Cabela’s Hamond IN- Backpacking Remote Locations

“The one who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone, is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been.” Albert Einstein

Traveling to the Hammond Indiana Cabela’s to share my experiences backpack hunting with people who either dream about going to such remote locations or are planning on going to these remote locations was a real thrill for me.  

The first hour of my seminar was an outline of the benefits for first time backpack hunters in using an outfitter to learn some of the ins and outs of this style hunting and how to do it as safely as possible, to having guaranteed tags and a pre-determined place to hunt, to the semi-guided hunt where it is up to the individual hunter to take an active role with the outfitter or guides assistance in the success of the hunt to complete do it yourself backpack hunt where you have no help or aid from an outfitter or guide.

The second hour of my seminar was a basically backpacking 101, a complete gear shake down. What to wear, necessary items to bring, how to pack your gear, food preparation and the basics of backpacking.

During this portion of the seminar, I was able to share my own personal mountain hunting experiences and photos as well as some of the experiences of Bryan Martin from Canadian and Asian Mountain Outfitters. Bryan has personally completed well over 80 backpack style hunts, is my good friend and my own personal backpack style hunting mentor.

Much of my knowledge shared in my seminars is tried and true tips that have been passed down to me from Bryan and his years of mountain hunting. I am blessed to not have to make all of the mistakes that he has made on the mountain.

My third and final seminar was for the ladies in an introduction to archery shooting and hunting. This was fun as women of all ages filled the seats as eager new archers looking for some tips from another lady in the industry. These are my favorite types of seminars as I feel they make a true lasting impression and help to inspire to turn their archery dreams into a reality. Ladies like these are the ladies that are going to help to ensure the continuation of hunting and shooting sports.

All in all the weekend was a blast, meeting other hunters, shooters and outdoor lovers. I must admit, I was glad to leave the big city of Chicago behind and all the traffic jams and congestion that come with the big city life. I am content living in the mountains, emerging only to share my story with others with the hopes of inspiring someone to fall in love with the mountains, hunting and shooting, that way that I have.