Kids Outdoor Outpost – July 2021

Summer Events

June has turned a page and we’re past the halfway point of 2021. I’ve always enjoyed longer hours of daylight, but June 21 was the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Each day now grows shorter by a minute or two, and in a few months, this will trigger a change in buck behavior with antlers beginning to harden.

The Fourth of July has typically been the notch placed on my calendar to grab my bow and start flinging some arrows. We certainly are in a much better position than last year at this time. COVID rates are down, folks are getting back in full force to attending Braves games, the kid are back on the ball fields and restaurants are filling up again. The impact clearly left a mark on our the outdoor industry (to a degree and maybe not entirely due to the virus) with the price of ammo and some firearms going way up and the availability going way down.

A different type of virus also hit us: computer hacking. For about a week in May, most of the East Coast was crippled by a computer hack that had everybody running to the tanks to try and fill up. A few weeks passed and then another computer virus hit the beef industry. I can’t tell you how thankful we were to have a freezer full of ground deer meat, steaks, roasts and tenderloins. How blessed we are to be the most important tool in the game management of our whitetails and at the same time providers of food for our friends, families and those in need.

Hey, it’s not only hunters but how about those who fish? I bet some of y’all were thawing out some nice filets and maybe a nice trout or two.

I’ve seen some really nice stripers posted on GON’s online Trophy Room. Boy, did y’all see the size of that one that came out of the Coosawattee? Jackson Lance had a day he’ll never forget! Over 30 pounds and he and his friends hooked several others between 15 and 25 pounds.

There was also great stories in our June issue about some awesome trout treks and some catfishing fishing spots. Yes-sir, I can hear that fryer oil bubbling up now!

Don’t forget that our Ag-Pro GON Outdoor Blast rolls in Aug. 20-22 in a new location at the LakePoint Sports Champions Center in Emerson. It’s a beautiful site and conveniently located just off I-75. Of course, some lucky hunter will also become the proud owner of a brand-new Chevy Silverado in our famous Truck-Buck Shoot-Out, so mark your calendars. The fall will be upon us in no time.