Broadside Adventures Pro-staff member Wil Askew has had an interesting turkey season to say the least. Weather across the country has been anything but normal and with limited time to hunt the Broadside team cinched up their Medalist Hunt Gear and headed for the woods. “One minute would be sunny and warm and within minutes it would begin to snow”, explains Askew about the unusual weather. “It was time to make something happen and it worked out for the best”.

Join Wil, his daughter Bryce and cameraman Jeremy Henricks as they push through wind, snow, hail and heat to fill two turkey tags in the beautiful Oregon hills. Wil gives an interesting perspective on calling and hunting techiques that are both informative and helpful to hunters of all abilities.

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Broadside Adventures Pro-staff member Wil Askew put his turkey hunting expertise to the test when he was asked to speak at the annual Youth Turkey Hunting Seminar. The Oregon Hunters Association teams with Portland area volunteers to produce one of the finest learning experiences for novice turkey hunters in the Northwest. Kids and parents from Oregon and Washington converge on the White River managment area for this weekend event where everything from calling to shooting is covered in first class fashion. “I would like to extend a warm Thank You to the Oregon Hunters Association for inviting me to return to speak once again”, explains Askew. “This is my third year being involved and I am amazed at how much effort is put forth to ensure that every kid and parent who attends is completely satisfied. I am always honored when they ask me to come back and speak about turkey hunting to all who attend.

For the past couple years, the efforts of the Hood View chapter of OHA based in the Dalles, has created an event to help pass along the passion of turkey hunting. On a crisp, cool April morning, families converge on a small camping spot in the White River Game Management unit as visions of gobbling toms race through their heads. Seated around a large fire are stories being told that involve yelps, cutt’s and fly down cackles, plenty of laughs and of course photos of the one that didn’t get away. It’s a new generation of turkey hunters and oddly enough some of the young guns have just as much, if not more experience that most adults.

Fred Walasavage, his wife Renee and numerous chapter volunteers spend countless hours organizing the event. Early registration is definitely encouraged as nearly 100 youth with the turkey hunting itch make the drive through the Dufur Valley to sharpen their skills on various turkey calls and get a chance to shoot a 20 gauge shotgun at a stationary paper target that resembles a turkey. Seminar speakers such as Wil Askew; a former state and regional turkey calling champion, Rick Williams; OHA State Chapter Vice President, local game officers and others help bring the expertise front and center as kids are broken into groups to help ensure good one-on-one experiences. Topics covered in the all-day seminar range from learning how to use various turkey calls such as box calls, slate calls and some mouth calling techniques. These classes are followed by a personal hands on demonstration between student and teacher as the get the feel of what the call should be doing in order to make the sounds that are needed to bring a mature tom in close.

For those seeking to experience this event, you can visit www.oregonyouthturkeyhunt.com for registration information, maps and everything you need to be ready for the youth weekend.

Broadside Adventures pro-staff member Wil Askew traveled to Missouri to hunt with Piney Ridge Ranch and the Broadside Adventures crew. The plan was to hunt Axis deer on the sprawling hills of the ranch on the first day and then head after something else on the second day of the hunt before Wil had to return to Oregon. On day one, a stalk was set forth after a beautiful Axis buck as the cameras rolled and captured some amazing footage of the Piney Ridge Ranch. As the sun rose on day two and only one a few hours to hunt, Wil put down the rifle and grabbed his BowTech 101st Airborne to chase one of the biggest mammals in North America – The Buffalo.

“It has always been a dream of mine to hunt buffalo with a bow,” explains Wil. “Having this opportunity to be in an area where we can hunt the majestic animals on their terms is an added bonus and to do it with a bow is amazing.” Cameraman Jimmy Storck films over Wil’s shoulder as he sends an arrow through a buffalo bull at 35 yards fulfilling the ultimate hunt. To book a hunt of your own visit www.pineyridgeranch.com

I was recently Bow hunting at the Piney Ridge Ranch in Winona Missouri. After about 3 days into the hunt I finally had a buck with in Shooting range. I shot a great 14 point buck at 46 yards. The footage will air in an upcoming 2008 show. Now my main reason for this blog is that I wanted to tell all you Whitetail Trophy hunters about a buck I saw while on the property. The attached picture is of a buck I saw from my treestand. I would say this deer will go 200 plus. The owner of Piney Ridge Ranch has said this buck is probabaly about 6 to 7 years old and would love to have him taken before he starts declining. So he’s offering what I feel is an unbelivable price for taking the deer.

