Two adventure-loving friends named Chase and Andy based in Austin, TX, shared a passion for the great outdoors and spent their weekends surfing, fishing, and exploring the rugged landscapes of Texas. Their hearts beat with a deep love for nature and a desire to create a brand that reflected their adventurous spirits.
One sunny afternoon, as they sat around a campfire after a long day of surfing on the Texas coast, inspiration struck them like a bolt of lightning. They realized that they wanted to create high-quality outdoor apparel that not only performed well but also captured the essence of their adventurous lifestyle.
With their idea burning brightly, Chase and Andy embarked on a mission to create their dream brand. They named it Howler Bros, after the howler monkeys they encountered on a trip to Costa Rica, which reminded them of the untamed spirit of the wild. The duo was determined to build a company that celebrated the outdoors and the community of like-minded individuals who shared their passion.
Chase and Andy poured their hearts and souls into designing their first collection of clothing. They wanted to create garments that were both functional and stylish, allowing outdoor enthusiasts to feel comfortable and confident in any adventure they undertook. Each piece was carefully crafted with attention to detail, using durable materials that could withstand the elements.
Howler Bros was about more than just apparel; it was about fostering a sense of community. Chase and Andy believed that the outdoors had the power to bring people together, to inspire them, and to create lifelong friendships. They wanted their brand to serve as a rallying cry for adventure seekers everywhere.
As Howler Bros gained traction and grew in popularity, the duo remained committed to their core values. They partnered with environmental organizations to support conservation efforts and give back to the wild places they cherished. They organized beach cleanups, river restorations, and educational programs to raise awareness about the importance of preserving nature for future generations.
With each passing year, Howler Bros expanded its product line and touched the lives of more outdoor enthusiasts. From rugged flannel shirts to technical fishing gear, their offerings were beloved by adventurers worldwide. The brand became synonymous with quality, style, and a deep respect for the natural world.
But through all their success, Chase and Andy never lost sight of their initial vision. They regularly spent time in the great outdoors, seeking new adventures, and connecting with fellow adventurers. They understood that staying true to their roots was crucial to their company’s continued success.
Today, Howler Bros stands as a beacon of outdoor adventure, inspiring countless individuals to explore the wild, to seek thrill, and to embrace the untamed spirit within. The company’s apparel continues to push boundaries, combining innovative design with a timeless sense of style. And behind it all, Chase and Andy remain at the helm, guiding the company with their unwavering passion and dedication.
The story of Howler Bros is a testament to the power of chasing dreams and staying true to one’s values. It serves as a reminder to us all that when we connect with nature, we connect with something larger than ourselves—a force that ignites our spirits and fuels our desire to explore the world around us. And as long as there are adventurers yearning for the thrill of the unknown, Howler Bros will be there, ready to outfit them for their next great journey.
Fly fishing is often a solitary sport, and many anglers like it that way. The experience of being alone on a pristine river with just a gentle breeze and the swish of the line playing out, not to mention the glory of reeling in a big one, is an almost religious endeavor for some outdoor lovers.
However, there are bound to be the encounters that are memorable for the wrong reasons—and not just because the big one that got away. Instead, it’s the fellow fishermen (and women) who sometimes are to blame for a less-than-enjoyable encounter on the water.
So, with plenty of great fishing days still up for grabs this summer and into fall, here’s a look at the unwritten rules of fly fishing etiquette. Put them to use around Wyoming or wherever else the fish are biting.
Respect the space of others.
Unless you want to catch a fly in the back—or catch plenty of flak for being the one to land a fly on someone else’s back—give your fellow fisherfolk plenty of room. If you walk down the river and find someone already there, find another spot a few runs up; generally there’s enough space for everyone. As Tim Wade, owner of North Fork Anglers in Cody, notes: “Just because someone is fishing there doesn’t mean that’s the only place to catch fish.”
If you’re staking out your spot along with other anglers, all you have to do is either quietly observe which direction they’re headed in, and plan accordingly. Or you can politely ask where they’re headed. “Communication is key,” Wade notes.
