This family-friendly four-day shoot has 3 dynamic ranges with woods, streams, and hills as terrain, which allows for creative and realistic target placements. This event continues to attract traditional archers and their families from as far away as Europe.
Three Ranges, more targets than ever
Novelty Shoots
Over 100 3-D Targets
Traditional Archery Dealers
The turkey woods become eerily quiet in the late season. By this time, most birds, including turkeys, have mated and are actively nesting. Unlike cardinals, where both males and females raise their young, mature toms are still looking to breed and are vulnerable to soft, seductive calls. Focus on these three tips presented by the folks from Informed Outdoors.
Most turkey bowhunters also hunt deer, so why not use the same tactics to fool turkeys as whitetails? Since turkeys often feed in agricultural fields and in oak flats, you may be able to use stands that are already in place. Ladder stands, like the one shown above, are ideal because they allow quick, silent access and have ample room for a comfortable seat. You may even call in a coyote or other predator that you can ambush without spooking a gobbler just over the ridge.
Be sure to take a few practice shots from an elevated position. If you don’t control your draw, you can easily shoot over a turkey, the same way you would a deer. This isn’t a concern for crossbow hunters, but practicing is still a good idea. Also, a tree stand for turkeys is just as dangerous as for deer. Make sure you wear your safety harness and follow all tree stand safety rules.
Gobbler decoys are very effective, especially for those with a real turkey fan. They are also very dangerous since you carry a replica that an excited hunter can easily mistake for the real thing. As you will see in the following video, Tim Wells uses a tree stand and decoy to bag a mature gobbler. If the bird strutting beside an arrow in the ground looks odd, Wells missed the headshot with the first arrow. The tom was so enraged by the decoy that it couldn’t resist returning for the fight. Like all Tim Wells videos, this one is amazing.
Ethan Fry and his father hunted elk in Colorado in 2018. They were crushed by snow and came home empty-handed but were thrilled with their father-son adventure. When a close friend’s father developed cancer, Fry decided life was too short to postpone another trip. He arranged a hunt in Northeastern Wyoming near the Devil’s Tower, and his quest for adventure began.
The Ohio duo reached camp the evening before the hunt and were treated to typical Western hospitality. They met with their guide, who explained that the ranch had few trees, so they hunted away from the roosts to keep turkeys in the area. Calling and fanning were the typical strategies employed once turkeys were located.
The first morning, father and son drove the ranch, stopping often to glass, much like hunting for mule deer or elk. They spotted a huge flock of about 50 birds, but the guide continued since working with such a large number of birds had a poor probability of success. “If we don’t locate lone toms, we’ll return and hope they have scattered,” their guide told them.
Not finding any lone toms or smaller groups, the Frys returned to the area of the big flock, but their initial attempts to lure them closer failed. The guide suggested making a wide circle and waiting at a pinch-point where the birds would pass between a meadow and a river. The trio arrived just in time to set up decoys and get hidden. The first birds to approach consisted of about 15 jakes that gobbled, yelped constantly, and eventually moved off. Ethan spotted four toms nearby, and the guide lured one into the decoys with a turkey fan.
Ethan knew not to budge until the gobbler was focused on the decoys. Once the mature bird began to strut, he drew his bow and launched a Grim Reaper three-blade Broadhead. The bird waddled about 15 yards and fell over dead. Since the bow kill was mostly silent, the three remaining toms were still nearby, and Ethan’s dad slipped into shotgun range and completed the double.
In 2010, I hunted with a crossbow for the first time. As luck would have it, a nice 8-point buck showed up at 8:00, and I thought I had made a great shot. However, I couldn’t remember how to cock the crossbow and didn’t want to trail the deer without an arrow on the string. Feeling both embarrassment and excitement, I hurried back to camp and implored the first person I met, “How do I cock this thing?” Back to the stand, I quickly found the deer and learned a lesson I’ll never forget.
