Harrisburg, Pennsylvania June 29, 2010

Greg says:

Slow day in Harrisburg. In fact the slowest day so far. But it was beautiful. When we left Maryland this morning at about 9:30, it was right at 90 degrees, and humid. When we unloaded at the Bass Pro Shop in Harrisburg it had dropped to a crisp and mild 81, with the lowest humidity we've seen in the last twenty-one days. Although the traffic was pretty slow, I did have some interesting talks with those who were out today.

Some observations: I was very pleasantly surprised to see the amount of agriculture in PA. I was expecting more timber. Locals described the two most comman trees as oaks and poplar. Several of those who stopped by to visit today were farmers. Although, I have always believed that deer numbers in PA throughout the state were so abundant that they had become road hazards, there was a consensus that over the last number of years, regulation changes have changed the deer hunting by reducing deer numbers. Most agreed that up north in the heavily timbered parts of the state, the deer population had declined substantially. But it appeared that in the southern part of the state deer herds were vital and thriving. I was told that the average body weight here in PA, for a field dressed deer was about 180 lbs. Compared to the average where I'm from, about 130 lbs, that's pretty big.

A man named John Lewis came by to visit. A professional small-mouth guide, he offered to take me fishing in his home state of West Virginia where he had run a guide service for the last 10 years. Wish I could take him up on it, but it's back on the road tomorrow after a quick drive through Amish country.

And thanks to the incredible hospitality of the Harrisburg Bass Pro Shop. General Manager Jim Wargo was a pleasure to talk to and treated us very generously. Jim, you need to get that wife of yours to sign up as a contestant for the AWA Proseries!

Kim says:

Thanks again for coming out, hunters of America. The hunt is on for the worlds top deer hunters! It could be you!

See you in Memphis!

Ashland, VA June 26, 2010

Ashland, Virginia was a great stop! We signed up 15 possible competitors.

Greg says:
Learned a lot of great information about local hunting strategies and techniques. I had many specifically discuss the use of dogs while deer hunting. There seemed to be mixed feelings among those I talked to about this, but even those who opposed it admitted that it was a very exciting way to hunt.

Notably, out of the nine stops we have made thus far, only one woman has signed up. Today I interviewed three! One woman interviewed with her husband, who described how he proposed to her in their his-and-her tree stand! She more than held her own in her portion of the interview as she described setting up and dropping her deer "like a bad habit!"

I interviewed Jeana, an energetic young woman from Michigan who skillfully described her hunting techniques in a video interview. She subsequently signed up.

Finally, a couple approached our tent and the woman said that she was there to sign up her husband. When I began to interview him, she stood in the background prompting him with answers to my questions. Swiftly realizing where some unrealized talent lay, I turned my camera toward her and began questioning her directly. She answered my questions about strategy and technique with rapid fire accuracy and confidence, confessing that she had been hunting for 21 years, probably most of her life. I could not persuade her to sign up though. She refused, it appeared, out of deference to her husband.

All in all it was a very successful and satisfying stop. I continue to enjoy visiting with my fellow hunters and always look forward to the next conversation.

Next stop: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Hope to see you there!

Concord Mills, North Carolina June 22, 2010

We had company in Concord when our business partners David Fort and Steve Fort and his wife Julia joined us at the Bass Pro at Concord Mills.

I had a chance to talk to a man and his two adult sons at Concord. We discussed how they were already in the woods scouting and were at the BPS that day getting their bows ready for more target practice, in preparation for the season. As they talked they described how they would typically hunt up to 8 days straight without seeing even a single deer. Yet, their enthusiasm and excitement was undampened. Despite that their expectation was to not even see a deer, their dedication, anticipation and simple love for being in the woods made all of their effort happily worthwhile.

I can relate. I bet you can too. As we travel, meeting hunters from across the country, I see it demonstrated time and again that we are all out in the woods for the same reasons.

We are off to Ashland, Virginia on the 26th. See ya'll there!

Lawrenceville, Georgia

Our stop in Lawrenceville, Georgia found us interviewing another slew of potential competitors for the AWA Proseries. Those that we have talked to are skilled and thoughtful sportsmen, committed to healthy deer herd management and to the traditions tightly woven into our sport. At the same time, the opportunity to ethically prove a hunters skills through a competition lights a fire in their eyes and many that we have interviewed think that they have the ability to compete!

What a deep pool of talent we are tapping as we travel the country! Thanks again to the Lawrenceville Bass ProShop who treated us so generously! And thanks to all of the hunters who came out. Come out and see us! Check out our schedule at AWAPRO.COM! The hunt is on!!!

Prattville, Alabama June 15, 2010

It started out a hot day in Prattville, but following a burst of thundershowers, the cool air offered us welcome relief. The thunderstorms kept the heat at bay, but not some very promising potential contestants for the AWA Proseries!

We had some real talent come out and visit us in Prattville. The level of deer savvy we are encountering is pretty impressive.

This is one of many! Next stop Lawrenceville, Georgia!

In the meantime, our website is officially up and running! Check us out at AWAPRO.com and keep coming back. We will be adding more and more content throughout the summer! You can go there now and register to become a competitor in the AWA Proseries or just sign up to get more info.

C'mon out and see us in Lawrenceville !

Thank you Spanish Fort, Alabama and the Bass Pro Shop there! We were welcomed with such enthusiasm and helpfulness by the staff at the BPS! Alabamans are some of the friendliest people you'll meet. From the staff to the crowds of deer hunters and potential competitors we visited with in the Alabaman humidity, smiles were plentiful and the deer stories abundant. We signed up 25 hunters interested in competing for the title of AWA World Champion Whitetail Hunter!

A special thanks to Mack Clay of Bay Minette, AL for treating us to a hearty sample of his melt-in-your-mouth smoked Boston butt! If Mack is as good a deer hunter as he is a smoker he should do just fine! Thanks again, Mack! It was outstanding!

We are taking a little R and R here at Wind Creek State Park at Lake Martin in Alabama, a beautiful lake. Our next stop is Tuesday, June 15th in Prattville, where we look forward to meeting more of you friendly folks! Come on out and see us!

Pearl, Mississippi June 9, 2010

Pearl, Mississippi. Wednesday, June 9, 2010.

What a fun and interesting day we had. I thought I knew what "humid" felt like, being an Okie, born and bred, but you Mississippians redefine the word! We had a hot time on the old town tonight!

We had a great turnout, talking with about 75 people and signing up about 16 interested contestants. Greg particularly enjoyed visiting with local hunters about techniques that they use that are specific to this area. He told me that he was walking away with a greater appreciation for hunters' ability to adjust their techniques in order to be successful in the environment and habitat specific to their region. He is looking forward to visiting with more deer hunters across the country and discovering the different adjustments that they make to their particular hunting conditions!

One potential competitor had already visited the website, printed and very carefully completed the registration form in order to bring it to Greg in person. He had a great video interview. I imagine it didn't hurt his case that he returned a while later bringing Greg an ice cream! Like I said, it was a hot day in Pearl!

We are off today and tomorrow, enjoying the Gulf coast of Alabama. We have seen a little oil and a lot of cleaner-uppers. The people are warm and friendly. The water is warm and the beaches are beautiful. God bless these good people here as they face this approaching environmental challenge.

See ya'll in Spanish Fort, AL this Saturday, June 12th!