Dove Haven Argentina Style (Client Report by Scott Marvin (OC-MN)
The language barrier was obvious. We fought to find the right
terminology, hand signals and facial expressions so that we all knew the meaning of simple things like water, or butter or ketchup. It all disappeared in a hurry though when our bird boy slipped the Queen CD into the player, cranked up the volume and we all listened to Queen sing…"another one bites the dust". Fingers tapping, all four of us singing along and the music blasting out the windows. We only knew one language at that point and it was the words…."another one bites the dust". What a theme song I thought as we pounded out the words in unison.
This was the third day of a four day Argentina dove hunt. Our group was made up of Paul Stadem, Conway Marvin, myself, Milt Gowan of Minnesota and Mike Zak of North Dakota. We did the marathon 48 hour iron man trip to the doorstep of our hotel. The next part was simple…crash for the night and get ready to be introduced to Argentina doves the next day. The next day, as it turned out, was only a few hours away but we didn't mind. We camo'd up and treated our taste buds to Argentina coffee and pastries. We were on task as we trucked down the dusty roads to the hotbed of what would be a day in dove paradise.
Paradise it was as we literally watched waves of doves pass by. Barrels traced the paths of these missiles as streaks of yellow kicked out of the side plates of the autos. Our 20 gauges hammered the skies as we orientated ourselves to improved hand eye coordination. Our break came at mid morning when we gathered our wits and tried to reconstruct the madness that has just taken place. The chatter between the bird boys and the shooters gave evidence of the excitement of the first morning.
The second day was similar with the only difference being our shooting. The yellow empties still littered the ground but this time with more
success. The tally at the end of the day when we helped pick up both empties and birds gave proof of that.
Our third day was even better. Perhaps the singing and choice of songs set the stage or maybe we were just plain in sync. For certain, the reloading came easier, the path of the doves was more predictable and the shot and the bird became one. By the fourth and final day we had surpassed what we thought Argentina dove hunting could ever be. From the standpoint of shooting….it was beyond putting into words. Our group of five shot over 25,000 rounds in just four days. One of our group who will go unnamed but goes by the name of Milton (or Boom Boom) tripped the hammer on his Benelli over 6500 times. Is that wild or what? Some of us like Paul Stadem and Mike Zak shot less, but when the bird pick up took place it was obvious that less could mean more as we picked up piles of doves near their shooting station.
Along the way we also were fortunate enough to mix in a city tour of historic Buenos Aires, were treated to fine wines and Argentina beef and even enjoyed a Tango dance catered in especially for us. Our hosts took great care of us. They made sure we soaked up as much culture as possible including us in the bird drop to the local village, as well as dining with the staff.
Today we are all back in the saddle in our USA capacity. The doves are still flying, the culture is still there. What began as a trip that we all thought would be a great "once in a lifetime adventure" ended up being a trip of a lifetime with a to-be-determined return booking date. In the meantime, you will find me listening to Queen….
Catalog Code - AGH2
Cancun Deep Sea Fishing (Client Report by Bill Salow)
"We made it back tonight and had a good time. We went out fishing the first day (of our two day trip). Ryan Jean, Anne's boyfriend, did go with us, and he caught one dorado (maybe 35 pounds), and two barracuda, the larger maybe 35 inches. Anne caught a bonito and laughed that she had her bait for marlin, and Mary caught two kingfish. Ryan had never seen the ocean before, so it was a very special trip for him. The charter boat captain called to cancel us the early morning of the second day of planned fishing, due to high winds.
Thanks for setting us up on this trip. This charter boat captain seemed to be a good outfit. The boat, Marlin Magic, was okay, older and a bit "worn around the edges", and didn't have functional air-conditioning (except the windows), but seemed otherwise well maintained. The captain and first mate did a great job working for the fish we got. I think it is the slow season for fishing right now, so I feel fortunate for the fish we got! I would recommend them to others who might ask you."
Bill Salow
For more information about fishing in Cancun, Mexico please contact your local Outdoor Connection agent.
Catalog Code - MXF5
Lake Calcasieu, Louisiana Redfish (Client Report by Lou Hoop (OC-TN)
I recently joined my friends and clients from Cook’s Mechanical Services as they chased speckled trout and redfish with one of Outdoor Connection lodges. In two days, the group caught 90
redfish and about 200 trout. We took over 200 pounds of fish back to East Tennessee. Erik, the owner and his guides, really worked hard to give my clients a good trip. The food prepared by Erik’s wife, Tina, was outstanding and had a distinctive Cajun flair. The lodge was very nice and can accommodate up to a group of 20, with 5 bedrooms. They have recently added a new downstairs game room that includes pool, poker and a high definition entertainment system. I would highly recommend this location to anyone wanting to catch large speckled trout and redfish!
