Made with FlowPaper - Flipbook Maker
02 @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | HOOKANDBARREL.COM 46 LUKE BRYAN Holidays bring deep meaning for the country music megastar. by jim hannaford 52 THE PHILOSOPHER Hunting for answers with Michael Waddell. by john j. radzwilla 58 A LIFE OF SELFLESS SERVICE Mark “Oz” Geist, who fought the Battle of Benghazi, continues battling on behalf of America’s shadow warriors. by glenn hunter TABLE OF CONTENTS NOVEMBER-DECEMBERVOLUME THREE, ISSUE SIX WISDOM The great outdoors. 08 JAMMING OUT Musical sensation Laine Hardy has deep roots in south Louisiana. 35 GIFT GUIDE We rounded up a great selection of gifts for everyone in your life. 10 FULLY LOADED Sig Sauer: Elite Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor earns its name. 44 REAL TALK Herschel Walker: Together we stand. 41 HAPPY HOUR The tale of Tahwahkaro. 21 PROFILE Phil Robertson: The Duck Commander Commandeth 25 GIVING BACK The Brett Boyer Foundation 06 EVER WONDER? Deer hunting myths, truths, and the spaces in between. 31 EDITOR’S NOTE 04 17 GOOD GRUB Butchery talk. 65 TROPHY ROOM Pageant winner and reality show contestant Sarah Beth Lawhorn shoots it straight. 68 LAST LAUGH Tastes like chicken. CAN YOU SPOT THE HOOK & BARREL CRITTER? Each issue, the Critter is hiding somewhere in the table of contents picture. Happy hunting! The chapel at Big Cedar, Top of the Rock, Hollister, MO. 02 @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | HOOKANDBARREL.COM @HOOKANDBARRELMAG 03 46 LUKE BRYAN Holidays bring deep meaning for the country music megastar. by jim hannaford 52 THE PHILOSOPHER Hunting for answers with Michael Waddell. by john j. radzwilla 58 A LIFE OF SELFLESS SERVICE Mark “Oz” Geist, who fought the Battle of Benghazi, continues battling on behalf of America’s shadow warriors. by glenn hunter TABLE OF CONTENTS NOVEMBER-DECEMBERVOLUME THREE, ISSUE SIX All material is strictly copyright protected and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the copyright holder. All prices and data are correct at the time of publication. The views and opinions expressed in Hook & Barrel are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the advertisers. Any images supplied are at the owner’s risk and are the property of the Hook & Barrel Magazine. All content is owned in full by Hook & Barrel Magazine. Proudly Printed in America Hook & Barrel is a proud partner in the PrintReleaf program. PrintReleaf guarantees every sheet of paper we consume in the production of our magazine will be reforested. New trees are planted on our behalf in PrintReleaf Certified Reforestation Projects across the globe. Luke Bryan poses during a photoshoot for his latest album, Born Here Live Here Die Here. Photo by Jim Wright ON THE COVER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John J. Radzwilla MANAGING EDITOR Lee M. Hurley CONSULTING EDITOR Matt Morgan PRODUCTION MANAGER Jill Christiansen COPY EDITOR Barry Wise Smith CREATIVE DIRECTOR Claire Cormany PHOTO EDITOR Chris Irwin CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Natalie Radzwilla OFFICIAL FFL Black-Tie Guns EDITORIAL OFFICE 1012 W. Eldorado Parkway P.O. Box 183 Little Elm, Texas 75068 214.997.1118 hookandbarrel.com CONTACT THE EDITOR editor@hookandbarrel.com FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertising@hookandbarrel.com EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Materials to be considered for use in Hook & Barrel Magazine should be emailed to editor@hookandbarrel.com or mailed to editorial office. Not responsible for the loss of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or other materials. Returns only when accompanied by return postage. We do not recommend sending original photography or artwork. SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe or manage your subscription to Hook & Barrel Magazine, visit www.hookandbarrel.com. WISDOM The great outdoors. 08 JAMMING OUT Musical sensation Laine Hardy has deep roots in south Louisiana. 35 GIFT GUIDE We rounded up a great selection of gifts for everyone in your life. 10 FULLY LOADED Sig Sauer: Elite Hunter 6.5 Creedmoor earns its name. 44 REAL TALK Herschel Walker: Together we stand. 41 HAPPY HOUR The tale of Tahwahkaro. 21 PROFILE Phil Robertson: The Duck Commander Commandeth 25 GIVING BACK The Brett Boyer Foundation 06 EVER WONDER? Deer hunting myths, truths, and the spaces in between. 31 EDITOR’S NOTE 04 17 GOOD GRUB Butchery talk. 65 TROPHY ROOM Pageant winner and reality show contestant Sarah Beth Lawhorn shoots it straight. 