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Russell Graves - Believes whitetails shouldn't be photographed in the back of a truck with their tongue hanging out.
Location - Texas
Brian Strickland - Has 369,518 acres of land that you can hunt on. Call him at (555) 281-HUNT.
Location - Colorado
Tony Hansen - Is pretty confident Michigan will release at least 300,000 archers into the woods this fall.
Location - Michigan
Jake Fagan - He's really just here to hang out, so don't mind him.
Location - Georgia
Will Brantley - Loves hunting in a dorag because it makes him look Ramboish. Some may call it Little Man Syndrome.
Location - Tennessee
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Cool Outdoors Stars
So I just spent my weekend manning a booth for MidwestWhitetail.com at the Lansing Deer and Turkey Show in Lansing, MI. While there I had plenty of time to think about all kinds of crazy things and I also talked with a couple of outdoor personalities that I'd not met before.
Which got me thinking about something: There are a lot of really cool people in the hunting world. I'm a big fan of anything that involves hunting or fishing. And I've also been pretty lucky to meet a lot of the guys and gals that we see on TV or read about in the mags. So I thought I'd share my "normal dude" view of the world of outdoor stars. The cool thing is, even though I've been at places where these folks hang out, I'm pretty much a social imbecile. I'm just not real outgoing -- so I'm able to sit back and see how people really act when they're not on camera or in print. We all have our heroes, sometimes it's nice to know that our heroes are truly good people.
It might be more fun to talk about the people I've met that I haven't liked but that's not my bag. So here are some outdoor people I'm glad to have met -- in no particular order.
1. David Blanton: Okay, I can't really say that I've met Mr. Blanton. I've just been around (that's kind of what I do, I'm usually too nervous to talk to those guys) when he was conversing with others or just hanging around the Realtree booth at shows. And I can say, without hesitation, the guy is a normal, good guy. He's very pleasant with everyone and he has a great sense of humor. He's not outwardly funny per se, just a fun-loving person.
2. Michael Waddell: Again, Michael isn't someone that I know. I've met him briefly and he's been around groups that I was with. And, like Blanton, what you see is what you get. He's a super-fun guy that seems to genuinely care about the others around him. He's a great representative of the outdoors.
3. Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo: I probably butchered the spelling of their name but you know who I mean. Ralph and Vicki were both at the Lansing show and were always smiling and having a good time. We had the chance to talk for a few minutes and Ralph really showed a genuine interest in what I was doing and you could tell he wasn't faking. He's just a normal dude with an abnormal career. Liked them both a lot.
4. Gordon Whittington: Gordon Whittington is an editor with North American Whitetail. He's a terrific person. Very funny, cordial and as down-to-earth as a rock in the soil. He stopped by our booth at the show several times just to visit. Another winner.
5. Alex Rutledge: I did a story with Alex Rutledge like eight years ago. This is a true story. I talked with him on the phone -- once for about 20 minutes. Then last year, I ran into him at the SHOT Show and introduced myself. He was like "Hey Tony, How have you been? That story turn out alright for you? We need to hunt together up there." He remembered a story some no-name kid from Michigan and wrote almost a decade ago. And he wasn't putting on a show. He was genuine. I'm forever a fan.
6. Edwin Evers: Edwin Evers is a professional bass fisherman and one of the most laid back, normal guys around. I had the chance to ride in a boat with him for an hour or so for another story and it was like hanging out with one of your pals. He has tremendous talent but he was more interested in helping me learn something than he was in showing me how good he is. I'd fish with that guy any day.
7. Kevin VanDam: Kevin is another big-time bass fisherman. He's kind of the Elvis of fishing. He's tremendously talented and popular. Yet he is completely approachable and is a genuinely good person. I like that.
8. Jay Gregory: Jay is another guy that interviewed for a story and then ran into at a show. What struck me about Jay was that he really wanted to make sure that I didn't portray him as an expert because he "still had a lot to learn about deer." This coming from a guy that's killed dozens of giant whitetails. That's called humility and he wasn't faking. Another good one.
9. Ted Nugent: Okay, Ted has his issues. But I can say this, he's always been friendly to me and genuinely cares about what he believes in. I'd rather have a guy that's willing to stand on the frontlines and speak out than stand in the back and talk about what should be done. So Ted goes on the list -- plus I'm kind of afraid of leaving him off. Just kidding.
