Congratulations Open Season on a great start to 2011, click "Read More" for each story!

     It was my fourth day at Innovative Outfitters in Kansas and Tommy Martiniere was behind the camera.  We scouted the area the day before and hung a set of Muddy Tree stands in a tree in the Milo field and sat through the afternoon seeing multiple big shooter bucks, all well out of range for my CVA muzzle-loader.  We glassed the field the next morning with our Leupold Binos and devised a plan for the evening.  We went back to camp and built a ground blind out of 2x2s and brushed it with Milo.  After putting my Lacrosse boots through a long hike carrying the blind and all our gear we were set.  Shortly after arriving in the spot we picked out we had some does and a small buck walk within 15 yards of us.  About 15 minutes later I looked over and standing at 40 yards was a great buck with a double drop tine.  I readied my Bog-Pod and dropped the Hammer on my CVA Apex..... One Powerbelt down the tube and one buck on the ground.  We were Hammering the Strut & Rut on the way home that night we drove straight thru to IL 11 hrs we needed that is for sure.

     -Tommy Martiniere

     Well After Sitting at a wallow for about three days with no luck we went to some tree stands that we had hung about a month before the season. Both spots had some bulls coming into them. Andy and I got into the Stands at about 530 am and wait we had a little mule deer buck come into about 5 yds and then sort of milled around for about 10 minutes.  Once the buck left I got down and checked the camera and nothing was coming into that area until the afternoon.  So Andy said well lets go and make this happen spot and stalk so we got down and went back to camp to grab the Tripod and some snacks. Well at 10 am we had just sprayed down again with Dead Down Wind and were on our way. we got about 100yds away from camp and saw a coyote and so we tried to cut it off but had no luck. We gradually made our way up this hill and Andy finally decided that he couldn’t take the heat any longer. As he was taking some of the Rut Wear layers off I stopped him as I caught a glance of 2 cows traughting right at us through the Leupold Binos. They got to 50 yds and Andy was finally dressed again and somehow got the camera on the elk. They made their way down this trail that was 24 yds away from us and as they came to the opening I tried to stop her with a whistle and well I can't whistle so Andy lets out the biggest and loudest grunt and stops her right behind a tree with dead limbs everywhere. I found one 5"X5" whole right behind the shoulder and made it count she only ran 75yds after the SX-1 / Victory arrow / T-1 poison was unleashed.  That T-1 gave us Blood right on contact and was by far the easiest blood trail that I have ever followed. This was my first elk with a bow and just couldn't pass her up at 24 yds.
 
      -Brandon Schawe

     My first out of state whitetail deer hunt has come to an end! I knocked down a great Wyoming 8 point with Trophies Plus Outfitters! The buck gave me a quartering towards shot at 50 yards, with no hesitation I hooked on my hardcore release, drew back my Strother SX-1 and settled in the Spot Hogg pin, then let the Tru-Fire Switchblade do its job! The Victory arrow fletched with Norway Vanes hit the deer perfect and passed clear through him! We watched the buck pile up in the field 150 yards from the Rhino Blind! 

With the great line of clothing from RutWear and scent protection from Dead Down Wind, I was able to stay comfortable and undetected from the heat of the day and through the cold winds of the evenings. Like we always do we Cracked Open a Strut & Rut drink to finish the hunt.  Thanks to all of our fine sponsors, I was able to have a successful hunt!

     -Josh Cline

“The Kansas Curse”

Kansas primitive weapon season opened on September 19^th and the Open Season Team was at Innovative Outfitters with their weapon of choice!  I had my Strother SX-1 in hand and I had high hopes of breaking my “Kansas Curse”.  The weather was warm so we didn’t hunt the first morning but hung some Muddy Stands so we were ready for the first afternoon.  We had a perfect NW wind at 10mph and a beautiful 75 degree afternoon.   After spraying down with Dead Down Wind, Cody Brewer and I headed to the stand on a creek bottom where we had placed some Rack 1 for the last few weeks and knew we had some good bucks showing up during the daylight.  After an hour we had some does show up and the dominant doe chased around the smaller does for about an hour and right on time, a great buck showed up and decided to have a snack.  I put a perfect shot on him at 14 yards and the Switchblade went through and he fell twice before getting out of site.  With the combination of my SX-1, Spot Hogg 7 deadly Pins, Victory VAP, and the Tru-Fire Switchblade, he didn’t have a chance!  After tracking him for 80 yards he was piled up and the Kansas Curse was over…. Or was it??? 

After doing the recovery and interviews the night of the 19^th, we took it to the local processor to field dress so we could take some pictures the next day.  When we arrived at the processor, I told him that we were going to get the deer to take some pictures, he told me to meet him around back.  When he opened the door, he handed me the skull, cut off behind the horns… no cape, no body, just the skull….

Well I guess that “Kansas Curse” is still surrounding me and I hope to break it soon!!! 

It’s Open Season!!

     -Tommy Martiniere