The Up North Journal Team has launched their new website and they invite you to stop by and check out the new digs! You can find it at the same ‘ol place: www.upnorthjournal.com you will find a new interactive video panel that will play their most current video and will eventually have the most current episode of their upcoming new video show. You will also be able to click the link to take you to the archive page of all their videos. Not only does it have the video player but it also offers an audio panel that has the most current episode of their podcast with a scrolling banner with an outline of the current show. The link below the player also takes you to an archive page of past episodes for download or playing right from the site.     At the bottom of the page you will find all the Up North Journal Pro Staff members. By clicking their photos you will be taken to each members personal bio page which will host a video of each member talking about themselves and the game they like to persue. Included on their personal bio page is all the links to their own blogs, and other internet links they are associated with such as facebook, twitter, and email address’.

     The site is not 100% completed but the important items are there, so keep looking for further updates to the site and bios on the prostaff pages. When your finished taking the tour, be sure to drop them an email and let them know what you think about the new digs!

     My son and I are headed to Wisconsin next week to partake in a little bowfishing courtesy of a good friend of ours that blogs here on the Skinny Moose network.  Jerry Long of Mostly Archery has graciously invited us over to his great state to visit for a bowfishing adventure on the local waters near his home. Read the rest of this entry »

     After taking a few weeks off from blogging, I’ve got the urge to get writing again and today I have finished the first step in our new food plots.  Read the rest of this entry »

     Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing Steve Scott, the Vice President of Whitetail Institute of North America about the basics of food plots.  As you may already know, Whitetail Institute of North America produces seeds for various crops that are designed for wild game food plots.  Below you will find a few of the basic questions I asked and the answers he gave. Read the rest of this entry »

     Last night I had the pleasure of meeting yet another listener of my Up North Journal podcast.  John Fleming is from Minnesota, he and his eleven year old son made the trip to Michigan yesterday to do a hog hunt.  John and I had been emailing back and forth about the hunt and we made plans to meet since the hog ranch was near where I live.

     They rolled into town last night and we met at the local archery range I shoot at, that way he could check his equipment before he headed out on his hunt.  When he arrived he had a nice gift for Mikey (my son and co-host of Up North Journal).  He brought him a beautiful numbered and limited edition goose print.  Since he isn’t a waterfowler, he knew Mikey would love it.  He was right, Michael was floored and very greatful!  Then he proceeded to floor me!

     He told me he wasn’t done with his gifts.  He began to tell the story of his recent deployment to Iraq and how they recieved a package for their service for our country and defending it’s freedoms!  In this package was five things that he was supposed to give away to others he felt deserving for defending the great freedoms we all enjoy here in our great nation.  He then told me that even though I didn’t fight in combat, but he felt I along with my son and the Up North Journal crew fight and defend our freedoms through the podcast each and every week!  My jaw hit the floor!  I was speechless! 

     I do promote hunting, fishing and the great outdoors along with our second amendment rights!  But that is easy compared to what this man has done by giving of his life and time to defend our freedoms!  I want to thank John for his gift and more importantly thank him for his dedication and giving of his life and his time for defending our great nation and freedoms! 

     John is currently serving in the Minnesota Army National Guard and we here at the Up North Journal thank him and all of our servicemen and women for what they do along with all of those that have served our nation!

     If you see a serviceman or woman make sure and thank them for their service!  Once again thank you John for the great gift, I will treasure it forever!

     This last weekend I had the opportunity to share a special moment with a new friend while out hunting.  This veteran hunter never had the pleasure of hunting the elusive wild turkey here in Michigan.  After we had got to know each other after chatting on a web forum and then eventually meeting each other one afternoon, we began to plan an outing to try and get him his first bird. Read the rest of this entry »

                                                                                   What a wild week for the Up North Journal Team!  Turkey season is in full swing and I had the opportunity to guide a first time turkey hunter this weekend.  I managed to call in not one, not two, but four toms for him to choose from.  He took the double bearded tom out of the bunch!  We cover that story this week along with a nice interview with the Vice President of Whitetails Institute on the basics of food plots and what they can do for the health fo the deer herd.

Mikey covers the basics of a do it yourself turkey fan taxidermy job in this week’s Mikey’s Game Bag, then I cover a few of the new crossbows we recieved to kick off our crossbow review this spring.  Check out what else the Up North Journal crew has been up to this week by listening to this week’s installment of the Up North Jouranl podcast.

     The Up North Journal Team has officially kicked off our crossbow review for the 2009 season.  We recieved the new 2009 Excalibur Phoenix crossbow in yesterday’s deliveries.  I was excited to get things rolling when the box arrived so I tore into it not knowing what to expect. Read the rest of this entry »

     Another year has come and gone for the UNJ crew and we now embark on year number three!  This week we cover the newest hunter in the group here in Michigan with my youngest son celebrating his 10th birthday this weekend and recieving his first hunting rifle!  We then head to the shooting range to tear some targets with the kids.  I finally get to do some much anticipated ammo reloading in this week’s episode along with Mikey covering some of his fine taxidermy tips in Mikey’s Game Bag!  Be sure to check out this week’s show and listen in for the up coming week’s activities by going to our Podcast site for the free download or you can play it directly from the site.

    I finally got around to putting my new reloading equipment to good use.  This last week I made a trip to the local gun shop to pick up a set of shell holders for my Lee Quick Priming tool.  Today I got around to finishing up a full set of cartridges for my .40 caliber Beretta 9000S pistol.

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