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Web Pro Staff

About the D&DH Web Pro Staff

Deer & Deer Hunting traces its origins to the humble beginnings of the Stump Sitters Whitetail Study Group — a grassroots, all-volunteer organization of hunters who shared a passion for the white-tailed deer. Stump Sitter members would submit observations from the field, reviews of products, articles on deer hunting tactics and even humor pieces. The Deer & Deer Hunting Web Pro Staff brings this concept into the online world.

Members of our Web Pro Staff are deer hunting's diehards — these folks, who hail from around the country, think about deer hunting year round, and while many may not be widely known (yet) they are some of the most knowledgeable deer hunters you'll find anywhere. The Web Pro Staff provides honest feedback on everything from hunting tactics and in-the-field hunt observations to favorite products — both in online articles, The Rub Line blog, and the forum, where many serve the role of moderate for the D&DH State Forums.


Welcome Steve Sorenson of Pennsylvania — Our Newest Web Pro Staffer!

Forum Handle: Everyday Hunter Steve Sorensen everydayhunter@gmail.com Home State: Pennsylvania How long you've read D&DH:  Since the early 1980s Biography:  When I was six years old my dad brought home a 10-point buck, and I've been infatuated with hunting ever since. It would be six more years before I could buy a license, but even before that my Pennsylvania Game News was the highlight of my month. I read it ragged, believing that a magazine would someday publish my writing. I've written for many of today's magazines, plus a couple from the past, and I also write a regular column called "The Everyday Hunter" which is published in several newspapers. I am pastor of a rural church, and speak regularly at wild game dinners held throughout the northeastern United States. Today, I'm as excited as ever about deer hunting -- especially since we're now letting our deer in Pennsylvania get a little older. I hunt with rifle, bow, inline muzzleloader and camera. Forum Handle: kykevin Kevin Stephens kevin7144@gmail.com Kentucky How long you've read D&DH: 20+ years Biography: I have been hunting for over 24 years and killed my first deer when I was 9. I write about my outdoor exploits and have been published in several local papers as well as Buckmasters and several online sites. I am a total hunting geek! I have more books on hunting than my local library. I own land in Owen County, Kentucky and routinely hunt over 100 days a year. My best buck to date is a 150-class bruiser and I've been fortunate enough to have taken several 140-class deer. I have been reading D&DH magazine since my stepdad starting receiving it back when I was a little boy. Forum Handle: eagle eye John Wojtas johnwojtas@gmail.com Georgia How long you've subscribed to D&DH: 2 years I have spent the last 30 plus years studying honing my skills as it relates to woodsmanship and hunting. I was born and raised in Michigan and cut my teeth on whitetail hunting at an early age on state land near Sterling, Michigan. I am a former hunter safety instructor, an original member of BAD (Ted Nugent’s Bow Hunters against Drugs) and a lifetime license holder in Michigan and Alabama. I have listened to Ted’s tribute to Fred Bear every opening day since the single cassette was released. This year I will hunt whitetails in Georgia, Alabama, and Illinois. Our family does not buy red meat but eats the venison that we harvest on a yearly basis. Forum Handle: passin through Rollin Alford rwa123@windstream.net Louisiana How long you've been reading D&DH: 8 years Biography: I live on the extreme southern border of Arkansas and Northern Louisiana and own land and hunt exclusively in LA.  My father and  grandfather taught me how to track and conduct deer drives.  Almost exclusively I learned how to still/stand hunt from my grandmother who was an outdoors woman beyond compare.  I took my first deer when I was 12 years old hunting with her.  I am the DMAP coordinator for my hunting club and also sit on its board of directors. I age all our jawbones, keep the statistical data and publish it in a newsletter for our club.  My hunting revolves almost entirely around the whitetail deer.  My deer hunting spans all seasons (gun, bow and muzzleloader) and I generally am scouting, planning, and preparing 365 days a year.  