The Mobile Hunting Movement

Robert WellerFriends of ELO, Hunting Tips & Techniques, Product Guides and DIY Projects

Time and technology have a way of changing the way we do things. Well, at least for those willing to embrace change and learn something new that is. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with sticking with the tried and true, but what if you’re missing out?  It seems that more and more deer hunters are going mobile these days and are migrating away from traditional methods like tree stands and blinds. In recent years, tree saddles have become very popular among a new generation of hunters, calling themselves “Mobile Hunters”. Now mobile hunting isn’t really … Read More

A Snowy Deer Recovery

Robert WellerBucks n Bears, Hunting Stories & Adventures, Hunting Tips & Techniques

There’s something about the first snow that has always excited me. As a young boy it meant snowmen, forts and snowball fights. Now as a grown man, the first snow brings with it beauty and peace, the thoughts of approaching holidays and time spent with loved ones. And of course, if the first snow comes early enough, I get the chance to hunt deer with snow on the ground. This year, that day was November 9th. It had been forecast that we would see accumulation that day, so I made plans to be in my … Read More

Sometimes You Need A Little Help

Robert WellerBucks n Bears, Friends of ELO, Hunting Tips & Techniques

Anyone that has hunted for any amount of time knows the heartache that comes when you hit a deer and it runs off leaving signs that say you make a poor shot. It’s happened to me and it’s happened to just about every hunter I know at one time or another. Yes sir, even those guys on TV have to let them lay overnight once in a while. On October 23, 2025, my hunting partner, Steve and I were out for an evening bow hunt. We were both running late and I only beat Steve … Read More

A Bear Hunt To Remember

Robert WellerBucks n Bears, Friends of ELO

I will miss the call of the Raven and the sound its wings made as it took flight. I will miss the hoot of the owl, and the feeling that I felt as I wondered what might be lurking in the woods around me as I waited patiently for a Michigan Black bear to appear.  My friend Andy drew a first-hunt bear tag for Michigan’s Red Oak unit in 2023, and he harvested a bear the last night of his hunt with Gary Morgan and Wild Game Dynasty that year. As for me, well I … Read More

Essential Gear For A Fly-In Fishing Trip

Robert WellerFishing

Well folks, the day has come and it is time to start going through  my gear to prepare for another fly-in- fishing trip to one of my  favorite lakes in the Canadian wilderness. It’s been almost 3  years since my last trip as I was filming football games the past  two seasons and didn’t want to miss a single opportunity to watch  my son play varsity football. Now that he has graduated, it’s time  to slip away with my father in law to enjoy another week of peace  and tranquility on a private lake in … Read More

Kayaking in an Abandoned Mine

Robert Wellerkayaking

Have you ever paddled a kayak in an abandoned, underground mine? Well folks, this year on our spring break trip to Kentucky, we did exactly that. We have been paddling for almost ten years now, ever since my wife surprised me on my fortieth birthday with a guided adventure paddling the Pictured Rocks along Michigan’s shorelines on Lake Superior. After that trip, we came home and went kayaking crazy. We bought ourselves a used Old Town Loon tandem as well as a couple of cheap Sun Dolphins for the kids. Over the next several years we … Read More

When Turkeys Go Silent

Robert WellerHunting Stories & Adventures, Spring Fling

One of the best things about turkey hunting is when the morning silence is broken by the sound of the first Tom gobbling from his roost. For the next several minutes to a couple of hours, the conversation between toms and hens will continue to echo through the woods and surrounding fields. It’s every turkey hunter’s dream to get a tom to hear and respond to the hunter’s calls. In fact, some might say, a turkey hunter’s true measure of success can be from his or her ability to call the turkey to the hunting … Read More

Competing with Coyotes for Turkeys

Robert WellerHunting Stories & Adventures, Hunting Tips & Techniques, Spring Fling

Well, my friends, deer season is behind us. The snow is gone, and those toms will soon be gobbling away in the woods this spring. Your chance to put in for a 2025 turkey hunt has come and gone but, not to worry because there will be plenty of over-the-counter tags available for purchase and that late hunt can be a good one. Last year, I told the story I called “Double Trouble” in which my good friend Andy and I doubled on a couple of nice toms. Well would you believe me if I … Read More

The Greatest Adventure In The Woods

Robert WellerBucks n Bears, Friends of ELO, Hunting Stories & Adventures

Mentoring our youth can be one of the most rewarding things you can do as a hunter. Investing time in our young people is not only what a responsible hunter should do but it’s a way to continue your own legacy as well. Young people today seem to have a lack of good role models, so I consider it a real privilege to get the opportunity to have an impact in the life of a young person. I mentored my first youth before my own son was old enough to start hunting. I was searching … Read More

Sometimes Lessons Need To Be Relearned

Robert WellerFriends of ELO, Hunting Ethics & Safety, Hunting Tips & Techniques

Well folks I don’t know about you but we had a decent deer season for 2024. A total of 6 deer were taken off the property we hunt this year and every one of them by yours truly. Not for lack of effort by my son or the landowner (Steve) and his daughter, but I just seemed to be the one blessed with the most opportunities. The old saying goes, I’d rather be lucky than good any day. Not to discount the skill and knowledge that are needed to successfully hunt a mature whitetail, but … Read More