Byrd Bags A Deer The Old Fashioned Way

KINGSPORT, Tenn. – Hunting was once was a fundamental sport.
Instead of electronic gadgets and tools, folks relied on their instincts to track, trap and harvest game.

Kingsport’s Joe Byrd recently took a step back to that rugged period.

With the help of television personality and veteran outdoorsman Keith Warren, Byrd participated in an “old-time” deer camp hunt in northwest Wisconsin.

“I’ve always wondered how the old-timers hunted back in the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s,” said Byrd, host of the popular local radio program “Blue Ridge Outdoors.”
“When Keith called me with this opportunity, it took me 10 seconds to say yes.”

Byrd’s quest, which unfolded Oct. 23-26, was chronicled for two episodes of Warren’s Hunting and Outdoor Adventures. The program airs Sunday mornings at 11:30 on the Outdoor Channel.

The 1,700-acre hunting site in Wisconsin is owned by inventor Scott Follettm who has dedicated his land to encourage and enhance the traditional American whitetail experience.

And Byrd, who creates his own knives, is big on tradition.
“Today’s sportsmen and women have become spoiled by all the high-tech tools, and there are more coming onto the marketplace every day,” Byrd said.
“I am the perfect target of advertising.  When something new comes out, I have to try it.”

Old-school outdoorsmen survived without the use of tricks such as specially-made camouflage clothing, scent eliminators and global positioning system devices.

“My experience in Wisconsin made me realize that you don’t have to have all those things to hunt and harvest deer,” Byrd said.

This quest was traditional in every aspect.

“We rode horseback everywhere, hunted with old 30-30 lever-action rifles without scope, and wore old time Woolrich plaid clothes with Stormy Kromer black wool hats,” Byrd said.

Byrd’s rifle of choice was a Winchester Model 64. It’s estimated the 30-30 lever-action rifle is more than 80 years old, Byrd said.

The base camp consisted of wall tents with pot-bellied stoves. Each day began at 5 a.m., when group members prepared to ride their horses into the hunting area.
The rustic environs just added to the fun for Byrd, who sensed that something big awaited him.

“Saturday morning was the magic time for me,” Byrd said. “We were in a dug-out-and-bough blind in the middle of a large pond, and we decided to put a stalk on the deer.”

Around 9 a.m, Byrd noticed something moving. It was an older deer with a huge eight-point rack.
The magic was about to unfold with the usual elements of nervous anticipation, heart-pounding excitement and exhilaration.

“We stalked the deer to within 70 yards,” Byrd said. “It took two shots to bring down this 273-pound monster.”

The deer, which measured 5.75 inches around the base of his antlers, was weighed at an old-time “buck pole.”
“This hunt was like no other that I’ve experienced,” Byrd said. “The fact that I harvested the largest deer of my life made it even more memorable.”

From bear hunting and trout fishing to turkey chasing, Byrd has been involved in many memorable adventures.

“This experience ranks as No. 1,” Byrd said. “ It was as if we were actually transported back in time.”

(276) 645-2544

Who: Joe Byrd

Home: Kingsport, Tenn.

Age: 52

What: “Old time” deer hunt

Fast Facts: The episodes of KeithWarren’s Hunting and Outdoor Adventures that include Byrd will begin airing on Dec. 6 at 11:30 a.m. Two replays will follow later in the week.