<h2 dir="ltr">Choosing Your Walleye Charter</h2>
Lake Erie is home to the greatest walleye fishing in the world.&nbsp; With 2.25 million acres of water, Lake Erie&rsquo;s walleye fishery has become a destination for professional anglers, weekend warriors, and the casual angler looking for a change of scenery.&nbsp;&nbsp;
I grew up on the shores of Lake Erie, and still go home to visit mom and dad throughout the year.&nbsp; Anybody that has spent much time in any of the towns along the lake, knows that fishing is a mainstay for summer activities.&nbsp; Walleye have always been a prized possession, but in the past few years, the numbers of walleye in the lake have grown enormously.&nbsp; Hatches are boasting record numbers, and now it&rsquo;s estimated that 2022 and 2023 will be some of the best years ever for fishing in Lake Erie.
Reasons Why The Walleye Numbers Are At Record Highs Right Now:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
2021 hatch survey was 90 fish/hectare
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
The 20 year average is 34 fish/hectare
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
It generally takes 2 years for fish to grow to harvestable size
</li>
</ul>
Do the math. Oh yeah, the lake has had above average hatches since 2015. Bottom line, there are a lot of fish in the lake.&nbsp;
<img src="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/com.gowild.pages/Trophy-Walleye-Picture-1+(1).jpg" alt="" width="500" height="667" />
Okay, so we know there are fish there, but if you didn&rsquo;t grow up on the shores of the lake, how does somebody go about finding a good charter or guide to get them out to those Walleye? Here are a few ways to land a keeper when it comes to a charter guide.&nbsp;
<h3 dir="ltr">Ask a Friend</h3>
When talking with Chris Clemmons, a charter captain for Lakeland Charters, his first recommendation for finding a charter guide was to talk to your friends. You will be amazed at how many people have taken a trip on the lake over the past few years, and of course the best review comes from somebody you trust. See if any of your friends have had a good (or bad) experience with a given company or captain and start there.&nbsp;
In being completely transparent, this is how I find my charter captains most often. It helps that I have years of history in that part of the world, so I get it, not everybody can just pick up the phone and call buddies from back home for that recommendation. However, there are places out there where you can find recommendations. Using a community like <a href="https://timetogowild.com/download" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoWild</a>, and asking a question, will often elicit many responses. Other platforms such as <a href="https://powderhook.com/planning-a-trip-to-lake-erie/?utm_source=gowild&amp;utm_medium=native1&amp;utm_campaign=erie" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Powderhook's Lake Erie Planner</a> can also be useful. If you find a few charter boats, take a look at their recent posts to see how successful they have been.
<h3 dir="ltr">Walleye Fishing Charter Booking Websites</h3>
Think of them like Airbnb but for walleye trips! Many sites have a collection of charter captains across Lake Erie and most are extremely easy to use. It&rsquo;s literally like scheduling a hotel on one of those vacation sites. Choose your location, date, number of days fishing, and group size; pages of options show up.&nbsp; If you aren&rsquo;t familiar with Lake Erie, the western basin has historically been a fantastic area for walleye. Popular docking locations for these charters will be in the Port Clinton, Lakeside and Marblehead areas. But don&rsquo;t limit yourself to that, as there are many great Captains ready to take you out all along the lake. The site you choose can be your guide, to your guide. Most charters have many reviews, so don&rsquo;t take my word for it, check out what the former anglers have to say!
<h3 dir="ltr">What To Expect on a Walleye Chartered Fishing Trip</h3>
Of course nothing is guaranteed when dealing with Mother nature, but if you select your charter and plan for the trip ahead, here are a few things to consider.&nbsp;&nbsp;
You will need your fishing license.&nbsp; Non-residents can acquire a license for $14 for 1 day, $25 for 3 day, or $50.96 for 1 year.&nbsp; Resident costs are $14 for 1 day or $25 for 1 year.&nbsp; You will also need to find out if your captain plans to venture into Canadian waters during your trip.&nbsp; If so you will want to pick up the correct license for that.&nbsp;
Check with your captain about departure times, length of trip, snacks, drinks, etc.&nbsp;
Don&rsquo;t forget sun protection!
You&rsquo;re probably going to catch some fish, and given the recent hatches, you will probably catch a lot of fish, so bring a cooler.&nbsp; The current daily bag limit is 6 walleye.&nbsp; Most of your charters will have a fish cleaning service in-house, or nearby if you desire that.&nbsp; If not, you will want to check with the Captain to discuss post trip preparations.&nbsp;
I want to fish, but my family doesn&rsquo;t, so I can&rsquo;t go, or can I?
Lake Erie is kind of a hidden gem, that is hidden in plain sight.&nbsp; The shallowest of the Great Lakes, it packs a mighty punch when it comes to outdoor activities in the area.&nbsp; I&rsquo;m not just saying this because I grew up there, but there is a ton of stuff to do along the lake&rsquo;s shore.&nbsp; If you happen to be on a family vacation to the area, and perhaps the rest of your crew isn&rsquo;t the fishing type, there are more than enough things for them to do while you are out on the boat.&nbsp;
<h4 dir="ltr">The Lake Erie Islands</h4>
Put-in-Bay and Kelly&rsquo;s Island are great stops on a trip to the lake. Both islands have great restaurants, golf courses, and other cool attractions.&nbsp; A personal favorite of mine is Perry&rsquo;s Monument on Put-in-Bay.&nbsp;
<h4 dir="ltr">Cedar Point <img src="https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/com.gowild.pages/cedar-point-view-from-the-lake+(1).jpg" alt="" width="500" height="667" /></h4>
Hands down, the greatest collection of roller coasters in the world.&nbsp; Along with many other family-friendly activities like Camp Snoopy, Lemmy&rsquo;s Lagoon, the Lake Erie Railroad, and more.&nbsp; Cedar Point has numerous areas to stay the night and other family-friendly activities.&nbsp;
<h4 dir="ltr">Lake Erie Beaches</h4>
Miles of them and I get it, Lake Erie isn&rsquo;t the white sand beaches of the Bahamas, but it&rsquo;s also a lot closer than St. Thomas for most of us. Municipalities up and down the lake have many lakefront parks with beaches for the families to enjoy.&nbsp;
When you are thinking about your next fishing trip, family vacation, or trip to the great outdoors, make sure to consider taking advantage of the historical populations of Walleye in Lake Erie.&nbsp; There is no better time than now to take advantage of that delicious fresh water delicacy!

