Recently, I had a chance to lay my hands on some of the finest gunsmithing that I have seen. Hand-checkering that would make any amateur cabinetmaker weep. Bluing and machining the likes of which people usually can only read about. Stocks crafted from fine Turkish Walnut. I watched masters at work, and spoke at length with a man who is passionate about what he does. I wasn’t at that fancy room at Bass Pro Shops, the one that holds the $40,000 elephant guns. I wasn’t in a den somewhere in the English countryside, puffing on a pipe and sipping a glass of after-dinner Port. It may surprise you that I was in an obscure little shop in a small industrial park in Tempe.

I was there for another purpose, mostly though - I was there with Hunt of a Lifetime - the Arizona Chapter. Arizona Custom Rifles owner Terry Mushrush was presenting HOAL Arizona Ambassador Terry Petko with a beautiful hand-built custom rifle. This rifle was meant to be used by kids who enrolled in the HOAL program and is designed in such a way that it can be shot from the shoulder like a conventional rifle, or mounted on a wheelchair.

Arizona Custom Rifles performs a lot of different services, including a couple of real neat ones which I will review in future posts. Custom rifles, however, form the core of their business. ACR has been in their Tempe location since 2006. Terry Mushrush and his partner Jeremiah Bass believed that there was a niche market in Arizona for hand-crafted custom rifles, and a general demand for quality gunsmithing. Both men have graduated from the Gunsmithing School at Yavapai College, located in Prescott.

Currently they have 4 employees. Diversification has helped keep them busy, when the economy started slowing down. I’ll be making another post about Terry and his crew next week. I’ll talk more about what they do, and how they do it. I’ll discuss their line of services as well. I have a lot to talk about - heck, I may have to make 2 more posts!

In the meantime, visit their site and have a look around: Arizona Custom Rifles. I think you’ll be impressed to discover that we have such a facility here in Arizona. You’ll be even more impressed when you see some of what they do!

I took a minute to touch base with my friend Denny Corriveau, the WildCheff the other day. Wow! Denny’s business is going wild!

Here’s what Denny had to say, when I asked him what was new:

Marshall….lots going on….

I was approached by the Editor of Ruffed Grouse Society as she wants to feature me and a couple of my recipes using my spice blends in their Fall magazine edition was also approached to do a co-authored piece for the NH Fish & Game featured in their Fall magazine about game butchering and game preparation

I also was just asked to do a couple of events in Maine:

1) Wild Game Cooking clinic, cooking demos and a book signing this October for Kittery Trading Post’s Hunters Gear up Weekend…and

2) Also asked to be a judge and do a wild game cooking demo at a wild game cook-off for the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine (both are listed on my website)

I also am going to be part of the POMA Speaker’s Bureau which will be launched at the Annual meeting (people will be able to hire me for speaking engagements)
Mossy Oak has asked me to write cooking columns for them quarterly in their Mossy Oak Hunting the Country and Farming Wildlife magazines
Northwoods Sporting Journal will be featuring “Cooking Tips” from me in their monthly magazine
I just did a radio interview with Jim Ferguson (Great American Outdoor Trails) which will be Podcast and I believe on his internet site
I also have 4 new Spice Blends that I have added to my line-up (they are only offered in a sample size currently - I also offer a sample pack now so people can try a smaller quantity to find their favorites/people can find it in my Product Catalog section of my website) The 4 new Blends are:
WildCheff Lemon/Pepper (awesome for fresh or salt water fish, making Picatta or any lemon pepperecipes)
WildCheff Sesame/Ginger (great for wild game stir-fry or coating fresh tuna or salmon steaks, as well as honey - sesame chicken, etc)
WildCheff Jalapeno Flakes (awesome air-dried jalapenos to season any Tex/Mex recipe)
WildCheff Chipotle Flakes (incredible smoked jalapenos that add a tremendous smokey heat to Southwestern and Tex/Mex dishes)
I will be doing some filming soon for a couple DVD’s that I will be producing….

Never a dull moment and much momentum happening….cookbook will be published soon.

Keep in touch.

Bon appetite,

Denny Corriveau
President/Master Game Chef
Mossy Oak National Pro-Staff Game Chef
WildCheff Enterprises, LLC
Amesbury, MA /Sebago Lake, ME
978-388-8868
denny@wildcheff.com
http://www.wildcheff.com/
“We’re Game if You Are!”

