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Blog Entries from the WeHuntSC.com blogging crew


15 Dollar Deer Hunting Camera Arms
   WeHuntSC.com - Irwin's Quick Grip
  Pic referenced from Lowe's.com

As you know we?ve been videoing many of our hunts this year.  This is my first year attempting to hunt and video at the same time and it?s a lot to manage at once if you have a deer come out on you, but it?s very fun! The reward is worth it if you can pull it all off.  I?ve yet to scare a deer away by bumping the camera or making noise while trying to video, but I think it?s inevitable.  At some point?I?m going to spook a deer by moving around too much trying to video, but I?ll keep taking my chances with it though because it?s fun to watch and talk about with friends after the hunt.

Probably like most hunters, we have a couple different stands in the woods?some are box stands, some tower stands, some climbers, some ladder stands, etc.  (I try not to get in lock-ons because I?m scared of them and heights) With a couple of different stands it seems like we should be getting some good footage from different viewpoints.  Though, I got to thinking about that and noticed a trend in my hunts.  I am most frequently going hunting in the stands that I can film from easily.  Sure this may make for good footage, but what about the other stands that are in good locations, but are just difficult to film from?  I have been opting not to hunt in them and electing to hunt in the more spacious stands because I can fit my tripod in them.  Well this will no longer be a problem! 

Last week I went to Lowes with my wife and her parents and while the ladies looked at paint my father-in-law and I walked around the store looking to devise a way or find a product that would allow me to mount my camera to the stand.  Since my tripod will let me take out the center piece of it and turn it into a monopod (just one rod extending from the camera instead of 3) I had some room to get creative.  Essentially I needed something to get this small pole attached to the railing around my stand, but it needed to be quiet, small, not get in my way when hunting, easy to carry in, and strong enough to hold the weight of the camera.  After we walked a few circles around the store we finally found just the thing we needed. 

WeHuntSC.com - Camera Arm 1      WeHuntSC.com - Camera Arm 2

We were in the hardware section and picked up some different types of clamps and looked at them.  It turned out that Irwin made a product that was the perfect fit!  I ended up getting a two-pack Irwin Quick Grip Bar Clamp and I?m glad that I did.  Of course we had to test it out in the store first to make sure it would work, so we grabbed a flag pole and clamped it to a bracket on the metal of one of the isles in the store to simulate our task and ?voila? we were in business.  Since the grips have rubber padding on them they are very quiet and you only have to squeeze the grip to make it tighten up so the whole process is very stealth.  The grip is small and fits in my bag easily, is very lightweight, and can hold way more pounds of weight than my camera weighs.  I was excited about it in the store, but still wanted to ?field-test? it and make sure that it would work.  Oh and from the guy in the hardware section?s reaction to my explanation of what we were trying to do?I think we may have been one of the few who?ve ever bought clamps in hopes of using them to video deer hunts! 

WeHuntSC.com - Camera Arm    
   

The next morning I went into a stand that I haven?t hunt out of much and took my new ?camera-arm? setup and was eager to try it out.  I sat down in the stand and within 5 minutes I had my camera mounted on the railing around my stand and had done so quietly and the camera had full swivel and tilt.  What I did wrong on my first trip in was that I clamped it down to where the slider was on the inside of my stand.  This lessened the space I had to move my gun around a little bit, but I got it right on the second trip in and have been pleased with setup ever since!

Every time I go hunting someone usually asks ?Did you see anything? and I?m sure the same probably happens to you.  Videoing your hunts allows you to them what you saw instead of trying to describe it to them in words.  You may be thinking about trying it?and if so, I encourage you to give it a shot.  This is my first year filming and we?ve been having a lot of fun with it.  If you decide to try to film, there are a lot of decisions that you have to factor into videoing a hunt and one of them is the ?camera-arm? situation.  If you can?t take a tripod to all of your stands then you?ll have to think about it at some point.  Unless you only hunt out of lock-ons (that don?t have railing going around them, then I suggest you spend $15 at Lowes and give a clamp a try.  It is cheap, gets the job done, and will save you from spending more than you should on a camera arm.

A quick view of the set from my I-phone

The next day I gave Adam the other clamp from my two-pack and he?s already used it once and is going to be able to film more of his hunts now!

Now I?m glad that my in-laws wanted to go look at paint after all :-)

 Lowe?s ? Let?s Build Something Together

Regards,

Clint

 


Camo Skull Update
   WeHuntSC.com - Camo Skull Antler Pic
  You can dip the antlers too!

A few weeks ago I shot that 8 pointer and then I mentioned that I was taking it to Chris Melvin of Pin Oak Taxidermy in Great Falls, SC to have the skull done in this new ?camo skull? design.  I was anxious to see what the final product would look like and I recently got the mount back from Chris and have to say that I?m very pleased with it. The end product is very nice with a shiny finish and a very detailed design.

When I spoke with Chris he mentioned to me that he?s got some more new designs coming in and that, due to the technique used, no two camo skulls ever look the same so every one?s is unique. If you've shot a deer and don't want to do a full mount then you may want to give the camo-skull some thought.  It's a unique design that isn't as expensive, but is still pretty neat. 

Again, the price is $165 and the normal turn-around time is 2 - 3 months (given normal workload).  Give Chris a call and/or email and tell him that we sent you!

 

 

Below is a video of my camo skull in good light to give you an up-close idea of the final product.


If you?re interested in a camo skull, Chris? information is below:

Chris Melvin
[email protected]
Pin Oak Taxidermy
Great Falls, South Carolina
803.519.6203

Regards,

Clint
 


Camo Skulls
    WeHuntSC.com - Camo Skull Mount by Chris Melvin
  Camo Skull Mount by Chris Melvin, Pin Oak Taxidermy
SEE A CLOSE UP OF THE MOUNT

One day while I was at Hickory Hills Smoked Products in Van Wyck, SC I saw something that caught my eye.  One of the tables off to the side had some taxidermy displays and I saw something I?d never seen before among the displays.  There was a skull mount with the skull painted in a really neat looking camo design.  I walked over and looked at some of the samples, felt how slick they were, took some pics with my phone, and looked at the info about the guy who was doing it.  The business card in front said ?Chris Melvin, Pin Oak Taxidermy, Great Falls, SC?.  I was pretty impressed as I looked at the designs available and the samples that were on display.  I made a mental note to myself about it and went on about my business.

The next day was when I shot the 8 pointer right at daylight.  This deer was a nice deer, but he wasn?t big enough for me to mount in the style of a normal mount and since it was fresh in my mind I figured I?d give this camo skull mount a whirl?after all it looked pretty neat.  I called back up to Hickory Hills and got the phone number for Pin Oak taxidermy and gave Chris Melvin a call.  I told Chris that not only did I want my skull mounted with this neat new camo design, but that I also wanted to meet with him and talk to him about it and post something about it here on the site. 

