Hunting season is in full swing now and we have already been in the field nonstop with friends, customers, and Pro Member Sweepstakes winners. I always enjoy these experiences with others more than getting to be the hunter myself. I remember my grandfather and great uncle telling me this exact thing when I was young and couldn’t get enough of being the hunter. I guess I’ve finally reached the pinnacle of my hunting career when I would rather see others be successful. Don’t get me wrong, I still love to be out there and have a tag in my pocket. I still love to fill the freezer with that all-natural meat, and most importantly, I love to sit around the fire and tell hunting stories of the past like my grandfather and great uncle did.
Things are much different now and those stories get told on social media more than they do around the campfire. Social media has changed our world and I’m not sure it is for the better. It definitely could be for the better, but we as a group need to be a little more aware of what we say and what we post. A trophy is in the eye of the beholder. For a young hunter, that might be a two-point buck or a cow elk. For someone coming out west for the first time, it might be just getting a chance to fill a cow elk tag. On the other end of the spectrum, you might have hit a point in your career that you aren’t willing to put your tag on anything except a Boone and Crockett quality animal. That is fine as well. We are all at different places in our hunting career, but the one thing that should be celebrated is that we are all out hunting and getting our groceries from nature. We are enjoying the great outdoors and experiencing Mother Nature unlike those who walk the concrete jungles day in and day out and never know what a brotherhood we have. Be happy for all of those who are sharing our passion as well as encourage them to keep going. Nobody really cares what that animal scores except maybe you and your close personal friends who were involved in the experience. If you don’t believe me, ask one of your social media followers how big the buck or bull was that you harvested two years ago. Most people won’t remember whatsoever. So, let’s celebrate that we have another fall in front of us and the ability to go do what we love. Invite a friend or someone who has never hunted to come along and enjoy the experience. The time spent in the mountains is unlike any other.
We just topped one million dollars in giveaways with the Sportsman’s News Pro Membership Sweepstakes. It was done with a Stone Sheep hunt giveaway which was in excess of $35,000 dollars and makes a major milestone for us here at Sportsman’s News. When we started this program 3 years ago, we weren’t sure that we would even have one member. I firmly believed if we offered some of the very best opportunities available and kept the chances affordable, we would be well received by the outdoor community. We have stayed very transparent and we video every one of the drawings. We have traveled with numerous winners and filmed their experiences and I’ve had the opportunity to become very good friends with many of our members. I’m proud to say that with all we have accomplished, we are definitely here to stay. We keep adding more and more prizes and we are currently doing a recruiting incentive that gives you an opportunity to win a Yamaha Wolverine X2. This is a $15,000 machine that is nothing short of spectacular. We have been utilizing it for the 2018 hunting season and we are going to get it a bit dirty over the next few months. However, one lucky winner will get to take this thing home come December 30th of this year. This is a special drawing for our members who refer a new member. For each new member you refer, you get one chance in the drawing for this great prize. As of my writing this article, there are 40 tickets currently in the drawing. There is no limit on the people you can refer to tip the odds in your favor. If you aren’t a member, you should sign up to get five tickets in a drawing every 10 days for the next 12 months for over $300,000 worth of trips, guns, and gear. Sign up at www.promembershipsweepstakes.com and refer your friends for a chance to win the Yamaha Viking X2.