If interested in finding out more information call Piney Ridge Ranch, you can get there contact info. from the web at www.pineyridgeranch.com

My hat is off to every parent that takes the time to spend doing something with there kids, that there kids enjoy doing. Whether its bike riding, playing games, having a tea party, hunting or fishing these will be memories that both of you will cherish the rest of your lives. I am writing this entry to not only congratulate Austin on his first deer but to also give praise to Brent Green one of my Pro-Staff and Austin’s dad. Brent makes an effort to spend time with each of his children, doing something they enjoy. He is a Christian man that instills Christian values to his children. His kids have been taught to address adults as Sir, Mr. or Mrs. They say thank you, and Yes Sir when addressed. Brent and his wife Robin have accomplished this all with out being over powering, yelling orders, or being overly strict. They have accomplished this by being good parents, loving there children and SPENDING time with them each individually.

Congrats Austin and Brent on an incredible hunt.

Below I have included a quick story from Brent about the hunt.

Rocky Francis

Austin killed his first deer this evening. Nice mature doe.
Shot her perfect from 65 yards. Blew the bottom of the heart off and got both lungs. After the deer ran off I asked how he thought the shot went. He said he shot her “in the perfect spot.” Sure enough. Guess I won’t doubt that anymore. Tenderloin for breakfast!

Brent

That’s what friends are for…

For months, I heard Rocky talking about a trip he had planned to Wisconsin for HUGE northern Whitetail. I wasn’t planning to join him because I was scheduled to be in Kansas on a Whitetail hunt of my own. When my phone rang and Rocky asked if I could make the Wisconsin trip fit into my schedule, I was shocked. He had been looking forward to this trip all year. After two trips to Africa, he just couldn’t make this trip work. After a quick glance at the calendar and a phone call to the guy I was hunting with in Kansas, I agreed to head north.

The destination was Three Lakes Preserve in Three Lakes, WI. Their website claims that they offer World Class Whitetails. I caught myself dreaming of huge-bodied, heavy-horned deer. Many places claim to have the best whitetails available, I just kept wondering if Three Lakes Preserve would be able to live up to the billing. I loaded up my gear and two of our camera people and headed north. As we neared the end of our 10 hour drive, the trees took on a radiance of their own. The leaves of the Maples had already turned and fallen, but the Aspens burned the brightest gold you can imagine. We arrived at the preserve and were met by Tom Sampson, my guide and the manger of the preserve. Tom introduced me to Roger Davenport who was the former owner of the preserve, and the contact that Rocky arranged this trip through. I also met Skip Schiefelbein who is the father of the new owner, Jim Schiefelbein. The men showed us into the lodge were we settled in to first class accommodations and a myriad of trophy mounts of incredible deer, bear, and moose.

Our conversation quickly turned to the hunt we would begin in the morning. We arrived to beautifully clear skies, but the forecast called for nothing but rain. Tom began to describe a buck he had been patterning with me in mind. He called the buck the “Picture Buck”. From Tom’s perspective, the buck was perfect for pictures and video. The buck he described was a typical main frame 10 point whose rack was so symmetrical, when he turned sideways, you could only see one side of his rack. That was all I needed to hear to sacrifice my first night’s sleep in Three Lakes. I have always dreamed of a heavy-horned, typical deer that carried great symmetry and long tines. Could this deer be the one? That was the question I pondered for hours as I laid in bed listening to the rain begin to fall.

