May your table be stuffed with turkey and all of the trimmings!!  Please Remember to say Thank You to all of our troops overseas and all of our firefighter and police officers protecting our nation and communities.

We at Team HuntingLife are thankful for all of you for reading our site and participating with your generous comments!

Thank you to all of our Team Members and Hunting Buddies!!!

My brother, Josh, has been hunting for 8 years. He has harvested many deer and turkeys in his time of hunting. He has killed numerous button bucks and does, but has not gotten successful to take a mature buck. But little did he know his luck was about to change.....

Josh decided to go hunting behind our grandparents house. He packed his gear and got in the truck. He decided to sit next to a thicket and a creek, not far from where I shot my first buck in 2005. He settled into his climbing tree stand around 2:30 and waited patiently. Little did he know, he wouldn’t have to wait long.   

Off in the distance  he heard leaves crunching. Out of the thicket appeared a deer. As the deer  got closer, he realized that it was a buck . He began to get BUCK FEVER!!! His breathing picked up and his heart felt like it was going to come out his chest!! He tried to calm down as he watched the buck through the scope. The buck, while eating acorns, quartered away from Josh, giving him a good shot angle. He took aim and squeezed the trigger, and white smoke filled the air. As the smoke cleared, he watched him walk about 20 yards and laid down, within seconds, (as Ted Nugent would say) “ He was back straps in the freezer, LONG LIVE THE BEAST!!! THE BEAST IS DEAD”!!!!

He called Mom from his cell phone, to tell her the great news, but he was breathing so hard and talking so fast that she thought something was wrong. It took a minute to calm him down so she could understand him. Then she heard him say “ I did it, I did it!! I got a buck!!” So mom hurried to grandmas to get the camera and the deer cart and she went to help him get the deer out of the woods!! He called Dad at work to tell him too.  

I was in the movies when my cellphone vibrated and saw that it was my mom.  As soon as I got out the movies, I called my mom back and found out the good news. I was very happy for him, because he has been waiting a long time, and 8 YEARS is a long, long time.

Congratulations Josh, Nice Buck

Taylor Rather

Would you like the chance to hunt moose in southwest Alaska in 2009?  How about a new Kimber rifle topped with a Leupold scope?  What if we threw in a sweet set of hunting outerwear from Sitka Gear and some base layers from Polartec? 

Would you believe there is a promotion going on right now that will offer you the chance to take home ALL of those items?  Combined retail value is about $12,000!

Seriously, this might be one of the greatest promotions going right now.  And it’s all for a tremendous cause. 
The Bristol Bay region in Alaska is truly a sportsperson’s paradise.  Anglers and hunters from across the globe travel there to partake in the bounty of the world’s largest runs of wild salmon, trophy rainbow trout, herds of caribou, brown bears, and monster moose.  There’s a threat facing this region and sportsmen and women are coming to the defense of one of the world’s top hunting and angling destinations.

One way to help the cause is to make a donation to the Sportsman's Alliance for Alaska to help educate and mobilize anglers and hunters in this important campaign.  For a suggested donation of $50, you will be entered in the drawing for:

•     A 10-day moose hunt for 1 hunter with Alaska Wilderness Trips, Inc.;
•     A Kimber 84M or 8400 Montana rifle in your choice of caliber;
•     A Leupold VX-II 3-9x 40mm scope;
•     A 90% Jacket and Ascent Pant from Sitka Gear; and
•     The Polartec base layer set

The companies supporting this donation should be recognized for their commitment to conservation of our hunting heritage and wild places.

Only 500 eligible donations will be accepted on this promotion, and there is a maximum of 4 entries per person for the drawing.  With odds like that, a modest donation toward a great cause could have you packing your bags for Alaska in the fall of 2009 with some new gear in tow.

Manitoba!!!!!

What can I say it is one of those places that fills my head with pictures of absolutely monster bucks!  I get excited just thinking about heading north.  I know about these bucks because I have seen them.  I have studied picture after picture of dark horns, tons of mass and seen every size from 115 to 190 plus.  I know Manitoba holds big bucks that die of old age up there and that leads to some of the finest opportunities in the world for big whitetails.

