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Monster Raxx Deer Minerals with Tom Lester

January 6, 2012

I’m a deer hunter and manager, and you mostly likely are too. I’ve been a fan of Tom Lester’s Monster Raxx Company for a few months now, even though I cannot legally use some of their products here in the stupid great state of Illinois. As a marketing junkie, I appreciate companies that utilize the online space in a fashionable and positive way to interact with customers on a daily basis. MR does this, unquestionably.  Monster Raxx deer minerals and supplements I’m sure will help your herd in a time of need, just as well as any of the other big companies out there. Plus – they are family run and a heck of a lot of fun to interact with. Recently, I grabbed Tom Lester, President of Monster Raxx for a few questions about his family, his company, and turkey season! Next time you’re checking out minerals for deer give Monster Raxx a gander! Check Monter Raxx out on Facebook here.

OF – How did you get started in the deer attraction business? What is it like to mesh your passion for whitetails with your job? 

Tom – It all started when I decided to improve the deer on my hunting lease. I tried every mineral on the market, and did not find one that worked the way I wanted. So I started researching and experimenting to come up with a low salt mineral that would also attract deer. Five years later I came up with a mineral that was even better than I thought possible. I had no intention to sell it at first, but the results we saw after the first couple years were amazing, and my Dad and I started talking about selling Monster Raxx to other hunters. Getting a chance to work with something you truly love is incredible. I think about whitetails all of the time so it makes it easy to head to the shop.

OF - Many folks have undoubtedly found your products through your relationship with Bowhunting.Com and and their network of websites. What has this relationship meant for your business?

Tom - Working with Todd, Justin, and the rest of the Bowhunting.com staff has given Monster Raxx a greater presence in the internet hunting community. The other thing I liked was the credibility of being associated with Hunting Network. From the very beginning of our business relationship I noticed an increase in sales and website traffic.

 OF - What kind of new products do you have coming out in 2012?  Continue Reading →

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Big Buck Down for Cody Altizer @ Bowhunting.Com

January 4, 2012

Well, well, well. By now you may, or may not have heard that Mr. Cody Altizer got the job done on a dandy Virginia buck.

It was just any run of the mill deer either – Cody and his family had been following this buck for awhile. I got ahold of the young whipper snapper and got him to fill us in on the details!

From Cody:

Going into the 2011 hunting season, I was as ready as ever to arrow a big buck on my Virginia hunting property.  Going into the fall my food plots were flourishing and I was confident that come the rut, there would be shooter bucks chasing does like crazy through the funnels and pinch points leading from my food plots to known doe bedding areas.  I had worked hard during the offseason, and was prepared for my best hunting season to date.  I remained humble, but I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t confident in my chances at taking a big buck by mid-November.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other ideas, as she often does.  She force fed me a healthy dose of humble pie, starting opening day.  I one lunged a doe just two hours into my 2011 season.  It was a tough pill to swallow, but I had to keep moving forward.  I hunted mostly evenings throughout October, close to my food plots.  I had several good trail camera photos of a couple good bucks using my food plots at night, and I didn’t want to over hunt them, and pressure them off the property.  Slow and steady seemed like the right strategy, and it was a strategy I was comfortable adopting.

By the time November rolled around, I was ready to hunt rutting whitetail bucks.  Giant rubs and scrapes were popping up all around my food plots, so I knew it was just a matter of time.  Right on cue, however, Mother Nature kept me humble.  A full moon, high winds, warm temperatures and dumping rains brought rutting activity to a screeching halt.  In fact, this was the slowest rut I have ever experienced in my 22 years of hunting Virginia whitetails, but I kept hunting hard.

By the Thanksgiving Holiday, I was exhausted.  I had been hunting harder than ever, just trying to cross paths with a shooter buck.  I knew they were there, but the poor hunting conditions just had them moving exclusively at night.  All that changed on the morning of November 25th.  I was perched in my favorite stand on the entire property.  At 7:00 am, I spotted a good buck walking on a trail that would eventually take him right under my stand.  He stuck to that trail, and when he entered my shooting lane I stopped him with a soft grunt, and placed my cross hairs right behind his shoulder.  A short tracking revealed my trophy, a 127” 11 pointer than I had hundreds of trail camera pictures of after the 2010 season feeding in my food plots.  Sure enough, I caught him going back to his bed after feeding in the exact same food plot he enjoyed so much during the winter.  He was one of the bucks I was most excited about hunting this year, and after a lot of hard work, persistence and good fortunate, I was blessed with an opportunity to take him.  Big buck down, mission accomplished!  Bring on the late season!