Denny also let me in on something very big that is brewing with Mossy Oak - more to follow on that!

I truly want to thank Scott Mackie, the President/CEO of Crimson Talon for taking some time to answer my questions.

1) How long have you been in the broadhead business?
We started experimenting with new designs in 1999. We officially went to market in 2003.

2) What made you decide to take the plunge?
Being a life-long bowhunter, I would have to buy several different brands of broadheads prior to each archery season opener. Then I would experiment with each trying to find three individual heads that would fly straight out of my set-up. It got to be both expensive, as well as frustrating. Every year bows got faster; making huge leaps in technology and performance. However, broadheads remained the same. As speeds annually increased, it became harder to find a broadhead that didn’t wind-plane.
I had an engineering acquaintance that worked for NASA. We spoke at length about the problem of inaccurate flight. Being in the aeronautics industry, it was readily apparent to him that the flat blades on broadheads were incapable of “flying” accurately. He said, “after all, how many airplanes have you ever seen that fly with flat wings?” It made sense.
After several rounds of prototyping, we came up with our first Crimson Talon. That design has undergone several revisions. As with any start-up company, you make some mistakes along the way. We have now, in my opinion, the toughest, most accurate and deadliest broadhead on the market.

3) Can you talk a little about your manufacturing process?
For the first few years, we manufactured everything in the US. However, with the cost of doing business in the US escalating exponentially, we found it necessary to outsource some of our components. Currently we have parts shipped to our manufacturing facility in Maryland, where we hand assemble and package of entire product line.
We have a 6,000 square feet facility and employ four full-time and sometimes as many as 6 part time employees.

4) The broadhead business seems very competitive - talk about the challenges involved.
See #6.

5) Is it hard to keep coming up with fresh new concepts, or do you just concentrate on perfecting what you already do well?
See #6.

6) Broadhead debates seem a lot like “Chevy/Ford/Dodge” arguments - how much marketing effort is spent trying to win “converts”? What other marketing strategies do you employ?
The broadhead industry is very competitive. There aren’t that many bowhunters (last projection around 3 million) and there are numerous companies making broadheads. As you mentioned, it is also a very brand loyal customer base.
So we have spent a considerable amount of time and money trying to convince bowhunters to give our products a try (“convert” as you put it). I think the biggest driver, the one that has more and more hunters trying our products, is the patented technology that sets us apart from all other broadheads.
It is simply impossible to defy the laws of physics. Physics dictate that a flat surface (broadhead blades) cannot “fly” as they have no aerodynamic properties. Our blades all have airfoils built into them. It’s these airfoils that when shoot, impart rapid high-speed rotation on the arrow shaft - “spin-stabilization.”
It’s like a spinning top. No matter what you do to it while it is spinning, it corrects itself. Another huge advantage to our airfoils is they cause the broadhead to screw through the animal, much like a drywall screw. This screwing action results in literally a round hole. This is a wound that cannot close or clot. It is hands-down the most lethal in the hunting industry.
Flat blades make small incisions that immediately close back up. This leads to poor blood trails, and in many cases, lost animals.

7) Do you hunt? Bowhunt only? Preferred game? Preferred head? Fixed or mechanical?
I have been an avid bowhunter for almost thirty years now. In fact, I rarely hunt with a firearm any more. My favorite species is hands down whitetail. I personally use our Crimson Talon XT (our most popular head). I have harvested so many animals with it, it’s hard for me to switch.

8 ) Some of my readers may never have heard of your company - what would you want them to know?
See #6.

9) How is business? Steady? Growing? Exploding? Most popular head?
Business continues to grow each and every year. There were many bowhunters who were very skeptical of our claims. After all, we profess to cure all the ills of traditional flat-bladed broadheads. It’s hard for some out there to believe the hype.
After all, every broadhead manufacturer claims that their heads “fly like a field point.” Anyone who has ever shot a bow knows this simply isn’t true. Once they give us a try, we get piles of e-mails and pictures from hunters that are overwhelmed by the performance of our products.

10) Anything else you’d like to add?
Crossbows are quickly gaining acceptance as an “archery season” weapon. We build our Crimson Talon Hyper-Speed XT for crossbows and ultra-fast compounds. They have eleven aggressive airfoils that impart a tremendous amount of spin-stabilization. They have been tested to 500 feet per second.