What an amazing trip it was.  Getting to spend quality hunting time with my hunting buddy Dennis Brauchle, getting to spend time with Harry, Jim, Ryan and Angie in camp and getting to meet and hang out with 5 other hunters who live and breath the same passions as I do about conservation and great hunting.

On to the story….

4:00am comes really early considering I just got off the plane from New York just a scant 3 hours ago. Brushing off the cobwebs and lingering annoyance of 4 layovers, a smile comes across my face realizing that it is finally here. Rifle season in Virginia has arrived. A quick shower, slug of coffee and I’m on the road to meet my buddy Jason Flora for a hunt at my property at Brush Creek.

Opening the gate to the property I noticed the wind for the first time. I don’t mean a slight breeze I mean full on 20-30mph gusts and oddly enough for a November morning it was hot. A quick check of the camp thermomenter confirms it. 58 degrees. Not particularly great conditions for a hunt but who cares its rifle season and if the wind and heat keeps them bedded surely the hoards of pumpkinheads will have them moving soon enough.

I decide to hunt across the creek overlooking a 30 acre section of cutover. This stand has been productive in the past and if the hunt club down the road does any drives they usually push deer through this part of my property. A couple seasons ago I was sitting on the other side of the creek and heard the hunt club guys start a drive and within 20 minutes I was staring at a 7 point albino directly under the stand I am sitting in now. As the morning wore on and without seeing anything my back was starting to kill me from the flight so at 10:00am I decided to get up and do a slow quite push towards Jason’s stand in the hope of pushing something to him. The tactic worked last year and Jason shot a nice 7 point. No such luck this time but I did find a number of scrapes and trails around the creek bottom that could be promising.

We were very excited!!! My Dad, My Brother and I were going up to Amherst, Va. to hunt with our good friend Dennis Campbell. Dennis told us we were going to be staying in a log cabin. It was very pretty. Dennis said the cabin was over 120 years old.

It was like living in the old days. It did have electricity, no running water and with only a fireplace for heat. The bathroom was an outhouse. It was very cold outside!!!!

Later that night, we had Chicken casserole for dinner. Dennis can cook very well. After eating dinner, we all sat around the chimney and listened to Dennis tell stories. We soon realized after getting interested in Dennis’ stories, that it was very late. We headed for bed, because we knew we had to get up at 5:00 in the morning.  

Morning came very quick!!  We all got up and got ready. Then realizing I had left my hunting boots at home, I made due with my camo shoes. We went down stairs and ate breakfast and headed out the door.   

 We rode the 4-wheeler up to our blinds and settled down. While getting our box blind settled, two little yearlings walked out under the persimmon tree’s and I nudged my dad to stop moving, so they wouldn’t spot us. That ended up being the only animals we saw that morning. But we had several gobblers gobbling on the ridge above us. It sounded like spring gobbler season.

We left the blind to grab some lunch. After we ate lunch we rode to a private farm and took in the beauty of the scenery. My dad saw a deer walking on a ridge. We watched as she was being followed by two older doe’s. My brother took aim and shot the last doe. He made a very good 75 yard shot. It was a very big doe!!  She weighed 120 pounds and was very fat!!. Dennis said she was about 4 years old.  

 After hanging her up at the cabin, we made our way to our evening stands. We did not see anything but squirrels and one cute little chipmunk!! But we all had fun and the mountains were beautiful.     

We will be looking forward to our next hunting adventure with Dennis at the old cabin.

It was an unseasonably  warm and rainy November 6th. I had been hitting the books hard for the upcoming final exam in my continuing quest for education, but still a part of my brain wandered toward the ongoing bow season. The rut appeared to be very late this year and little chasing had been observed by myself or my hunting partners to date. I had first spotted a large, wide 8 point buck in late August,  had regularly encountered him, and I had mistakenly assumed I had his pattern down.

The last time I saw him was October 13th, two days prior to the New York bow opener. After that, he just disappeared into thin air. Never one to over pressure an area, I had hunted and scouted sparingly over the past three weeks, but he was nowhere to be found. I naturally assumed the worst and pictured him gracing another hunter’s trophy room.

As the afternoon progressed I looked from my class notes to the warm rain falling outside, and back to my notes, and back outside.... My brain had begun to fry!

