~ Jeremy Rogers

My mom and I have always been close, but the last few weeks have brought us even closer. I’m excited to announce that I am getting married July 27th of this year. Although planning a wedding in 4 months has my mom a bit stressed, it’s been so much fun getting to share this part of life with her. All of the shopping trips and brainstorming sessions have brought us closer than ever. Change can often times put stress on relationships, but when it comes to my mom and I’s relationship, it just brings us closer! Thanks Mom for always being there, and loving me even when I drive you crazy! LOVE YOU!

~ Paige Woodruff

I have had a fairy-tale childhood and was raised in a very loving home. I want to thank my mom for everything she has done that has contributed to making me the person I am today. We make one heck of a mother-daughter team. She’s always been in my corner and always had my back through all of my endeavors. But most of all she has shown me endless love… That means more than anything I could think of. Even on “her” day she always takes care of the family. I hope to be half the woman she is someday. I love you mom and wish you many more blessings to come. I’m always here for you.

While my mother will always be my hero and in my heart, there are some other women that I would like to thank as well. I have had several mom’s adopt me as their own and have contributed to my up bringing. They’ve fed me, consoled me and shown me continous support. On this special day I’d like to send them joyous wishes and a relaxing day. They deserve it!

Happy Mother’s Day to all of my mom’s!

~ Jenny Romanin

Where do I begin with such a remarkable woman? How do I begin to tell you, what can I say that would possibly begin to show you what kind of woman she was?

As a little boy, yes I was once little (smiley face), I recollect one of my very first memories that made me see my fearless MOM as a superwoman of sorts. I was playing in my backyard in Granite City, Illinois as my Dad was mowing the yard. I was busy digging for dinosaur bones when something caught my eye slithering across the yard. Yep you guessed it, a gardner snake. It slid by me and being my mothers son, I grabbed it!!! I held it, it bit me, I bit it back and ran with it clutched in my hands towards the house where obviously my mom was watching my encounter intently. As I approached her I remember her saying “what do you have now?” With my reply being “a snake and it bit me!!” and her look was of no surprise to my answer of her question of “what did you do to it?” “Well, mom…” in my little innocent am I gonna get in trouble boy voice I simply said ” I bit it back!!!” I can still see the smile on her face, her laughter was priceless!

That was the beginning of the memories I have left. I cannot tell you how many times she would help me catch a turtle crossing the road due to me crying about it being run over by a vehicle or how when we passed a cow pasture she would go over what kind of cows they were in the field or the times when we all went fishing she wasn’t afraid of baiting her own hook, or my sisters, while my Dad looked on with a proud smile of the wife and family he had. The times she would swing with me and try to teach me to whistle like the birds singing over our heads in the shade tree. I cannot begin to tell you how many hours she spent teaching me how to throw and catch a football or baseball.

I can remember times when my Dad would have to work and she’d go kill some squirrels and clean them and fry them up for dinner. She knew how to skin a rabbit, a deer and shoot pheasants. Yes, that was my Mom. She could fish, hunt, love me, discipline me, and even change her own tire if it went flat! So you can understand the woman I’m am trying to describe to you in a short remembrance is a very hard task! How can I possibly fill you in and paint the absolute picture of my outdoor Momma?

Is it by me telling you about the time I killed my first deer and she stood by my side directing my knife to strategically cut, gut, quarter and place it in a cooler? How about the time she helped me earn so many of my boyscout badges or maybe even the times she read the Bible to me with explanations pertaining to life, the outdoors,  the verses it carried with it and My background of who to truly call on… Or maybe I should tell you about the time we saw a possum get hit by a car and I cried for her to pull over and to our surprise it had babies attached to it and the hours she spent with a baby doll bottle nursing them back to health?

