Season 2

We are just putting the wraps on year number two of “We Love It! Outdoors” and it has been another phenomenal year in the field!  Now it's time to put the shows on the air for everyone to see.  From the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza to hunting deer with a muzzleloader and also the most exciting thing I have ever done in the outdoors!!  I am going to keep you on the edge of your seat for that one, but I will say that you won’t want to miss it!  I am not sure when that one will air, but it will be an “eye opener”!  We mixed in some youth, another family vacation and some local walleye fishing with one of our guides (Bruce Meinz). 

There’s more too, you’ll just have to tune in and check it out!  The more I do this filming, the more fun I have.  I’m getting a lot more comfortable and best of all I get to do so many fun things that I normally wouldn’t otherwise get a chance to do.  

Please spread the word among your friends, family and acquaintances and I we will try to keep you entertained with some good stuff!!  Merry Christmas to you all and a blessed 2014!!   Dan

Fields, Forests, and Mountains

These last couple of weeks have been spent in the fields, forests and mountains!  We were in Buffalo County, Wisconsin hunting deer at Bluff Bucks Outfitters with Jeremy Moore of Dog Bone and Butch and Mark Fox the owners and operators of Bluff Bucks.  

This was a great experience for me (overall) and a chance to see what it really takes to manage and get a crack at trophy whitetail deer.  These guys have it “dialed-in”, and if you have any inclination on hunting with an outfitter in WI, I would say this would be the place.  

Everything was first class including the sleeping quarters and the awesome home cooked meals by Dawn!  Thank you so much to all of you!  If you would like more information on this first class operation, go to www.bluffbucks.net!!  

Make sure the next time you are in Mills Fleet Farm, that you inquire and check out the products available from Dog Bone.  Shed hunting and tracking deer made easier!!

We had a day off between this hunt and our flight to Idaho where I met up with my brother John (who lives in Meridian, Idaho).  

John took us to the mountains in search of elk.  This trip included the two of us and two camera men (Pete and Kyle).  We worked it!  The mountain climbing in Idaho puts the woods of central MN into the “easy” category!  I wasn’t in great shape, but not terrible either.  I did take Altitude Advantage (made by Wilderness Athlete) before we left and I think it may have helped me have a full blown heart attack!  Day one was a killer, day three and four were killers too!  No, not as far as hanging an elk on the meat pole, but as far as the legs, lungs and whatever else was connected.  

We had incredibly beautiful weather and camping in the mountains in a wall tent can now be checked off the list!

But, we did not take an animal.  The moon was full, the elk were not talking, we had 4 guys working our way through the wicked terrain and it sounds like the animals did not start moving until the weekend (and by that time we had pulled stakes.  I do plan on going back with my bow and arrows next September.  Thank you brother John for all of your hard work and your entertainment at camp!  “It wasn’t so much the heat, it was that gosh darn humidity” :) !!

Next up, sounds like fish!  Then maybe more deer.  Good luck and be safe all of you as we head into the most awesome stretch of time on the outdoorsmen’s/women’s calendar.  We Love It!

Dan  

Youth Waterfowl Hunt

We just returned yesterday around noon from our trip to Thief Lake in northwestern Minnesota where we opened up the duck season with 3 youth.  It was youth waterfowl day here in MN and despite warm temperatures, we had a great time.  This whole show originated back at “Woody Camp” in Fergus Falls, MN where we joined a group of 13-15 year olds who took some pretty extensive waterfowl training courses from some awesome trainers.  These kids learned a lot about this great sport and put a lot of it to use on Saturday.  Thank you Minnesota Waterfowl Association for putting on this incredible program for the future hunters of America.  

