I had been an active member of Safari Club International (SCI) and a participant of the World Hunting awards program (WHA) since 2002. One of the goals I had set out to accomplish was the Grand Slam of Whitetails of the World. Not a lofty goal, a hunter will have had to travel across the United States and collect 5 different sub-species of whitetail deer. All of these sub-species are remarkably different from one another in hunting tactics to be used, habitat they survive in and body/antler size. What it really forces a hunter to do is to adjust and learn, to experience new ideas and concepts in order to have any chance of success.

I had taken 4 different sub-species of whitetails. I have harvested a couple of Texas whitetail in central Texas, a Midwest whitetail in Iowa and Nebraska, a Northwest whitetail in Alberta Canada and in my home state of Wyoming and lastly a Northeastern whitetail in the beautiful state of Michigan. I made the decision for my last whitetail to be a Southeastern whitetail and to hunt with a good friend, Kevin Paulson in the history rich state of Virginia.

I made sure to absorb in as much information as I could as Kevin and I had spent quite a bit of time on the phone discussing what concepts would be successful and what size deer to be looking to harvest. The date arrived where Hally and I boarded a plane in Denver CO in route to Washington DC to met by Kevin and he would transport us to the area we would be hunting for the next 3 days. I knew the potential of the hunt and was looking forward to meeting Kevin and seeing some new country.

Every day as a part of my job I get a chance to talk to people that I consider real heroes.  Some of them are amazing veterans who put thier life on the line for our country and some of those are folks who are battling for conservation and habitat and some of those are working to protect our youth and teach them the traditions that we all have for the outdoors.

At the RMEF Convention I had the opportunity to meet Harold Hurst and I knew in my heart that this man was a hero.  He told me about his company Stedi-Stock and I fell in love with his product.  As well he told me how he keeps all of the production in the USA because he was a veteran himself in Vietnam.  After several conversations we had the opportunity to work together with an advertisement for HuntingLife.com.  We had lots of conservations and I got to know a little bit about Harold and the more I got to know, the more I liked.

Harold had the opportunity this year to go on a hunt with Jim Zumbo and some disabled veterans in Alaska for bear and wrote a fantastic story about the expereince of getting to hunt with these heroes who gave up a part of thier body for our country in thier service for this great country of ours.

Harold goes to a lot of shows across this country and walking down an aisle one day he had the chance to meet Wes Higgins and Cody Hirt from Veterans Outdoors.  They were holding a raffle for a Critter Getter Jeep to raise money to take wounded veterans out hunting for thier television show.  Tickets were a $100.00 and Harold did not think twice and opened up his wallet and whipped out a fresh bill and walked away pleased that his investment was going to help some American Veterans.  Now Harold leaves an amazing impression on all who meet him and Cody, Wes, and Brad certainly knew they were dealing with a pretty great person and they were excited to be able to use some of Harold's product the Stedi-Stock to film with and give to the veterans.

Well that is certainly not the end of the story.

At the end of thier fishing tournament in San Leon these guys were pretty excited when they got to pull the ticket for the Critter Gitter Jeep Giveaway.  They pulled out Harold Hurst's ticket and smiled ina  knowing way that Harold certainly was a disserving winner of this great hopped up jeep.  They hatched a plan and since they were headed to South Dakota for a Wounded Veterans hunt the next week they called up Harold and asked him if they could stop by to pick up some product to take with them on this hunt.  Harold agreed but said he had to hunt and would not be back until Sunday night so they agreed to meet after dark.

The guys were pretty excited and they trailered up the Critter Gitter and towed it out to Harolds home that Sunday night with the VO truck.  They met up with Harold and discussed the Stedi-Stocks and introduced Harold to Pat who was a US Army Helicopter Pilot who was shot down and crashed in Iraq and was going on the hunt with the crew.  They then asked Harold what he thought of the jeep.  He said he liked it and had even bought a raffle ticket for the jeep and assumed they were delivering it the lucky winner.

They handed the keys over to Harold and told him he was the winner.  Harold was speechless and they filmed his great expressions and the many Thank You's.  He got in it and drove it around the block a few times and he then told them he needed to confer with his lovely wife Deb and partner because Harold wanted to donate this jeep back to Veteran Outdoors to continue to raise money for the projects they were working on.  Of course Deb agreed immediately because that is just the kind of people the Hurst's are.

Cody told me in an email, " His selfless acts still continue to this day as he turned the tides on all of us by refusing the jeep and instead gave it back to Hunts For Heroes to raffle again so that we’re able to continue helping his brother’s in arms.  There wasn’t a dry eye around…this was a complete surprise and shock to all of us! 
 
Harold and his wife Deb have helped out more people than they will ever know with this act of kindness…their generosity will enable Hunts For Heroes’ Veteran Outdoors to continue to provide a platform for our country’s heroes to tell their stories in their own words and will allow us to continue taking these deserving veterans on adventures."