Contact your local Outdoor Connection agent to learn more about this destination.
Catalog Code - LAF2
Outdoor Connection’s 20th Annual Convention Report
It started in Burnsville, Minnesota as a single office business with two part time employees. Now, based in Burlington, Kansas, Outdoor Connection recently celebrated its 20th year in business with over 125 Outdoor Connection representatives meeting at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri for the company's annual convention.
Franchisees from all across North America (Outdoor Connection currently has 89 in the United States, eight in Canada and one in Europe) gathered for four days of meetings, educational seminars, networking and of course hit the water for some bass fishing on Table Rock Lake.
As usual, Outdoor Connection started off their annual meetings with a fishing tournament. Although the high water conditions on Table Rock Lake (some 17 feet above normal) made for tough conditions, a number of bass were brought to the scales. Taking home the prize money from day one was Darren and Cathy Johnson of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. They brought 11.31 pounds of bass to the scales that day. Day two was limited to half day charters as the meetings were on schedule to begin that day. Twelve year old Tanner Henderson of Calgary, Alberta fished by himself, as his dad Hugh was recovering from the flu bug he had picked up while traveling. In the short fourhours on the lake, Tanner was able to land five bass which weighed in at 12.65 pounds. This was enough for Tanner to take home the prize money for the day and some great stories to tell his classmates back in Alberta. Larry Boll (WI) claimed the overall Big Bass jackpot by landing a 3.7 pound bass on day two. More hardware for Larry to haul home.
Some of Outdoor Connection's finest destinations made the journey to Missouri as well. Each and everyone of them presented their locations to the franchise owners and held question and answer forums. Other than being there, there is no better way to learn about the destinations than to spend time face to face with the owner/manager. Those making the trip to the convention this year were Ken Gangler of Gangler's Lodges (MB), Gabriel and Irma del la Garza of Casa Grande (MX), Chuck Baird of Waterfall Resort (AK), Ron and Linda Chekosky of Big Antler Outfitters (MB), Jim Kuhn and Scott Fink of Nebraska Trophy Bucks and Birds (NE), Eric and Kathy Sechrist of Boulder Lake Lodge (WY), and Dave Fisher and Phil Reid of Totem Resorts (ON).
An awards ceremony was held during the 20th Anniversary Banquet. Sales and service awards were handed out to many franchise owners. Leading the way were the Rookie of the Year award which was presented to Bruce Rowe (WI) and the Franchise of the Year award which went to Larry Boll (WI). The state of Wisconsin took home some very impressive awards.
The event drew great reviews from those in attendance and the location of Big Cedar Lodge proved perfect for the OC gang. A special thank you goes out from everyone at Outdoor Connection to the convention sponsors; Keaton Kelso of K&K Outfitters (KS), Chuck Baird of Waterfall Resort (AK), Eric and Kathy Sechrist (WY), Billy Chapman, Jr. of Anglers Inn (MX), and Gabriel and Irma de la Garza of Casa Grande (MX).
Quote from OC agent:
“I have been to nine banquets set up by my other franchise that I own. I have yet to be to one that was as informative and well run at the Outdoor Connection convention. My hats off to you. You made it a tremendous success. I know the work that goes into conventions and I know that there are always kinks in the system. If there were at the OC convention, you guys hid them very well.”
Scott Wallin (OC - NM)
Ten Guys Turkey Hunt (Client Report by Scott Marvin (OC-MN)
Last year there were four of us, all first timers on the turkey scene. Our destination was K&K Outfitters and the eastern camp of Keaton Kelso's. We had such a great time and success that I asked what the maximum group K&K could handle and was advised "ten". With that in mind, I booked all ten spots for this year and started to work on filling them.
It didn't take long to fill; in fact, we had extra people who wanted to accompany us. Our group stayed at ten and over time, one of our gang started talking about the "Ten Guys Turkey Hunt". Within a couple visits, the name stuck and then fast forward, we were the "Ten Guys Turkey Hunt" on the road and destined for Kendall's camp in western Kansas.