This trip was very exciting for me as well as the kids.  Greg Kvale (retired DNR) was the other “helper”, and thanks to Greg (our advanced scout) and his many years of hunting this area we had a good clue on where to set up.   I certainly can’t forget our cameramen (Ryan, Kyle and Jeremy) or the dogs (Satch and Flint).  This trip would not have had ALL the excitement without these other characters.  After loading 3 duck boats with camera equipment, decoys, guns, snacks, dogs, push poles and the “kitchen sink”, we were off through the cattails.  The motors got clogged with vegetation and after awhile, we were pulling the boats to the “spot” (with waders on).  We got to the spot and set-up.  I was with Grant and Jared and Greg was hunting with Karlie.  We had Kyle and Satch in our blind too and Ryan was filming in the other blind.  Jeremy, hard to say where he ended up…pretty sure he was rolling on the sunrise and this massive waterfowl area.  The birds were flying and the excitement was nearly uncontrollable (for me as well as the kids and dogs).  

Once the decoys were set, the shots were ringing!!  Grant dropped the first two birds (a gadwall and a wideon), Jared and Carlie were in on the action but I think they soon realized it wasn’t going to be easy.  Maybe a little more aiming and swinging needed to be done.  Carlie dropped the next bird, a blue-wing teal and the excitement of these kids was really starting to shine through now!  Their first birds.  Jared was wondering why the birds he was shooting at  weren’t dropping, and after giving him some encouragement and a few tips, he came through BIGTIME!  His first bird was a giant Canadian goose.  

This was a fantastic experience for all of us and we could not have asked for 3 more awesome kids to share the blinds with on this youth waterfowl day.  Thank you Greg, Pete (Greg’s son and all the rest of you for making this such a memorable day!  

And kids, thanks for cleaning and cooking and sharing your game with us!  And also for your awesome personalities!!  This show will be a good one, look for it sometime after the first of the year.  

Enjoy today, Dan

Bowfishing on the Illinois River

Wow!!  This pretty much explains my trip to the Illinois River last week where I joined up with Mathew Schillinger and Chad Willemssen from AMS Bowfishing.  

We were on the hunt for rough fish with our tricked out AMS bows and arrows in our totally tricked out boat.  This was a trip I will not forget.  Both Matt and Chad are super people and they knew the program.  I would have to say that the night bow fishing was the highlight as we were shooting fish, being hit by fish and having fish land in our boat.  You really have no idea until you experience it for yourself! 

 I have bow fished as a youngster in the flooded Minnesota river, but this took it to a little different level.  The bows from AMS are rigged so well that it makes this a sport that is easy for anyone to enjoy.  When you see this show, I am guessing you will want to schedule a trip. 

My whole body was so sore after a day of bow fishing, I had to put the bow down for a while.  

Thanks for checking in, Dan

Gun Competitions

This past weekend the crew and I went to Saint Cloud, Minnesota for the Tactical Shotgun Championship.

The weather was great and these are some of the nicest people I've ever met.   Even though we are competing against each other, everyone is very helpful, especially to beginners like me! 

This was my 3rd gun competition and this one was all shotgun.  I was very excited when my coach Dave, told me I won the duck hunting stage!

I can see why so many people are getting involved in these matches, they are so much fun!  I encourage all of you - young or old to try it sometime, I'm so glad I did. I love it! -Dan

Welcome!

Welcome to the We Love It! Outdoors blog!  We've spent the past few months shooting new episodes that will begin to air in 2014.  The crew and my family went out to South Dakota and had an awesome time! Of course we had to make a stop at Wall Drug and the girls really enjoyed it!

 We also went to Custer State Park for some rock climbing!

Definitely a family vacation we won't forget.  We've spent some time on the ice and now the open water both in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Earlier this year, I went out with Andy walls and he pulled this guy in: 

This week, I was with Kurt Schultz in Wisconsin and pulled this musky in, it was over 42 inches! 

This weekend I'll be shooting a shotgun match in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and I'm looking forward to it!  We've got more great episodes in the works, so come back often for behind the scenes info before the show airs.  Enjoy this weather, the summer is awesome so far - we love it!

-Dan