A couple of days ago I did just that? I went down and met Chris and got some more information from him about the camo skull mounts and saw some more examples.  Chris was a real nice, easy going guy and I have to tell you that this camo skull stuff is pretty neat!  I asked Chris some questions about the camo skull mounts and he told me a little about the process etc. 

One thing I found interesting was the Chris has a very unique way of getting the skulls clean.  He mentioned that many people boil a skull to get it clean, but that boiling it makes it brittle and more likely to crack.  In order to get the skulls clean and let them maintain their strength, Chris uses something very unique.  He uses a specific type of beetles and they eat everything, but the skull!  Yes, you may find that rare, but I have to tell you that these things really get the job done.  They also get the job done fast.  Chris said that in a matter of days the beetles will have the skull as clean as a whistle. (If you want to see a pic of the beetles cleaning a skull, click here). After the skulls are clean he lets them air dry out for a while and then he prepares the skulls for painting. 

WeHuntSC.com - Pin Oak Taxidermy Sign  
   

While I was at Angelus Deer Processing getting my deer processed I showed some of the camo skull pics on my phone to the guys down there and they really liked this style of skull mount too.  I?m writing this blog entry because you may be like me (and the guys down at Angelus Deer Processing) and have never heard or seen this style before.  Hopefully I can help spread the word about this new technique in skull mounts and give Chris a little publicity! 

Chris said that with all things normal the turn-around time with a camo skull is around 3 months.  If he gets really busy then that can affect the turn-around time, but generally that?s about how long it takes.  The camo skull mounts go for $165 and you can choose from a wide variety of designs and man I?m telling you they look good.  I saw several designs on different skulls and they all looked different and were shining from the glossiness of the finish.  I?d definitely recommend this style at least for one of your mounts and I?m going to post the pic of mine here on the site when I get it back. 

Another note that is worth mentioning is that Chris can still give you a camo skull mount if you have the horns from a deer you harvested many years ago.  Chris can get a fake skull and attach your horns to it.  He showed me a camo skull mount that had real horns, but with a fake skull on it and it wasn?t easy to tell so they still look good.

Below is a quick video I made with a few different variations of the camo mounts

So if you have an old set of horns or if you want a neat new type of mount then give Chris Melvin at Pin Oak Taxidermy a call or email.  Chris?s info is below:

Chris Melvin
[email protected]
Pin Oak Taxidermy
Great Falls, South Carolina
803.519.6203

Regards,


Clint
 


Lancaster County DU Banquet
  WeHuntSC.com - The Lancaster County Ducks Unlimited Banquet was packed
  The crowd at the Lancaster County Ducks Unlimited banquet

Last night the wife and I went down to the Lancaster County Ducks Unlimited banquet.  We had a really good time and hung out with fellow WeHuntSC.com blogger Gavin Jackson and his wife and some other friends from around the Pageland area.  The event was packed with waterfowl hunters and there were tons of prizes on hand being auctioned off, won, and bided on. 

We arrived to the event and walked around looking at all the items that were on display.  There were some nice paintings, decoys, a corn-hole set, clocks, mail-boxes, and a really nice shotgun too.  Everyone was mingling and looking at the items on the tables trying to figure out what they wanted to bid on during the auction.  Fellow WeHuntSC.com blogger and world champion duck caller Blake Hodge was scheduled to do some demo calling at the banquet as well. 

Around 7:15 the guy emceeing the event got on the microphone and said that it was time for Blake to do some calling for the crowd. The emcee told the crowd about all the awards that Blake?s been winning and Blake made believers out of everyone there.  He really made those calls sing!  Everyone in the room went quiet while Blake was calling and after he finished everyone gave him a big round of applause.  While Blake was calling you could see people in the audience shaking their heads and looking at each other as if to say ?I can?t believe how good he is?.  The emcee tried to lure Blake into coming hunting with him so that he could use his calling abilities to draw some birds in, but Blake gave him a quick no and the crowd laughed at his quick response.  Imagine being 14 and getting up in front of a crowd of grown-ups who?ve been hunting way longer than you and showing them how to call.  I imagine it could be a little intimidating knowing that everyone in the room was going to critique your style.  Though it didn?t faze Blake and he did really well. 

The gun of the year

WeHuntSC.com - The Gun of the Year

WeHuntSC.com - Some of the items that were up for auction  
   

Shortly thereafter it was time to eat and everyone munched down on some Jo Jo?s BBQ which was really good.  Then came the auction where the prizes get bided on and sold.  All of the money gets donated to Ducks Unlimited so the hunters don?t mind spending their money on the products plus it?s a tax write-off.  When the emcee got going I couldn?t believe how fast he was talking.  He was rolling his tongue and speaking faster than Bone Thugs n Harmony can rap!  It was pretty impressive to hear. 

The clock started inching toward 10 and the wife looked at me and I knew what that look meant.  We had to leave and get back to Rock Hill.  We left as the last product was being auctioned off.  It was a really neat experience and if you?ve never been to a DU banquet you should check one out.  I believe Gavin said that Chesterfield County may be having one in the future too.  The Ducks Unlimited organization runs deep and has roots everywhere so most likely there?s an event happening near you sooner than later.

Regards,

Clint
 


Moultrie?s A+ Customer Service
   WeHuntSC.com - Moultrie Game Cam
  Moultrie's Game Spy I-45

This past Christmas I was fortunate enough to get two Moultrie game cameras.  The cameras also came with the Game Spy Connect feature which allows the game camera to upload images directly into a database that can be viewed online via Moultrie?s Game Management web site.  Speak of the convergence of technology and hunting.

On a site note for you ?web-necks? out there, the online application is very neat.  It has a slick, user friendly interface built with J-Query integrated into the app offering modal/light-box windows for easy photo viewing.   The application allows users to view photos online, delete them, store them in galleries, change all the settings on the game camera right from your computer, check the battery levels on both the camera and GPS module, as well as integrating GPS functionality with Google maps so that you can pin-point exactly where your camera is located. 

The system allows hunters to instantly see what game is coming by and when they are coming by?as in? I get an email a few minutes after it happens.  I even check mine from my I-Phone throughout the day.  On occasion I?ve been sitting in one stand and received an email letting me know that something got its picture taken at the location of the camera.  With this level of functionality you don?t have to continuously return to the woods to check your game cameras, but rather only return to check on them when you need to change the batteries.   This reduces the scent that you spread in the woods.  All of this is really neat, but it does come at a cost.  There is a monthly fee for this service.  The rate you are charged differs depending on which level you choose.  See the Game Management Packages.

Just as you would imagine, the gadget freak in me was excited to hook all this up and get it out and on a tree.  I waited to start the photo-uploading service until we got some of our food plots up and growing well.  I got the camera out and turned everything on just like the manual said.  I waived my hand in front of the camera and 2 minutes later I had an email sitting in my inbox saying ?You?ve got deer? even though it was just a picture of my hand.  Neat stuff!  I was pumped about the fact that I would be able to be anywhere and see anything that passed in front of the camera!  For about a month the camera did just as it was supposed to, but then I noticed I wasn?t getting any more pictures.  I got back out to the woods the first chance I got and checked on the camera.  I kept getting an error message saying that there was a file upload error.  The error message read something like ?File upload error, Wait srvr response?.  I didn?t know what was wrong with the unit.  I put brand new batteries in it and everything, but still no dice.

