Backwoods Life

Early Season by Kevin Knighton

2012-01-24T09:51:00.000-05:00

Early season, I made a few trips to Georgia but was yetto see a buck from the stand. I was constantly getting reports of big deerbeing seen every afternoon at CCW Outfitters in Kentucky and I couldn’t wait toget there. It seemed like everything was in my favor. Well, everything but themoon. Full moons are great for Halloween pics and werewolves, but can shift theafternoon feeding times to well after dark. I’m still not sure how I didn’ttake that into account when I set up my schedule!

With a full moon brightly shining as we pulled into campafter dark, the first question I asked Jason Purvis, the owner and head guideat CCW, was, "Please tell me your still seeing deer every afternoon.” Of courseI didn’t like the answer. We would have to abandon the usually hot food plotsand try to move deeper into the woods catching them on their way to a soybeanfield. That’s why we pack Ol’ Man climbers! Flexibility can be key!

We found a heavy trail in the woods and set up. My cameraguy Shawn and I saw several bucks the first afternoon but they were all youngguys. A second afternoon in the same spot revealed similar activities but wenoticed right before dark that a larger group of small buck moved past usfurther up the ridge. The next afternoon, our last of the hunt, we moved allthe way to the top of the ridge and instantly loved the view! We wereoverlooking a large pond, the only water in the area, and an oak ridge coveredin acorns. No wonder the deer we had seen were headed in this direction! Aboutan hour before dark we heard splashing and looked up to see several small buckswalking in the edge of the pond. They even sparred and pushed each other aroundin the water.

I was watching the small bucks when Shawn quickly gotexcited and started pointing through a gap in the trees. He had spotted 2larger bucks in the edge of the pond. A quick look through my Hawke binosthough revealed a 4 foot tall fence through the middle of the pond. The buckswere on the other side and were walking away. Grunts and rattles did nothing tochange their mind. By now, light was quickly fading and it was starting to looklike we were gonna leave without any opportunities. About the time I started topack everything up I heard something walking in the leaves. It was comingstraight from the spot Shawn and I had hunted the last few days. I was sure itwas the small buck we had seen every day, right on schedule straight downwindfrom us. Might as well look at him through my binos though. Good thing I did!It was an awesome 10 point walking straight to us. Good width, incredibly talltines, definitely a mature buck. TheLethal was doing its job because he never caught a whiff of us as he walkedpast. As he walked through my first shooting lane, I settled my 20 yard pin onhim buck could not get him to stop. Several louder grunts with my mouth stoppedhim a few steps later. I triggered my Sabertooth and just knew I was about towatch my first deer of the season fall over dead. I looked at Shawn to startcelebrating and he didn’t look excited. “You missed”, was all he said. What?Impossible. No way. I practiced all summer! A quick review of the footage provedhe was right. I had missed! 6 inches to the right of where I was aiming!

When the deer had finally stopped I had pulled my eye awayfrom the peep sight to be sure there was no brush between me and the buck thatI hadn’t seen in the low light. I don’t believe I ever settled fully back to myanchor point before I released! All of the practice throughout the preseason waspointless for one reason, I DIDN’T CALM MY MIND TO FOLLOW THE ESSENTIALS I’DBEEN PRACTICING. If you’ve watched the show very much, you know this isn’t myfirst time letting the adrenaline take over, but I hope I have finally learnedmy lesson. When your buck walks out on your next hunt, take a deep breath,settle your mind, focus on all the small aspects of the shot, and you’ll end upwith much more meat in your freezer!

Gear

Elite Hunter 28” 70#

Spot Hogg Tommy Hogg 5-pin

QAD UltraRest HDX

Muzzy 100 grain MX-4

Bohning Blazer Vanes

Scott Sabertooth release

X-Factor silencing system

Hawke Frontier ED 10x43 binos

Hunter Safety System Pro-Series vest

Ol’ Man AlumaLite CTS treestand

Game Plan Gear Spot n Stalk backpack

Lethal Human Scent Eliminator

Muzzy Bowhunter Set-up Scent

LaCrosse AlphaBurly boots

Gamehide Clothing

Backwoods Life Season 7 - Ep 5 Turkey Killin Time!

2012-01-23T08:44:00.000-05:00

A little Backwoods turkey hunting, check it out!

Backwoods Life Season 7 - Ep 3 Florida Gator Hunting

2012-01-17T08:27:00.000-05:00

A little Florida gator hunting!

Arrows in Oklahoma

2012-01-09T13:42:00.000-05:00

By: Michael Lee

As the sun set on the Western horizon, my wife Beth,cameraman Hunter, and I still had six more hours of driving to do. Traveling through Mississippi, the milescouldn’t move fast enough to the Oklahoma line. We were headed to hunt the Okie state for the first time and couldn’t bemore excited for a late season bow hunt.

Arriving after midnight, we quickly found our beds so wecould start off the first morning. Asdaylight came the deer movement began. Since hunting over feeders is legal in the state, and late season foodsources are a strong necessity to get a shot, we were going to use these to ouradvantage. Beth was hunting the top of aridge and not long after being in the stand she had deer coming in. After the first few came in to feed, a nicebuck followed but never offered Beth a clear shot.

Setting up just off a food plot on a hardwood creek bottom,I saw a few deer after first light, none large enough to shoot or closeenough. Suddenly I saw a nice buck trottingacross the plot. He was heading away andI decided to blow my grunt call. With afew short tending grunts, the buck stopped and headed straight for us! He came in on a string to the call andstopped at 15 yards…..right behind a tree! Standing there looking, the buck knew something wasn’t right and trottedback up the ridge and out of bow range. Talk about a great start to the trip!

Afternoon two was slow for me, only seeing a doe with twoyearlings, but Beth was wrapped up on a food plot with deer. She saw several bucks that were nice and acouple of shooters. None offered her ashot on the first afternoon though.

When morning two began we awoke to rain, which isn’t a goodcombination for video gear or bows for the most part. We decided to tough it out in ground blinds,we normally hunt in Ghostblinds but in the rain we needed cover for the videocameras. Sitting in the blind asdaylight approached we watched the woods come alive on the top of a hardwoodsridge. With the acorns long gone, theonly food available was the feeder setup 15 yards away. Several does and yearlings along with onesmall racked buck came in to feed then eased back down the ridge. I thought to myself that the rain was settingin harder and the deer would stop their moving for the morning when I looked toour right and a buck was coming up the ridge. Checking him out with my Hawke binoculars, he was a nice eight with abroken rack. As I looked at him, a gianteight point walked into view. This buckhad it all, mass, tine length, width, and height.

Quickly I told Hunter there was a shooter coming in and toget ready with the camera. I clipped myrelease on my loop and readied myself for the shot. The bigger buck came right in and beganfeeding. I slowly drew by my bow andanchored for the shot. Gently touchingthe trigger, my arrow released and I hear a loud thwack and watched the buckhit the ground right there! Whathappened? The chair I was sitting in wasa little low in the blind so after I released the arrow, my fletchings clippedthe edge of the blind window just enough to kick my arrow up. Luckily my Muzzy plowed the deer’s spine anddropped him right there. After a followup shot the buck was done. Was I luckyor the buck just unlucky, I will never know but I had my Oklahoma tag filled!

Beth was back on the same food plot she hunted the afternoonbefore and again had encounters with a couple nice bucks with no luck. She was looking for her first deer with a bowand was doing all she could to contain herself. She finally had a nice eight point in range and drew back on him only tohave a doe walk in the way and she was never able to get a shot off. Over the next three days she saw plenty ofdeer but no shooters to get an arrow towards. As dark fell on the last afternoon, I asked her if she wanted to give itone more try the next morning before we had to head home. Her answer, “I didn’t pay all this money fora tag to eat it!” She learned from memany times that tag sandwiches don’t taste good!

The last morning she climbed in the stand well beforedaylight and was ready. The morning wasfairly slow then two bucks came in to feed. One was a real nice eight point, and on the last day she wasn’t givingany a pass! She drew back her Elite bow,anchored and placed her pink Muzzy right behind the buck’s shoulder at 31yards. Beth had just filled her tag andarrowed her first ever deer with a bow! A nice eight point on top of all that!

There is nothing like spending time in the woods with theones you love. Getting to share Beth’sfirst bow kill with her was very special and hopefully the first of many tocome. She never hunted before meetingme, I don’t know if I’ve created a monster or not but she straight loves theoutdoors and filling her tags as much as I do. I know I’m blessed for sure!

Until next time, God bless and good hunting.

GEAR LIST:

Bow: Elite Pulse (Michael) Elite GT500 (Beth)

Rest: QAD Ultrarest HD (Michael and Beth)

Sight: Spot-Hogg Hogg-It (Michael and Beth)

Broadhead: Muzzy MX-3 ,100 grain (Michael), Muzzy 100 grain3 blade Pink (Beth)

Fletchings: Bohning Blazer vanes (Michael and Beth)

Optics: Hawke Frontier ED 43mm (Michael and Beth)

Release: Scott Quick Shot (Michael), Scott Little Goose(Beth)

Scent Eliminator: Lethal Field Spray (Michael and Beth)

Attractant: Muzzy Bowhunter Setup (Michael and Beth)

Camo: Realtree APG by Gamehide (Michael and Beth)

Backwoods Life Season 7 - Ep 2 Country Goes Hunting

2012-01-09T12:43:00.000-05:00

Country Goes Hunting! Backwoods Life season 7 episode all about country music and turkey hunting!

BACKWOODS PARTNER: Why We Shoot X-Factor

2012-01-05T12:30:00.000-05:00

Here is the latest promo video we made for X-Factor Outdoors with three bonus hunts included!

Another Backwoods Hunt Strong Christmas

2012-01-01T13:36:00.001-05:00

When God created the sport of Hunting, he also created the best feeling on earth, the racing steady flow of what we call, Adrenaline. Its a feeling that never gets old, especially when you are at full draw on a Florida giant.

It’s the night prior to Christmas Eve and I find myself tossing and turning with excitement for the following morning’s hunt, much like a child waiting on the arrival from Santa. On every hunt, I anticipate on being successful with the harvest of a mature animal, that’s the optimism of a hunter. The morning of Christmas Eve was no different than any other. I woke up, had my egg whites with a cup of coffee, stretched, and off to the Florida swamps I go.

It’s extremely foggy with, of course, 100% humidity, 63 degrees, a north/northeast wind, and the high for the day estimated at 83 degrees. It was going to be yet another warm Christmas. As I was walking to my ladder stand in my Under Armour Realtree Heat Gear with my bow, and the ThermaCell smoking, it sounded like it was raining as the dew was dropping from the tree limbs above into the water of the Cypress swamp. Before getting into the stand, I sprayed some of the brush with Muzzy’s Bowhunters Setup, an all-season scent attractant.

My ideal stand location is to position myself inside the swamp, but with all the rain, the water level was well over my thigh, forcing me to hunt along the edge. Just about all the Cypress swamps where we hunt are naturally layed out as follows; the outer layer is full of Florida Palmettos, then a layer of Oak trees and hardwoods, with the core full of thick-trunked Cypress trees and a soggy bottom. The deer feel safe along these swamps with thick cover, plenty of acorns and Cypress berries for food, and water making up all the essentials of a habitat.

My arrow was knocked with my Muzzy MX-3 broadhead as I waited on God’s sunrise. Just at daylight broke, I could hear movement behind me making it’s way directly towards me. I waited still as can be and just below my stand, pops out a young doe feeding on the acorns of the Water Oak adjacent to me. She makes her way directly in front of my stand towards the Muzzy’s Bowhunters Setup and continues to sniff and lick the leaves.

It’s 8:00 a.m. and the yearling doe has been beneath me now for approximately an hour. Our rut has yet to set in, but with this young doe as a decoy in front of me, I was hoping for a mature buck to step out anytime. At just about 8:30 a.m., movement catches my eye. I quickly grabbed my Hawke Binoculars and could see there were three mature does approaching the Oak trees to feed. Nestled in a Pine tree with Oak tree limbs as cover, wearing Realtree AP, and doused with Lethal Scent Elimination, I was undetected by the does feeding within thirty yards of me.

As the sun ascended, the overlaying fog was almost completely burned up, making it much easier to see. Every one of the does made their way to the brush I sprayed to smell and lick. I sat there patiently watching the mannerisms of the deer and all of a sudden I hear a Palmetto bush crack. I focused my attention to the does as they immediately look toward the direction of the noise. Just beyond the edge of the swamp, steps out a mature buck. With the does paying close attention to him, I stood up, grabbed my bow and attached my release.

He comes in grunting and lip curling as he runs at one of the does. They both run out of sight and back into the swamp behind me. I placed my bow back on the bow hanger and immediately started to rethink the situation. Should I have drawn my bow, and grunted to stop him for a shot? Just minutes later, I look back off to my right and there he stands with the sun gleaming off his thick antlered rack. There are three does still in front of me locking their eyes directly on him. I reached for my bow as I began to slowly stand back up and my worst nightmare happens. One of the does catches my movement. I am now stuck in a squat position with my arm in mid air reaching for my bow.

This is no sweat for me. I perform several squats throughout the week while training for the hunt. I practice stopping throughout the movement with 225 lbs. on my shoulders because I know situations just like this are the reality of hunting, just as it has happened in the past. Once she focuses her attention back on him, I stand up and attached my release for the second time. As he eases to the group of does, I began drawing my bow very slowly to aviod as much movement as possible. Just as he started to run at one of them, I grunted with my mouth and he stops broadside. I have hunted this particular spot several times prior, therefore, I already knew the distances and what pin I should use. I placed my thirty yard pin just behind his shoulder, squeezed my release, sending the Muzzy MX 3 into flight. Thwack, the sweetest sound to a bowhunter and off he runs and crashes in the Palmettos not far from where I was sitting.

I stood there silently and still with excitement because the three does were still in front of me keening in on every little sound trying to figure out what just occurred. All I wanted to do was hoot, holler, and throw my arms up in the air in victory. I eased back in my seat and watched as the three does fed for another hour. I knew if they caught any movement or noise they were not familiar with, my cover would be blown. I did not want to educate these mature does more than they already were so I sat there in joy thanking God for continually giving me the strength and endurance to Train Hard so I can HUNT STRONG.

Once they left, I climbed down out of the ladder stand and went to the arrow stuck in the ground. I immediately had a heavy blood trail I followed very patiently to wear I found him less than sixty yards from the shot. Every year, our family tradition is to smoke both a wild turkey and a venison ham for Christmas dinner. Needless to say, it does not get any fresher than that.

My goal on every hunt is to always harvest a mature animal, regardless of the state, country, or providence I am hunting. The more mature the animal, the more challenging the hunt. This buck weighed just over 160 lbs and I estimated him around 4 to 5 years old. He is the second Buck I have harvested this year in the state of Florida. It’s not always about the harvest itself, but the preparation and the journey that made the hunt successful.

Davie “Crockett” Ferraro

My Gear List:

Scent Elimination: Lethal
Safety Harness: Hunter Safety System
Broadheads: Muzzy MX-3, 100 grain
Attractant: Muzzy’s Bowhunter Setup
Camouflage: Realtree
Arrow Accessories: Bohning
Bow Sight: Spot Hogg
Knife: Havalon Knives
Backpack: Game Plan Gear, Spot & Stalk

Starting With the Stick and String

2011-12-12T09:06:00.001-05:00

By: Jeremy Johnson (with Justin Moore)

I and my buddy Justin Moore had a pretty fun couple ofdays hunting back in mid-November. It got started on November 10^thand it was Justin’s turn to be behind the bow. We were sitting in one of my favoritestands on the farm; it was a ladder stand right in the middle of several bigswamp chestnut trees that were loaded and dropping. When we got in there thatmorning and was settled in Justin informed me to be ready with the camera becausehis trigger finger was itchy and he was ready to shoot something. Well itdidn’t take long after daylight for a few does to come feeding to within 20yards of us and Justin got the Elite ready for a shot. So shortly after thedoes came into range Justin sent a Muzzy tipped meat missile towards thebiggest doe and after a short 30 yard sprint she was down for the count. Afterloading her up and getting her out of there we decided that we should try thesame place the next morning since the acorns were really littering the groundin that area.