68 LAST LAUGH Tastes like chicken. CAN YOU SPOT THE HOOK & BARREL CRITTER? Each issue, the Critter is hiding somewhere in the table of contents picture. Happy hunting! DEER UNCLE TED hank you all for your support Jimmy, and yes, the aim small, miss small discipline applies equally to archery and firearm marks- manship, and both methodologies are incredibly fun and exciting. My outdoor hunting life erupted with both the bow and the rifle at a very early age, and even though 90 percent of my big game hunting is with archery tackle, I still thrill at the joys of longer range hunting with my rifles, handguns, and muzzleloaders. The enjoyment and success for both hunting methods demand the same dedication and attention to detail, and it really doesn’t matter which you begin with as long as you pay serious attention to the demanding details of each. Of course, bowhunting takes an enormous amount of stealth and patience in order to close the distance for a solid arrow hit, but trigger control on a firearm is also very demanding. Whichever you choose, be sure to take it slow and easy, get advice and guidance from an experienced hunter, get that bow or gun that feels best for you, and dedicate necessary time at the range to become one with the hand-eye coordination needed to place that arrow or bullet exactly where you want it to go. These days you can choose from unlimited world-class archery gear and guns and ammo that are all great, so take your time to choose what is best for you. Aim small, miss small, and good luck afield. Uncle Ted T AIM SMALL, MISS SMALL, SAMURAI My family watches Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild on Outdoor Channel religiously, and we see how you really enjoy bowhunting but do plenty of rifle hunting too. Would you recommend a new hunter start out with the bow and arrow or with the rifle? jimmy d., oklahoma To ask Ted Nugent your question, simply email him at UncleTed@hookandbarrel.com. Maybe you’ll see his response in a future issue! Ted Nugent is an award-winning musician and writer, with numerous best-selling books including Ted, White and Blue: The Nugent Manifesto, God, Guns and Rock ‘n Roll, and Kill It and Grill It. Also, his popular television show, Spirit of the Wild, has aired over 500 episodes. The chapel at Big Cedar, Top of the Rock, Hollister, MO. 04 @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | HOOKANDBARREL.COM what a great year (insert mostly sarcasm here). 2020 has brought us unprecedented changes in life, a global pandemic still of undetermined impact and severity, literally an incendiary presidential race, and hell, even mur- der hornets. But there has been a silver lining—people getting outdoors. If you would have told me that oil prices would have gone negative for the first time in history and at the same time, the outdoors would be the next boom, I would have told you that Tom Brady was going to leave the Pats to join a team with an overall losing record for the last 43 years… oh wait, that happened too… watch Tampa win the Superbowl this year… not that I even watch the NFL any more. Where was I? Oh, yes, the outdoors. The exact numbers are hard to find, but if sporting goods stores’ shelves, boat ramps, and camp site occupancy levels were used as metrics, not to mention the totally separate run on guns and ammo, then you could firmly say we have had a year for the record books. Though I am not sure which record book: Guinness World Records or Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Curiosity about that got to me, so I scoured the internet for data. I found that according to Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, the nation’s leading coalition of outdoor recre- ation trade associations, including the National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds; Outdoor Industry Association; National Forest Recreation Association; American Sportfishing Association; and National Marine Manufacturers Association along with 18 others, representing over 110,000 RVing, camp- ing, boating, fishing, power sports, horseback, hunting, skiing, hiking, and biking businesses, reports show more than 81 percent of Americans said they spent time outside over the past six months, 31 percent for the first time. Fishing license sales are up across the board: Pennsylvania’s license sales are up 20 percent, Iowa’s are up 33 percent, and New Hampshire’s sales have risen 40 percent. RVs have experienced some of the best sales they have had in four decades. Camper sales were up 92 percent in August, and 49 