WeHuntSC.com - Moultrie Game Cam Error Message   

Since the cameras are pretty expensive and I?m paying for their service, I figured the product should work.  I called the Moultrie Game Management support line and the lady on the other end of the phone walked me through a couple of steps.  In just a few minutes the information we gathered while on the phone was enough for her to have me send the camera in to be fixed.  I went to the post office and put the camera in a box (if it fits it ships) and sent it on its way to Alabama.  A couple days later I started getting pictures again in my inbox except this time they were of someone?s hands counting 1, 2, and 3.  I knew it was back working again.  A day or two later the camera arrived back to me and it came back with a new GPS module.  I emailed in again and asked about the payment for the time in between when my camera quit working and when I got it back again.  I got a quick response denoting that my payment had been suspended for one month.  They fixed the product and made the situation right?like they should do.

I write all this to say that there still are some cases of good customer service out there.  I would like to to promote Moultrie?s organization and customer service because they made the situation right.  The steps taken to correct the situation are obvious ones to consumers, but ones that some organizations don?t take.  In a competitive market consumers must look for more than just the product when we buy.  Business processes that keep the customer in mind are the ones that help organizations thrive and prosper in the long run.  So thanks to Moultrie for having cutting edge products and great customer service!  After this experience I won?t have any hesitation about buying any more Moultrie products in the future.  Moultrie?s customer service gets an A+.

Now let me run? I?ve got some new pics to look at here?

Regards,
 

Clint


Below are some screenshots of Moultrie?s Game Management System application interface

The Moultrie Game Management System Photo Viewing Interface

WeHuntSC.com - The Moultrie Game Management System Photo Viewing Interface

Moultrie Game Management System Camera Status View

WeHuntSC.com - Moultrie Game Management System Camera Status View

Moultrie Game Management System Settings View

WeHuntSC.com - Moultrie Game Management System Settings View

 

 

 


Scent Control and Deer Hunting
  WeHuntSC.com - Clint Patterson with 8 point buck harvested in early 2010 season
  Me and the post-hunt pic

As you know, we?ve been working a lot on the Tecomate Seed Food Plot Journey over the course of the past year.  Most of the time when we?re out working we are talking about deer hunting and optimistically dreaming up scenarios where huge bucks come into the food plots or into shooting lanes and how we would position ourselves, etc.  I?m sure you may have had similar experiences.  Many times when Adam and I have been out working and having these conversations he kept bringing up the subject of scent control.  I have known your scent was important, but I?ve never really thought about it, or taken it to, the level at which Adam does.  What level is that you may ask? the level of spraying down when going to check game cams, washing your clothes in odor reducing detergent, taking showers with scent free soap, looking up which direction the wind is blowing before hunting, etc.  Initially to me, that was a bit much, but hey?everyone has their own style of hunting.

This season we?ve been using the McKenzie Scent Fan Duffle Bag as well as Atsko?s products to work with our scent management.  This is a regular routine for Adam, but for me it?s a whole new ball game, so I figured why not try it out and see what happens.  So, as you know from previous blog entries, I?ve been using the McKenzie Scent Fan Duffle bag to fuse earth and pine scent into my hunting gear.  I mean I?ve been putting everything in the bag?my clothes, m boots, my smaller bag, even my Thermacell, and this past week I also stuck my video camera?s tripod in there too!  Literally everything in the bag smells like dirt now.  So I?ve got my hunting gear taken care of and smelling just right. 

I?ve also started testing out and using some of Atsko?s scent reduction products.  Atsko has a 4-pack (the same one that someone is going to win this year) of scent reduction/UV killer products.  I put the N-O-Odor soap in my shower and put the N-O-Odor spray right beside my McKenzie bag.  I was eager to test all this out because in this early season heat, anything I can do to reduce my scent is beneficial since I sweat a lot and it?s been very humid.

###

Ok?jump back in time to one week ago?

A week ago (when we put down lime and seed) I also went out and put some corn out at an area where we?ve had an old stand forever, but that hasn?t been getting hunted out of much lately.  We have a feeder out there that hasn?t been working for a while too (you?ll see it in the video).  Since I had some time, I took a game camera out and tied it up on a tree and put some corn out in front of it.  I didn?t know what to expect or even know if any deer were in the area, but I figured I?d try it out.  I put it out and really just forgot about it.

When I came back home this past Friday, I went out to check the game camera.  I put a new chip in and brought the chip that was in the game camera back to the house.  Looking at the chip I could see that deer had been in there all hours of the day and night.  In one week I had 268 pics on it. That answered the question as to whether there were any deer moving in that location.  There were a lot of does on the camera, a small 4 point, a small 6 point, and every once in a while an 8-point came through and paused for the camera and ate some corn.  I guess I had the game camera really close or something because the majority of the pics were close-ups like these:

WeHuntSC.com - Game Cam Pic WeHuntSC.com - Game Cam Pic
WeHuntSC.com - Game Cam Pic WeHuntSC.com - Game Cam Pic
WeHuntSC.com - Game Cam Pic WeHuntSC.com - Game Cam Pic

 

With so much activity going on in that location, I figured I?d go and sit there the next morning to see what would happen. 

###

   WeHuntSC.com - McKenzie Scent Fan Duffle Bag
  The McKenzie Scent Fan Duffle Bag

I knew I was going to go sit in this stand on Saturday morning and I was thinking about my scent-game-plan.  I let my McKenzie Scent Fan Duffle run all day Friday and all night Friday night while I was at the game and even while I slept.  After the game (Eagles dominated Chesterfield again!) I came home and took a shower and used Atsko?s odor eliminating soap.  I planned to use it that night and also in the morning.  And yes, when you use it?you can?t smell anything.  I sat the odor eliminating scent spray near my McKenzie bag to spray my shorts (the shorts that I wore under the camo) and socks down.

So the game plan was this?take showers using odor eliminating soap, put on regular underclothes (shorts & socks) and spray them down with the scent eliminating spray, and then wear the camo and take gear that had been getting scented all day and night with the earth/pine scent.  This would hopefully reduce any human scent and/or bacteria that deer smell that may have been on me and then cover-scented my gear with a natural smell.  Doing all of this really felt extreme and out-of-the-ordinary for me, but again? I?m just giving all this scent management stuff a whirl.

I executed all scent management steps and set out to the stand.  This stand is a very small, old, wooden stand located in a thick forest area.  Due to this scenario; I didn?t take the tripod, but was set to MacGyver a way to video or either get busted by a deer moving around trying to video.  It was going to be so tight in the stand that I wouldn?t have room for the tripod.  I knew this would hurt me in some way, but I just wasn?t sure how.