Lake Erie is home to the greatest walleye fishing in the world.  With 2.25 million acres of water, Lake Erie’s walleye fishery has become a destination for professional anglers, weekend warriors, and the casual angler looking for a change of scenery.  

How To Choose a Lake Erie Walleye Fishing Guide & Why to Fish Lake Erie

Turkey

Bass

Hike, Camp, Cook

Whitetail Deer

by Jeremy Koerber,&nbsp;<a href="https://stayfittohunt.com/shop/workouts?utm_source=GoWild&amp;utm_medium=Story&amp;utm_campaign=HuntLifetime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fit2Hunt</a> 
Whether on the water, in the woods or on the trail, if you are outside this summer you will have to manage heat and humidity. Fail to do the wrong things and you can also get really sick so here are five tips to keep you hydrated, healthy and performing at high levels all summer long.
Tip #1: Understand Acclimation When the temperature rises performance dips, core body temperature increases and the risk of heat&nbsp;illness goes up, but you can perform outdoor activity at high levels if you allow your body to acclimate to warmer temps over the course of 10-14 days. Initially, cut back the intensity and duration of your activity, then slowly build back up over time. Most heat illness occurs in the first two to three days of activity.
Tip #2: Drink Up Once acclimated, increase your fluid intake because your body will naturally sweat more. Always have fluids with you. The vessel you carry it in (water bottle, camel back pack, etc) does not matter. What does matter is you have enough to get you through your activity and beyond.
Tip #3: If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated Thirst is an indicator of dehydration. Most sources will encourage you to drink up prior to going out for a hike, run or working in the woods and suggest 5-10 ounces of fluids for every 15-20 minutes of outdoor activity in hot weather. And avoid alcohol and caffeine. A cold beer on a hot day may sound good but it will accelerate dehydration due to its diuretic effect.
Tip #4: Hydrate &amp; Recover A question we often receive is on what to drink? Generally speaking, for activity less than an hour, water will suffice. Anything longer and we suggest a recovery drink and I will adjust that rule if I go for a quick three mile run in really humid conditions. The product we recommend is <a title="Wilderness Athlete Hydrate and Recover" href="https://wildernessathlete.com/?rfsn=237199.edf08" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wilderness Athlete Hydrate and Recover</a> because it contains both electrolytes and components like branch chain amino acids and B Vitamins that help the muscles recover. Last year I was working on the farm to get ready for deer season and I did not hydrate properly. I credit Hydrate and Recover for helping me avoid having to call an ambulance. Available in both individual packets and tubs, we keep them in the truck, tackle box, gym bag and hunting pack. Use promo code: fittohunt to save some green on your order.
Tip #5: How to tell you are hydrated If you lose a pound of weight when exercising or working outdoors, it will take approximately two cups of fluids to replenish your body. The easy way to ensure proper hydration would be to consume fluids equal to the fluid you lose through sweating but since it is unlikely you are toting a scale on the hiking trail or in the woods there is an easier way to measure hydration levels: Urine color. When properly hydrated, your urine should be an odorless, pale yellow color. A darker, yellow color with an odor is a sign you need to consume more water.
Even mild dehydration will impact performance and ignoring signs of heat illness such as nausea, fatigue, dizziness, headache, and extreme weakness can be catastrophic. Follow these five tips to keep hydrated, be healthy and stay #FitToHunt!
Got a question? Shoot us a direct message or email us at info@stayfittohunt.com. We&rsquo;d love to connect with you!
If you are sitting there today trying to figure out your next move, check out our menu of D.I.Y. programs at&nbsp;<a href="https://stayfittohunt.com/shop/workouts?utm_source=GoWild&amp;utm_medium=Story&amp;utm_campaign=HuntLifetime" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.stayfittohunt.com.</a>&nbsp;You can also use code: GoWild10 to get 10% off every program!
<a style="color: #0063ae; letter-spacing: normal;" href="https://stayfittohunt.com/shop/workouts?utm_source=GoWild&amp;utm_medium=Story&amp;utm_campaign=HuntLifetime" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://gowild-content.imgix.net/pages/CTA+button.png" alt="" width="478" height="46" /></a>
Questions? Message us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:info@stayfittohunt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">info@stayfittohunt.com</a>&nbsp;or shoot us a DM through the GoWild app! We would love to connect with you in your journey to get and stay #FitToHunt!

Whether on the water, in the woods or on the trail, if you are outside this summer you will have to
manage heat and humidity. Fail to do the wrong things and you can also get really sick so here are five
tips to keep you hydrated, healthy and performing at high levels all summer long.