My hats off to all of these great individuals... Harold Hurst, Wes Higgins, Cody Hirt and Brad and Pat...They are all heroes in my book along with the soldiers and veterans who have served our great military for 100's of years and continue each and every day in our country and in lands far far away.  I am honored for the opportunity to tell this great story, I am honored to have gotten to talk with Cody and I am honored to know Harold and Deb Hurst.  Harold you are a great man and your actions make a difference, I am proud to know you and YOU INSPIRE ME!!! -

Please go out and support these great people and thier organizations for helping to take Veterans Outdoors:

http://www.stedistock.com

http://www.veteranoutdoors.com/abouttheshow.html

http://www.veteranoutdoors.com/H4HRemodel/AboutHuntsforHeros.pdf

http://www.crittergitters.net/

Delaware, Ohio - December 16, 2009 - Ohio's Delaware and Franklin counties are home to the nation's newest chapter of Pheasants Forever (PF). The group, named the Central Ohio Chapter of PF, becomes the state's 30th PF chapter and the first to service the Columbus area. Chapter leaders plan to focus their efforts on connecting area youngsters to the outdoors and America's hunting heritage.
 
"The leaders of this chapter are committed to preserving our outdoor traditions for future generations," explained Rob Williams, the new chapter's president and Powell resident. "By starting this chapter, we hope we can all take the time to give something back that will benefit our children and beyond. We are dedicated to maintaining and nurturing Central Ohio’s outdoor legacy through conservation and youth education."
 
The chapter plans to hold a fundraising banquet this spring. With funds from that banquet, the chapter will design an outdoors event for area youth. PF and its quail division, Quail Forever (QF), are the only national conservation organizations that empower local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent. This local control allows members to see the fruits of their chapter efforts in their own communities, while belonging to a national organization with a voice on federal conservation policy in Washington, D.C.

Pana, Ill. - December 16, 2009 - On Monday evening, three dozen quail enthusiasts formed the nation's newest chapter of Quail Forever (QF). The new Tri-County Chapter of QF plans to focus their efforts on the improvement of quail habitat in Montgomery, Shelby and Christian counties. Chapter leaders also discussed their goals for introducing area youngsters to the outdoors, conservation, and bird hunting.
 
"If I don't volunteer my time on behalf of the next generation of quail hunters, who is going to do it for me?" questioned Brad Storm, the new chapter's president and lifelong bird hunter. "As a chapter of Quail Forever, we have a financial model that puts control of our fundraising dollars in our hands. We also have Quail Forever's staffing support in the form of grant writing, accounting, and insurance that allows us to focus our efforts on the habitat and youth education missions important to why we're volunteering in the first place."
 
Quail Forever was founded by Pheasants Forever in 2005 to address the nation's quail population decline. QF applies the successful Pheasants Forever model of empowering local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100% of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent. As a result, the organization's 125,000 members and more than 700 chapters see the fruits of their conservation efforts in their own communities, while belonging to a national organization with a broader voice in Washington, D.C. on federal conservation policy.

MISSOULA, Mont.—A nine-year land conservation project has been completed near La Grande, Ore., permanently protecting habitat and securing public access on nearly 850 acres. The parcel, now part of Ladd Marsh Wildlife Management Area, has been transferred to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The area, known locally as the Glass Hill winter range, is prime elk habitat. An estimated 120 elk use the area throughout the year. In winter the herd can swell to more than 500. Upland birds, deer and several sensitive species also inhabit the area.

“Back in the late 1990s, RMEF and ODFW identified this tract as important habitat threatened by future recreational and residential development. That prediction held true. Today realtors are marketing subdivided properties on neighboring lands and no doubt the same thing would have happened here,” said Bill Richardson, RMEF lands program manager for Oregon and Washington.

Late-season Western deer hunting often draws me into close proximity of ranch homes and land edges. When the season nears its end and the cold weather moves in, Ive found these tips very helpful in locating and tagging that last minute Buck!

Hunt Slopes and Drainages: The Deer tend to gravitate towards winter ranges that lay adjacent to hay and grain fields. Usually these edges have plenty of south-facing hillsides that catch the warm sun along with east and north facing drainages that produce the best forage late in the year.

Find the Hay: As ranchers start stock pilling their hay for the winter herds of Mule deer and elk descend from the high country locating these stockyards for some easy grub. Some of the biggest bucks are spotted and killed every year near these ranchers haystacks.

Hunt Forage: In the later parts of the year mule deer are shrub eaters. They key on highly nutritious plants such as bitter-brush, cliffrose and mahogany. Find stands of these shrubs and you'll find your December Buck!

