Good Times at Schnee’s Elk Calling Seminar with Chad Schearer

If you happened to be walking around downtown Bozeman Thursday evening, it may have sounded like some of the local wildlife wandered too close to town! Chad Schearer, host of Shoot Straight TV and multi-award winning elk caller, was filling the air with chirps, mews and bugles while passing along some important calling tips to the crowd during a great elk calling presentation Thursday at Schnee’s Powder Horn Outfitters.

Nearly 50 guests crowded around as Chad covered some key points on calling and how to become more successful at calling in the field. With over 20 years of experience calling and guiding hunters in the woods, Chad elaborated on how and when to use calling to your advantage in different types of hunting scenarios. One practice in particular that Chad stressed the importance of was that of “aggressive patience”. According to Chad, this means “patiently waiting until the time is right is to be aggressive”, learning to be aggressively patient is a valuable tool for anyone that would like to become more successful during the elk season.

During the seminar Chad did a great job of answering questions and he even hung around afterwards to help those who had even more questions about specific types of calls and gear for the hunt. Chad, his wife Marsha and there two boys are very passionate about hunting and the outdoors as well as preserving the outdoor heritage. If you would like to see more of Chad and his family and continue to pick up his tips, tune into The Sportsman Channel 9PM MST Tuesday, 6AM MST Friday or 4:30PM MST Sunday afternoon for Shoot Straight with Chad Schearer.

Thank you to all that attended this fun and informative event and thank you to Chad and his family for coming down and putting on a great show!

Schnee’s Powder Horn Outfitters Pre-Season Hunting Event

Hunting season is almost here in Montana and Schnee’s & Schnee’s Powder Horn Outfitters have everything that you need to prepare for success this season.  Visit us online or stop by our Bozeman retail stores to get setup with the finest in outdoor footwear, clothing, gear and accessories.

Beginning Thursday August 25^th, Schnee’s Powder Horn Outfitters in historic downtown Bozeman will be kicking off a 4-Day Pre-Hunting Season Event. The excitement starts Thursday night with a fun filled evening of elk calling with World Champion elk caller and TV Personality Chad Schearer. Chad will be passing along his knowledge and time-honed skills in-store from 6:30-8 PM for this family friendly event. Chad will be sharing tips and fist hand experience to help make calling a more successful part of your hunt, you do not want to miss this event! During this event Schnee’s will be offering some exclusive in-store specials on all of their premium outdoor footwear with plenty of Schnee’s expert boot-fitters on hand to answer questions and properly fit you into your next hunting boot!

Chad Schearer with a Montana Mule Deer

Aside from being a licensed Montana Outfitter & Guide, multi-award winning elk caller and hosting his popular television show Shoot Straight with Chad Schearer with his family on The Sportsman’s Channel, Chad is also a highly sought after outdoor speaker and lecturer. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to learn from the best during this exclusive workshop brought to you by Chad Schearer and Schnee’s.

On Friday and Saturday, Sitka Gear Tech Rep Ron Thomas will be in-store to answer questions and offer his extensive hunting clothing product knowledge. Sitka Gear is the leading innovator in technical outdoor hunting apparel and gear and all of their fine products are available in-store and online at www.schnees.com. Saturday will also bring local Bozemanite Mark Matheny (founder of UDAP) to the Powder Horn to talk with customers about Bear Safety and answer questions about UDAP’s full-line of Pepper Power defense sprays.

Don’t miss this exciting 4-day event! Stop by and visit us at the Powder Horn for exclusive in-store specials, prize drawings and more! We hope to see you there!

Late Season Nevada Elk Hunt Play-by-Play

This great letter came to us from long time Schnee’s customer Larry R. in Nevada. Thanks Larry, it sounds like this was a pretty intense hunt! We were happy to hear that your Schnee’s boots were there to keep you going on this memorable hunt!

“To the good people at Schnee’s:

My son Brad and I were on a cow elk hunt in eastern Nevada. A freak snow storm hit the area, but the elk were there. After an ugly encounter with snow covered rocks, the four wheel drive on my expeditions failed.

 30 Dec 10 –    0700, calf deep snow, 0 degrees, we press on.

                           1100, knee deep snow, 5 degrees, no elk sign

                           1230, thigh deep snow, 5 degrees, elk tracks!

                           1300, fresh bedding/feeding area, the hunt is on!

                           1400, long shot missed, in hot pursuit. Waist deep snow, -5 degrees.

                           1430, large cow elk down, sun setting, -10 degrees.