To hear more from Cody – check out his blog at Bowhunting.Com
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Cody Altizer Interview Part Two – Bowhunting.Com

August 9, 2011

If you know anything about anything, you know that Cody Altizer knows what’s up. Cody is the Junior Editor for Bowhunting.Com, but honestly I think he dresses up at night and fights crime. Mr. Altizer has a fetish much like you and I, in that he loves whitetails, and thinks about them pretty much 365 days a year. Whether he’s snapping pictures, or working on his food plots, or writing articles, Cody does things with a flair and fun spirit that can’t help but be contagious. In Part One of our interview with Cody, he spoke about how he got his gig with Bowhunting.Com, and a little bit about his place out East. Well we cornered this shutterbug again, and this time he shared with us some of his thoughts on chest hair, the Bro Code, and Gator football.

 

OF – What are 3 things you’ve not yet photographed, that you wish to?

CA – I set out a goal this summer to photograph a lightning bolt, but I haven’t been able to get out during the right storm!  Every time I get set up during the storm I have only got flashes of lightning instead of a nice bolt. And every strong storm we have, I’m either working or away from my camera equipment.  Aside from a lightning bolt, I also want to photograph a bedded fawn at ground level and a bald eagle in flight inches above the water about to catch a fish.  I’ll get photos of both sooner rather than later.

OF – Best sports moment you’ve ever witnessed, on TV or in person.

CA – I am a huge Florida Gator football fan.  If I am not in a tree on a Saturday afternoon during the fall, then you can find me in front of the television watching the Gators play.  My favorite sports moment came when the Gators were playing Oklahoma for the 2008 National Championship.  During the first drive OU quarterback threw a deep ball to Manny Johnson and UF safety Major Wright came out of nowhere and drilled Johnson.  I am usually a pretty quiet and reserved person, but that hit threw me out of my seat and I started fist pumping and screaming like I have never seen before.  That hit set the tone and the Mighty Gators went on win their second National Championship in 4 years.

OF – What tips do you have for folks carrying their cameras too and from a tree stand?

CA – Be careful with them!  When I am in a treestand, my safety is my first priority, and then comes my camera’s safety.  I have too much money invested in camera equipment to be lackadaisical with them in the tree.  Also, have fun with them!  Whether you are filming or taking photos in the tree, shoot everything.  Nature has so much to offer the creative cameraman, and there is a cool shot to be taken every minute.

OF – Do you have any chest hair? Tell us about it. 

CA – I do not, thus I have nothing to tell. (OF Note: Perhaps the only flaw in this lad)

 

OF – Do you ever use other tools for photography and video besides a tripod and tree arm? Perhaps a slider, etc?

CA – Right now my equipment is pretty limited.  I will hopefully have added a slider to my arsenal before the opening day of bow season in Virginia (October 1st).  But right now, it’s just a camera, tripod and tree arm for me; pretty simply I know.  I do have a dolly that creates some smooth motion shots, but I can only use that on smooth surfaces (there aren’t too many of those in the deer woods!) so I only use that when I film basketball videos and indoor projects.  Adobe Photoshop Lightroom makes me look like much better photographer than I really am as well.

OF – What are your writing and photography goals with respect to the hunting industry?

CA – My biggest goal, and likely the most difficult to achieve, is to have a book published about something bowhunting.  What?  I don’t know yet.  But it WILL happen.  As far as photography goes, I want to get a lot better at wildlife photography.  That would require me splurging on some better lenses, but it’s another goal that I WILL achieve. Moving forward, I just hope to continue to contribute better articles and photos to Bowhunting.com and hopefully get a crack at contributing material to print publications.  Also, there’s that book..

OF – Who inspired you to write about whitetails and carry a camera along the way?

CA – Charles Alsheimer is my biggest inspiration when it comes to writing and photographing all things whitetail.  His wildlife photography is the best I have ever seen, and his shots of the hunter in the field as equally as gorgeous, as well as descriptive.  As far as general photography, landscapes, portraiture and wildlife, I find inspiration from Matt White and Dustin Lutt.  I stalk their websites and Facebook pages for hours just admiring their photos, and try to take some of their ideas and give them my own personality.  Those guys are extremely talented and I hope to one day be as skilled with a cameras as they are.

OF – How did you get to be so awesome..  At everything?

CA - The Bro-Code.  I’ll say no more, and simply suggest everyone read it assuming you are a guy of course.  It probably doesn’t work so well for the ladies!

OF – Which of the two do you feel is your strongest talent? Photography or Video?

CA – Right now, I feel as if I am a better writer than photographer.  I am so green when it comes to photography, there is just so much to learn.  I feel like there is no ceiling when it comes to learning photography; you can always add another dimension and learn something new.  Couple that with the fact that everyone looks at a photo differently, and there are no endless opportunities available behind the lens of a camera.  That being said, I am also always reading all kinds of material, not just hunting related, to better my writing skills.