I decided that I would be nice and let him have anotherchance and it really turned out well for him. We didn’t see anything untilabout 7:00 and Justin said I see some deer coming in. The next thing I hear himsaying is, “It’s a really good buck and he’s coming in fast”. Well he got towithin shooting range fast, but getting a shot off was another story. Justingot close to being rattled because the buck got a little nervous about stickingaround but he wanted those acorns too much. He actually started to bolt on usthree times and Justin drew back on him twice before finally getting a clearshot. The shot looked good and we didn’t think he went far but I made Justinleave the woods with me and head to Waffle House for some breakfast and to makesure the buck had enough time to expire. We got back out there a couple hourslater and quickly found a lot of good blood. After about a 75 yard tracking jobwe found the buck piled up close to the creek. He turned out to be a 121 inch9pt that weighed 210 lbs. So after several high fives, a couple of hugs, and aton of pictures we got the buck loaded up and headed off to the processor.

So with all that excitement mixed with the fact that theacorns were still all over the place, we made the decision to go right back inthere again that afternoon. The only difference this time was that I was behindthe bow and Justin was behind the camera. It wasn’t a very exciting sit exceptfor the fact that we had to constantly dodge acorn all afternoon. We didn’t seebut a couple of does until it got close to dark and a whole herd of hogs camein and starting eating the acorns. We have such a big hog problem this yearthat I never thought twice about shooting one of them. I told Justin to beready cause when I got a good shot I was taking it. I finally got a good shoton a 100lb boar and after a 60 yard tracking job we found my hog. I didn’t geta deer that day, but that pig was the perfect ending to an awesome couple ofdays of action with one of my good friends out in God’s great outdoors.

Gear List:

Bow: Elite
Rest: QAD Ultrarest HD
Sight: Spot-Hogg
Broadhead: Muzzy
Fletchings: Bohning Blazer vanes
Optics: Hawke
Release: Scott
Scent Eliminator: Lethal Field Spray
Attractant: Muzzy Bowhunter Setup
Camo: Realtree APG
Safety Vest: Hunter Safety System Pro Series
Pack: Gameplan Gear Spot N Stalk
Stablizer: X-Factor Outdoors System
Boots: Lacrosse Alpha Burly in Realtree APG

Down But Not Out

2011-12-05T10:48:00.001-05:00

The month of November is basically the Holy Grail for mostof the country's whitetail hunters. This time of year for much of thecountry is when the big boys get on their feet as the urge to breed takes overtheir minds and the search for does is the demise of many. With peak deeractivity during this time, a hunter's dream of that once is a lifetime bucktends to overtake his mind. His consciousness becomes focused on one taskat hand, filling that buck tag.

I, myself am no different than anyone else. Fortunately, I do get to hunta lot as well as travel to different places all over the country annually but Ido spend many hours each week in the office so that I can keep the lightson. My mind wanders daily when I can't be in the woods and longs forbeing in a tree more than in an office chair, so when November rolls around Itry to shift many things to allow more time in the woods. This year washard, but I still made it happen.

One of my goals this season was to prove on film that I could tag out in myhome state of Georgia. I arrowed a nice buck in early October to fill myfirst tag and in my mind thought it would be no problem to fill the other withso much of the season left to go. After focusing my first two and a halfweeks of November in Georgia, reality set in and this was going to be harderthan I thought. This season has been one of the strangest in a long timewith the "rut" being very spotty and the big bucks doing most oftheir moving at night, even more so than normal. To say it has beenfrustrating would be an understatement for us, but we kept going andgoing. Finally, the day after Thanksgiving my second opportunity of theseason presented itself.

With a dominant Southeast wind blowing, I decided to hunt one of our food plotsthat's usually good for at least seeing a few deer in the evenings. My mental thought were to the point that if I hunt a spot I know does arefeeding, maybe I could just get some luck on my side. Walking in sprayingsome Muzzy Scrape Juicescent, we spooked one doe out of the plot and a few minutes after getting intothe stand we had a small buck pass by right under us and head right for theScrape Juice looking for a girlfriend. After about an hour with noaction, and my frustration continuing to build, a familiar group of does andyearlings appeared. This group of four is pretty much a common staple inthe plot every evening. This time they had another deer in towhowever. It was a buck! The foursome fed across the plot and headedinto some pines as the cautious buck finally walked out of the thick brush tofollow across. He paused long enough for me to see he was a tall, wideeight point that would fit the bill for my final buck tag for Georgia on theseason.

Grabbing my gun and easing the barrel toward the buck, I easily found the crosshairs of my Hawkescope and settled them right behind the quartering away buck's shoulder. Squeezing the trigger, the roar sounded and I watched the buck jump and stumbleout of the plot.

Walking to the spot of impact the sign was easy to find and my buck was downjust yards into the wood line. Finally! Hunting on my family farm Iam pretty picky about what I try to shoot. I hadn't taken a buck fromthere in over two years. This buck wasn't the largest by any means but tome it is always special to fill a tag on our own family land. The historyfloods through my mind after every hunt, knowing that for over 100 yearsour family has worked, played, and preserved this land for moments like this.

Always remember, it isn't the size of the trophy, it's the size of the hunt.

God bless and good hunting,

Michael Lee

Michael's Gear List:

Optics: Hawke Eclipse 30 SF 6-24x50mm, Hawke Frontier ED 43mm
Scent Eliminator: Lethal Field Spray
Attractant: Muzzy Bowhunter Setup
Camo: Realtree APG by Gamehide
Pack: Gameplan Gear Spot N Stalk
Boots: Lacrosse Alpha Lite in Realtree APG

Doe-ing It Right!

2011-11-07T15:47:00.002-05:00

By: Michael Lee

As the sun began to rise on the pine hills of Southwest Georgia, I found mycameraman Jeremy Johnson and I perched in our Ol' Man Roost standshung in a thickly covered gum tree. It was our third day of hunting with Trophy Georgia Huntsand we had seen our fair share of deer, just hadn't been lucky enough toconnect.

After spending the two days trying different spots as Georgia opened its2011 rifle season, we decided to sit on the edge of the pine plantation andhardwood ridge with my Elitebow in hand. Our setup over looked an old logging road bed that had tonsof acorn trees falling along it. With the rut being over a month away inthis part of the state, no mature doe that walked in was safe! Sureenough around 9:00 AM, I see movement coming up the road bed and told Jeremy toget ready. Four does came in, single filed. I knew two were muchlarger than the others and one of them had a meeting with my Carbon Express /Muzzy combo on their morning agenda!

Patiently I waited for either of the two to turn broad side as I askedJeremy if he was ready. He moved the camera over to the doe on the leftwhich was around 15 yards away as I drew my bow. Anchoring my sight Ieased my trigger finger into the fire position and steadied my top sight pinjust behind her shoulder. Launching my arrow over 330 feet per second,the MX3 found its mark and I could see a great entrance hole as she bolted andran down the old road. In the distance she stopped behind some thickcover then fell over as she expired.

There is NO rush like placing an arrow vitally on an animal, no matter whatsize species it is, bow hunting takes us back to a primitive time wherepatience, accuracy, and determination are what provide meat for ourfamilies. Proudly I climbed down as we recovered the doe, a nice 3.5-4.5year old that will grill nicely while providing valuable protein for our diets.

Remember to keep your herd in balance and take a few does if needed. Most places in the country do need does taken out of the herd each year. They provide a keen opponent for your archery skills, many of the older gals aremuch wiser than bucks that walk by us each season. Also, they fill thefreezer nicely to get us through until the next season begins.

Gear List:

Bow: Elite GT500
Rest: QAD Ultrarest HD
Sight: Spot-Hogg Hogg-It
Arrows: Carbon Express Maxima 350
Broadhead: Muzzy MX-3 100 grain
Fletchings: Bohning Blazer vanes
Optics: Hawke Frontier ED 43mm
Release: Scott Quick Shot
Scent Eliminator: Lethal Field Spray
Attractant: Muzzy Bowhunter Setup
Camo: Realtree APG by Gamehide
Safety Vest: Hunter Safety System Pro Series
Pack: Gameplan Gear Spot N Stalk
Stand: Ol'Man Roost
Stablizer: X-Factor Outdoors System
Boots: Lacrosse Alpha Burly in Realtree APG

Breaking the Ice on 2011

2011-10-18T10:33:00.001-04:00

Sitting in my office the other day I was thinking about how long it had been since I drew back my bow on a whitetail buck. Here it is, mid-October and I haven't had a chance at a shooter buck yet. In 2010 by now, I had about 300 inches of antlers tagged out. Granted last year was a great season and really above par for the most part but my longing to arrow something had consumed me. Every trip to the stand the fire burned stronger and I had to keep thinking and planning to be able to get a shot at my first buck of the season.

Taking a break from whitetails for a few days to hunt gators in south Florida really helped clear my mind some. I arrowed a nice eight plus foot gator on film and then regained my focus on the real fire inside.

Finally I was able to get away for a few days here in mid-October and spend some consecutive days in the woods without interruptions. Driving into the property here in south Georgia to hang a cameraman stand and camera arm the night before the hunt, cameraman Zach Phillips and I saw to nice shooter bucks in the area. That got my blood pumping! One buck even trailed a doe semi-aggressively as we watched in the headlights of the truck.

We eased around the edge of a grown up pasture / field to where a string of red oak acorns were falling. We had an Ol'Man ladder stand and lock on there in a few minutes ready for the morning hunt. Daylight came on October 14th and a cool 50 degrees had a few deer stirring around. It wasn't long before the first doe came in smelling of the Muzzy Bowhunter Setup that we sprayed around the stand then she began eating acorns. She literally touched the bottom of the ladder stand! Talk about being human scent free with our Lethal spray and attracting with the Bowhunter Setup, that is a deadly combination.

The morning passed on and I grunted in a small three point, saw a few more does and that was it. We were setup on a fence line with more acorn trees just down the ridge and with the predicted wind direction from the northeast we decided to put Ol'Man climbers up in another spot to play the wind a little better for the afternoon hunt.

Slipping back into the area around 5pm that evening, we sprayed down with Lethal and I strategically sprayed some Bowhunter Setup on some small brush to hopefully get a shooter to stop for a shot if need be. Minutes after climbing the tree we had does coming in. Within an hour we had so many does around I was almost scared to move in the tree due to all the eyes around. A few minutes later I looked up the hill and here come a nice tall racked buck. He was feeding under the first acorn tree on the fence line and we were sitting in the last! He need to come in about 100 yards for me to get a shot. Luck was on our side as he followed the does down the fence line and cleared the over hanging oak limbs for a shot. A drew back my Elite, anchored, then released my arrow right through the from of his shoulder for a heart shot.

Turning around to Zach, I felt confident the Muzzy MX-3 found its mark. Zach told me that he wasn't sure about the penetration, everything happened so fast. Now I started questioning my shot. We watched the video back and after finding my broken arrow, we knew the buck had six to eight inches of Carbon Express arrow and a Muzzy in his heart.

Climbing down from the stand my mind was racing, we walked to the last spot we saw the buck run into the trees and sure enough he was piled up right there! A nice tall racked southern buck to break the ice of the 2011 season!

Gear List:
Bow: Elite GT500
Rest: QAD Ultrarest HD
Sight: Spot-Hogg Hogg-ItArrows: Carbon Express Maxima 350
Broadhead: Muzzy MX-3 100 grain
Fletchings: Bohning Blazer vanes
Optics: Hawke Frontier ED 43mm
Release: Scott Quick Shot
Scent Eliminator: Lethal Field Spray
Attractant: Muzzy Bowhunter Setup
Camo: Realtree APG by Gamehide
Safety Vest: Hunter Safety System Pro Series
Pack: Gameplan Gear Spot N Stalk
Stand: Ol'Man AlumaLite CTS
Stablizer: X-Factor Outdoors System
Boots: Lacrosse Alpha Lite in Realtree APG

Florida Gators!

2011-10-11T21:37:00.001-04:00

The Backwoods Life headed to hunt swamplizards with Seth and Chelsea Whitaker of Switchgrass Outfitters in Titusville,FL. We had four gator tags to fill in three nights. The hunts start at 5p.m. and could go all through the night to 10 a.m. the following morning.So our shooting skills were about to be tested on little to no sleep.

It's night one of the hunt,Jeremy is up to bat ready to sling some Muzzy Gator Getters with hisElite while Woody can't wait to get on some action himself. It didnot take long until Jeremy scores on a nice 9 ft. gator. It's Woody'sturn to tag-out. Woody was having an extremely challenging day experiencingsome travel issues with airlines and hotel accommodations, so he was ready totake out some aggression on a monster gator. The hunt was tough andbelieve it or not it was quite cold too. They never saw a shooter and decidedto head back in to get some rest around 7:30 a.m.

Day two. Since Both Michael and I gotthere that afternoon and there was limited space on the boat, we decided to goin shifts, filling Woody's tag first. After a good long nap, Woody wakes up inhopes of getting on a big one early. It was a challenging hunt, because therehad been a lot of pressure on these gators. We were hunting late in the gatorseason, which means these big old gators got smart and were hiding out. Not tomention, the water was way down, making it easy for them to hide in the grass.Woody didn't have much to choose from so he decided to take this 6 footer (picturebelow). He thwacked his gator just behind the shoulder. That just goes toshow you how pumped he is about deer season making a shot like that.It was not the biggest gator killed, but I guarantee you, it will eat the best.Great job Woody!

Meanwhile, back at the hotel room, Michael,Kevin, and Davie were chomping at the bit ready to clean house. Once we got thecall that woody tagged out, we were in the truck headed down to the boat ramp.We left the ramp at about 10:30 p.m. with the Elite knocked with a Muzzy readyto stick it to them. It was not long before we spotted a big gator across thelake and before we got to him, down he went. Davie was told by Seth to shoot an opening where hewent down hoping he just went under and didn't leave, but no luck. After somemiles covered and issues with the spotlight, Seth decided to go try a differentarea that was not as pressured.

We saw some descent sized gators, butagain, they were going under way before we got to them. At about 4:00 a.m.the gators we were seeing started getting bigger in size so we were moving inthe right direction. Cold, wet, and tired, we were all anxious to closethe deal. Just after 5 a.m., Seth spotted an 8 ft. gator in the shallow waterin the grass beds. As we approached him, Davie drew back the Elite,aimed and let the Muzzy Gator Getter eat.

Now batting, in the clean upposition, is Michael Lee. Its one hour later with the sun on the rise andMichael is already at full draw on a 9 footer. We saw this gator a few timesbefore in the night but he would never present a shot. This time, the biggator made a wrong decision. As the gator swims away with us following directlybehind him, Michael lines up all his Spot Hogg pins on the gator's back,sticking him just above his tail. Awesome shot Michael Lee! 4 tags filled forthe Backwoods Life and time to get some rest, because we were hog hunting thatafternoon.

While Kevin and I were headed to huntsome hogs on a nearby island, Michael, Woody, and the girls were off for anafternoon ride on the airboat. On the way in to set up the GhostBlind,Seth spots a group of hogs rooting up the land. Kevin is no stranger toputting some hogs in the freezer. Kevin is less than 10 yards from awhite hog who has no clue we are there. Kevin draws back and sends a Muzzy 4Blade right through the heart and we hear him crash not to far away. We look upand not even 30 yards away is a boar hog making his way towards us. I bet youcan guess what happened next. We were 10 minutes into the hunt and twohogs were on the ground ready for the smoker.

Don't forget tocheckout Backwoods Life T.V. to see this show on next season. And asalways, life is good when your living The Backwoods Life! For moreinformation about hunting with Seth and Chelsea, their information isbelow.

SWITCHGRASSOUTFITTERS
Florida Gators, Hog, Turkey, and more
Seth: (407) 448-9069

The Sins of Bow Hunting

2011-09-23T09:25:00.000-04:00

Now I’m not about to go down the list and tell you all of the right things to do while bow hunting, instead let’s take this as a chance to look at some of the wrong things. Trust me over the years I’ve had a lot of goof- ups while bow hunting. So here is what I like to call the “sins” of bow hunting.

