Dagger Bull at 10,000 Feet!
Coming off a great elk hunt in Wyoming. I was with good friend, Justin Jarret, up the South Fork of the Shoshone River, out of Cody. It was only Justin and I, along with five horses and a mule. It took two days to reach spike camp on horseback, and though we only traveled 19 miles, the country was as rugged as any I’ve been in in Alaska, Canada or New Zealand. Justin’s horses were the best I’ve ridden, and our lives were in their hands (or should I say hooves), most of the time. Narrow trails, vertical shale cliffs, snow, sleet and intense lightening were just some of the challenges we faced. At 10,000-feet elevation we were seeing more bighorn sheep than elk, but after two days of searching, found some bulls. Spotting a good bull at over a mile away, closer inspection through the spotting scope revealed he was broken off on his left side. We watched him feed, rake trees and fight off a smaller 6x6. It took three hours to reach the bull, but after a grueling hike we made it to the ridge he was on. After some patient glassing we found the bull, along [...]
Why We Don’t Film In The Wilderness
I usually avoid political issues, but I can’t hold back on this one...it’s cost me lots of time and money. Here’s the scoop. Last week I called the Forest Service in Cody, WY to confirm picking up our filming permit for the wilderness we’d be filming an elk hunt in. The first person initially told me we’d need the filming permit in the pristine wilderness area because no motorized units are allowed there. When I said we had no generators, etc., they said, “But your camera has a motor in it.” “Really? My razor makes more noise than the camera. We can film with SLRs that make no noise,” I said. No response. The next day, on a follow-up call I was told the permit would now take at least 10 days to attain. We needed it in five days. Three days later, on the final follow-up call, I was told no more filming permits are being issued in the pristine wilderness areas of WY, period. The reasoning; we were making money off of it. When I explained that me (the host), our camera man and editors don’t make a dime off of filming in the wilderness, I was met with [...]
Montana Bowhunt For Elk
Just returned from a bowhunting elk trip to Montana. Last year I hunted the Highwooods, where I took a big bull. This season, we were in the foothills of the Little Belts, north of White Sulfur Springs. It was the first time I’d hunted this area. It didn’t take long to learn I wasn’t in the best spot. No wallows, few rubs and fewer fresh droppings left me less than optimistic. Travis Ralls (aka, Zip Code), my camera man, and I covered miles on day one and found only old sign. There was no question we were hunting a wintering ground, as old droppings blanketed the ground in places. We also measured a set of 360-inch class sheds found on the land we hunted. So, when we climbed atop a ridge early one morning and saw a lone bull feeding with a single cow, we figured it would be worth calling. Once the bull hit the bottom of the ridge we were on, I let out a single cow call on my open-reed Last Call, from Point Blank Game Calls. The bull immediately looked uphill, right at us. The bull had been acting rutty with the cow, but was also feeding, [...]
Westernwhitetail.com
As one of the regular columnists for this new online magazine, I want to share some information on what it's about. I'm excited for the opportunities that lie ahead and the hard-working folks who've put it together. Most of all, I'm pumped about the great information it has for whitetail hunters looking to come out West and hunt in this challenging terrain. Check it out, let us know whatchya think... DEER HUNTING THE WEST Deer hunting the West is considerably different than deer hunting other regions of the US. Although the Mid-west may offer some of the finest whitetail deer hunting in the world, it cannot offer what deer hunting the West can. First, there are several Western Whitetail sub-species including several unique trophies such as the Columbian whitetail, Coues whitetail, Carmen Mountain whitetail and Texas whitetail found in the West. Second, the west offers other hunting opportunities during the deer hunt. In addition to whitetail deer, a hunter may be able to pursue mule deer, elk, bear, and even mountain lion during the deer season, depending on the state hunted. Hunting the West often requires the hunter to traverse steep and rugged terrain, far away from major roads; which requires [...]
The Hunt…our new TV show!
After nearly 10 years in the TV business we’ve decided to take the leap and start our own production company. Our new TV show is called The Hunt, and we’ve already begun filming for it. The Hunt is a 13 episode series that will air on the Sportsman Channel, beginning in July, 2012. The focus of The Hunt will be Western big game, with a small mix of predators and birds. Elk and deer (blacktail, muleys and whitetails) will be the primary focus, with bears, pronghorn and other prized big game making occasional appearances. Trijicon, a world leader in scope manufacturing and a company we’ve been working with for years, is the title sponsor of The Hunt. Were it not for Trijicon, we would not be in this position. They’re wonderful people who make quality optics and their support has truly blessed our family and others who’ll be affiliated with The Hunt. While Haugen Enterprises will be the producer of The Hunt, Travis Ralls will be the director. Scott and Travis have worked together for four years on Trijicon’s Game Chasers, where Travis has been the lead camera man and one of the show’s editors. Game Chasers will continue airing on [...]
Umpqua Winter Steelhead
I’m often asked, “Out of all the places you’ve been in the world, why do you choose to live in western Oregon?” The reason is simple...it’s because there’s something to do in the outdoors (hunt and/or fish) every day of the year. One of my favorite things is steelhead fishing, and having been on the road a lot up until now, I’d missed out on some of the best winter steelhead action Oregon has seen in decades. But I had a little time this week and got out with good friend, Todd Harrington. Todd is a longtime guide and now heads up the fishing at the Big K Guest Ranch, in Elkton, Oregon. Todd is one of the best salmon and steelhead anglers I’ve had the honer of fishing with and is simply an all-around great man. The good thing about this trip, my dad was able to join me. Also along for the ride was our main camera man and editor for The Hunt, Dustin Anderson, who captured some of the action to include in upcoming episodes of our new show. We side drifted many long sections of the Umpqua River, using yarn balls. During our less than six hours [...]