestv.com  ) . Their new emphasis on in your face reality presentation will be complimented by any or all the products of  Midland Radio  (www.Midlandradio.com ), manufacturer of  Wearable Action Cameras, GMRS Two-Way Radios, CB Radios, Marine Radios, Bluetooth systems, and All Hazards/Weather Alert Radios have announced a partnership for the 2013 season.   World Wild Adventures TV will chronicle their adventuresfrom around the world with the XTC350VP4 HD Wearable Video Camera. This weather resistant compact camera is fully equipped with a 127 degree wide angle lens to assure that you will never miss any part of our adventures. It comes with a submersible case so we can get up close and personal with the monster Marlin that we will reel in off the coast of Costa Rica. Through the use of other included accessories, WWA will show you “a direct line of site”….”down the barrel “ view when we secure the XTC350VP4 to a Ruger 375 while taking down buffalo in Australia.  Some of the Field Producers and crew have started to video log ranch chores and other hut blind activities using the versatile mini cams as a tool to monitor and predict game traffic.     About Midland: Midland Radio Corporation is an international industry leader in wireless communications with affiliates in Italy, Bulgaria, Germany, Poland, Russia, Spain, and the United Kingdom, as well as representation in Latin America.  Midland develops high quality consumer products such as Wearable Action Cameras, GMRS Two-Way Radios, Citizen Band (CB) Radios, Marine Radios, Bluetooth intercom systems, and All Hazards/Weather Alert Radios. Known in the 70’s primarily for CB radios and household electronics, Midland has grown with the times by producing innovative new communications products and by actively promoting public emergency preparedness.   Midland has manufactured quality Two-Way Radios for over 50 years and is a market leader in several additional product categories. Midland is also a leading manufacturer of Land Mobile Radios and supplies professional grade analog and digital (P25 Technology) Portables, Mobiles and Base Stations/Repeaters for government entities such as forestry and public safety, as well as other commercial users.   About World Wild Adventures TV:   Although the “Head Shed” is in Magnolia Tx, the Judge & most of the crew claim the Hill Country of Texas as their HQ for the show and related adventure booking business. The WWA TV show is a product of some aggressive rebranding and was formerly broadcast internationally as Huntin with the Judge which successfully aired over a 6 year period, and boasted over 180 unique episodes. The pace was fast and the trophies big. WWA has carried on this show tradition and the appeal of the HWTJ series but adds even bigger and better trophies, the reality flavor of the locale, close ups of the indigenous peoples, as well as “behind the scenes” action and conservation features  relevant to that area.  Judge Julie Mogenis and the core of her staff have guided and filmed outdoor adventures for over 25 years. From Monster whitetail bucks in the arid South Texas range to some real nail biting Big 5 hunts in the Kalahari. To fishing the Pacific beaches and waters of Costa Rica --landing marlin, mahi and sails….each have been featured in show episodes. PLUS The WWA team has recently been bolstered by the addition several Hollywood types to the crew. All have a passion for the outdoors and an interest in sustainable utilization. Actor R Lee Ermey, best known as the Gunny has hunted with his buddy, the Judge for several years traveling the globe with both shows to the Southern Alps of NZ for stag and chamois to tracking down lions and Cape on his Africa quest.   So Follow Judge Julie and her adventure team armed with their Midland gear as they travel around the globe as they seek out their next World Wild Adventure. 

Man Those Bear,s had fun pulling down the Trail Cams and trying to eat the feeder,s as well as its contents!! at one feeder station the camera was untouched but the bear climbed the tree and snapped the roap that the feeder hangs on and dragged the feeder 100yrds of in the woods the motor still works but the pail is full of teeth holes.When I checked the next feeder station boy they had been busy, Camera was on the ground the solar panel 15ft up in the air that was once attached to the feeder was hanging down on its wires but still worked after some rewiring. The Racoons were guilty of doing this after all that I got lots of doe pic,s and lots of bear ones(no Bucks Yet!!)  till they got bored and pulled down the cam, the last station the camera was the only thing they picked on I am still trying to retreave the pictures as the camera was full of rain water! yes what a fun month the bears had while I was away!.  