5 Hydration Tips to Beat the Summer Heat

The final of a series: GoWild Cofounder, CEO, Brad Luttrell is sharing the stories behind how GoWild came to work with each <a href="https://tickets.timetogowild.com/event/send-it-slam">Send It Slam</a> artist. 
In September of 2020, a text with a link showed up that said, &ldquo;You need to check this boy out. Now.&rdquo;
The sender was my friend Blake, whose music recommendations are always solid. In addition to that, I saw the link was to Red Barn Radio. If you don&rsquo;t know, Red Barn has famously found many musicians before their big break. In fact, it was because of Red Barn Radio that I started listening to Tyler Childers a full four years before nearly anyone else had even heard of him.
I dove into Cole Chaney&rsquo;s Red Barn show and it held up&mdash;this boy was good. A few months later, Cole dropped his debut, &ldquo;Mercy.&rdquo; I texted Blake again, &ldquo;shew, this kid is good. If he ever teams up with a band, he&rsquo;s going to be off to the races.&rdquo; Blake told me Cole had been playing a bit with a bluegrass band I was more than familiar with&mdash;Wolfpen Branch. I thought that would be a heckuva show, if I ever got to see it.
Little did I know, I&rsquo;d get to see Cole just a few weeks after &ldquo;Mercy&rdquo; was released. He played by himself&mdash;no band&mdash;at the Laurel Cove Music Festival in Pineville, Kentucky, and I made the five minute hike down through the woods from the main stage to see him. Standing with about a hundred people next to a creek, I watched Cole sing Kentucky lullabies and, in between songs, swat the moths flocking to the single light at his back. Just a young man, his guitar and the crickets, and it was one of my favorite sets I saw that year.
Fast forward to planning Send It Slam, we talked about a lot of possibilities for talent. When we decided to make this event a robust flavoring of Kentucky artists, I knew who I wanted to headline.
Cole Chaney.
Much of the GoWild audience grew up like I did. They may not have grown up playing with Tonka trucks in a coal pile or fishing on an Appalachian strip mine, but their journeys are similar all the same. They&rsquo;ve been through hard times, learned to love in small towns, lean on family, have family members who are preachers, and know more good storytellers than any city folk. Cole Chaney writes songs for people like us.
I recently got my wish of seeing Cole Chaney with a full band, and that band was in fact Wolfpen Branch. They played the 2022 Laurel Cove Festival&mdash;this year on the big stage&mdash;and it was one of my favorites I saw there, <a href="https://www.wideopencountry.com/laurel-cove-music-festival-2022/">as well as the media&rsquo;s</a>.
Cole Chaney and Wolfpen Branch are our closing act for Send It Slam, and having seen Cole a few times now and followed his journey for the last few years, I can promise you, this is indeed a boy you need ot checkout. Although, it&rsquo;s pretty clear, young Cole&rsquo;s come of age as a real songwriter now.
Send It Slam is presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company. <a href="http://senditslam.com">Grab those tickets</a>.
About the Author
Brad Luttrell is the Cofounder, CEO of GoWild. His career has taken him through journalism, advertising, technology and the outdoor industry. All along the way, he&rsquo;s had a guitar in his trunk and a song in his head.&nbsp;
<a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/0zyYuEZf1vFOb1OSCgQ5kT?si=ZG0ogR0zRzmmRQTbZZsroA">Listen to Cole Chaney</a> | <a href="http://senditslam.com">Buy Tickets</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2cNdxwvmdqGjSIlZ819i73?si=55a3cf9789fa4656">Listen To The Send It Slam Playlist</a>

Final of the series: GoWild Cofounder, CEO, Brad Luttrell is sharing the stories behind how GoWild came to work with each Send It Slam artist. Meet Cole Chaney. 

Send It Slam Artist Feature: Cole Chaney 

Fourth of a series: GoWild Cofounder, CEO, Brad Luttrell is sharing the stories behind how GoWild came to work with each <a href="https://tickets.timetogowild.com/event/send-it-slam">Send It Slam</a> artist.
When I first arrived in Lexington, Ky. for college, I kept seeing marquee signs that said &ldquo;Fifth on the Floor.&rdquo;
I didn&rsquo;t get it.
Most of my life had been spent in Kentucky&rsquo;s dry counties, tucked deep into the Appalachian mountains. Given you couldn&rsquo;t buy or sell booze, we didn&rsquo;t exactly have a happening music scene in Bell County in the 1990s. Bands prefer to play in proper music venues, and the closest thing we had was a roller skate rink that had a disco ball.
Given my lack of life experiences, it took some time to realize that &ldquo;Fifth on the Floor&rdquo; was a <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/2z9Txoj32jDKvk7nahLmY7?si=bjewgGpvQNaa3VLcOLLupA">band</a>, not a liquor promotion.
It&rsquo;s unfortunate I never went to see that band when I had the chance. They&rsquo;re no longer together, and over the last few years, I&rsquo;ve come to be a fan of Fifth on the Floor&rsquo;s music.
But fear not, there is a second act to this sad story&mdash;and the hero is Justin Wells.
Justin, the frontman for Fifth on the Floor, went on to have a very successful solo career that has taken him all over the country. His album &ldquo;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/2zuUb8veXor7hv3cS2iGY8?si=haBjMVxxS5GwnfVf2GYySw">Dawn in the Distance</a>&rdquo; is an absolute gem, with &ldquo;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/35U939qHPf7dRzzhV6C7SW?si=c9f00a38dd5742fb">Going Down Grinnin</a>&rdquo; and &ldquo;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/1ykIPkk4zyPN0aqQNiDJKd?si=595cf27633d7427b">The Dogs</a>&rdquo; being a few of my personal favorites. In 2020, he dropped another heater with &ldquo;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/6x27DOHv6AWNdtQtQFZmmQ?si=DpcLCpyzRhSA8NtSOLtOAA">The United State</a>,&rdquo; and while they&rsquo;re all great, &ldquo;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/4VB3IPmc2niWsZ5ASjhXfz?si=6c8693672b704719">The Screaming Song</a>&rdquo; is a powerful ballad worth checking out. He turned heads among our GoWild team when he dropped his cover of &ldquo;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/album/3FH3uydFjXziQu3fO6iJ9z?si=aTNBTx7aTAiwHTzkfUyG6A">Blue Moon of Kentucky</a>,&rdquo; too.
Bell County was at one time a centerpiece for the arts. The tourism director there, Jon Grace, has done a great job of bringing music back into the culture, and I recently attended the Laurel Cove Music Festival. It was the second for me, and the first for my cofounders, Zack and Chris, who made the journey down just for the show.
This was my first time getting to see Justin Wells, as well as Abby Hamilton, another Send It Slam performer. Justin made an impression on not only me, but the <a href="https://www.wideopencountry.com/laurel-cove-music-festival-2022/">media</a> that was in attendance, too. He was among Wide Open Country&rsquo;s top 10, as was Abby and Cole Chaney with Wolfpen Branch.
I got to talk with Justin on Friday. He wasn&rsquo;t playing until Saturday, so I thought it said a lot about his character that he came out to hang out with the other artists and see the show. He&rsquo;s a big guy with a beard and long hair. In fact, if you told a stranger he was cast as a viking in an upcoming Netflix original, they&rsquo;d believe it. But after talking to him for just a few minutes, you could see he was as down to earth as they come, and a real, genuine guy.
We are incredibly honored to be hosting Justin Wells and his full band at Send It Slam. Take it from a guy who knows&mdash;you don&rsquo;t want to miss this one. <a href="http://senditslam.com">Grab those tickets</a>.
About the Author
Brad Luttrell is the Cofounder, CEO of GoWild. His career has taken him through journalism, advertising, technology and the outdoor industry. All along the way, he&rsquo;s had a guitar in his trunk and a song in his head.
<a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/2pTYi9YdyoPeIHMu8VEcXj?si=R13KTJvLS3qOgOv--UiA3Q">Listen to Justin Wells</a> | <a href="http://senditslam.com">Buy Tickets</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2cNdxwvmdqGjSIlZ819i73?si=55a3cf9789fa4656">Listen To The Send It Slam Playlist</a>