percent year over year. Moreover, first-time buyers represented 55 percent of these sales with the fastest-growing segment being people under age 45. From a fire arms perspective, gun sales hit a record high, with the National Shooting Sports Foundation reporting a 139- percent average increase in ammunition sales and a 95-percent increase in firearms sales. First time buyers flooded retailers to get their hands on guns. Of the newcomers, 50 percent were aged 40 or under, with half that figure aged 30 or younger. According to the NSSF’s adjusted figures, over 12 million background checks were run through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s NICS from January 2020 to July 2020, with five million Americans purchasing their first firearm during that time. The business side of all this is great (and I hate to even say that because I know of so many other business owners who have lost so much and folks still laid off in our industry and outside of it), but seeing more people get involved in the outdoors, hunting and fishing, and firearms does make me very happy and proud to be part of this industry. After all, the outdoors is the only place apparently that COVID won’t get you… unless you’re in California or Michigan of course. Anyway, seeing all these folks realize that there is more to life than iPhones, Xboxes, and all-inclusive cattle-car kinds of vacations makes me smile. Seeing people, young and old, surrounding community ponds with rods in hand, hiking trails bustling with city-dwellers, campfires burning, surrounded with chatter and laughs, all give me hope that 2020 hasn’t been as bad as we all have made it out to be. Unless of course Cardi B gets appointed somehow as Speaker of the House. Then I am signing up for that Mars exploration crew, and you will find me hunting for Martians from here on out. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, safe hunting, and cheers to 2021 y’all! See you next year and hopefully, all this is behind us. After all, turning 21 was much more fun than turning 20! Cheers, 2020, John J. Radzwilla editor-in-chief EDITOR’S NOTE Fact or Fiction? A family getaway to the S’mores & Fishin’ Cabin located in Broken Bow, Oklahoma. PS. You read that 21 vs. 20 deal here first, so if someone makes a million off of it, you owe me a cut! With 2020, it’s anyone’s guess. PHOTO BY MARK SWENSON‘TIS THE SEASON TO ALWAYS BE READY. SHOP NOW Some wintertime missions go well beyond long lines and entertaining in-laws. Only 5.11® gear will get you through the situations you didn’t expect to encounter. 511TACTICAL.COM/GIFTGUIDE06 @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | HOOKANDBARREL.COM to Brett to buy her a white pony. It was then that Brett’s Barn was created. Surrounded by wildflowers and bees, it’s a safe-haven for animals and a reminder to us of Brett’s life and how much purpose she has given us—a place to celebrate Brett’s life and all she taught us. But outside of this personal and privately owned tribute to Brett’s life, we wanted to use our voice and the platform so graciously shared with Caroline and Luke, to shed light on the battle against CHD and just how common it is for children with and without Down syndrome. The Brett Boyer Foundation was started a few months later with the mission of changing the outcome of CHD for other families and to celebrate the Down syndrome community. In the past four years, we have raised more than two million dollars to help fund congenital heart disease research. We have supported families in a multitude of ways from assisting with lodging expenses for families with a child in-patient to participating in community events held by similarly focused non-profits. This disease deserves the attention, funding, research, and advancements that can save the lives of children and change the outcome for so many who live with effects of CHD their entire lives. Research is happening all over the country, and we are proud to be supporting projects from coast to coast. We have already seen progress in treatment that would have given Brett more options. I continue to find hope in the advancements we are making, knowing that this mission is worthwhile and is important to so many people. One in 100 births carry a CHD diagnosis. Over 40,000 babies with this disease are born in the U.S. each year. The odds are you know someone fighting this battle. I invite you to join us by spreading awareness and supporting research. And, whenever you see a bee, I hope you’ll remember our sweet Brett, our special Queen Bee, as well as all