Respecting others’ space also applies to boaters, too. “Proper etiquette is to give the fisherman around you room to fish,” says Dave Crowther, a local fly fisherman and builder of custom rods. “Boat fishermen should make sure not to stop right where someone on shore is casting. There should be enough distance between the boat and shore not to overlap lines.”
Watch where you’re casting (and back-casting), too, especially in more crowded areas: Don’t be that guy (or gal) who’s yanking and whipping his line like a cowboy with a lasso.
Respect the resource, too.
Trout are fragile creatures. “It takes a long time to grow a fish in this area,” says Crowther. “A 24-inch trout can be four years old and then they only have another couple of years left to live.”
Anglers who are fishing catch and release must learn proper release techniques, as improper or sloppy handling can also mean a dead fish. Keep the fish out of the water a maximum of five or six seconds when you snap that trophy photo. Proper fish handling helps protect a delicate resource.
Keep quiet and calm.
One of the most beautiful aspects of fishing is the serene sound of the wilderness: the river, birds, and wildlife, and of course, that glorious sound of the fly whizzing through the air. Keep the peace by keeping your voice low and if you do land a big one, keep the hooting and hollering to a minimum. It’s fine to get excited about fishing, and to celebrate your catch, of course, but do it with some decorum. Similarly, if you’re fishing mid-river: Don’t splash around and stir up the water.
Don’t forget about the little things.
Keep in mind that something as seemingly insignificant as your shadow along the bank can alert the fish and disrupt someone’s fishing; walk far enough off the bank to mitigate that issue. And, if your dog won’t be winning any awards for obedience, it might be best to leave him or her home on this one. The only animals your fellow fishermen want to worry about are the ones with fins in the river.
Learn four powerful little words.
If you you spend enough time fishing, sooner or later you’ll be the at the receiving end of some of the slip-ups mentioned above. And when that happens, don’t get riled up or blow your cool. Instead, politely point out the problem, and if you’re met with resistance, here’s what you say: “You must be new.” Then smile and keep casting.
Written by Leslie Tribble for RootsRated and legally licensed through the Matcha publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@getmatcha.com.
Today, outdoor recreation is a big business that includes multiple activities, different sectors and an annual contribution of $889 billion to the country’s economy. However, in spite of the sector’s size and diversity, the government is only involved in a few of these activities through licensing and registration processes. More specifically, participants in hunting, fishing and boating either are required to buy licenses or submit annual registrations to government agencies.
What is interesting about government-run licensing and registration processes is that not much has changed over time. Today, hunters, anglers and boaters can do much of the same things needed to get their licenses or registration online through agency websites; however, the perception of having to endure a bureaucratic process still exists. Additionally, the unspoken values that a customer gets in return for purchasing a license or registering his or her watercraft remain vastly under promoted. Besides securing the legal right to hunt, fish and harvest an animal or to use your watercraft, anglers, hunters and boaters also receive a bundle of lesser known rights, values and responsibilities – we call this bundle the hidden values of a hunting, fishing and boating. Unfortunately, these agencies have not effectively communicated about these values, which helps to create an ethically driven culture compelled by conservation behaviors that protect the environment, species and habitat.
Hunting and fishing all create impacts to the environment and the licensing/registration processes represent a critical part of a longstanding user-pay model that has funded conservation for over eighty years to help offset these various impacts. This federal-state-industry partnership has been a very powerful collaborative conservation model.
When hunters, anglers and boaters engage in a transaction with a state fish & wildlife agency, they exchange money to secure a legal right to hunt, fish or boat and harvest an animal or fish. Included within this right is the basic acknowledgement of a state’s authority to manage fish, wildlife and waterways and to abide by the various regulations that govern these activities. While this partnership has been very successful over the past eight decades, a lot has changed and now is the time to improve the partnership and maximize the hidden values of these activities to help elevate conservation.
The impacts that hunting, fishing and boating all create, their foundations are grounded in an ethical framework. While the framework differs between activities, the overall focus is on safety and conserving the environment. Unfortunately, with today’s culture of busyness and a lack of time; these processes have been reduced to financial transactions and the ethical conservation frameworks have become an afterthought.
