Hovey's Outdoor Adventures – Hovey Smith

New guns, clothes, knives, crossbows, outdoor-related services and some fun are presented from the 2013 Shot Show held at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas. More than 20 vendors are interviewed, 10 associated YouTube videos were shot and the show was described on both my Backyard Deer Hunting and Hovey’s Outdoor Adventures Radio Show blogs. What was new and … Read more about this episode...

Blunderbuss Swan Hunt Blunderbusses are strange guns and the people who enjoy shooting them are perhaps even stranger, including me. When I first saw one advertised in Sportsman’s Guide I knew that I would need to get it and wring it out. The .54 caliber gun was shot at outdoor writers’ conferences in Mississippi and Tennessee, hunted small game and … Read more about this episode...

The Year’s Adventures, 2012 2012’s adventures started with a bang with swan hunts on the year’s first two shows and ending with a reading of my original play “A Visit from Auntie Thresa Claus” on the Annual Christmas show. Twenty-three original shows were produced with two 1 1/2-hour shows and one 2-hour show. Events covered included the Shot Show, Atlanta … Read more about this episode...

Deer and hogs were hunted with blunderbuss and pistols in November and December on Georgia’s Ossabaw and Cumberland Islands. These regular management hunts are held by the State Dept. of Fish and Game and The National Park Service to help control these species and protect sea turtle eggs from being consumed by feral hogs. By making advance application to the … Read more about this episode...

This special edition features a reading of Hovey’s original Christmas play, “A Visit from Auntie Thresa Claus,” a cold Christmas at Copper Center, Alaska, making Southern cornbread dressing, recent activities and a sign-off from the Christmas Chipmunk. The uninterrupted reading of the play is sponsored by Velcro Wall, the leader in child suspension systems, who introduces the “Rent a Dungeon” … Read more about this episode...

Washington County’s annual Kaolin Festival provides the venue for Hovey to explain the origin of the universe and of the state’s kaolin clay deposits in 7 minutes, tell a new story about Watermelon Smith, the first black steamboat master in the pre-Civil War South; and present some of his hunting adventures with his often “strange” muzzleloading guns. The hunting stories … Read more about this episode...

Hunting experiences with ten crossbows from seven different makers are reviewed in an overview of modern crossbow used in Alaska, Eastern Canada, Idaho and Georgia where deer, black bear, hogs, gators and wild turkeys are taken. During the process of writing Crossbow Hunting and following the publication of the book, crossbows made by Barnett, Horton, TenPoint, Fred Bear, Parker, Stryker … Read more about this episode...

Hunting Tennessee Elephants and Rhinos In the hunting world the unexpected sometimes happens, as when I visited Johnson City, Tennessee, and found a museum at the Gray Fossil Site where shovel-tusked elephants, saber toothed tigers, rhinos and tapirs are being excavated from the remains of a sink hole pond. Blaine W. Schubert, PhD., graduate students from Eastern Tennessee State University, … Read more about this episode...

Wild hog hunting with Jager Pro using thermal imaging scopes and Colt AR rifles was the reason for visiting Terrell County, but hearty welcomes from the City Manager, Chamber of Commerce and others might convince some people to migrate to this quiet rural location. Terrell County is located in Southwest Georgia on higher ground drained by the Flint and Chattahoochee … Read more about this episode...

An audio exploration of Ashland City, Tennessee, reveals a city of 4,000 located only 20-miles from Nashville with abundant public hunting and fishing opportunities, industrial access by rail and the Cumberland River, interesting people, local hospitals, three sets of convenient public schools and inexpensive land prices. Interviews began with a lively discussion with sisters Rose Tidwell and Jenny McKnight over … Read more about this episode...

While most of us are just getting ready for deer season or perhaps doing some archery hunting, Larry Weishuhn has already made trips to Africa and Central Asia. On these hunts Weishuhn took eland, kudu, zebra, blue wildebeest, warthog and other animals in Namibia; but was not successful in Kyrgyzstan where he hunted ibex and Siberian roe deer near the … Read more about this episode...

Nashville, Music City USA, sings with the sounds of deer as the Quality Deer Management Association held its 12 Annual National Convention complete with seminars of deer management, an associated Bass Pro Land and Wildlife Expo., banquets, after-event fun and gun and hunt auctions. Featured on this special 90-minute broadcast are the association’s Founder, Joe Hamilton, its Board Chairman, Mark … Read more about this episode...