I recently did a field test of the AXE 400. With a 200-pound draw weight, I wasn’t sure I could cock it with a rope, but I did so with some difficulty because of my 5’7″ stature. After the first cocking episode, I realized that the rope was about six inches too long which caused me to have to pull the string with my shoulder muscles rather than my upper leg strength. As a quick field fix, I hooked one side of the rope to the bowstring and roughly measured where the other would go if there were no slack. I tied a knot which shortened the string, and instantly, the bow was much easier to cock.
When I began testing Mathews’s crossbows like the Sub 1, I noticed that one cocking rope handle was red and wondered why? I quickly realized that “red means right,” and that helped me cock the bow with the hooks pointing up. Since that time, I have labeled the right handle of any cocking rope so that the hooks always point up the first time and cocking becomes quicker and easier.
Celebrate your outdoor mom with special gifts, and few places have more to offer than Cabela’s, whether it’s a brick-and-mortar store nearby or you enjoy the convenience of online shopping. Cabela’s makes shopping easier with special Mother’s Day suggestions. Here are seven we picked for “The Hunting Mom.”
The Wicked Ridge 370 is one of the planet’s lightest and easiest shooting bows. The Wicked Ridge brand is made in Ohio by the TenPoint Crossbow company and has several of their innovations at a friendlier price. This bow is not only easy to shoot, hunt, and have fun with, but is easy to cock. Look closely; you’ll see the crank handle nested in the stock. The ACUdraw cocking system is one of the easiest in the industry to use. She will love it but don’t ask to borrow it.
Moms want to look good, and the SHE Outdoor brand from Cabela checks all the boxes. They fit well, are decked out in True Timber camouflage pattern, and have reinforced knees and zippered legs for an easy fit over boots.
Cabela has a full line of women’s camouflage hunting clothes. With summer just around the corner, this short-sleeved t-shirt is ideal for outdoor events or looking cool.
Once you learn how much fun capturing nature can be on a cellular camera, you will want more than one. Although these were originally designed to capture the movements of whitetail deer, they also make great security cameras and are much less expensive than a formally installed system. Set one up by a bird bath and watch the feathered fun of capturing stills and videos. The whole family will enjoy checking their cameras each day.
Frozen venison keeps its flavor and nutrition but fades with time. Here’s a great recipe to treat your friends and family, use up your store of frozen game, and get you in the mood for the coming deer season—special thanks to the Moultrie folks for sharing.
Jeff Harrison is a craftsman and innovator. He’s shown below with one of his many P&Y bucks taken in the Maryland suburbs, thanks to his unique approach to finding and downing trophy deer. Harrison turned his garage into a woodworking shop a few years back and began custom crafting turkey call strikers. The results created overnight success, and he nearly made them full-time. Varying woods have different characteristics and are important to instruments, from guitars to violins to turkey calls. Oogle at Harrison’s great buck, and watch the YouTube video below. Especially in the late season, a custom striker can be a game-changer. T reach Jeff Harrison on his Facebook page, click Here
“Robin Hood’s” that is, shooting one arrow inside of another is a rush until you realize, “Dang, I just blew $40.” A better way to test the accuracy of a crossbow is to shoot multiple shots at different target spots or shoot one arrow and adjust the sight accordingly. I took the latter route with the new AXE 400, and the next image shows the wisdom of that decision. The arrow in the target is eight clicks below the previous shot and would have busted the nock had I not adjusted the scope for elevation. The ability to quickly zero the scope on the new AXE 400 and get such accuracy was impressive.
The AXE 400 comes as a kit that includes a speed-adjustable scope. Although it displays the AXE logo, the scope is made by Hawk, one of the best brands in crossbow optics. Aside from having shooting marks out to 100 yards and the ability to illuminate the reticle in red or green, the speed adjustability gives you the option of shooting heavier arrows for greater penetration. If you want to shoot a 200 or 250-grain broadhead, determine the speed of the arrow, adjust the speed setting on the scope, and your arrow will be spot on.
