Turkeys,12 Gauges and 12 year olds

USA Outback host Denny Snyder with 12 year old Rebecca
and 2009 opening day gobbler


Indianapolis, Indiana- To me, there is nothing more exciting than hearing the ol'kettle rattling of a boss tom gobbler at daylight. One of THE best places in the USA to hear just that is the heart of Missouri.

Myself and Genesis Lamp VP of Sales Mark Zukowski recently traveled to the "show me" state of Missouri to share our skills with a sibling pair of girls- only 12 and 14 years old- for the opener of the youth turkey season. If someone had not told me any different, you would swear these two girls were twenty year veterans.

After roosting birds the night before, the stage had been set for what we all hoped would be a successful hunt. One of the hardest things in the entire world to film for an outdoor television show is a turkey hunt. In most cases, there is a shooter, a caller and a cameraman who all must be in synch to avoid detection by the 270 degree turkey radar vision. In this case, my shooter would be 12 year old Rebecca - her sister Victoria would be hunting with my hunting partner Mark Zukowski of Genesis Lamp. Mark had hunted the area for over 14 years and pointed us in the right direction to pin-pointing gobblers at first daylight- thus ensuring us of a successful first day's hunt.

At only 5:35 am, the first long beard started gobbling- and then another - and another until we counted a total of six different birds we could potentially go after. A quick survey of the land had us setting up on the north face of an open field overlooking the valley where we thought the birds would fly down to at first light. A big cedar acted as Rebecca's backstop while I would call and film from just behind her location.

It wasn't long before a lone hen appeared to investigate who the other "hen" was making the commotion in her neck of the woods. The seductive purrs and clucks I made with a Butski diaphragm call in combination with a Knight and Hale slate had every bird in the valley fired up but she was the first to appear. At only a mere 10 feet away, the hen eyed up the strange bush that consisted of Rebecca and myself. Rebecca remained steadfast as the hen tried to catch the slightest movement from this odd conglomeration sitting at a stone's throw away. More than one hunter has joined the alarm putt club by getting busted by an alert hen. The entire sequence is all captured on camera for our new season of USA Outback TV.

It wasn't long before the hen was followed by a pair of jakes- one being quite a bit larger and trying his best to strut which eventually lead to his demise. At less than fifteen yards away, the pair of jakes strolled over to the decoys to make friends only to be introduced to some not so "friendly fire". The Browning 12 gauge roared, the bird was down and another 12 year old had a severe case of "permagrin".

Turkey hunting isn't fishing by any means but I think Rebecca is now "hooked for life" to the wonderful sport of turkey hunting. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Tax Time for Sportsmen- Save your receipts

View from elk camp-Spicer peak, Colorado

Indianapolis, Indiana- Once again it is that time of year when the piles of receipts that have accumulated in the glove box, the shoebox under the desk and also in the bulging grocery bag in the closet are all carefully brought together- to finally justify why they have been saved for the past 12 months. Somewhere in this mass of organized chaos is a receipt that proves to the IRS and your beloved that you did actually have a business dinner meeting last November on the second day of deer season. If only it were that easy to prove where the money has been spent on gun hunting, bow hunting and all other shooting sports- which is my point precisely.

Where has all the money been spent by sportsmen?

Back in 1937, a bill was sponsored by Senator Key Pittman of Nevada and Congressman A. Willis Robertson of Virginia and signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Sept. 2, 1937. The Pittman-Robertson Act created a 10% excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition. A few years later the tax became 11%.

So where does all this money go?


The tens of millions of dollars generated by Pittman-Robertson each year were mandated to go back into state and local organizations to increase game populations, expand habitat and train hunters. As the money kept piling up, a repeal bill was drawn to relieve sportsmen from the financial burden of the excise tax. However, because dramatic results could be seen nationwide, sportsmen insisted on keeping the tax in place.

The generated revenues from Pittman-Robertson were placed in a special trust under the control of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and were to be allotted to state wildlife conservation programs for wildlife restoration and to ensure the future of hunting sports. The trust was to be kept separate from the general fund, meaning the monies were not to be part of the accounted annual budget.

