-
2 weeks ago | 
archerybusiness.com | Darron McDougal
Appeared in print as "Oops . . .
-
3 weeks ago | 
bowhunter.com | Darron McDougal
Bugles rang out from the dark timber above me. Daylight was delayed by foggy conditions and visibility was limited. A mountain drizzle drenched my layers as I struggled up muddy slopes and fought through jungle-thick brush, in hot pursuit. An absolute mess, I was so soaked you could have wrung me out like a dishcloth. But I’d come too far to quit. The mountains demanded all I could give, and I wouldn’t stop giving it until I got my shot or a remote basin swallowed up the two mountain kings.
-
1 month ago | 
archerybusiness.com | Darron McDougal
Appeared in print as "Loitering" Wayne Endicott Springfield, Oregon We set our store’s culture. Who we are is who will be sitting on the stool across the counter from us. Sure, someone occasionally comes in using filthy language and hangs around for a long time. In subtle ways, we try to influence them. I’m a Christian, and I believe I’m called to be salt and light to all people in the store and beyond. We’ve cultivated an environment where we don’t rush people out the door. Even though I...
-
1 month ago | 
realtree.com | Darron McDougal
Remember, if you can see a gobbler, he can see you. Use pre-dawn darkness to slip close to a roost, and call sparingly. Photo by Jeffrey B. Banke. Dawn loomed as I slipped through the dew-coated pasture grass. About 9 a.m. the previous day, I had glassed a gobbler strutting in the pasture, and I thought for sure he’d be back there. Yet, the lack of gobbles as I approached the gargantuan maple tree where the bird had been the previous morning had me second-guessing the spot. Still, I continued on.
-
1 month ago | 
gameandfishmag.com | Darron McDougal
Born and raised in the northern Midwest, I've spent 22 seasons hunting the king of spring in North America's heartland. In my opinion, no species east of the Mississippi River lends itself to public-land hunting like the wild turkey. In one day, a turkey hunter can pop in and out of multiple parcels until he gets a tom gobbling. In other words, a persistent hunter who spends enough time in the timber stands a solid chance of finding a bird to hunt.
-
2 months ago | 
realtree.com | Darron McDougal
Gobblers can be tough to anchor with a bow and broadhead. Having the right equipment helps your cause. Photo by Darron McDougal. Two gobblers sounded off from the towering maple trees about 60 yards away as I carefully entered my ground blind in the pre-dawn darkness. About 20 minutes later, the birds landed 100 yards away, where they gobbled and strutted. I coaxed them with a few soft calls. In they came.
-
2 months ago | 
archerybusiness.com | Darron McDougal
Appeared in print as "Bow Report: Mathews Lift X 29.5" Last year, Mathews Archery accomplished a tremendous feat with its Lift. Since compound bows have become practically all riser in terms of axle-to-axle length, I’m not aware of any other premium, machined-aluminum compound bow that has weighed less than the 2024 3.99-pound Lift 29.5. Shorter limbs made possible by a top-mounted cam axle, as well as the most geometrically intricate Bridge-Lock riser design yet, yielded a mass weight that...
-
2 months ago | 
realtree.com | Darron McDougal
Turkey guns are specialized tools. Many of today’s sub-gauge guns throw incredible patterns, but are lightweight and easy to carry. Realtree imageI’d just hopped off my e-bike and was about to cut and yelp when a gobbler boomed a few hundred yards away. Instead of calling from where I was, I slipped down a logging road to within 200 yards of the boisterous bird. On a ridge top, I scuttled off the logging road, parked my hinder against an old maple, and began calling.
-
2 months ago | 
archerybusiness.com | Darron McDougal
Appeared in print as "League Bow Choices" Wade Grinager Rogers, Minnesota We offer the JOAD program, which is really popular. One of the coaches from Elite Central Archers works here and offers lessons in our shop. Of course, JOAD participants shoot bows designed for target shooting. But only about 10 percent of our league shooters buy target bows and accessories and enter our Open Class. The other 90 percent use their hunting bows. A small handful of that 90 percent upgrade to a 23-diameter...
-
Jan 8, 2025 | 
archerybusiness.com | Darron McDougal
Appeared in print as "Behind the Counter: Gone Bowhunting" Dan Ellyson Hudson, Wisconsin Usually about 4 weeks. I obviously don’t hunt every single day for 4 weeks straight. Instead, I try to be smart about when I go and head out in smaller blocks of time. Most of the 4 weeks are used up in November during the rut. My biggest individual challenge with getting away is balancing my family life and the pro shop. My wife has a full-time career and we have three daughters. As our daughters get...
