Team Realtree

All swapping hunt posts should now be directed to the "Classified" room. Over the next few days we will have new moderators appointed for this new topic. Thanks, S

Re: QDM/Foodplots forum Poll Looks like we will make some changes. The swapping hunts can be absorbed in to the classifieds. S

Re: fourm idea Might replace the swap for a QDM room. Let's see what others think. S

Re: HAPPY B-DAY ALISHA!!!!!!!!!! I feel old. I was 20 years old when Alisha came into this world. I will say at that time I was in college, having fun and not thinking too much about newborns! She was in diapers then. Now I just hope she's wearing some Realtree! S

Re: ANTELOPE/PCBA PICS!! Thanks Snapper. Got that corrected. Guys we are going to be working on a feature (probably two parts on this hunt and the PCBA). In that we hope to show you what it's all about. Stay tuned. S

OK, Here we go. There were only 300+ pictures to go through. Thanks goes out to Gray Loon Marketing owner/President Tom Lewis (One of my best friends and hunting partners) for buying and bringing his brand new fancy Nikon digital camera. This is what it was all about. 25 guys that were so inspirational! Watching these folks site in their bows and what they do to do it was something I will never forget. Antelope are not the only thing you see when looking out of those blinds or across the countryside! This was my best picture looking out of the blind. I had Tom's camera. I was trying to get an approaching shot as this buck was coming to the water hole. As soon as I went to take the pic a doe made a run for the hills and this boy took off after her. Just thought it looked cool. Tom and I had to make a few stops on the way in to Gillette from Rapid City (where we flew in to). My past history teachers would be so proud! Below is John Protheroe (on the left) and Steve Beilgard with an extremely nice buck John took on Friday. John paid $3500 last year through a Safari Club International auction to get this hunt (Thanks to Steve). All of the proceeds went to fellow forum member Chrud's family to help with his brother's medical costs. John was our hunting bud this week and is now another new friend I have made from Wisconsin. This is one of my best friends Tom Lewis of Gray Loon Marketing. It is important to note that Gray Loon is part of why we have this site. Tom took this buck Saturday after making new friends with a few cows and a bull that wouldn't leave his blind alone. It is a story we will be laughing about for years to come. I was fortunate enough to sit up on a hill about a half a mile away with Steve, John and Steve's son-in-law Jeff, and watch the hunt unfold (including the lethal shot). It was a great time! And finally my buck. My first bow kill. My hands were shaking after this one. If there is one thing you learn about Steve it is that he will walk you through everything and will bust his tail to get you a true B&C buck (and you have an extremely good chance to get one). Well, this one isn't, but... it is one of the proudest game animals I have ever taken and a true trophy in my book. You see, Steve left with John to take John's buck to the processor. Tom and I were sitting in a couple of blinds over the water hole and this buck came in with his group of does and was running two other bucks into the ground protecting them. He was the man. Steve told us before he left that if there is any question in your mind whether you should shoot, then don't. But if you like it, take it. I liked this buck and did. And for the last two days I have pictured this boy on my wall. Three days earlier I had never even seen a antelope in the wild. Now, thanks to Steve and this PCBA hunt, I have a trophy of a lifetime coming soon to display proudly. I will never forget this hunt and the time I got to spend with Steve, Tom, John and all of those PCBA hunters. Thanks guys, S (That's Steve on the left).

Just got back from God's country (Wyoming) and a week with one of the best men you'll ever meet (Realtree Pro Staffer Steve Beilgard). Steve, the hotel we stayed in last night had no internet, so I had to put off posting pics until I got home. Hopefully I can begin going through those tonight and get some up here in the forums. Right now I'm just too busy answering questions from three very curious boys who want to know all about hunting out west. And since it was my first time out there and my first bow kill, we have been very busy talking and telling stories. I want to take the opportunity to thank you publicly Steve for what I feel was the best hunt I have ever been on. David Blanton was correct. You are truly one of the greatst guys I have ever had the pleasure of being around. From your cowboy poetry, to your sense of humor and unmatched knowledge of the North American antelope, it was an awesome week. You and Rilda are just good folk that anyone would find a pleasure to spend time with. I look forward to following up with you on the PCBA dinner last night and all other future ideas and opportunities we discussed this week concerning this hunt. Those hunters are an inspiration and you are to be commended for getting this hunt/event started. For those of you that have the chance to get in on the other slot for the antelope hunt next year with our auction winner (Jim), I will tell you right now that you "will not" be disappointed. Additionally, I delivered checks and cash raised here in the forums to Steve for an additional $540 help for fellow forum member and Moderator Norm Sauceman. Thank you all for a great response to this worthy cause and thank you (again) Steve for offering your services. S P.S. Joining us there on the hunt this week was John Protheroe from Neenah, Wisconsin. John was the winning bidder for an antelope hunt with Steve to help with the medical expenses for the brother of fellow forum member and Moderator Matt "Chrud" Chrudimsky. Steve also helped John score on a antelope trophy of a lifetime and I will be sure to post pics of him too. My goal is to get John together with Matt and his family next year at the DU Festival in Oshkosh so they can meet. They are all great people. S

