Up and Adam Adventures

If you're planning a hunting, hiking or fishing trip in Wyoming, Colorado (and soon Montana) I can't recommend enough that you check in with the folks at DIYHuntingMaps.com . I ordered a few different topo maps of the area in Wyoming I'll be hunting this year, and the one from DIYHuntingMaps.com is far and away the most detailed I've seen. The topography detail is incredible, and it shows all the trails, lakes and streams in the area, making it perfect for hunters, as well as fishermen. It's also printed on waterproof paper so taking it into the field shouldn't be a problem.  In addition to paper maps, the site also offers digital maps for your GPS device, and is chock full of info about each states hunting regulations, draw process, and tips to help you be successful in your area. It breaks down deer, elk and antelope areas, as well as area specific statistics on each species. Needless to say, you could spend a lot of time on this site! 

For the past few years I've been hunting the same area in Wyoming with an Area 67-68-69 Type 9 archery elk tag, usually purchased in the leftover sales. Although I've gotten closer each year, I haven't been able to seal the deal on a bull. But because of the remoteness and amount of wilderness in the area, there are always leftover tags and I felt sure I would be able to keep coming back to this area until I got it done. This past season, a world record elk was killed nearby with a crossbow on a General tag. Although that's great news for hunters and speaks to the genetics of elk in the area, suddenly this area is so popular that there were no tags leftover this year. Suspecting this might be the case, I applied for the tag through the draw system back in January but was unsuccessful. Not wanting to sit the elk season out, I jumped on an area 97 tag that was available.  So this year instead of hunting an area I'm very familiar with, I'll be sta

This past weekend I attended the World Deer Expo in Birmingham, AL. This was my second time at the event and it's a one-of-a-kind show with vendors, celebrities, displays and merchandise to rival almost any outdoor show. This year for me turned out to be a very special show.  I attended the show with my friends Roger and Connie Flynn, and up until a few days before, I wasn't for sure I was going to go. I was originally going to be working while the show was going on but I started a new schedule and was going to be off Saturday, but working late Friday night and I knew that waking up early to make the trip could be tough. But I decided it would be a good day no matter how tired I was and I was going to make the most of it. Mine and Roger's plan was to find the best deal we could on supplies for food plots.  Shows like this are filled with all things new. There are new products that longstanding companies come out with each year, new companies making thei