It is safe to say there is not a day that goes by that I don’t do something related to hunting. Forum Handle: tbone Tony  Gonzalez    catvtony@cableone.net   Oklahoma   How long you've been a D&DH reader: 2 years   Biography:  I've been hunting scince the early 1990's and have two young sons that love to hunt and fish. I love teaching them everthing that I have learned over the years. In addition to spending time deer hunting and with family, I am a pro staff member for Quaker Boy game calls and attend hunting shows around the state of Oklahoma. Forum Handle: Buckman82 Scott Patton scottpatton@netzero.net Home State: Texas How long you've been a D&DH Subscriber: 10 years Biography: I am an avid whitetail deer hunter, turkey hunter and waterfowler.  I have 20 years of hunting experience and love the sport.  I'm mostly a bow hunter, but occasionally pick up a rifle.  My skill set includes biology and management of both whitetailed-deer and turkey.  I can score for Boone and Crockett, Pope and Young, and the Buckmaster scoring systems.  I also write outdoor articles, and love this aspect of our sport very much. I live and breathe hunting and the outdoor lifestyle.  My area of specialization is hunting the Hill Country of Texas, but I've hunted everything from wide open spaces, to the swamps of East Texas.  Forum Handle: Haywood Jason Haywood Jason@Tobemfg.com Home State:  North Carolina How long you've been a D&DH Subscriber: 2 years Biography: This will be my 15th year hunting whitetails and I have loved every minute of it. My grandfather introduced me to the sport when I was a little boy starting out with a 410 shotgun. Since then, I have upgraded to more powerful firearms and have developed a passion for bow hunting. I get more and more infatuated with deer hunting every year. I graduated from college this May and moved back home to the small town where I grew up. My school was over 3 hours away from my hunting properties and I still managed to log well over 200 hours in the woods last season. The possibilities are endless for the amount of time I will be hunting as this new season approaches. I am very fortunate to have an understanding boss that has already committed to working around my deer schedule. I work for a machine shop where I fabricate custom machinery for our customers. This allows me to build feeders, tree stands, and other hunting related items in my spare time. Like most other web pro staff members, I read Deer and Deer Hunting magazine cover to cover and use the knowledge I gain to better myself as a hunter.  Forum Handle: Patriot Paul Krueger paulkrueger1@yahoo.com Home state:  Minnesota How long you've been a D&DH Subscriber: 7 years Biography:  Like many hunters, my father introduced me to white-tailed deer hunting.  It is something I have loved and cherished for 20 years now.  I remember my father reading D&DH to me when I was too little to read for myself.  Most of my hunting takes place at my in-laws farm 3 hours away from the Twin Cities where I live.  It's a long way to go, but I am grateful to have a place to call my own.  I hope to pass on this wonderful tradition to my three children.  I am currently spearheading the Centershot Ministry (similar to National Archery in the Schools Program) at my church and can't wait to introduce area youth to bow-hunting! Forum Handle: FergVA David Glenn Ferguson thefergs@meckcom.net Home state: Virginia (also hunts Alabama) How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 10 years Biography: “I grew up in southern Virginia and killed my first deer when I was twelve years old. Even though it was in front of dogs, I was hooked. I gave up hunting with dogs when I was about 16, and started hunting deer. This is difficult here since the dogs run practically year round but I have managed to have reasonable success by adding bow and muzzleloader hunting to my acitivities. After I graduated from college, I moved around a bit and that limited my hunting. Even so, I have made it back home to Virginia and my wife says I am obsessed with deer hunting. We own a little over 200 acres that we attempt to manage for deer and turkeys. I made a good friend in Alabama and join him every January for a rut hunt there after our season ends. Forum Handle: HiddenHornsRanch Joshua Berckenhoff j_berckenhoff@live.com Home state: Texas How long he’s subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 6 years Biography: “I have been hunting for over ten years with both bow and gun. I take hunting very seriously, and am a strong believer in QDM. I have had the oppurtunity to take four mature bucks (11, 9, & 2-8 pointers), along with younger class deer (2 spikes, & 5 pointer). I've hunted south Texas, the Hill Country and the Central/Eastern region. Currently I am pursuing a wildlife biology degree (deer specifically), and help out on a local hunting ranch." Forum Handle: djohns13 Darren L. Johnson DJohns13@wm.com Home state: Indiana How long he’s subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 5 years Biography: “I have lived in Indiana my whole life and have pursued white-tailed deer over most of central Indiana.  