                                                                                                  SpyPoint does it again      It looks like GG Telcom/SpyPoint has done it again. As usual, their tradition of high quality product is unsurpassed. Last years most popular models for Spypoint were the IR-5 and the IR-7. They are both high quality trail cameras. The price points at $129.99 and $159.99 respectively are very affordable. Both of these high quality trail cameras are equipped with Automatic infrared level adjustment which accounts for the high picture quality. They both take color pictures and video by day and black and white pictures by night. In multi-shot mode, they will take up to 4 pictures per detection. They will even give you sound recording! Always paying attention to detail, Spypoint camera’s will give you the time and date stamp as most trail camera’s do, however, they do take their technology one step further by giving you all of the important information so you can fill in the rest of the picture, so to speak. They give you the moon phase and the temperature at the time the pictures were taken so your records of your deer movement are more accurate.   That brings us to the all new 2012 début. If you love your gadgets for the outdoors, SpyPoint has a multitude of new product that is a “Must- Have” for every sportsman.   The BF-7 (Black Flash) Surveillance Camera is equipped with 46 black flash infrared LEDs providing an unnoticeable illumination at night. It is Ideal for security purposes. The BF-7 ensures a superior discretion, even if the subject is close to the camera. With 7 megapixel picture quality, photos and videos captured by the BF-7 are in color by day and black and white by night. It is equipped with an ultra-sensitive microphone at its base, it also captures ambient sound automatically when recording movie clips! Again, This Flash is virtually undetectable to the naked eye. The black flash LED lighting type is exceptional for monitoring the game traffic around your stand or blind. The Black Flash will go completely unnoticed by any game animal which will assure that they will not get spooked or change their nocturnal habits because of the flash. The BF-7 is priced at $199.99 retail. SpyPoint makes a High Definition version, the HD-12. The HD-12 Features a 12 megapixel picture quality and has a built in 3” viewing screen and speaker for audio play back. The HD-12 has an adjustable distance detector sensor from 5 to 50 feet. This unit includes the Spypoint WRL-B detector for wireless triggering of the camera up to 500 feet.   The Tiny-W2 (wireless infrared surveillance camera) should be at the Top of the “Wish List”. This high quality 8 megapixel trail camera is a dream come true. Not only is the Tiny-W2 a trail camera, it comes with the proverbial Black Box. You can hide this Black Box Receiver up to 100 yards away from your trail camera. The images that your trail camera takes are automatically transmitted to the Black Box Receiver. Once you set up your treestand, blind and trail camera, you will not have to disturb your hunting area by constantly checking your trail camera. You can download the images right from the Black Box receiver. It holds up to a 32GB SD card. You will be able to hold all of the data gathered from spring, right through the winter without touching the trail camera itself. If you do choose to check the pictures from the Tiny-W2 and not the black box, there is a built in 2.4” viewing screen so you can check the images unencumbered. If by chance your trail camera goes missing, you will be able to find out if it was taken by a bear or a trespasser giving you a greater chance of recovering your camera. The Tiny –W2 is priced at $299.99 Retail.   If you love your gadgets like I do, you will love the Live-3G. This is the 3G Cellular Camera. This 8 megapixel camera sends 3G cellular photo transmission through mySpypoint website and the camera is fully configurable remotely right from the same website. It comes fully equipped with “Theft Alert”, a built in 3.5 inch viewing screen, time laps mode and so much more. SpyPoint really has too many high tech toys to list in this blog but you can see all of them at www.spypoint.com.

Well going to the lease this Wednesday see if my crossbow can stick any deer on my #2 blind site and will night hunt hogs off my #1 feeder.  Let you know how it went when I get back next Saturday... 

Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy A force as big as all outdoors  A dollar here. A hundred dollars there. It adds up to more than you might think. America’s 34 million hunters and anglers are an economic powerhouse, driving the economy. They’re passionate about their pastimes. And they spend passionately too. Multiply individual spending by those many millions of people, and you’re talking a major force in our economy, through booms as well as recessions. They directly support 1.6 million jobs. They spend more than a billion dollars just on licenses, stamps, tags and permits. And they generate $25 billion a year in federal, state and local taxes. By any measure, hunters and anglers are among the most prominent and influential of all demographic groups.  Without hunters and anglers, our economy would be a lot smaller. $76 billion smaller, in fact. That’s how much they spend each year on their passion for the outdoors. If a single corporation grossed as much as hunters and anglers spend, it would be among America’s 20 largest, ahead of Target, Costco and AT&T. But hunters' and anglers’ influence goes even further. They create an economic “ripple effect” of $192 billion a year. They keep people working: not just in typical hunting and fishing jobs, but also in gas stations, retail, restaurants and hotels throughout every state and congressional district of the USA. There are other numbers, too. For instance, Americans spend more time hunting and fishing each year than days spent running the Federal government (737 million days vs. 486 million). Together, hunters and anglers are a significant voting bloc. In fact, their voting potential was 31% of all votes cast in the 2004 presidential election. Eighty percent of sportsmen are “likely voters,” far more than the national average. They can change the tide of elections. And, as you might guess, they tend to favor pro-sporting candidates.  Add up the populations of America’s two largest cities, New York and Los Angeles. Roughly, that’s 12 million people—a pretty enormous number. But it’s still less than the number of people who hunt. More people hunt than play tennis. More people hunt than ski. And they spend more time doing it, too. The average hunter spends 18 blissful days engaged in his passion each year. With 12.5 million individuals, that’s 220 million days spent in the woods, fields and wetlands each year. Of course, the bigger story isn’t the time they spend. It’s the money. At $1,992 per hunter per year, that’s $24.9 billion pumped into our economy. And where do those billions go? Well, $2.1 billion goes just into food and drinks consumed on hunting trips. That’s enough to feed 360,000 soldiers for a year. Another $56 million goes towards boat fuel alone, plus $30 million for boat trailers, motors and accessories. Bow hunters alone spend $674 million just on their bows and arrows. All this spending adds up to support close to 600,000 jobs—more than the number of people employed by McDonald’s corporation. Quick: Guess what American anglers spend $1.1 billion a year on. No, it’s not their equipment. (That costs $5.3 billion.) Not food ($4.3 billion). Not even lodging ($2 billion). Nope. That $1.1 billion is what anglers spend just on bait. That’s twice what ski enthusiasts spend on all of their pricey gear (a mere $615 million). Obviously, sportfishing is one of America’s favorite outdoor pastimes—outranking football, basketball, baseball and tennis. One in every six Americans 16 and older goes fishing. One quarter of all men do. And, perhaps surprisingly, some eight percent of all women. Besides spending lots of money, anglers spend an average of 17 days a year on the water. That’s in stark contrast to the 13 days the average American spends on vacation. And during those 17 days, they’re supporting not just bait stands and boat makers, but gas stations, local motels, grocery and convenience stores, and of course, sporting goods retailers.  Hunters and anglers have historically been — and continue to be — the largest contributors to government wildlife conservation programs. Through excise taxes and license revenues, they have contributed more than $10 billion dollars to conservation, and annually provide more than 80% of the funding for most state fish and wildlife agencies. American sportsmen know that their passion for the outdoors must be matched with active participation in the political process. Lawmakers and regulators make decisions every day that affect sportsmen. Hunters and anglers pay attention, and take those decisions into account when they vote. And there are even more hunters and anglers than the licensed sportsmen cited in this report. Including those who don’t require licenses, there are an estimated 18.6 million hunters (1.6 million under 16). And an estimated 44.4 million people (8.4 million under 16) who fish. It is estimated that there are 40 million sportsmen of voting age in the United States – nearly a third of the entire vote. Nearly 8 in 10 hunters always vote in presidential elections, while 6 in 10 always vote in non-presidential elections. A huge majority of all sportsmen consider themselves “likely voters.” Approximately 20% of the entire population of major swing states – Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida – hold either a hunting or fishing license, or both. 8 in 10 sportsmen state that a candidate’s position on sportsmen’s issues is important in determining whom they will vote for. Polls show that the American public has an overwhelmingly positive attitude toward hunting and fishing. Americans understand that hunting and fishing serve multiple needs – sustenance, recreation and conservation. The fact is, hunting and fishing have been part of the American culture since before our nation began. So it’s no wonder that these timeless pursuits are perceived more favorably. You've seen the national economic impact of hunting and fishing. Now, here's  how the states stack up. Every single state makes a contribution through revenue, taxes and jobs, but these are the states where hunting and fishing truly drive the economy.   