One size rarely fits all, but the stock of the AXE 400 adjusts easily for any size shooter. Do you have a youngster with short arms who wants to learn to shoot or an uncle built like a basketball player? No problem. With the push of a button, the stock adjusts to fit any person’s length of pull. Some shooters like the scope close to their eye, while others want it further away. The adjustable stock solves many sighting issues.
The AXE 400’s quiver is the best of any crossbow I’ve ever shot, regardless of price. The arrows fit snugly near the stock, where they are readily available and totally out of the way. I once hunted elk in thick timber. Heading out in darkness with my bow over my shoulder, as daylight arrived up the mountain, I realized I had lost two arrows. The AXE quiver not only stores arrows conveniently but is also easy to install.
The AXE 400 comes with standard vibration dampening devices that reduce noise upon release and help with vibration. Two string stops help reduce string twang, while the limb units keep the split limbs from acting like a tuning fork.
Idaho is one of the few states that allows wolf hunting. Idaho now supports a bounty of up to $2,000 per animal to kill wolves, permits year-round trapping on private land, and allows hunters and trappers to kill an unlimited number. Wolves may be smaller than grizzlies, yet they hunt in packs making them incredably lethal predators, and their cunning is legendary. You may find scat, tracks, and evidence of kills, yet you will rarely spot an animal. Most hunters in Idaho hate wolves, a testimony to the danger they present to big game populations.
Ohio resident Ethan Fry booked an elk hunt in Idaho last fall and the adventure began well. Fry spotted a black bear on the first day, but passed because he was four hours from camp and packing out the bear would have consumed precious elk hunting time. Besides, elk were bugling regularly and success seemed just a matter of time. He and his guide stalked a big 6X6 bull, but couldn’t get a shot.
Suddenly, the Idaho mountains went silent. For the next five days, not a single bugle was heard, despite hours on horseback and covering the same areas that once echoed with bugles. However, on the eve of the final day, bulls began to bugle and Fry had hopes of a last minute success. Sam, his guide, suggested that they head out early in darkness and climb the neighboring mountain. As daylight arrived, Sam thought he saw a black bear up the mountain ahead of him. “I think it’s a wolf,” said Fry. Either way, they needed to keep climbing.
A quarter mile up the mountain, Fry spotted the wolf again at 65 yards. Sam had a predator caller in his pocket and suggested they try to call the wolf. With the first blast from the predator call, the wolf turned and came to 35 yards. Another squawk and the black beast was at 20. Fry slowly drew his Matthews and unleashed a Grim Reaper 125-grain Micro Hadis broadhead, catching the wolf in the boiler room.
The Grim Reaper did it’s job.On impact, the wolf whirled and ran down the mountain through very thick brush. To find the arrow, the duo duplicated the shot and found the shaft covered in blood. The trail was not abundant because wolves like bears have thick fur and don’t bleed profusely. Patiently following the spore, Fry came upon the trophy of a lifetime. After a quick celebration, the duo packed the beast back to camp. Sam called the outfitter and everyone agreed that taking a wolf with a bow was impossible- But Fry did it.
The bear hunter returned to camp as white as a ghost and insisted on hunting a new stand the next evening. Normally a good spot, another hunter quickly opted for that area, but wanted to put his stand in a different tree. As darkness fell, the hunter heard sticks cracking ominously. Suddenly a huge black bear charged the old stand, growling and ripping bark from the empty tree. The hunter was so agast at this behavior, he couldn’t draw his bow but certainly understood why his buddy didn’t want to return.
Hunting gear for bears and whitetail deer hunting are very similar. Many bears are killed from tree stands using standard compounds or crossbows and the same braodheads as for deer. However, deer don’t climb trees and won’t kill you. Sitting in a stand deep in the woods or swamps waiting for a huge predator to visit as daylight fades will challenge your nerves. Once it’s too dark to shoot, you must climb down and walk out in the dark so as not to give away your presence. It’s spooky.
