I have had the pleasure of going hunting with Max Rowe and his father and wife in Saskatchewan. They filmed my very first hunt aired on television and I had one of the greatest times ever in camp and in the stands with Max and his family. Max and Stacey are first class folks with a commitment to conservation, youth and hunting that is very real. Meeting Max has been a blessing in my life and I am proud to bring you 20 questions with him about the outdoors. Max Rowe will be offering 3 different seminars for the Nation’s Outdoor Sportsmen’s Show:
Virginia Turkey Calling and Strategies
Virginia Whitetail Strategies
Filming your Hunts for your enjoyment
20 Questions for Max Rowe
1. What did you do before you got involved in the outdoors industry?
Technical Engineering related to concrete and bridge construction
2. How did you first get introduced to the outdoors?
My father and a few other fine gentlemen at a camp in Highland Co VA
3. What led you to seek out a career in the outdoor industry?
I absolutely love it. When someone does what they love it’s really not a career it’s a lifelong obsession. As I matured in my hunting and fishing each step in turn became natural for me.
4. Tell us how BTD Game Scents and calls got established.
That’s simple. I needed a better cover scent for deer hunting. Apparently so did many of our fellow hunters! Everything snowballed from there
5. Tell us about Just Killn Time and what your hopes and dreams are for the show.
JKT is a National Hunting and outdoors show that airs 3 times weekly on The Sportsman Channel.
I hope that when someone watches JKT they see the love and passion we have for the outdoors and that they enjoy and learn from what we bring into their living room. My greatest hope however is not only that JKT entertains, but motivates and inspires folks who have never hunted to greet a sunrise and experience the awakening that the mind and body exhibits as they become one with nature. Finding their hunter’s heart so to speak!
6. Who are your favorite hunting partners?
My Wife, my Nephew, a few close friends down in Franklin/Bedford/Amherst counties, and of course my Father.
7. What have you learned from hunting?
Wow, what haven’t I learned from the outdoors! There are so many things, but the main thing is respect for life and the finality of a choice. Learning these things lead to greater self respect for myself and others as well as a great sense of morality in general.
8. As a strong turkey caller what advise can you offer new callers?
Practice a LOT out of the woods so that reproducing the calls come second nature. Call soft and sparingly while working a bird. Too many people call too much, too load, and too often.
9. What is your favorite animal to hunt and why?
That’s Hard. Though I LOVE spring turkeys, if you make me pick one I would have to say Whitetails. A Whitetail 3.5yrs old and older (doe or buck) can present a hair pulling challenge that I have come to love. Besides I cut my hunting teeth on them
10. What is your dream hunt?
Humm… I have already had so many hunts that turned out to be dream hunts; I have been very VERY blessed. If I had to pick one hunt it would have to be an elk hunt for my father. I would LOVE to watch him take a nice Bull.
11. What should new hunters know about filming their hunts and what advice would you give people pursuing a career in outdoor television?
Steady footage and good audio. Get the best camera you can afford then get a good wireless mic system and a compact but sturdy tripod and tree arm to hold them.
To consistently get good footage takes a lot of man hours and dedication. Be prepared to spend more time in the field than ever before. Learn all the functions of you equipment inside and out so you can use them in your sleep.
12. What does hunting teach you about yourself?
Respect for life, which in turn leads to self-respect which leads to respect for others. Hunting also instills a sense values and morality in us all. These things create a common tread that bind (the human race) us together.
13. What conservation organizations do you work with and why?
VA Hunters for the hungry, NWTF, QDMA, RMEF, Quail unlimited, Ruffed Grouse, NRA and several others. Why? Because the woods and the waters have given SO much to me in my life I want to make certain that our Grandchildren’s Grandchildren can experience the same things we can today.
14. Tell us about your favorite gear that you are using currently.
I really have been impressed with Woodseye brand Camo I wear it almost exclusively these days, I use a lot of the New Millennium tree stands they are VERY comfortable to spend the day in. I always have been and am still in love with my Remington 700 rifles. I am a fan of both Parker and Bow-tech archery gear. Oh… the Heater body suit.. the greatest thing to come down the pike in a long time. Getting cold is rare these days….Of course I use BTD scents and calls which are formulated and designed by us. I am also fan of Danner and Georgia boots. Oh..also I would not go in the spring woods without my Thermacell!
15. Tell us a story of the big one that got away and what you could of done differently to have been successful.
There is only one animal of which I still recall our encounter quite frequently in my mind It was not a deer, nor a turkey, not a bear, elk, nor even a big game animal. It was an Albino Fox Squirrel. I know that sounds funny but after first seeing this squirrel during VA’s late muzzleloader season I pursued him with a small .410 (to do as little damage as possible to the hide) shotgun every chance I got, hoping to catch up with him again before the end of the season. I did, and when I did I made a bad shot wounding him and he got up a tree and in a hole that I could not get to. I hated that. I still do, to waste such a unique animal is well, as I said I still think about him several times a year.
What did I learn, that’s simple. I had not carried that .410 since I was about 11. I was 24 when White Squirrel incident (as we have come to call it) took place. I remembered that little .410 as being a powerful weapon able to take game at (in my young mind) 40yd ranges. If I had just taken the time to pattern the little gun I would have realized its range is more like 25yd. Always know your weapons ability and more important your own limitations. It was a lesson I learned the hard way.
16. What should we be doing in the outdoor world to introduce young hunters to the passions of hunting?
That’s simple as pie. Take them out every chance you can. Trust me you will not regret it. Set your state of mind to have a safe and enjoyable time out. Set no expectations, and be ready to leave when they grow tired. Squirrel hunts are great for this, lots of action not a lot of setting in one place to long.
17. What is the biggest tip you can offer new hunters today?
You can want something to much, and try to hard. It’s the same with hunting. Just go hunt, learn while you hunt and enjoy the thrill of the chase! The kill is just icing on the cake! Don’t try and compete with anyone. Remember it’s not always easy but it should always be FUN!
18. How was your hunting season this year?
Great I was able to witness some very cool things with some really neat folks. That’s the greatest thing about hunting. Sharing it, and creating memories. I took several nice animals this year. Better yet I was there to share and preserve several others being taken! I had a blessed year for sure.
19. What animal have you taken are you most proud of and why?
Now that’s tuff. Every animal I have taken I am proud of. I think it s tie. My first deer, a doe I took by myself while Dad was sick back at camp. I will never forget that. For me it was a right of passage from a child to a Man. I took a dandy of a whitetail in Indiana a few years back with the bow off the ground. In both of these cases the waves on emotion were off the charts for me. I am very proud of them both!
20. What trips are on your horizon for 2009?
I will be going to several states chasing Eastern and Osceola Turkeys, maybe even out west for Merriam’s and Rios. I am heading to Texas, Canada and, possibility Kentucky after whitetails. Of course I will be in Virginia as much as I can in between traveling chasing all sorts of game.
www.justkillntime.com(3 times a week on The Sportsman Channel
BTD Outdoors (Scents and Calls)
