KS Deer

Road Crew member, Chad Bennett shares details of his early November Kansas hunt online with Life on the Road TV. After hunting hard for two weeks on private property in Kansas, Chad brought home a big Kansas buck. Filming the hunt proved to be as hard as bringing the deer down with his Mathews bow. Unfortunately even when everything is going right, electronics just don’t want to work! The playback film was streaked making the footage impossible to view. Even with a friend running the camera and ideal circumstances, sometimes things just don’t work as planned. But the story behind this hunt is sure to inspire our LotR fans and we hope the website readers enjoy this as much as we did!
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Nov 8th would be my first day to hunt. I saw quite a bit of movement and it looked good for the rest of the week, but after the 9th, deer movement had all but stopped. I had a bad feeling that we had hit the part of the rut where the deer bed down for several days and you don’t see a thing. Well my feeling turned out to be true and I knew I had to just wait it out.

Finally on Nov. 18th we had the weather I had been waiting for, the temp was going to be in the high 20s with a hard frost. We decided to go hunt a place one of the guys had seen several bucks about a week earlier, hoping we would come across a hot doe with a mature buck behind her. The only catch to this spot was, it was an open field with a draw. We were going to have to hunt on the ground. We arrived well before daylight and I picked a spot to set up near a trail, where we could see the draw below. After light we started seeing deer on the other side of the draw. The deer just seemed to keep coming one after the other, and we knew somehow we needed to get down to the draw so we could get a shot if a mature deer happened to do the same thing.

At 9am we packed our stuff and moved. We found a good spot to sit with good back cover, and settled in. My heart rate had barely come down when I looked to my right and I saw a doe step out with a big mature 8 point right behind her. Now all I needed her to do was follow the same trail as the other deer. Then I saw him jump the fence. I’m thinking he is going to come right where I want him to. Suddenly the doe turns up the hill, and he follows her – taking him further away. Finally he stops and turns broadside. I hit him with the rangefinder at 83 yards. Most people would not take that shot, but I have practiced it a thousand times. I drew my Mathews back and let it fly. The arrow was flying true and I thought it was going to smash him, but I had forgotten about the 3 yards I needed to add to my 80. The arrow passed just low into the grass. The deer didn’t even know what happened. The deer looked my direction and started walking my way almost as if they were trying to see what the noise was. The deer could obviously see me. I’m sitting on the ground in the high grass with the bank to my back. I knew I was going to have to rely on my Lost Camo for the first time to keep me hidden.

The big mature 8 point was looking for me but he could not find me. We were standing eye to eye at 50 yards and I knew all I had to do now was wait him out. Be still and wait on a shot to present itself. Finally he gave up and flicked his tail as if everything was ok. He walked up 10 more yards. I hit him with the rangefinder at 60 yards. I drew my bow and let it fly once again, only this time my GoldTip found its mark. All the long range practice had paid off. I had just arrowed my second P & Y, I had a great story to go with it, and memories that will stay with me for a lifetime. Remember it’s not always about how big the deer is, it’s more about enjoying what God has allowed you to do and enjoying the blessing He has given you.