Third of the series: GoWild Cofounder, CEO, Brad Luttrell is sharing the stories behind how GoWild came to work with each Send It Slam artist. Meet Justin Wells. 

Send It Slam Artist Feature: Justin Wells

Third of a series: GoWild Cofounder, CEO, Brad Luttrell is sharing the stories behind how GoWild came to work with each <a href="https://tickets.timetogowild.com/event/send-it-slam">Send It Slam</a> artist.&nbsp;
My Friday mornings start with coffee and checking Spotify to see what albums were released while I was sleeping. This ritual leads me not only to new music from favorite artists, but often I&rsquo;ll stumble onto songwriters I&rsquo;ve never heard of before.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s how I found Abby Hamilton back in 2020.
Funny enough, I clicked on her song &ldquo;50s&rsquo; Dream&rdquo; because I thought it was a Whitney Rose track, who had become a favorite of mine over the last year. While surprised to hear a different voice, I was far from disappointed.&nbsp;
Abby&rsquo;s presence is big time, which, funny enough, &ldquo;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/5ibzXO4BdeWbbXBz71YNbl?si=61329561f2d54f8d">Big Time&rdquo; is one of my favorite songs of hers</a>. As Justin Wells said in his <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTdvkm1bj/?k=1">cover of the track on TikTok</a>, &ldquo;Abby Hamilton is as monster of a songwriter as we have in Kentucky right now.&rdquo;
After discovering Abby, she became a regular for my speakers. A natural storyteller with a velvet voice, Abby&rsquo;s lyrics have a familiar comfort. Tracks like &ldquo;Fast&rdquo; feel so familiar, in fact, you&rsquo;ll swear you&rsquo;ve heard them before. This song is a great nod to Abby&rsquo;s classic and timeless sound&mdash;the hook, the melody, the bridge&mdash;it&rsquo;s all timeless.&nbsp;
Her track &ldquo;Just Like Me&rdquo; is one of the most raw and real break up songs I have ever heard. I think this song alone&nbsp;could have cured my high school heart breaks, had only I had the antidote in time. The song is unashamed of its spite, which is just perfect for the rage of a lost lover.&nbsp;
Much of the attention for Kentucky&rsquo;s songwriters lately has been on finding the next Tyler Childers. It&rsquo;s a futile search, not because there&rsquo;s only one Tyler Childers (OK, that part is also true) but because what makes Kentucky musicians so great is the unique adversity they&rsquo;ve faced. If you listen well, you&rsquo;ll hear a wise view of the world&rsquo;s challenges in Abby Hamilton.
And if I were a betting man, I&rsquo;d be willing to say in a few years, people will be searching for the next Abby Hamilton. She has everything necessary to put Kentucky once again on the country music map. You won&rsquo;t need a map legend to find her&mdash;just look for the star shining from the middle of the state, or just come on down to Send It Slam to see Abby and her full band. You won&rsquo;t regret it.&nbsp;
About the Author
Brad Luttrell is the Cofounder, CEO of GoWild. His career has taken him through journalism, advertising, technology and the outdoor industry. All along the way, he&rsquo;s had a guitar in his trunk and a song in his head.
<a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/4tw4XGFI9wF5zn4zs6WPv2?si=NgDo5gnfQBufuJUbnAOqyA">Listen to Abby Hamilton</a> | <a href="http://senditslam.com">Buy Tickets</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2cNdxwvmdqGjSIlZ819i73?si=55a3cf9789fa4656">Listen To The Send It Slam Playlist&nbsp;</a>
Photo by Elizabeth Withers

Third of the series: GoWild Cofounder, CEO, Brad Luttrell is sharing the stories behind how GoWild came to work with each Send It Slam artist. Meet Abby Hamilton. 