Assistant Editor, Zachary Willems, helped me set up the GleDel Bear and took a few practice shots from my deck. He has never hunted black bears (but wants to) and shot the bear much like a whitetail deer. The GlenDel Bear shows how far back the lungs of a bear extend and shooting one squarely on the shoulder is often ineffective due to a gristle plate developed from fighting other bears over eons of time.
Judging the size of a black bear is very difficult. Because the range is usually 15-20 yards, every bear looks big, especially to the inexperienced bear hunter. The legs are a good judging point. If the bear long, thin legs like a large German shepard dog, it’s definately an immature bear. However, if the bear seems to have short legs, like the GlenDel Bear, start picking a spot. This 3-D target simulates a 250-pound black bear, a shooter in most circles.
The GlenDel Bear comes in a large cardboard box and sets up in minutes. Drive the two pipes into the ground, slide the legs onto the main body and slide the feet over the pipes in the ground. Notice that the target core is replacable and can be oriented for the most likely shooting angle. By removing the two pegs, the target block can be replaced or rotated after repeated use.
There is no time like May in New York, especially in Chautauqua County, NY, where big fish are hungry, and big tom turkey’s fight with each other,
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA turkey purr behind his decoys across theChautauqua County is a great place to spend time in May. Pre-season lodging is ultra-low-cost, multiple mom-and-pop shop diners and restaurants ease the pain of cooking away from home, and the local wineries and brew houses provide relaxation for after-hours with outdoor friends.
With more than 1,500 square miles of wild nature paradise in Chautauqua County, finding the right flock of toms and hens is also a hunter choice. The search for scratchings and scat is a treasure hunt, but there are significant public hunting zones in the State Forests and Wildlife Management Unit areas of Chautauqua County that provide sightings and findings that every hunter can like. The Canadaway Creek Wildlife Management Area is a favorite public land parcel on an upland plateau offering 2,180 acres of abundant habitat managed in support of turkey, ruffed grouse, white-tailed deer, woodcock and more. There are multiple state forests and WMU lands to explore online. Additional information, outdoor equipment, trip suggestions and guided or self-guided tours may be obtained from outdoor guide and outfitting businesses. Consider hiring an outdoor guide if you need more experience or woodland skills. Visit the NYS Outdoor Guides Association for outdoor guide names and locations. The NYS spring turkey season runs May 1 – May 31, and hunting hours are 30 minutes before sunrise through 12 noon each day. NYS Turkey Rules: bag limit-2 bearded turkeys (limit of1 per day).
Fishing in Chautauqua County can offer unforgettable opportunities for trophy adventure. At Chautauqua Lake, more than 13,000 surface acres and over 42 miles of shoreline offer access to perfect sunrise and sunset moments. In between the daily light transition periods, spring crappie fishing is heating up with no closed season here. Giant white and black crappie schools gather now along weed bed edges and in boat canals all along the lake. A bobber and a minnow work well for crappie anglers here, but so do hollow 2-inch tube jig baits fished on a 1/32-ounce jig head under a weighted bobber.
Watch for the bobber to simply slip down under and set the hook. Fish time! William Wightman caught a 4
lb-1 oz. Black crappie in little-known nearby Lake Flavia in 2018, setting the NYS record. Last year, another
angler landed a 4.33-pound crappie from Chautauqua Lake, but that fish has yet to be officially recognized.
The point is, there are colossal crappie here. NYS Crappie rules: 10-inch minimum size, 25/day/angler.
The 2024 Yellow Perch fishery in Lake Erie has been on fire. Anglers use braided line and fluorocarbon
leaders to 2-dropper hooks above a ½ to 1-ounce sinker at the bottom of the line to present Emerald Shiner or
Fathead minnows as bait. The Lake Erie average perch runs 1 to 2 pounds each, with some fish nearing 3
pounds. With water temps in the 40s, the perch fish are schooling in 35 to 55 of water. The Sunset Bay area
is popular with anglers, but the perch are also in heavy schools, the same depth, near Barcelona Harbor in
Westfield and Chadwick Bay in Dunkirk. Lake Erie Yellow Perch rules: no minimum size,
50/day/angler.
