Now that October’s Bone Collector, Damien Macaluso, is all grown up, he wants to share with his oldest daughter, what his father shared with him – The love of the outdoors. As most Bone Collectors, Damien’s father was his first influence to the culture of the hunter. “My father was responsible for teaching me the basics of gun safety, marksmanship, and outdoorsmanship,” he tells us. “The Outdoor Channel and Bone Collector have inspired me to get out and hunt, and share my rekindled spirit with my daughter.”

As the owner of his own business, he views experiencing the outdoors with his daughter as an opportunity to escape the day-to-day, focus on the little things in life, and God’s creations. But as an Eye Surgeon, he also enjoys helping others regain their love for the hunt. “I feel a great sense of pleasure when patience returns to see me after surgery with a picture of their monster whitetail or gift of venison, after I’ve restored their sight!”

Damien shares a story of hunting his favorite game, Thunder chickens, with his daughter from 2007. “It’s a cool spring morning and I’m sitting in my hunting blind, bow hunting for turkeys with my 6 year-old daughter when she looks up to me and says, ‘Daddy, isn’t is strange that there is an animal named turkey and a food called turkey.’

“Hmmmmm. I have to carefully select my words for my daughter who has never seen an animal die, so I respond, ‘Well, the food that we eat is actually the same as the animal. We can eat the breast, the wings, and the drumsticks that you like so much are the legs.’ She remains quiet with a slightly perplexed look so I continue, ‘It’s kind of like how steaks and hamburger come from cows.’

“I can see the wheels turning in her head trying to make sense and she responds with an excited look in her eyes, ‘You mean we get to hunt cows too!’

“I had a little more explaining to do about what livestock is and we both learned quite a bit that day. We never did see any turkeys that day, but my first turkey with a bow was soon to come.

“About a week later we had two Toms and four hens come by and I let my arrow fly and it went right through the lungs of the largest Tom. My daughter was even more excited than I was. When we were driving home my daughter said to me, ‘Daddy, I am so proud of you for getting your first turkey and you did it on your first shot!’ I thanked her appropriately and then there was a pause…………’Daddy, I think I’m ready to hunt turkey with my recurve now’ (She had just got her first bow about a month earlier). How I love her enthusiasm.

“So that evening I was dressing the bird and then I put my daughter to bed. I was cleaning up the kitchen so my wife would have no complaints about any mess and I heard my daughter crying in her bed upstairs. My first thought was that my six year-old daughter just saw an animal die for the first time and this is a very natural reaction. I walked up the stairs thinking carefully about what I would say and I walked into her room, wiped away the tears and gave her a big hug and asked ‘What’s wrong honey?’

“She replied, still weeping, ‘Daddy, I’m just so sad that turkey season is over now and we don’t’ get to hunt together any more’… then I started to get a tear in my eye. God has truly blessed me. This is what being a Bone Collector means to me!”

“Like most people, I have many roles that I play in my life and those roles fall in line with my priorities of god, family, and country. All of my core values are consistent with and support these priorities. Being a Bone Collector is intertwined with all of my priorities and values and that is why I try to share my love of the outdoors and hunting with others. Values such as integrity, honesty, courage, and compassion are critical to instill at an early age and the outdoors provides an ideal opportunity to serve as a university to provide this education. Being a Bone Collector is an opportunity for me to teach and emphasize important values to our children in the mos

For September’s determined Bone Collector, Brent Williams, it’s all about the love for the outdoors and standing up for what you believe in. While serving his country he took a short break from hunting, but has returned back home to enjoy one of his favorite pastimes.

Brent says that he mostly enjoys hunting alone, although teaching younger generations the pride that comes with being outdoors is always worth losing that big buck. “I might pass up a perfect day in my stand to take a child hunting, and in the end, their smile makes it all worth it.” He understands that introducing someone new to hunting can be a great experience. Learning mostly from his father, Tom, and teaching himself through his own mistakes, he has gained invaluable knowledge for being on the hunt.

