Back in 1878, a little over a decade after the Civil War, a southern gentleman named Maurice Thompson wrote a remarkable book titled, The Witchery of Archery. Though small in physical size, that little tome had big results as far as the sport of archery was concerned. It regenerated within the public of [...]
Wood, aluminum, or carbon? What broadhead? How about draw weight? Over time, traditionalists will face a long list of choices, some to be decided quickly and others never at all. Beginners will have plenty of time to consider them as they consult books and videos, argue (politely) with friends, listen to veterans, and [...]
"Mr. Lewis, how do I talk to girls?” The question took me by surprise and snapped me out of the typical “is it 3:15 yet” daze you can find on any middle school teacher’s face on a Friday afternoon. After a stuttering start, I did the best I could. First, I admitted that [...]
The first thing my three-year-old daughter always asks for when I fill a tag, is “soup!” I was lucky enough to take two deer this past deer season and my daughter said, “Let’s make deer soup!” I’d never really used venison in soup before: stew and chili yes, but not soup. So, this [...]
As all my regular backcountry hunting partners know, I have never, ever been lost. However, I will admit that I’ve come close. Years ago, Lori and I were hunting hogs and turkeys in Florida with our old friend Don Davis. Late one afternoon, Don dropped me off on a road several miles from [...]
The car shuddered to a halt. A large gum tree had been ripped from the ground during the night’s storm and the gritty gravel road to the cliffside edge had become impassable by car. Visions of first light shot opportunities on wandering billy goats were quickly replaced by premonitions of sweat and struggle. [...]
The sea breeze was noisily rustling the palm fronds when I heard a slight splash from the freshwater slough just to my south. The water was hidden by thick palmetto ground cover. A trail ran parallel to the slough between prehistoric sand dunes covered by thick palmettos that grew head high in places. [...]
My wife, Linda, sat in her climbing tree stand on the edge of a pine thicket less than 10 yards from a forest service dirt road. The buck scrape to her left was hot with activity. I was across the road in a ground blind, guarding the last few fallen wild apples of [...]
As I drove home from Arizona last year after our first successful javelina hunt (“First Dance with the Desert Ghost” by Alex DeGeorgey, Dec/Jan 2022 issue of TBM), I couldn’t stop thinking about applying again the following year and taking one or both of my kids with me. They’ve joined me afield since [...]
The first year I felt confident enough to take out my longbow, climb up into a tree stand, and attempt to shoot a deer, I found myself rummaging through the closet for anything that would keep me warm and allow me to pull a bow with no clothing restrictions. The best I could [...]