Hunt Cover: In areas such as Colorado's Western Slope - Key on low elevation flats with large, woody shrubbery. Deer tend to hunker under the cover provided, which shed snow, break the wind and create pockets of insulated cover.

Watch Lookouts: Big Bucks love bedding on high ridge tops usually next to heavy cover. Glass high for sky-lined horns as they just may be attached to that mule deer buck you've been waiting for.

Seek out Cottonwood Draws: In bitter cold weather, I've found still-hunting into cottonwood draws pays off! This is where temperatures can be 20 degrees warmer than on the ridge tops and will hold enormous amounts of deer, who are seeking cover and looking to get out of the wind.

Here came a couple of young bucks, after over 100 hours in the blind I was finally going to get my shot. The bucks were headed straight for the water and I got positioned to shoot. The bucks got about 80 yards from me and they just turned and walked off over the hill. I said that’s enough if they aren’t coming to me I am going after them. That is the story my buddy Virgil Larsen told me a couple of days after he got his hard earned trophy. Before we finish the story though, I need to tell you of the events that unfolded beforehand.

August 5th 2008 found my hunting buddies Virgil Larsen, my brother Jeremy and I doing our yearly tradition of putting out our antelope blinds. In Idaho you aren’t allowed to place a blind on public land until 10 days before the opening of the take season. So at daylight we were headed out ready to put them up. We got them set in our normal spots where we had been having good success the last few years. There wasn’t a ton of water, but it looked like enough and things where shaping up to be another good season. We had also gone out and put out a blind for my father in law Evan in another area I had hunted a couple years prior. This was the year we were all going to get our antelope and go 4 for 4. With all of our blinds in good spots all we had to do now was wait 10 days and those antelope were ours, or were they?

ACCOKEEK, MD (December, 2009) -- Phil Robertson and his Duckmen are back in the blind, and this time they're looking for more than ducks. Benelli USA is proud to offer a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those who might dream of hunting one day with the legendary Duck Commander. To enter, contestants should submit a video showcasing their personality and illustrating their deep desire to hunt with the Duck Commander. Phil and his Duckmen will view all submitted videos and choose the resourceful individual they feel is most deserving of the hunt.

One lucky winner, who along with a guest of their choosing, will enjoy an all-expense-paid Louisiana "Duck Commander" duck hunt-and get to appear on Benelli's hit TV show, Benelli Presents Duck Commander. Furthermore, the winner will receive a Benelli Super Black Eagle II shotgun, and additional prizes from Realtree®, Federal Premium® Ammunition, Kick's Choke Tubes, Burris® Optics, Realtree Foods, and Gator-Tail Outboards.

"I've hunted with the Duck Commander, and I guarantee you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll beg for more," said Stephen McKelvain, VP Marketing & Communications, "In the world of duck hunting, there's nothing like it."

All entries must be postmarked no later than January 2, 2010, so don't just sit there-enter to win a hunt with the Duck Commander! For more information on the contest, rules and prizes log on to: http://www.benelliusa.com/video_contest/

MISSOULA, MONTANA-Responding to the latest legal wrangling by environmental groups, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation again has entered into federal court an amicus curiae brief supporting wolf population management via state-regulated hunting in Idaho and Montana.

The move means U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy will consider RMEF positions against the environmental groups' request for summary judgment in a lawsuit seeking to stop the hunts and return gray wolves to the endangered species list.

A summary judgment is a determination made by a court without a full trial.

Molloy is expected to rule early in 2010.

In September, Molloy denied the environmental groups' request for an emergency injunction. Following a hearing in Missoula, Mont., Molloy ruled that plaintiffs had failed to demonstrate how hunting would cause irreparable harm to wolf populations. RMEF documents, filed shortly before the hearing, were considered in that decision.

The ruling allowed wolf hunting to proceed in Idaho and Montana. By early December, hunters had taken approximately 184 wolves out of an estimated 1,500-plus total population in the northern Rockies-a harvest well below the combined quota.

Senate bill would sustain public-lands sporting opportunities, fish and wildlife habitat
and jobs in the forest-products industry in Montana

WASHINGTON – The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership has affirmed its support of Senate Bill 1470, the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, legislation that would fulfill twin goals of sustaining traditional conservation values and fish and wildlife resources in Montana while upholding the forest-based jobs that form the economic bedrock of communities throughout the state.

The TRCP decision heightens the ongoing efforts by a number of prominent sportsmen-conservationist groups, including the Montana Wildlife Federation, Trout Unlimited, the Mule Deer Foundation and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, to promote S. 1470 and furthers the TRCP’s aim of building consensus on natural resource policy issues affecting citizens in Montana and across the country. 

Introduced by Montana Sen. Jon Tester, the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act would sustain the economic development and recreational use of National Forest System lands and other public lands in Montana, add lands to the National Wilderness Preservation System, release certain wilderness study areas and designate new areas for recreation.