“My most memorable hunting experience would have to be my first deer kill with a bow. I was in my early teenage years, and had been having great success with rifle hunting. However, archery meant a lot more time in the field, so I decided to give it a shot. I was hunting hard, real hard. I hadn't really mastered, or fully understood, scent elimination. I was getting pretty frustrated by the lack of success I was having. I was using mostly makeshift ground blinds, and wasn't really paying much attention to the wind. Looking back, I was doing about everything wrong that was possible!“ He finally landed his trophy through trial and error, saying that it was worth it. “It was one of the greatest moments of my life!”

Standing up for the culture of the hunter also lies high on Brent’s priorities. He said being part of the Brotherhood is standing up for what you believe in. “I’m not scared to voice my opinion when it comes to the topic of hunting. I’m right there tactfully defending our right to hunt.”

“Thanks to all of those who have served and are still serving our country. They're the real reason that hunting is still even an option for us.”

August’s Bone Collector of the Month, Mathew Ritchison, from Indiana began hunting when he was only eight years old. Ever since then he has done his part to “keep the local deer population from getting over crowded,” he says. He enjoys hunting Whitetail deer the most, and that his proudest whitetail moment came last season when he bagged a 200lb. field dressed 142” 10 pt. Indiana buck. A “Hoosier Buck like Waddell,” he proudly points out, although Mathew’s dream would be to take a bowhunting trip on the Milk River in Montana.

This hunter-gatherer enjoys hunting to provide venison for his family and even an occasional thunderchicken in the spring, as well as collecting a little Bone along the way. Mathew takes pleasure in calling himself part of the brotherhood, because Bone Collectors are just “Good Ole Boys, down to Earth, and proud of what they do. Keep hunting Bone, I know I will.”

A very family-oriented guy, Jacob left behind his mom, dad, brother, and fiancee to serve our country. His soon-to-be wife is a hunter herself (and a really good bass fisher), as well as a great listener. Jacob credits her with being the one that helped him through the rough times--listening to his complaints and frustrations as he worked tirelessly overseas.

What exactly IS going on over there? Jacob says the news tends to only show the negative side of the missions, and while there is lots of turmoil, America has "done a lot of good work in road repairs and humanitarian missions, basically cleaning up Iraq and teaching Iraqis how to repair their own roads and be more productive. I want people to see that we're doing a good thing in Iraq and it's not a waste of money and time."

Jacob's team of hunting partners are ready to hit the woods with him this season. His brother Josh, his father Gary, and his uncle Dennis taught him how to be a true hunter. Their lessons in his earliest years made him the hunter he is today.

Iraq doesn't offer many hunting opportunities, but Jacob was able to find one. During his last tour in Iraq, the flight line needed help so that incoming aircrafts would not get hit with birds and the pilots could make a safe landing. Jacob was called in to do the first hunting he'd been able to do in over three years. What a blast!

There's more hunting in his future. Next spring Jacob's heading up to Canada for a bear hunt. And he's looking to finish his degree and join a small town police force in his home state of Wisconsin.

Thanks for all your sacrifices, Jacob. God bless you, and God bless America!

June's Bone Collector of the month, Matt Baker,was born into a hunting family. Hunting deer and duck at his family's deer camp in Hermitage, Arkansas, is his favorite pastime, but he'll never pass up a chance to fish or hunt turkey, squirrel, or dove. Always up for some new challenge, Matt went pheasant hunting for the first time a couple of years ago with his uncle and grandpa in Kansas.

Matt's been blessed with a big family on his father's side, so he enjoys hunting with his grandpa, uncles, and cousins. However, his favorite hunting partner is definitely his dad. Every moment they get to spend in the outdoors together is cherished. Matt recently went to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation banquet in Little Rock, Arkansas, so an elk hunt is definitely in Matt’s future.

Matt tells us a story about killing his 8 pointer. About 3 years ago, he and his clan were rifle hunting at deer camp. Matt says, “One morning we surrounded a place we call the T-Road. We run dogs, which is pretty fun, and that morning we did not have much action so we decided to move over to another place called the McKinney Block. My two younger cousins decided to start the dogs in the woods, and within 5 minutes we had a race. The dogs were getting pretty hot and were heading between where I was sitting and where my other cousin was sitting. Suddenly I looked and could see a whitetail bouncing through the woods. When he came into the opening I couldn’t believe it when I saw his horns. He was low to the ground at full speed so I had to make a quick shot. I wasn't sure I hit him because he kept running, but the dogs passed by and it wasn't much longer they quit. I walked out in the woods with my cousin and about 75 yards in the woods there he was. He wasn't real wide but he had some pretty tall tines on him. It is one of my biggest deer I have killed so far.”