If you married an outdoor gal or were raised by an outdoor mom, you are truly blessed. Women comprise one the fastest growing demographics in hunting and whether your lady embraces the outdoors or is just willing to put her toe in the water, an outdoor gift becomes the perfect motivator. Check out these great ideas and order quickly as Mom’s special day is just two weeks away.
If you value your gal, never suggest that she wear your hunting gear. Most women care about their appearance, and it won’t matter if your clothing makes her invisible, she won’t be happy unless it looks good to her taste. Fortunately, SKRE and other manufacturers make clothing tailored to the female figure. SKRE offers a women’s line in Morino wool which is one of the best looking and highest performing fabrics in nature. It’s soft, wicks moisture, and insulates. Each garment is guaranteed for life and comes with a postage-paid exchange tag. If you need a larger or smaller size, return the garment and they’ll ship the perfect fit. Click HERE for full details.
Maven Binoculars offer the unique opportunity to have a special product customized with a name or expression. How about gifting quality optics inscribed with, “To the Love of My Life who Always Looks Terrific.” Maven optics are sold online and shipped from Wyoming, so these optics are no knock-off. They also offer rangefinders, spotting scopes and binoculars in a variety of sizes. This will become an heirloom, not just a gift. MAVEN
Sitting in a blind or next to a campfire is much more comfortable with the proper chair. Traditional camp chairs are noisy, make shooting difficult and become uncomfortable over time. The Alps Stealth Hunter Deluxe chair folds for easy carry, is very comfortable, and swivels silently so no big tom or buck will sneak up behind you and not be seen. Aside from this comfortable chair, Alps Outdoorz offers a full line of hunting and camping gear. ALPS
Red roses are a popular Mother’s Day gift, yet this shiny red box will really light up your outdoor mom. The AXE 400 assembles with just one bolt, has a crank cocking device and launches at 400 fps, enough speed for any North American big game animal. It’s compact enough for easy transport so she and her brood can have lots of fun shooting over the summer. Don’t forget the Carbon Express Pile Driver arrows and a few Muzzy Trocars to tune up for fall. This is one package everyone will enjoy. AXE
New Jersey’s opening day of spring turkey season was a great one for bowhunter Will Jimeno. He went out with bow in hand and arrows tipped off with Grim Reaper Whitetail Special broadheads in pursuit of a longbeard to start the season.
As light began to break, several longbeards thundered in the distance. The gobblers were distant, but Jimeno believed he could lure one close to his blind if he remained patient. A gobbler responded to his calls and gradually began approaching. Calling, gobbling, calling, gobbling, the back-and-forth continued for nearly an hour until the big tom strutted within range. The gobbler was at 8 yards when Will released his arrow and hit the gobbler broadside in full strut! It went a meager 9 yards as the Grim Reaper Whitetail Special did its job and Will smiled and thought, “Wacth’em Drop!” which the gobbler did very quickly.
It was 7am and Will had his first spring gobbler of the season, a huge smile, and a sense of accomplishment, a successful feeling that bow hunting gives those who pursue this special obsession. Congratulations, Will, and thank you for sharing your terrific success.
Food plots can be expensive and time consuming, even with larger farm equipment. In previous years, we planted a four-acre field in corn and clover, but it didn’t seem to attract deer. For the past five years, the field had grown in weeds and small trees. Then, the Maryland DNR proposed that we plant it in trees as part of the Heathy Forests Healthy Waters (HFHW) Program.
Our agreement with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay included clearing the field that had some trees nearly 20 feet tall. Our hunt club agreed to keep the trees for at least 15 years with no restrictive easement necessary. After the third growing season we will take responsibility for mowing the plot and taking care of the trees until they become established.