Re: HAPPY BIRTHDAY SCOTT!!! Thanks guys. Believe it or not, I left about 5 AM on my birthday and am curently out in Wyoming with Pro Staffer Steve Beilgard on a antelope hunt. Lots of bucks coming to the water hole, but we are currently waiting on that big one to slip up. I will update this ongoing quest later in the weekend. S

Re: Realtree forums v.s. Mossy Oak Guys, if it promotes hunting, welcomes hunters, and is good clean information and discussion for our youth, there is nothing wrong with additional forums or communities. It's all about keeping our heritage alive. Support hunting as a whole and don't make things devisive. There is room for all of us on the world wide web. S

Re: ..Antelope Auction....The Second Half.... Congratulations Jim. Sorry I haven't come in earlier to say that. Hate that you won't be with us next week, but knew going into this that it would be a stretch and tight deadline. I do want to remind people that I am still collecting donations for Norm here at the office and will take these checks out to Steve next week. So far I have 6 checks for a total of $290! Great job to you all. S

Re: Realtree Apparel Question Those particular ones will not. We are working on some new designs and hope to have them in there in a few weeks. S

Re: Antelope Hunt Auction for Norm Sauceman I'm not going to end it then. We can determine the winner then (if they plan to be out there this year), but the donations are just a bonus. I will collect them until I fly out there (or the rest of the year for that matter). I will let Steve get the money to Norm.

Re: Antelope Hunt Auction for Norm Sauceman I fly out to Steve's on September 13th, so as long as I get them by then we should be OK. I don't think we will turn them down if they come after the first. S

Re: Antelope Hunt Auction for Norm Sauceman Donations have started coming in. We are at $190 in checks made out to Steve. S

Re: WHo\'s from Bama? Actually it was quite fun Preacherman. Bo Jackson, Charles Barkley, and I got that degree. (And this coming from a lifelong Bama fan that just happen to cross over when it got to school time)!

Re: Oshkosh DU Festival This Friday, Sat. and Sun. Starts at noon on Friday, 9 on Sat and Sun, closes at 6 on Fri and Sat and 4 on Sun.

Re: REALTREE FORUMS VS ARCHERY TALK Archery Talk and some others are great forums. Just the traffic alone proves that. I don't have a problem with what goes on in there or any of the other hunting related forums. I don't have much time to post, but I visit AT and others on a regular basis. All of these message boards share common members and from time to time those members get something from one that they can't get from another. That's not a bad thing. We do try to keep things clean in here. And we sometimes catch a lot of flack for running it like we do. However, I don't think our strict policies have hurt us. We just want to make sure that anytime my three boys (or any other young member for that matter), logs on, we should not be concerned with what they read. Not all of us are saints (me included). I look at this as a very large hunting camp. When I'm in camp with all adults, the conversations, language, subjects, etc. might lean toward adult subject matter, jokes, etc. But if my boys are with me, it is my job (and others) to moderate what their ears are hearing. It's the same thing in here. However, we have less control over when these kids come and go. Therefore, we are always going to have rules in place to make it as safe as possible. S

Anyone making the trip this year? It's by far my favorite trip of the year. I will be flying up on Wednesday and after hearing weather reports can honestly say, I am ready to go. Just the temperatures alone are worth the trip. Anyway, hope some of you can stop by and say hello. We will be in the Realtree/Advantage, Scheels tent located on the walkway between the two main hangars right in the middle of the show. S

Re: Thank you Tim Andrus............. Guys, Tim should be getting all the thanks here. He basically put it all together and does a great job pulling some of you folks together. I wish we could buy you all lunch. You all deserve at least that (if not more) for making these forums what they are today. It's really interesting to see how a message board can make the world a lot smaller. Wish I could have been there. Maybe next year. S

Re: WHo\'s from Bama? Born in Anniston, raised in Montgomery, lived in Auburn 4 years, back to Montgomery and have lived in Columbus, GA for the past 7+ years Still just right across the river!

Re: Antelope Hunt Auction for Norm Sauceman September 1 looks like a good deadline Steve. S

Re: Antelope Hunt Auction for Norm Sauceman Guys I wish I had more info. Steve and I exchanged info at the end of last week. He said he would be leaving the next morning and be gone a week, so I expect he would be back sometime between Friday and Sunday. I struggled with posting this for 3 or 4 days, but because of the tight timeline, I decided to go with it. I have some of the same questions that you all have, and even talked with Tom Lewis at Gray Loon about it on whether I should go ahead and post it. Tom was the one that told me about the landowner tags. I also don't have clarification on the one or two hunters. Bare with me. I'm sure Steve will clear it up as soon as he gets back. S

Re: Antelope Hunt Auction for Norm Sauceman Because Steve and I discussed this through email the night before he left, I don't have specifics yet. As far as tags, I'm not sure. Usually you have to draw, but private landowners get some to use at their discretion (I believe). We will have to wait until Steve gets back to find out. As far as being filmed, I am not sure. We won't have cameras there, but that doesn't mean someone else won't. S

Re: Antelope Hunt Auction for Norm Sauceman There you go. The bidding has started.

Re: Alabama get-together sign up Can't commit this far out because of work travels and my boys baseball games, but will make every effort to be there. S