There is all kinds of information on the website - I suggest you stop by and visit today!

I have been corresponding online with Kirk Blaske, the owner of Performance Hunter - a supplement designed to improve your eyesight. Kirk was kind enough to send me a bottle to try, so no report yet, as I have just started. I will be sure and keep you posted. Anyway, Kirk’s product looked interesting, and his enthusiasm piqued my interest. I offered to do an interview.

1) How’s business? Talk about your growth plan.

Well Marshall after our first year I would say that business is good. This is a new company and a new product and we have just celebrated our first anniversary. In recent months, I do think that the overall state of the economy and rising fuel prices have hurt us. I think many of us (myself included) are cutting costs and saving money where we can. I am optimistic that things will increase by the end of the summer as we near the election and we get closer to hunting season. This past year we have primarily concentrated on internet sales and getting the name out there at trade shows. Now that we have a good internet base, we are shifting some of our focus to small local distributors to get the product out there in the local gun, hunting and archery shops. We have developed a small counter top display for these retailers and seeing some great initial results. We are also currently actively seeking local distributors across the nation. Once we have established the product in the smaller markets we are planning to target some of the larger retailers. This is a small company and we are being careful to take it step by step and not do too much at one time. If any of your readers are interested in becoming a local distributor, I would be interested in talking to them. I have found it is a great way to develop relationships with my local retailers that I always end up spending a lot of my money with as well as put a little money in your pocket.

2) How do you maintain Quality Control?

Our quality control is maintained through our Manufacture in Utah. Each bottle is stamped with a specific lot number. Once we designed the product we really did our research and shopped around for the best company to produce our product. I am proud to say that is 100% American made.

3) Care to address the skeptics?

In anything you do, you always find many skeptics. I will be 40 years old in less than a month, and I am like any other hard working American out there who loves the outdoors. About 2 years ago two things happened in my life that brought me to research and develop this product. The first is that my Mother in law, at age 66 was diagnosed with Macular Degeneration. Secondly, I myself began having to move things farther away to read them as I aged. This is a condition known as Presbyopia and it eventually happens to all of us somewhere around the age of 40. I had always prided myself on having excellent vision and I was really bothered by this. For me it happened just before my 38th birthday. I guess what they say is sometimes true; “necessity breeds success”. Anyone can benefit from this product, but as an avid outdoorsman, I choose to first focus on my fellow shooters, hunters and archers. So, to any skeptic I always say “give me three weeks to make a difference”. We cannot control the aging of our eyes, but we can certainly give them the best nutrition possible. Most of our diets do not contain enough Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which are vital anti-oxidants that protect macular tissue in the eyes. Lutein and Zeaxanthin are the only two anti-oxidants that the macula can actually reabsorb. This leads to increased focus, clarity and overall visual quality. These nutrients are found in our everyday diets, however one would have to eat 2 large bowls of raw spinach each day to get the amount needed for healthy eyes. Other benefits are faster visual reflexes, and increased night vision. I have personally found that I am able to say on the stand 15 minutes longer at dusk, and we all know how valuable this time is.

4) What do you say to 30- and 40-somethings that claim their vision is “fine”? Are their preventive qualities to your supplement?

I am right there with you on this one. It seems like there is a “pill” for everything out there today! Eventually everyone will experience these symptoms, it is a simple part of aging. I, however value my keen vision that I have had for years and want to hold on to it for as long as I can. In addition to the immediate effects of the product, it also takes great strides in preventing Macular degeneration. As we age, and our exposure to the sun increases, our fragile macular cells can be damaged and lead to both Macular Degeneration and Cataracts. By taking this product, you help to keep your eyes in a healthier state as we age. Statistics say that AMD (age related Macular Degeneration) affects more than 1.75 million individuals in the United States. Owing to the rapid aging of the US population, this number will increase to almost 3 million by the year 2020.

5) Any plans to add products, or are you going to stick with what you have?

At this point Performance Hunter has plans for one additional supplement, a sub-lingual spray or liquid involving increased energy and the B complex vitamins. The B complex vitamins have a poor absorption rate when taken in the pill form. Many individuals see great results and peaks in energy when taken this way.

6) Talk about some of the challenges involved in producing and distributing a product such as this.