The first “sin” is not having your equipment ready. How many of you wait until the weekend before bow season to get your bow out of the closet? As a bow hunter you wouldn’t ever think to do this, but as I found working at an archery shop, there are a lot of people guilty of this. Many hunters would come into the shop a week before archery season looking for new strings, cables, arrows, broad heads, and even limbs! Now there is nothing wrong with that, but some of these folks expected miracles that just cannot happen. My point being with this “sin” is to keep your equipment in working shape all year long so you won’t have to worry about it come opening day.

Now that we’ve discussed keeping your equipment in good shape, it’s time to address the second “sin.” How many of you wait until a week before the season to start shooting? For many, we wait due to the heat or we’re busy with the kids starting school and in my case, trying to get my permission slip to hunt again! Your body needs to practice as much as you need the mental preparation of shooting at an animal. You create muscle memory through repetition and improve your body condition, so when that moment of truth comes, you are ready to make the shot. Remember to practice with your hunting gear on as well and if you use a range finder, be sure to use one while practicing.

Alright, you have made it through the first two “sins”. Are you stacking up well so far? The next “sin” is stand maintenance. This is the most important topic that I will cover so please heed these words with your life. One of the scariest things I have ever experienced in the woods is almost falling from a stand. I was sent to a ladder stand and everything appeared to be fine. It was tied to the tree and made of sturdy metal. I climb up and sit down on the seat; now I am pushing the 250 lb. mark and standing 6’3” tall, I am not what you call light on your feet! So when my rear end hit that seat, the stand started to buckle under me. Luckily the ladder caught on a knot in the tree to stop the stand. Needless to say, I slid down that ladder and kissed the ground. Folks, the most important words I can tell you are to test out all of your stands thoroughly before you climb up and ALWAYS wear a safety harness.

If you follow these few tips and eliminate the “sins” of bow hunting, you will be a better hunter and it may show up on your trophy room wall!

Kansas Gobbler

2011-08-15T22:04:00.001-04:00

The morning started out with a walk in total darkness in a cut corn field. It was early but anybody that has hunted Rios now that they start gobblin early, and this mornin was no different! Before we could into our location and our blind set up the birds started hammerin! It sounded like a dozen birds in the big Kansas cottonwoods right in front of us. They began to pitch down just over the rise out of sight, and gobbled like craze! I started some aggressive calling and had them fired up. I kept calling and just when I thought they were all following the hens the other way, a big lone tom broke over the hill to our left. He was about 250 yards out but when saw the strutting decoy it was on like donkey kong! He came in strutting and gobblin the whole way. The big Rio circled behind the blind approaching the decoy from the rear as most do. I let the bird walk by the blind to get to the decoy that was placed at 25 yards. I already had my Elite in hand and the Carbon Express tipped with MX4's locked and loaded! The tom approached the decoy in full strut with his fan to me, and Kathy gave me the green light. With the squeeze of the trigger on my Scott baby goose release the rest is history. The tom flew about 30 yards and rolled up. This was my first Rio with a bow and my first with Elite Judge.

Hunter: Ryan Whitaker
Location: NW Kansas
Game: Rio Grande Turkey
Camera Woman: Kathy Whitaker

Ryan Whitaker - Backwoods Life Bonehead 4 Life
"BLEND IN OR GO HUNGRY"

A Florida Double by Davie Ferraro

2011-08-06T09:17:00.001-04:00

One of the Best and most memorable Hunts Of My Life thus far, if you can’t tell by the perma-grin on my face! I harvested both of these monster Florida Bucks on the last day of the deer season within the last hour. It took a lot of patience and perseverance to get a shot at these two bucks. I was hunting a cypress swamp that usually holds water most of the year, but was dry at the time. These deer had bedding areas and travel corridors all throughout this swamp. I sat this area 15 different times and saw nothing but does and and hogs on some occasions. There were multiple rub lines and scrapes throughout this area and I knew for sure there was a good buck or two within this swamp. I was very hesitant to put cameras out because I did not want to spook any of these bucks out of the area. I grunted the first one in, which is the one on my left and rattled the second one in, the one on my right just thirty minutes after harvesting the first one. I was prepared and optimistic and once the opportunity presented itself, success was conquered. Thanks to Carbon Express Arrows accompanied by a Muzzy Broadhead, a Backwoods Life deadly combination.

Hunt Strong!

Davie Ferraro - Backwoods Bonehead

Andrew Finishes Strong!

2011-06-28T21:13:00.000-04:00

Hunter: Andrew Atkins

Location: Vidalia, GA

Animal: Eastern Turkey

Cameraman: Zach Thwaite

Michael, Beth, Big Mike and myself were scheduled to hunt the magical property that Zach Thwaite has been generous enough to allow us to hunt for the past few years. It’s unreal to listen to 12-15 gobblers sound off all at once….IN GEORGIA!

I decided to head down a day early and hunt with Zach and I’m glad I did. Things got tough later in the weekend. But we had a great hunt on that Friday morning. It was the last weekend in April and things were starting to wind down. We heard absolutely nothing first thing in the morning and decided to make a quick move to “the dove field”. Zach knew there had been a couple of birds hanging out there and knew they were studs. So we eased our way over there and discovered that they had beaten us to the field.

There were two giant strutters doing their thing in the early morning sunlight and in front of three hens. Our only option was to literally belly crawl up as close to the field as we could (which was still about 40 yards from the edge) and cross our fingers. There was no point calling much. They were busy with the hens. So we waited….and waited….and waited. It was really fun to just sit back and watch longbeards strut in the morning sunlight for a while.

Well, after about an hour, they finally made it toward us and started skirting the edge of the field that was closest to us. The only problem was that when they got “close enough” I was blocked by some limbs. When the closest bird finally cleared, we guessed he was at 40+ yards and I was hesitant to take the shot because I was shooting a little single shot 20 gauge. But he stood nice and still and stuck his neck up so I took a shot. Clean miss!

We figured that was it. I messed it up and it was over. But for some reason, not a single turkey reacted to the shot. They just went right back to what they were doing. Sure enough, an hour later, the same bird literally walked the same path he had walked an hour earlier, stuck his head up and I took the same shot again…but I didn’t miss.

As we stepped it off, we realized that the topography of the field had fooled us. It turns out, he was standing at 52 steps when I killed him…with a 20 gauge! Unreal. I would have passed had I known how far it was. But it turns out that Federal Heavies are some seriously powerful shot. He was at least a three year old turkey and had an 11.25” beard and matching 1.25” dagger spurs.

It was a great end to a great season and the kicker was that I got to film Michael killing a bird two days later. Thanks to Zach for letting me chase those birds.

Gear list: Holland Custom Calls Backwoods Ninja mouth call, Realtree camo by Gamehide, Lacrosse boots

Ashley's First Turkey!

2011-06-13T21:37:00.000-04:00

Hunter: Ashley Atkins

Location: Georgia

Animal: Eastern Turkey

Cameraman: Andrew Atkins

The turkey that this story is centered around has been haunting me (and a few others) for two years now. We stalked him literally daily up until opening day last year. On opening day he promptly disappeared and was never seen again. It was like he was a ghost...POOF...he was gone.

So, once again this year, he magically showed up on this 100 acres (roughly) and I personally stalked him 2-3 times a week leading up to opening day. I did this for a variety of reasons. First, I'm seriously ridiculously insane about turkeys and I just can't get enough of seeing them, listening to them and just generally learning more about them.

Second, I had a score to settle with this turkey. Not only did he just flat disappear on us last year (which was just plain rude if you ask me), every time I tried to get on him pre-season this year he would jump sides of the property. So I'd KNOW he would be in one spot and he'd roost on the other side. I'd go to that side the next day....you guessed it, I'm on the wrong side again.

So this guy was starting to drive me mad and I got more irritated with him every day. Long story short, I would say that "hate" would not be too strong a word for this particular turkey. The funny thing is that at the same time that I hated him, I started to have a fondness for the little punk.

That's the background....now in my best "Paul Harvey" voice....here's the rest of the story.

This is not my property. I have a friend who was gracious enough to allow me to attack this turkey and then he went a step further and allowed me to take my wife out there on her first turkey hunt ever. For that, I cannot thank him enough. We have three kids and we conned aunts and uncles into taking the older two for the night on Friday and then we woke up extra early and dropped the baby at grandparents and headed off to the “scene of the crime”

Three super jakes had moved into the area about 10 days prior to the season and, from what my trail camera and my eyes told me, they must have ganged up on my turkey and pushed him off his favorite spot. So Friday morning comes and I'm off work. So of course, I'm going to go check on my turkeys. Sure enough, the super jakes are in the prime spot and my boy starts firing up on the other end of the property. I knew about where he was, but decided to just let well enough alone and bet that he'd be in the same spot on Sat which was opening day in Georgia.

After we dropped off the baby, we snuck in to the general area and then just took a seat to wait for the show to start. 7AM passes....nothing. 7:15am passes....the only thing we hear is a bunch of owls (which my wife thought was awesome because they were right above us) and my super jakes gobbling at the other end of the property. I knew it was them and I KNEW that I had not heard my boy yet. At that point, I knew him by sight and by sound.

FINALLY, 7:20 hits and the turkey who literally could not keep his mouth shut on most days gobbled one time for me and we were off toward him. We walked 100 yards toward him and I called to him.....cut me off. After that, there's not much to the story. I got her set down in some trees and I sat right behind her with the video camera. It was so much fun watching her experience this all for the first time. She was amazed at the whole experience. We got settled down and I called again....nothing. I gave him about 2 minutes and then gave him some soft stuff....nothing. But I could just feel it, he was coming.

30 seconds after the last call a blue head pops out of the woods and into the clearing we set up on...at 20 yards! The rest is history. I, of course, was whispering “SHOOT HIM SHOOT HIM SHOOT HIM!!!!!!" as soon as he popped out. But I was so proud of my wife. She waited. She didn't have a clear shot at his neck and she waited. He put on a great show. Never gobbled in front of us, but he strutted back and forth about 5-6 times at 20 yards. He made one last turn back to the right, came out of strut, stuck his head up and the little single shot 20ga sent a clump of Federal Heavy Weight #7's that hit him like a ton of bricks and his legs literally folded under him.

She dropped him like a sack of potatoes and I lost my mind! Called her by her maiden name I was so excited. I jumped up and yelled "Ashley Moore...YOU JUST KILLED THAT TURKEY…her last name is Atkins. But you know you how do full names when you're kids are in trouble? Same kind of thing I guess.

Seriously....best turkey hunt of my life and it only lasted about 20 minutes or so. I've got the whole thing on HD video.

11 1/4" beard and matching 1" needle sharp spurs. Here's the kicker...and I'm not making this up. This turkey weighed 23.9#'s. Biggest turkey I've ever seen in person. I know he was at least three years old because we knew he was a hoss last year and there is absolutely no doubt it's the same turkey. I'm so proud of how she handled herself and can't wait to do it again. Sorry for the length. Just thought it would be worth the story. It's a special story for me.

Millstone Plantation Nebraska - Turkey Paradise!

2011-05-31T21:20:00.001-04:00

Hunter: Kevin Knighton
Location: Millstone Plantation - Center, Nebraska
Animal: Merriam's/Eastern Hybrid Turkey

After an afternoon of hunting an open field and watching almost a dozen gobblers fly up to roost less than 100 yards behind us in the woods, we knew exactly where we were gonna be the next morning. At daylight, the gobblers flew down, fought what seemed to be no-rules MMA, then made their ways in different directions toward the neighboring fields to strut their stuff. Although it made for great video, we were stunned that none came within bow range. Just as we were considering packing it up for the morning we noticed 3 gobblers standing back in the woods. A few calls on the HCC Raspy Vixen mouth call got their attention and they headed our way. Apparently they hadn't read the script though because they looped on a path that would take them around behind us. Just as they began to cross the creek behind us I caught a glimpse of one of the gobblers in a small opening and quickly cut at him. He locked up the brakes long enough for us to get the camera and my Spot-Hogg sight settled on him at 30 yards and I triggered the Scott release. It looked like a rocket headed to him as the Lumenok streaked straight past his beard and through to the other side. I'm not sure if it was the Muzzy Phantom MX or the Muzzy grasshoppers that did the most damage, but he took 4 quick steps and folded up in a ball.

On the same trip to Millstone Plantation Backwoods Bohnhead Woody Sullivan also arrowed a heavy, long-spurred double bearded gobbler that is expected to register in the Top 20 all time for Nebraska. But Woody's luck didn't run out then. On the last morning of the hunt he hit the jackpot with a 5 bearded monster gobbler that made Nebraska's Top 10 and may also make top 10 NWTF Merriam's records as well. All in all it was a terrific hunt at Millstone Plantation. The Elite's definitely got a workout!

Gear:
Elite Hunter bow
GhostBlind Predator
Muzzy Phantom MX & Grasshopper
QAD Sneaky Leaf
X-Factor stabilizer, limb factors, and string silencers
Spot-Hogg Hunter Hogg-It 5 pin sight
Scott Saber Tooth Release
Carbon Express Maxima Blue Streak arrows
Bohning Blazer vanes
Gamehide Camo Clothing

Andrew Gets it Done in Georgia

2011-05-18T22:17:00.000-04:00

Hunter: Andrew Atkins

Location: Georgia

Animal: Eastern Turkey

Cameraman: Andrew Atkins

Well, I'm not sure what to say. I've already had a good enough season that if nothing else happened, I'd be happy. I've been turkey hunting twice this season and a bird died each time out. First I took my wife out on opening day and she killed the biggest turkey I've ever seen...That was crazy enough because of all the logistics involved in getting kids (including a 6 month old) taken care of so we could hunt for a couple hours.

But then I was able to go to a different property on Friday because I had Dr. appt scheduled at 10:10 AM. I knew it would have to be quick because it's a mile walk back to where the turkeys hide and I was recovering still from a little surgical thing...so I was moving slow. It was a little overcast on 4/1 at daylight. But nothing terrible. Apparently, though, the turkeys were NOT in the mood to play. Nothing gobbled at daylight. So, I just did what I always do at that spot...I sat down and waited. I knew there would be a bird in the area. It was just a matter of where and how far.

About 10 minutes after I thought they should have cranked up, he finally gave me a gobble and he was literally only about 150 yards from me. I was sitting basically on the main road and I knew he was down a side road "somewhere"...I just didn't know exactly where. I'll cut it short, because it's really not a terribly impressive story. But long story short, I just kept moving down the main road and sitting down. I'd get the video camera set up (always in a horrible spot for video!) and just listen. Every time he'd gobble a few times and I felt like I could pinpoint him better, I'd move closer and give him a series of calls to make him think I was coming to him (he was still on the limb at this point).

Finally I got within probably 50 yards of him and I knew I was in a decent position to kill him. Pretty much as soon as I sat down the last time, I called and I heard him fly down. Tried to get him to respond one more time and I can't remember if he did. But eventually I just shut up on him. I knew that he knew where I was and it was his decision at that point whether he was going to get curious or not.

He got curious…

As I said, I was running the video camera and trying to hunt, so I was in a tough spot. But the big problem was that I just flat out got impatient. I'm not sure why, but I did. He was coming, but he stopped and I think I just got a little worried. He was only at about 25yds, but I took a quick shot and wasn’t sure how hard I hit him.

So to make a short story even longer...I reloaded the 20ga and went looking for him. He was gone...nowhere to be seen. The road that he came up splits about 30 yards into the woods. I walked down the left side of that road and looked as good as I could....nothing. Then I went down the right side looking....nothing again.

I was literally about to turn around and sulk my way back to get the camera and start the long walk back when I looked up and there he laid in the middle of the road in a heap. He had only flopped about 30 yards total. But it was far enough to take me from the absolute top of the mountain to the bottom of the valley and back again. As I thought, I hit him just a little bit (and I mean just a little bit) low and left. He was still ready to flop some more, so I walked up real slow and he tried to pick up his head a little....that turned out to not be a good idea for him. I'll say this, so far I'm very impressed with the Federal Heavy's in #7.

Anyway, I was going to make this short and ended up lying...so sorry for that. He turned out to be an absolute stud of a turkey. He had 1 or 2 beard strands that EASILY crossed the 11.5" mark and a pair of matching needle sharp 1.25" spurs.

I actually almost killed another one on the walk out! If I'd have had time, I probably could have. I bet that second bird gobbled 50 times trying to come it. But for some reason, he went around me and I had to go! He's in trouble next weekend!