                           1600, elk butchered, ready for transport to vehicle, 4 miles, sun gone,    

                                  -15 degrees. Fighting snow, plummeting temps & heavy packs,  

                                  we press on. The temperature drops to -22. Canteens frozen,

                                  food frozen, meat on our backs frozen. Our bodies begin to chill. 

                                  Cold hands, cold face, cold legs, cold everything. Except our feet,

                                 thanks to Schnee’s Hunter II pack boots. Feet? Warm, dry, 

                                 comfortable.      

 31 Dec 10 – 0100, arrive at vehicle. Thank you Schnee’s.”

Larry R.

Nevada

Get Ready for the Hunting Season with Schnee’s

With the General Big Game season underway here in Montana and much of the west, thousands of residents and non-residents are heading into the mountains in hopes of filling a tag or two. Whether you plan on heading out into the mountains on your own or with the service of a qualified outfitter, be sure to visit Schnee’s for all of the backcountry essentials before your next hunt!

Traversing the Rockies in search of big game requires footwear that will provide the proper amount of support, traction and protection to tackle the rugged terrain found across the western US. This may include side-hilling on slippery shale, crossing mountain streams or post-holing through thigh deep snow to get to where your quarry is. Schnee’s Hunter II series of boots have been the go-to choice of boots for outfitters, guides and sportsmen taking to the mountains every fall for over 23 years. Designed for comfort and built to last, the Hunter II is available in 10”, 13” and 16” heights and features Schnee’s exclusive Advantage™ rubber outsole for maximum traction in any condition.

Schnee's Hunter II

During your hunt, stay comfortable whether you are in the saddle, around camp or on the mountain with the Schnee’s Rifleman’s Shirt™. Introduced into the Schnee’s line last Fall, the Rifleman’s Shirt™ has quickly become a favorite among western sportsmen. Combining the fit, feel and warmth of fine wool with the wicking and drying properties of a synthetic, the Rifleman’s Shirt is sure to become your favorite. Available in 4 heathered colors and beautifully trimmed with a genuine leather collar stand and leather button holes on the front pockets, the Rifleman’s Shirt™ also features a generous bi-swing back for a comfortable range of motion.

Schnee’s Rifleman’s Shirts

Finally, don’t forget the little things. Schnee’s carries a wide assortment of invaluable accessories for your hunting season. From premium leather conditioner, canvas quarter bags and binocular suspenders to custom made hunting knives, Schnee’s has you covered.

Hunting Essentials

Before you set out on your next hunting hunting adventure, let the experts at Schnee’s help you prepare for the hunt of a lifetime. All of these great products can be found by visiting our retail stores in historic downtown Bozeman or online at www.schnees.com.

Schnee’s Brings You The Best in Hunting Footwear and Apparel For 2010!

With the fall hunting season approaching fast, Schnee’s has what you need to get prepared for the upcoming season. Whether you are looking for a new hunting jacket or the best hunting boots available, Schnee’s has all of the greatest new clothing and equipment available from Sitka, Prois, Schnee’s, Badlands and more!

Whitetail hunters need to check out the new line of clothing and accessories by Sitka Gear designed specifically with the treestand hunter in mind. Featuring the all new GORE® OPTIFADE™ Big Game Forest pattern and consisting of the Stratus, Downpour and Incinerator Series, Sitka has optimized this new line for the savvy stand hunter. Sitka has also extended the new Forest camouflage pattern to many of their existing items including the Core and Traverse base layers, ascent packs and the ever popular Sitka 90% Jacket and Pant.

Elk hunters should really enjoy Sitka’s newly redesigned Jetstream Hunting Jacket. This jacket utilizes GORE™ WINDSTOPPER® soft shell technology for those windy days hiking and glassing in the high country and for 2010 Sitka has added pit zips for increased breathability as well as a hood for additional protection from the elements. Combine the Sitka Jetstream Jacket with the Jetstream Beanie and Gloves, Sitka Ascent pants and the Sitka Flash 32 pack and you are just about ready to hit the mountains in search of that trophy, but don’t forget about your footwear!

Sitka Jetstream Jacket

Tough terrain, heavy packs and long days afield require quality, supportive footwear. Schnee’s has just introduced the new Montana Mountain Boot™ series built specifically with the serious hunter in mind. Consisting of the Granite™, Beartooth™ and Wilderness™ models, this may just be the best collection of elk hunting boots ever made! Crafted in Italy, these boots feature eVent® breathable membranes for 100% waterproof protection. Full-length heavy duty midsoles combined with extra-thick premium leather uppers work together to provide the highest level of support and comfort in difficult terrain.