This report was produced by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. CSF is the most respected and trusted hunting and fishing organization in the political arena. With support from every major hunting and fishing organization, CSF is the leader in promoting sportsmen’s issues with elected officials. CSF works directly with the bi-partisan, bi-cameral Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus in the U.S. Congress, as well as affiliated state sportsmen’s caucuses in state legislatures around the country. www.sportsmenslink.org                                                               ~In Partnership with~ The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the shooting, hunting and firearms industry, whose purpose is to provide trusted leadership in addressing industry challenges and to deliver programs and services to meet the identified needs of their members. NSSF concentrates efforts on measurably advancing participation in and understanding of hunting and the shooting sports; reaffirming and strengthening their members' commitment to the safe and responsible use of their products, and promoting a political climate supportive of America's traditional firearms rights. www.nssf.org For over 30 years, SCI’s mission has been to protect and expand the freedom to hunt, instituting sustainable use conservation worldwide while protecting hunting heritage. To that end, SCI is involved at all levels of government – from state and local to national and international. SCI chapters in the U.S., with the assistance of the Government Affairs Department, get involved with state legislative and regulatory issues, with federal plans that affect management, conservation and hunting access on public lands, as well as national legislative issues. www.scifirstforhunters.org National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is the leading association representing the recreational boating industry. NMMA's nearly 1,700 member companies produce more than 80 percent of the boats, engines, trailers, accessories and gear used by boaters and anglers in North America. The association is dedicated to industry growth through programs in public policy, market research and data, product quality assurance and marketing communications, and provides leadership necessary to unite the industry in pursuit of its primary goal: To make boating the #1 choice in recreation. Visit NMMA.org for more information.   The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers represents the common interests of its members and provides a forum to enable them to advance public policies that meet consumer and societal needs for clean, safe, efficient, and affordable personal transportation. www.autoalliance.org  CSF also gratefully acknowledges the following for their contributions: American Sportfishing Association, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, InterMedia Outdoors, Fountain and Associates, Patrick O’Malley, Southwick and Associates        

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2013   SCI Takes Battle Over Polar Bear Imports to the U.S. Supreme Court   Washington, DC – Safari Club International (SCI) today filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court asking the Court to overturn the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2008 listing of the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.  After the listing of the species, private conservation funding generated through sustainable use hunting evaporated.  By filing this petition, SCI is seeking to rectify this bad public policy.   “The listing of the polar bear was not called for under the law or science,” said SCI President Craig Kauffman.  “The polar bear enjoys historically high population numbers and occupies its entire historic range.  Canada has the best and most scrutinized conservation program in the world for its polar bear populations.  The listing of the polar bear was based on speculative projections about the impact of climate change on its habitat.  The listing has done -- and will continue to do -- more harm than good.”   The listing led to a ban on the import of polar bear trophies from Canada by U.S. hunters.  Before the ban went into effect, U.S. hunters had been allowed to import polar bears harvested from six approved populations in Canada.  These imports generated almost $1,000,000 in fees that was used for polar bear research and conservation in the U.S. and Russia.  U.S. hunters also contributed millions of dollars annually to local communities and companies, further encouraging sound management of the species.  The listing of the polar bear has eliminated these sources of conservation dollars, to the detriment of the species.    SCI is joined in filing the petition by Conservation Force and the Congress of Racial Equality.  All three groups sued the FWS in 2008 over the listing of the polar bear.  The parties have been litigating the case in the District Court and U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia since that time.  Both of those courts upheld the listing of the polar bear.   SCI and the other parties argued to the Supreme Court that the listing was contrary to the ESA in several ways.  