Deer & Deer Hunting is my favorite magazine as I feel it has the right mix of emphasis on deer hunting and biology.  It is the only magazine that I read cover to cover without exception.   “I currently manage the hunting on Waste Management’s 975-acre Twin Bridges landfill in Danville, Indiana.  The property is managed based upon age of the deer population, with heavy emphasis on doe population reduction.  We require all hunters who take a buck to only take a middle-aged or older buck (3.5 years or older), unless it is a hunter’s first buck or if there is something unique that is truly special to the hunter. Over 90% of our hunting is archery only with the remainder being doe reduction if we feel the doe harvest from archery is not achieving our goals.  Between hunting, scouting, trail camera work and general photography, I am in the woods approximately 100 days per year." Forum Handle: Goose Jake Simon goosedxt@new.rr.com Home state: Wisconsin How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 10+ years. Biography: "I hunt in Winnebago, Waushara, and Outagamie counties and hail from Menasha, Wisconsin. I've been hunting since I was twelve with both bow and gun, I can also remember going out with my dad and grandpa before I could hunt. I'm a diehard bow hunter. Last year, I put in over 120 hours on stand, in addition to post-season scouting, shed hunting, and summer scouting. I was blessed to harvest two does and one 8-point buck with the bow last year. I take notes every time out and keep journals all year. My wife and family support me and are understanding. I've been reading Deer & Deer Hunting for as long as I can remember and read it from cover to cover. I believe in QDM. And I am a scent-control freak! Nothing is more important to me than my family and luckily I get to share this passion with them." Forum Handle: FFKEVIN Kevin Connell cfdrescue11@att.net Home state: Ohio How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: - 9 years Biography: “I started deer hunting with a gun six years ago just to bond with my father-in-law."   But after my first day in the woods I was hooked. Even though I did not take a deer my first year, I enjoyed it so much, I knew it was something I wanted to do the rest of my life.  The next year I bought a bow so I could be in the woods longer and hunt more.  Because I'm a firefighter, I get quite a few days off work which enables me to be in the woods quite a bit.  Last year we started to try to manage the deer herd on our hunting land with year round supplemental feeding, mineral licks, ponds, food plots and brush hogged trails.  The results on our trail cameras are amazing.  I am looking forward to many more years of hunting and passing down what I have learned to my son.” Forum Handle: Shaman William E. Allendorf shaman@blackholecoffeehouse.com Home state: Kentucky How long he’s been subscribing to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 16+ years! Biography: “This is my 26th year deer hunting. I hunt now mostly in southwest Bracken County, Kentucky. I have been blogging about deer hunting since 2004. I have been deer hunting for 26 years -- bow, shotgun, rifle and muzzleloader.  Back in 2001, my family acquired a 200-acre farm outside of Neave, Kentucky. Acorn farming on its own is a rough business, but if you let the deer and turkeys “Hoover” up the acorns first, it is much more rewarding. We have sort of taken the idea of deer camp and turned it into a lifestyle.” Forum Handle: hunt4ever Tom MacLaughlin tmaclaughlin@earthlink.net Home state: New York How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 10+ years. “I have been a diehard whitetail hunter for more than 40 years. I grew up in northern Maine and hunted whitetails there for about 15 years and have hunted with a bow, rifle, and black powder gun in upstate New York for the past 25+ years.   “I am an active member of the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) and am currently enrolled in their Deer Steward Certification Course. Additionally, I successfully completed the Whitetail Alliance Research Association Program. This program was conducted in July, 2007 by NorthCountry Whitetails and provided an increased knowledge of deer management and land stewardship which allows me to better contribute to white-tailed deer conservation.  Included in this program were several lectures by Charlie Alsheimer, D&DH Field Editor, and an opportunity to tour his deer research facility at his homestead in western New York.” Forum Handle: vipermann7 Christopher Kleist vipermann7@hotmail.com Home state: Wisconsin How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 1 year "I consider myself somewhat of a newcomer to the whitetail world. I didn't develop the fascination and respect for deer I have now until I started bow hunting just a few years ago. Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine and TV are by far my favorites. I love that you guys don't focus so much on just killing deer, but on learning about deer. The better you understand a deer, the better you can hunt it. It doesn't help me hunt deer to watch someone else shoot deer on television; what helps me is someone teaching me how to hunt deer. D&DH is the only magazine or TV show I have found to do that." Forum Handle: WiredToHunt Mark Kenyon kenyonm1@msu.edu Home state: Michigan How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 10+ years. Biography: "Currently a senior at Michigan State University, I've been studying hunting publications such as D&DH, Field and Stream and Outdoor Life since elementary school. I have been hunting since I was young and have developed a strong passion for the outdoors and the challenge of the hunt. I hunt with a bow, muzzleloader and rifle in both South and Northwest Michigan.   "In addition to my in-the-field experience, I worked at Gander Mountain for two years providing customers with expertise and advice on hunting, fishing and camping products. I also run a deer hunting blog aimed at the Gen Y demographic, which you can visit at www.wiredtohunt.wordpress.com." Forum Handle: howhill1 James Douglas Sheets tinytornado@hotmail.com Home state: Illinois How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 15+ years! Biography: “I eat, sleep and breath hunting. I can remember as plain as yesterday my first squirrel hunting trip with my grandfather at the early age four. I grew up hunting squirrel, rabbits and pheasants. “Later, the passion for bow-hunting deer was developed. Not having any deer hunters to learn from, I read every article or video production available.  I discovered Deer & Deer Hunting in the early 1990s and have read it religously ever since.” Forum Handle: Prairie Shadow Chris Podoll Prairieshadow@abe.midco.net Home state: South Dakota How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 12 years. “Tagging along on whitetail adventures with my dad and grandfather since I was four years old,  my grandfather now says, ‘I always wanted you to like hunting but I think I might have over done it a little.’ When I began archery hunting, the real obsession with white-tailed deer began. I hunt every chance I get and the rest of the day I dream about what is going on out on the property I hunt.  The last few years I have been very fortunate to be able to hunt 5+ days a week and have harvested a couple beautiful deer, but even more important and enjoyable is learning so much about deer behavior and getting to 'know' each deer and its unique behaviors and characteristics." Forum Handle: ILBowhunter Thomas F. Sawyer   nastfs@att.net   Home state: Illinois   How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 10 years Biography: “I had been a bird and rabbit hunter since I was young, but a friend got me interested in deer hunting. I began bow-hunting in 1991, largely to extend the amount of time I spent in the deer woods, and my enthusiasm for this form of hunting has grown immensely with each season. I have harvested one to two deer each year since my first season.  I took my first P&Y buck on Friday, November 13th in 1992 (136 6/8 in) and my second on my birthday, Friday November 9th, 2006 (137 2/8 in).  Over the last few years, I have done more hunting with my video camera than with my bow. In fact, when I see a deer or hear a noise that might be a deer, my first reaction is to reach for the camera, not my bow.” Forum Handle: DeerCamp Jerry Ciuk gciuk@chartermi.net Home state: Michigan How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 4 years. "When I am not busy with the everyday life stuff I can be found pursuing whitetails. I got started in hunting by shooting targets with a BB gun like just about every other kid. I have been hunting for 9 years and reading D&DH for 4 years. I hunt in Michigan’s UP as well as the Lower Peninsula. I have hunted in Iron River, Escanaba, Midland, Gladwin, Jackson, and Lincoln, just to name a few places. My largest buck is an 8-point. I take great pride in my hunting and spend a great deal of my time reading and learning about deer year round. My heroes are Fred Bear, Michael Waddell, Chuck Adams and my Mother and Father." Forum Handle:Eatdeer Russell Wood eatdeer@webtv.net Home state: Illinois How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: More than 15 years! “I've been deer hunting in Illinois for 20 years