OF – Do you limit yourself to just writing and shooting photos of all things whitetail, or are they passions outside of the bowhunting?

CA – When I first “started out” it was all things whitetail and bowhunting.  However, since I have gotten more confident in both, I am branching out and exploring other opportunities and projects with writing and photography.  I’m to the point now where I am confident enough with photography to actually shoot photos for people and try to make a little money along the way, so any opportunity or idea that comes my way I am all for.

OF – Most guys your age are more interested in starting their own tv show and becoming the next Michael Waddell, what about writing intrigues you?

CA – I’ve always been a non-conformist and never wanted to be or do what made another successful; I want to create my own success.  While most guys my age are busy creating hunting shows and submitting footage to the big names in the industry, I would rather write a quality article with quality photos that can help another harvest a deer, or at the very least shed some insight on bowhunting and make them enjoy it from an arena they never have before.  That gives me greater satisfaction than shooting a deer on film and wanting to be the next hunting rock star; that interests me very little right now.

OF – Tiffany, or Nicole?

CA – Nicole, easily.

Thanks Chief for your time! We’ll catch up with you again in Fall.

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Cody Altizer Interview – Bowhunting.com Junior Editor

June 28, 2011

Today, we have a special interview with Bowhunting.Com Junior Editor, Cody Altizer. He’s an outdoor freak who lives for bowhunting whitetails. Cody is an up-and-comer in the deer hunting community, and has a great appreciation and perspective when it comes to capturing the outdoors with camera equipment.

Personal

OF – You’re from Virginia. How was your hunting situation out there?

Cody Altizer – I am fortunate enough to have 260 acres that I am able to hunt whenever I feel like.  That’s a luxury that not many people enjoy so I am very thankful.  Bowhunting for whitetails in Virginia is a lot like bowhunting anywhere in the country.  You have to put your time in, work hard and get lucky!

OF – How did you get started with Bowhunting.Com?

Cody Altizer – The typical American Dream story!  I used to write for a small Virginia based hunting website and maintained my own blog a few years back.  I would share my articles and blog posts in the Bowhunting.com forums looking for feedback and constructive criticism on how to improve my writing.  Well, one day I got a message from Hunting Network Senior Editor Mike Willand, gauging my interest level for a new website Todd Graf was working on, Bowhunting.com.  I jumped at the opportunity, drove to Chicago last summer for the Get Together and before I knew it, was hard at working at the Bowhunting.com Office!

OF – I hear you recently moved down South. Was that because Justin Zarr kept making you feel uncomfortable with the constant winking? Or was it for more for media schooling?

Cody Altizer – Justin does a lot of things, and I learned more from him during my time up there than he knows, but you will never catch him winking at other guys!  But my move down South was based solely on two reasons, live with my brother for one final year before he gets married, and get my Business- Marketing degree.  So far it’s working out great!  Although, the deer in North Carolina are a lot smaller than Illinois!

OF – With the recent move, how has it changed your relationship and duties with Bowhunting.Com?

Cody Altizer – Before I moved back home from Chicago I was bumped up to the Junior Editor of Bowhunting.com, so I have been given more responsibility and duties that I can do from home.  I miss it like crazy up there though!  I learned so much from Todd and Justin about hunting, business, how to carry myself and how to be successful that I contemplate a move back up there all the time.  I am more than excited about what my future with Todd, Justin and Bowhunting.com!

OF – Because I facebook stalked you like a 14 year old girl, I can see that you’re not a stranger to the basketball gym. Tell us a little bit about that! When’d you play? Where? Favorite team? College hoops fan?

Cody Altizer – Basketball is just as big a part of my life as bowhunting, almost.  My dad and brother taught me the game and I played it at a very high level all the way through high school until the passion that is bowhunting for whitetails completely engulfed me.  My claim to fame in basketball is that I could (and still can, on a good day) do a 360 degree dunk- even though I am just 6 feet tall!  Pursuing a career in the hunting industry has proven to be the right decision, but I miss competing and the time away from the court.

OF – Favorite Flick?

Cody Altizer – The Dark Knight – One of film’s greatest tragedies is Heath Ledger’s death.

OF – Do you have a lady friend?

Cody Altizer – No lady friend for me right now, they are too much trouble and too expensive at my age!  I will tell you what though, Willie, when you find an attractive young woman that enjoys bowhunting, photography and video like I do, feel free to give her my contact info!

Deer Hunting

OF – How’s your deer season looking this upcoming Fall?