Send It Slam Artist Feature: Abby Hamilton

Second of a series: GoWild Cofounder, CEO, Brad Luttrell is sharing the stories behind how GoWild came to work with each <a href="https://tickets.timetogowild.com/event/send-it-slam">Send It Slam</a> artist.
The high tone of my guitar ripped away and through the Appalachian hardwoods and echoed back off the slate cliffs and into its final resting place&mdash;the ears of a few dozen teenage bodies. The guitar solo clunked a bit as my guitar strap came undone. My hand rolled and slid up the neck, awkwardly clinging to my six strings trying to play it cool. I pressed on, and then, felt a hand on my back.
&ldquo;Damn, bubby, I didn&rsquo;t know you had it in you,&rdquo; I heard as I turned to see a cigarette clinging to Dave Shoemaker&rsquo;s lip as he snapped my strap back into place.&nbsp;
Our little garage band, DriveStone, finished our last song &ldquo;Give.&rdquo; Looking back, it was really our only song with a decent vocal melody&mdash;we were not destined for a record deal. Our chord progressions were mediocre southern rock ballad attempts at originals, and we were borderline banal. Still, at that moment, I was proud of our set and even more proud that my guitar playing had gotten the nod of Dave Shoemaker.
Let&rsquo;s be real&mdash;this was just a house party. We were just some punk kids from the hills. Regardless, 20 years later I still remember this show because it had brought us to opening up for Dave Shoemaker. He was the cooler older brother of my friend, Ashley. At that time and funny enough, Dave was the lead singer&mdash;or maybe screamer&mdash;of a heavy metal band&nbsp;that would melt your face and ears into a glass and mix it with a shot of bootlegged whiskey.
Dave and I didn&rsquo;t stay in touch after I moved for college. About 15 years later, through our mutual best friend Blake Carpenter, we started hanging out again here and there, and I realized he had evolved.&nbsp;
Dave traded in his distorted metal power chords for soul wrenching country refrain (Dave does still wear mostly black&mdash;very metal).
I&rsquo;ve seen Dave play several times now at music festivals&mdash;including a show with Dalton Mills and Cole Chaney&mdash;and he always approaches the mic the same. He has a story to tell, and he&rsquo;ll die before he fails to tell it. He seems to transform into his songs&rsquo; heroes and heroines as he closes his eyes and leans into the mic.&nbsp;
<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/6xLyAewzBUTa8moN5ycYev?si=2b3f89e35d1a4e36">His song &ldquo;Foreverything&rdquo;</a> is about his grandparents, and the first time I saw him play it at a festival, it soaked up my heart and wrang it out like a dirty sponge. And he&rsquo;s not just an emotional lyrical performer&mdash;this dude can play a six string. Dave&rsquo;s guitar licks are classic eastern Kentucky, found among the likes of Tyler Childers and Cole Chaney, as seen in songs like &ldquo;<a href="https://youtu.be/DUPCu9vKL5M">Mountain Song</a>.&rdquo; But while those rolls and hammer ons are familiar, his chord progressions offer something more. Songs like &ldquo;<a href="https://youtu.be/ffIVx3TMm7s">Henrietta Blues</a>&rdquo; have a distinct progression that&rsquo;s as memorable as they are attention-grabbing.
Dave takes the stage after Dalton Mills and before Abby Hamilton. I can promise you a few things about the set:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">Dave may or may not have shoes on&mdash;that&rsquo;s a Kentucky stereotype we all embrace</li>
<li dir="ltr">He will probably be wearing black, despite the July heat</li>
<li dir="ltr">He&rsquo;s getting a hug from me when he walks off that stage</li>
</ul>
Love ya, bubby.&nbsp;
About the Author
Brad Luttrell is the Cofounder, CEO of GoWild. His career has taken him through journalism, advertising, technology and the outdoor industry. All along the way, he&rsquo;s had a guitar in his trunk and a song in his head.
 <a href="https://youtu.be/Tou5XQkP6Is">Listen to Dave Shoemaker </a>| <a href="http://senditslam.com">Buy Tickets</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2cNdxwvmdqGjSIlZ819i73?si=55a3cf9789fa4656">Listen To The Send It Slam Playlist</a>

“Dave traded in his distorted metal power chords for soul wrenching country refrain (Dave does still wear mostly black—very metal).” Read the stories of how Dave Shoemaker came to be a part of the Send It Slam artist lineup. 

Dave Shoemaker: Send It Slam Artist Feature

Send It Slam Artist Feature: Dave Shoemaker

First of a series: GoWild Cofounder, CEO, Brad Luttrell is sharing the stories behind how GoWild came to work with each <a href="https://tickets.timetogowild.com/event/send-it-slam">Send It Slam</a> artist.&nbsp;
The first time I met <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6tPuyE7dqAnf2FGcylJKPS?si=keItd4C5Sq6RiRdsdOxNKw">Dalton Mills</a>, I knew my guitar was coming out of the trunk.
A few beer cans sat around the room, near casualties waiting for someone to finish them off. My buddy, Dave Shoemaker, had just put on a fresh vinyl. I can&rsquo;t recall what exactly, but it was in the neighborhood of sorrowful and the era of The Band. Blaze Foley seems a likely choice.&nbsp;
As my lifelong best friend, Blake Carpenter, let out one of his trademark belly laughs, in walked a guy wearing a Carharrt tshirt, boots and what looked to me like a fine stetson hat.&nbsp;
This was the moment I met Dalton Mills.
I&rsquo;ve never known much about cowboy hats, as I don&rsquo;t know much about cowboying. But if Dalton had been a guitar picker action figure, you&rsquo;d have sworn that hat was a part of the original package, along with the guitar he had by his side.
Everyone in the room could pick a guitar and sing a little, and I knew Dave was especially talented. After a dose of courage, I decided to grab my guitar and jam with these guys.
The first song we played was &ldquo;Atlantic City&rdquo; because that&rsquo;s what three hillbillies gravitate to when you hand them all guitars. After that, I don&rsquo;t really recall what all we played. We laughed, and I remember thinking, &ldquo;that Dalton guy was something else&rdquo; when I left.
As well as my foggy memory can recollect, that was the first night I heard a Dalton original. He came into his song &ldquo;John on the Run,&rdquo; with a few finger rolls on the strings, and began what I can only describe as nearly yodeling. His voice whirls into cracks like a whip, and comes back into a soft conversational rasp. In some ways, he reminds of a turkey&rsquo;s finesse&mdash;they can lay down the softest clucks and purrs, only to be followed by pure prehistoric fury. While Dalton doesn&rsquo;t quite approach ferocious feathered dinosaur, his voice certainly yelps at you.&nbsp;
Since that day in Dave&rsquo;s living room, Dalton has released an EP and his self titled album and I&rsquo;ve seen him play several times. His songs hold your attention like a fish pondering its appetite for your topwater frog. I love his songs like &ldquo;Tornadoes&rdquo; because in some ways, it&rsquo;s a blue collar anthem any of us can relate to. But it&rsquo;s also introspective. I also just like that the guitar hammer ons and rolls up and down the guitar neck like a tornado. &ldquo;Outta Tune&rdquo; is another that highlights Dalton&rsquo;s talent for beautiful picking, complex concepts and whiplash vocal cracks.
And, if you listen well, you can even hear my buddy Dave singing harmony on "Sometimes Love" and "As Long As You Want Me To."
Some may think I just asked Dalton to perform at Send It Slam because I&rsquo;m an Eastern Kentucky guy, and he is, too. Heck, even further related, we both grew up in Middlesboro, Ky. But that alone isn&rsquo;t it. I&nbsp;asked Dalton to kick off Send It Slam because this guy represents what Kentucky does well. Our state often makes news for the adversity we face, but I tell you what, those hard times create some of the best songwriters in the country.&nbsp;
Show up on time for Send It Slam, and you&rsquo;ll see exactly what I mean.&nbsp;
About the Author
Brad Luttrell is the Cofounder, CEO of GoWild. His career has taken him through journalism, advertising, technology and the outdoor industry. All along the way, he&rsquo;s had a guitar in his trunk and a song in his head.&nbsp;
 <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6tPuyE7dqAnf2FGcylJKPS?si=keItd4C5Sq6RiRdsdOxNKw">Listen to Dalton Mills</a> | <a href="http://senditslam.com">Buy Tickets</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2cNdxwvmdqGjSIlZ819i73?si=55a3cf9789fa4656">Listen To The Send It Slam Playlist</a>

