The turkey calling competitions always have a special place in my heart. They bring me back to a time when my only focus was trying to be the best caller in the world. Excelling at those events opened the doors to where I am today and I will never forget those humbler days. The competitions are just one of the great attractions to this event.

The schedule is chock full of seminars, live music, contests, youth activities and other goings-on revolving around the Thunder Chicken! It is paradise for a turkey fool like me.

I’ll be doing a seminar called “Celebrating the Culture of the Hunter” at 2:00 pm on Saturday (Feb. 11) and will be attending many meet n’ greet sessions throughout the event. When I am not at those appointments, you’ll be able to find me on the floor checking out all the cool stuff. Be sure to come up and say hi. I hope to see everyone from The Brotherhood there.

If you are on the fence about attending, do yourself a favor and jump. You’ll be glad you did. That darn groundhog saw his shadow today and that means six more weeks of winter, so take this opportunity to experience a little bit of spring early and an appetizer of what is to come!

Event tickets may be purchased on site beginning at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8.

See you there!

Over the weekend, while hanging at the Virginia Huntfest show,  I got many compliments on the Bone Collector “dog tag” t-shirt I was wearing and just wanted to let y’all know you can find it online. And there are other sharp threads available in the new line-up, too!

Girls, we haven’t left you out either. Check out the latest additions to the “Racks and Rhinestones” Collection. These shirts scream, “I’m a hunting gal!” while still being stylish and feminine.  

We hit the nail on the head with the designs this year. I want to thank you for displaying your passion for hunting and representing The Brotherhood. I get a powerful sense of bonding when I am at an event or on the road, and  I see  the Bone Collector logo. I realize that we are all united around the culture of hunting.

So, if you get a chance, check out the new items and give a shout out to the one you like the most on Facebook.  Thanks guys, and I must say we are looking pretty good in our Bone Collector attire, especially T-Bone!

Most of the turkey hunting seasons of Southeast States fall around the middle of March. If Mother Nature cooperates and the season opens up in sync with breeding patterns we should find that the gobblers are anticipating breeding season, but the hens usually aren't quite ready yet.

If this is the case come opening day, a lot of the Toms will not be “henned up” and if you like lots of loud and aggressive calling, the early season is the time to play this card. The gobblers are also sorting out dominance and hierarchy and are not yet wise to the calling pressure soon to be bombarded upon them. These birds will be very vulnerable to calling! Which means feathers should fly!

We will go more into early season tactics in a few weeks, but first we have some scouting to do. That will be the topic of next week’s blog. A lot of y’all asked for scouting to be discussed in the responses to last week’s blog, so we will start there.

The early season is a great time to beat the jokers who show up with five different calls and hammer on them until every bird in the county knows what’s up.  Take advantage.
This being said, who is planning to do a little traveling this year to get an early start to the season? Share your plans for your turkey adventures on Facebook and any early season tips you may have for The Brotherhood.

Thank you to those who took the time to vote for Bone Collector for Outdoor Channel’s Golden Moose Awards. When the votes were tallied, Bone Collector was presented with a Golden Moose for Fan Favorite Best Hunting at the awards ceremony in Vegas! Jackpot!!

Whoever said nobody leaves Las Vegas a winner was dead wrong because on the flight home I had time to reflect on mixing it up with folks at the SHOT show, the honor of hosting the GMA ceremony and most of all, that Golden Moose (funny how animals are always on my mind, ain’t it?). I was leaving Vegas with a darn good haul!

Being part of an event that recognizes people using their creative talents to promote the outdoors was a ball and I was honored to emcee the event – even though I am a better hunter than I am a comedian or entertainer.

The Bone Collector crew has you to thank for our Vegas winnings. The award feels more sincere since the winner was selected by you – seriously, thank you for voting and your belief in The Brotherhood!

Turkey hunting, no matter how much you have done it the past, takes a certain attention to detail. One wrong move during the chain of reactions that take place during a hunt will leave you headed back to the cabin or truck hanging your head and cursing at what could’ve, should’ve, and would’ve happened. Let’s do our best to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Over the next few weeks I will be blogging on the topic of Thunder Chickens in an effort to help both of us get in a mental state for the approaching season. I’ll try to hit on as many topics as I can, but as we all know, turkeys can be complicated - scouting, locating, calling, decoys and setting up in the right locations can be as complex as a Rubik’s cube. We'd be in luck if only they could see, hear and think as bad as they flew!

After saying all that, their gamey intelligence is what makes us get out there each morning and sound a hoot call. I think we can put our heads together and get a leg up on these dirty birds.

What kind of tips would you like to hear? Since it worked so well with the last blog, I’ll ask you to post the subjects you would want to see talked about below or on the Facebook Page (I think I am going to try and do some fishing, shed hunting and predator chasing with the boys as soon I get the time. Thank’s y’all for responding to the last topic).

Let’s work together to be ready on opening morning and close more coffins on some Thunder Chickens this spring!

The Crew is in Las Vegas fixin’ to experience the SHOT Show. These shows are really egging me on to go hunting. It is like someone telling you what you got for Christmas months before you can open the darned gifts. It is downright mean.