with my firearm. I started bow-hunting deer three seasons ago and harvested a nice 4-year-old eight point buck. I enjoy going to the local 3-D target range to practice my bow skills before hunting season. I also enjoy learning about deer, and practicing quality deer management.” Forum Handle: Sailfish Benjamin “Bo” Gittleman bgittleman@att.com Home state: Florida How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 1 Biography: “I recently discovered Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine when I found it on a newsstand shelf. I enjoyed it so much that I went to the Web site almost immediately and signed up on the forum as well (Sailfish). “My introduction to deer hunting was approx 11 years ago. Most of my hunts have been rifle season in Michigan, however this year I will be hunting archery in Florida. I do not have the years of experience as many of the other readers, but that may be beneficial in some respects. I am not set in my ways, always open to try new things, exploring new avenues and ideas, and willing to go out on a limb (no pun intended). “I reside in Tampa, Florida, and am a graduate of the University of South Florida (B.S. Biology, 1992).” Forum Handle: JPH Joseph P. Hogan Home state: Iowa   hunterfit@gmail.com   How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 6 years “I am a lifelong outdoorsman. I began hunting deer and turkeys as a teenager. Since then I have pretty much become a fanatic. I live in central Iowa and have access to several small, but well-situated properties. I also own a small tract of hunting land in northern Missouri where I spend as much time as possible, working on habitat management. I try to measure my success as a hunter in terms of stewardship and memories. Given that scale, I have been pretty successful. But in more objective terms, I have been blessed with a handful of hefty bucks. My personal Mt. Rushmore holds bow kills of 126", 152", 161" and 166" with a firearms 142" to round it out. Equally important is that my doe kill tally continues faster than my buck total. Above all, I try to live my life as a man of God. Which in my case means being the best husband and father of two I can be.” Forum Handle: Fasteddie   Ed McDonald Home state: New York emcdonal@rochester.rr.com How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: 15 years! Biography: “I started gun-hunting a couple years after I got out of the marines, thanks to my father-in-law. I started bow-hunting around 1994 and took my first deer with the bow in 1996 (7 point buck) . I have shot several deer over the years with the shotgun, my 7-30 waters pistol, a 50 caliber NEF in-line and the bow. I take a camera along and shoot photos even if I don't get a shot at a deer with the gun or bow. I prefer treestands to ground hunting. I helped my oldest son get started deer hunting a few years ago and he is an avid bow-hunter. My youngest son started bow-hunting two years ago and he is also hooked. It's great to hunt with your kids and I prefer seeing them shoot a deer rather than shooting them myself." Forum Handle: JOEL Joel Hoffman Home state: New York jjh137@earthlink.net “I've been involved in the outdoors my whole life and an avid hunter for about 15 years. I call the New York City metro area home, and have hunting spots that are within thirty minutes of the Big Apple. “I read Deer & Deer Hunting regularly and have been a subscriber for a long time. I pretty much do it all: gun, archery, muzzleloading, but archery is my favorite. I also help out with youth archery programs and I am very active in political action on behalf of hunting issues. I belong to several outdoor groups, including the NRA and New York Bowhunters. I believe we are merely stewards of the earth and its our job to preserve the hunting traditions we cherish and to pass them along to the next generation.” Forum Handle: Ranwin33   Randy Winchester ranwin33@comcast.net Home state: Kansas, but hunt Missouri. How long he's subscribed to Deer & Deer Hunting Magazine: Two years "As a young boy I started hunting quail, pheasant and ducks. Shortly after graduating college and getting married I stopped hunting (life got in the way) and pretty much let that part of my life end.  In 2001 a Cabela's store opened up near where I live and, after a couple of months, I decided to go make a visit to the store just to say I'd done so. After walking through those doors I can't explain the flood of feeling and emotion that came rushing back to me after 20 years away from hunting — I realized how greatly I had missed that part of my life. In 2002 we purchased 100 acres of timber and pasture in northwest Missouri and after a 20 year absence I started on my new hunting adventures."