For years the Pittman-Robertson Act functioned soundly--generating $150 million in funds each year--and, more importantly, produced results. Numerous species including migratory birds (ducks and geese), elk, deer, antelope, wild turkey and many other species were rescued from the endangered list and are now not only surviving, but thriving. Pittman-Robertson was a rare legislative model for efficiency and a godsend for hunters and animals alike.


The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000 precisely re-defines what USFWS can spend the excise taxes on and in what manner the monies can be spent. The NRA backed bill passed the House 423-2 and became law on Nov. 1, 2000.

Today, Pittman-Robertson is back on track, supplying wildlife with vast amounts of habitat, resources and practical ecological study, while supplying hunters with game to hunt and eat, thus ensuring necessary funds never run dry. America`s sportsmen contribute $3.5 million each day to wildlife conservation.


Now the National Park Service has a goal to eliminate any type of lead ammunition or fishing tackle on ALL national parks by the year 2010. I say TIME OUT- FOUL. Whenever a decision of this magnitude is made, you would think that it is based on scientific research, years of data, economic impact statements, etc., etc.. but NOOOOOoooooooaaa. .......

The restrictions, set to take effect by the end of 2010, were announced without regard to science or soliciting feedback from sportsmen’s groups. The ammo you bought for that elk hunt or even the lead-head jigs for that vacation trip to your local national park- better use them in 2009 because someone thinks that your gut pile will kill a condor- or the jig head you lost in the lake might be ingested by a loon- after 2010.

Do I smell a hidden agenda here?


Whatever it is- once again , sportsmen pay the price- we have the receipt.


Denny :(

www.usaoutbacktv.com

Turkey Hunting- or is it the Boogey Man ?

"The Fab Five"

Rocky Branch Manager Diane Hafford & USA Outback host Denny Snyder

Billy McCoy & Paul Butski

Back- Bob Walker

Indianapolis, Indiana- Today I saw my first robin- certainly a sign of spring and the upcoming turkey season.

The groundhog was wrong- I hope.

It has been quite a few years since I have been spring turkey hunting with my good friend Bob Walker of Walker's Game Ear fame. We have been on many hunts together but there is one particular morning that specifically stands out. While listening for the distant gobble of an ol' long beard, Bob made the following comment. "Turkey hunting is like going after the Boogey Man- you know he's out there - and then he's coming for you."

If you know how to "speak the language"- quoting the tagline from Will Primos.....mimicking those soft clucks and crying purrs made famous by guys like Paul Butski & Billy McCoy, the Rohm brothers, the Kirbys, Knight and Hale, Ray Eye, Donny Shipp and Larry Shockey,Walter Parrott...the list goes on........by learning from these masters of the art of turkey calling- the Boogey Man will certainly come for you to.

This brief lapse in the hunting season is almost over and I get excited thinking about investigating new territory. There is nothing like the Butski/McCoy strategy of run and gun gobbler hunting to get the blood pumping on a cool morning in the Alabama woods or Sullivan county hills of Pennsylvania- or anywhere else for that matter.

Smelling the damp earth beneath your feet as you go stumbling through the dark to reach that highest morning vantage point before day breaks. Hearing the crashing of a whitetail bumped from its bed- listening to the trickling of a spring as it gurgles down the mountain carrying with it sluggish worms to the mouths of hungry trout waiting at the merger of the runoff. Coyotes yip and cry in the distance as they return with their pack to the den.

Adding to this spring sonata are the raspy caw caws of crows chasing an owl who(get it...who..who.....LOL)is returning too late from its nocturnal hunt. It is then that this aerial ruckus is dwarfed in volume with a throaty gobble. A mature tom declares that this portion of the world is his and damn anyone for disturbing his roost. The ol'man gobbler you spooked last spring made it through yet another winter. A group of his bothered ladies join in with their own clucks and tree yelps.

The jakes half-hearted attempts at gobbles are almost comical when the ol' man cuts them off with his bellowing gobble that reverberates the very ground where you stand. The fog starts to lift off the green field at the edge of the woods making way for the rising sun.

This experience happens every spring. My senses are all in over-drive- sensory stimulation in Mother Nature's high definition.