Initially there were many challenges in developing this product. While being in the Medical field myself, I have a good knowledge base of nutrition and chemistry, but we worked very hard to find just right company and Chemist to further develop this cutting edge product. In addition to the ensuring the greatest quality out there, we also worked very hard to make it affordable to the average individual. We are very proud of the recipe and combinations that we developed. There were certainly other opportunities to manufacture this product outside the country, but ensuring the quality of the product was vital to us. Distribution has been probably the easiest part of it all. The product is small and compact and ships very well. The product stores well and has a lengthy expiration date.

Please stop by Kirk’s site. Check out his Testimonials. If you have any questions, he is very accommodating and responsive; no BS. With the money we hunters spend on optics, it makes sense to start with the optics we were born with.

OK, some miscellaneous notes….

I spoke with Brenda quite awhile back - late August actually. I had it in my head that I was going to post some other interviews first; unfortunately life got in the way. Finally, I got this posted. I’ll get back to the other interviews in the coming weeks.

I don’t get “starstruck” very easily. When I spoke with Brenda, I was stammering like a schoolboy, and nervous as heck. I don’t know if it was because she is one of the most recognizable hunting celebrities out there, or because she’s pretty as all get out. It may be because she can hunt circles around me. That cool southern accent definitely had something to do with it. All in all, I loved talking with her, and she really is down to earth, funny, and intelligent as well. I hope to meet her face-to-face one of these days.

After some scheduling via e-mail, I finally had a chance to speak with Brenda one morning (via telephone). She was in her Puryear, Tennessee office. After some pleasantries were exchanged, the interview began.

1) First, I asked Brenda “How did you get here?”

Brenda told me that she “couldn’t take much credit” for where she is today. She said that her success was a product of some luck, and good timing. She told me that she thought the hunting industry was ready to allow a lady hunter into the industry, and that she offered genuine credibility. Brenda was busy in the late 80s and early 90s shooting archery - IBO tournaments and 3D matches in her town. She was doing well, and as Brenda put it “Word got around”. The PSE rep bumped into her at some point - eventually he paid her a visit and offered her a sponsorship. Up until now, Brenda had never been out of Tennessee. The following year, PSE approached her and asked her to join a National Team. In 1991 she was a part of a 3-lady team that one the National Title. Shortly after that the VP of PSE called her to let her know about Browning. In 1995, representing Browning, Brenda was sent to an event at Bass Pro Shops. There she ran into Bill Jordan of Realtree, who offered her a job, on the spot. Brenda’s popularity continued to snowball. Today, she is a writer, TV personality, photographer, videographer, seminar speaker, and more.

2) I asked Brenda of all her career areas (writing, tv, radio, seminar speaker, etc.) - What did she enjoy doing, the most?

Brenda replied “I like them all - because there is a mixture, you don’t get so burnt out. I do like seminars - I get to meet a lot of people.”

3) “Being a country girl, how have you adjusted to all of the fame?”

“Nothing has changed. I still gain friends and fans, one at a time. I try to personally answer every phone call, and every e-mail. I still hoe my tomatoes. I still clean my stalls. I still plant food plots. I mow the yard. I live pretty simply.”

4) Next I asked her “Can you ever just “go hunting”?

Brenda told me that it’s hard. For example from the 1st of September until mid-January, she was going on thirteen different big game hunts. She did tell me that she had just recently gone squirrel hunting with her grandson. Her husband did take the video camera along, but it was mostly for fun and her grandson had a great time.

5) I asked Brenda if she prefers hunting with her bow, her rifle, or her muzzleloader.

“Mostly, I prefer bowhunting. But TV shows require hunting in a variety of seasons, so I have to use them all. I probably like shotguns the least.”

6) What is your favorite animal to hunt?

“Whitetail deer”, Brenda replied without hesitation. “Day in, day out - nothing matches the challenge of hunting whitetails.”

7) I was curious about what Brenda thought was her most memorable hunt.

“Oooh - I’ve had a lot of memorable hunts. One of my most memorable was hunting bear and mountain lions in Northern Idaho, with hounds. I think that this is one of the toughest hunts in North America. I did a 16-day horseback huntin Alaska that was real cool. Once I went on a 7-day float trip in Northern Alberta - that was a real adventure!”

