Buffalo

Last week, I traveled to Buffalo, New York to shoot an episode of Stihl's Reel in the Outdoors with my good friend and guide, Tim Braun. Now the Buffalo area of Lake Erie holds a special place in my memory, as that is where I won the $100,000 All American Championship early in my career. Yeah, when we still had to paddle our boats and my shorts were way too short (for a guy anyway..)

The fish were just moving up on the beds and we caught over30 bass in four to six feet of water, primarily on a Lucky Craft Slender Pointer 112 SO in. Misty Shad color. That color is nearly dead on the Emerald Shiners. The Smallies feed on that this time of year. We caught several over five pounds, and all beneath the Buffalo skyline. Fishing in Buffalo is without questuon, better than it has ever been!

Fabulous New Zealand!

As I write this I am still recovering from the jet lag after my trip to the South Island of New Zealand. I traveled there last week to shoot an episode for Scent Lok's High Places. I have always been fascinated by New Zealand and dreamed of going there someday, and after 50 years, I finally got my opportunity!

 My primary goal was to take a Himalayan Tahr with a bow and arrow and capture it on video for the Show, which was no small order given the extremely mountainous terrain the Tahr live in and their keen senses. I was only about an hour off the valley floor the first morning of the hunt when I realized how tough a hunt this really was!

We climbed over 2500 vertical feet in the first two and a half hours. My stairmaster machine definitely did not prepare me for what was some of the steepest climbing I've ever experienced. The only thing that took away the pain in my lungs and legs was the absolutely incredible views that were more amazing than anything I've ever seen.

 Late in the day, we spotted a big Bull Tahr bedded in the mountain cliffs and after climbing above him and a calculated stalk playing the wind, I got a clean shot inside 20 yards. By the time we reached the truck with heavy packs at dark, my legs were noodles and I began to wonder if the 30 hours on airplanes, planning and physical punishment were really worth it. The answer came to me pretty quickly. I had been given the opportunity to experience something very few people do and felt truly blessed just to be there. You're darn right it was worth it!