First of a series: GoWild Cofounder, CEO, Brad Luttrell is sharing the stories behind how GoWild came to work with each Send It Slam artist. First up: Dalton Mills.

First of a series: GoWild Cofounder, CEO, Brad Luttrell is sharing the stories behind how GoWild came to work with each Send It Slam artist. 

Send It Slam Artist Feature: Dalton Mills

By: Derek Towles
Sirens, all I hear are sirens. They scream and call out at all times, no matter if it&rsquo;s in my head, or when they are all around me as we sojourn down the road together in the fire truck. This is all I hear as I go about my normal day at work. Eggs frying in the morning, sirens, mop buckets being filled, sirens, grocery store checkout lines, sirens, a running treadmill, sirens, sirens, sirens&hellip;.quiet, sirens. But then, it&rsquo;s still, there&rsquo;s only a slight rustle of leaves as the morning breeze passes by like a shooting star and then I hear it, the far off gobble of a turkey on this cool, spring dawn. My heart begins to pound and warm blood fills my veins. This is what I live for.&nbsp;
I respond with a few hen yelp calls on my <a href="https://timetogowild.com/products/gowild-217-gowild-custom-gowild-turkey-call" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crystal pot call</a>. I like the crystal call because I feel like the sound cuts the air better than a slate or a metal call. I listen for a response, and then I hear it, still far off, but he&rsquo;s responding well. Making sure my face is covered well with my camo face net, I assess the area around me and ensure nothing will give away my location as I melt further into the dirt and the base of the oak tree on which I am propped up against. He lets off another gobble, this time closer. I place a diaphragm call in my mouth now, this way I will be able to call the turkey while keeping my hands on my shotgun which is resting on my bent knee of my left leg. Giving off a few more calls on the <a href="https://timetogowild.com/products/gowild-279-gowild-woodhaven-black-death-calls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">diaphragm</a>, I wait, and then I see him. The morning sun is just high enough to aluminate his blue head and moisture glistens from his black feathers. It&rsquo;s a Jake, a young male turkey, he&rsquo;s a legal bird to harvest, and it's well beyond legal shooting light.
A loud blast, and now I&rsquo;m at home. Three months have passed since that April morning when I was fortunate enough to harvest that beautiful creature on that gorgeous spring morning. Summer is in full effect now, and in the morning I will be taking the boat out with a friend to pursue largemouth bass, but honestly, we will take whatever bites. The sound of oil frying in the cast iron temporarily replaces the sirens in my head. Then, the turkey makes his last sound, as his flesh cooks in the oil, the last bit of this bird is about to be consumed, and used by my body as nourishment for the day ahead of us tomorrow. From the Earth he came, and to the Earth he will return.&nbsp;
More sirens throughout the night on replay in my mind and then my alarm telling me it&rsquo;s time to go fishing. We enjoy a relaxing day on the water full of good laughs, good stories, and hopes and dreams for the future. Coming home with a couple fish for the freezer is just a bonus, and today, we were lucky. We drink away the day's sunburn that night and return back to our normal lives the next day. Sirens, more sirens. But now there&rsquo;s a chill in the air as fall approaches. Death slowly begins to creep in as trees shed their leaves and the annoying summer bugs fade away. As November begins, new life is moving in. High above me I hear the sounds of Sandhill Cranes, as they make their annual migration South to escape the bone chilling North that they call home. It seems like the more of them I see is directly related to summer&rsquo;s fish in the freezing being consumed. High up there in the sky, they don&rsquo;t seem to be part of this planet anymore, but they will return. Their calls remind me so much of the sirens.&nbsp;
Stillness, all is quiet, my breath freezing in the air as I exhale. A twitching of her ear gives away her location as I spot a doe moving through the woods. She&rsquo;s a mature doe who is well beyond her years of mothering. All she has left to do in this life is to pass on to the next one. I watch her for a while as she moves freely through the forest. The time is approaching when I must make my decision. She stops for a moment and observes her surroundings. Then, both she and I realize that the time has come. I apologize for what I am about to do and take a deep breath. The next time I am talking to her, it is with my hand on her head and I am thanking her, even though I feel some pain and sorrow in my heart, I knew it had to be done. She also came from the Earth. She lived a good life and raised many deer, and now she will return to the place she came from. The same place as the turkey came from, and the same place as the fish.&nbsp;
She has passed to the next life but she is still providing, just like she did for all the deer she raised in her years. Now, she is providing for me and my family. She is treated with respect and she is honored at each meal as winter's cold grip gets stronger and stronger. Sirens, they continue. They will always be there, my only relief is nature. Now winter is fully upon us and escape for me and others may seem impossible, but it&rsquo;s not. Darkness may come early as the sun sets beyond the horizon, but it will rise again, and when it does, we&rsquo;ll be out there admiring the beautiful picture that is painted in the red and purple clouds, and from those clouds, we begin to see ducks.
&ldquo;Keep your head down! They are circling in behind us!&rdquo; I hear from my right. I let off a few soft feed chuckles from my duck call as I hear their feathers cutting the wind like a knife. The water was frozen solid this morning, but under the cover of darkness; we broke it open and allowed a place for the ducks and geese to land. &ldquo;Now!&rdquo; I call out as we jump out from the reeds and tall grass. The volley is heard through the whole marsh, just as the sirens are heard cutting through the city streets. &ldquo;What a day&rdquo; we say to each other and its only 9am as we wade out with a strap full of ducks. Back to the sirens I go.&nbsp;

Just as the turkey, the fish and the deer, these ducks came from the Earth. They will be consumed as winter drags on. Some will be put in gumbo, others will be smoked with maple syrup and some will be baked, but they will all be used and then returned to the Earth. As for the sirens, they will go on, as will I, but then winter will break and the sun will bring life to the next spring. From dawn's first light, you will hear it, the gobble of the turkey. The process will continue on just like it has since the beginning of time, and it will happen like this far after I too return to the Earth from which I came.