the other CHD warriors and our capable friends in the Down syndrome community who have so much to offer the world. They say it’s doubtful that a bee knows it actually shouldn’t be able to fly—it simply does. Take in its magic the next time you’re outdoors. Warmly, n a year of such uncertainty and doubt, it has been more important than ever to find meaning in everyday life—in small things that give us hope and peace. The outdoors brings fresh air, tran- quility, and many signs that life goes on around us no matter our circumstances. We all have a story, and this is ours. On July 8, 2016, our daughter, Sadie Brett Boyer, was born here in Nashville. It was discovered during pregnancy that Brett would be born with Down syndrome and with Congenital Heart Disease— commonly referred to as CHD. My husband, Bo, and I faced the same fears that so many do when given the news that your baby will be born with challenges. What we didn’t know was that having Down syndrome would be one of our favorite things about Brett. We consider ourselves lucky to have been chosen for the special role of parenting a child with these unique abilities who can lead a long, fulfilling life. However, CHD is a condition that often requires medical intervention for survival. While we weren’t familiar with CHD, we knew that 97 percent of the time the particular defect in Brett’s heart does well after surgery. There is currently no cure for CHD, so even after surgical intervention, these children will be lifelong cardiology patients. We took Brett home from the hospital, proud of our daughter, ready for a full and happy life. The plan was to “repair” her heart in the coming months when the time seemed right. But, God had other plans. After becoming sick in the fall, Brett went on to have her first heart surgery to treat AVSD (Atrioventricular Septal Defect) at four months old. During surgery, doctors discovered that her heart issues were more complicated than initially thought. Brett con- tinued to battle through another open-heart surgery and several setbacks for 100 days before we lost her in February 2017. CHD and the complications that come along with it took Brett from us. That was the day we started the journey we are on today. While we were adjusting to life after the loss of a child, my sister- in-law, Caroline Bryan, made good on a promise she had made I At Hook & Barrel, we are firm believers in giving back to the greater good. In each issue, we showcase a business, group, or organization that gives back. Conservation is a team effort and takes many forms: from habitat and species conservation to preserving hunting and fishing rights or growing the sports by introducing new folks to the joys of the outdoors. Some of our key focuses are kids in the outdoors, habitat and wildlife, and veterans who protect our rights as Americans to live the lifestyle we all enjoy. Ellen Boyer GIVING BACK The Brett Boyer Foundation They say it’s doubtful that a bee knows it actually shouldn’t be able to fly—it simply does. Take in its magic the next time you’re outdoors.501 MAIN ST., #A WINDSOR, CO 80550 | 866.741.8323 | WWW.HAYDENOUTDOORS.COM Trull Creek Ranch 1,140 Acres • $32,900,000 • Routt County, CO DAX HAYDEN (303) 619-6774 Twin Pine Ranch 10,738 Acres • $17,800,000 • Platte County, WY DAX HAYDEN (303) 619-6774 Davis Land & Livestock 32,878 Acres • $12,500,000 • Malheur County, OR AUSTIN CALLISON (208) 870-1757 Elk Basin Ranch 3,200 Acres • $3,565,000 • Catron County, NM GREG LIDDLE (970) 946-0374 Clark Fork Legacy Ranch 1,028 Acres • $2,750,000 • Sanders County, MT KATE JONES (406) 270-1043 Tomichi Creek Fish Camp 102 Acres • $1,400,000 • Gunnison County, CO PAT DOYLE (303) 720-2914 Pheasant Connection Farm 1,469 Acres • $3,892,770 • Lyman County, SD JEFF GARRETT (605) 641-0574 F Bar 4 Ranch 395 Acres • $2,599,000 • Custer County, CO BRENT HEDRICK (719) 659-7598 Stiles Property 450 Acres • $3,825,000 • DeWitt County, TX RICK GOHMERT (361) 275-6915 Cabin At Cliff Point Estates 29+ Acres • $3,500,000 • Kodiak Island County, AK JOHN HERRITY (970) 685-0645 Red Hill Ranch 1,000 Acres • $3,150,000 • Judith Basin County, MT SCOTT SCHULZ (406) 544-8455 Broom Creek Ranch 5,371 Acres • $3,200,000 • Platte County, WY JACI COLE (303) 880-3779 La Finca 52 Acres • $1,500,000 • DeWitt County, TX RICK GOHMERT (361) 275-6915 Riverview Ranch 1,509 Acres • $2,690,000 • Dewey County, OK STACY CALLAHAN (918) 710-0239 Kendall Peak Ranch 2,338 Acres • $3,273,200 • Rio Blanco County, CO LONNIE GUSTIN (970) 629-0520 The Brand That Sells The L an d TMNext >