NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2019 THE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE PAGE 35 COLT FORD Speaks the truth about “hick-hop” THE ANIMAL PLANET’S LONE STAR LAW Keeping ’em honest PAGE 28 GET OUT OF YOUR RUT. Brush up on whitetail hunting tactics PAGE 54 JEFF FOXWORTHY You might be a redneck if... your grandma really was ran over by a reindeer. THE SIG P320 XFIVE LEGION gives the gift of accuracy. Page 41 DEAR SANTA:02 @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | HOOKANDBARREL.COM @HOOKANDBARRELMAG 03 42 YOU MIGHT BE JEFF FOXWORTHY IF... The comedian on his career, his farm, and the family that has kept him grounded by alec harvey 48 CALLING ALL TURKEYS The craft of turkey calls and calling by billie cooper 54 WHITETAIL TACTICS Thinking like a buck by jeff johnston TABLE OF CONTENTS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2019VOLUME TWO, 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. Foxworthy defines redneck as “having a glorious absence of sophistication.” Photo by Andrew Eccles/NBC 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 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. PHO T O C OUR TES Y OF BASS PR O SHOP S THE TROPHY ROOM Allie Butler travels the world hunting but holds firm to her Kentucky roots BACK PAGE When it was too cold to fish 64 60 41 35 28 32 MUST HAVE GEAR Sig Sauer’s XFIVE Legion 9mm CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE Gifts for the outdoorsman who has it all FIELD TRIP Lone Star Law’s Texas Game Warden Randolph McGee puts dealing with people first DESTINATIONS An Ozark Mountain Christmas THE GUIDE The great outdoors GIVING BACK The Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation 08 LAYER UP The latest gear and wear for modern outdoorsmen 10 06 EDITOR’S NOTE 04 18 14 GOOD GRUB Great culinary tidings of joy EDITOR’S PICK The Garmont T8 Extreme GTX Boot 22 NEW TUNES Colt Ford reveals new layers on his seventh album 16 HAPPY HOUR Down home holiday drinks Santa arrives Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. at all Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. He will be there to meet all the boys and girls until Christmas Eve. Then he’s off to deliver toys!02 @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | HOOKANDBARREL.COM @HOOKANDBARRELMAG 03 42 YOU MIGHT BE JEFF FOXWORTHY IF... The comedian on his career, his farm, and the family that has kept him grounded by alec harvey 48 CALLING ALL TURKEYS The craft of turkey calls and calling by billie cooper 54 WHITETAIL TACTICS Thinking like a buck by jeff johnston TABLE OF CONTENTS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2019VOLUME TWO, 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. Foxworthy defines redneck as “having a glorious absence of sophistication.” Photo by Andrew Eccles/NBC 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 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 PHO T O C OUR TES Y OF BASS PR O SHOP S THE GUIDE The great outdoors GIVING BACK The Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation 08 LAYER UP The latest gear and wear for modern outdoorsmen 10 06 EDITOR’S NOTE 04 18 14 GOOD GRUB Great culinary tidings of joy EDITOR’S PICK The Garmont T8 Extreme GTX Boot 22 NEW TUNES Colt Ford reveals new layers on his seventh album 16 HAPPY HOUR Down home holiday drinks 04 @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | ife seems to slow down for me during this time of year. Maybe because I stop being distracted by every form of elec- tronic communication known to man and instead opt for true communication with friends and family. We gather together at holiday parties, eat around the dining room table, lounge on the couch and chat, or all pile into the car to go “look at the lights.” It takes me back to a simpler time. A time long before cell phones, email, Facebook, Instagram, Snap-Whatever, and any other denomination of social-skill-diminishing technology. A time when a knock on the door was a good thing and not a time to pretend you aren’t home. It is a brief moment when we put aside our differences and welcome unex- pected guests, family members we haven’t seen in a year, and maybe even the occasional kid from the neighborhood caroling. The holidays are also a time of tradition for me, some cultural, some unique to our family. My family is Polish and my wife’s Italian. So as you might imagine there is a lot of food involved. The holiday season is kicked off with a bang on Thanksgiving when my father-in-law, Gary, and I rekindle what has been an ongoing cold war of turkey cooking prowess that has been smoldering for years. To win, we pit family member against family member to vote for the best Thanksgiving turkey. Of course, I always win, but he still claims he was the winner. In reality, we are all winners due to the impressive amount of food generated by the cook-off, which has now spread to sides. Barring any political debates, we then retire to the couch for our annual viewing of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation where we all repeat the lines of every scene and laugh until we pass out from the turkey and wine. Only to awaken and make turkey sandwiches from the leftovers and repeat the pass-out phase of the celebration. Christmas is a more formal time in my family, steeped in cultur- al traditions, and yes, even more food. My mother has instilled these traditions in me, which have been passed down in my family for generations. This year will be extra special for us as we share these traditions with my new baby boy, Jack. Jack was born in late August of this year and will be now seated at the table, and one day he will pass these traditions on to his family. Christmas begins Christmas Eve for our family, and we try to begin dinner at first star (which, traditionally, we miss because church runs long). Both sides of the family were raised Catholic, and for us Christmas Eve marks the end of Advent. Traditionally, that means the last day of fasting, so in Polish and Italian families, the dinner is typical- ly