It seems that my upbringing had me set to be known as “The GatorMan” when I caught my first gator and brought my trophy home alive. Her first reaction was to hold it so she could have her picture taken to show off to her sisters!! She knew no limitations and had a very strong will that I believe all animals detected in her. I can remember a story I was told by my Grandma about my mom as a little girl. They had a mouse in their house and she was determined to catch it, even against my Grandma’s orders not too! Well, my Mom was defiant on what my Grandma said and ended up catching the mouse with her hands. The result of that was being bitten by the mouse and her only response was to shake it off her hand. For whatever reason the mouse ran about two feet and killed over!! I have no explanation of why the mouse died after biting her though!

I was always taught, by both my parents, only kill what I eat and always respect the animals that die for me to live. My fearless mother is a major part of my animal instinct. How could you have a mom like mine and not turn out the way I have.

You see, the memories of my outdoor Momma are countless. As you can tell, my Mom was a fearless outdoors woman. She was the Brenda Valentine of her time and for that, I thank the good Lord above for allowing me the honor of having her as my MOTHER.

Mom….I love you! I miss YOU! I know you are watching me type this with tears in my eyes but I just wanted to share a little of you with the world. While I hold on to our memories I strive to continually make you proud! Thank you, for allowing me to share her with you all!

REST IN PEACE, Laura Jean Bartow. Thank You for always being You!!!

Check out Donny’s adventures at http://www.facebook.com/#!/donnygatorman.bartow

“I’m honored and humbled to be working with the very best in the industry of outdoor television. Heartland Bowhunter TV has set a whole new standard to the word “quality”. With my experience in entertainment, marketing and promotions with my passion for waterfowl hunting, I’ve been able to establish an amazing working relationship with the HB Team. My Heartland Waterfowl TV partner and co-host, Logan Burditt, has a tremendous amount of waterfowl hunting experience. He also fits in our concept extremely well with his knowledge and understanding of what it takes to live up to the HB standard. Heartland Waterfowl will be aggressively traveling the country this fall to capture the most compelling story lines and creative footage, as the show is projected to air in July 2013.”

~ Ronnie Phillips

Be sure to check out the trailer at http://www.heartlandwaterfowl.com/

University of Tennessee Photo by Donnell Field

It may be a vast understatement to say that Tennessee Volunteers games are treasured by their fans. Throughout the years the team has instated a number of traditions adored by its many, many die-hard fans. Here are a few of the top-rated traditions.

Smokey the Mascot

Smokey, the Vols mascot, is easily the most cherished of the Vols tradition. There are a couple of mascots that grace every single Volunteers football team. There is the usual costumed mascot who is good at getting the fans and students excited. However, the real mascot is more like a treasured institution – a real coon hound named Smokey who has appeared in various bodily forms since the ‘50s.

In 1953 the University of Tennessee Prep Club held a contest to select the first coon hound mascot of the college’s football team. During the halftime show at a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs game each coon dog was presented to the student body so that their cheers could select a winner. In the end, Smokey, the prize-winning blue tick coon hound of the late reverend W.C. Brooks, was selected. He quickly became the crowd favorite because he kept on howling at the crowd as soon the minute he took the stage.

Ever since then, the tradition has been that one of the original Smokey’s descendants has been an official mascot of the UT Volunteers football team. The present Smokey (officially Smokey IX) is the ninth in this particular line of Tennessee Volunteers mascots.

These are the years that each Smokey has reigned as mascot:

• Smokey 1953-1954
• Smokey II 1955-1964
• Smokey III 1965-1977
• Smokey IV 1978-1979
• Smokey V 1980-1983
• Smokey VI 1984-1991
• Smokey VII 1992-1994
• Smokey VIII 1995-2003
• Smokey IX 2004-Present

The Pregame Showcase

The Tennessee Volunteers Pre-Game Showcase is a feature begun by the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences in 1989. This completely free event is customarily held in the University Center Ballroom two hours prior to the commencement of the game. These fun-filled lecture presentations are complete with refreshments and door prizes. They are specifically designed to allow time for getting to the Volunteers stadium and getting your seats in plenty of time for the game.

The Vol Walk

Since 1988 it has been a tradition for the Tennessee Volunteer players to take a walk along a prescribed route just before a game. Thousands of fans always show up to personally root on their favorite college team.