Every Thanksgiving, Matt’s family congregates at deer camp and they have a blast. They ride 4-wheelers, eat a bunch, and, of course, get some hunting in. Sounds like a lot to be thankful for!

May's Bone Collector of the month, Steve Howard, started whitetail deer hunting when he was fourteen. Now, thirty-four years later, Steve has plenty of both hilarious and serious hunting stories to share 'round the campfire.

While his favorite game is whitetail, Steve revels in all types of hunting—turkey (with two kills under his belt), dove, duck, quail—and has even taken a couple of wild hogs with his bow. Steve also participates in various bass tournaments every year.

Steve and five of his buddies currently enjoy their 900 acre lease in Pike County, IL. He also makes a couple of trips each year to Great Southern Outdoors in Alabama. The owner, Rex Pritchett, and Steve have become great friends over the years, and Steve rates Rex as his favorite hunting partner. Rex manages his 6,000 acre property for trophy whitetail deer and has an abundance of wild hogs as well. Steve tells us that Rex "is really a cut up but knows where his deer are (most of the time). My best stories would have to have happened while hunting with Rex at Great Southern Outdoors."

Here's one such story, in Steve's own words, about his first visit to Rex's plantation in December, 2003.

"I had never been on a paid hunt before and really did not know what to expect. At the plantation you have three days to hunt to get your buck. I saw several deer but nothing that got close to the 16" 8 point standard that the plantation implements.

On the night before my last morning I was at the lodge feeling pretty low and thinking I must be a nut for spending over $1,200.00 to hunt for three days. Rex told his guide to sleep in the next morning—that he was going to get me a deer. I was a little uncertain at this point what to expect, other than a three hour ride home with empty truck bed.

The next morning came in clear and cool with a slight breeze. Rex and I meet up at the lodge and had a cup of coffee, and he seemed to be in no hurry to get me to a stand! I then began to question him—wasn't it time to get to the woods? He smiled and informed me he was going to carry me to a stand behind his father's house. I immediately thought 'I've been had.' Rex's instructions were as follows: once I get to the stand, which was named Off Limits, keep an eye out to my left. He cautioned me again with eye contact, look to your left. Dawn broke quickly upon me getting to my stand. What a beautiful morning it was; the birds were out, the sun was brilliant and the sky blue! I had a view of a green field that was 300 yards in each direction with planted pines surrounding it that were so thick even a rabbit would have had a hard time going through them.

The stand was a wooden shooting box sitting about a step off the ground with a swivel office chair inside. It wasn't long 'til I spotted my first deer coming out of the planted pines and heading in the direction where I had walked into my stand. I watched as the small spike came out to cross the green field, and, much to my surprise, another buck came out behind the spike. It was larger, but still not big enough. Then, another walked out, and another, and another, with each buck sporting a larger rack than the previous one. The first buck looked to his right, then crossed; the second looked to his left, then crossed; the third Buck looked to his right and crossed; the fourth buck looked to his left, then crossed. The Deer were in single file but spaced out evenly and only one deer at a time would cross the clearing.

Finally, the fifth buck came out; he was the largest of the five. When he crossed he paused for a moment, just like his buddies did, and it proved fatal! Bingo! I scored, and it was only 7:00 A.M.