Cody Altizer – As of right now, it looks fantastic!  My food plots in Virginia are doing extraordinarily well, and I feel like they will pay off big time for me this fall.  The key to successfully bowhunting my property in Virginia is having a consistent food source throughout the fall, and for the first time ever, I think that will be the case this season.  My goal is to shoot a 3 year old buck before November 1st this year in Virginia, so I can’t wait until the season opens!  Other than that, I am going to be making a return trip to Illinois this fall and hunt and film for a week or so with Justin and Mike;  I am hoping to put down another Illinois buck and have a lot of doing it on that trip!

OF – Where did you hunt this past Fall, being new to the Land of Lincoln?

Cody Altizer – I was fortunate enough to hunt three different locations this past fall in Illinois.  I hunted in McHenry and Boone Counties outside of Chicago, and harvested a mature doe in McHenry County opening weekend on film.  But my favorite spot was hunting Justin’s lease in Pike and Brown Counties.  I shot my first buck with a bow on the Pike County side of his lease Halloween Weekend while filming myself!  I’ll never forget that trip! See Cody’s entire hunt on film, here.

OF – Do you hunt other game too, or are you just a whitetail junkie?

Cody Altizer – I live and breathe for whitetails!  Every Spring I say I am going to get into turkey hunting, and every Spring I spend more and more time working food plots and doing other habit management projects to help my whitetail hunting in the fall.  Sooner or later, I honestly believe I will get bit by the turkey hunting bug, but it’s all whitetails for me right now.

 

OF – What’s your favorite piece of hunting gear?

Cody Altizer – I would be lying if I told you I had a SINGLE favorite piece of hunting gear, because there are just too many products I rely on and trust.  That being said, I feel like my Mathews Z7 Xtreme equipped with an NAP Apache Arrow Rest and broadhead and a Lone Wolf Assault and Lone Wolf Climbing Sticks give me the best chance to be successful in the field.  Lone Wolf and NAP simply make products that make hunters more efficient and stealthy in the woods, and the new Z7 family of bows from Mathews is incredible.  You can’t go wrong with equipment.

Photography / Video

OF – Canon or Sony?

Cody Altizer – Canon for stills, Sony for video.

 

OF – What’s your favorite picture you’ve taken?

Cody Altizer – I have a handful of images that I am very proud of, but if I had to narrow it down to just one capture, it would be of a shot I got several years ago of some daffodils facing a wooden cross.  It’s a unique shot because when the sun sets, it sets behind the cross and the flowers face the cross at sunset.  I call the image “Even Nature Follows Christ.”

 

OF – What’s your current video and photo setup?

Cody Altizer – For photos, I shoot with a Canon 7D and 24-105mm f/4 L series Wide Angle lens- love that thing!  I actually use the 7D for the majority of my filming now as well, but when filming hunts I use a Canon HF S20 HD Camcorder with Azden shotgun mic and Audio-Techica wireless mics mounted to the Muddy Outdoor Tree Arm.

OF – How long have you been into photography and video?

Cody Altizer – I’ve loved photography and video ever since I can remember.  I just enjoy sharing with others the world how I see it.  The world looks different to all of us, and if I can share with others what I see every day and how I see it, then maybe I can impact others on a very unique level that’s possible only through photo and film.

Thanks so much Cody for taking the time to do this interview, and share with us a glimpse of what you’re all about. We look forward to catching up with you during the hunting season, best of luck!

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Justin Zarr – Bowhunting.Com Interview

June 13, 2011

Today, it is my pleasure to bring you one of the many incredible interviews that we have coming up. Justin Zarr is an irreplaceable part to The Hunting Network and Bowhunting.Com’s everyday team. Not only does Justin know how to put some big deer on the ground, he also seems like just a good dude who likes to have fun in the outdoors. Not to mention he can grow a heck of a mustache! We caught up with Justin and asked him some questions about his personal life, Bowhunting.Com, his upcoming season and The Hunting Network. Read on – pretty interesting stuff!

Personal

OF – First and foremost – tell us about your mustache, and when we can expect to see it again?

JZ - “Rodney” will be reappearing this November.  In fact – most of the Bowhunting.com Staff will be sporting mustaches in an effort to raise money for Children’s Memorial Hospital.

OF – As one of the many people who know you through Bowhunting.com and Huntingnet.com web forums – I know you’ve gotten married in the last couple of years. How has that been? Where did you mean this poor girl?

JZ – So far so good!  Somehow I conned my wife, Amy, into thinking that marrying me was a good idea.  She didn’t know what she was in for! We actually met back in late 2001 at the Cubby Bear – a bar in downtown Chicago.  5 years later we finally got around to dating and then got married in 2008.  My how the time flies.

OF – You work and help with Todd Graf – the king of The Hunting Network and some of the greatest hunting websites in the world. What have you learned from him, and how is your relationship? Do you suspect he jealous of your mustache? Continue Reading →

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