WeHuntSC.com - Atsko Scent Elimination Products   
Atsko Scent Elimination/U-V Killer 4-Pack  
Though I didn?t want to be, I was very loud on the way in.  It has been so dry these past few weeks that something crackled and crunched with every step I took.  I finally made it to the stand and climbed up (skipping the broken step on the way) and got situated.  I had my Thermacell strapped to one of the wooden braces on my left and was mosquito free.  It turned out that the stand is leaning to the right.  Luckily, this stand is leaning at just the right angle for the video camera to steady on it and be looking right over the corn pile.  I slowly chambered a shell, made sure the safety was on, and took some deep breathes to try to slow my heart rate some to help me cool off.  The moon was full and some of the trees were casting shadows.  It was early and I just sat there in silence as some beads of sweat rolled down my forehead. 

I sat for a little while and my vision was slowly getting better as the sun was starting to rise.  Shortly thereafter I heard something moving behind me in the woods.  If you?ve hunted before then you know the sound of a squirrel running through the leaves?they?re loud and go in spurts.  This sound wasn?t like that, but rather was a slow pace and sounded like a deer rummaging through the forest floor as it walked.  Due to the high activity of game cam pics, I felt sure it was a deer.  This sound started out behind me?what would be 6 o?clock on the clock-face and it was extremely close.  I was frozen in my stand and wasn?t budging.  I knew that however many deer were back there were close and that any movement would leave me busted and hearing deer blowing at me as they ran away.  My heart beat was escalating with every step that the deer took.  It got closer and closer and was coming up my left side.  I was looking to the left in my peripheral vision as much as possible, but didn?t see anything initially.  I didn?t want to turn my head and just kept looking to the left.  I looked until my eyes started hurting from straining them so much looking so hard trying to find what was making this sound.  I?m sure this may have happened to you before as well. 

It was still a little dark and tough to focus clearly. Then I finally saw movement and it was about 10 yards away from me!  It was heading toward the corn pile.  I wasn?t moving for anything as the deer walked right beside me, but my heart started pounding because I saw antlers!  The trail I walked into the stand had me coming into the stand in the same path that this deer was walking toward?i.e. his path was going to intersect the path I took and he would be smelling right where I walked as he crossed my path.  I knew I did all this scent stuff, but I also knew I was sweating some.  I really didn?t know what to think. 

   WeHuntSC.com - Deer Walk Diagram
  Diagram illustrating the path the deer walked

As the deer passed around my left side he went behind some brush.  If I was going to turn the camera on with any structure in between us, that moment was the time to do it.  I reached over and cut the camera on and it started recording.  Keep in mind that, due to size constraints, I didn?t bring the tripod and the camera was not secured to the stand, but rather just sitting on top of the side of a 2 x 4.  I was nervous that I would knock it off, but I had to get it turned on.  After I got the camera turned on I moved my gun a little, cut the safety off, and got my body in position.  The deer kept walking and I could hear him getting closer to the corn as he moved.  Finally he popped out at the corn pile and was broad-sided, giving me the perfect shot. 

Something neat happened when the deer got over to the camera.  Obviously the camera sensed movement and starting taking some pics.  I was looking through my scope and also looking through the camera at the same time.  I was going back and forth with my eyes again from the scope to the camera.  Out of my right eye I saw a really bright light flash, but I didn?t see it out of my left.  From what I could tell, the video camera picked up on the infrared flash, but my naked eye obviously was unable to and apparently the deer?s eye couldn?t pick up on it either.  This may be common knowledge, but when it happened to me in the stand it kind of startled me at first because my initial reaction was that the deer would be spooked.  You?ll easily see the camera flashing in the video.

As it got lighter I watched this buck eating corn for what seemed like forever.  I mean I had the best case scenario from the moment that he arrived at the corn pile.  I let him go for a few minutes without pulling the trigger.  I wanted to make sure that this buck was not a 6 pointer because I?m trying to let the deer get to a decent size in this area.  I looked and looked and finally counted 8 points, but even then I still debated not shooting this deer.  I could tell he had a good sized body, but I just went back and forth in my mind about letting him walk and shooting him.  Then I finally decided to shoot.  (This is why you see me let him eat the corn for a while and not take the shot until late)  The deer was eating corn and I had the perfect angle, but at the moment I decided to shoot he kind of gave me a quarter shot.  I waited a few seconds and he raised his head up quickly and his body tensed up.  I thought he sensed danger and was about to bolt?so I took the shot.  When I took the shot I knew I hit the deer because his back legs jumped up in the air.  The bad news was that when I pulled the trigger the camera fell off the ledge of the stand ? the good news is that it fell back in the stand rather than out of the stand!  I caught it in my lap.   I heard the deer go down about 20 yards away so I didn?t think it would be a tough deer to trail.

I always sit in the stand after I make a shot just to calm down some and gather myself.  I want to give the deer time to die and also want to make sure that I get my safety back on my gun and that I don?t get in a hurry and leave anything or hurt myself somehow.  On this specific day all my hunting buddies were not around and were out of town or were working.  So I put the call in to my parent?s house and told them that I shot a deer and that I was going to start dragging.  They said they would come out to help.

WeHuntSC.com - Deer on the tail gate pic

After a couple of minutes I got out of the stand and walked over to the corn pile and shot some post game footage.  I walked a little bit and then saw the deer lying down about 20 yards away.  I knew I had made a good shot.  I went over and started dragging.  My parents showed up not too long after I had started dragging the deer.  My dad has been having some trouble with his knees lately and just walking the terrain of the land was killing him?so what does any good mother do?that?s right?my mom helped me drag the deer out of the woods!  Talk about unconditional love.  So to the people around Pageland reading this?if you see my mom tell her that you heard she?s dragging deer out of the woods in her slip-ons!  I felt bad as one time she fell down when we were pulling the deer across a dried up creek, but she soldiered up right on through it and kept pulling.  We had to stop 2 ? 3 times, but soon enough we had the deer to the edge of the woods.  My mama has always told me ?They don?t make them like me anymore? and after last Saturday I have to say that I definitely believe her!

That was how the story of the hunt went.  Reflecting back on the hunt, I have to tell you that I really think the measures I took of scent control played a big part in my success.  The reason is because that deer started out behind me and came full circle all the way around me at a very close range and even walked across the path that I walked in on.  The deer ended up in front of me and was clueless that I was even in the woods.  If I would have smelled then he would have winded me a couple times over and fled the scene, but you already know how the story went.  Needless to say, I?ll be covering my scent and paying more attention to it in all my upcoming hunts.  Maybe the deer was dumb or couldn?t smell, but you have to "dance with the one that brung ya" right??? So I?ll keep focusing on my scent and see how the rest of the season goes.  Maybe Adam?s scent management techniques aren?t too extreme after all!

After all this I got all my scent control products together and took some pics with the deer.  The deer ended up being 8 points, 155lbs.  He?s not a monster, but he was a decent buck.