Rules are stay in your stand until someone picks you up, and my time was 11:00 A.M. I was fidgety and noticed that the office chair I was sitting on seemed to have a loose back, so I decided to repair it for my new best friend. After being in the floor of the shooting house a couple of minutes working on the chair, I stood up and glanced out the opening. What an unbelievable sight! There stood the biggest buck I had ever laid eyes on, and he had tw

Spring's here, and so is our Bone Collector of the Month for April, Christopher Mezak. Christopher started hunting just 3 years ago, but already he is out and about every chance he gets hunting whitetail. He does the majority of his hunting on his own turf, a nice hundred plus acreage in Coventry, RI. He and one of his best buds, Dave, like to spend the weekends waiting for Big Daddy to walk out, but both are fairly new to hunting, so they are learning off each other's mistakes. But Chris's main reason to get out in the woods is to make a memory, and that makes every hunt a smash, even if they come home with the back of the truck empty. But as this picture shows, he's had his share of success, too!

The Bone Collector of the Month for March 2009 is an avid hunter and "Bone Collector" and "Road Trips" viewer, Doug Griffith from Tulsa, OK. Doug's been hunting since 1983 when he was 12 years old. He grew up hunting with his dad, but now he spends time in the woods with his own son, Gunnar, who is 7. The Griffith men spend their time chasing deer and turkey.

Several months ago a fire relieved Doug of most of his hunting gear. But that hasn't stopped Doug from trying to rebuild his life and restock his hunting equipment to show his son that even though it's full of ups and downs, life does go on.

What a lesson to teach his boy, and what a blessing to have Doug as a member of our Brotherhood. Godspeed, brother.

February's Bone Collector of the Month is one cool chick. She is on a one woman crusade dedicated to "ridd'n the world of thunder chickens." Six years ago Kelly Madison started hunting, and she's been hooked ever since. Right now turkeys are by far her favorite game to hunt, but she is ready and willing to experience anything and everything the hunting world has to offer.

After purchasing her first bow last year, she got the chance to meet Michael at Bass Pro in Springfield and talk string music. Right now, Kelly heads down to Roger's (a local pro shop) to practice shooting about three days a week, even shooting in their archery league. When not in the woods you can find Kelly at a local dirt track and spending time with her beautiful two-year-old daughter who'll be in the woods with Momma just as soon as she's big enough. What's a dream hunt to Kelly? "Elk hunting in Colorado or Montana, pheasant hunting in Iowa or South Dakota, or go somewhere to bag me a Merriam Turkey. And since it's a dream, all with Michael Waddell!"

Her Uncle Jerry and Michael are her biggest influences. An active member of her local NWTF and Women in the Outdoors chapters, this year she volunteered in their youth hunt.

Also this year Kelly had the opportunity to go on a European-style pheasant hunt. The only girl in the bunch, the guys treated her right, but the down side was when they stopped for breaks. The guys would wander in front of the trucks to "take care of business", so she had to be careful where she went. And when she had to do the same, it was a long trek to the woods for some privacy! But there was never a dull moment. Kelly tells us she even got invited back to do the clean up hunt with the dogs. "It was so amazing to watch the dogs work the birds."

A dedicated huntress for sure, and our first female Bone Collector of the Month. Congratulations, Kelly!

Being January 2009’s Bone Collector of the Month is not Eric Rash’s first claim to fame. This brotherhood member from Holland, Michigan, started bow hunting at age twelve and spent three days at Ted Nugent’s Kamp for Kids. He learned outdoor skills and hunting and tracking tips, and he experienced target shooting with Uncle Ted himself! He was hooked for life, a Bone Collector in the making.

Eric has been in the woods with his dad since he was five years old, soaking up every drop of information and experience he could. Sitting in the hunting shack with his family makes up some of his most revered boyhood memories, making Realtree’s motto “Family, Friends and the Outdoors” ring true to his life.

His favorite game is a tie between whitetail and waterfowl. His dad, Steve, and his brother, Nate, join him in the woods while his mom, Marcia, holds down the fort at camp. They call themselves Team

Lead Slingers ‘cause “If you’re not slinging lead, you’re not having fun.” They sit in deer camp with the number one rule being never unload your gun. No wonder, since big herds of deer run across the field from wood lot to wood lot, right by their camp. They’ve given parking tickets to no telling how many deer while they were just sitting around the fire eating lunch.

Eric says, “I look up to Michael Waddell as a hunter and a person for all he does for the sport. He’s a great role model.” However, Eric’s top pick as his favorite hunter is, and always will be, his dad---the man who influenced him to become a Bone Collector.