The Writer’s Life Many who think that outdoor writing is a potentially appealing profession or see themselves as stars in their own outdoor films, often fail to recognize the amount of work that goes into producing outdoor materials that are worth reading, hearing or viewing. Not only must there be a strong enough desire to carry through years of classroom … Read more about this episode...

Adverse events hit us all, and it seems like hot weather brings more than the usual number. Most recently this was illustrated by an episode of 70 mph. winds which brought down a 100-year-old pecan tree in my yard, a need to stand for a national professional examination in Geology and a lack of money caused by the dismal economy. … Read more about this episode...

Bill Booth has been associated with handguns nearly all of his life. He was exposed as a kid, then as a police officer and handgun instructor and most recently as a marketing agent for Smith & Wesson. For the past decade he was hunted with S&W handguns all over the world, including some of the African hunts discussed on this … Read more about this episode...

Interviews with attendees, knife makers and vendors from the 31st Annual International Blade Show in Atlanta, Georgia, dominate this show which also introduces a pay-as-I-go funding concept for Hovey’s Outdoor Adventures. Those interviewed included a couple who like and use knives, collectors, knife makers from those just starting out to professionals, a display case maker, a provider of survival foods … Read more about this episode...

Everything must start sometimes, somewhere, as so it was with the first episode of Hovey’s Outdoor Adventures which is being re-broadcast. After 18 months, starting with a weekly radio show and then reduced to two shows a month and a Kickstarter project that only reached 18 percent of its goal, it is time for me to decide where to go … Read more about this episode...

Electron Marketing Motivation opens the show which focuses on two new powerful muzzleloading pistols, the Traditions’ Vortek and CVA’s Optima, which were test fired by the author, and a Kickstarter Project that will enable the show to continue. Also featured are the nitride finishing of Cabela’s Buffalo muzzleloading revolver to give it a durable matt-black finish compared to the mirror-finish … Read more about this episode...

Although turkey hunting and a state outdoor writers’ convention were the initial reasons for visiting Unicoi State Park, unexpected events caused an expansion of interests to include trout raising, birding, local wines and a hike through gold-mining country.   North Georgia and nearby areas of the Carolinas were the site of North America’s first gold rush. The Spanish explorer, DeSoto, … Read more about this episode...

Derringer pistols figure prominently in this conclusion of the National Rifle Association’s 141st Annual Convention in St. Louis. Not only was Heizer’s new Double Tap .45 ACP-9mm double-barrel Derringer introduced, but a D. Pedersoli near-replica of the 1860s Lincoln Derringer is test fired. Highlighted exhibitors from the show include Olympic Arms with their reintroduced Whitney pistol, E. Author Brown’s new … Read more about this episode...

Guns and Presidents at 141st. NRA Annual Convention The great majority of U.S. presidents have been gun owners, hunters and shooters, starting with George Washington. Jefferson, for example, was reported as saying that some of his most relaxing moments was when he was walking in the woods with his gun. Washington reportedly sickened and died as a result of a … Read more about this episode...

Spring Hunting for Wild Hogs and Turkeys Once more into the breach Dear Friends as Hovey chainsaws his way into Williamson Swamp Creek for day and nighttime hunts for wild hogs and turkeys with a muzzleloading rifle, pistol and crossbow. Hovey’s new Great Nephew-in-Law, Great Niece and Great-Great Nieces are introduced to southern wild hog hunting during a front-porch Q-A … Read more about this episode...

The time between the close of deer and waterfowl seasons and the opening of turkey season is when sportsmen need to repair and store the gear they used during the Winter and get ready for turkey hunting and bowfishing. Hovey takes you through the process of cleaning and repairing some of his muzzleloading guns and provides details in a YouTube … Read more about this episode...

Since the 1700s there have been two aspects of snipe hunting. The most common is a made-up sport where youngsters hunt snipe in the woods at night with a burlap bag, flashlight and club. Guest Dottie Head and host Hovey Smith explore different aspects of a sport which leaves them both snipe-less and Hovey standing naked beneath an overpass on … Read more about this episode...

De’j`a Vu Vegas. Shot Show 2012. Part II Ext. In this extended 90 minute episode, Hovey interviews Shot Show exhibitors of knives, crossbows, guns, hunting accessories and outdoor personalities and concludes with a live-recorded cooking segment on making homemade salsa from easily available ingredients. Starting off with knives, Wenger introduces a new folding Swiss Army knife intended for hunters and … Read more about this episode...