Wetherington On the Board!

2011-05-09T22:46:00.002-04:00

On a very cold second weekend of Georgia turkey season Steve, Kevin and I headed over to Screven to hunt with Bryan Landon and Jimmy Standfield. We arrived at the property well before daylight Friday morning. Steve was kind enough to run the camera for me so we got all the equipment gathered up and headed to our spot for the morning. Bryan and Jimmy set us up on the edge of a field under a couple of oak tree's. Steve got the camera gear set up and Jimmy put a couple of decoys out about 20 yards in the field. I put up the new Ghost Blind Runner up, slapped a #4 in the ole' shotgun and turned on the Hawk Optics red dot sight. Perfect setup! Now all we needed was the gobblers to start hammering so we would know where they were. As planned a gobbler fired off directly across the field from us. Then another behind us. Before long there were 2 gobbling across the field in front of us and 2 behind us to our right. Right after daylight a hen snuck in to the field on our left. She fed to the decoys and then just kept feeding around the field in front of us. While we were watching a jake suddenly flew into the field and joined the her. They both fed around for what seemed like forever. They then walked out of the field to our right down a two path road.

We called softly on the Backwoods Life Assassin glass and the Witchy Woman mouth call by Holland Custom Calls. They gobbled at everything we threw at them but It seemed the were getting no closer. After about an hour the gobbles were few and far between. Then without warning we got a gobble behind us and to our right. We called softly and each time he gobbled we could tell he was a little closer. Of course he then shut down. We sat there silent for a good while when I noticed several jakes and a hen coming into the field near where we heard the gobbler. Then, I saw him! He was in full strut following the others to the decoys. Steve said he had him on camera and to take him when I was ready. The big Tom went straight to our decoys and strut his stuff.............the biggest problem facing us now was the fact that every turkey in the field was also swarming around the decoys and my target! Finally, after fighting to keep myself from passing out, the others broke off a bit and gave me the shot I needed. Boom! I came with the noise and had my first gobbler of the season. He had a 10 1/2" neck-tie and 1 1/4" daggers!

It doesn't happen this way most of the time but it was one of those "perfect" hunts we all dream of every spring. We stayed put even when it would have been easy to pick up and move on the birds. We called softly and even shut the calling down to coax the ole' fanner in. I won't even get into the fantastic food Jimmy and Bryan prepared for us........thats a whole different story. Kevin was able to take a nice gobbler on the property also. Steve and I got very close to getting him one as well but but we needed a few more yards for a good shot.......more great video to tell the story of a great hunt in the spring backwoods of Ga.

Ghost Blind Runner
Hawk optics- Red dot scope and Bino's
Holland Custom Calls
Realtree AP
Lacrosse Boots

Kevin Knighton Stays Hot in Georgia!

2011-04-25T21:43:00.000-04:00

Hunter: Kevin Knighton
Location: Screven, Georgia
Animal: Eastern Turkey
Cameraman: Shawn Sumeral

I spent the second weekend of Georgia's turkey season in Screven, Georgia hanging out with a Lil Dave and a Big Dave, Jimmy, and Brian living the Backwoods Life chasing turkeys. Trey started things off Friday morning with a nice longbeard who came strutting into his decoys, making for some beautiful video. Shawn and I arrived in camp late Friday afternoon and before dark had a gobbler fired up and coming into our GhostBlind set-up. Unfortunately, as I was trying to shoot a gobbler with my new Elite Hunter, I had put out a full strut decoy. We were tucked back in the swamp with limited visibility, so, when a jake came in leading the pack, he was intimidated to say the least. He put up quite a ruckus which kept the 3 GOBBLERS that were with him from coming in. Too bad one of them didn't walk in first because they probably would have had the nerve to attack rather than retreat!

We spent most of Saturday exploring a new piece of property, but knew Sunday morning that we had to go back to the turkeys we'd been so close to Friday afternoon. Right on cue, at daylight, all 3 gobblers fired off very close to where we'd seen them before. Unfortunately, the water level in the swamp had risen almost a foot in 2 days, so finding a dry place to set up was impossible. We moved as deep as we dared and found a wet seat to call from. The Backwoods Life Assassin had them fired up, but after 30 minutes they were still standing in the same spot gobbling. I put down the calls and let it get quiet for a while. When I was almost out of patience, and only seconds away from calling again, I heard turkey wings. I hoped they were flying across some water so I got ready. Sure enough, a lone gobbler had separated from the pack and was headed our way. He walked through several gaps at less than 40 yards with my Hawke red-dot following him the whole way, but it wasn't until he walked into the last possible shooting lane that Shawn whispered that he finally had him in the camera. The shotgun blast sounded like it echoed in the swamp for over a minute, but the turkey was down less than 30 yards away. When we got him back above the water line and dried out a little, we measured his thick, paintbrush beard at 10 inches and his spurs at 3/4 inch. We'd had to resort to the shotgun and a wet seat to get it done, but it was a successful hunt which we will remember for a long time. Our calling passed the test and brought the gobbler to us when we couldn't get to him. Just wish it hadn't been so thick in that swamp because I sure would've liked to have been slinging a Muzzy broadhead at him from my new Elite Hunter. Oh well. I'm heading to Nebraska next week for their archery season so maybe I can make up for it then.

Gear list: GhostBlind (Sniper and Runner)
Elite Hunter
Muzzy Phantom MX 100 grain
Mossberg 535 Tactical Turkey model
Backwoods Life Assassin glass call
Hawke binos and red-dot scope
Gamehide camo clothing
LaCrosse Alpha Burly sport boots

Treb's First Osceola with Dad

2011-04-17T20:44:00.005-04:00

Treb Wetherington

Switchgrass Outfitters - Florida

Osceola Turkey

Cameraman: Trey Wetherington (dad)

My son Treb and I were west of Titusville trying to get him on a big Osceola gobbler. We were hunting with Seth Whitaker and Mike Mizell of Switchgrass Outfitters. The first morning we sat up in an orange grove and had some hens try and get in the Ghost Blind with us. We didn't see or hear a tom.

After grabbing some lunch and a few minutes rest, Mike took us to another property that he had seen several gobblers on. We drove out into a large pasture with several cypress heads in it. Mike and the landowner had watched the turkeys walk this pasture every afternoon and roost in a particular cypress swamp. We spotted a big gobbler and some hens walking a fence row and headed to the same swamp. Mike set Treb and I up in some trees and brush between the gobblers and the roost swamp. We watched and our hearts sank as they walked to our left headed away from us about 200 yards. I tried calling on the Holland Custom calls Backwoods Assassin but the wind was whipping and they paid it no mind. As luck would have it a Bald Eagle swooped down over the turkeys turning them straight in our direction. I got Treb ready and kept the camera rolling. Finally the gobbler got close enough for a shot but the Eagle passed by again and they began to spook. I told Treb to let him have it or he's gonna be outta' here! Treb made a good shot and what a big gobbler it was. The beard measured only 8 1/2 inches but he was heavy and had 1 1/2 inch limb-hanging spurs! Sometimes luck does the trick! Thanks to Seth and Mike for a great hunt.

Gear: Backwoods Assassin glass call, Hawk Optics red dot scope and Bino's, Lacrosse boots, Realtree camo by Gamehide.

Kevin's Triple Beard Gobbler!

2011-04-04T22:21:00.003-04:00

Hunter: Kevin Knighton

Location: Ft. Gaines, GA

Outfitter: Clay Hill Hunting

Animal: Eastern Turkey

Cameraman: Shawn Sumeral

Opening weekend of Georgia's turkey season found Shawn and me at Clay Hill Hunting with Mr. Eddie Watson. Before daylight we hopped on the Backwoods Rumblewagon golf cart and headed only a few hundred yards behind the camp. As soon as I blew an owl call a turkey gobbled about 100 yards away right on the road through the property. We hurried to set up our decoy and GhostBlind Runner. A few light tree yelps on the Backwoods Life Assassin had the gobbler fired up on the roost. He and a hen flew down after we'd been set up for just a few minutes and walked straight down the ridge toward us. We had expected the turkey to walk in on the road, but instead he walked parallel to us. If we hadn't set up the GhostBlind he would've have easily busted us because we would've stuck out like a sore thumb. After watching him strut for just a few minutes I couldn't take it anymore I settled the Hawke red-dot on his neck and shot him at less than 30 yards with my ol' reliable turkey gun. It was a text book hunt to say the least. The biggest surprise of the hunt was rolling the turkey over to find that he had 3 beards! That's the second multiple bearded turkey I've taken at Clay Hll and the third that we've shot there on video. (Trey and I both shot double bearded gobblers there a couple of years ago.) It was definitely a memorable hunt and one we'll look back on wishing many others could have turned out that easy.

Gear list:

Backwoods Life Assassin glass call

GhostBlind Runner

Hawke binos and red-dot scope

Gamehide camo clothing

LaCrosse Alpha Burly sport boots

Opening the Georgia Turkey Season

2011-03-31T09:51:00.000-04:00

March 30, 2011: Michael Lee traveled to Donalsonville, GA with cameraman Jason Heathcoe to hunt with Mike Watson and eleven year old Jordan Trawick on his father Brad's farm. It wasn't long as the sun began to light up the eastern sky that the crew had a gobbler hammering. Setting up their Ghostblinds on a large food plot between a large cow pasture and a swamp bottom was a perfect spot for calling in birds. Michael first sweet talked a nice gobbler just out of gun range for Jordan with his Backwoods Assassin glass call. Then another gobbler came into the plot and took the first gobbler off with him. A few minutes later six jakes were coaxed into gun range for Jordan and he slammed his first turkey ever!

A few hours later the guys saw a group of birds in a big pasture, one of them a mature gobbler. Michael and Jason (videoing) crawled to the top of a hill where they could watch the gobbler then Michael called to him with his Backwoods Ninja mouth call. The gobbler immediately began strutting and gobbling right back. Suddenly a large group of jakes started running over to Michael's calling and the gobbler couldn't let them beat him to the "hen" so he started coming right to Michael and Jason. Michael aimed his Hawke red dot scope on the birds neck and squeezed the trigger. Number one for Michael was on the ground!

Talk about a great opening day!

Kevin Scores in Florida!

2011-03-22T13:47:00.000-04:00

March 22, 2011:

For some reason gobbler fever has been way worse this year than in the past! Maybe it was the new Holland Custom Calls Backwoods Life Assassin glass call sitting on my desk for the last several weeks. Perhaps it was the new Hawke Optics red-dot scope, on top of the trusty old Mossberg, staring at me from the corner of the room. Whatever it was, I couldn't have been more ready for North Florida's opening day last Saturday. Daylight found my buddy Walt and me sitting by an oak tree listening to at least 6 gobblers firing off on the property. A group of three were the closest, roosted only a couple hundred yards away in a bottom. The brush was too thick to get any closer so we had to rely on the Assassin and a pocketful of Signature Series mouth calls to coax them close. Unfortunately the hen hanging out with them was apparently doing some coaxing of her own. Once, we thought we had the deal sealed when Walt slipped back about 50 yards behind me. One of the gobblers came out of the bottom thinking the hen was leaving, just as we'd planned. But he crossed behind the thickest area where I couldn't see him to get a shot.

That was the last straw. I had waited on this hunt for too many weeks. Thick brush or not, we were going in the bottom after the other 2. By the time we picked our way to the bottom of the hill, trying to be as quiet as possible, the gobblers had moved off the property. Again, all we could do was rely on the calls to change their direction. When we sat down, we both agreed it would be nearly impossible to call the gobblers back to where they'd already been most of the morning. Walt fired up his mouth call while I got the camera situated and one of the gobblers confirmed they were still a couple hundred yards away. Needless to say, I was extremely surprised when I looked up a couple of minutes later and saw a red head coming our way. I settled the camera on him, then the Hawke red-dot pinpointed his neck at 30 yards and sent the heat! He folded up in a ball. This was the adrenaline rush I'd been waiting on for weeks! He ended up having a 10 inch beard and a pair of the sharpest 1 1/4 inch spurs I've ever seen. If every hunt this season goes like opening day, a lot of turkeys are going to meet their demise. Definitely a great opening weekend of Living the Backwoods Life!

Livin' It,
Kevin Knighton

2011-03-15T09:40:00.000-04:00

March 7, 2011:
This week we are hitting the woods of Alabama with the Johnson's! Jeremy and his family never have a dry season on their farm in bama. Bucks will be tagged! Tune in and live the Backwoods Life this week!

Pursuit Channel
(Directv ch 608, Dish Network ch 240)
Wed 11:00am & Fri 9:30pm EST

2011-03-07T09:02:00.000-05:00

March 7, 2011:
Michael, Mike Lee, Trey Wehterington, Andrew Atkins, and Greg Turner hunt with Adventures Wild in Nebraska for some late season turkeys! The guys have to work hard and make some amazing shots to fill their tags. Tune in and live the Backwoods Life!

Pursuit Channel
(Directv ch 608, Dish Network ch 240)
Wed 11:00am & Fri 9:30pm EST

2011-03-04T10:26:00.003-05:00

March 4, 2011:
Come see Michael, Trey, Kevin, and more of the Backwoods Life crew in Chattanooga, TN at the Southern Trophy Hunters Big Buck Expo on March 11-13th at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The guys will be in the Muzzy Hunting Camp sessions as well with fellow pro-hunters Roger Raglin and Adam Hayes.

2011-02-28T15:10:00.000-05:00

February 28, 2011:
Michael and Mike Lee head to Alabama for some December bow hunting then Michael joins Kevin and Boneheads Scott Cooper and Jimbo Yance in southern Alabama for some more bama bucks with their muzzle loaders. Tune in and live the Backwoods Life!

Pursuit Channel
(Directv ch 608, Dish Network ch 240)
Wed 11:00am & Fri 9:30pm EST

2011-02-24T08:38:00.000-05:00

February 24, 2011:
This week on the Backwoods Life TV, Michael, Kevin, and Bonehead Jeremy Johnson join Bryan Hughes, Mark Land, and a others on lake Eufaula in Alabama to try and fill some gator tags. You don't want to miss the giant gator they encounter this week! Tune in and live the Backwoods Life!

Pursuit Channel
(Directv ch 608, Dish Network ch 240)
Wed 11:00am & Fri 9:30pm EST

Hawke Optics Signs with Backwoods Life as Official Optics Partner

2011-02-22T09:41:00.002-05:00

National award winning outdoor TV show Backwoods Life proudly partners with Hawke Optics as official optics partner for Backwoods Life TV.

Hahira, GA (February 22, 2011) - Backwoods Life Television, the national award winning television series airing on Pursuit Channel and coming to Wild TV, announced today it has partnered with Hawke Optics as the official binocular and scope partner for 2011 and 2012.

The partnership will include Backwoods Life crew members and show hosts using Hawke binoculars and scopes during the filming of Backwoods Life TV through 2012 and incorporating range finders and more into the 2012 filming.

"Hawke’s line of optics got our attention right away with their clarity, quality, and affordability for the average person.” said Kevin Knighton, co-host of Backwoods Life TV. “We pride ourselves in working with companies that provide great products that are affordable for any budget.”

As one of the most popular trio of hosts in the outdoors industry (Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton, and Trey Wetherington), Backwoods Life TV has become a top hunting show on the Pursuit Channel. Backwoods Life TV offers an exceptional marketing platform to promote its advertising partners. The Backwoods Life trio also brings a strong foundation with social media on the internet as well as many appearances at special events.

Watch Backwoods Life TV on the Pursuit Channel currently on Wednesdays at 11:00 AM and Fridays 9:30 PM EST through June 2011 with new airtimes on Pursuit Channel coming in July as well as three weekly airings on Wild TV in Canada beginning July 2011.

For more information on Hawke Sport Optics please visit: http://www.HawkeOptics.com

2011-02-15T13:48:00.001-05:00

Elite Archery Enters Third Year Partnership with Backwoods Life

Award winning TV show Backwoods Life remains strong marketing partners with Elite Archery and their top of the line bows.

Hahira, GA (February 8, 2011) – Backwoods Life television, highly popular hunting program airing on Pursuit Channel and Wild TV (July 2011), announced today it has renewed their partnership with Elite Archery as the official bow line of Backwoods Life.
The partnership will remain as the previous two years as you will see Elite Archery’s commercials, bow equipment, logo, and much more continued to be used in the filming of Backwoods Life. The guys have proven over the past two seasons that the Elite line is a tried and true part of the Backwoods Life’s everyday equipment.

