As you may have noticed, HuntingNet.com recently got a bit of a facelift and some great new areas added to the site. We are super excited about the direction that HuntingNet is going as we head into the heat of this fall's hunting season. We're already seeing traffic numbers that are way up from last year at this time, proving yet again that we are still the undisputed #1 resource for hunters on the web today. I can't thank everyone enough for visiting and joining this great website, and I hope you all enjoy the new look and new functionality. If you haven't checked out the video section yet, CLICK HERE! There are some great videos in there that we have begun compiling from our own personal collections as well as other HuntingNet.com users and several industry leaders in video production including Campbell Outdoor Challenge, Pine Ridge Archery, and Gettin' Close. We are adding new videos on a daily basis, so make sure you check back often to see what we've added.
Other than working on getting the new site launched I have been busy with a lot of other exciting things this summer. Over the past 2 years with the growing popularity of the UFC and Mixed Martial Arts fighting in general I have to admit that I've gotten hooked on it like thousands of others. When I found that that a good friend of mine, Steve Marti, had a brother who was an experienced MMA fighter who was up and coming in the ranks I jumped at the opportunity to sponsor him and support his training and fighting efforts.
On Saturday August 11th Tony fought in an XFO fight in Island Lake, Illinois and defeated his opponent in 90 seconds! It was very cool to be there and be a part of Tony's victory. The entire HuntingNet.com staff is very excited to be a part of Team Marti, and we'll all be rooting for him during his next fight in Las Vegas later this month. As I learn more details I'll make sure to let everyone know when and where you can watch this fight and root for Tony Marti.
The Ref raises Tony's hand after his victory.
Tony, his brother Steve, and myself celebrating after his win.
What can I say? There were a lot of crazy HuntingNet fans in the crowd!
I recently purchased a new bass boat as well and spent a lot of my time this summer on the water chasing after largemouth bass. I have to admit, it is nice to break out of the hunting mindset and do a few other things from time to time. And it's especially nice when you don't have to worry about being scent free, being quiet, or what the wind direction is when you get up that morning! My son Craig came along on a few fishing trips this summer as well and we had a blast. One night at a friend's pond close to home Craig was reeling in a nice bluegill when this big Nothern came up and latched onto Craig's catch. Well, he didn't want to let that fish go so Craig and I reeled them both in. What a cool experience!
Craig and I with our catch(es)!
With deer season just over a week away in Wisconsin and the bucks starting to lose their velvet, Justin and I took advantage of the long weekend and headed up to my place to hang a few treestands. With the new video gallery here on HuntingNet and our partnership with White Knuckle Productions we've both made the mental leap and become dedicated to filming more of our hunts and hunting activities this fall. With that comes the additional work of not only hanging two stands instead of one, but also finding a tree that is suitable for two hunters, and provides an ample amount of both shooting and filming opportunities, which is no easy task! However, despite the warm temperatures, mosquitos, and killer beers, we did manage to get in and hang 4 sets for the upcoming archery season that we can film from and we're excited to get out in the woods and see what we can do. It should be quite an experience, and will give us a good amount of practice before we head down to the Campbell's Outdoor Challenge in October and see how we stack up against 10 other groups of hunters.
It's 5:30 a.m. and the truck is loaded and ready to go!
Craig and Justin are both pumped to go hang a few deer stands.
Here I am getting a little bit of video practice in the background as Justin snaps a few photos of this fresh rub we found for his own journal. This kind of sign really gets you pumped for the season to start!
While we were in Wisconsin Justin and I took the opportunity to meet up with a few new team members that have been hard at work doing some filming of their own this summer. They've managed to capture some great bucks in velvet on film and have really worked hard at getting all the footage they need to put together a great story of this year's season. We're both looking forward to working and hunting with Josh and Bryce this fall. Hopefully we'll be able to work together to get some great footage and put a few deer on the ground in the process.
The dove season opened here in Illinois last weekend so I took advantage of the great weather and went out with a few friends earlier this week. We had a blast and got our limit of doves in no time! My buddy Moose Muhammad from the Chicago Bears made the trip out with me, and as usual he was as friendly as could be and signed some autographs for a few of his young fans. I can't say enough good things about Moose, he really is a great guy. Look for big things from the Bears this year, Moose is pretty confident they're going to have another good season!!
Moose is always willing to sign a few autographs for Bears fans.
Not bad for a few hours of "work"!
That's about all for now. Archery season starts soon for me so make sure you keep checking back here to HuntingNet.com to find out what's going on. I will be updating both my journal as well as our video gallery on a frequent basis this fall. Our Bowhunting Contest is off to a good start already with 4 early entries coming in before a lot of people have even hit the woods yet! Good luck to everyone out there, and remember to be safe this fall!
The stage is set for opening day..........now all we need is a little cooperation from some deer!
~Todd