But, that got me to thinking. What do you do to pass the time between deer and turkey seasons?

I like to hunt a variety of game: big, small and in-between, but my favorite is puffing the feathers of a Thunder Chicken followed closely by busting some Freak Nasty whitetails with a bow.

I know some hunters live for hog, predator, waterfowl and small game hunting, and when I get the chance to get after these creatures, I certainly don’t turn my nose up, but it has never got to the point where it has become an obsession like deer and turkey hunting. If you are ate up with this different kind of hunting, share your stories with The Brotherhood.

I would love to hunt everyday – no matter what the prey is, but I just wanted to open a forum to discuss the ways we pursue our craze for hunting when we have so many choices. What eases your cravings?

Maybe someone who put their bow or gun away for the season will read it and get out after something more untraditional.

So share your thoughts on the Facebook Page or comment below. I look forward to reading them even though I know they will push my patience to the brink of explosion if I don’t get into the field soon!

It is the bow that sets the bar for what I expect out of my stick-and-string-rig. We all hear the comparisons like, “This is the Cadillac of bows”… or the Corvette, Rolls Royce Etc. But, the Carbon Element RKT is more like the Gulfstream luxury jet of bows. There is really nothing else that compares.

It is fast, light and luxurious. The new rocket-fast RKT Cam and 1/2 fires off arrows at an ATA rating of 330 fps.  Also, I’m no scientist, but this carbon stuff that it is made out of is light and strong. All you need to do is pick one up and you will notice the difference. And in cold weather, the material stays warm to the touch – a good thing for my Georgia bones. Bottom line: The 2012 Hoyt Carbon Element RKT is a Smackdown layin’, tag fillin’ hard thwackin’ arrow slinger.

And no, this is not some sales pitch. It’s just my own thoughts after attending the show and seeing what’s out there. From one good ole boy to another, if you are looking to shoot the best, take this bow for a test shoot and you will see what I’m talking about.

Of course there is a bunch more new products that got my blood tingling.  Keep an eye on the Gear Shed Page at bonecollector.com as we begin to add videos and write-ups about the new products.

We had a blast at the ATA Show and we are looking forward to the SHOT Show next week in Las Vegas. Hope to see some fellow Bone Collectors there! Be sure to come up and say hi if you see me.

I’m like a kid in a candy store. One shouldn’t be allowed to have this much fun! Meeting great people and seeing the sport evolve each year is so exciting.

I can’t wait to get my hands on these new items and start tinkering with them.  Is the 2012 bow season here yet? Can’t wait to share all the cool stuff we are seeing here, but got to get back to the show! Stay Tuned for updates!

In 2012, I aim as always, to keep promoting the outdoors, hunting and hunters. Some reactions of people still floor me when I walk around in public wearing a camo jacket or Bone Collector shirt. A lot are good and heartwarming, but many looks and words are those of disapproval. We were all born to hunt, it’s in us all, man, woman and child but society has sheltered these instincts. I won’t rant here, but I think hunters are the best Americans.

We're givers.  We’re not waiting for anything to happen, we are making things happen. If you look at the long lists of the organizations, from NWTF to QDMA and on down the line, we're constantly giving back to make things better.

It is not the responsibility of society to take care of our race, however it is our races responsibility to take care of and mold society. So, I will continue to and always promote the hunting culture because it is as close to perfection as God intended it to be. This includes fighting for our God given rights and especially our Second Amendment.

That said, I will move on to another resolution: To spend more time with my little knuckleheads and loved ones. This is always near the top of my list and I don’t think I need to explain why to you. You know how important family and friends are. The highlight of my year was being with my son, Meyer, when he shot his first deer. I hope 2012 is abundant with moments like that.

Finally, I want to continue giving thanks to the fans and people who have supported me and the crew. It really means the world to me. Working hard to bring you shows that reflect our passions and meeting awesome people who share my values along the way is quite the blessing. I am where I am and headed to where I will be because of you!

Long live The Brotherhood!

It's our passion for the outdoors that keeps us motivated and focused to push the envelope every day. It's a blessing and honor to be recognized by our peers for our passions and achievements on Outdoor Channel. We are grateful to receive nominations for Best Overall, Big Game, Deer, Show Open, Bird Hunting and Best Commercial (Scent Shield).

Nick, Travis and the whole production crew work hard to bring our fans a show that rings true with the hunting community. If our show is just another episode about a big deer getting shot, then we have not done our job. The outdoors offers so much to people, and we just feel fortunate to have the opportunity to share that with hunters that have the same passion as us. The show is Bone Collector’s platform to promote the outdoor lifestyle in the best way possible.

We’re just blown away by the support of the fans who are The Brotherhood of Bone Collectors. We can’t thank you enough, but hopefully we can return the favor and keep producing quality and entertaining shows that reflect the culture of The Brotherhood.

I think we really hit our stride with the new season of Bone Collector now airing on Outdoor Channel, Mondays at 8 p.m. Be sure to watch. There are some great moments caught on tape, and from one hunting freak to another, I think you will appreciate them!