8 ) “Any hunts that you haven’t been on yet, that you want to do?”

“I haven’t hunted big coastal grizzlies yet. I’m not usually interested in the goats and sheep, but I have a Dall tag in Alaska next week. That will be a first. I love Africa - you never know what is going to show up. I’d like to hunt elk in Arizona, and mountain lion, too.” I asked her if she’s hunted Coues deer yet. “Nope, not yet - they’re little!” Brenda teased me about Arizona and how “stingy” we are with tags. That treatment isn’t exclusive to non-residents, I assured her.

9) I have always been intrigued by sponsorships. “Are sponsorships something you work at? Or do they come to you? Tell me a little about sponsorships..”

“I learned early on that in order to be successful, I needed to set criteria for the relationship between me and the companies. First - I need to really believe in the the product. If you don’t believe in it, it will be hard to promote it. The public will sense it too. That doesn’t do you or the company making the product any favors. Second - the people who own the company have to be good, decent people. Most of the time this has worked, and I have ended up staying with companies for years.

10) “So, what’s left in your career? What next?”

“Hmm - I don’t know, there’s a lot left to do. The direction in which I am leaning is promoting the lifestyle and industry. I’m trying to impress on people just how fragile things are. The antis are chipping away at us.” I commented to Ms. Valentine how I bristled when I saw hunters putting down other hunters - hunters against baiting, crossbows, inline blackpowder rifles, etc. “I agree”, she said. “Hunters are notorious for division. Everyone who is against us counts on that. Keep separating us, and attack what is left.”
“I love getting kids involved”, she continued. “I think it is important for hunters to stay aware of legislation. They need to research political candidates. We need to preserve our heritage and continue passing it down to future generations. I think hunting is valuable in that it provides a sense of normalcy to the world; hunting is the right thing, it is inborne in people. Hunters are active in preserving wildlife. I’m going to continue to work on projects that raise money for habitat conservation.”

11) “Does it ever feel like work?”

“Sure, but not the hunting part. I’m tired of airports. I have days where I’m tired of sitting out somewhere, in a wall tent in the rain. I get tired of packing and unpacking. Once I’m back out in the field though - on a stalk or in a treestand waiting for that big buck - I’m doing something I love.”

12) I asked how her book was doing.

“Well, it’s been out for a couple of years, and it is doing fairly well. I haven’t had much time to promote it though. It still sells out at sports shows. I wrote it mostly for my own self-satisfaction, but it is still nice to see it doing well.”

Brenda has a great website set up here. She has a ton of interesting stuff there. You can order her book here. I hope to be able to post a review in the future. I have 2 missions now - to get Brenda Valentine here on a Coues hunt, and to get her to sign a copy of her book for me, next time she’s in town!

What a classy lady, and I truly appreciate the opportunity to have spoken with her. I wish her all the best!

The day started out at 6:00 AM. I met Unit 37B Wildlife Manager Ben Brochu at the junction of Highway 79 and 96 Ranch Rd. After introductions I threw my pack into the back of his truck, hopped into the front, and away we went.
I had contacted Ben after he made some posts on CWT.com regarding some upcoming water projects. My intentions were twofold: I wanted to publicize his water projects; and I wanted to learn more about the Unit where I spend so much of my time.
Ben replied and said he would gladly let me ride along for a day. After some e-mail tag, we finally settled on the morning of Sunday the 12th.
Ben had asked if there was anything in particular that I wanted to do. I let him know that I was mostly interested in javelina and mulies, but I was also interested in learning about the Unit, period. He asked what I thought about going to the 96 Hills area, and doing some glassing; he knew of at least a couple of herds of pigs in that area. While we were there, he said, he could show me some proposed sites for water projects. As we bounced along 96 Ranch Rd., Ben told me that he has been with the Department for five years, starting out as a Dispatcher. He has a Degree in Wildlife Ecology from the U of A, and had been working this particular Unit since November. I asked if he did many ride-alongs, and he said that he did a fair amount of them, and that usually – they were hunters.