Morning broke and I found Tom already formulating our game plan. He knew the Picture Buck had been checking does in a food plot early each morning. His routine brought him out into feasible shooting range for a brief period before he retreated to the wooded hills that fed into the food plot. With the rain, we knew good camera light would come a little later. I sure hoped the Picture Buck was running a little late this morning due to the rain. We outfitted everyone in Medalist HUNTGEAR for protection from the rain. Temperatures were a little above normal, but with the heat regulating properties of SilverMax incorporated into HUNTGEAR, we stayed dry inside and out. Once at the food plot, we set up and waited for daylight and the buck I laid awake thinking about. Just before it was light enough for the camera to pick up the action, I heard Tom whisper “Here he comes”. I looked through my Leupold Pinnacles Binoculars and saw the deer I had pictured in my mind, ONLY BIGGER. His horns were light and still carried traces of the velvet he had yet to scrape off. I was amazed at the symmetry of his rack, the length of the tines, and how he carried his mass throughout the length both main beams. His rack was so captivating; it took several minutes before I realized I was also looking at a deer that would easily weigh over 300 pounds. Now all we needed was more light and a broadside opportunity. After checking a few does, the buck settled down and grazed for a few minutes. We finally got enough light and I got a thumbs up from my wife who was filming the hunt for me. It was time to look for the perfect shot opportunity. I think the buck knew it was that time also. Almost as quickly as I decided to give up the binoculars for a view through my Leupold scope, the buck decided it was time to vacate the field. His exit route was as you would guess, straight way from where I was. I finally got my chance as he turned to a slight quartering away angle and stopped. I released the safety on my Browning A-Bolt, steady myself, and squeezed. The .338 ballistic tipped bullet found its mark and the buck dropped in his tracks. When I got my hands on his rack, I was nearly speechless. The G2’s and G3’s were all nearly 11 inches long. All 8 of the mass circumference measurements would fall between 4.5” and 4.75”. Both main beams were right at 25” and offered an 18.5” inside spread. With both split brow tines measuring over 6” and an additional 8” of little “kickers”, the Picture Buck grossed 184” and when we tried to move him we confirmed he weighed over 300 pounds. He was definitely a world class whitetail in my book.

My hunt at Three Lakes Preserve was first class in every way. Their attention to detail and willingness to customize the experience for every client is impressive. Add to that; excellent whitetail genetics, optimum nutrition, and a sound management philosophy, and it is easy to see that Three Lakes will be able to offer world class whitetail opportunities for years to come. We concluded our time at the preserve filming 3 of their other guests. Clay and Tipton Wagner are a father and son that hunted at Three Lakes last year, and Rimmer Covington is a friend of theirs from Mississippi. They have hunted together numerous times before including last year at Three Lakes. Last year, Clay killed one of two bucks that had locked horns in a classis pre-rut battle. Clay’s deer from last year scored 212 and the locked set may be the largest locked bucks ever harvested. This year, the three guests each harvested deer over 220”, but the grand prize went to Tipton who harvested a deer that scored over 243” and is now the largest deer killed at Three Lakes.

Three days before I arrived in Three Lakes, I celebrated my Birthday. After completing my hunt, I called Rocky to share the good news. Rocky said “Happy Birthday”. This trip became truly memorable. I uncovered a great place to hunt, made some incredible friends, and found out “what friends are for”.

Phil Wellin
Broadside Adventures Pro-Staff

If your interested in hunting at Three Lakes Preserve in Wisconsin. Contact them via there website at www.threelakespreserve.com

With valid White River deer tags in their pocket and only a couple days to hunt Broadside Pro-Staff member and Jeremy Henricks of pursuetheoutdoors.com decided it was time to do the “Working Mans” hunting schedule and hit the road. Traveling up the beautiful Columbia River Gorge to The Dalles Oregon the duo began their hunt.

“The way I personally like to hunt is “Run and Gun,” cover ground, glass, cover ground and glass some more” explains Askew about this hunt. “And it works, anytime we would see a doe, we would immediately begin looking for a buck”. Steep, rugged terrain at times and not exactly the coolest of temperatures created a tough hunt, but sometimes you have to pound it out with only a limited time to try and fill a tag. And that is exactly what the Broadside Team is known for – successful hunts! Watch the over-the shoulder action as Wil takes a buck with only a few hours left to hunt.