WeHuntSC.com - Clint Patterson with 8 point buck harvested in early 2010 deer hunting season

Here?s the video of the hunt?sorry the camera fell, but we don?t have a camera-arm sponsor yet?lol!  So next time I?ll take some rubber-bands or start saving my money up for a camera-arm.  Also, you?ll notice that my video edits aren?t great?but I?m a web guy?not a video guru so this will have to suffice.

Be sure to bump the resolution up a little in the bottom right-hand corner of the video where it says "360p"

Something else neat occurred to me later that morning?when I was hunting the camera was flashing right?  I sat there and thought to myself? that pic will have the deer in it and also have me in it (if it could see that far out).  So I journeyed back out to the stand again to get the chip (that had only been out there for one day) again and see what the pic looked like.  I was surprised to have over 80 pics just from the past 24 hours.  Those deer were out there all night long again!  That 8 point was there in the middle of the day on Friday and there were even deer at the corn pile at 5:45 am?the same time when I started walking to the stand.  I probably scared them off on my way in.  Anyway, I found the pic of the deer at the corn-pile right before I shot and you can see me in the background, but it?s kind of blurry.  You can make out my head, the gun barrel, and the dark area where the camera is.  Check out the pic

WeHuntSC.com - Reverse Game Cam Pic

So I sweated a lot dragging the deer and even got some blood on my camo and what did I do?that?s right? I put them in the washing machine and washed them with Atsko?s odor eliminating detergent.  I dried them and then stuck them right back in the McKenzie bag.  I think the stars aligned just right for me on this day or something.  I?ve only been in the woods hunting 2 weekends and have harvested 2 deer.  This season has been a success whether or not I get any more deer this year?and I?m just fine with that, but I?ll still be out trying to videotape!  If you made it this far, thanks for reading all this.

Regards,

Clint
 


Scenting my Hunting Clothes with the McKenzie Scent Fan Duffle Bag
    WeHuntSC.com - McKenzie Scent Fan Duffle
  McKenzie Scent Fan Duffle Bag

We initially covered the McKenzie Scent Fan Duffle Bag at the Pee Dee Deer Classic and since then McKenzie Outdoors has sponsored every competition that we?re having on the site this deer hunting season!  I am also going to use a McKenzie Scent Fan Duffle Bag this deer hunting season to see how it affects my hunting and scent control.

If you didn?t read the blog entry that reviewed the Pee Dee Deer Classic, then you may not be aware of what the McKenzie Scent Fan Duffle Bag is all about or how it works.  Essentially it?s a duffle bag that has a fan on one end and a place to put any kind of scent on the other end.  You plug the bag in and the fan pulls the scent through the bag scenting everything in the bag along the way.  I think the bag is a really neat concept and I can tell you that within just 1 hour of running the bag my clothes/gear is already smelling like dirt!

When I first got the bag, it smelled like something new?you know what I mean?the smell of new material.  I can?t really describe what it smelled like, but it wasn?t pine, dirt, or any scent in nature.  So I needed to ?get the new? off and get my clothes scented.  To achieve this I left the bag open for a while outside letting the air blow through it.  This helped knock off the ?new smell? that it initially had.  After that I placed all my gear in the bag and most importantly, I put my boots on the end of the fan.  This helps the bag stay upright and gives the fan the maximum area to pull air from.  I stuck everything I would take hunting in the bag (the bag is pretty big too) and I do mean everything.  I even stuck my Thermacell in there as well.  I don?t think the plastic in a Thermacell has any odor, but hey why not you know?  So I put all my articles of clothing and hunting gear in the bag and turned it on.

WeHuntSC.com - McKenzie Scent Fan Duffle

The McKenzie Scent Fan Duffle Bag comes ready with everything that you need.  The flaps on the end have Velcro on them so you can easily roll it back and pen it up to allow for maximum flow.  Also, the bag is geared with a cigarette light plug and also has a converter to let you plug the adapter into a regular electrical outlet.  This allows you to plug it into your truck, ATV, or at your house.  The fan in the bag runs on low voltage (12v) for safety.

I?ve had it running for a while now and will probably let it run for a couple more hours for good measure.  I?m scenting it with the ?Fresh Earth? scent and I can smell dirt just when I get in that area.  From playing with the bag some, I think what I?ll probably do is keep the bag in my truck or here at my house and turn it on either the night before I go hunting or around mid-day if I?m going hunting in the afternoon. 

If you?re like me and sweat a lot or if you?re a bow hunter and must get the game really close, then you should definitely give the McKenzie Scent Fan Bag a shot.  I don?t think you?ll be disappointed.

The below video is me showing you what I did this morning with the bag.

Regards,

Clint
 


Review: Carolina Adventure World
  WeHuntSC.com - Carolina Adventure World Sign  
  The sign in front of Carolina Adventure World

Have you ever heard about Carolina Adventure World? If you haven?t, then you?re missing out?especially if you?re into ATV?s, dirt bikes, or any type of off-roading.  I had previously heard of how awesome Carolina Adventure World was from some of my friends, but had never actually been to the facility.  I was finally able to check it out and the place truly is awesome!  After visiting the site, I now understand why my friends raved so much about it.

Carolina Adventure World is located in Winnsboro, SC so no matter where you may be in the state, it?s not a bad drive.  I headed down from Rock Hill and it was a really easy drive straight down 77.  It only took me about 45 minutes to get there.  You take one turn off the exit and 2 miles later the next turn is into the huge gates out in front of the park.  When I saw the front gate, I could easily tell that the park was a nice size operation.  You know how an entrance kind of signals the scale of the development that you?re entering...it was the same way with this facility.  The entrance had a big gate and 2 huge signs that can easily be seen from the road.  If you?re on the right road, you don?t have to worry about missing the place because there?s no way you could ride by it with the entrance.

WeHuntSC.com - The rentals building  
Inside the rentals building  
I met with Jim Floyd of Carolina Adventure World at the front office and we set out to look at and tour the facility.  When you arrive there is a good-sized hill that you ride up at the entrance and upon reaching the top you look down onto the park where you can see the Welcome Center along with a view of some of the park?s land.  It?s a nice, panoramic, picturesque scene viewing the topography of the land, the entrance to the trails, the parking lot, and the Welcome Center all from the same vantage point.

As we descended down the hill Jim took me to the storage and maintenance buildings where we picked up our ride for the day.  While we were back there I saw a huge building where they keep a lot of their rental ATV?s, dirt bikes, helmets, shin guards, boots, and other gear.  In case you?re interested, Carolina Adventure World rents Yamaha Rhino Side by Sides, Yamaha Grizzly ATVs and Honda Dirt Bikes.  The building where they store their rides was a nice and clean facility. 

  WeHuntSC.com - The maintenance crew working on an ATV
  The maintenance crew working on an ATV

Just next door the guys were working on a 4-wheeler that had something wrong with it.  Jim mentioned to me that Carolina Adventure World offers assistance with repairs to any visitors that happen to have a problem with their ATV while they?re at the park and that CAW can also stow ATV?s should visitors desire to leave them there for a while.  So, if you?d like, you can store your machines at CAW between visits and they can have it cleaned, gassed, and ready to ride and waiting on you!  CAW has staff on hand that can also provide any repairs or service needed before you return to the park.