Next we moved on to the topic of challenges facing the game population in the Unit. Without hesitation, Ben said “The drought”. “Certainly”, Ben added, “habitat encroachment is a factor, as is predation. The biggest single impacting factor right now, though – is the drought”. He stated that javelina populations are stable, and that mule deer populations were stable as well – and possibly slightly increasing. I asked if there were any Coues in the Unit, and Ben told me that there was indeed a few Coues. He went on to say that many of the Wildlife Managers were surprised at the Coues’ population’s ability to adapt to the drought. Most had assumed that the mulies would handle the drought conditions more efficiently. Instead, it has been the Coues that adapted more readily. As we wound our way through the desert, conversation came easy, and one wouldn’t know that we had only met that morning. We came up to a range of hills, and Ben said “I thought we’d go up on that hill and glass for pigs for awhile.”, as he parked the truck. Curiously, I saw no “hill” nearby, but there was a significantly steep “mini-mountain” looming in front of us. “Surely he didn’t mean that one”, I thought to myself. He did mean that one though, and off we went. Ben obviously forgot that half of us were fat and worked in an office, as he went straight up the hill at a near-trot. I cycled my stubby legs as fast as I could, to no avail. Several minutes after Ben had disappeared over the crest, I was reaching the ¾ mark. Once the beating of my heart had reached a level of force sufficient to keep popping the caps off of the binos that were strapped to my chest, I figured I had gone far enough. I didn’t think my Game Warden friend wanted to add “heart-attack victim rescuer” to his resume. I dumped my pack, rummaged around for a bottle of water, and got my tripod set up. 10 minutes later, I jumped up after discovering the hard way that I had set up on top of an ants’ nest. Approximately 20 minutes after getting re-situated, I spotted what I thought was a mule deer in my field of view. I decided that it wasn’t a buck, as it was motionless the entire time I was peering at it, through my 12×50 binos. Eventually Ben wandered down the hill towards me. He remarked that he had seen a desert tortoise up on the top, but was unsuccessful in his glassing efforts as well. As we made our way down to the truck, Ben told me how surprisingly interesting the history of the area was. Miners and settlers, Indians and ranchers – these desert flats and mountain ranges were rich in history.