We are excited to save the planet by planing trees, but also don’t mind if they are apple, persimmon (aka deer candy), and a variety of oaks. Tackling a project like this can seem daunting, but the secret is to rent equipment. Owning tractors and farm equipment requires maintenance and will be expensive over time. Instead, rent the gear you need, and you can probably knock out the whole project in a single day.
If these rows to trees look wider than normal, you are correct. We own the blue tractor shown above and specifically asked that trees be planted so that we can mow and maintain the plot with that equipment. We won’t actually have to do any work until 2027 when we hope the trees will be above the protective sleeves and well on their way to mast production.
Since the Mid-Atlantic states drain into the Chesapeake Bay, your club or group can probably use this exact plan if you live within these boundaries. Bowhunting.Net is a national site and we encourage you to explore a similar program in your area. One of the best things anyone can do for wildlife, the planet, and nature in general is to plant a tree. There are programs that will actually pay you to plant trees, so this can be a capital gains project if you don’t mind the paperwork. All the contact information you need is in the image above and we encourage you to explore its possibilities.
Wayne Carlton was a terrific hunter, game caller, and friend. Once we were elk hunting in Colorado when we came upon a grandfather and his grandson watching a deep ravine. I noticed that the senior had several Carlton calls dangling on his chest and asked if he liked them. “I love them,” was his instant reply. “Well sir, meet Wayne Carlton” and the two shook hands while exchanging looks of genuine excitement. “I’d rather meet you than kill a bull elk,” the gentleman said enthusiastically. We thanked him for his time and moved on.
Wayne Carlton is credited with using diaphragm callers to make bugles and cow call sounds. Previously, calling an elk meant bugling with a tube that met with very mixed degrees of success. By using a diaphragm caller as used for mimicking wild turkey sounds, Carlton proved that bulls could be lured into range. He became equally successful with his estrous cow calls, that revolutionized elk calling. Carlton excelled at calling bears, coyotes, and turkeys and Native by Carlton carries on this tradition.
The first sound I heard from this well-crafted device made turkey music. The box came fully chalked which meant that a human tested it to be sure it made the perfect pitch. A multi-year supply of soft chalk was included, a nice perk because that old-school soft chalk is difficult to find. The box “calls” on each side and will make an excellent gobble sound if you place a rubber band one quarter way down the box.
The tom taken above is my largest ever with a bow- 22.5 pounds and it fell because of where I aimed. This video finally makes aiming at and killing a turkey much easier. Don’t guess where to aim on a strutting turkey- look for the shiny bullseye. It worked for me and can for you too.
Tents and adventure hunting go hand-in-hand, so why not use one for spring turkeys? I was fortunate enough to join a spring turkey camp with Will Marquardr, owner of Davis Tent and Awning Company, a firm that specializes in the manufacture of heavy-duty outdoor tents, like the kind elk hunters dream of. Davis canvas tents are handmade and provide the ultra-mobile hunting camp-No trailer hitch or license tag required.
Each spring a group of hunting industry folks meet in South Dakota for a turkey hunt. This spring we were exploring new ground and the Davis Tent guys, pitched in, pun intended, and offered to bring one of their spacious tents. In previous years, we have rented cabins, used camping trailers, and even motel rooms. Drive time is the downside of these accommodations and using a tent proved to put us within minutes of the hunt. We often heard birds gobbling from camp and saw them crossing roads nearby which was the secret to my 20-pound tom.
Elk and deer camps are notorious for comradery. When a group of outdoor minded folks get together, fun-things happen and create an enjoyable experience regardless of the weather. During our week on the Great Plains, we had rain, temperatures near freezing and winds to 50 mph, yet our canvas home served as the hunting hub where we had bacon and eggs every morning and walleye and turkey nuggets that were to die for.