Jansen’s Farm – IL – Whitetail

Well, it was mid December and I hadn’t been in the woods with my bow since early November. Needless to say I was itching to put another big whitetail on the ground. Our good friend and fellow “Road Crew” member Jansen Asbill called and invited me up to his private farm in central Illinois. Now, Illinois in itself is enough, but Jansen’s farm had already produced a 190” buck back in early November. He said he had some big deer moving in the daylight on his Leaf River camera and before I knew it I was 10 hours from home pulling into his driveway. I had the new Z7 from Mathews and I couldn’t wait to try it out.
The next day we decided to go in late morning and sit the rest of the day due to the fact that deer movement seemed to peak between 11 and 3. I’m not sure how many deer we jumped going into the stand but regardless the first deer didn’t show up until about 3:15. Right before dark two shooters, that he had pictures of, showed up on a grassy knob about 100 yards to the east. It was the split g2 8-pointer and the short-tined 10. Both were bucks Jansen knew very well. We didn’t get a shot at either of the bucks but it was an awesome first day. Oh I almost forgot it was 5 degrees and snowing all day so I was froze to death.
The next day we only saw a gang of does. On the third and final day of my hunt we slipped into a stand Jansen calls his water hole stand. It’s a little patch of timber butting up to standing corn, beans, oats, turnips and pretty much anything else a whitetail might strike a craving for. He had pictures of the short-tined 10 point in there three out of the last four mornings. Well, as good as the odds were, after sitting there all morning we didn’t have a single deer come within bow range. Just goes to show that when it comes to bow hunting whitetails nothing is guaranteed.
So, I had one evening left and I was going to head back to my home state of NC. The deer movement had really shut down where we were so Jansen said he was going to make a phone call to one of his buddy’s, Scott Wiegle, to see if he had any deer on his farm that we could possibly get set up on for my last evening hunt. Scott agreed and said to meet him at his house at 1:30. Well, before long we were settled into a stand in some timber between really thick bedding and a cut corn field that the deer had really been hitting hard. It was spitting snow and we hardly got in the tree when the deer started filtering by us. There was a parade of small bucks and does for about an hour and a half and as it got closer to dark, it got closer to me going home empty handed.
About 45 minutes before dark I caught a glimpse of a rack coming through the timber. It was about 130” 8 point. I knew this deer was only 2 ½ years old so as hard as it was, I let him walk right by us. He was with a couple bucks about the same caliber as him and as soon as they cleared I looked back down the ridge and saw a giant bodied deer walking right at us. Jansen and I both thought he was just a big mid 150 clean 8 point. Well we were wrong; when he broke 40 yards we were pleasantly surprised to notice a big drop-tine hangin’ down off of his right main beam. I almost fell out of the tree. Killin’ a big drop-tine buck had been a dream of mine for as long as I’ve been hunting. At this point as if I wasn’t already rattled enough he stops and stands behind a tree for almost 10 minutes. All of the sudden he turns straight at the tree and starts walking down the trail that filters by us at just 30 yards. Right as he was fixing to step into my shooting lane I drew my bow. I’m not sure if he heard me or saw me draw but regardless he looked at me and I didn’t have a shot. He needs to take two more steps. For some weird reason after a pretty intense stare down he decides to take those couple of steps right into my shooting lane. I settled the pin and…

Ok, you know the drill! Watch the show and see how the new Mathew’s Z7 performes on a giant Illinois buck. Thanks to Jansen, Lisa and family. They are truly great people. Also thanks to Scott Wiegle for letting me hunt his farm. It was an honor and his hunting property is a perfect example of what happens when a good hunter makes good decisions with his/her deer management. As always keep us in your prayers and we’ll keep you posted.

Levi and Samantha

Rayse Creek Outfitters – Mt. Vernon, IL – Whitetail

It is the second week of November…what else is there to say!! It is the best time to be in the woods and where else would we rather be but at Rayse Creek Outfitters in Mt. Vernon, Illinois! Last year was the first time hunting at Rayse Creek Outfitters for Levi and me. Since then we have become such good friends with the whole family; Bret, Michele, Brad, Gary, and Brenda Chesnik. If you are reading this and would love to go to Illinois to hunt huge whitetails and be around a good atmosphere of great people, well this is the place to go! There’s nothing better than going to a hunting lodge and having that family atmosphere. And might I add that Michele and Brenda are wonderful cooks!
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We had this hunt planned since last year and got a call early season from Bret telling us that if we could squeeze an extra trip in for mid- October, that it would be well worth it. He had some unbelievable trail cam pictures of giant whitetails. One in particular really caught our eye. This deer became known as the Big Tall 8! He was the most unique looking buck and his rack stood so high up on his head. We jumped right on that invitation and headed up there.
They had been seeing this buck on a huge bean field, so if the wind was right, we decided to hunt there. That week, we saw so many nice bucks but they just wouldn’t come close enough. The night before we were suppose to leave, we were hunting from a ground blind and right as we were running out of shooting light, I looked through my Alpen binoculars and said to Levi “there’s a buck standing in the field.” Levi looked and was like holy crap that’s the buck we’re after! Needless to say he hung up at about 80 yards and we ran out of daylight. We weren’t too upset because we knew we would be back in November.
November rolls around and the first couple of days were a little slow. But I’m pretty sure it was due to summer temperatures! Last week in Ohio we had to deal with the full moon and now hot temps..ugh! On the evening of November 11th the wind seemed horrible for every stand we had to hunt. That morning they were cutting the bean field and Levi said “we need to be on that bean field as soon as they’re done cutting it.” So early that evening Levi, Keith, and I sat up a ground blind…well they set it up…I stood there going “yep that looks good”…”uh you need to cut that” lol!
Levi and I hadn’t been sitting in the blind long when we saw some does come running over the hill. And anytime you see does running in the middle of the rut, you better get your bow ready!! So that’s what I did! What we saw next, we couldn’t believe. It was the BIG TALL 8! I was freaking out I was so excited. The does ran out in the field and I ranged them at 55 yards, figuring that’s where he would be headed. Sure enough here he comes. I pull back and he stops facing me…
You better watch the show to see how I take the biggest buck of my life with my Mathews Passion! Keep us in your prayers and we’ll keep you posted!
Samantha!