Regardless of this reality, obtaining a license or registration is still key touchpoint to engage prospective customers in conservation. With the transaction’s exchange of legal rights for money, this specific interaction represents an ideal opportunity to promote conservation’s ethical framework. At the end of the day, these licensing and registration processes not only generate money, they also provide a critical opportunity to communicate with customers – in essence, these bureaucratic processes have an embedded communications platform that can be maximized to promote conservation.
Since we are now living in the age of internet, information has become much more accessible and technologies like smartphones have changed how we consume information and interact with one another. The federal-state-industry partnership that has been so successful in funding conservation needs to adapt and use this new technology to sell licenses, promote boater registrations and elevate the ethical culture that is so important to these activities.
Fortunately, a forward-thinking company, Pursuit has focused on these processes and has developed a refined smartphone application that allows state agencies to sell licenses, promote boater registrations while also elevating conservation’s ethical framework. Besides helping the states, the Pursuit also helps hunters, anglers and boaters by simplifying the licensing and registration processes with an organized license utility and real-time field-mapping program for mobile devices.
This new smartphone technology makes these processes much more accessible and the Pursuit app’s multi-purpose functionality and its communication capabilities can be leveraged as a targeted conservation messaging platform that helps sportsmen remember their obligations and ethics while in the field or on the water. Research shows that when organizations deliver repetitive messages at key points, the receiver is more likely to answer the call to action. With technology being part of our everyday lives, now is the time to take advantage of smartphone technology to help with the licensing and registration processes and elevate the ethical foundation for interacting with nature by pushing out the critical conservation messages.
Besides registering your boat and buying your license, hunting, fishing and boating all have specific and important conservation principles that influence these activities. Fair Chase, an ethical approach to hunting big game animals where the animals are wild and free-ranging, and not confined by artificial barriers is one of the more influential principles for hunting. In a similar vein, the practice of catch & release influences anglers to use this conservation practice to unhook and return to the fish to water. This maintains healthy fish populations and allows anglers to catch fish again. With boating, stopping aquatic hitchhikers is another influential conservation practice. Boats can inadvertently move non-native species to other waters, so it is important for boaters to clean, drain and dry their equipment and prevent the spread of these harmful species. Ultimately, with a growing population and interest in the outdoors, these ethics must be practiced vigilantly to help conserve game species and their habitat.
In addition to the conservation-driven values, a host of other values and benefits exist that a person gains access to when they purchase a hunting or fishing license or register their boat with their respective state agency. To effectively position this communications platform and to elevate the conservation ethics, it is important to highlight these other features. Below is listing of some of the other values and benefits that people can access when they buy a license or register their boat.
Access to awe – Nature is incredible and by purchasing a license or registering watercraft, people purposefully choose to access the outdoors, whether it’s the mountains, rivers, open space or wildlife populations. This choice gives us access to Nature, its beauty, healing powers and connectivity.
Improved mental and physical health – Whether you fish, hunt or boat, these activities require you to be fit and skillful in your engagement of Nature. Also, with incredible therapeutic value, Nature gets us out of our heads and into a world where we are part of something larger. Harvard and other research institutions show that Nature interactions are very beneficial to our mental health and hunting, fishing and boating get us into Nature and create connections to life all around us.
Stronger family and friend relationships – One of the best things about choosing to engage in hunting, fishing and boating are the relationships we have and the value that these experiences can create for them. With Nature, we see each from a different perspective and strengthen our relationships with each other.
An escape from everyday life – Modern day life is hectic and chaotic. We are under pressure to make money to feed our families and pay our mortgages. These pressures mount and create undue amounts of stress. By engaging in Nature, we can escape this chaos and rejuvenate ourselves with our escape from modern society.
A spiritual connection with other living things – Activities like hunting and fishing require concentration and skill. Once this mental stamina is built and the skills are realized, hunters and anglers begin to notice things around them, like the rise of a trout sipping a mayfly, the majesty of a moose in the wild or the wind whispering through the aspens. These experiences help you to appreciate Nature, it’s vibrancy and all of its creatures and it makes you want to share these experiences with others, because you begin to realize what is truly important.