Most deer places have wild turkeys and a spring season. Whether it’s Florida, Texas, Colorado, or the Great Planes, the same public lands that hold trophy deer also have huntable populations of wild turkeys. As mentioned, this was new territory for our group, and I found some great deer locations with blazed trees four inches in diameter and scrapes the size of the kitchen table. When I return this fall, I’ll be heading for these newly found hot spots with great anticipation.
Western big game hunting is expensive while turkey hunting west of the Mississippi is a relative bargain. Many western ranches allow turkey hunters access or charge a modest trespass fee. The mountain West has huge expanses of National Forests, BLM, and National Grasslands that are open to hunting and many have established campgrounds with restroom facilities that make tent camping more accommodating. Contact your chosen state’s wildlife biologists and ask about abundant turkey populations. They can advise you on location and licensing information.
I had just climbed down into the “shooters” stand and helped my partner into the “camera” stand, attached my Lumenok ended Black Eagle Arrow tipped with a Grim Reaper Broadhead to my bowstring, hung my setup on my Morph Pro bow hanger and sat for the wait. Well, I didn’t have to wait very long, two minutes to be exact. Then on the ATV trail steps out “BIG BEN”! I could clearly see why the guides named this bear BIG BEN… he was like a Volkswagen beetle walking down the trail, and I could see him from 90 yards plain as day and immediately knew it was my “target” bear everyone was talking about, all 600 Lbs. of him! I looked up at my partner and said with excitement and a quiver in my voice “that’s Ben”! Now Ben is the biggest black bear I’ve seen let alone get the chance to arrow him in my 32 years of black bear hunting! As a rule, I’m cool as a cucumber until after I make the shot, then I lose my composure, if you’ve ever seen me on BearMagnet TV before and after I arrow a bear, you’ll know what I mean! As Ben gets closer to the entrance of the bait site, I have to look away because the excitement is building within my body and I feel like I’m losing my composure, and doesn’t Ben walk into the bait site and walk directly to the base of our tree, looks up through the mesh steel base of my True North Tree stand to say “ I know you’re there” so to speak, then turns and casually saunters back towards the bait barrel with that BIG BEAR swagger, and if you’ve seen BIG bears you know what I mean by swagger.
As Ben swaggers to behind the bait barrel and sits down to catch his breath, or should I say, “last breath”, I draw my PSE Dream Season. As Ben decides to remain seated which seemed like an eternity, as I’m drawing 68 Lbs and still holding at full draw. He finally decides to make his move, takes two steps, and still on all fours stretches out under the beaver cross pole as if he was smelling that sweet beaver scent. I place my single pin PSE Slider bow sight on the mark and touch off my Cobra release, sending my Grim Reaper Fatal Steel broadhead directly through the boiler room and stuck 6” into the ground on the exit! Ben didn’t waste any time getting out of there although only went 30 yards, death moan, it was over! I had just arrowed my biggest bear ever, with BIG Ben weighing in at 603 Lbs and my first B&C black bear in 32 years scoring in at 21 4/16”. Special thanks goes out to Brian Kitzan, Master Guide and Host of Burnt Lake Outfitters Alberta, Canada for putting me on this gorgeous and once in a lifetime bear! If you’d like to watch me arrow this HUGE bruin, tune into BearMagnet TV YouTube channel, it’s quite entertaining.
I’d like to take a moment to tell you a little about myself prior to getting into this amazing story. My name is Dale Boyer, I’m an avid hunter and bowhunter of 35 years. I’ve been both lucky and blessed by having the opportunity to have bow hunted almost every big game species in North America, although my passion is black bear hunting. In 2015 I made the decision to take my passion of the outdoors and black bear hunting into over 45 million homes in North America, yes, I put together a team of individuals like me with the same drive and passion for black bear hunting, thus BearMagnet TV was born. BearMagnet TV is a 100% archery, 100% black bear, high energy hunting TV show. Now in Season 5 and airing on three (3) established networks, with a viewership base of over 265,000, it’s full steam ahead! As the Executive Producer, In-Field and Studio Director, my hands are full. If it wasn’t for my team of hardworking individuals at BadBear Productions Inc. taking care of social media, scheduling, promotions, sponsorship negotiations, research & development, and Prostaff that all spend countless hours to put just one (1) episode together for your enjoyment, BearMagnet TV wouldn’t be possible. Now that you know a little about me… on with my story.