Join Wil and Jeremy as they hunt from day light till dark on their quest to complete a weekend hunt on an up coming episode of Broadside Adventures

Broadside Pro-Staff member Wil Askew ventured into the backcountry of Oregon with his daughter Bryce for a successful archery elk hunt. This was Bryce’s first archery hunt as she able to experience bugling bulls, steep mountains and the thrill of success while chasing these majestic and elusive creatures. “The hunting was extremely tough due to a fire that had burned through the area coupled with a short pair of legs, it was touch, but we prevailed,” explains Askew about the experience. “We were very fortunate to use the services of the Cornucopia Pack Station www.cornucopiapackstation.com and the Cornucopia Lodge www.cornucopialodge.com based at the slopes the beautiful and rugged Eagle Cap Mountains. Their professionalism and patience was amazing as we ventured into the hunting area. Nothing was better than staying at the lodge and having a HOT shower and meal after 8 days of chasing elk”. Catch all the action as this father and daughter team up after elk in some of Oregon’s most scenic environment on an upcoming episode of Broadside Adventures.

Dream’s do come true….I’ve been to Africa to hunt plains game and every trip I dream of some day starting my journey of taking Africa’s Big 5, the most dangerous animal’s in the world. This trip was a dream come true. I have now harvested the largest land animal in the world…The African Elephant. The elephant can wiegh 6 tons, stand 12′ and in two steps can be at speeds of 30 mph. Speeds that I personally got to see up close on this trip. I was charged by an elephant, a rhino and chaced by a croc on this trip. Believe it or not this all happened and I managed to keep my pants dry, however my knees are still shaking.

This trip takes place an hour north of Hwange National park in Zimbabwe. The following is a break down of my gear on this trip.

1. BowTech Tribute bow set at 100 pounds.
2. Easton A/C/C arrows, 30″ double stacked, 750 grains total.
3. Scott Archery release “Shark”
4. 125 grain InnerLoc Broadheads.
5. Leupold 8×32 gold ring binos.
6. Leupold RX-IV Rangefinger.
7. Leupold European-30 Rifle Scope (this was on my PH’s .416)
8. Medalist base layers, hats, socks and shirts.
9. SpottHog Hunter bow sight.

The BowTech Tribute was set at 100 pounds, with the Easton Stacked arrows and 125 grain InnerLoc Broadheads, I was shooting 110 pounds of Kinetic energy.

The trip to Zimbabwe was 9 days long. I had my first chance at shooting on the 5th day, however the bull stopped directly behind a bush not allow for a good shot. On day 6, 7 and 8 we had several close calls with elephants, rhinos and croc’s, the closest was a bull elephant that charged with in 10 yards of us. Finally on day 9 a bull charged, stopping at about 20 yards turning to run into the brush he paused for a second allowing a shot from my bow. Unfortunately the moment I release he darted into the brush, my arrow hit about 1 foot behind the shoulder. We followed the blood trail into the thick brush finally catching up to the huge bull. The brush was so thick and I was on the last hour of my last day, the decision was made to finish the hunt with the .416 scoped with a Leupold European-30. One quick shot to the brain at 15 yards and the 6 ton beast was on the ground. Dreams do come true!

My African Elephant wieghed close to 6 tons, it supported (2) perfect tusk wieghing 40 to 45 pounds each. The local Africa community now has the much needed meat they required to survive.

This was a trip of a life time, and it was booked thru “Rex’s Dream Hunts” at www.huntwithrex.com

The 2nd Annual Dove Expo held at the Oasis Outback in Uvalde Texas brings in over 2500 visitors. Show Host Rocky Francis along with members of the Broadside Team made a special appearance at the Expo. Brad Farr did a live radio interview with Show Host Rocky Francis discussing the team members and what is in store for Broadside Adventures. There were numerous events and sales thru out the day, a 3D archery tournament was also held. Hunting industry Reps were on hand along with hunting guides and ranches. Be sure to watch for events thru out the year being held at the Oasis Outback. www.oasisoutback.com