First, the FWS failed to establish that the polar bear meets the definition of a threatened species.  Second, the FWS failed to explain its conclusion that the bear qualifies as “threatened” despite the fact that the modeling on which the Service relied indicates that 6,000-8,000 bears will exist 45 years from now.  And third, the FWS failed to take in account Canada’s extremely successful conservation program, including sustainable use hunting, before listing the species.   This will mark the fourth time that SCI has ventured to the Supreme Court.  In one case, the Supreme Court cited SCI’s brief in its published opinion.  SCI has filed Supreme Court briefs in cases involving depictions of animal cruelty, the Second Amendment, and the sound management of roadless areas of federal land.   The Supreme Court likely will decide whether to review the polar bear case sometime in the fall.  While SCI and the other groups have made strong arguments for reviewing this case, the Court regularly receives around 10,000 petitions a year and grants fewer than 100.  The future of successful hunting-based conservation programs in Canada and the ability of U.S. hunters to contribute to those programs hang in the balance.    “All hunters and individuals concerned with the expansive overreach by the ESA should consider financially supporting SCI, as fights at the Supreme Court are costly and require considerable resources,” concluded Kauffman.   For those interested in making a financial contribution please send donations Attn: Litigation, Safari Club International, 501 2nd St, NE, Washington, DC 20002.   MEDIA CONTACT: Nelson Freeman; Nfreeman@safariclub.org   Safari Club International – First For Hunters is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and in promoting wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI’s has approximately 200 Chapters worldwide and its membership represents all 50 of the United States as well as 106 other countries. SCI’s proactive leadership empowers sportsmen to be contributing community members and participants in sound wildlife management and conservation. Visit the home page www.safariclub.org or call (520) 620-1220 for more information.   ###    Washington, District of Columbia • Ottawa, Canada • Tucson, Arizona www.safariclub.org

The name says it all! www.victorhunt.com

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 30th, 2013   Krieghoff International Teams With Hunters, Boy Scouts In Fundraiser Shoot    Washington, DC – Safari Club International Foundation (SCI Foundation) and the Boy Scouts of America Foundation (BSAF) will host their second annual sporting clays shoot on February 4, 2014 at 9:00 am.  This event precedes the kickoff of the 2014 Safari Club International Convention in Las Vegas, Nev. and all proceeds from the shoot benefit the programs of both SCI Foundation and BSAF.   “I am extremely thankful to be working again with the Boy Scouts for our 2014 Sporting Clays Fundraiser,” said SCI Foundation President Joe Hosmer. “Krieghoff International’s generous donation of a world-class K-80 Pro Sportermakes it that much more special for our second year. If you are a supporter of SCI Foundation’s mission of wildlife conservation or the Boy Scout’s mission of developing future leaders, then we know you’ll be with us on February 4th.”   A variety of celebrity sporting clays experts will be in attendance.  Participants will even have a chance to take pointers from Olympic bronze medalist Corey Cogdell.    “Both SCI Foundation and the Boy Scouts know that the future of hunting and shooting depends on developing the next generation of participants and at Krieghoff we have always had a passion of bringing more shooters into the field,” said Alex Diehl, Chief Operating Officer of Krieghoff. “When we were approached to sponsor the 2014 Sporting Clays fundraiser, not only did we want to field a team, we donated a top-tier sporting clays shotgun.”   As the lead sponsor for the 2014 shoot, Krieghoff International has donated a new Krieghoff K-80 Pro Sporterover/under, 12 gauge shotgun with 32-inch barrels.  A sweepstakes drawing for the gun will be one of the highlights of the Second Annual SCI Foundation & BSAF Sporting Clays Fundraiser. Every shooter who registers for the competition will receive one ticket to the drawing, with additional tickets available for $100 apiece. A maximum of 300 tickets will be sold, so register soon to secure your team for February 4th.   The Boy Scouts serve nearly three million youth annually through their leadership driven programs and award more than 200,000 shooting sports achievements yearly. SCI Foundation promotes wildlife conservation and education worldwide and has donated well over $50 million in support of its vital projects and programs since 2000.   Make your reservation to join SCI Foundation and BSAF for the Second Annual Clays Shoot by contacting Kimberly Byers at the SCI Foundation Headquarters at (520) 620-1220, ext. 322 or email to kbyers@safariclub.org   MEDIA CONTACT: Nelson Freeman; Nfreeman@safariclub.org   Like SCI Foundation on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SCIFOUNDATIONCONSERVATION Join SCI Foundation on Twitter: http://twitter.com/SCIFoundation Learn more today at http://FirstForWildlife.wordpress.com   Safari Club International Foundation (SCI Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that funds and manages worldwide programs dedicated to wildlife conservation, and outdoor education. Since 2000, SCIF has provided over $50 million to these causes around the world.   Visit the SCI Foundation’s website at www.safariclubfoundation.org for more information on how you can contribute to international conservation.  

