T-Bone and I headed to one of my favorite stompin' grounds, 7J outfitters in Wyoming to hunt Muleys and Antelope with Jeff and Deb Smith. I worked as a guide at 7J for almost 15 years and know the areas and its potential very well. I would be guided by Micheal Aberle, the youngest son of Jeff and Deb, I have literally seen this kid grow up and filmed him kill his first turkey and deer and now the little turd would be showing me how to do it! We got right to work and started looking for a good buck that Michael had seen scouting in the weeks leading up to our hunt. Wind, rain and a little snow got in the way for a few days, but we kept our chins up and connected on a great 25 inch buck on the second to the last day. My camera jock Franklin Ford from Georgia was put through the ringer on his first western trip and he did a great job capturing the action and laughing at my stupid jokes! Thanks Franklin, I had a blast and you can run with me anytime! On the last day I connected on a massive goat at over 250 yards, after embarrassing myself on 2 misses at 160!! 

  Bone had a great hunt as well and smoked a brute muley with heavy horns and stickers, and a great speed goat! He was running with Cameraman Dan Johnson from the great state of Wyoming, one of my old buddies from just down the road. Dan and I have known each other for almost 20 years and he is a great guy! 

 Jeff and Deb run Trophy hunts for Mule Deer, Whitetails, Elk, Antelope, and Have the best Merriam’s Turkey hunting in the West. Go to their website and check out the pictures!!!! Thanks to all my friends at 7J for the years of good times and all of the hospitality and great food!!! Its nice to spend time with people that you consider family!!

Man, it has been a blast this year using the new Bushnell Trophy cams. No doubt the little guy is the best trail camera I have ever used for scouting. It so little it’s easy to take several of them into the woods and get them out. Also, it runs of AA batteries and they will last forever getting hundreds of pictures on one set.

These cameras have help seal the deal on several nice bucks this year, and I wanted to share some of the photos I have got with them in my home state of GA this year. Notice how all of the shots of these decent bucks are all at night, highlighting why it is so tough to feel our tags on bigger deer.

Be sure to check ‘em out at Bushnell.com

Its a magical time of the year for us hunters. Cool crisp mornings have helped loosen the hold of the leaves in the trees and gentle breezes drift them all over the rut happy stomping grounds of freaknasty bucks. There are so many emotions that come with this time of year, but on the fore front of my thinking is giving thanks to the so many things life has to offer and has given.

Life in general is precious and I'm helped reminded of this as I watch my kids play in the yard that hard work and the american dream that my wife Ashley and I are focused on living. Their innocent laughs and smiles make me look up ward and say Thanks!

Sitting down to a Sunday dinner after church with my wife and family and hearing stories from my Daddy and catching some Sunday football before I take my oldest boy Mason hunting on a whiteoak acorn ridge in search of a nice buck or even a Boone and Crockett sally. Again, I give thanks!

Standing in an airport watching soldiers deploy and come home, helps remind me of the sacrafices Americans have made to make our homeland the best turf on earth to live on. Again, Thanks!

Going on the road to a retail show or on a hunt and running into the many hunters that make up the brotherhood and sharing camp tales as we make plans to hopefully document another TV show to put on Outdoor Channel. I once again give thanks for us to be able to celebrate the hunting culture around the nation!

Life has so many ups and downs, but in the end it up to us to make the best of it for their is no promise that tomorrow will come.

As a kid, I was always told, please and Thank you were magic words and now that I'm older I believe this to be true.

So this blog is committed to saying thank you to everyone around me that has been there for me and supported me through lifes journey thus for and mostly to God for given me so many blessings!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Michael

Michael sheds his Scent Blocker boots to stalk an 8-pointer in Indiana. Killed with his brand new Maxxis bow.

Season Two is approaching fast and promises to be an even greater adventure than last with additions to the Bone Collector Brotherhood like Edwin Waddell. After all, the acorn doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

Edwin Waddell is the father of Michael Waddell and introduced his son to the culture of the hunter. Edwin started hunting as soon as he could walk. His father, Owen taught him how to take squirrel, rabbit, and quail in rural Georgia. From runnin’ trotlines in the beaver swamps to catchin’ loggerhead turtles, what the Waddell crew took home was meant for skillet meat.

When Edwin was around the age of 17, whitetails exploded in his area with a solid population, and deer fueled Edwin's passion for trophy hunting bigger bucks. Together Michael and Edwin Waddell learned to turkey hunt and Edwin was the man responsible for running young Michael all around the state and country to compete in turkey callin’ contests that have made him the icon he is today.

Now at the age of 57, Edwin enjoys planting food plots and taking his grand young’uns hunting a lot more than hunting himself. Although he has been known to take out his Hoyt and tag a Pope and Young in GA occasionally. He also loves hangin’ and hunting with his wife Lisa who goes hunting just as much as he does.

Edwin is excited to go on more Bone Collector trips and partake on adventures and to experience hunts with his son Michael and the Bone Collectors. Last season, Edwin's dream of arrowing a bull elk came true in Colorado when he anchored a 320 bull. Edwin has also recently joined the Realtree pro-staff in addition to becoming a regular TV hunter for the Bone Collector TV show.

Keep an eye out for more to come on Edwin Waddell and Season Two insider info on bonecollector.com.

Nick Tells about his Trip to Utah

Nick continues his Tri p in Utah, Making his mark

Nick gets ready to hit the Road

Hey y'all,I just want to thank everybody for coming out to our first Brotherhood Bash. It was awesome, heck we even had a marriage proposal. I am truly honored, I had a great time and I hope all y'all did too. It really gave us a chance to meet everybody. We have some great pictures up on the site so y'all take a look. Hopefully we'll see ya at the next Bash! Brotherhood Bash Pictures