The Tennessee “T”

Another Tennessee Volunteers tradition is the “T” that graces the side of the Volunteer helmets. The Tennessee “T” has gone through several faces through the years. A block-letter “T” was first added by Coach Doug Dickey in 1964. In 1968 that “T” became rounded. In 1977 the line around the “T” was thickened. In the 1960s, Coach Dickey instituted the tradition of the Volunteer team running into the stadium through a giant-sized version of the “T.”

Checkerboard Tennessee Vols End Zones

Neyland Stadium is unique among college football stadiums for its orange and white checkered end zones. In 1964. Coach Dickey instituted this tradition as well. They checkerboard end zone was wooden until it was replaced with artificial grass in 1989.

Are you a die-hard Tennessee Volunteers fan who appreciates all of the school’s time-honored traditions? Then think about starting your own Tennessee tradition by getting Tennessee Volunteers camouflage decals for you and all your tailgating buddies!

2012 CSU Shotgun Sports Team

The Colorado State University Rams Shotgun Team is hosting their annual Memorial Shoot on Saturday, April 28^th 2012. This is an event to remember two girls who changed many lives for the better and to cherish new friends made through the team. The shoot is open to everyone who would like to join us at the Kiowa Creek Sporting gun club. It will include a full round of Sporting Clays and a Flurry for new and experienced shooters alike.

To give you a little background, Abi Rice and Heather Nielsen left us pre-maturely in 2003 and 2005, but they did leave a legacy of fun and friends with the CSU Shooting Team. It was never important to be the winner, but instead to have fun and make sure everyone around you was having fun. While these two young ladies will be greatly missed, we take their lessons to us dearly to heart. Always tell your family that you love them and your friends are the family you choose. The team has continued to be like a big family – from leaning on each other for times of need and sharing accomplishments, to laughing and crying, fighting like siblings, and helping with classes. These two remarkable young women have found a way of bringing strangers together and growing acquaintances into lasting friendships.

Every year we remember them in our own special way, with a day of shooting while in the presence of great friends, family, and fellow shooters. The money raised helps the Colorado State University Shotgun Sports Team to continue on making wonderful memories and to compete with other colleges in shotgun sports. Come join us for fun and shooting!

If you would like to sign up for a day full of fun, here are the details:

Location:

Kiowa Creek Sporting

46700 E. County Road 30

Bennett, CO 80102

(303) 644-4627

Registration & Entry Fees:

Registration 8am

Individual = $60.00

4 person teams = $200.00

Flurry After Lunch

RSVP to:

CSU Shotgun Sports

Madeline Robinson by April 20th

Email: madeline@rams.colostate.edu

Phone: 970-210-8506

This is a competition where outdoor enthusiasts congregate with the common interest of shooting clay targets. Even within that main group, it gathers trap shooters, skeet shooters and sporting clays shooters; everybody usually has their specialty within the shotgunning world. While on the field or course, shooters are doing everything humanly possible to bring a respectable score to the board to represent their school. Off the field, new friendships are being created and established friendships are being rekindled; there is not a distance possible to extinguish these relationships.

One particular day, I was on the sporting clays range giving moral support to “my team”, Colorado State University (CSU), and we were following the new University of Texas (UT) squad. A little over halfway through the course one of the UT shooters (who used to shoot for CSU) had a gun malfunction which was causing the top barrel in his gun not to fire. Naturally, I wandered his way to ensure that the situation was under control and to calm him after this frustrating incident. We discussed his options and he decided to use his backup gun for the rest of the course.

After completing the course his father took his gun to a local gunsmith to take a closer look at it. Then I got a phone call from the shooter saying his gun couldn’t be repaired in time to shoot the rest of the competition. Understanding his frustration, I offered to look and see if there was something I could do to help. We met up and realized we didn’t have the necessary tools to do the job… Other fellow shooters saw our distress and came to our rescue. Competitors from three different institutions generously let us borrow their tools so we could get a closer look.