Ben pointed out an area near the truck that was tentatively slated for a water project. Building a water catchment is so much more than picking a spot and digging a hole. Typically, the “paperwork” side of the project takes roughly two years. Permission from the entity holding the land has to be obtained. Environmental impacts have to be considered and documented. Funds have to be budgeted, materials purchased and manpower lined up. All that before a shovel hits the dirt. There are typically two “types” of waterholes being built. The first utilizes an apron to catch the rainwater and funnel it into an underground tank. The other uses a system of small natural and/or concrete “dams” to divert runoff from a whole network of drainages. Imagine a bunch of gullies and small washes all being unobtrusively altered in order to “steer” runoff towards a tank. This system can be very efficient – rainfall of less than half of an inch can fill a huge tank (i.e. 10,000 gallons). Both of these types have no moving parts to break; the storage tanks are underground, and they are built in such a way to have as minimum an impact as possible on the surrounding desert. These tanks are typically built with assistance of local groups such as the Arizona Deer Association, the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, and the Arizona Elk Society. Ben is currently mounting a campaign whereby companies can donate a backhoe and operator for a day. This almost cuts the cost of a new water tank in half – ultimately allowing him to build 2 catchments for the price of one.
We hopped in the pickup and headed off for Antelope Peak. We talked about a lot of topics. It is obvious that Ben loves helping kids and also enjoys promoting women’s involvement in the sport. He comes from a family where his Mom got hid Dad into hunting. His wife enjoys fishing and shooting. She doesn’t hunt so much, but supports him in his passion for hunting. He said it would be nice to “…not necessarily turn women into hunters, but to educate them to the point where they can be supportive when their husbands or kids want to hunt.” He offered several times to help me in my upcoming hunts, and emphasized that if my daughter wanted to go small game hunting, he could come along; same thing if she ever drew a big game tag. Like many units in Arizona, 37B has no shortage of garbage laying around. From shotgun shells, to mattresses, to mounds of household garbage, you find it all out in the desert. Ben said that “wildcat dumping” is a big problem in Pinal County, and often – hard to prosecute criminally. The County is tackling these cases civilly however, with a greater degree of success. In a criminal trial, it has to be proven that the defendant actually left the garbage; in a civil trial, basically if you can prove it is theirs, then they are responsible for it. Almost every time he finds household trash, Ben finds mail, letters, information containing Social Security numbers, even wage garnishment forms on one occasion – that make it easy to find a culprit. Ben’s preferred method is to call the individual up. “Hey, I found this garbage at this location. It contains information which indicates it yours. I’ll tell you what – I’ll check back in a week; if it’s gone, we’re done. If it’s not, the County will be pursuing you civilly.” So far, it’s worked every time. If Ben stops you while you’re bird hunting, you’d better have some empty hulls in your pocket – if you have birds in your possession. He’s looking for a “reasonable attempt” to pick up your shells. No one expects you to crawl on your belly through the bushes to get your hull back. If you can get to them, though – pick them up. My daughter and I always make it a habit to pick up a bunch of other peoples’ hulls, when we’re out. She enjoys feeling like she’s helping clean up, and prattles on about the slobs that left those lying all around. Ben spends about 50% of his time doing “biologist stuff” and the other 50% doing enforcement activities. He says that he enjoys both aspects of his job. “Catching a bad guy gives me a more immediate feeling of satisfaction. We manage game using 5-year trends, so positive feedback on that aspect of my job takes longer.”
Soon our journey found us at Antelope Peak. For those of you familiar with the Unit, this peak is one of its highest, if not the highest. Ben had been telling me that in the 1800s, there were indeed antelope in the area. The area around the peak used to be predominantly savannah-like. Over the past decades it has grown up with shrubs and low trees. The department is considering a program of burns to try and restore it to the way it used to be. As we approached the peak, I noticed that the two-track we were on went straight up the side of a small peak that was hooked to the north side of the main peak. The trail was steep, nearing 60-70 degrees in my estimation. It became apparent that Ben intended to drive up that hill. My “pucker factor” climbed as steadily as the truck did. Ultimately, the tires were no match for the incline. I commented that I would have been scared to death driving up a hill that steep. I had done a fair amount of off-road driving in the military, but I was a mud expert, not a mountain expert. Ben just grinned at me and commented “We get a pretty extensive off-road driving course as part of our training. We really learn the capabilities of our vehicles.” He went on to grumble that the tires on the newer trucks weren’t as good as the ones on their previous trucks. That suited me just fine. Up on the peak, it was a spectacular view. Ben pointed out where a couple of pig herds resided. I showed him where my friend Jeff Rogers had glassed up a nice mulie buck and some does two years ago. He showed me the far off ranges of the Arivaipas, where an effort was ongoing to build a sheep herd.

Off we went again, headed west on Freeman Road. Ben asked how I felt the Department was doing, and how I thought that the general (hunting) public felt about the Department. I replied that I rarely heard a disparaging comment about the Wildlife Managers; that generally we (hunters) had the utmost respect for them. I feel that the Commission would do well to offer more explanation when rejecting suggestions and comments – especially those presented by conservation groups such as the ADA, ABA, etc. These groups put a lot of time and effort into forming rational comments. I think that most of us can handle some disagreement, but that a little explanation will go a long way. To be summarily dismissed without explanation just builds distrust between “us” and the Commission. I also admitted that “we” (we being the message board crowd, the volunteers, the conservation group core members) may not be representative of the majority of the State’s hunters. I feel this is where some of the consternation comes from, in these controversial issues such as the current “quality versus opportunity” debate. Ben related that he was “amazed” when he starting to talking to hunters in the field, “at the amount of people that just wanted to see a deer; to shoot a spike or a fork for these people, would equal success.”
I talked about the frustration of the public when they reported violations, and they weren’t responded to. I mentioned that usually, that was the only negative comment that I heard, directed toward the “boots on the ground”. I mentioned that this was especially true when it came to OHV issues. Ben agreed and stated that Game & Fish Officers are frustrated too. There simply isn’t enough people to go around, not enough funding. Add to that the fact that a person can hop on their Quad, and cross several jurisdictions in the matters of an hour. Ultimately, the onus is on other state agencies to enforce OHV rules – those agencies are even worse off than AZGFD. At this point in the conversation, we were going by Coyote Peak. Ben reiterated that if I needed help this javelina season, that maybe he could assist on his day off. As we drove by, he pointed out where a pig herd resided, in a basin just west of Coyote Peak.
Finally, we hit Highway 79 and headed north, back towards the spot I left my truck. I told Ben that I would do what I could to get him some backhoes for his water projects. He didn’t ask me to, but I told him that I would convey to the public the importance of getting involved with the legislative side of AZGF. That folks need to take an active part in contacting legislators to make sure that the Wildlife Managers have enough capital and manpower to carry out all of their responsibilities effectively. I got the impression that WMs are spread paper-thin. Thin when it comes to management; thin when it comes to enforcement. I also detected a definite sense of pride and ownership. These guys enjoy what they do. They do not like coming up short, even for legitimate reasons like lack of time, money, or people. We agreed to stay in touch, and maybe get some hunting trips in. I genuinely liked Ben Brochu, and thoroughly enjoyed my morning with him – time had flown by, and I was a little disappointed that it was drawing to a close. He provides an ideal representation of the Department, and the type of employee that is out there, watching our Units.