Public Land KS – Whitetail

KANSAS!!! What else is there to say, I love this place. This trip was really meant for Samantha and her dad, Joe. After Samantha moved to North Carolina she hasn’t had a chance to hunt with him as much as they would like so we set up a trip to Kansas. Brandon Brown, Samantha and I arrived a couple days early to scout and hang stands on some public land that we would be hunting for the next few days.
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I would like to thank the person who called the outfitter we were supposed to hunt with and asked him not to let us hunt the lease. Those daily phone calls kept us from hunting the lease but put us on “public” land and made this trip even more exciting! We actually found some good deer sign so we hung a couple of sets and Samantha started hunting right away. I was running the camera for her and Brandon Brown was running the camera for Joe. The first evening in the stand we got a text message that Joe had smacked a monster. Joe is from PA and has never even shot at a buck over 130. In one day in Kansas he throws down a 154” eleven point on film. Well Samantha went on that same day to miss a beautiful buck at 50 yards. In all her excitement she used her 60 yard mark and went right over its back. After a couple tears we headed to take a look at Joe’s deer.
The next day Joe decided to try his hand at running a camera. This meant one thing for me… finally I get to pick up my bow instead of the camera and go after a Kansas whitetail one more time. Joe’s filming Samantha and I’ve got Brandon with me as we set out. We were going in to a new piece of public that Brandon had scouted a couple days earlier. There were no trees so we brushed in a ground blind on the edge of a standing corn field where there were a ton of rubs and scrapes. We had been there a total of about 30 minutes and I decided to do a little rattling. I hit the horns together, snort-wheezed and sit back to relax. Well I couldn’t relax just yet, cause all I could see was a tall set of tines coming through the corn stalks. The buck was definitely a shooter and he was fixing to step in an opening at 56 yards. I went to draw my bow and my arm hit the back of the blind. He stopped on a dime. Unfortunately for him he stopped with his front half already in the open. It was now or never, he was gonna bolt. I made sure Brandon was on him and I released. The hunt is definitely a quick one and it was really quick footage but that’s exactly how it happened. As for what happened on the shot just watch it next fall on Mathew’s Life on the Road. We’re headed to Ohio next so keep us in your prayers and we’ll keep you posted. Levi

Family Farm OH – Deer (Levi)

On Nov 3, 2009 Samantha killed a big 9 point deer on the Ohio family farm. Our Leaf River trail cam had captured pictures of this deer and we had over three days of footage to work with. It was Samantha’s biggest deer to date so this trip was successful on all accounts. Regardless of what was in store for the rest of us…
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That being said I still had a tag and 3 days left to get it filled. We are hunting in Ohio on my dad’s 200 acre farm. This farm is pretty much where I cut my teeth as a bow hunter, so if there was ever a piece of property that I knew, it would be this one. It’s a gold mine for whitetail. I think it takes a long time to really learn a piece of ground and how the deer travel and use different routes during different times of the year, but once you do, this is when it gets fun.

After a couple days of close encounters and lots of funny bloopers (which include me hunting with a Mathews Passion) we were headed to the woods bright and early on the cold morning of November 6th. We were staying in a house that me and some of my buddies had rented for the week and it was about a twenty minute drive from there to the farm. Samantha and I get to the farm, get all of our gear together and head to the stand when I realize that WE had forgotten the camera! GREAT!!! It’s the coldest morning of the year and the camera is twenty minutes away. It’s starting to break daylight! Luckily Brandon Rackley, or as we call him Rack Daddy had already tagged out on a 150” stud on the first morning so he met me half way with the camera.