The boy’s father brought over the new firing pins that he had recently purchased… now came a new hurdle… After ho-humming a while, more fellow shooters came over to offer help. When all was said and done I wouldn’t be surprised if we had 25 generous helpers compiling our knowledge to help a fellow gun enthusiast to be able to shoot the rest of the competition. These students belonged to schools such as Kansas State University, Southeastern Illinois College, Lindenwood University, UT, CSU and I’m sure several others. Finally, it was complete and the problem was resolved.

When all was said and done, a few shooters and I hung back awhile and discussed how unique the shooting industry is. This is probably one of few to none competitions where rivals and competitors came together to help someone from another team to fix their equipment so they could continue the contest. Through this, new friendships were born and many more were
reinforced.

Shotgunners receive the opportunity to compete in the following disciplines; American Skeet, American Trap, International Wobble Trap, International Skeet, 5-Stand, and Sporting Clays. Recent release of details reveals that there will be 57 colleges, universities, or institutions expected to participate. This brings a whooping total of 520 individual athletes registered, resulting in a 15 percent increase over 2011. Those shooters also contributed to an increase in targets thrown from previous years.

This ACUI championship has been held for 44 years. The National Shooting Complex has been the selected range for the past 25 years. ACUI is a nonprofit educational organization that was founded in 1914 with the mission to bring together college union and student activities professionals from hundreds of schools in seven countries. Its members work with countless unique schools that vary from urban to rural campuses, two-year and four-year institutions, and large and small schools. Through students and administrator’s efforts, they have been able to build a sense of campus community. ACUI enhance their mission and outreach through education, support, and the delivery of services.

This year we have several Pro-Staffers who will be competing at this championship and their efforts will be tracked throughout the competition. Good luck to Ryan and Tanner, bust those clays guys!

Good luck to all and safe travels!

For more information please visit http://www.acui.org/claytargets/

Larry Bird Photo by Steve Lipofsky

Any basketball fan is almost certainly familiar with Larry Bird. He was drafted into the NBA by the Boston Celtics in 1978. Bird played for the Celtics for thirteen seasons. He brought the Celtics from some miserable seasons to the top team in the NBA. Larry was especially famous for his three pointers. Due to chronic back problems and surgery, he retired as a player in 1992. He continued to serve as head coach of the Indiana Pacers from 1997 to 2000. In 2003, he assumed the role of president of basketball operations for the Pacers. A quote by Magic Johnson at Larry’s retirement party: “Larry, you only told me one lie. You said there will be another Larry Bird. Larry, there will never, ever be another Larry Bird.”

Larry Bird was born in the small rural town of French Lick, Indiana. The town is known for its quiet streets and the many outdoor recreational activities, including fishing and hunting. This may be one reason while Larry Bird has always been a passionate outdoorsman apart from his exceptional basketball career. He loves hunting and fishing in addition to enjoying a game of golf now and then. After his retirement from NBA, he is finally finding more time for his outdoor activities.

Larry attends several fishing tournaments every year, and it usually helps a tournament in attracting a lot of participants who hope for a photo opportunity with him and his catch. In addition to fishing, his interest in hunting, bird hunting, is also well-known by his friends. Some consider it quite unusual for an NBA star to have such a passion in outdoor activities. Then again, isn’t it quite natural for someone, who has spent most of his life indoors on hardwood floors, to be attracted to the great natural environment surrounding a hunter or fisherman? And remember, Larry hails from a small country town well-known for hunting, fishing and camping. That country background probably also explains his love for country music.

If you are a fan of Larry Bird, and you also happen to like the outdoors, the best chance for a personal encounter with Larry is to go to fishing or hunting sporting events! Ask around and find out where his favorite spots are. He has a reputation of being a down-to-earth type of guy who is easy to approach and strike up a conversation with.

Most recently, on a trip to Spring Creek in Centre County, I was asked what my “bait of choice” was by a fellow angler.  He presumably was inquiring about what I prefer to fish for trout with, as we were both in pursuit of the famous Spring Creek wild brownies, but that question really  got me thinking.  What would I chose if I could only use one bait/lure for the rest of my life?  Ask yourself that question, and what would you even begin to think??  Depending on a targeted species, there are countless different baits, lures, presentations, colors, shapes, sizes, and on and on and on!  But after I marinated on this topic for a day or two, I have come to a conclusion that I am not only confident in, but I have experience to prove its effectiveness.