We arrived from different destinations with our four hunting vehicles. Our task of unloading and organizing our cabins finished, we gathered around the picnic table where we talked of hunting and the expectations of Kansas turkeys. Kendall and Keaton complimented the gathering with their advice and suggested we move to the dining hall to meet the guides and prepare for our first day of turkey hunting. We followed instructions and enjoyed visiting with our new hunting partners and then dismissed for the day.
The wild winds of Kansas greeted us the next morning as we once again assembled in the dining hall only this time camo clad. A bit of coffee and a light breakfast gave the Kelso boys time to partner us up with our various guides. The morning chatter diminished as different turkey quest groups headed off to their hotspots. I followed suite and within 45 minutes, I was in the blind listening to the music of Rio's as I waited for the slow sunrise to do its magic.
Like many of my hunting companions, I was in a hotspot. Well scouted out in advance and the birds patterned as best as possible, my challenge was to wait. After a couple hours however, we were humbled as we were reminded what hunting was all about…namely, the game does what it wants, when it wants. More specifically, the birds that were patterned did the change up on us. Where they were supposed to come out, they didn't and where they weren't supposed to be, they were.
With the morning sit coming to an end, my thoughts of noon lunch were interrupted by the sudden twitch of movement. To my left, came a bird, then another and another. The hens trotted their way not only out to the field, but also literally ran right up to the front of the blind. Close behind came two Toms, beards flapping as they walked and strutted. They too came close, in fact, so close that my guide Kirk and I both slid further back in our seats. Whispers became hand signals as we tried to make sense of what each of us was saying. I finally eased myself back far enough that I could slide only the front two inches of the barrel out the blind. "I should have my bow!" I thought….they were that close! The audible "click" came and was followed by the roar of a 3-½ number five Federal being sent on its 15-foot mission. Hens flying, another Tom undoubtedly recovering from muzzle blast and my bird flopping just outside the blind made for the chaos. High fives and the re-enactment of what had just taken place used up our drive time as Kirk and I headed back to the camp, bird in hand.
The dining hall became command central as those in camp waited for the new arrivals. Hot coffee and the exchange of stories were interrupted as another vehicle came into the parking lot. Our numbers grew, as did the turkey harvest and the turkey stories. By noon, our entire group had arrived and we compared our notes. Success was measured both in tags punched and birds missed. It was a great start.
We repeated the process in the evening with those successful hunters displaying their birds on the lawn in front of the dining hall. After the last vehicle arrived, we enjoyed marveling at 11 Tom trophies that our group of 10 had harvested. By the time happy hour was over, our bird count was a testament to the Kelso brothers, the area and the Kelso staff. Our group of 10 on the first day had harvested 11 birds, experienced 6 misses and together had 404 turkey sightings.
Day two had given us a reprieve on the Kansas winds as we motored to different destinations. Day two as it turned out, also provided us with a new chapter of stories. With 10 guys, you know the stories could be great and we didn't disappoint. In the mix, we had one accomplished hunter who was joined by a member of the group who had tagged out with the both of them guided by Kendall Kelso. This accomplished big game hunter missed a bird at 17 yards…and then he missed another at 19 yards, and then he missed his third at 23 yards. The last bird stopped and looked at the hunter in disbelief not knowing of course, that the hunter had fired the last of his shell inventory. Another of the group hammered at a Tom only to have the Tom turn around, walk back towards him and stand there while this hunter tried to unjam his weapon. One of our group brought good fortune to our camp when on Saturday evening, he redeemed our faith a bit and provided camp news when he took two birds with one shot!
It was a fantastic hunting trip. Great hunting companions, combined with a super camp, complimented with great people and food. The "Ten Guys Turkey Hunt" left the camp with 17 harvested birds, 549 bird sightings and 8 misses. The only dilemma our group has now is keeping the numbers at the required ten as we prepare for the 2009 version of "Ten Guys Turkey Hunt."
For more information about this outfitter please contact your local Outdoor Connection agent. Catalog Code - KSH1
Kids First Hunting Experience (Client Report by Greg Ray (OC - OK)
Ok it's proud dad time! I had the opportunity to hunt with our fellow franchise owner Mickey Nierdieck and Roy Wilson, owner of one of Outdoor Connection’s Texas outfitters and believe that Outdoor Connection has definitely hit a home run by adding them to our outfitter list.