This my friends is the essence of spring turkey hunting. Share this experience with someone close to you so they too can see why we hunters are so passionate about our sport. Trust me on this one- they WILL get it.

Squeezing the trigger is such a small part.

Try to get the Boogey Man and just maybe- he'll come get you.

Denny :)
>>>--------->

USA Outback attends the 2009 NWTF Convention

"The Turkey Shed"

By the looks of the parking lot at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel Convention center, someone forgot to tell the 40,000 plus attendees there was a recession. Other than the S.H.O.T. show, the NWTF convention is the largest gathering of Who's who in the outdoor industry and one of the best places to see new hunting equipment and plan your next deer or turkey hunt.

Among the guides and outfitters was my good friend Manuel Enriquez - owner/operator of El Halcon lodge who I had not seen since 2004. We reflected on our last hunt together back when we shot a world record (spurs)Gould's turkey- all on camera that will be a featured show on USA Outback later this year. El Halcon lodge still maintains the world record for Gould's turkeys and is a fantastic place to add to your list of hunting lodges.

In case you are wondering, here are the 2009 NWTF Calling contest results-

2009 WTB/NWTF Grand National Senior Division Championships
First place- Jim Pollard, Charleston AR 453
Second place- Chris Parrish, Centralia MO 452
Third place- Sadler McGraw, Camden AL 446
Fourth place- Shane Hendershot, Zanesville OH 445

2009 Rare Breed/NWTF Champion of Champions
Mark Prudhomme, Georgetown SC 1141
Sadler McGraw, Camden AL 1109
Kerry Terrell, Brooklet GA 1062

With me on this trip to Nashville was my good friend Mark Zukowski whose company Genesis Lamp is starting to provide energy efficient replacement lamps and light bulbs for the manufacturers of hunting equipment. Part of the proceeds from outdoor industry sales of replacement bulbs benefits the NWTF through donations by Genesis Lamp. Change a light bulb- save a turkey- imagine that.

My main goal at the NWTF convention was to get video snippets from outdoor personalities to promote Safari Club International's Sportsmen Against Hunger program. Talk about Who's who in the outdoor industry- here's a list of who you will see on this feature video mid-March exclusive for XONtv(http://www.xontv.tv/) -
Paul Butski & Bob Walker
David Hale, Harold Knight and Jim Strelec
Will Primos
Cuz Strickland
Toxey Haas

Dick Kirby

Terry Rohm

Jim Crumley

Mark Drury
John Annoni- 1999 SCI Educator of the Year
Mark Nelsen- Cabela's Marketing Manager
Actor Gerald McRaney
Ricky Jo Bishop
Bill Miller from NAHC
John Plowman from Hunters Sharing the Harvest in PA
CJ Winand
Baltimore Oriole pitcher Buddy Groom - and of course- myself.

By assembling the group mentioned above, it shows that the entire outdoor industry is behind this program. It is because of these guys that the sport I love so much is even able to survive in today's hustle and bustle world because of their dedication and contributions to the sport of hunting- and the community.

I am hoping that this video will show not only the sporting community but also the general public how we as hunters are making a difference helping those in need. In some circles of the general public, hunting is frowned upon. This video showing venison donations to the needy is just one of the many ways we can help eliminate these preconceived notions that hunters are 'bad' people. Simply put- How can anyone be against helping feed the needy?

Hunters DO make a difference by not only footing the majority of the bill for conservation(Pittman Robertson Act), but also through many other humanitarian services projects that sportsmen do everyday- NWTF Wheelin' Sportsmen, Safari Wish hunts, Safari Care, the list goes on and on.

This Sportsmen Against Hunger feature video will be airing exclusively on the Internet making it capable of worldwide distribution through XONtv.

So think about donating some of your game this year to the Sportsmen Against Hunger program. We as hunters can make a difference.