De’j`a Vu Vegas. Shot Show 2012, Part I Once more North America’s largest outdoor show in Las Vegas proved to yield some surprises as I made the rounds through Range Day and tromped for four days looking at thousands of exhibitor’s booths at the 2012 Shot Show. Part I covers Range Day exhibitors and muzzleloading. Things got off with a … Read more about this episode...

Continuing the exploration of the swan hunting potential of North Carolina, Hovey visits Nags Head on the Outer Banks to duck hunt at Bodie Island on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. There he also finds swan, but having already taken his allotted bird he duck hunts from one of the public blinds. Drawing on a hunt that was taken two … Read more about this episode...

All About Swan Hunting: Part 1. Taking a bird the size of a swan with a single-shot muzzleloading shotgun is always a challenge, but Hovey found that these huge fowl also presented problems for cartridge-gun uses during a field shoot for swan near Lake Mattamuskeet, North Carolina. Hundreds of thousands of swan winter along the coasts of North Carolina and … Read more about this episode...

Re-aired on this show are a selection of ads from last year’s sponsors, including Velcro Wall, The leader in child suspension systems; Misty Mange, The hair care product that you and your pet can share; and SIN, Inc., The leader in synthetic foods. Each of these companies offer almost believable products to help the average person manage his life, live … Read more about this episode...

Backyard Hunting for Deer, Squirrels and Geese Concluding his hunts with percussion revolvers, Hovey takes an 8-point buck with a Ruger Old Army .44 and progresses to a one-day squirrel, deer and goose hunt with a muzzleloading pistol, rifle and shotgun. Although not a shot was fired during the multi-gun hunt, this event provided the opportunity to introduce two new … Read more about this episode...

Moncks Corner, the county seat of Berkeley County, South Carolina, is the gateway to unlimited fishing opportunities on lakes Marion and Moultrie and hunting opportunities in the Santee-Cooper Region. Located 30-miles from Charleston with abundant power, water and transportation resources, the county offers industry, individuals and retirees a variety of business, outdoor and cultural opportunities. An enthusiastic welcome is given … Read more about this episode...

Former Sargent Billy Deen and his 13-year-old son Hunter “Dead Eye” Deen participated on a Wounded Warrior deer hunt where Hunter harvested his first deer with a CVA Electra muzzleloading rifle. More veterans’ programs are discussed with Chris Chaffin of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Hovey was pleased to host returning veteran Sgt. Billy Deen and is son Hunter on … Read more about this episode...

The first EPIC Outdoor Game Fair was held by Safari Club International and Quail Unlimited at the Foxhall Resort near Atlanta. This event featured fine guns, sporting clothes, wines, outdoor activities and Alabama Black Belt quail balls. Sprawled over more than 1,000 acres, the first EPIC Game Fair sought to bring a European game fair experience to the U.S. by … Read more about this episode...

As more aging, rather than younger, hunters are taking to the woods this year, the accumulated pains of life can sometimes be reduced or eliminated by a single visit to a chiropractor, as occurred with me. An automobile accident a decade ago left me with the inability to turn my head to the left to look over my shoulder along … Read more about this episode...

President Obama’s Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force got what they asked for when I presented a plan for the 200-year restoration of the Mississippi Delta following the effects of the BP oil spill, Katrina and Rita. In a mash-up between traditional journalism, citizen advocacy and professional testimony, I broke the rules of traditional journalism by not only making a … Read more about this episode...

September is alligator season in many Southeastern states, providing one of the most Adrenalin-charged hunting experiences available to the North American hunter. These large predatory reptiles have primitive nervous systems that are impervious to pain, bone-crushing jaws, rib-cracking tails and gut-ripping claws. They are battled to the death at close range with the final blow delivered by a hand-held knife.… Read more about this episode...

Even though in the midst of sweltering mid-Summer heat, deer hunters are a’fixing to get ready to go deer hunting by attending local trade shows such as the Georgia Wildlife Federation’s Buckarama where there is something for every member of the family. Dad can see that the announced recovery of Knight Rifles, the company that popularized in-line rifles, is factual. … Read more about this episode...

Modern muzzleloading guns and new components have enabled the best of percussion revolvers to be considered as deer-hunting handguns for the first time, and BPI’s Dudley McGarity discusses the CVA Electra muzzleloading rifle which employed a novel electric ignition system. As much a discussion on marketing new products as about guns and components, Dudley McGarity the CEO of Black Powder … Read more about this episode...