A final, separate note : Ben and his wife are expecting their first child in early September. I wish them all of the best.

OK, not an evening - more like an hour. Rick Forrest, inventor and President of Sonoran Bowhunting Products Inc., was kind enough to take some time out of his schedule to chat with me about his company and his products. This is the first of a series of interviews with notable Arizonans, and Arizona Companies.

After thanking Rick for his time, and telling him a little about my blog and the Skinny Moose network, I asked him how he got started. “I started out making a sight. In those days, PSE was having a big influence on archery in the Tucson area. We were doing some crazy things with bows, modifying them and customizing them. Some of these bows were reaching speeds up to 320 fps, that are considered fast by today’s standards. This was in 1985. The problem was, sights weren’t made to set at 10-yard increments (to accommodate the faster speeds)- I started tinkering around and building sights that would better allow us to shoot those speeds accurately.”

Rick went on to describe how once he tried mechanicals and saw the benefits, he never went back. A few years later, he designed his own mechanical heads. These heads open more efficiently, using less energy than many of his competitors’ heads. Rick is a firm believer in the benefits of mechanical heads. “Even if I wasn’t building them, I’d be shooting mechanicals”, Rick told me. “I won’t shoot fixed heads again”.

Rick sub-contracts out the components of his sights and broadheads to various machine shops. He then assembles and packages them himself, along with help from his family. His background as a Mechanical Engineer with an aerospace company certainly helps as well, keeping his products competitive in the market. His edge? “My sights and broadheads are simple, reliable and durable.” I asked Rick how the industry has changed since he started. He went on to offer that “Competition has driven up quality. Bowhunting has also evolved - it used to be that the western bowhunters were more focused on speed. Now eastern hunters are yearning for speed, and western hunters are looking more and more at improvements on accuracy”.

This has been a long-time “side-passion” for Rick. Years of sacrifice have earned him a solid place in what some may call a niche market. His products are well-known in Arizona. They are also used by other archers of course - Rick has dedicated users all over the country. Admittedly, it is hard for a company the size of Rick’s to compete with the mega-marketing power of some of the heavy-hitters. That may be all about to change….

Rick told me that he has just signed an agreement with Hank Parker and Ivan Hawthorne, of C’mere Deer fame. He’s excited by the prospects of being associated with Hank and Ivan - his days of doing this “on the side” may be drawing to a close. Rick may soon be figuring out how to ramp up production. “Depending on growth”, Rick pointed out, ” we may look at expanding our product line.”

Above all, though - Rick is a dedicated hunter. The conversation inevitably turned to hunting. Rick isn’t the bragging type, but it is obvious that he has stacked up a pile of game over the years. He’s particularly fond of black bear hunting - spot and stalk. He was pretty proud of his wife and kids’ hunting prowess, and I was drooling on my notepad as he described their various successes. His kids have killed more stuff than I have. Seriously. I joked that “he needed to adopt me”, as I lamented my typically sub-standard hunting performance. Rick loves to take youngsters out, and frequently takes out kids from the neighborhood, friends’ kids, kids from Church, etc. To do all that, raise a family, and to build quality bowhunting products - I can’t think of a candidate more worthy of being the very first Desert Rat “interviewee”.

It was truly a pleasure meeting Rick. He even offered to take me out and teach me how to kill javelina. I warned him that he wouldn’t be the first, to try and show me the ropes! I plan to stay in touch with Rick - not only because I want to follow his progress as this newest venture unfolds, but because he seems like a genuinely good guy - I hope there are some hunting trips together in our future.