Schnee's Granite Boot

Schnee’s is also proud to offer a great selection of clothing and accessories for all of the women hunters out there as well. Women who are tired of settling for the baggy, generic fit associated with wearing men’s hunting clothes will be ecstatic when they discover Prois hunting apparel for women. This great collection of quality women’s hunting clothing is designed, cut and built to perform for women by women!

Badlands Packs has added a ladies pack option this year as well with the Kali Pack. This 2500 cubic inch pack has plenty of room for a day on the mountain and features contoured shoulder straps and hip belt for a comfortable fit for women as well as excellent weight distribution.

Badlands Kali Pack

Archery Elk Hunt- Jason Matzinger

Here’s a photo of the great bull Jason Matzinger got during his archery elk  hunt just outside Bozeman, Montana a few days ago. Jason & Jon Edwards host Powder Horn Montana television – and this fair chase, spot and stalk hunt was caught on video and will be showcased soon on the show. Archery elk hunting is one of the greatest sports in the world. Be sure to watch Powder Horn Montana TV on the Sportsman Channel to see other  big game hunts, archery elk hunting tips, great videos of bull elk, and more. This Sunday’s episode is a new one featuring Jon & Jason’s goat hunting trip in British Columbia!

Jason Matzinger's Bull

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation – 21 Years’ Support

Schnee’s  and Powder Horn Outfitters have supported the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for over 21 years. Here, Tom Johnson and Bart Bauer accept a plaque on behalf of all the Powder Horn staff:

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Awards2008 Elk Calling Champions

More than 50 elk callers from 10 states competed in the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Dickies/CamoWest World Elk Calling Championships to be honored as world champion elk callers. With divisions for PeeWee, Youth, Voice, Women’s, Men’s and Professional; elk callers were judged on a variety of both cow elk and bull sounds.

This year’s Professional Division winner proved to be Joel Turner of Washington State, a lifelong hunter and veteran elk caller for almost 20 years (even though he’s only in his early 30’s). This was just Joel’s third year of competing, making his an impressive win over repeat competitors.

Schnee’s Powder Horn Outfitters is proud to support RMEF elk conservation efforts which is why we donated a free pair of Schnee’s pac boots for the top winners of the Elk Calling Championship to add to their hunting successes.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION News ReleaseSteve Wagner, Blue Heron Communications, 2/25/2008 Elk Callers from Five States Win World Titles MISSOULA, Mont. – New world champion elk callers from California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Washington were crowned during the weekend in Reno. Competition was held in six divisions as part of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s 24th Annual Elk Camp & Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Expo. The event was held for the third straight year at the Reno/Sparks Convention Center. Next year the championships will move to Fort Worth, Texas. The RMEF Dickies/CamoWest World Elk Calling Championships began with preliminary rounds on Friday. Top callers advanced to final rounds on Saturday. More than 50 callers from 10 states competed. In the event, callers have 30-45 seconds to mimic cow elk sounds, followed by bull sounds. Professional-level competitors are required to make specific calls such as barks, whistles and screaming bugles. Most callers blow across a latex reed placed inside the mouth. In the natural-voice division, however, no calling devices are allowed. A variety of plastic tubes are used like megaphones, giving the sounds realistic resonance. Judges score each competitor. Winners received prizes and cash ranging from $500 to $2,500. RESULTS PeeWee Division: 1. Schafer Bungay, Kalispell, Mont. 2. Gavin McKitrick, McAllister, Mont. 3. Tawny Bungay, Kalispell, Mont. Youth Division 1. Gregory Hubbell Jr., Belmont, Calif. 2. Patrick Whitaker, Lebanon, Ore. 3. Ross LeValley, Hotchkiss, Colo. Women’s Division 1. Misty Waggener, Sandpoint, Idaho 2. Deb Bungay, Kalispell, Mont. 3. Bobbi Alwine, Muleno, Ore. Men’s Division 1. Greg Hubbell, Belmont, Calif. 2. Dirk Durham, Moscow, Idaho 3. Thomas Diesing, Loveland, Colo. Professional Division 1. Joel Turner, Eatonville, Wash. 2. Al Morris, Springville, Utah 3. J.R. Keller, Delta, Colo. About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Missoula, Mont., the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. The Elk Foundation and its partners have permanently protected or enhanced over 5.2 million acres, a land area larger than Connecticut, Delaware and District of Columbia combined. More than 500,000 acres previously closed to public access are now open for hunting, fishing and other recreation. The Elk Foundation has more than 150,000 members, a staff of 150 and 10,000 active volunteers. To help protect wild elk country or learn more about the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, visit www.elkfoundation.org or call 800-CALL-ELK.