There’s only a slight rustle of leaves as the morning breeze passes by like a shooting star and then I hear it, the far off gobble of a turkey on this cool, spring dawn. My heart begins to pound and warm blood fills my veins. This is what I live for. 

From The Earth

From The Earth by Derek Towles

By: Brad Luttrell, Co-Founder &amp; CEO of GoWild
Mark Zuckerberg doesn&rsquo;t give a rip about you.
Facebook wants you gone.
Instagram doesn&rsquo;t care about your #conservation posts.&nbsp;
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, doesn&rsquo;t even want our industry&rsquo;s dollars.
I&rsquo;ve said it since we founded GoWild&mdash;the good ol&rsquo; days of mainstream social media are behind us. That stance has been met with eyerolls and shrugged shoulders from industry insiders. For years, shooting and hunting Industry organizations have taught work arounds on how to get traction on Facebook and Instagram.
It&rsquo;s like attempting to save a burning building with nothing but a shot glass to port water.
That fire has reached a point of no return. With Facebook&rsquo;s most recent moves, there is no doubt the heat is too much for any hopes of combating these flames.
In fact, Facebook just put the hunting industry on notice:&nbsp;
&ldquo;We don&rsquo;t want you here.&rdquo;
&bull;&bull;&bull;
My friend Glen Reich has an incredible background in product development, marketing and sales within the hunting industry. He&rsquo;s the guy who walks into a room at a conference, and knows everyone&rsquo;s backstory. He&rsquo;s a good guy to know.
Beyond Glen&rsquo;s ability as a networker, he&rsquo;s a very sharp marketer. Glen recently pointed out to me that Facebook has completely removed its audience options for hunters. You can see the screenshots <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/glenreich_fire-and-brimstone-alert-part-activity-6912917905126887424-N0p1?utm_source=linkedin_share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop_web">here</a>.&nbsp;
Or in layman&rsquo;s terms, they&rsquo;ve stopped brands from targeting hunters. They&rsquo;d rather not have the money than to work with the hunting industry.
Now, this may at first not strike you as a big deal, let alone a death blow. Let me explain, though.
Facebook has in fact thrown a hammerfist that, if not the final blow, is the first of a one-two punch that leads to the TKO. They&rsquo;ve long stood on the grounds of &ldquo;we don&rsquo;t allow weapons sales,&rdquo; which while, yes, blackballed an entire legal industry, it got a shrug from most hunting industry professionals. For a long time, hunting was even allowed in content, per their terms of service.
However, now, the gloves are off. Meta (Facebook and Instagram) made it clear they don&rsquo;t want the dollars of blood thirsty hunters, or the brands who sell to us. This, of course, is in addition to years of deleting our Facebook Groups, censoring our content and putting us in Facebook jail.&nbsp;
I have no doubt we&rsquo;re living in the tipping point moment we saw coming in 2016 when we founded <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/gowild/">GoWild</a>.
<a href="https://n1b.goexposoftware.com/events/ss22/goExpo/user/listSpeakers.php">I spoke at SHOT Show</a> recently, and this was central to my position as I pleaded with industry leaders to think through where they spend their money. On October 31, 2021, GoWild cut all budget previously designated for Meta platforms.
Instead, we&rsquo;re putting as much of our marketing budget into companies and platforms that support hunting and fishing as possible.
When I talk about diversifying your marketing efforts, building your own leads, and, quite frankly, not being milk drunk at the teat of Facebook Czar, Mark Zuckerberg, people tend to say, "well yeah, you would say that. You're the guy who founded <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/gowild/">GoWild</a>."
But to that I say, if not us, then who?&nbsp;
Your big box hunting and shooting stores are still flooding Facebook with millions of dollars, building entirely separate websites or, even crazier, technology that hides their hunting content from <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/meta/">Meta</a> (Facebook or Instagram) when potential customers click on their Facebook ads.
They would rather hide who they are to make a buck. Let that simmer for a minute.
They&rsquo;re bending over backwards to fund a company that&rsquo;s against everything they sell and stand for.
I don&rsquo;t think any company should only post on GoWild&mdash;that&rsquo;s silly. But I feel strongly that most brands are building glass houses on sand.&nbsp;
I said that at SHOT.&nbsp;
I said it on most of the hundreds of podcasts I&rsquo;ve done.&nbsp;
I&rsquo;ve said it on <a href="https://timetogowild.com/stories/Uncensored:Dear-big-tech,-I%E2%80%99m-not-going-quietly">our blog</a>.
But I guess I can stop saying it. Because it&rsquo;s all happening. It&rsquo;s all here. You&rsquo;re either saving yourself, or you&rsquo;re consumed at the aw of the power of the sparks like a moth to the flame.
Join a community of hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts. Get $10 to spend on outdoor gear when you sign up. <a style="color: #0063ae;" href="https://timetogowild.com/download" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://gowild-content.imgix.net/pages/JoinGoWild_480x480.png" alt="" width="264" height="55" /></a>
About the Author Brad Luttrell is the Cofounder, CEO of&nbsp;<a href="https://timetogowild.com/download?utm_source=Story&amp;utm_medium=RinellaRebuttal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoWild,</a>&nbsp;a social commerce platform for hunting, shooting and fishing enthusiasts. The award-winning writer, photographer and creative director quit his advertising career to become an entrepreneur after being disenchanted with Silicon Valley&rsquo;s treatment of hunters. Since 2016, he and three cofounders have built and scaled GoWild, a platform GearJunkie called the best social media app for hunters of 2021. Luttrell has made his fight against Silicon Valley public, having boycotted and deleted his personal social profiles and pulled his company&rsquo;s budget from Facebook and Instagram. Despite all of this, Luttrell&rsquo;s friends mostly just know him for his Double Smoked Venison Chili.