We slipped into the stand a little after daylight and actually bumped one deer off of a scrape about 10 yards from the bottom of the tree. None the less we climbed up and got situated. The next two and half hours produced a button head and a small 6 point that seemed to have no certain rhyme or reason to when or where it was going. At about 9:30 I thought I heard something to the north. It was real thick but I could make out a large rack weaving its way through the brush headin’ our way. Okay, this is what I live for … my heart is beating out of my chest and the buck is fixing to pop out in a shooting lane at 30 yards. I draw my bow and sure enough the big 10 point steps right in the shooting lane, just one problem, he’s facing me. For the next few seconds I wondered if I had just royally screwed up by pulling back too soon. About that time the buck started to turn broadside, my 30 yard pin found the crease low behind the shoulder and….. Well you’re starting to get the idea by now. You’ll have to watch the show and find out what happens from here. We’re heading to Ray’s Creek Outfitters in Illinois where we’re going after a giant 8 pointer that we had encountered opening week, so wish us luck. As always keep us in your prayers and we’ll keep you posted. LEVI

Family Farm OH – Deer (Samantha)

It was the first week of November and where else would we go but to OHIO! But it wouldn’t be just me and Levi going. You see, in previous years Levi and all his buddies would make the annual guys trip to Ohio but this time it would be the guys and me! I didn’t have to go but of course I wanted to because I had been hunting since Oct. 1st and hadn’t killed a thing. So here’s the story that outlines my hunt to the family farm in Ohio…
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The first morning in the stand we were hunting in a little strip of woods between a food plot and standing corn. Levi rattled a little bit and about five minutes later we had a nice buck headed our way. As he got closer we realized it was a pretty nice 9 point! As luck would have it he came within 25 yards and didn’t give me a shot. And then I’m pretty sure he smelled us, because the wind always swirls in Ohio, and he turned around and left. Gosh I was so close, which has been the story of my hunting life! It just doesn’t come easy for me. I use this example for the difference between me and Levi … ”Levi is the type that walks down the sidewalk and finds a 50 dollar bill and I walk down the sidewalk and find a penny on heads”. It’s so funny how different we are but boy do we have a blast hunting together! We have tons of bloopers!
Anyway, we got down from the stand about 9:30 and headed back to the camper. About 10 o’clock I grabbed my phone and we had a text from our friend Brandon that he had just shot a monster! So already the weeks hunt was off to a good start! The next morning we hunted in a completely different area on the farm. Right after daylight we heard something, turned and looked, and it was that same 9 point. This time he got within 20 yards and didn’t give me a shot! Geez, how close can I get!
Nov. 3rd, our third day in the woods, we were headed to the same stand that I killed my first buck out of. It was about 3 o’clock when we got up in the tree. Levi was still setting the camera up and I hadn’t even put my hat on when all of a sudden we heard a deer walking towards us. The buck came walking into the shooting lane, working a scrape and I knew this would be my only shot. I drew back my bow…Levi kept saying “wait, wait” cause he wasn’t focused on it. As for what happens next, tune in next fall to Mathew’s Life on the Road. After Ohio we’re headed to Illinois so keep us in your prayers and we’ll keep you posted. Samantha!

Asheville NC

Chad Bennett, October 16, 2009, 11 pt buck, Asheville, NC

Road Crew member Chad Bennett brings us a glimpse of his hometown while hunting in Asheville, NC. Chad harvested an 11 point buck in the mountains of Western North Carolina on October 16, 2009. Although he didn’t capture the hunt on film he did get some footage and photos to share of this awesome deer.

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The story actually starts on a rainy day in late October 2008. I was slipping around and caught a glimpse of a mature 10 point on his feet before dark. The next four days I hunted two different spots but I never saw him again.

The 2009 season rolled around and I decided to set up close to the bedding area where I thought he might be spending most of his time. A few days passed by with no sign of the deer. I decided to go into the bedding area and see where he might be coming out. The buck wasn’t there at the time but I found a faint trail leading in a direction I would not have expected. I decided to follow the trail and it came out in the most unlikely place.

I decided to stay out of the area for a while and went back into the area on October 13th. There were a few promising rubs but nothing special. I decided to leave it for another day and went to another spot to set up to hunt. That evening I harvested a mature doe. The excitement of the first deer of the season got me fired up to set in on getting the buck I had seen the previous year.

Around 1:00pm on October 16th I decided to go in and hang my stand. The buck had definitely been there and I thought he might be holding up until dark to come out. I put my scent-lock on and got back up in the tree stand around 3:00pm.