"We are extremely proud to continue our relationship with Elite Archery into its third year.” said show host Michael Lee. “The Elite bow line has been an extremely valuable asset to the success we have had in the woods and on film. We pride ourselves in using the best equipment available and Elite exceeds all expectations.”

As one of the most popular trio of hosts in the outdoors industry (Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton, and Trey Wetherington), Backwoods Life TV has become a top hunting show on the Pursuit Channel. Backwoods Life TV offers an exceptional marketing platform to promote its advertising partners. The Backwoods Life trio also brings a strong foundation with social media on the internet as well as many appearances at special events.

Watch Backwoods Life TV on the Pursuit Channel currently on Wednesdays at 11:00 AM and Fridays 9:30 PM EST also on Wild TV in Canada beginning July 2011.

About Elite Archery
Elite Archery was established in 2005 in the state of Washington. After changing ownership in 2007, Elite Archery was then sold to Elite Outdoors in January of 2009 and moved to Upstate New York. Elite Outdoors, LLC is led by Peter Crawford as president of the company. Peter has worked in the archery industry for nearly a decade. Garret Armstrong heads up the marketing department as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing and Mike Derus is the company’s lead design engineer. Also on the Elite Outdoors team are Jim Klossner, Vice President of Operations; Maggie Armstrong, Director of Communications and Vickie Pellegrin, Credit Manager. Everyone at Elite Outdoors has been hunting and shooting archery collectively for more than 100 years!

About Backwoods Life TV on Pursuit Channel and Wild TV
If you're looking for another boring outdoor show, turn the channel. Backwoods Life TV was developed in 2004 when three guys banging their heads together said, "Since we are going hunting and fishing anyway, let's try to make some great video of it!" Since that day the Backwoods Life TV team of Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton, Trey Wetherington, among others, have dedicated their time and efforts into producing the highest quality outdoor television and video entertainment for you, the viewer, to enjoy. With a 100% real "in your face" approach to the outdoors, their efforts have evolved into a national television show that now airs on the Pursuit Channel and will begin airing on Wild TV in July 2011. For more information about Backwoods Life TV, please visit: http://www.BackwoodsLife.com

Media Contact Information
Backwoods Life TV & Radio
Phone: (229) 507-3425
Email: steve@backwoodslife.com

Elite Archery Contact Information
Elite Archery
235 Middle Road
Henrietta, NY 14467
Toll Free: (877) 503-5483
Phone: (585) 444-0204
Fax: (585) 444-0209

2011-02-15T13:26:00.002-05:00

February 15, 2011:
This week on the Backwoods Life TV, Michael, Kevin, and Trey are headed to Clay Hill Hunting Lodge in Georgia to try and sweet talk some long beards, then Trey hits the woods at his home farm with a boss gobbler firing off! Tune in and live the Backwoods Life this week!

Pursuit Channel
(Directv ch 608, Dish Network ch 240)
Wed 11:00am & Fri 9:30pm EST

2011-02-08T13:44:00.001-05:00

February 8, 2011:
This week on the Backwoods Life TV, Michael, Kevin, and Trey are headed to Ohio to meet up with Scott Cooper and Ryan Brock at Wolf Creek Outfitter just in time for the peak of the Ohio rut! The big bucks are moving and the guys are putting a week in hoping to tag out. Tune in and live the Backwoods Life this week!

Pursuit Channel
(Directv ch 608, Dish Network ch 240)
Wed 11:00am & Fri 9:30pm EST

2011-02-01T09:42:00.000-05:00

February 1, 2011: Turkey season is just around the corner and on this week's show, Michael Lee and Kevin Knighton head to south Florida to start the earliest turkey season in the United States. They are joined by Scott Cooper and Hayes Luscher to try and knock down an Osceola! Live the Backwoods Life this week!

Pursuit Channel
(Directv ch 608, Dish Network ch 240)
Wed 11:00am & Fri 9:30pm EST

2011-01-25T08:29:00.000-05:00

January 25, 2011: Right now is the prime time for the Alabama rut in the south. This week's show is from the great state of Bama as Backwoods Bohnhead Scott Cooper and his crew are in the woods for some prime bow hunting. Scott then takes his son Ryan out in search of his first buck, then host Trey Wetherington is in south Alabama with his son Treb in the stand. Check out the Backwoods Life this week!

Pursuit Channel
(Directv ch 608, Dish Network ch 240)
Wed 11:00am & Fri 9:30pm EST

2011-01-24T15:30:00.003-05:00

Backwoods Life Partners with Holland Custom Calls for New Turkey Line

National award winning outdoor TV show Backwoods Life joins forces with Holland Custom Calls as official turkey call partner and sets path for new turkey call line.

Hahira, GA (January 19, 2011) – Backwoods Life Television, the country-as-cornbread reality hunting program airing on Pursuit Channel, announced today it has partnered with Holland Custom Calls as the official turkey call of Backwoods Life TV.

The partnership will include a new Backwoods Life “pot” style call to be launched in 2011 along with the Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton, and Trey Wetherington edition diaphragm mouth calls. These calls will be available through the Backwoods Life website, Holland Custom Calls website, and all retail locations carrying the Holland Custom Call lines.

Also Holland Custom Calls will be used beginning the spring 2011 in all turkey episodes filmed for Backwoods Life TV.

“Teaming up with Backwoods Life was a no-brainer, great group of guys, and a great partnership. And when it comes to turkeys with these guys all I can say is KILLERS!”, said Mike Holland, owner of Holland Custom Calls.

As one of the most popular trio of hosts in the outdoors industry (Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton, and Trey Wetherington), Backwoods Life TV has become a top hunting show on the Pursuit Channel. Backwoods Life TV offers an exceptional marketing platform to promote its advertising partners. The Backwoods Life trio also brings a strong foundation with social media on the internet as well as many appearances at special events.

“We’re honored that Holland Custom Calls thinks so highly of our abilities that they want to launch the signature series of calls for us.” said Lee, “We stand proudly behind our partners and their quality of products, Holland Custom Calls fits right in with us to the fullest.”

Watch Backwoods Life TV on the Pursuit Channel currently on Wednesdays at 11:00 AM and Fridays 9:30 PM EST also on Wild TV in Canada beginning July 2011.

About Backwoods Life TV on the Pursuit Channel and Wild TV:
If you’re looking for another boring outdoor show, turn the channel. Backwoods Life TV was developed in 2004 when three guys banging their heads together said, “Since we are going hunting and fishing anyway, let’s try to make some great video of it!” Since that day the Backwoods Life TV team of Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton, Trey Wetherington, among others, have dedicated their time and efforts into producing the highest quality outdoor television and video entertainment for you, the viewer, to enjoy. With a 100% real “in your face” approach to the outdoors, their efforts have evolved into a national television show that now airs on the Pursuit Channel and will begin airing on Wild TV in July 2011.

2011-01-19T10:45:00.000-05:00

January 19, 2011: Let's get fired up for the coming turkey season as this week the Backwoods crew invades Georgia to hunt with good friend Zach Thwaite and get the Georgia season kicked off with a hot start!

Pursuit Channel
(Directv ch 608, Dish Network ch 240)
Wed 11:00am & Fri 9:30pm EST

2011-01-10T21:41:00.001-05:00

January 10, 2011: This week it's all about Destin, FL and catching some reds and trout! The guys hit the water on the Inshore Angler with captain Daniel Pike and as always Daniel knows where to get the lines stretched! Check out some inshore drag peelin' Backwoods style!

Pursuit Channel
(Directv ch 608, Dish Network ch 240)
Wed 11:00am & Fri 9:30pm EST

2011-01-03T10:04:00.000-05:00

January 3, 2011: Watch the guys this week hit the woods in Pike County, IL after some giant free range whitetails with Midwest Whitetail Adventures and our good bud Mark Knight. The crew has their Elite bows in hand ready to make some Muzzy moments in one of the best big buck locations in the US!

Pursuit Channel (Directv ch 608) - Fri 9:30pm EST

2010-12-20T14:02:00.000-05:00

December 20, 2010: Bohnhead members Michael Lee, Beth Lee, Mike Lee, Kevin Knighton, Trey Wetherington, Treb Wetherington, and Donnie Key all hit the state of Georgia in a "homecoming" of sorts as they kick off Georgia's season! Can they fill some tags? Tune in and see!

Pursuit Channel (Directv ch 608) - Tue 5:30pm, Thu 5pm, and Fri 8:30pm EST
In Country TV (DishNetwork ch 230) - Wed 5:30pm and Thu 8:30pm EST

2010-12-20T13:59:00.001-05:00

December 20, 2010:

Backwoods Bohnhead,Scott Cooper, filled one of his Alabama whitetail tags with this bruiser eight point on film for the crew. Scott continues to take down trophy whitetails with his Elite missile launcher!

Hunter: Scott Cooper
Animal: Whitetail

Location: South Alabama

Bow: Elite GT500
Rest: Quality Archery Designs Ultra Rest
Silencing: X Factor System
Arrows: Carbon Xpress
Broadheads: Muzzy
Vanes: Bohning Blazer
Sight: Spot Hogg
Camo: Realtree by Gamehide
Safety Harness: Hunter Safety System
Options: Nikon Binos / Range finder
Release: Scott
Scent Control: Dead Down Wind
Boots: LaCrosse

2010-12-13T21:33:00.002-05:00

December 13, 2010:

Backwoods Bohnhead, Jimbo Yance, tagged the largest buck ever taken on their Alabama property with this 150 inch beast!

Hunter: Jimbo Yance
Animal: 150 Class B&C Whitetail

Location: South Alabama
Cameraman: Jimbo Yance

Score: 150 inches B&C

Spread: 19 4/8

Main Beams: 23 3/8-L and 24-R

Mass: 4 5/8 base-L and 5 1/8 base-R, H3 6-R and H3 4 6/8-L

Tine Length: Left G2-10 2/8 Right G2 9 7/8

Rifle: Browning A-Bolt .300 Win Mag

Ammo: Hornady Heavy Magnum 180 grain

Camo: Realtree

Boots: LaCrosse

2010-12-13T14:32:00.000-05:00

December 13, 2010: This week's show is all about the Johnson family. This gun totin' clan in Alabama is no stranger to filling the freezer with bama bucks. Watch Bohnhead member Jeremy Johnson take several of his family members along as they knock down some bama critters while living the Backwoods Life!

Pursuit Channel (Directv ch 608) - Tue 5:30pm, Thu 5pm, and Fri 8:30pm EST
In Country TV (DishNetwork ch 230) - Wed 5:30pm and Thu 8:30pm EST

2010-12-09T08:32:00.002-05:00

December 9, 2010:

Backwoods Bohnhead,Ryan Brock, was videoing his wife Sara when she was able to tag her first buck in her home state of Alabama. Awesome job Sara!

Hunter: Sara Brock
Animal: 9 point Whitetail

Location: Alabama
Cameraman: Ryan Brock
Camo: Realtree
Boots: LaCrosse

2010-12-07T08:32:00.000-05:00

December 7, 2010: The Backwoods Life crew is in Nebraska hunting turkeys with Adventures Wild and TDT Outfitters with one thing on their mind. Filling some tags! Michael, Trey, Mike Lee Sr, Greg Turner, and Andrew Atkins are hard after the Rios and Merriam's that roam the hills and fields of SW Nebraska. Tune in and see if the guys can get it done!

Pursuit Channel (Directv ch 608) - Tue 5:30pm, Thu 5pm, and Fri 8:30pm EST
In Country TV (DishNetwork ch 230) - Wed 5:30pm and Thu 8:30pm EST

2010-12-01T09:25:00.000-05:00

December 1, 2010:

Backwoods Bohnhead, Mike Lee was hunting his farm in south Georgia when this old buck came in for a close bow shot. Mike had seen the buck a week earlier in the same stand but didn't get a shot at him. This time the buck gave him a clear shot as cameraman Zach Phillips recorded everything.

Hunter: Mike Lee

Location: Georgia
Cameraman: Zach Phillips

Bow: Elite GT500 in Realtree AP Camo
Rest: Quality Archery Designs Ultra Rest
Silencing: X Factor System
Arrows: Carbon Xpress Maxima
Broadheads: Muzzy MX-3
Vanes: Bohning Blazer
Sight: Spot Hogg
Camo: Realtree by Gamehide
Safety Harness: Hunter Safety System
Options: Nikon Binos / Range finder
Release: Scott
Scent Control: Dead Down Wind
Attractant: Muzzy Bowhunter Setup
Boots: LaCrosse

2010-11-29T22:23:00.000-05:00

November 29, 2010: This week on Backwoods Life TV, Michael Lee and Mike Lee head to Rockbridge Lodge in Alabama for some whitetail bow hunting action then Michael joins Kevin Knighton, Scott Cooper, and Jimbo Yance at in south Alabama to muzzle loader hunt for more whitetails in the deep south. Can the guys get it done in the heart of Crimson Tide territory? Tune in and see!

Pursuit Channel (Directv ch 608) - Tue 5:30pm, Thu 5pm, and Fri 8:30pm EST
In Country TV (DishNetwork ch 230) - Wed 5:30pm and Thu 8:30pm EST

2010-11-29T13:47:00.002-05:00

November 29, 2010:

Backwoods Life co-host Michael Lee tagged out in Illinois hunting with Midwest Whitetail Adventures during the first gun season. The second morning hunt Michael and cameraman Ryan Whitaker were setup on a hard wood ridge next to a creek bottom and a big CRP bedding area when this buck came in an Michael was able to smoke him!

Hunter: Michael Lee

November 20, 2010 - Illinois

Gun: Traditions Buckstalker .50 cal muzzle loader

Ammo: Barnes 245 grain boat tail hollow point

Powder: Pyrodex Pellets

Scope: Nikon Omega 300 3x9x40
Binos: Nikon Monarch Team Realtree

Camo: Realtree AP by Gamehide

Pack: Game Plan Gear Spot-N-Stalk

Scent (attractant): Muzzy Scrape Juice Bowhunter Setup
Scent Control: Dead Down Wind

Safety Harness: Hunter Safety System

Boots: LaCrosse

2010-11-23T09:06:00.002-05:00

November 23, 2010:

Backwoods Bohnhead, Ryan Brock, hung his lock-on barely 10 feet off the ground in a oak tree along the edge of an Alabama food plot on Nov. 12th. He didn't have to wait long on that warm afternoon before this old 9 point showed up and gave him a 35 yard shot. The old buck did his best to duck the arrow, but he couldn't get low enough to dodge this shot!

Hunter: Ryan Brock

November 12, 2010 - Alabama

Bow: Elite GT500

Arrows: Carbon Express Mayhem

Fletchings: Bohning

Sight: Spot Hogg

Rest: Quality Archery Designs

Release: Scott Saber Tooth

Camo: Realtree AP

Pack, Bow Sling, Sight Cover, TTS all by Game Plan Gear

Scent: Muzzy Scrape Juice - Super Odor Eliminator

Safety Harness: Hunter Safety System

Boots: LaCrosse

Lucky Hat: Elite

2010-11-17T15:29:00.002-05:00

November 17, 2010:

Again we're behind the times of getting things posted here online since we've been in the woods so much. On October 31st host Michael Lee's dad, Bohnhead crew member Mike Lee, smoked a south Georgia stud following a doe into a food plot. They guys had trail camera pictures of this buck from back in July and haven't seen him or gotten any pictures since. Of course with one thing on his mind as many bucks are doing this time of the year that proved to be a fatal mistake for the 4.5 - 5.5 year old bruiser!

Hunter: Mike Lee

October 31, 2010 - Arabi,GA

Food Plot Seed: Nutri-Plot

Camo: Realtree by Gamehide
Options: Nikon Binos / Range finder / Scope
Scent Control: Dead Down Wind
Attractant: Muzzy Bowhunter Setup
Pack: Game Plan Gear
Boots: LaCrosse

2010-11-15T10:14:00.012-05:00

November 14, 2010:

We're a week or so late on posting the latest in the Backwoods Blog scene, but hey cut us some slack, we've been hunting like mad men! We rolled back in from Kansas last week with one tag filled. Kevin smoked a stud 150 class buck. We saw a lot of deer on the Kansas trip and Michael had a close encounter with a nice 11 point whitey but just couldn't seal the deal. Kevin picked up the slack on the last morning though with his beast.

