WHY FLY EKY
There are many reasons to fly into Bessemer, Alabama. The area is home to rich hunting and fishing grounds, as well as a host of other outdoorsman sports and recreation. Neighboring Fairfield, Alabama was home to legendary outdoorsman and television show host Archie Phillips Sr, and current home of Archie Phillips Taxidermy. In the late 1950’s, his television show “Outdoors with Archie Phillips” began airing and went on to become the longest running outdoors TV, ending with his death in 2018. During the seven decades long career, Archie Phillips claims to have mounted at least half a million deer, fish, and other animals. This region is synonymous with outdoor recreation and hunting. Flying into EKY gives one or a group prime access to prime hunting grounds and retail stores such as Duluth Trading and Field & Stream.
To many, central and northeast Alabama is home to some of the best deer hunting. To the north you have the mountains. Then there are the wooded flat lands in the west, and the Black Belt region across the south. the mountains in the north, the wooded flat lands in the west, and the well-known Black Belt region across the south. Barbour, Bullock, Dallas,
Lowndes, Marengo, Macon, and Russell Counties provide some of the most prime areas in the state for greater numbers of deer, and larger deer. Also, it is considered by many that Barbour county is excellent grounds for the skilled bow hunter.
Given the hunter rich territory of Central Alabama, seeking to improve an optimum hunting experience, what better place to visit than Field & Stream in Hoover, Alabama? In 2014, the Hoover City Council voted on a tax rebate deal that gave Patton Creek Investments LLC a sales tax rebate
up to $4.5 million over the course of 10 years in exchange for bringing the 50,000 sq. ft Field & Stream store to Hoover. Field and Stream stores are owned by Dick’s Sporting Goods. In 2012, Dick’s bought the Field & Stream trademarks in the hunting, fishing, camping and paddle categories. The first Field & Stream retail store opened in August of 2011 in Cranberry, Pa.
On its grand opening, a host of celebrities were in attendance. Travis Tomasie, team captain of Remington Handguns was on hand, as well as R.J and Jay Paul Molinere of "Swamp People" , Melissa Bachman, host of the "Winchester Deadly Passion" show, and NASCAR drivers Bill and Chase Elliott also made guest appearances. Field & Stream began as a magazine, founded in 1895 by John P. Burkhard and Henry Wellington Wack. Field & Stream has more than one million print subscribers, with a significant following online as well. Depending on the season and the availability of information, the magazine may offer advice on bass, birds, deer, trout, rifles, and shotguns. The magazine also offers tricks, survival tips, miscellaneous facts, and recipes on wild game. In January 2017, owing to financial woes at Bonnier Corporation, the magazine's publishing frequency was scaled back from nine issues a year to six. While Field & Stream magazine now belongs to Bonnier, the right to use the Field & Stream name on goods and services belongs to a private investment group unrelated to Bonnier or the magazine, while Dick's Sporting Goods owns the rights to the name for the retail stores Field & Stream.
According to Bonnier, Field & Stream is “The World’s Leading Outdoor Magazine.” Devoted to the complete outdoor experience and lifestyle, Field & Stream gives its readers the knowledge and inspiration to pursue the sports they love. The brand celebrates the outdoor experience with great stories, compelling photography and sound advice, while honoring the traditions hunters and fishermen have passed down for generations. Field & Stream is the soul of the Total Outdoorsman. We target hunters and anglers who are as passionate about the heritage of the outdoors as they are about the pursuit of game and fish. A successful day doesn’t hinge on a punched tag—it’s about the experience. And Field & Stream is where the best stories from those experiences are told- Colin Kearns
Field & Stream Editor-in-Chief
In states that restrict rifle hunters to straight-wall cartridges, Federal’s Non-Typical Whitetail version of the .350, which is loaded with a 180-grain soft-point bullet, is ideal for deer kills at distances of 200 yards or more minus recoil and price. Built on a Remington Model 700 platform, the Bergara B-14R Bolt Action .22LR it is compatible with other Model 700 stocks, bases, and triggers. Priced at Field and Stream for $1,150 is perfect for centerfire precision-shooting. The Weatherby, priced at $3,350 at Field & Stream is a 5 pound 1 ounce rifle that combines titanium, carbon fiber, and 3-D printing technology. On this combined platform is endowed into a 6.5 rounds per minute (RPM) high-performance capability. It offers a choice of three bullets; the 140-grain Nosler Accubond at 3075 feet per second (fps), the 140-grain Hornady Interlock at 2975 fps, and the 127-grain Barnes LRX at 3225 fps.
Writing for Field & Stream magazine, John B. Snow rated ten hunting rifles based on a host of performance factors; 1. Seekins Precision Havak Pro Hunter, 2. Browning X-Bolt Max Long Range Hunter, 3. Mauser M18, 4. Proof Switch, 5. Savage M10 Stealth, 6. Christensen Arms MPR, 7. Bergara B-14 HMR, 8. BadRock Precision South Fork, 9. Daniel Defense Delta 5, 10. Anschutz 1517 American Varminter.
David Petzal writing for Field &Stream, the .30/.06 is the bullet rod for round. Grancel Fitz, one of the first men to take all 28 of the Boone and Crockett North American big-game species, did it over the 1930s and 40s with an iron-sighted .30/06. In his book, Guns and Hunting, on page 223, the author and expert big game hunter Aagaard Finn wrote, “The .30/06 is about the most powerful cartridge that can reasonably be chambered in a short and handy 8-pound rifle.”
Local Bessemer native and resident hunter Anthony Owens, choses to keep it traditional with a
Remington .270 & Martin .30-30. His area of immediate choice of hunting is Perry County. By living in Bessemer Owens is within one and a half hours away from The Roost in Aliceville, Circle M in Macon, MS, Drakes Sporting in Cullman, Circle W in Heflin, Al,. To hone one’s marksmanship skills, nearby Hoover Tactical has a state of the art indoor firing range. Brock’s Gap Training Center in Birmingham, FOP Range in McCalla also provide professional, safe, and guided outlets for marksmanship training.
Field & Stream also has an immaculate selection of hunting bows. Selecting a bow depends on your hunting style and skill set. Operating a bow, if done expertly is akin to an extension of one’s arm, somewhat of an exoskeleton. There’s much more to picking the right bow for you, if you’re a beginner, than the one with the most dynamic camouflage paint pattern. By some experienced
hunter’s accounts, Bear Archery is one of the best compound bow manufacturers, and their prime product is the Cruzer G2 compound bow. The Cruzer G2 is a versatile bow that can be adjusted for draw lengths from 12 inches to 30 inches and for draw weights from 5 pounds to 70 pounds. This is ideal for beginners.
The SAS Rage is another top of the line bow, that is very affordable and produces results. Southland Archery Supply is a small company that developed the Rage. It comes in black or camouflage, and you can purchase packages with it. It is sturdy and comfortable to use with optimum results. Best bang fir the buck? Experts say that this is your pick. PSE Carbon Air Stealth Mach 1, for MSRP of $1,600 is one of the fastest compound bows on the market. it features 80 or 90 percent let off. It utilizes PSE’s several-year-old Evolve cam.
The Bessemer Airport provides the ideal location for easy access to prime hunting grounds and shopping for the skilled outdoorsman. Please feel free to explore your outdoor options in the Bessemer and central Alabama regions for the top tier hunting experience.