Benchmade has always been known for producing top-notch knives, and the Hidden Canyon Hunter lives up to that reputation.
The build quality of this knife is exceptional. It features a full-tang construction, meaning that the blade extends all the way through the handle, providing added strength and durability. The blade itself is made from high-quality stainless steel, which not only offers excellent corrosion resistance but also retains its sharpness for a long time. The blade shape is a drop point, which is versatile and well-suited for various tasks.
The ergonomics of the Hidden Canyon Hunter are fantastic. The handle is made from durable G10 material, which provides a secure and comfortable grip even in wet conditions. The knife has a generous finger position and jimping on the spine, allowing for precise control during intricate tasks. The overall size of the knife is compact, making it easy to carry and maneuver, especially when field dressing or skinning game.
The Hidden Canyon Hunter has never been left home during pursuits. The blade arrived razor-sharp out of the box and maintained its sharpness throughout extended use. The drop point design allows for excellent control and precision when performing tasks like field dressing, skinning, and even light camp chores. The blade’s size strikes a good balance between versatility and maneuverability, making it suitable for a wide range of outdoor activities.
the Hidden Canyon Hunter comes with a sturdy and well-designed leather sheath that provides secure retention and easy access to the knife. The sheath can be attached to your belt, gear or for those of us who like quick access during ice fishing it can be slung around your neck, ensuring that the knife is readily available when you need it
Overall, the Benchmade Hidden Canyon Hunter Knife is a top-quality hunting and outdoor knife that offers exceptional performance, durability, and functionality. It combines excellent craftsmanship, reliable materials, and a user-friendly design, making it a reliable companion for any outdoor enthusiast or hunter. While it may have a higher price point compared to some other options on the market, the Hidden Canyon Hunter is worth every penny for those who demand a high-performance knife that will last for years to come.
Turkey patterns constantly change during the Spring season, knowing what those are and what they might mean for your hunt can be critical in filling that tag. During the final week of May, turkeys may exhibit specific behaviors due to various factors, including breeding activity, weather conditions, and hunting pressure. Here are some key behaviors to consider during this time:
1. Breeding activity: By late May, the turkey breeding season is typically winding down, but there may still be some late-nesting hens and active gobblers. Toms might continue to gobble, but their response to calls may be less enthusiastic compared to earlier in the season. However, if you come across receptive hens, gobblers may still be in pursuit.
2. Roosting patterns: Turkeys generally maintain consistent roosting patterns, and during the final week of May, they may still be using the same roost sites as earlier in the season. Pay attention to where turkeys roost, as it will help you plan your morning setups.
3. Feeding routines: Turkeys will continue to feed throughout the day, with a focus on replenishing their energy reserves after the breeding season. Identify preferred feeding areas such as open fields, agricultural fields, or mast-producing trees. Turkeys will often travel to these locations during the late morning or early afternoon.
4. Increased wariness: As the season progresses and turkeys have experienced hunting pressure, they tend to become more cautious and wary of calls and decoys. They may be less responsive to aggressive calling and exhibit more skepticism towards decoys. Using subtle and realistic calling techniques can be more effective.
5. Adjusting to weather conditions: Weather can play a significant role in turkey behavior during late May. If the weather is warm, turkeys may adjust their activity patterns and feed more during cooler hours. Rainy or windy conditions may limit their movement and make them more likely to seek sheltered areas.
6. Changing habitat preferences: By late May, turkeys may alter their habitat preferences. They might move from dense cover used during the breeding season to more open areas, such as fields or edges of woodlands. Consider scouting to identify these transitional areas.
7. Hunting pressure impact: Turkeys that have experienced hunting pressure throughout the season can become more difficult to hunt. They might move to less-accessible areas, become more nocturnal, or change their patterns altogether. Adjust your hunting strategies accordingly, such as hunting quieter or less-pressured locations.
Observing turkey behavior in your specific hunting area during the final week of May is crucial. Spend time scouting, noting any changes in turkey activity, and adjust your hunting techniques accordingly. Adapting to their behavior patterns can increase your chances of a successful hunt during the closing days of the season.