Hunter: Kevin Knighton / Camera Man: Woody Sullivan
November 7, 2010 - WaKeeny, KS

Bow: Elite Judge
Rest: Quality Archery Designs
Silencing: X Factor System
Arrows: Carbon Xpress
Broadheads: Muzzy Phantom
Vanes: Bohning Blazer
Sight: Spot Hogg
Nocks: Lumenoks
Camo: Realtree by Gamehide
Safety Harness: Hunter Safety System
Options: Nikon Binos / Range finder
Release: Scott
Scent Control: Dead Down Wind
Attractant: Muzzy Bowhunter Setup
Pack: Game Plan Gear
Boots: LaCrosse

Thanks to Backwoods Bohnhead crew members, Ryan and Kathy Whitaker, for helping us get out there and after em!

2010-11-15T10:03:00.000-05:00

November 14, 2010:
It's one of our favorite times of the year, turkey season! We are hitting the woods in Georgia to see about getting some white meat for the frying pan. We're joined by our good friends Dennis McDade, hunt winner, and Eddie Watson owner of Clay Hill Hunting Lodge and Christian Retreat. We also have Trey's son Treb along and much more as we're in the heart of Dixie!

Pursuit Channel (Directv ch 608) - Tue 5:30pm, Thu 5pm, and Fri 8:30pm EST
In Country TV (DishNetwork ch 230) - Wed 5:30pm and Thu 8:30pm EST

2010-11-09T14:43:00.001-05:00

November 7, 2010: The guys hit the road North to Ohio to hunt with Wolf Creek Outfitter. Michael, Kevin, Trey, and Bohnhead member Scott Cooper are seeing some absolute giant free range Ohio Buckeye Bruisers. The only problem is the studs are locked down with does. Can the guys fill some tags? Check out this week's show and see!

Pursuit Channel (Directv ch 608) - Tue 5:30pm, Thu 5pm, and Fri 8:30pm EST
In Country TV (DishNetwork ch 230) - Wed 5:30pm and Thu 8:30pm EST

2010-11-01T08:26:00.005-04:00

October 31, 2010:
Show hosts Michael Lee and Kevin Knighton head to south Florida to kick off one of the earliest turkey seasons in the country as they hit the woods with Scott Cooper and Hayes Lusher in hopes of tagging out for Osceola long beards. They guys join Denny Bell of Full Contact Outfitters to kick off the Florida turkey season. Wonder what the guys will get into this time? Tune in and find out!

Pursuit Channel (Directv ch 608) - Tue 5:30pm, Thu 5pm, and Fri 8:30pm EST
In Country TV (DishNetwork ch 230) - Wed 5:30pm and Thu 8:30pm EST

2010-10-26T21:50:00.007-04:00

October 24, 2010:
The boys of Alabama take over this week's show. Bohnhead Scott Cooper is joined in bama by Ryan Brock and then his son for some great hunting with the Elite bows then the bang sticks as they all try to take down some great whitetails! Treb Wetherington with hid dad and show host Try also sneak off after a southern Alabama buck. Check out this week's show and see what goes down!

Pursuit Channel (Directv ch 608) - Tue 5:30pm, Thu 5pm, and Fri 8:30pm EST
In Country TV (DishNetwork ch 230) - Wed 5:30pm and Thu 8:30pm EST

2010-10-19T11:50:00.000-04:00

October 17, 2010: This week on Backwoods Life TV, Michael, Kevin, Trey, and Mike Lee Sr. join their good friend Zack Thwaite in Vidalia, GA for some southern gobbler chasing. The guys are opening the Georgia season in search of some long beards in the heart of onion country and the birds are fired up. Will the early season help the guys seal the deal or will the hens take the gobblers with them? Check out this week's show and see!

Pursuit Channel (Directv ch 608) - Tue 5:30pm, Thu 5pm, and Fri 8:30pm EST
In Country TV (DishNetwork ch 230) - Wed 5:30pm and Thu 8:30pm EST

2010-10-19T11:43:00.002-04:00

Straight Creek Calls - Official Turkey Call Of Backwoods Life TV

Turkey call manufacturer extends marketing agreement and offers a Backwoods Life TV branded product.

Hahira, GA (October 11, 2010) – Backwoods Life Television, airing 5 times a week on Pursuit Channel and ICTV with country-as-cornbread hosts Michael Lee, Trey Wetherington, and Kevin Knighton, announced today it has renewed is marketing agreement with Straight Creek Calls.

Under the terms of the agreement, Straight Creek Calls hand crafted line of quality turkey calls becomes the official turkey calls of Backwoods Life TV during the 2010 television season and will be featured prominently during program episodes. A new Backwoods Life TV version turkey call has also been introduced.

Backwoods Life TV’s high-profile marketing platform on the Pursuit Channel offers Straight Creek Calls a high-visibility marketing platform to promote its brand in action. Backwoods Life TV will also promote Straight Creek Calls on the internet and at special events.

“Straight Creek Calls are the highest quality turkey calls we’ve ever used at Backwoods Life TV.” said Lee, “Owner Don Saylor is a perfectionist when it comes to manufacturing his turkey calls and, even though he sells triple the volume of his turkey calls that he used to, he still hand crafts them one at a time. Trey, Kevin, and I look forward to a long relationship together with Straight Creek Calls.”

Watch Backwoods Life TV on the Pursuit Channel Tuesdays at 5:30 PM, Thursdays 5:00 PM, and Fridays 8:30 PM. Catch it on ICTV Wednesdays at 5:30 PM and Thursdays at 8:30 PM. All times EST.

About Straight Creek Calls
Straight Creek Calls is a family run turkey call manufacturing business located in southern Alabama. The name Straight Creek Calls comes from the location where owner Don Saylor was born and raised (in the Cumberland Gap area of the Appalachian Mountains near the Straight Creek). Saylor is totally committed to quality – if one of his hand crafted turkey calls doesn’t sound just right, into the discount bin it goes. That dedication to excellence is why sales of Straight Creek Calls have tripled in just the last year. For more information about Straight Creek Calls, please visit: http://www.StraightCreekCalls.com

2010-10-11T09:03:00.005-04:00

October 10, 2010: This week on Backwoods Life TV, Michael, Kevin, and Mike Lee Sr. are hitting the water with Captain Daniel Pike of Inshore Angler Charters in Destin, Florida. Daniel has a great track record with the Backwoods Life crew for huge red fish and trout in the Destin bay area so the guys are ready for action and hopefully will come home with some sore arms from pulling the big ones out! Check it out and see if the guys need to get the grease hot!

Pursuit Channel (Directv ch 608) - Tue 5:30pm, Thu 5pm, and Fri 8:30pm EST
In Country TV (DishNetwork ch 230) - Wed 5:30pm and Thu 8:30pm EST

2010-10-06T16:29:00.009-04:00

October 03, 2010: On this week's show we are headed to Pike County, Illinois to hunt with Midwest Whitetail Adventures. Michael, Kevin, Trey, and Michael's dad Mike Lee are all in camp to join Mark Knight and the crew for opening day of the Illinois bow season. Tags are in pocket, Muzzys are dialed in, and the Elites are ready for their chance at making some whitetails famous. The only thing the guys have to be careful of is a buck named "Whatchout". Tune in to see what goes down!

Pursuit Channel (Directv Ch 608) - Tue 5:30pm, Thu 5pm, and Fri 8:30pm EST
In Country TV (DishNetwork ch 230) - Wed 5:30pm and Thu 8:30pm EST

2010-10-06T10:17:00.016-04:00

September 30, 2010: The Backwoods Life crew has had a great start to the fall deer season so far. The guys kicked things off in Wisconsin where Michael and Trey were both lucky enough to tag two great whitetails with the Elite bows in hand. Michael smoked a 160 class non-typical buck while Trey followed right along with a stud 12 point 160 class buck of his own. Yeah we know the odds of that happening are like getting struck by lightening, but a little shock now and then ain't a bad thing at all!

Michael kept things going a few days later when he made a Muzzy moment not far from home by tagging a nice 130 class buck. Yep, that's 300+ inches of antler in one week by Michael alone!

The streak had to come to an end though, Kevin headed to Illinois to get things started for the opening of their season but had to return home without his tag filled. We know Kevin though, he'll be back up there before it's over!

Next on the list is some gator hunting in Florida! They whole crew is headed down this week to try and get some ol' swamp lizards in the cooler. The guys have hunted for two years now in the swamps of south Florida and are confident to fill some more tags this week. Michael, Trey, and Kevin will be joined by Kevin's father Gerrod Knighton, Michael's wife Beth, and Bonhhead Crew members Ryan and Kathy Whitaker. This should be one to remember for sure!

Hunt safe and check back next week to see how the giant lizard hunt went!

The Backwoods Bohnheads

Scott Archery Extends Marketing Agreement With Backwoods Life TV On Pursuit Channel

2010-09-27T19:43:00.005-04:00

Industry leading archery release manufacturer partners with outdoors TV program for third year.

Hahira, GA (September 27, 2010) – Backwoods Life Television, the filmed-as-the-action-happens reality hunting program airing 5 times a week on Pursuit Channel and ICTV, announced today it has renewed is marketing agreement with leading archery release manufacturer Scott Archery

Under the terms of the agreement, Scott Archery’s releases become the official release of Backwoods Life TV during the 2010 television season and will be featured prominently during program episodes. Backwoods Life TV will also promote Scott Archery releases on the internet and at special events.

Backwoods Life TV’s high-profile marketing platform on the Pursuit Channel, along with the show’s popular trio of country-as-cornbread hosts Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton, and Trey Wetherington, offer Scott Archery a highly-effective marketing platform to promote its brand.

“I’ve been using Scott Archery releases since I was 13 years old - that’s 20 years of bowhunting with Scott!” said Lee, “Backwoods Life TV looks forward to working with Scott Archery this TV season and hopefully for many more in the future.”

Watch Backwoods Life TV on the Pursuit Channel Tuesdays at 5:30 PM, Thursdays 5:00 PM, and Fridays 8:30 PM. Catch it on ICTV Wednesdays at 5:30 PM and Thursdays at 8:30 PM. All times EST.

About Scott Archery:

Since 1984, Scott Archery has been designing and manufacturing high-quality bow releases. Scott Archery has been introducing industry standards ever since, including the innovative Nylon Connection System (NCS) which allows Scott Archery releases the adjust-ability to fit any size of wrist. Built extremely tough and durable, every new Scott Archery release offers a five year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. For more information about Scott Archery, please visit: http://www.ScottArchery.com

This Week on Backwoods Life TV - "Homecoming"

2010-09-22T14:51:00.001-04:00

This week on the Backwoods Life presented by VDHLive.com, the guys head back home to south Georgia to see about putting some fresh back-strap in the freezer as they spend some time on the Lee farm where it all started years ago. They start things out with Michael, Kevin, and Trey being joined by Michael's dad Mike, wife Beth, bohnhead Donnie Key, and Trey's son Treb at the Lee farm in south Georgia. Then Mike Lee flies solo on the farm for a hunt, and last Michael joins his long time friend Fred Branch for some hunting in south Georgia as well. Deer season is wide open in the backwoods on this week's show!

Check it out on:

Pursuit Channel (Directv channel 608):

Tuesday at 5:30pm EST
Thursday at 5pm EST
Friday at 8:30pm EST

In Country Television (Dish Network channel 230):
Wednesday at 5:30pm EST
Thursday at 8:30pm EST

Keep living the Backwoods Life!

Nebraska Turkey Time!

2010-09-09T16:34:00.000-04:00

This week on Backwoods Life TV, Michael Lee, Mike Lee, Trey Wetherington, Greg Turner, and Andrew Atkins head to Nebraska to hunt with Chris Vaughn and Bryan Clines for some turkey birds! The guys have a tough run out of the gate, but in typical backwoods fashion they rally the troops and get it all done!

Pursuit Channel (Directv channel 608):
Tuesday at 5:30pm EST
Thursday at 5pm EST
Friday at 8:30pm EST

In Country Television (Dish Network channel 230):
Wednesday at 5:30pm EST
Thursday at 8:30pm EST

Keep living the Backwoods Life!

Alabama Backwoods!

2010-09-01T10:00:00.001-04:00

This week on Backwoods Life TV, Michael Lee joins his dad, Mike Lee, for an Alabama bow hunt at Rockbridge lodge, then Michael meets up with Kevin Knighton, Scott Cooper, and Jimbo to hunt at South Basset's Creek in lower Alabama. The bucks are moving as the guys hunt the pre-rut in Bama, check out this week's show for some good ol' southern style buck taggin!

Alabama Gator Time!

2010-08-26T14:54:00.000-04:00

This week on the Backwoods Life, Michael and Kevin head to Eufaula, Alabama to meet up with Bohnhead Jeremy Johnson, Byran Hughes from Backwater Outdoors, and Mark Land of Muzzy to hunt some big ol' swamp lizards. Since Michael and Kevin don't have tags for the gators, they change from the shooters to the camera guys! This should be an adventures for sure. Tune in and check out the MONSTER the guys find in the Alabama waters.

Backwoods Life - Clay Hill Turkey Hunting

2010-08-17T08:48:00.000-04:00

Tune in this week on Backwoods Life a join the guys as they head to Clay Hill Hunting Lodge in Southwest Georgia looking for some southern long beards. Trey Wetherington, Kevin Knighton, and Michael Lee are joined by Trey's son Treb, hunt winner Dennis McDade, and Clay Hill owner Eddie Watson as the guys have to take on some rough conditions to start with in hopes of tagging a few Georgia gobblers. If you love turkey hunting, you'll love this week's show!

Tune in on:

Pursuit Channel (Directv channel 608): Tuesday at 5:30pm EST, Thursday at 5pm EST, and Friday at 8:30pm EST

In Country Television (Dish Network channel 230): Wednesday at 5:30pm EST and Thursday at 8:30pm EST

Keep living the Backwoods Life!

This Week on the Backwoods Life

2010-08-13T09:32:00.000-04:00

This week's show is all about big Ohio whitetails! The guys head to Wolf Creek Outfitter to join Ben Rising for some monster bucks in the middle of the peak of the rut. Michael, Trey, and Kevin are joined by Bohnheads Scott Cooper and Ryan Brock as the guys have their Elite bows in hand ready to launch meat missiles at some of these northern giants! Make sure you tune in!

Pursuit Channel (Directv channel 608): Tuesday at 5:30pm EST, Thursday at 5pm EST, and Friday at 8:30pm EST

In Country Television (Dish Network channel 230): Wednesday at 5:30pm EST and Thursday at 8:30pm EST

Bohning Archery Agreement Turns Backwoods Life TV Hosts Into Bohnheads

2010-08-10T10:31:00.000-04:00

Relationship makes archery equipment manufacturer official partner of popular Pursuit Channel and ICTV program.

Hahira, GA (August 9, 2010) – Backwoods Life Television, the “in your face” reality hunting program that airs 5 times a week on Pursuit Channel and In Country Television (ICTV), announced today it has renewed is marketing agreement with leading target archery and bowhunting equipment manufacturer Bohning Archery.
Under the terms of the agreement, Bohning’s Blazer Vanes and other archery products become the official arrow accessories for Backwoods Life TV during the 2010 television season. Bohning will sponsor and promote the Backwoods Bohnheads, the premier membership club for Backwoods Life TV viewers.
After 2 high-profile appearances headlining the 2010 Southern Trophy Hunters Big Buck Expos in Lakeland, FL, and Greensboro, NC, hosts Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton, and Trey Wetherington offer Bohning Archery the brand-building benefits of Backwoods Life TV’s high-profile marketing platform on Pursuit Channel.

“Bohning Archery is one of the most trusted names in the archery industry and a 3 year marketing partner of Backwoods Life TV.” said Lee, “We are thrilled to team with Bohning and offer our loyal viewers the opportunity to join the Backwoods Bohnheads and receive a bunch of cool benefits.”
Lee suggests that viewers visit BackwoodsBohnheads.com to get the details of the benefits that their club membership offers.