Madison (14), Eddie, (8) and I drove down to Stamford, Texas this past weekend to try and get Madison and Eddie their very first game ever. First of all, Mickey is a great guide (even if he does get lost) and showed a lot of patience in guiding Madison and Eddie.
The very first morning; Mickey placed the three of us in a ground blind (I have learned a new level of patience). Of course, it was still dark and the kids got to hear a pack coyote's howling. Eddie thought it was cool and pretended not to be scared, while Madison did not pretend at all, she had her 20ga at the ready until daylight.
Our wait was not long until the first birds appeared, although it was just a couple of Jakes, the kids thought it was pretty exciting.
I will have to admit that after the Jakes left I started to doze off a bit and was awakened by Madison hitting me on the leg and pointing out the blind to a single bird right out in front of us at about 25 yards, it turned out to be a Jake but he had about a 3 ½ inch beard and Mickey had suggested that they needed to thin a few Jakes out. I told Madison to wait until I had the video camera going and Eddie had his ears plugged. Pretty much the instant I said take him, the 20ga sounded off and the turkey was flopping on the ground, the only thing you could hear was Madison screaming "I got him!" "I got him!"
The four of us made several attempts to find a mature tom for myself, and Eddie a wild boar to shoot. The birds were not cooperating so we decided to focus on Eddie's wild boar. No luck that next morning, but we headed out at about 4pm, got set up in our blind and about an hour and a half later we could actually hear the hogs coming. I turned the camera on and Eddie got his rifle ready. All at once we had about a dozen hogs in front of us, including a 200 pound boar. I told Eddie he could take him at any time. I had the camera on the boar as I watched my little southpaw cock the hammer back on his single shot .243. He took careful aim and as he put it "dropped that pig like a bad habit". The other hogs just looked at the dominant boar like "What's wrong with you?" and kept on eating, this gave Eddie enough time to reload and drop two more pigs.
What a proud moment to be able to see both of my kids harvest their first animals on the same week. Both of them really appreciated the opportunity they had and understand what it means to have the privilege to hunt. We threw the tenderloins and back strap on the grill last night and plan on having Madison's turkey tomorrow night. I think Eddie was just as impressed with his ability to provide food for us, as he was his shooting ability, which by the way, all three pigs were double lunged and through the heart!
For more information on this great location to take the family, contact your local Outdoor Connection agent. Catalog Code - TXH8
Alaska King Salmon Jackpot Challenge - May 28-31, 2008 Catalog Code - AF4
Receive a $1,200 discount off regular rates. And if you book by May 5th you will receive another great BONUS! Call your friends and sign up your Fishing Team! Kick off your summer with fresh King Salmon & Halibut to take home!
Contact your local Outdoor Connection agent to find out more about this trip.
Tracks is published monthly free of charge by Outdoor Connection, Inc. Tracks is comprised by No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent Outdoor Connection, Inc of Outdoor Connection. Readers may forward issues of Tracks freely, so 424 Neosho long as the publication is not altered in any way. The information in this Burlington, KS 66839 issue, including pricing and availability, is subject to change without notice.
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Cheney, KS
316-542-9970
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Outdoor Connection®
The Worldwide Hunting and Fishing AuthorityTM
This issue of Tracks is provided to you free of charge by your local Outdoor Connection agent. For more information on any of the adventures in this issue or other expeditions worldwide, contact the agent below:
Outdoor Connection’s New Destinations
Below are a few new outfitters that have come on board recently:
British Columbia fishing and hunting destination offering elk, deer, moose, grizzly bear and rainbow trout on Stuart Lake. They offer the best in accomodation to make your wilderness experience a memorable adventure. The lodge is open from May to September. BCH8/BCF6
Minnesota outfitter offering black bear, walleye, pike and smallmouth fishing on Lake Kabetogama. Accommodations feature seven cozy old-time log cabins that provide you with complete comfort and relaxation. MNF7/MNH3
Louisiana fishing charter located in Venice, LA offering tuna, dorado, wahoo and swordfish. They offer both full day trips and overnight charters. LAF1
Michigan fishing charter located on Lake St. Clair offering muskie and walleye. They offer both full and half day charters. MIF1
Central Montana outfitter offering antelope, elk, deer and several species of trout. The hunting area lies 35 miles northwest of White Sulphur Springs and consists of 76,000 acres of beautiful, mountainous, private ranchlands. MTH7/MTF4
Be sure to contact your local Outdoor Connection for more information on these great destinations!