The evening went by fast. I was excited at the thought of getting to see the deer one more time. The sun set and the light was fading fast. There was an opening about 40 yards in front of me and I saw the 10 point coming my way. He walked all the way up to my stand and I stopped him at about 7 yards. The arrow passed through perfect and I saw him go down about 50 yards in front of me. It took a minute for it to sink in. I realized that this was one of my biggest accomplishments as a bow hunter. Very few hunters get to see a deer like that in Buncombe County, North Carolina let alone get to arrow him with a bow. It was the hunt of a lifetime. Even though I didn’t have the opportunity to film the hunt for the show, it was a blessing to get to share the details of this hunt with family and friends. Be sure to catch the photos and video I shot after the kill on the website for Life on the Road. I’m off to Kansas the first week in November to hunt with a good friend, Stacy Burnette and hopefully we will be able get a whitetail on film! As we travel away from our families keep us in your prayers and we will hopefully be bringing home a big buck from Kansas! Chad

Blue Mountains OR – Elk

Levi harvested this 5×5 elk in the Blue Mountain Range of Eastern Oregon. He was hunting with Battle Creek Outfitters and was joined by Johnny Heath, Charles Shook. Brandon Brown was again behind the camera. This was Levi’s 2nd Elk hunt ever and he was coming off a lucky hunt in Idaho where he killed a big 6×6 after being in the woods for only two hours. Needless to say he was due to have to work for this one, which is exactly what he and Brandon did. Brandon was able to get incredible footage of the hunt from start to finish.
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We had just left Idaho with a big 6×6 that I had somehow managed to kill on the last evening. That bull was actually the first elk that I had ever seen in the wild, much less taken a shot at. Needless to say I was extremely excited to be chasing bulls for just the second time here in Oregon. We had heard lots of good things about Battle Creek Outfitters and were scheduled to hunt with them for the next five days.
After a 7-hour drive into Oregon we were in for an awesome dirt trail experience for the next 9 miles where we arrived at camp. We packed all of our gear into tents, ate supper, and headed to the cots for some much needed rest that wouldn’t come easy for me or Brandon. Somehow we got stuck beside Johnny and Shook who both snore uncontrollably.
The next morning we were among bulls before daylight. They were bugling, raking trees, and I was really surprised at how loud they actually are when you get close to them. After a few close encounters I was done with day one and ready for the next morning. It was pretty much the same scenario for the next couple of days, a lot of bulls and a lot of walking or running after them. By the end of the third day the temperature had climbed to about 95 degrees and the bulls were bugling but they weren’t budging an inch. Our guide Mike said we would have to hunt close to water because of the heat. He felt that this was pretty much our only hope for a good bull with the weather not cooperating at all. That evening we were headed to what we called the meadow pond. Johnny had seen a nice 6×6 and 5×5 there the evening before and said that he felt like they were bedding very close.
Brandon and I decided that we were going to get there early so we could get all the camera equipment setup before any of the elk came by. Everything was going as planned. We were at the pond and I was checking the wind to see which side to set up on when a bull let out a bugle about 100 yards away and they were coming straight for us. The whole herd ran through my only lane and the bull was a 350 plus 6×6. He was a giant to say the least. He was in the pond at 25 yards and I had no shot. We were on the ground with no cover and I felt the wind hit me in the back. The herd was gone as quickly as they came in and we were left standing in disbelief at what just happened. We figured the evening was over but we set up anyway in hopes that another bull might get thirsty.
It was about three hours later and the only sign of any elk were some faint bugles about a half a mile to our west and they weren’t headed in our direction. The sun was already behind the pines and we were goofing off throwing sticks at some cattle trying to run them off and having absolutely no luck at that either. All of the sudden I thought I heard a chuckle in the thicket to our right. Then I knew I heard a stick break. I stood up and got ready just in case. Sure enough I saw a set of 5×5 antlers weaving through the thick brush. My heart was racing a hundred miles an hour and when he broke into the field he was already in bow range. He made his way all the way to the pond and right as I was fixing to draw he turned and was facing me for what seemed like an eternity. With no shot, all I could do was stand there and hope he would turn before the swirling wind would once again find us out. Out of nowhere a cow appeared and instead of going to the pond she walked right to us and at that point I didn’t think we had a chance. Just like I figured she bolted and so did he, I drew my bow and “cow called” with my mouth. I thought it sounded terrible and maybe the bull did too but for some reason he stopped and turned broadside at about 50 yards. I settled the pin and…
You’ll need to watch Mathew’s Life on the Road next fall to find out exactly what happened. Samantha and I are headed to Pennsylvania to hunt for a couple of days with her family. So, keep us in your prayers and we’ll keep you posted.
LEVI

Peck ID – First Elk!