WeHuntSC.com - Me beside the Razor   
Me and the Razor  

After talking with the guys at the shop for a minute we got our ride for the day, a really neat vehicle called a ?Razor?.  We then headed back to the main entrance and to the Welcome Center.  We stopped at the Welcome Center to check it out and it is first class.  It was very clean and had anything you could possibly want if you were looking to ride, eat, or even shop for clothes!  The Welcome Center serves multiple purposes to Carolina Adventure World visitors.   The Welcome Center is where you get started at the park.  You purchase your passes there, find information about the trails, buy anything from food, to coke, to wenches, goggles, vinyl stickers, t-shirts, to hats, and on and on.  They also have large bathrooms in the back and a big kitchen.  The Welcome Center has an open-aired wraparound porch feel too it where rocking chairs and ATV?s that can be rented are located. 

Beside the Welcome Center is a shower room where you can go and get washed up after riding if you?d like.  We weren?t riding too fast or for too long and I still got pretty muddy and was tempted to go in there, but didn?t!  The wash room is definitely a good resource to have on location, but its primary use is for visitors who come to stay the whole weekend.  Carolina Adventure World is RV & Camper friendly and encourages families and/or groups to come up and stay for multiple days.  The park is structured so that RV?s and Campers both can have access and they provide electricity, water, and an on-site dumping station for those wishing to come and call the park home for a few days.   I was pretty impressed with that.   And if you don?t own an RV?Carolina Adventure World has RV Campers for rent that sleep up to eight people.  If you?re interested in that, be sure to call early to make reservations as they book the RV?s early for weekends.  

   WeHuntSC.com- Riders at the Park
  Riders at the Park

Across from the Welcome center is a huge parking lot where visitors park and unload their ATV?s and dirt-bikes.  If you?re like me and are not good at driving a trailer you don?t have to worry because the parking lot is plenty big enough and makes it?s easy to make wide turns.  The Welcome Center is also just up the hill from the main mud bog.

The mud bog is just past the Welcome Center to the left and appears to be the location of where a lot of fun takes place.  Though, Jim mentioned to me that most ATVs that get in the mud bog are equipped with snorkels and gear ready to be submerged beneath the water.  The mud bog has a small section of bleachers beside it and is oval-shaped with an island of land in the middle of it.  The island has some lights on it so I assume you can ride through the mud at night there as well.  Beside that mud bog is another mud bog on a lower level that is similar except it doesn?t have an island of land in the middle.  The first mud bog leads to the next mud bog in a stair-step-like manner with regards to the lay of the land.  Beside the mud bogs is the much needed wash-off area.  It?s kind of like a car-wash, but for ATV?s.  The area has pressurized water hoses that can give you the necessary PSI to get the mud off.

After passing all this we continued down to the dirt-drag-strip which was really neat as well.  The strip is fit with the digital clock that shows accurate times and the starting line had starter lights too.  We pulled right up to the track and gave it a whirl.  Jim noted that the track was a little muddy due to all the recent rain, but that normally it?s pretty solid and you can get a better grip which gives more speed and better times.  It?s very similar to a regular drag-strip, but is just on dirt and is smaller and shorter.  I believe Jim said the track is around 300 feet long.

WeHuntSC.com - A mother and daughter riding through the park

A mother and daughter riding through the park

After we checked that out we went riding a little further around the facility and started riding on the trails.  Not too long after we were down a trail some huge bull dozers, backhoes and large machinery came into vision.  Jim informed me that Carolina Adventure World crushes rock on site to help with the maintenance of the trails.  They pack the rock on the trails where erosion occurs and sometimes use it to elevate trails when necessary.  I was impressed with the level of commitment to the on-going maintenance of the facility. 

WeHuntSC.com - A place to get muddy   
A place to get muddy  
It didn?t take long after riding the trails that I noticed the marking of each trail.  Every trail is outlined in a map that is available at the Welcome Center.  The map informs riders of how to approach and safely ride the trails.  The trails are marked as either ?one-way? or ?two-way? trails to help ensure safety for riders.  Also, the trails are color coded with different colors denoting different levels of difficulty for riding.  We rode so long that we were about 4 miles deep in the woods and I couldn?t have found my way back if I had to.  I can see how it would be easy to get lost out there so I would encourage anyone to carry the map with them when riding.  Along those lines of safety, one thing that I thought was a plus was that the park has ?Rangers? present on weekends.  As a safety measure Carolina Adventure World provides ?Rangers? who ride throughout the park to ensure that riders are riding safely.  This gave me a little piece of mind when riding the trails and I?m sure it would do the same for you.  Also, all riders must wear helmets when riding on the course?no exceptions.

Along the way of the miles and miles of trails we crossed a nice wooden bridge that ran over Big Wateree Creek which is like a small river.  We also saw many mud holes that were primed and ready to be ridden through, and we scaled a lot of steep hills and slopes.  You may think that SC is all flat, but I?m here to tell you that this place has some major hills and rugged terrain.  You can literally find any kind of riding trail that you can imagine there.  We rode all the way to the back and ended up at a really swampy looking pond.  It was nice looking and when we rode up to it about 7 wood ducks flew off.  I imagine that the duck hunters would love to have been in this swampy area.

  WeHuntSC.com - The Mud Bog at Carolina Adventure World
  One of The Mud Bogs

After riding on a few of the trails and service roads some more, we headed back up to the front of the facility.  By this time I had a good bit of mud on me and had taken 151 pictures and 52 videos and both cameras had mud on them as well.  I was worried if the footage would make it out alive, but everything came out just fine. 

Other bits of information that may be interesting to you is that Carolina Adventure World holds several competitions and events throughout the year.  From mud bogging competitions, to events for hunters, and even organizational retreats and dinners, CAW is in the mix in a lot of ways.

Jim noted that Carolina Adventure World holds several Championship Mud Bog Races throughout the year.  See www.ChampionshipMudRacing.com for more info on that.  Along with hosting the championship races CAW has held the Brian Fisher Weekend Event several times, has rides where they?re open until midnight, bon fires, and even a poker run. 

I would definitely recommend this place to anyone interested in 4-wheelers, ATV?s, dirt bikes, mud bogging, or off-roading.  The scale of the operation is huge, there are tons of trails (2,500 acres to be exact), safety measures have been taken, they have on-site repairs and rentals, and everything you need is at the Welcome Center.  If you?re into the outdoors and off-roading, then you won?t regret giving Carolina Adventure World a chance.  While we were there we saw people from multiple states and some were there with their families enjoying the park.  If you do go out and see the facility and ride, let me know what you think about it.  I?m not aware of anything else like it in the area.  Much like True Timber Camo, this place is a hidden gem right here in our own back yard.