10. Mark Zona: Mark is the dude on ESPN that analyzes the BassMaster tournaments and hosts the World's Greatest Fishing Show. Mark is absolutely as funny, crazy and personable as he acts on TV. He's not acting -- the dude is crazy. He's also a great family guy and always takes time for people.
There you have it: 10 people in the outdoors that you can have your kids look up to. And that's pretty cool.
Tony Hansen, Michigan Man
Which got me thinking about something: There are a lot of really cool people in the hunting world. I'm a big fan of anything that involves hunting or fishing. And I've also been pretty lucky to meet a lot of the guys and gals that we see on TV or read about in the mags. So I thought I'd share my "normal dude" view of the world of outdoor stars. The cool thing is, even though I've been at places where these folks hang out, I'm pretty much a social imbecile. I'm just not real outgoing -- so I'm able to sit back and see how people really act when they're not on camera or in print. We all have our heroes, sometimes it's nice to know that our heroes are truly good people.
It might be more fun to talk about the people I've met that I haven't liked but that's not my bag. So here are some outdoor people I'm glad to have met -- in no particular order.
1. David Blanton: Okay, I can't really say that I've met Mr. Blanton. I've just been around (that's kind of what I do, I'm usually too nervous to talk to those guys) when he was conversing with others or just hanging around the Realtree booth at shows. And I can say, without hesitation, the guy is a normal, good guy. He's very pleasant with everyone and he has a great sense of humor. He's not outwardly funny per se, just a fun-loving person.
2. Michael Waddell: Again, Michael isn't someone that I know. I've met him briefly and he's been around groups that I was with. And, like Blanton, what you see is what you get. He's a super-fun guy that seems to genuinely care about the others around him. He's a great representative of the outdoors.
3. Ralph and Vicki Cianciarulo: I probably butchered the spelling of their name but you know who I mean. Ralph and Vicki were both at the Lansing show and were always smiling and having a good time. We had the chance to talk for a few minutes and Ralph really showed a genuine interest in what I was doing and you could tell he wasn't faking. He's just a normal dude with an abnormal career. Liked them both a lot.
4. Gordon Whittington: Gordon Whittington is an editor with North American Whitetail. He's a terrific person. Very funny, cordial and as down-to-earth as a rock in the soil. He stopped by our booth at the show several times just to visit. Another winner.
5. Alex Rutledge: I did a story with Alex Rutledge like eight years ago. This is a true story. I talked with him on the phone -- once for about 20 minutes. Then last year, I ran into him at the SHOT Show and introduced myself. He was like "Hey Tony, How have you been? That story turn out alright for you? We need to hunt together up there." He remembered a story some no-name kid from Michigan and wrote almost a decade ago. And he wasn't putting on a show. He was genuine. I'm forever a fan.
6. Edwin Evers: Edwin Evers is a professional bass fisherman and one of the most laid back, normal guys around. I had the chance to ride in a boat with him for an hour or so for another story and it was like hanging out with one of your pals. He has tremendous talent but he was more interested in helping me learn something than he was in showing me how good he is. I'd fish with that guy any day.
7. Kevin VanDam: Kevin is another big-time bass fisherman. He's kind of the Elvis of fishing. He's tremendously talented and popular. Yet he is completely approachable and is a genuinely good person. I like that.
8. Jay Gregory: Jay is another guy that interviewed for a story and then ran into at a show. What struck me about Jay was that he really wanted to make sure that I didn't portray him as an expert because he "still had a lot to learn about deer." This coming from a guy that's killed dozens of giant whitetails. That's called humility and he wasn't faking. Another good one.
9. Ted Nugent: Okay, Ted has his issues. But I can say this, he's always been friendly to me and genuinely cares about what he believes in. I'd rather have a guy that's willing to stand on the frontlines and speak out than stand in the back and talk about what should be done. So Ted goes on the list -- plus I'm kind of afraid of leaving him off. Just kidding.
10. Mark Zona: Mark is the dude on ESPN that analyzes the BassMaster tournaments and hosts the World's Greatest Fishing Show. Mark is absolutely as funny, crazy and personable as he acts on TV. He's not acting -- the dude is crazy. He's also a great family guy and always takes time for people.
There you have it: 10 people in the outdoors that you can have your kids look up to. And that's pretty cool.
Tony Hansen, Michigan Man
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