Working to Keep a Heritage Relevant By ERIK ECKHOLM Published: September 25, 2010 HAMBURG, Pa. — To millions of Americans, autumn means not just N.F.L. games and the World Series but also the start of hunting season — a few months packed with chances to stalk deer, bear, ducks and doves with rifles, shotguns, bows and even black-powder muskets.  “Hunting is one of those sports where you can’t have too much stuff,” said Dan Gechtman, 46, one of many customers streaming into Cabela’s, a hunting and fishing megastore here, on a balmy afternoon. “This store is on steroids,” he said while trying on a camouflage suit that fluttered with artificial leaves and taking in the dazzling array of products, stuffed animal dioramas and a laser-shooting arcade. In some rural areas, hunting is still so universal that schools close on the opening day of deer season. President Obama, in a ritual White House act requested by sporting fans and manufacturers, proclaimed Saturday National Hunting and Fishing Day. But as the hunters revel in their preparations for their annual forays into the wild, hunting enthusiasts are gearing up to reverse the long-term dwindling of their ranks. As the nation becomes more urban and teenagers seek other recreation, the popularity of hunting is declining. The latest federal survey, in 2006, found that 12.5 million people hunt each year, down from 17 million in 1975. Other studies suggest that perhaps 18 million people hunt occasionally, but in any case, hunters represent a shrinking part of the population. The graying ranks and the impulses that have sustained stores like Cabela’s, even in the recession, are typified by Gerard Dick, 72, who has hunted since childhood and through a career as a high school science teacher. He owns plenty of weapons, he said, but on Thursday afternoon he was checking out a small rifle with a camouflage-covered stock. “I’ll use it on turkeys and groundhogs,” he said. The decline in hunters is a concern for state fish and game agencies, which are financed through licenses and excise taxes on sporting goods, as well as for pro-hunting conservation groups and advocates like the National Rifle Association. “We’re concerned that in the future we aren’t going to have adequate dollars to manage our wildlife resources,” said John E. Frampton, director of South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources and president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “We also want to preserve an important part of our heritage.” Mr. Frampton serves on a new federal advisory board intended “to help promote and preserve America’s hunting heritage for future generations,” in part by drawing in more youths and women. While declining interest and shrinking wildlife habitat may be the main threats to the pastime, hunting and gun groups are worried by the occasional efforts to restrict it, like the ban on mourning dove hunting in Michigan that was promoted by animal rights advocates. South Carolina is one of four states, along with Arizona, Arkansas and Tennessee, that will vote this fall on adding the right to hunt and fish to their constitutions. Ten states already have such provisions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. None of these long-term worries were on the mind of Victor Hakes, 53, as he wandered in Cabela’s on Thursday afternoon with his wife, Shawna, and their grandson after making a two-hour drive from northern Pennsylvania. Mr. Hakes, who builds custom trailers, bags deer and turkeys every year but has not yet shot a bear, “although I passed over two cubs,” he said. On this trip he was just buying boots, but his eyes shifted toward the gun racks. “I’ve got 10 rifles and shotguns, and she won’t let me buy any more,” he said, nudging his wife with a laugh. Their 3-year-old grandson, Aiden Jaeger, looked with wide eyes at a huge stuffed moose. “He’ll be a hunter and a fisherman,” Mr. Hakes said, expressing a hope that Aiden would buck the national trend and carry on a family tradition.    

I’ve spent the past two weekends in the thickest, nastiest, aspens I could find. Pushing through pines so dense that I couldn’t see an inch in front of my face. My elbows are scratched and stuck with tiny bits of thorns. My knee is swollen with a bruise the size of a baseball. It’s late September. When pain and ice packs mark the new season as much as that first trip to the cider mill. Most feather-chasers laugh when I say I’m hitting the northern Michigan woods for the grouse and woodcock openers. They tell me they don’t hunt until the leaves are down. The forest is too thick. The odds are stacked against hunters. They tell me they don’t waste the time. - See more at: http://www.uplandgameadventures.com/the-good-hurt/#sthash.DyRkRzt4.dpuf