Levi harvested this beautiful 6×6 elk in Peck, Idaho. He was hunting at Boulder Creek Outfitters with his dad Mark, Johnny Heath, Charles Shook. Brandon Brown was behind the camera. This was Levi’s first time elk hunting and after being in the Idaho wilderness for about 2 hours he had this big bull on the ground. The entire hunt was captured by the Life on the Road cameras for an awesome over the shoulder experience that you will be able to share with Levi, Samantha and the rest of the Road Crew next fall.
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Well, we were actually going to Boulder Creek to whitetail hunt. Little did I know that they had way more than Whitetail to offer. After sitting in the stand and watching whitetail, mule deer, bear, turkey, and listening to elk bugle for a couple of days, Dad and I came back in to camp to find that our buddy Shook had done something that is probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever heard. He shot a huge mountain lion from his tree stand. It started to climb up the tree when the lion realized that Shook had already taken his spot. The lion showed Shook his teeth, hissed and then died after Shook double-lunged him with his switch back. The cat weighed about 160 pounds and was 8 ½ feet long from nose to tail.
With only one day left to hunt Johnny talked me into getting an elk tag. He said he was “tired of listening to that bull bugle across the canyon and if I didn’t get the tag then he would”. So, I drove to town, got the tag and we were back in the woods with about 2 ½ hours of daylight left on the final evening of our hunt. It took us about an hour walking as hard as we could to get close to where we thought the herd would be. Johnny and the guide, Matt, were behind me about 50 yards “cow calling” really soft. It wasn’t long and we heard some of the cows answering us back. The bull wasn’t bugling but we got set up anyway.
It was a good thing because in no time the cows were standing about 7 yards away and a big Idaho 6×6 had just busted out in the edge of the field and was slowly working towards us. The wind was good for the bull but the cows were now almost behind us and I knew it wouldn’t be long before we were toast. I went ahead and ranged the bull. He was broadside at 91 yards. Not the ideal bow shot, but I was confident if that’s what I had to do. About that time the lead cow bolted and the bull was on full alert. It was now or never. I made sure Brandon was on him with the camera and I drew my bow. I settled the pin and started to slowly squeeze the Tru Ball HT…
As for the rest watch for the hunt next fall on Life on the Road. You’ve gotta see an arrow flying 90 yards at an elk. I want to thank the Lord first and then Johnny and Matt for calling the bull in. If any of you guys or girls are interested in going to Idaho to hunt pretty much anything, you’ve got to check out the Boulder Creek website. Boulder Creek is one of the most awesome places I’ve ever hunted and the people are awesome too. Thanks to Tim and Matt for an awesome time! We’re headed to Oregon now to try and smack another big bull with Battle Creek Outfitters. Keep us in your prayers and we’ll keep you posted. LEVI

Southern Ohio

On Thursday, October 15th, my wife Amanda and I were packing up for a weekend trip to our hunting club in southern Ohio. We planned to leave early Friday morning and stay the whole weekend.  Then we got a phone call that would lead us to a forceful change of plans. It was the babysitter. My sister Helen was on the phone and she said she had an accident earlier that day and had broken her arm.  She didn’t think she would be able to take care of the kids for the weekend. There goes my camera person! My wife, Amanda and I always work together as a team.  Over the years we have enjoyed filming each other’s hunts and I didn’t feel comfortable leaving for a hunting trip without a camera person.  I decided if I wasn’t going to have a camera to go with me then l would just stay home.

Then my wife suggested that since she was going to be home with Leigha, 11 and Luke, 5, that I should take Lauren our 14 year old daughter and let her film for me. I was not very fond of the idea at first since she had little camera experience.  Lauren also did not have a lot of experience being around big deer.  I had to make a decision and thought, “What do I have to lose?”

We packed her a weekend bag and took off early Friday morning. Tune in to Mathews Life on The Road TV to see just how great she did. This is a hunt that I will always treasure! Next we’re headed to Illinois for a 7 day hunt, wish us luck and remember who allows us to do what we love, our Lord and Savior, Jesus!