Check out USA Outback at http://www.usaoutbacktv.com/.
Best Afield-
Denny :)

USA Outback teams up with Genesis Lamp for 2009

Host Denny Snyder with Genesis VIP Mark Zukowski
and a pair of Florida Osceola turkeys

Press Release

USA Outback Outdoor Television teams up with Genesis Lamp
for 2009

Genesis Lamp supports conservation and markets efforts to sportsmen

Indianapolis, IN- USA Outback Outdoor Television executive producer Denny Snyder has announced that the award winning popular outdoor television program ‘USA Outback’ has joined forces with Genesis Lamp to light up the world of sportsmen in 2009. Genesis Lamp is a family owned and operated business with 25 years experience in the replacement light bulb business. Genesis Lamp is one of the few remaining light bulb manufacturers that makes the majority of it’s products in the US.

“With global warming changing our climate, we all need to take responsibility and helping conservation of our natural resources is as easy as changing a lightbulb.”
Snyder states- “Each one of us can make a difference to help our environment.”

Genesis Lamp provides energy efficient bulbs for all of the lighting needs of USA Outback Outdoor Television. Proper lighting is a requirement for good footage and Genesis Lamp now provides USA Outback TV staff with projector lamps and full spectrum lamps, office fluorescent light bulbs and even flood lights for specialized outdoor shoots.

Whether you need fluorescent lights for the garage or a specialized metal halide or halogen light, buying a replacement light from Genesis Lamp is not only good for your pocketbook, it’s good for the environment. Genesis Lamp supplies energy efficient lighting products to the residential, commercial/industrial and recreational markets, and also replacement automotive bulbs.

Genesis Lamp is the largest North American distributor of airport lighting for Phillips, Osram, and GE lighting. Genesis Lamp is an authorized replacement light bulb distributor for GE,
Ushio, Osram/Sylvania, Philips, and Seimens. Genesis Lamp makes ordering replacement bulbs fast and easy.

Whether you need halogen light bulbs for an airport runway, HID replacement bulbs for a parking lot or just the right incandescent light bulbs for a chandelier, Genesis Lamp offers the best choice for replacement bulbs online.

Contact Genesis Lamp for a free sample replacement light by calling toll free
at 1-800-685-6257 or visit them on the web at http://www.genesislamp.com/ and start saving money- and the environment.

For more information on USA Outback Outdoor Television, contact Denny Snyder at (317)502-7942 or visit on the web at http://www.usaoutbacktv.com/ .

USA OUTBACK TV

Welcome to the USA Outback Outdoor Television blog!

I'm the host and producer of the show, Denny Snyder and thank you for taking the time to see what's new with USA Outback. It has been a "brief" four year hiatus of NOT airing USA Outback nationally on the Outdoor Channel, the Sportsman Channel, the Men's Channel and numerous regional and local tv networks but now USA Outback is back exclusively on the Internet !

Starting in mid-February, if you go to XON tv (http://www.xontv.tv/), you can watch the last entire season of USA Outback that aired in 2004. The entire list of online hunting videos and online fishing videos can be found on our own web site at http://www.usaoutbacktv.com/ as well as information about our services offered to viewers as well as potential sponsors and customers.

Be sure to check us out in the Instructional videos section as well. There you will find the Knight & Hale "Call of the Week" with Harold Knight, David Hale and Jim Strelec giving calling tips for deer hunting , turkey hunting, and hunting products reviews. If you are trophy hunting for whitetail deer- maybe questions about rut hunting- we have Code Blue's "Making Sense out of Scents" with Don Bell and myself teaching you the art of "scentology" showing you how knowing scents can help you deer hunting this coming hunting season.

Eventually, we will once again have a recommended outfitters and guides page and if you see a company's logo on our web site, you can rest assured that they produce quality hunting gear and provide excellent services as well.

If you need help choosing a hunting lodge for black bear hunting in Canada or fishing trips to fantastic salmon fishing in Alaska , feel free to email me and I'll give you a personalized hunting report or fishing report and tell you where I've been and who I'd recommend. If we produced a hunting dvd or fishing dvd on their facility or services, then they were top-notch hunting outfitters and fishing guides and worthy of the USA Outback stamp of approval.

Have you ever been elk hunting or trout fishing and videotaped your own hunting trip or fishing trips? Maybe I can help you put it together into your own collectable of hunting Africa to save for posterity- as one of our video services we offer without breaking the bank.

Send me your thoughts on what online hunting videos and online fishing videos YOU would like to watch and we'll try to make it happen!

Best Afield-

Denny :)