Called “Mr. Whitetail” because of his encyclopedic knowledge of whitetailed deer management and hunting, Larry Weishuhn is also a life-long handgun hunter. Grab a cool one and listen as he and Hovey trace the evolution of cartridge and black-powder handgun hunting from the 1950s to the present. Besides being an extremely knowledgeable and widely experienced hunter, Weishuhn is one of … Read more about this episode...

C.J. Buck explains why the company relocated from southern California to Idaho as he conducts a tour of the new factory, and, in Part II, Hovey continues his interviews with knife makers at the 2011 Atlanta Blade Show and Cutlery Fair. After a precipitous fall in sales as an indirect result of the terrorist attacks on 9-11, Buck Knives faced … Read more about this episode...

Knives are a diverse set of objects, and the 900 exhibitors at the 30th. International Blade Show and Cutlery Exposition at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta certainly brought an assortment. On exhibit were knife collections from the distant and recent past, products from custom knife makers and new knives from from companies like Case, Buck, Puma and many others. This … Read more about this episode...

Journey to “The Jump” at land’s end in Southern Louisiana with Hovey and a group of journalists as they tour Jefferson and Plaquemines Parishes, sample seafood, visit nature preserves, fish and examine beaches for traces of last year’s oil spill. Each of the journalists applied their own perspectives to a historic area that has undergone five major disasters in as … Read more about this episode...

Sit in on the Backyard Business Conclave at the Road Kill Cafe as Professore Luigi “Bubba” Pasquale of the University of Padua returns home to Podunkville, U.S.A., and explains to the locals why and how they should start their own businesses in these tough economic times while they dine on fresh road-killed deer drug off I-20 and donated by Brother … Read more about this episode...

A historic and cultural tour of a rural Southern town is given during a walk around the Sandersville, Georgia, town square as Hovey Smith traces the town’s evolution from the 1790s to 2011 with comments on the events, people and things that shaped the community, including how to cook Southern fried chicken. Huge yellow pines, live oaks and cypress trees … Read more about this episode...

Opportunities abound for sportsmen in Bryan County, Georgia, located only 20 miles from Savannah. The featured town of Richmond Hill is between Ft. Steward, which offers some public hunting, and a State WMA. Off shore, Ossabaw Island has quota hunts for deer and wild hogs. Fresh or salt water fishing opportunities are available almost anywhere. Following the Civil War which … Read more about this episode...

A popular early show featuring a lady spear hunter, man-woman relationships, sex changes through life and an unexpected consequence from some nude photography is rebroadcasts while Hovey is receiving an award for this show. For an unusual hunting experience, listen for the ad from the Bare Butt Hunt Club of the Solitario. … Read more about this episode...

Even after using a charm from Beau and Lou-Ann’s Small Engine Exorcisms, Hovey’s first bowfishing trip degrades into a “bowfishing anyway I have to do it” experience. Much more successful was his investigation of making wines from Southern grapes and fruits at Courson’s Winery in the historic grape-growing region of Deveroux, Georgia. … Read more about this episode...

Bowfishing can put lots of good fish on the table. Hovey interviews Muzzy’s Mark Land to provide a complete view of the sport as both an individual and group activity. Click the following link to look at the equipment, supplier’s contacts and a recipe for carp salad: http://hovey’soutdooradventures.com. To buy Practical Bowfishing click on the book when it appears … Read more about this episode...

Hovey’s home town of Sandersville, Georgia, is featured with interviews with Rea Garrett, President of the Chamber of Commerce, Neil Pittman of the Country Buffet who talks hunting and cooking and with visiting Florida hunter Chris Holloway who tells about taking a trophy Washington County turkey. An ad this week is from Lonny’s Trains who puts turkey decoys on tracks.… Read more about this episode...

To provide turkey-hunting thrills and laughs, listen as Hovey tells how long-time Outdoor Life writer Charles Elliott bagged his first turkey and had his first drink, Thunderball Turkey, Catch and Release Turkey Hunting and Turkey Dance with Feathers, Chimes and Cannon. A new sponsor is Turkey Treads that lets you put down tracks just like a wild turkey. … Read more about this episode...

Starting with wake-up yawns and ending with an exciting climax, listeners to three days of Hovey’s Spring turkey hunts with a flintlock rifle and a 3000-year-old chip from an Indian’s arrow point. Cooking features turkey plucking and cleaning as well as cooking a Holiday bird. Sponsor Buy Cheap, Make Cheap, Sell Cheap, Inc., explains how to make and sell products, … Read more about this episode...