As mentioned, I’ve hunted almost every species in North America with black bear being my favorite, there’s just something I get from black bear hunting that I don’t get from hunting any other species. Maybe it’s the thrill and excitement to hunt an animal that can do physical harm to you, possibly cause death, or is it the majestic black bear itself, king of the woods as I call them. They can be as stealthy as a slithering snake and lurk in the shadows or be as loud as an elephant running through a jungle, you’ll not see one unless they want to be seen. Ok, my story starts out by leaving my home in Eastern Ontario for my 2017 Spring BearMagnet TV filming tour. Headed West, first stop… Burnt Lake Outfitters with Master Guide Brian Kitzan in Alberta, Canada. This amazing bear camp is a mere 41.5 driving hours from my home. With many stops to refuel, and an overnight stay including picking up my then filming and hunting partner at the Winnipeg International Airport after the first leg of my trip which took approximately 24 hours and with another 16.5 hours to go prior to reaching my destination at Burnt Lake Outfitters Alberta, Canada.
Pulling into camp around 2:30 PM, arriving on time and as scheduled I was looking forward to a relaxing afternoon of unpacking, shooting my bow, checking the camera gear and maybe enjoy a relaxing beverage, but NOPE, Brian Kitzan had other plans for us… He met us and welcomed us with open arms and a firm handshake and in his next breath was “Lets go”! He was taking us in for our first hunt!!! He said there’s some big bears on camera and he doesn’t want us to miss an opportunity if one presented itself. Completely exhausted from the long 41.5-hour road trip, we quickly unpacked, geared up, shot our bows, and departed for our first night in the Alberta BIG bear woods with our knowledgeable guide and workhorse Kevin, truck loaded with bait and an ATV we headed out. The back roads we traveled were made for and by oil companies to access oil well locations and pump stations, although gravel these roads resembled highways. Approximately 1 hour from base camp by truck, then unloaded the ATV to go another 1000 – 1500 yards off the beaten path to the hunt site. Stands were setup perfectly and as requested, I’m thinking to myself, these guys got it! We went about our normal routine… getting into the stand and setup while the guide would rebait and do what guides normally do in setting up or refreshing a bait site, its now “go time”!
As always, I give my hunting and filming partner the first opportunity to be the hunter, or in this case huntress. Sitting for the evening, or should I say night because we were so far North legal light ended at 11:15PM. Unfortunately, we did not see a “shooter bear” in our first outing, it gave us the opportunity to get the bugs out from setting up and film what we call in the industry “B-roll” footage. Our assigned guide Kevin returned and escorted us out of the woods, not that I’m a scaredy cat to walk out alone, its policy for Alberta Bear Outfitters to ensure their hunters are safe, besides, I and all BearMagnet TV Prostaff carry Defense Aerosols BearGuard bear spray in which I trust 100%, we don’t carry guns. Arriving back at bear camp around midnight we’re welcomed by a pre-warmed outfitter tent and a delicious home cooked meal! After out post-hunt meal we had the choice to sit around a campfire or slide into a makeshift “old school” hot tub. It’s a hole dug by hand (guides hands), with a tarp doubled and laid in, then filled with creek water, and heated by a copper line coiled through the campfire and a small pump drawing water through the coil and back into the hot tub, quite ingenious I must say!
Went pretty much the same as day one, back on our regular routine spending mornings and early afternoon gathering B-roll footage, then in for an evening hunt. Again, not seeing what we consider “shooter bears”, because after 32 years of being a hardcore bear hunter you get very selective in what bear you’re willing to take.
