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John's Journal...
Entry 147,
Day 5
MIKE BEATTY'S BIG DEER
Bow Hunting -- A Family Affair
EDITOR'S
NOTE: Avid deer hunter Mike Beatty from Xena, Ohio, has been hunting
since he was 12-years-old. In the 2001 hunting season, he took the buck
of his lifetime -- a monster buck that scored 304 6/8 Boone and Crockett
points. This week, Beatty will tell us about his hunt of a lifetime and
share his passion for bow hunting whitetails and enjoying the outdoors
with family and friends.
QUESTION: Does your daughter hunt?
ANSWER: Yeah, she's been squirrel hunting with me a few times this
year. She's real petite, so it's hard to get her in the woods with me
in early fall because the brush gets so thick. But in the wintertime,
when it's not too cold, she goes out just as much as I do. I try to take
my children in the woods with me often because I want to raise them in
a hunting environment and in an outdoor atmosphere. I've also taken some
friends out hunting who've never hunted before. I put them in my lucky
spot, and if they get a deer, they often get hooked on hunting. Of course
the wives don't like their husbands' involvement in the sport as much
because of the expense. However, my wife wants to go hunting this year,
and she's taking a hunter's-safety course.
QUESTION:
What's your wife's name?
ANSWER: Toni. I can't wait to get her out there so she can experience
the thrill of hunting.
QUESTION: So, do you consider hunting a family
activity?
ANSWER: Yes, hunting is not about killing things, it's about getting
out in the woods and spending time with family and friends.
QUESTION:
What did your friends say about all of this? Were they jealous, or were
they happy for you?
ANSWER: They were happy for me. I tell everybody that I can't imagine
why taking this big deer happened to me, but it did. And I'm just trying
to make the best of it and do the best I can with it. When it stops being
fun, I'll stop doing it. If we make some money off of it, that's great.
If we don't, I've still had a lot of fun.
QUESTION: Have you enjoyed working with Mossy
Oak?
ANSWER: Working with Mossy Oak has been a blast. I can't say enough
about Lannie Wallace at Mossy Oak. He's helped me out a lot. Of course
he works for Darrell Daigre and Toxey Haas. Darrell has also helped me
a lot. He's actually the one who hooked me up with everything. Because
of my big deer, many of my friends have become Mossy Oak freaks back home.
When they see the videos and hear the stories of me going on hunts and
hanging out with these guys, they get hooked on Mossy Oak camo, too.
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