I figured the heat would keep deer movement to a minimum, but decided to try  another attempt for the “big 8", as I affectionately had named him.

Sweat poured from me as I scaled the steep rocky cliff that this buck had called home for most of the late summer. I “pumped” 20 feet up a tree with my summit climber and settled in for the remainder of the afternoon. I was in front of a nearly vertical chute that deer used as access to the fields beyond me. No matter how high in a tree I was, at some point I would be eye level with any approaching deer, so lack of movement is critical in this stand.

At  4:00 pm , with a gentle warm rain falling on me, I heard a branch break. Immediately on high alert, I assumed the bow raised, ready to draw position. That’ s when I spotted the “big 8" headed down the trail to me at about 50 yards, and that’s where he stayed for the next 30 minutes. I was pinned down and unable to move, yet I still needed him to come 30 yards further down the trail before I could get a clear shot.

He finally headed down my way, but light was fading fast with the heavy, wet sky above me. All this time I hadn’t moved a muscle, and I was soaked inside and out despite my high tech rain gear. As the deer moved along  in our little game of beat the clock, macho buck decided to  stop and shred a tree with his  magnificent antlers.

I enjoyed the show, but my bow sight pins were fading fast in the dwindling light. Finally he stepped in to my shooting lane with seconds to go. My broadhead  took out the top of his heart and he fell after a mere 20 yard dash.

It was hard to get pictures in the dark and rain, and butchering couldn’t be put off for AM photos due to the extreme heat. It just goes to show, any day of hunting can be the special day. The suburbs of New York City grow some mighty fine bucks. Now, if I can just find where the 150 class ten has gone!

MISSOULA, Mont.—Arkansas elk are helping secure the future of a national treasure.

A new documentary film about America’s first national river, the Buffalo River in northwest Arkansas, celebrates the area’s restored elk herd—a conservation and economic success tied to major support from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

“The Buffalo Flows” by Emmy winning filmmaker Larry Foley will be screened Nov. 20 at the University of Arkansas. The film airs in February on the Arkansas Educational Television Network. It is one of many programs to be presented in 2009 in conjunction with the nationally anticipated PBS series, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.”

Foley said, “I knew I was going to produce a documentary film about the Buffalo River. I also knew from the beginning that I wanted to include the story of the elk, including the successful elk restoration program. However, when I discovered how well the elk are doing, the story expanded in scope.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — North America's top wildlife and folk artists will vie for prestigious titles and thousands of dollars in awards and prizes during the National Wild Turkey Federation's (NWTF) 33rd annual National Convention and Sport Show.

Held Feb. 19 to Feb. 22, 2009, at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn., the convention will feature taxidermy, callmaking and photography contests that welcome both novice and experienced artisans to showcase their skills.

During the convention – themed "The Year of the Volunteer" – the NWTF will present awards to its top volunteers and chapters to recognize their great accomplishments as well.

Convention-goers also can enjoy performances by country music entertainers Blake Shelton, Rhett Akins, Daryle Singletary, Andy Griggs and singer and comedian Paul Harris, plus 10 calling contests, live and silent auctions offering everything from art prints to fine furs to once-in-a-lifetime hunting trips, a four-acre exhibit hall with more than 545 exhibitor booths and even a few surprises.

WASHINGTON - As the Bureau of Land Management advances plans to lease important fish and wildlife habitat in Wyoming, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and others have responded with protests amidst concerns that energy development as proposed could negatively affect sporting opportunities in areas that include Little Mountain, a popular outdoor destination. The TRCP action comprises more than 210,000 acres of the nearly 250,000 acres offered in the Dec. 2 sale.

Approximately 18,000 acres of the Little Mountain region are slated for lease to the energy industry in the December 2008 sale and are included in the TRCP protest. In July, the TRCP protested BLM plans to allow energy development on more than 6,700 acres on and around Little Mountain. Despite widespread criticism, these leases were sold at auction on Aug. 5, 2008.

Located east of Flaming Gorge Reservoir in southwest Wyoming, the Little Mountain region supports abundant and diverse game populations and fisheries, unique opportunities for both resident and out-of-state sportsmen and a growing tourism industry. The region is the recipient of more than $2 million in habitat restoration projects funded by federal and state agencies, including the BLM and Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and conservation groups.