About Bohning Archery
Bohning Archery is committed to developing and marketing only the highest quality solutions for problems experienced in the industries they serve. It is the company’s firm conviction that the benefits of growth and the confidence and respect of the people and firms served can only be achieved by maintaining and/or improving the quality of each and every Bohning Archery product. For more information, please visit: http://www.bohning.com

About Backwoods Life TV on the Pursuit Channel and ICTV
If you’re looking for another boring outdoor show, then turn the channel. Backwoods Life TV was developed in 2004 when three guys banging their heads together said, “Since we are going hunting and fishing anyway, let’s try to make some great video of it!” Since that day the Backwoods Life TV team of Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton, Trey Wetherington, among others, have dedicated their time and efforts into producing the highest quality outdoor television and video entertainment for you, the viewer, to enjoy. With a 100% real “in your face” approach to the outdoors, their efforts have evolved into a national television show that now airs on the Pursuit Channel and In Country Television (ICTV). For more information about Backwoods Life TV, please visit: http://www.BackwoodsLife.com

Media Contact Information
Wild Sports Marketing
Phone: 419-330-1010
Web: http://www.wildsportsmarketing.com

This Week on the Backwoods Life

2010-07-28T14:17:00.000-04:00

This week we head to the great state of Alabama hunting whitetail deer. We kick things off with Ryan Brock as he is hunting Bama on the opening weekend of archery season. Next Bohnhead member Scott Cooper has his Elite in hand looking for an Alabama bruiser. Then we join Scott again as he takes his son Ryan to the blind looking for Ryan's first buck. Last we join co-host Trey Wetherington as he takes his son Treb to southern Alabama to top off a great show!

Check it out on:
Pursuit Channel (Directv 608) Tuesdays at 5:30pm EST, Thursdays at 5pm EST, and Fridays at 8:30pm EST
In Country TV (Dish 230) Wednesdays at 5:30pm EST and Thursdays at 8:30pm EST

Keep living the Backwoods Life!

Hunter Safety System Continues As Official Safety Vest Of Backwoods Life On Pursuit Channel And ICTV

2010-07-07T11:24:00.002-04:00

HSS renews marketing agreement for 6th straight year and gets official endorsement from TV hosts.

Hahira, GA (June 22, 2010) – Backwoods Life Television, beginning its 6th action-packed television season, announced today it has renewed its marketing agreement with hunting industry safety innovator Hunter Safety System (HSS).

Under the disclosed terms of the agreement, HSS becomes the exclusive safety vest used by the entire Backwoods Life TV Bohnheads crew during Season 6, which will air on Pursuit Channel and In Country Television (ICTV) a combined 5 times per week. HSS is a 6th year marketing partner of Backwoods Life TV and will continue to appear throughout the 2010 episodes.

Backwoods Life TV is hosted by the field-tested trio of Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton, and Trey Wetherington and is a 2010 winner of 4 Bugle Awards for outdoors entertainment excellence. Lee believes that the longstanding relationship with HSS illustrates the high value that a marketing partnership with Backwoods Life TV offers to the hunting industry.

Lee smiled widely as he discussed Backwoods Life TV’s relationship with HSS and he didn’t take long to get personal.

“Hunter Safety System is like family to all of us at Backwoods Life TV. The team at HSS are true pioneers in the development of hunter safety products and we wouldn’t trust our lives to any other vest manufacturer.” said Lee, “We thank HSS for their unwavering support and hope to have a marketing partnership with them for a long time to come.”

About Hunter Safety System (HSS)
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Danville, Alabama, Hunter Safety System is the hunting industry leader in the design and manufacturer of innovative hunter safety equipment. HSS is dedicated to saving hunters’ lives. For more information, please call toll free 877-296-3528 or visit their website at: http://www.huntersafetysystem.com

About Backwoods Life TV on the Pursuit Channel and ICTV
If you’re looking for another boring outdoor show, then turn the channel. Backwoods Life TV was developed in 2004 when three guys banging their heads together said, “Since we are going hunting and fishing anyway, let’s try to make some great video of it!” Since that day the Backwoods Life TV team of Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton, Trey Wetherington, among others, have dedicated their time and efforts into producing the highest quality outdoor television and video entertainment for you, the viewer, to enjoy. With a 100% real “in your face” approach to the outdoors, their efforts have evolved into a national television show that now airs on the Pursuit Channel and In Country Television (ICTV). For more information about Backwoods Life TV, please visit: http://www.BackwoodsLife.com

Elite Archery Named Official Bow Of Backwoods Life On Pursuit Channel And ICTV

2010-07-07T11:20:00.000-04:00

Outdoors television veterans ready to begin 6th season with renewed agreement to exclusively use Elite Archery compound bows.

Hahira, GA (May 20, 2010) – Backwoods Life Television, hosted by the “in your face” field-tested trio of Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton, and Trey Wetherington, announced today it has renewed its official bow supplier agreement with Elite Archery.

Under the disclosed terms of the agreement, Elite Archery compound bows will be the exclusive bow used by Backwoods Life TV Season 6, which is airing on Pursuit Channel and In Country Television (ICTV) a combined 5 times per week. As a 2nd year sponsor of Backwoods Life TV, Elite Archery will air commercials and billboard advertising during episodes.

Host Michael Lee believes Backwoods Life TV, a 2010 winner of 4 Bugle Awards for outdoors entertainment excellence, offers their sponsors an unrivaled marketing opportunity in the hunting entertainment industry. Lee was jubilant when discussing Backwoods Life TV’s ongoing relationship with Elite Archery.
“Elite Archery is a tremendous marketing partner and we were totally satisfied with their GT500 bows last year while filming our Season 6. The Judge is their new premier speed bow and the hottest compound bow on the market!” said Lee, “We’re filming for Season 7 now and our guys wouldn’t think of compromising with bows from other brands. We’ve developed a great relationship with management at Elite Archery and hope to continue working with them for a long time to come.”

About Elite Archery
Located in Rochester, NY, Elite Archery is the outdoors industry leader in design, development, and manufacturing of high-performance archery equipment. Lead by Peter Crawford and his well-qualified management team of archery veterans, Elite’s uncompromising detail to excellence has lead to some of the most technologically advanced compound bows ever offered, including their exciting new Judge. For more information, please visit: http://www.EliteArchery.com

About Backwoods Life TV on the Pursuit Channel and ICTV
If you’re looking for another boring outdoor show, then turn the channel. Backwoods Life TV was developed in 2004 when three guys banging their heads together said, “Since we are going hunting and fishing anyway, let’s try to make some great video of it!” Since that day the Backwoods Life TV team of Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton, Trey Wetherington, among others, have dedicated their time and efforts into producing the highest quality outdoor television and video entertainment for you, the viewer, to enjoy. With a 100% real “in your face” approach to the outdoors, their efforts have evolved into a national television show that now airs on the Pursuit Channel and In Country Television (ICTV). For more information about Backwoods Life TV, please visit: http://www.BackwoodsLife.com

Backwoods Life Starts Seventh Season on TV for Their Loyal Friends and Viewers

2010-06-21T19:53:00.000-04:00

Backwoods Life TV hosts Kevin Knighton, Michael Lee, and Trey Wetherington have dedicated their award winning TV program’s Season 7 to their loyal friends and viewers. Season 7 premieres June 29th at 5:30 PM EST on the Pursuit Channel and the guys from South Georgia and North Florida want their viewers to be invited from start to finish.

Michael, Trey, and Kevin have traveled the United States hunting anything they can to provide a backwoods spin on the way things are done. Their number one goal no matter where they are or what they are doing is "have fun"!

The guys love what they do and it shows each week in what they do. This season proves to be one like no other for everyone that enjoys watching and living the Backwoods Life!

TV Schedule
Watch Backwoods Life Season 7 on the Pursuit Channel: Tuesdays at 5:30pm EST, Thursdays at 5:00pm EST, and Fridays at 8:30pm EST.
Also on In Country Television: Wednesdays at 5:30pm EST and Thursdays at 9:00pm EST

For a more personal look at Michael, Trey, and Kevin
Keep track of and connected with the guys at the Backwoods Life website and/or their Facebook page.

Backwoods Life TV sponsors

VDHLive.com, Elite Archery, Quality Archery Designs, Ghostblind, Muzzy, Backwater Outdoors, Hunter Safety System, Bohning Archery, Realtree, Scott Archery, Scott Archery, X-Factor Outdoors, Carbon Express, Lacrosse, Illumi-Loop, Countrymen Innovations, Nutri-Plot, Straight Creek Calls, Nikon, Gamehide, Spot-Hogg, Backwoods Innovations

Words from Michael
“We are so fired up about season 7 it's just crazy. We have so many great hunts to show our audience that we can't wait for them to start airing and get everyone fired up for the coming hunting seasons!”

A Bit from Trey
“We work so hard all year to make the best shows possible and to try new things that really shows how we live the backwoods life like so many other great folks out there all over the world really. Meeting these people along the way is what makes it all worth while.”

Shout Out from Kevin
"All the hours spent in the stands, woods, water, and even the editing room are worth every minute when we hear back from the folks that do the same things we do each week. It's really exciting to have been on TV this long and have so many people that look forward to what we are able to bring them through the eyes of the camera lens."

More info about Michael, Trey, and Kevin

Started filming in 2004.
Aired their firs TV show in January 2004, Southern Backwoods Adventures.
Michael does all of the website design for Backwoods Life.
Kevin's production company, Treblehook Media Solutions, produces Backwoods Life TV.
The guys are also popular radio show hosts each week with Backwoods Life Radio.
Trey has his college degree in Criminal Justice and worked in law enforcement for 14 years.
Michael has a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Information Systems and Associate's in Mathematics.
Kevin has his degree in TV Production.
Kevin drives the custom wrapped Backwoods Life mobile if you see it around!
All of the guys completed their wild turkey grand slams within a year of each other.
Trey is the only one of the three with kids, Treb and Zoy.
The guys have won several awards over the years for their TV shows and commercials.

This Week in the Backwoods Life (5/23/10)

2010-05-26T08:44:00.001-04:00

This week on Backwoods Life TV, we join our great friends in Alabama for the annual HOPE Outdoors disabled hunt. Talk about a great time with some amazing people, we get to sit in the woods and help some great hunters get a chance at some of the most plentiful herds of whitetail in the United States. We can't wait for this hunt each year!

Thursday - 9:00pm EST on In Country Television (ICTV), Dish Network ch 230 Directv ch 344
Thursday - 11:30pm EST on Pursuit Channel (HUNT), Directv ch 608
Friday - 8:30pm EST on Pursuit Channel (HUNT), Directv ch 608

Don't forget Backwoods Life Radio as well Wednesday at 6PM EST!

This week on the Backwoods Life 5/17/10

2010-05-18T08:50:00.001-04:00

This week on Backwoods Life TV, brought to you by Quality Archery Designs, features the ladies of the Backwoods taking down some critters! We head to Georgia and Alabama with Elizabeth Johnson, Vera Knighton, and Carrie Johnson. These girls have fillin' tags on their minds with whitetail and hogs running around!

Thursday - 9:00pm EST on In Country Television (ICTV), Dish Network ch 230 Directv ch 344
Thursday - 11:30pm EST on Pursuit Channel (HUNT), Directv ch 608
Friday - 8:30pm EST on Pursuit Channel (HUNT), Directv ch 608

Also on Backwoods Life Radio, brought to you by Budweiser and Realtree Energy Drink, Michael Leewill be joined by Will Johnson from Trophy Hill Plantation in studio to talk about hunting and everything else under the sun while Kevin Knighton and Trey Wetherington are heading to Nebraska with Adventures Wild for turkey hunting.

Wednesday - 6:05pm EST on 105.9 FM Valdosta and live online at http://www.BackwoodsRadio.com

This week on Backwoods Life TV

2010-05-12T15:46:00.000-04:00

This week on Backwoods Life TV, we start things off with Michael and Mike Lee heading to Oklahoma for some Rio turkey hunting and the wind is really howling out west! Then we shift gears and hit the water with Gene Hobbs of Bowfishing Madness and our good buddy Travis "T-Bone" Turner joins us to try and stick an arrow through some fish in Georgia. You don't want to miss this good time livin' the Backwoods Life!

Nebraska Turkey Hunting on the Backwoods Life 5/2/10

2010-05-04T11:25:00.000-04:00

This week we travel to Nebraska to turkey hunt with Chris Vaughn of Adventures Wild. The birds are all over the place and the guys have their work cut out to fill some corn husker state tags. Can the guys seal the deal on some Merriam's wild turkeys? Check it out!

This Week on the Backwoods Life (4-25-10)

2010-04-29T11:21:00.001-04:00

This week on the Backwoods Life TV we are headed to south Florida to hunt with Seth Whitaker of Switchgrass Outfitters (www.SwitchgrassOutfitters.com). We kick things off with Trey Wetherington turkey hunting for Osceolas, then we switch gears and Michael Lee with Kevin Knighton are hunting gators on air boats! Talk about an adrenaline packed show, you gotta see the guys in the swamps as they live the Backwoods Life!

Thursday - 9:00pm EST on In Country Television (ICTV), Dish Network ch 230 Directv ch 344
Thursday - 11:30pm EST on Pursuit Channel (HUNT), Directv ch 608
Friday - 8:30pm EST on Pursuit Channel (HUNT), Directv ch 608

What an Awesome Spring!

2010-04-19T16:28:00.000-04:00

The 2010 turkey season has been a phenomenal one so far for the Backwoods Life crew. One member especially is having one to remember, Trey Wetherington. Trey has completed 3/4 of the slam already and is heading to Nebraska in May to try to complete the slam in a single season. Trey started things off in Texas (see last month's blog) where he took a nice Rio with his son Treb (also taking a nice Rio for his first turkey). Next Trey tagged what many call the hardest turkey in the slam, his Osceola (pictured above with Michael Lee and the Jake Intimidator decoy) in Florida.

The most recent tag filled by Trey, which was his 3rd of the 4 needed for the slam, was in Georgia a couple weeks ago. With several more stops before heading out west, the Backwoods Life crew hopes to keep filling tags and that Trey finishes things off with a Merriam's to complete his single season slam!

Good luck T-Dub!

The Backwoods Life TV Crew

A Week for the Record Books!

2010-03-31T10:57:00.003-04:00

The Jake Intimidator Dominates!

The first week of the 2010 spring turkey season has been like no other for the Backwoods Life crew. Things kicked off in Georgia and spread all the way to Texas in a matter of days with tags being filled all along the way. Michael Lee, Kevin Knighton, and Trey Wetherington started things off in Georgia for the state Ducks Unlimited Turkey hunt. With only two days to hunt there, the guys knew they had to go for broke the entire time. With several encounters over the two days, Trey was finally able to help DU hunt winner, Mr. Dan, to connect on a GA long beard. Ironically it was the same bird that Michael and Trey almost called in for Mr. Dan on the previous day.

Stop two was with the crowd at the annual Country Goes Huntin' event in southwest Georgia. Michael was paired up with country legend Aaron Tippin and helped Aaron tag a nice long beard on camera during the two day hunt. Kevin also helped country star Rhett Akins tag a stud Georgia gobbler. Kevin also spent time hunting with country newcomer Josh Thompson during the hunt. The guys made new friends and left with some great video for the 2011 episodes.

Next, Trey, Kevin, Jeremy Johnson, and others headed to the lone star state of Texas to hit the woods after some Rio Grande turkeys. It didn't take long for the guys to fill some tags as Jeremy dropped two gobblers in one shot on the first morning while Trey and his son Treb also both tagged a nice tom on the first day. After a couple swings and misses with his bow, Kevin tagged himself a Rio on the last morning to complete his grand slam.

While part of the team was in Texas, Michael, his wife Beth Lee, and father Mike Lee joined Zach Thwaite in Georgia for some more gobbler chasin'. Mike dropped a GA bird on the first afternoon as Beth tagged her first gobbler on the first morning as a stud long beard came to the Jake Intimidator decoy for a shot. Mike then smoked another gobbler on the second afternoon and Michael finished things up with filling one of his tags on the last morning of the hunt with a nice gobbler as well.