meatless. We break out our finest china and feast on a combo of the Italian side’s tradition of 7-fishes and my Polish grandmother’s tradition of lobster (She didn’t care for the traditional Polish pickled herring, and for that I am thankful…) The most important of the Polish tradition comes before the feast and is known as Oplatki. Nothing says Christmas, at least in my family, quite like the sharing of this thin, flat, tasteless wafer. The Italians are catch- ing on, but they still wonder why this “bread” doesn’t include garlic… Before sitting down to Christmas Eve dinner, many families with roots in Poland and Eastern Europe take part in this tradition, which dates back hundreds of years. The wafer is typically a rectangle and embossed with a Christmas scene, such as the Nativity. It is made of flour and water pressed between two engraved pieces of metal and is similar to the bread wafer used in Holy Communion. Each family member has a piece, which they share with the other members of the family around the table. As we share, piece by piece, we make our well wishes to each other for good health and hope in the New Year. I guess what you can take from all of this is that during this holiday season, make sure you take a moment and truly savor what makes us all a family. Put down the technology and embrace conversation and each other. Put aside your differences, welcome others into your home, pass on and create new traditions, and realize, just like my family, we are all a melting pot of cultures. If we can get back to that, every day would be like Christmas. May God bless you all during this holiday season, may He bring comfort to all who may be alone during this time, and may He bless the men and women in uniform who serve us to protect our rights as Americans to celebrate any tradition we want to. From my family to yours, Merry Christmas y’all! L left: My wife, Natalie, and I after Christmas service. below: My family gathers around our dining room table for Christmas Eve dinner. right: Oplatki, a traditional Polish Christmas wafer. John J. Radzwilla editor-in-chief EDITOR’S NOTE 06 @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | HOOKANDBARREL.COM | @HOOKANDBARRELMAG 07 have always considered it a blessing to have been mentored and raised by veterans. My grandfathers both served in the Army during World War II as did several of my un- cles, and my father served in Vietnam during the Tet Offen- sive. Heck, my great grandfa- ther helped fight against Pancho Villa’s raids in a small town called Columbus, New Mex- ico, where I trace my roots. These men were not only my mentors but my heroes as well. I joined the U.S. Army at 17, eventually serving as a Special Forces Green Beret sniper and medic. I was medically retired for wounds received in combat after 21 years, and the mother of my children retired af- ter 21 years of service in the Army as a combat medic. We are im- mensely proud that our eldest son is currently serving as an infan- tryman in the 82nd Airborne Division. We have deployed 16 times for this great nation of ours, but our story is not unique, there are countless families just like mine. I am humbled to continue my service as president and CEO of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation (GWOT), an organization committed to building the National GWOT Memorial in our nation’s capital to commemorate and honor the members of the Armed Forces who served in support of our nation’s longest war, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Consistent with its mission, the Foundation will recognize and salute the ser- vice and sacrifices of all who served in defense of the nation in this conflict, as well as their families and friends. We have American patriots fighting terrorism in a multitude of ways, and we are still losing lives, in and out of uniform. This year alone, I lost three friends who were serving as government contractors. This speaks to the complexities of this conflict, and we have a duty to honor all those whom have served. Through the construction of this memorial we truly will honor, heal, empower, and unite our entire nation. The World War II Memorial serves as a place of healing and unification for the Greatest Generation—I only wish my grandfa- thers would have been able to visit it before their passing. The same is true of the Vietnam Memorial and my father’s generation. Nearly 18 years after the attacks on September 11th, 2001, we are still engaged in a war to diminish terrorist operations globally. We rightfully honored those like my father and grandfathers through memorials on the National Mall; it is now upon us to provide the same level of honor and respect the current generation so truly deserves. I have a profound respect for all who have served, and this respect extends to the spouses, children, and family members who have supported their loved ones from afar. I can honestly share with you all that the most difficult deployments for me were not the nine that I participated in but those where my loved ones did. The multi- generational component to this conflict is unlike any our country has faced. We understand the hardships this war puts on those who are directly and indirectly affected. The Foundation has made remarkable progress as we embark on our capital campaign to raise $50 million. We’re honored to have a personal friend of mine serve as our honorary chairman, a gentle- man and true servant leader from Texas by the name of President George W. Bush. As the president and CEO, I am confident that with the continued help and support of American patriots like yourselves, we will achieve mission success. Respectfully, I AD The Global War on Terrorism Memorial Foundation Consistent with its mission, the Foundation will recognize and salute the service and sacrifices of all who served in defense of the nation in this conflict, as well as their families and friends. 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. Michael “Rod” Rodriguez President and Chief Executive Officer GWOT Memorial Foundation rodriguez@gwotmf.org GIVING BACK Next >