As the saying goes “oldies are goodies”.  This saying is specifically true with my lure of choice, which I will shortly reveal.  In today’s world of fishing, anglers are constantly on the lookout for a new product or technique that will catch more fish.  Take the new Alabama rig (aka the Umbrella rig) for example (Pictured Below).  Two years ago no one knew about this new style of fishing.  But today it is one of the hottest and most popular selling devices.  The umbrella rig is even illegal in many locations and tournaments due to its effectiveness. But my lure, the lure that I guarantee will catch you fish and a wide diversity of fish, is not a part of a new fad or technique.  In fact, this lure is almost 80 years old and is still going strong with its continued success of attracting fish to bite.

The lure I am speaking of by a little company known as Rapala.  Ever hear of them?  Yeah, I thought so.  Rapala makes a wide variety of signature style lures.  Everything from crank baits, deep divers, jerk baits, rattle traps, jointed lures, poppers, skitter props, etc.  But by far, the most dynamic lure Rapala makes is their original Floating Minnow size 07 (Pictured
Below).  The F7 Floating Minnow produced includes a small front lip for retrieving at depths between 3’-5’, weighs 1/8 oz, and is 2 – ¾ inches.  All of the floating minnows come in a wide range of excellent colored patterns.  A cousin to the floating minnow is the Rapala X-Rap (Pictured Below).  The main differences between these two lures are the feathered tail, lip placement, and 3D holographic eyes of the X-Rap.  Both the Floating Minnow and the X-Rap can be fished as a “slashbait” or in strait retrieval and will catch fish, period.

These two lures, specifically the Floating Minnow, are the most dynamic fishing lure for one simple reason.  An angler can fish for bass, trout, crappie, pickerel, or northern pike all in the same day with the same lure.  Don’t believe me?  Look below.  I have caught a plethora of different species all with the same style Rapala.  Need more evidence?  To date, Rapala lures have caught 502 of the International Game Fish Association’s record fish, more than any other lure company.  As a result of my success there is not a trip that passes me by where I do not have a handful of Rapala Floating Minnows and X-Raps within my tackle box!  Try them for yourself!

Follow Matt Truesdale and his fishing adventures, tips, and advice via twitter: @Trueze

Alabama Rig

F7 Floating Minnow

X-Rap XR7 (top) and X-Rap XR4 (bottom)

Mountain Stream Pickerel

Crappie

Winter Rainbow Trout

Spring Creek Brown Trout

Small Mouth Bass

Large Mouth Bass

Northern Pike

The highlight of our booth will be Miss June from our “Women of the Outdoors” calendar. She will be autographing copies of the calendar. Don’t miss out on this!

CollegiateCamo will have discounts on our items, especially our signature outdoor college themed decals. Iowa State Cyclones and Iowa Hawkeyes will hold the spotlight at this show, however we’ll be selling all school logos at a discounted price.

This show offers many opportunities for entertainment and education for the entire family. There will be many exhibitors, seminars, contests and celebrities for your enjoyment.

Show Hours
Friday    3 PM to 9 PM
Saturday 9 AM to 7 PM
Sunday   9 AM to 4 PM

General Admission
Admission $12
Youth (10 to 15) $5
Kids under 10 free
Big Buck Contest Ticket $20
Family Pack $30 (includes Two Adult tickets, Two Youth tickets, Two Soft Drinks)
Friday Night is Ladies Night! All ladies are admitted FREE!

Event Registration
Big Buck Contest: Fri 3pm thru Sun 11am
Shed Antler Contest: Fri 3pm thru Sun 11am
Classic 300 Archery Tournament: Fri 3pm thru Sun 11:30am
3D Pop Up walk up entries.  Shoot Out on Sunday afternoon.

For more information go to http://iowashows.com/Shows/index.cfm?Link_ID=22