Talk about a strong start to the spring! The guys are heading to Florida next for the annual Rollin' for Gobblers turkey hunt for disabled kids. There will for sure be more good times, memories made, and hopefully tags filled in the days to come!

God bless and good hunting,

The Backwoods Life crew!

A Southern Tradition

2010-02-24T16:18:00.000-05:00

When many people think of the South and the outdoors, different things pop in their heads. You think of whitetail deer, wild turkey, maybe even a lake, pond, or even a beach or two. When I think of the South, the first things that come to mind are giant, open pine trees filled with wire grass and other thick cover that has always been native to the Georgia. The next thing that I think of are coveys of quail, top notch bird dogs on point, and the fellowship involved in a good ol’ southern style quail hunt. This past Friday, my fellow show hosts, Kevin, Trey, and I had the privileged of traveling to Shadow Oak Plantation and spending the day in the woods with our friends from Johnson Distributing, Mr. Joe and Lynn Johnson.

We arrived a bit before 9AM where we were greeted by our guide, Caleb. The morning was cool and crisp as the sun began to rise over the pines and warm the 30 degree temperatures. It was a perfect day to be in the woods.

We were glad to be able to document the hunt with some great photos from our Nikon cameras throughout the day, one that will for sure be in our memories for a long time to come.

Still Hunting?

2010-01-19T08:55:00.002-05:00

Yep, we're still hitting the woods! I know the season is out in most of the country, but Alabama and Mississippi, among a few others, are still going strong with the rut even wide open!

We're still filling tags too! Michael Lee arrowed a nice Alabama buck at Rockbridge Lodge with his dad, Mike Lee, behind the camera and junior Bohnhead, Treb Wetherington, tagged a southern Alabama stud with his dad and show host, Trey Wetherington, running the camera for him!

Talk about more great father and son moments while living the Backwoods Life!

Only a few weeks left, and we're still in the woods!

God bless and good hunting,

The Backwoods Bohnheads!

The Backwoods Invades Alabama

2009-12-17T09:03:00.003-05:00

Michael Lee and Kevin Knighton joined crew members Scott Cooper and Jimbo Yance for a great hunt in south Alabama. Michael started things off with a nice eight point the second afternoon of hunting and then filled another tag the next morning with a jacked up cull buck he was able to get an arrow through.

The afternoon hunted capped off a great trip of hunting when Kevin was able to fill one of his tags with a nice eight point as well.

The guys are off to Kentucky next with CCW Outfitters and then more from the great state of Alabama coming up to close the season off!

Happy Holidays from the Backwoods Life crew as well and we'll check in with you in 2010!

Up a tree,

The Backwoods Life Crew

Fall in Full Swing

2009-11-17T10:29:00.005-05:00

We've been on the road for weeks now covering as many states as we can in search of the whitetail rut. So far we've had some close encounters with some giant whitetails and even filled a few tags along the way. We've covered Georgia, Illinois, Alabama, Missouri, and Ohio so far filling several tags along the way. With a lot of hunting left to come, here are some pics from the past few weeks.

Sorry I can't write more but the rut is wide open! Gotta go!

Sitting in a Family Traditon lock on,

Michael

Lizards and Bucks!

2009-10-21T11:45:00.003-04:00

We've been wide open traveling and hunting all over for far this Fall. We covered the swamps of Florida all the way to the corn fields of Illinois so far and aren't slowing down at all!

We hunted swamp lizards with Mark Land from Muzzy and Bryan Hughes from Backwater Outdoors then with Switchgrass Outfitters and put nine nice gators in the boat!

Then to Illinois with Midwest Whitetail Adventures where we had some great close encounters with some GIANT Midwest bucks.

Most recently we spent some time here on our home turf and tagged a nice Georgia whitetail on video while some other members of the Backwoods crew tagged a stud in Alabama!

Wow, talk about covering some miles and having a great time living the Backwoods Life! More to come!

Gators, Gators, Gators!

2009-09-16T12:29:00.001-04:00

This week we are heading down to Titusville, Florida to hunt with our good friends of Switchgrass Outfitters. Nothing like bowhunting alligators at night from an air boat! Talk about an adrenaline rush! Kevin and I were lucky enough to fill our tags last year while hunting with Seth and Mike. This year Kevin took his brother Brent down already and he tagged his first gator. Now time to get after the big boys. We’ll be joined by Merrill Sport from the Pursuit Channel as we chase these big swamp lizards and hopefully bring home some fresh gator tail!

Check them out at www.SwitchgrassOutfitters.com

God bless and good hunting,

Michael Lee

First Hunt of the "Season"

2009-08-24T09:53:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since we've posted a blog and we apologize for that. Call us lazy, crazy, or both :) Either way we're back in the saddle after a long summer of hitting trade shows and all kinds of other things for the show.

Finally we were able to hunt something! Well, sort of. Kevin Knighton and I hit the waters of Lake Eufaula with Mark Land of Muzzy, Bryan Hughes of Backwater Bowfishing, and our own Backwoods crew member Jeremy Johnson.

Anyone that hasn't been gator hunting before, be ready for an adrenaline rushing experience. Legal hours for Alabama were 8pm until 6am, so you're on the water pretty much all night (since we had 3 tags to fill). As darkness sets in, so do the gators. They hunt mostly as night for an easy meal. We loaded up in Mark's awesome bowfishing boat and headed out.

About midnight, we filled the first tag as Bryan arrowed a 12+ foot monster gator! It took 5 of us doing all we could to get the giant lizard in the boat. With two more tags to fill we had plenty of time to get it done and just before daylight we capped off a great night with two more 8+ foot gators in the boat.

Here's a few pics from the past month of trade shows and the gator hunting!

Now off to catch up on sleep!

Michael Lee
www.BackwoodsLife.com

Taking the Summer Off?

2009-07-21T16:11:00.003-04:00

We get asked a lot of times what we do during the summer. My best answer is get caught up on work! Honestly, we do take a week or two for spending time with the family any getting caught up on things we don't have a lot of free time to do around the house and such. Not to mention making the episodes that have to go to the networks for July - December airing.

We also attend a lot of outdoor shows during the summer, especially in July and August. We get fired up just like everyone else and like to be a these shows to help promote sponsors, outfitters, and to meet all the folks that enjoy what we do.

Here are a few events that we'll be at in the coming weeks:

July 30 - August 2nd: Bowcast At the Bird (Utah)
August 7 - 9: GON Outdoor Blast (Georgia)
August 14 - 16: Buckmasters Expo (Alabama)

And we have more to come after that but then it's time to hunt!

We'll post some pictures and maybe a video or two from our adventures on the road just living the Backwoods Life!

Don't forget to watch us on Mondays at 5:30pm and Tuesdays at 10:00pm EST on Pursuit Channel as well as listen to Backwoods Life Radio on Wednesdays at 6:00pm EST (www.BackwoodsRadio.com)

East bound and down,

Michael, Trey, and Kevin

Finishing Off the Spring

2009-06-04T10:21:00.000-04:00

Another great turkey season has come to a close for the Backwoods Life team. The Boneheads set a new record for turkeys taken on video for the show. Since the first week of March, the crew had been wide open all the way through the end of May chasing long beards all over the country. Covering Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Texas, Nebraska, and Indiana, the 2009 spring footage will be hard to top.

Thanks to Bryan Clines and Chris Vaughn for a good Trip to Nebraska with Adventures Wild to wrap up one of our best turkey seasons ever! www.AdvWild.com

Now off to sit in the A/C and see the wives again until Fall! :)

The Boneheads

Bring Spring to A Close

2009-05-12T09:05:00.000-04:00

We've been so busy lately I haven't had time to update our journal. We've been wide open turkey hunting and even doing a little fishing as well. Since our last update we've laid down several more gobblers all across the country. Kevin Knighton in Georiga at Clay Hill Hunting Lodge, Trey Wetherington in Kentucky at CCW Outfitters, Chase Gregg in Indiana, and Jeremy Johnson in Missouri at Robinson Hunts just to name a few.

Kevin Knighton and myself hit the waters of Destin, Florida recently as well accompanied by my dad Mike to fish with Daniel Pike of the Inshore Angler and Inshore Angler Charters.

Next to wrap up the Spring filming season is a trip to Nebraska for Rio and Merriam turkeys with our good friends at Adventures Wild. With a little luck we will close the book on our best spring turkey hunting ever.

Well back to work and living the Backwoods Life!

God bless and good hunting,

Michael Lee

Turkey Turkey Turkey

2009-04-10T13:48:00.000-04:00

We're wide open in the woods. Heck I'm even in the woods right now typing this! We've had a great spring so far and hopefully we can keep it all adding up. Trey, Kevin, and my dad Mike have all smoked gobblers on film since our last post here. All of them right here in south Georgia. Then we headed to Clay Hill Hunting Lodge in Morris, GA to hunt with hunt winner Dennis and put the hammer down on another one in the rain!

Here are a few more pics of the Backwoods crew and the aftermath of some spring turkey hunting!

Spring Is In Full Swing

2009-03-13T14:41:00.001-04:00

Backwoods Life hosts Michael Lee and Kevin Knighton joined Backwoods Bonehead staff member Scott Cooper and Hayes Lusher for a south Florida turkey hunt outside of Labelle, Florida with the guys from Full Contact Outfitters. The guys were on a flash two day hunt due to time constraints but they made the most of the opportunities.

The first morning it took Scott and Hayes only minutes to tag the first bird of the season. Hayes took his first Osceola with a long 68 yard shot with his 10 gauge.

After a long morning hunt, Michael and Kevin headed back out with their guide Denny Bell after the same gobbler they watched all morning. Michael called one time and the bird answered. One hour and 18 minutes later the bird gave Michael a 52 yard shot and he made the most of it!

It was a great start to the season for the Backwoods crew!

Waiting on a gobble...........

The Backwoods Boneheads

The New Look!

2009-02-03T10:45:00.000-05:00

All good things evolve over time to become more appealing to a wider range of people. The latest changes for the Backwoods crew is along the sames lines. We have evolved Southern Backwoods Adventures into a new and even more action packed television show that is now called "The Backwoods Life". Many people have asked us why the change, and the best answer we can give is that this represents us better. It is short and sweet about the life that we live, we are and will always be the Southern Backwoods guys, but the day in and out life we live is the Backwoods Life. This is a more in-depth look at our group of guys, the core of the outdoors, and what it means for each of us when we get time to spend outside in God's great creation. We live it to the fullest with no holds barred and no regrets. It's the Backwoods Life.........LIVE IT!

The Backwoods Boneheads :)

Winter Wonderland!

2008-12-15T14:48:00.000-05:00

Well the holidays are almost here and with that, the hunting seasons are on the down hill side but still wide open. With deer, duck, quail, small game, and much more still on the menu the weather is now the biggest variable to look at. AS I type this we have Kevin Knight, Jeremy Johnson, Dean and Floy Gregg all in Iowa and Missouri hunting. Kevin tagged him an Iowa buck yesterday and then the weather went south. I talked to Dean earlier today and the temp was -1 degrees! WOW!

I also want to mention that Jeremy took a stud in Michigan this year as well as his wife Elizabeth took her first buck with a bow. How cool is that!

We have a few more hunts lined up this year and into 2009 for deer, one will be a great late season bow hunt with CCW Outfitters in Kentucky. Then off to the ATA show and SHOT show hopefully.

The SBA family would like to wish all of you a merry Christmas and a great 2009! To finish this post off, here is a pic of Kevin's Iowa buck, Jeremy's Michigan buck, and Elizabeth's Alabama buck!

Stayin' warm,

The Backwoods Crew

More Backwoods Bucks!

2008-11-24T11:43:00.001-05:00

The SBA crew of Michael Lee, Trey Wetherington, Kevin Knighton, and Mike Lee just returned from Nebraska where filling tags was part of the plan! The guys were hunting with Chris Vaughn of Adventures Wild on his private leases in south west Nebraska. On the last full day of the hunt, Michael, Trey, and Mike all filled their tags with corn husker bucks!

The guys are staying around home for the Thanksgiving holiday, then heading out on the road again for even more whitetail footage!

Up a GA pine,

The Backwoods Crew

Stuck In the Middle

2008-11-12T15:07:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since we've actually written a blog, I know, it's our own busy fault. We've been traveling and filming all over. Right nre we're stuck in the middle of hunting season. So far we've been to Wyoming, Colorado, Alabama, Florida, and right here in Georgia so far and have taken home mule deer, whitetails, gators, and antelope. Next on the agenda is Nebraska for mulies and white tail very soon. Maybe we can get luck and get a big one on the ground.

Here are a couple of photos from our latest adventures:

We'll try to post here more often, we know we've been slack! Until next time, God bless and good hunting!

The SBA Crew

Come On September!!

2008-08-01T14:39:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting here at this computer thanking the good Lord I get to be inside this tmie of year since it's 100 degrees outside! All the while, I'm SO READY to get outside this fall. Dad, Trey, Kevin, and I all found out today that we drew antelope tags for Wyoming, so we're jacked up about that!

Boy the Backwoods Crew is gonna have a busy fall. Antelope in Wyoming, Mule deer in Colorado, Whitetails and Mule deer in Nebraska, Idaho elk, Florida alligators, Indiana whitetail, Kentucky whitetail, Iowa whitetail, and let's not leave out Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama for whitetail and hogs too! Good Lord willing and the creeks don't rise we hope to have a LOT of critters at the taxidermist after 2008 ends and a TON of great footage for you all to see. Speaking of taxidermists, I'm proud to say we have a new one on board. Southern Wildlife Taxidermy in Leesburg, GA will be doing some work for us this year. Sean Knights and his crew does a great job and we are really excited about it all.

Whew, I'm tired already! Anyway, where are some of you all hunting this fall? Did you get that tag you've been waiting on? Are you just gonna kill a big un' in your home state? We'd love to hear what everyone else is doing.

God bless and good huntin!

Stayin cool,

The Backwoods Crew

Finishing Off the Spring!

2008-06-03T11:15:00.000-04:00

The Backwoods Crew went out in style to wrap up turkey season in Nebraska. Michael, Trey, Kevin, and good friend Greg Turner headed out west to hunt with Chris Vaughn and Bryan Clines of Adventures Wild. The guys touched down in Denver, CO and made the 3 hour drive to Nebraska where the turkey season was in it's final days. On the first morning the guys saw a ton of birds and gobblers everywhere, but had no luck right off. Michael and Kevin were hunting with Chris and shortly after lunch both of them scored with in 15 minutes of each other. About an hour after Michael and Kevin scored, Greg missed a nice gobbler in almost the same spot!

Day two began with Trey hunting with Michael and Chris. Not long after daylight Trey's shotgun roared and he put a tag on a stud Merriam's. Greg would soon get another chance as he sat and watched a gobbler strut for 6 hours with Trey videoing and Bryan guiding. Finally Greg got a shot at the bird and made this one count, filling his tag.

Day three had more birds gobbling and strutting and two more tags used as Bryan and Trey both scored to cap off a great trip and turkey season for the SBA team.

God bless and good hunting!

Southern Backwoods partners with Game Plan Gear

2008-05-01T12:05:00.000-04:00

Southern Backwoods is proud to announce that the SBA logo will be featured on the packaging for the new Game Plan Gear Treestand Transport System (TTS). This product will make carrying those lock ons, climbers, and more that much easier going in and out of the woods.

The crew at Game Plan Gear has all kinds of new exciting products out for 2008, please check them out at www.GamePlanGear.com

Turkey Turkey Turkey!

2008-04-25T08:47:00.000-04:00

The SBA crew has been wide open hunting this spring all over the US. We've had some great times so far and many more to come. Here are a few things that have gone on in the woods this spring so far.

Mike Lee and Michael Lee headed to Oklahoma and scored on two nice Rios in the same afternoon. Michael's had a longer beard, but Mike's weigh a pound more and had 1/4 inch longer spurs. You can't stop the older Mike, just hope to contain him!

Just a few days later, Mike and Michael were back in the woods on the family farm in South Georgia. The first day the weather was a wash and the afternoon was all quiet. The second morning the weather was clear and cool. The gobblers were hammering and after a couple of hours calling and working a group of gobblers Michael scored with his second bird of the week! This bird had 1 inch spurs and a 10.5 inch beard to cap off a great week of father-son hunting!