Below is a video I made of the day at Carolina Adventure World

For more information you can stay tuned to CarolinaAdventureWorld.com for details of upcoming events.  Should you want to be ?in the loop? all the time, CAW also sends out an E-Newsletter with details of upcoming events that you can register to receive.  Still planned for the rest of this year is a Big Labor Day Weekend Ride, another Poker Run, the famous Red Neck Nationals and the year?s final Championship Mud Racings Event to determine the CMR?s End of Year $18,000 payouts!  I didn?t know you could make that much money slinging mud!  Maybe that can be my second career :)

Regards,

Clint

 


Review - 2010 Pee Dee Deer Classic
   WeHuntSC.com - 2010 Pee Dee Deer Classic Review - Carolina Adventure World Booth Image
  Terri Wilburn of Carolina Adventure World's Booth at the 2010 Classic

We left out early this morning and headed down to the Florence Civic Center for the 2010 Pee Dee Deer Classic.  It didn?t take long for the place to get packed and it was buzzing with people both young and old.  The rain held off just long enough and hunters and vendors from all across the state (and from many other states) were on hand to mix and mingle.  The place was lively all day long and you could feel the energy in the air. 

The floor and the walkway of the second level of the Civic Center was literally covered with vendors selling any and every product related to hunting.  From knives, to guide services, to shirts, to scents, to 4-wheelers, to bows, to tractors, to food plot products, jewelry, and even fudge, you could find it all.  There were even vendors there selling fishing and turkey products too!  As full and busy as that place was it was almost overwhelming.  That is, trying to take in the people, the information, the products, the messages, and the concepts is a lot to absorb at once.  I think it wore me out after a while, but then again maybe I?m just lame.

The event was bigger than I initially anticipated and in comparison to the Sportsmen?s Classic I would say it?s a bit smaller.  Though, this is just due to the fact that the event is solely targeted on deer hunting whereas the Sportsmen?s Classic features many more fishing and turkey hunting vendors and booths.

Vendors were on both the ground floor as well as the second level.  The second floor is also where speakers presented on various subjects throughout the day.  It was apparent that the ?Snake Master? was the biggest draw of the day as every time he spoke about snakes you couldn?t even fit around the corner due to the large audience that gathered to listen to him speak.  Yes ? he did have live snakes in the building and no, I didn?t go by there messing with them?but a lot of people did.

I did miss out on one aspect of the classic though.  (Fail again)  I intended to see the archery competitions, but in between me not knowing the times when they started plus being busy shooting pics/videos, and talking to people I always seemed to find a way to miss them.  However, it was obvious that there was a competition as you could see hunters walking around with their bow cases.  I heard they were pretty good though and that the winners will be announced tomorrow. 

There was another aspect of the show that I found neat.  I?ve been to wrestling matches where the audience members bring their own belts to show off, but I?ve never been to a show where people walked around with their deer heads.  At first I thought people were just showing off, turns out that I was wrong and they were just bringing their deer to be scored.  The event featured on-site scoring of deer racks so if you wanted to know exactly what your buck scored, you simply brought it in and gave it to the guys with the tape.  Cool beans!  I took a pic of the guysthat were scoring the racks that you?ll see in the video below.

Going to these shows I usually see many products that I expect to see, but there are always a few products that stick out to me a little.  I?m sure you may be the same way.  In that regard, this expo was the same.  I picked a few products to talk a little bit about that left an impression on me.  If you?re a ?techy? or have similar interests as me, then you may like them too!


 
WeHuntSC.com - The McKenzie Duffle Fan Bag
  The McKenzie Duffle Fan Bag
McKenzie Duffle Fan Bag
The McKenzie Duffle Fan Bag is a really neat concept.  After I saw it, I had the ?Why didn?t I think of that? moment.  Essentially it?s a camo duffle bag with a fan in one end and a place to put a cover scent in on the other end.  You turn the fan on and it pulls the scent through the bag scenting your gear with whatever cover scent you put on the other end.  The bag can hook up to your truck?s cigarette lighter or an outlet in your house.  Not only does it scent your clothes, but it also helps remove any moisture in your gear.  There?s no doubt that this product works as whenever one of the bags is opened you can instantly smell dirt, dog fennels, or whatever scent was on the other end.  Great idea created by a fellow hunter and fellow South Carolinian.  I?m not sure, but I think the McKenzie Duffle sells for around $95.

- www.mckscent.com
 


 
WeHuntSC.com - Mossy Oak's Video Eyewear Glasses
  Mossy Oak's Video Recorder Eyewear
Mossy Oak ? Video Recorder Eyewear
Another memorable one for anybody who loves to video hunts.  Though, you could really use this product to video anything.  The gist is that it?s a pair of camo glasses that has an HD video camera located right between your eyes.  If you see something coming you simply click a button right by your ear to start recording.  The glasses use a very small sd card to store the video and can store 4GB of footage.  I was skeptical about the quality of the footage given the small camera, but I have to tell you that I was impressed with the footage that came from this thing.  The vendor had videos he had taken on display on a computer in his booth and the quality was really good.  It also performed well in low light.  I had a hard time not buying some of these, but the price is a little steep.  They run for $269 online, so get your billfold ready if you want one of these.

- Video Recorder Eyewear


 
WeHuntSC.com - E-Z Kut Pruning Sheers
  E-Z Kut Pruning Sheers
E-Z Kut Pruning Sheers
I was really surprised at, yes, the ease of use of the E-Z Kut.  I know it sounds cliché to say, but this product really is easy to use.  You don?t have to have a strong grip at all to make this thing cut through limbs, twigs, or branches.  The gentlemen selling this product was very nice and simply let the product do the talking.  So I tried it out and I just squeezed and the clippers kind of clicked and as they clicked it seemed like it got easier and in a matter of seconds I was all the way through the limb.  The E-Z Kut was relatively quiet, very smooth, and made a clean cut.  If the wood was too big for your hands to grip you could just spin it in circles and as you spun it, it was cutting doing work until it got into a position that you could grip it.  After gripping, a few more clicks and it was done.  Seems to me like it would be something neat to carry in your hunting pouch and (after you got up the stand) you could simply, quietly, and quickly cut through anything that was in your way.  Maybe a good stocking stuffer and sells for $29.95 online.

- www.EZKutPrunners.com


  WeHuntSC.com - Tag-Out's Chameleon Blind
  Tag-Out's Chameleon Blind

Tag-Out Hunting Products ? Chameleon Blind
Tag-Out?s Chameleon Blind is also a neat concept, especially for bow-hunters.  It?s kind of a like a combination of a ground blind and a tree stand.  The Chameleon Blind would definitely keep you dry in on a rainy day, but most importantly it conceals your movement.  The Blind has vertical slits in the fabric to allow you to shoot out of any directions.  The Tag-Out representative also told me that the blind has some weight at the bottom of the blind fabric in order to keep it from moving a lot with the wind.  If you?re a bow-hunter looking to conceal your movement, this one might be worth it.  Price point is $129

- Tag-Out Chameleon Blind

 

 


 
WeHuntSC.com - Havoc Scent Sticks
  Havoc's Scent Sticks
Havoc Scent Sticks
Havoc Scent Sticks is a simple and neat concept.  These scent sticks help you do two things, one of which has nothing to do with scent. The scent sticks are small, bright pipes that you place in the ground at different ranges.  Since knowing your ranges can be critical you can set these up to assist you in gauging the range of your target.  The pipes are tapered at one end to make for easy entry into the ground and they are hollow at the top.  Once you get them into the ground you place a large cotton swab in the opening.  Though, before you put it in you?re supposed to soak it in scent.  The goal is simply get the deer to pause momentarily to smell the scent while you take aim. Price Point: $12.  Good concept, cheap, easy to see.

