What a way to cap off the ISE show season!!! The number of passionate bowhunters that call the Salt Lake City area home never ceases to amaze me. What an incredible weekend. Maybe bowhunting is so popular and the sport is blowing up so much in Utah because some of the most respected brands in all of hunting call the state home -- Hoyt and Easton lead the charge in this respect. They do a great job of building the sport and beings that the show is in their backyard it only makes sense that bowhunting is rockin’ there at the base of the Wasatch Front. Badlands is run out of SLC as well and of course the city is also home to the Utah Archery Center, an archery pro-shop nearly every bowhunter I visited with at the show frequents. They must take care of their customers. The guys talking with pride of their shop, the UAC, reminds me of all my buddies back home when talking about The Bow Rack. Good pro-shops play an important and vital role in the sport of bowhunting.
Actually, I guess it is not just bowhunters that call SLC home that make this show so special and successful. The city simply puts on a heck of an event. I talked to many hardcore guys from Idaho and Wyoming over the weekend that came into town on a road trip. Not to mention one Mr. Darryl Uhrig who traveled all the way from Pennsylvania specifically to soak up the “Eastmans’ Experience†in Salt Lake City. Now that is passion. I brought Darryl up on stage to give him some props for his support of Eastmans’ during the Saturday show and present him with a $50 gift certificate from Cabela’s. In a classy move by Darryl he in turn handed the certificate back to me and suggested that instead I offer it up to a young hunter in the audience, which I did. Darryl no doubt made the young man’s day as I am certain the future hunter made his dad haul him over the Cabela’s after the show so he could buy up $50 worth of Under Armour.
On a side note I can’t thank you all enough for turning out in force for my seminars. I am grateful for the acceptance and will never forget it.
Like normal the Eastmans’ booth buzz was electric too. I signed hundreds of hats, books, magazines and t-shirts over the weekend, not to mention posed in countless photos with many serious western hunters, which is an honor for me. I have included a few here as well as a couple emails I have received already. What is encouraging for the sport is that seemingly all generations and genders are afflicted with bowhunting fever. I visited with many young high school age hunters who have read my book, Backcountry Bowhunting, women (Sara with the elk tattoo) and fellas a couple of decades older than me who have all been newly inspired to take their hunting approach to the next level. Former EBJ cover boy, Gary Wilson’s father-in-law, Dion Laney, is a perfect example of this. As a 60+ year old bowhunter just this past bow season Dion and Gary drew Arizona elk tags, headed south and on a classic public land, do-it-yourself adventure got two bulls on the ground with their bow and arrow rigs after a long and grueling hunt. Not just any bulls mind you. Mature trophy bulls – Dion’s gross scores 409 Pope & Young!!! Look for the complete story in an upcoming issue of EBJ. And still, Dion works out every morning while watching hunting videos preparing for his next bowhunting epic. That is inspiring.
Emails from SLC area bowhunters
Cam, good to see ya again at the show this year, by far the best lecture I attended yet! Thanks for taking time to talk to all of us hardcore UT bowhunters. It’s nice to see hunters of the Eastmans’ caliber take time to involve all the young bowhunters as well. Once again the Eastman’s hunting theater stole the show!!!! Good luck this fall with the Alaskan sheep. Â
Sincerely, Ron Elmer
Cameron,
Thanks for taking the time to chat with me about both bowhunting and running. I really enjoyed your presentation and the old footage of Fred Bear was awesome. It fired me up so I'm going to read Backcountry Bowhunting again but the only drawback is its still 155 days until the season starts here in Utah. Best of luck with the Boston Marathon and the coming hunting season.
-Nate Long- Weber State runner from Ogden
Hey Cameron,
Just wanted to say that your speaking at the ISE shows is great. My hunting buddy and I leave the show pumped and ready for archery season. Too bad we have to wait so long afterwards. Anyway, I know you always say you’re just a regular guy, do you think or feel more pressure to succeed now and is it a good thing or bad thing? Thanks for your time.
Eric Christensen
Until next year guys, keep hammering away and hit the mountains hard this season. Bowhunting success revolves around dedication and commitment….put in the time and anything is possible. Gotta believe to achieve! Thanks again for your support and remember you can email me at anytime --- mailto:cameron@eastmans.com– I promise I will try my best to get back to each and every one. Sincerely, Cam
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Cameron,
I bought 4 copies of your book, two at the show, which I had signed for my two sons who are awesome young hunters. The two extra copies I pass out to my friends who want me to take them on a hunt. Your brand of bowhunting will never get tiresome. Give me all the gut wrenching physical straing, mentally exhausting heart wrenching minutes after a blown stalk, and the thrill of a high country kill. Never felt so alive.
Utahns love their mountains, their ever increasing quality of biggame and passion for reaching loftier goals. There is no wonder you have so dang many fans here. Love the props and recognition. Let’s practice some serious conservation and keep these herds healthy and trophies big for generations to come. http://thegreatwhitehunter.wordpress.com/
Cameron,
Thank you for your kind words towards Dion and I.
We enjoyed meeting you and sharing our hunting story in person with you. As you listen it became obvious to you as it is with me that Dion does have a special story worth telling. We believe and feel we are no different than the thousand of other hunters like you and I that share our bowhunting passion. We simply did as others do each year and this year was one of our lucky ones. Now, it has become our duty to “pass it on” for the benefit of others to enjoy.
Dion has been more than eager to submit our stories to EBJ. We will be sending them soon. His story is inspiring to say the least.
Thank you for all you do to promote our sport. Thank Mike Eastman and all the Eastman crew for a fine job they do for our soliders afar serving our country.
Just found your website and look forward to visiting here often.
Thank you again for all you do as one of the elite frontmen of our Bowhunting Passion.
Inspired by each issue,
Gary Wilson
Utah