Meta (Facebook and Instagram) made it clear they don’t want the dollars of blood thirsty hunters, or the brands who sell to us. This, of course, is in addition to years of deleting our Facebook Groups, censoring our content and putting us in Facebook jail. 

Facebook Doesn’t Want Your Blood Thirsty Dollars

By: Andrew Muntz, The O2 Podcast
Warmer weather, turkeys gobbling, and blood sucking bugs, all go hand in hand.&nbsp; Here is a quick run down of what to expect, watch out for, and how to protect yourself from ticks this Spring.
Recently I had the chance to sit down with Dr. Tim McDermott of The Ohio State University.&nbsp; Dr. McDermott is a specialist in ticks for the state of Ohio.&nbsp; Not long ago, 20 years to be exact, Ohio was home to 1 medically worrisome tick.&nbsp; Today, we are aware of 5 ticks that can be an issue to humans and other animals.
The first step in solving a problem, is identifying the problem.&nbsp; This can be easier said than done, but in today&rsquo;s world of smart phones and all the information in the world at our finger tips, it is doable.&nbsp; The 5 ticks that we have in Ohio (and probably some surrounding states) are:
<h2 dir="ltr">5 Ticks That Make Humans Sick</h2>
<h3 dir="ltr">American Dog Tick</h3>
 Original problem tick, with over 20 years of presence in Ohio.&nbsp; Still prevalent, and can spread diseases such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.&nbsp; These ticks are often found in open grasslands, and even lawns.
<h3 dir="ltr">Deer Tick (Black legged Tick)</h3>
First found in Ohio in 2010, Coshocton, this is perhaps the most dangerous of all the ticks.&nbsp; This tick can spread Lyme Disease. This disease can cause long term neurological issues for Humans, dogs, cats, horses and more. This tick prefers to be in the woods, often with their name sake, deer.
<h3 dir="ltr">Lone Star Tick</h3>
Similar to the Deer Tick, found in woods, with many different hosts that it will feed on.&nbsp; This tick is known for spreading alpha-gal syndrome, a disease that can cause the host to have an allergic reaction to red meat.&nbsp; What a concept, that us hunters that spend hours in the pursuit of red meat, could come home unable to eat it!
<h3 dir="ltr">Gulf Coast Tick</h3>
New to Ohio in 2020, it has moved up from the Gulf of Mexico region.&nbsp; This tick was first found down near Cincinnati.&nbsp; This tick can vector diseases to humans, companion animals, and live stock.&nbsp; This tick can handle a bit more heat and will be found in more open, grassy areas.
<h3 dir="ltr">Asian Long Horn Tick</h3>
First found in Ohio in 2020 in Gallia county on a rescue dog, this tick is a true invasive insect, not native to any part of the United States. This insect was first found in 2017 in New Jersey, and it is now found in multiple states. There is more research coming out about the diseases this tick can transmit.
<h2 dir="ltr">Remedies &amp; Ways To Keep Ticks Away</h2>
Once you have identified your tick, you need to know how to handle the arachnid (technically not an insect) if it has latched on.&nbsp; There are many old remedies for how to remove a tick, how long it can be imbedded before disease transmission, etc.&nbsp; Dr. McDermott made it very clear, that although in the past we thought that the 24 hour mark was that magical line for transmission, today we are learning more and more about each kind of tick, and it might not be the magical 24 hour period.&nbsp; Research is being conducted quickly to try and find out more about how each of these insects transmit disease.
Protecting yourself is one of the easiest things you can do to help reduce the potential for tick borne diseases. Pre treatment of your clothes with products containing the active ingredient of Permethrin, is hands down the easiest first line of defense.&nbsp; Spraying your clothes, specifically your outer layers, will keep the ticks at bay.&nbsp; Last spring I was religious about spraying my clothes.&nbsp; While out with a buddy, he pulled multiple ticks off himself, and I was clean. Fair warning, the permethrin will probably have a pretty good smell to it, but that will go away quickly.
Insect repellants, with the active ingredient of DEET are often the best to help repel insects on your skin.&nbsp; These products are considered safe on your skin.&nbsp; When in doubt, read the label on any product.
<h2 dir="ltr">Tips For Dealing With Ticks:&nbsp;</h2>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Low Temperatures don&rsquo;t always kill ticks!!!&nbsp; I&rsquo;ve had them on me, after heavy frosts and sub freezing temperatures.&nbsp; They are active almost ALL YEAR LONG.&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Removal of a tick, should be done carefully with a set of tweezers.&nbsp; Do your best to remove the entire body including the head. Wash the bite area thoroughly.</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Washing your clothes will not necessarily kill the ticks, but running your clothes through the dryer may help.&nbsp; The high temperatures can do some damage to the buggers.</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">If you remove one, save it in a container for potential lab analysis.&nbsp;</li>
<li dir="ltr" role="presentation">Monitor your companion pets as well. Utilize your vets recommendations for protecting your pets</li>
</ul>
Please, take your time to pre treat your clothes, do a body check when you get done, and be aware of what you need to look for.&nbsp; Ticks are going to be found from the size of about a skittle, to the size of a pin head.&nbsp; The short amount of time to keep them away, could save you from a life time of agonizing issues. For more information check out this <a href="https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-2073">link</a> to information from The Ohio State University. Good Luck!

Warmer weather, turkey’s gobbling, and blood sucking bugs, all go hand in hand.  Here is a quick run down of what to expect, watch out for, and how to protect yourself from ticks this spring. 

Warmer weather, turkey’s gobbling, and blood sucking ticks, all go hand in hand. Here is a quick run down of what to expect, watch out for, and how to protect yourself from ticks this Spring. 

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