- Havoc Scent Sticks

 


  
WeHuntSC.com - The High Maintenance Camo Booth
  The ladies behind
High Maintenance Camo
And for the women?High Maintenance Camo
Representing a growing market share, female hunters no longer have to make due fitting into guy?s hunting gear.  High Maintenance Camo has solved the diva dilemma and is making quality camo gear for ladies.  They make camo to wear hunting, but they also cross over and make trendy, fashionable camo that women can wear out and about.  This company is a family based company out of Florida and is run by some nice ladies.  Guys, if you?re trying to sway your lady into getting into hunting, this may be the route to take?buy her some trendy camo!  Ladies, if you?re tired of trying to fit your curves into men?s clothing?look no further.

- http://www.highmaintenancecamo.net

 


  
WeHuntSC.com - Scott Ledford of Ledford Outdoors
  Scott Ledford of Ledford Outdoors
Scott Ledford ? Ledford Outdoors
Along with products, there are always some people who stick out to me?whether for the right or wrong reasons!  Today we met Scott Ledford from Ledford Outdoors (who stuck out for the right reasons).   Scott is very connected in the hunting industry and guides clients on all kinds of hunts up and down the east coast.  Scott is into video and has been trained by, and shot videos, for the pros...as in Waddell and the crew.  Scott is also a PlotMaster authorized dealer so he?s into all kind of stuff. 

Though, Scott?s connections and video work wasn?t what stuck out to me. There are a lot of connected and talented people out there, but rather his outwardly evident passion and genuineness was what impressed me.  Scott seemed very passionate about hunting, quality game management, and mostly about getting youth involved with all things outdoors.  Scott is also very upbeat about getting kids into hunting and so I expect to see him involved with a lot of big things in the future?especially in the youth realm. 

- http://www.ledfordoutdoors.com


I?ve created the below video to give you an idea of what the environment at the event was like in case you were unable to attend.

Anticipating the upcoming hunting season, it was good to be in an energized environment full of people who all share the same passion for hunting.  For me it was similar to being in a pep-rally before the big game.  I?m fired up and ready to go ?now I just have to convince the wife to share the same vision!

Regards,

Clint
 


True Timber Camo ? One of South Carolina?s Best Kept Secrets
  WeHuntSC.com - True Timber Sign
  The sign out front of True Timber Camo

I woke up early this morning and headed over to Inman, South Carolina to visit True Timber?s headquarters and I was surprised at what I saw.  Maybe I?m not in the loop, but I was completely clueless that we had such a large camo company based right here in our own back yard.  I mean these guys have a nice sized operation going on right in the Spartanburg area.  True Timber sits just north of 85 and is located literally right off I-26.  It was an easy drive and the plant can be plainly seen from the road.  If you?ve ever been up that road, then you?ve probably seen it before.

Since I was there early I took the opportunity to take some photos and videos of the outside of the facility.  This place is a large plant and one can understand the vast size of the operation from only seeing the exterior of the building.  Not too long after I took the pics and videos, Devin Sweeney arrived and showed me the way in.

Entering the place it?s very evident what the showroom is about as some mounted turkeys and seats with True Timber logos greeted us at the first entrance.  On the inside of the front exhibition room all kinds of mounted animals were scattered everywhere throughout the open-aired space.  I mean from deer, to alligators, to lions, to bears, to turkeys, different kinds of fish, and on and on.  It was literally full of mounted heads.  If you?re in to taxidermy, you should give the place a visit just to see all the creatures and good taxidermy work on display.

WeHuntSC.com - A lion inside of True Timber  
 One example of the taxidermy work inside  

Once I was able to quit looking at the taxidermy, Devin started talking to me about True Timber Camo and gave me the history of the company and some facts about what they do.  I took more pics and videos as we walked and talked.  I?m sure it was aggravating for Devin because I stopped every few feet for another pic and/or video.  I also asked him several questions just trying to get a feel for what they have going on at True Timber. 

We left the front display room and headed to the back where the camo is actually made and where the products get pieced together.  I was surprised to see that the manufacturing part of the company was also located right there in the building.  So if you?re looking for home-grown American made products, then True Timber is definitely where you need to go!  The back room was stocked with material, machines, printing presses, storage racks, fabric, and all the necessary items for creating products from scratch.  It was really neat to see (and to hear Devin explain to me) how the whole process goes from the actual designing of the graphics to the printing and then to the creation of products.  I learned some things about how the products are manufactured from the tour.

After touring the back of the facility, we returned to the front and looked at the product lines.  I took a few more pics and videos.  While looking at the products, Devin told me something that I found unique about True Timber?s product line.  These guys make products for everybody?and by everybody I mean they include the big boys.  Yeah yeah, you say?so they carry XXXL? that?s what I thought?think again my friend.  They carry all the way up to XXXXXXXXL <--- (that?s 8X?s) ? so if you are a big boy, or if you know a big boy who has trouble finding camo, then send him on over to True Timber and they?ll get you/him fixed right up.  The picture is of Devin standing inside of just one leg of a pair of 8X camo over alls! 

  WeHuntSC.com - 8XL Size Over alls at True Timber Camo
  The 8XL size over alls

In total I spent about an hour and a half at True Timber.  It was a good experience and Devin was a first class guy who knows True Timber?s products and organization from top to bottom.  He was able to give good answers for any questions I threw at him.  My whole experience at the plant was a positive one and I was surprised to see that such a top-notch outdoor organization was located right here in our back door and yet I had no clue.

I?m sure you have your favorite hunting gear, shirt, jacket, or set-up, but at some point in time you?ll have to get some new gear and I encourage you to give True Timber?s product line a look.  Not only are their products just as good as any of the competitors, but they are made right here in SC, and they aren?t nearly as expensive!  Supporting home-grown business will only affect the economy in a positive way and will help promote an organization based out of South Carolina.  Yes, I am a fan!

If you aren?t up for a trip to the Spartanburg area, True Timber?s camo patterns can be found in many well-known hunting gear outlets.  Devin told me all the different organizations that carry True Timber products and there were/are so many that I couldn?t remember them all.  Luckily, there is a link on True Timber?s web site that has this on hand for those of you who are interested.  Check out the list of stores and companies that carry products featuring the True Timber camo design.

Also, I created a video to give you a feel for True Timber, their products, and facility.

I hope to see you in some True Timber camo in pics on the site in the upcoming season!

Regards,

Clint


 


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