SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2019 THE DUKE Restoring John Wayne’s Iconic Hats PAGE 48 MUST HAVE GEAR: THE BOWTECH REALM SR6 Redefining Speed As You Know It Page 41 HER OUTDOOR FAMILY Eva Shockey From Field to Fame NASHVILLE’S REDNECK REVIVAL Featuring Morgan Wallen and Newcomer, HARDY PAGE 24800.225.6343 | BIGCEDAR.COM Ranked the #1 Resort in the Midwest for 3 Consecutive Years – Travel and Leisure Magazine800.225.6343 | Ranked the #1 Resort in the Midwest for 3 Consecutive Years – Travel and Leisure Magazine02 @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | HOOKANDBARREL.COM @HOOKANDBARRELMAG 03 42 ROBERTSON FAMILY VALUES How Willie Robertson and his wife Korie helped grow the Duck Commander brand with faith, patience, and hard work. by glenn hunter 48 COURAGE WEARS A TEN-GALLON HAT John Wayne’s son Ethan continues to celebrate and calibrate his father’s legacy. by loyd mcintosh 54 MOUNTAIN MAMA Eva Shockey is building a family—and a lifestyle brand—in the great outdoors. by barry wise smith TABLE OF CONTENTS SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2019VOLUME TWO, ISSUE FOUR THE GUIDE Fall is my favorite season. GIVING BACK Ducks Unlimited 08 THE TROPHY ROOM Maddie Brenneman on family, fly fishing, and losing a big one in French Polynesia. BACK PAGE What happens in the duck blind, stays in the duck blind. 64 60 FULLY LOADED The latest gear and wear for modern outdoorsmen. 10 06 EDITOR’S NOTE 04 24 30 NEW TUNES Morgan Wallen and Hardy cultivate a close friendship—onstage and off. HOW TO Fly fishing is back— and bigger than ever. 16 GOOD GRUB Seasoned chef, author, and host of countless cooking shows, Steven Raichlen, dishes on gameday. 41 36 MUST HAVE GEAR The Bowtech Realm SR6: Redefining speed as you know it. FIELD TRIP Beretta is Madison Avenue’s stalwart sportsman shop. 20 HAPPY HOUR Out on the Trail...of Whiskey. All material is strictly copyright protected and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the copyright holder. All prices and data are correct at the time of publication. The views and opinions expressed in Hook & Barrel are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the advertisers. Any images supplied are at the owner’s risk and are the property of the Hook & Barrel Magazine. All content is owned in full by Hook & Barrel Magazine. Proudly Printed in America Hook & Barrel is a proud partner in the PrintReleaf program. PrintReleaf guarantees every sheet of paper we consume in the production of our magazine will be reforested. New trees are planted on our behalf in PrintReleaf Certified Reforestation Projects across the globe. In mid June, Editor-In-Chief, John Radzwilla, visited with Willie Robertson at his Christian youth camp, Camp Ch-Yo-Ca, located in Calhoun, Louisiana. The cover image was captured with Willie on the kids archery course. ON THE COVER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John J. Radzwilla MANAGING EDITOR Lee M. Hurley CONSULTING EDITOR Matt Morgan PRODUCTION MANAGER Jill Christiansen COPY EDITOR Barry Wise Smith CREATIVE DIRECTOR Claire Cormany PHOTO EDITOR Chris Irwin CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Natalie Radzwilla EDITORIAL OFFICE 1012 W. Eldorado Parkway P.O. Box 183 Little Elm, Texas 75068 214.997.1118 hookandbarrel.com CONTACT THE EDITOR editor@hookandbarrel.com FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertising@hookandbarrel.com EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Materials to be considered for use in Hook & Barrel Magazine should be emailed to editor@hookandbarrel.com or mailed to editorial office. Not responsible for the loss of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or other materials. Returns only when accompanied by return postage. We do not recommend sending original photography or artwork. SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe or manage your subscription to Hook & Barrel Magazine, visit www.hookandbarrel.com. Participation in fly-fishing has grown to all-time highs in recent years, drawing record numbers of new anglers. CAN YOU SPOT THE HOOK & BARREL CRITTER? Each issue, the Critter is hiding somewhere in the table of contents picture. Happy hunting! PHO T O C OUR TES Y OF R OCKHOUSE MEDIA02 @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | HOOKANDBARREL.COM @HOOKANDBARRELMAG 03 42 ROBERTSON FAMILY VALUES How Willie Robertson and his wife Korie helped grow the Duck Commander brand with faith, patience, and hard work. by glenn hunter 48 COURAGE WEARS A TEN-GALLON HAT John Wayne’s son Ethan continues to celebrate and calibrate his father’s legacy. by loyd mcintosh 54 MOUNTAIN MAMA Eva Shockey is building a family—and a lifestyle brand—in the great outdoors. by barry wise smith TABLE OF CONTENTS SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2019VOLUME TWO, ISSUE FOUR THE GUIDE Fall is my favorite season. GIVING BACK Ducks Unlimited 08 THE TROPHY ROOM Maddie Brenneman on family, fly fishing, and losing a big one in French Polynesia. BACK PAGE What happens in the duck blind, stays in the duck blind. 64 60 FULLY LOADED The latest gear and wear for modern outdoorsmen. 10 06 EDITOR’S NOTE 04 24 30 NEW TUNES Morgan Wallen and Hardy cultivate a close friendship—onstage and off. HOW TO Fly fishing is back— and bigger than ever. 16 GOOD GRUB Seasoned chef, author, and host of countless cooking shows, Steven Raichlen, dishes on gameday. 41 36 MUST HAVE GEAR The Bowtech Realm SR6: Redefining speed as you know it. FIELD TRIP Beretta is Madison Avenue’s stalwart sportsman shop. 20 HAPPY HOUR Out on the Trail...of Whiskey. All material is strictly copyright protected and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of the copyright holder. All prices and data are correct at the time of publication. The views and opinions expressed in Hook & Barrel are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the advertisers. Any images supplied are at the owner’s risk and are the property of the Hook & Barrel Magazine. All content is owned in full by Hook & Barrel Magazine. Proudly Printed in America Hook & Barrel is a proud partner in the PrintReleaf program. PrintReleaf guarantees every sheet of paper we consume in the production of our magazine will be reforested. New trees are planted on our behalf in PrintReleaf Certified Reforestation Projects across the globe. In mid June, Editor-In-Chief, John Radzwilla, visited with Willie Robertson at his Christian youth camp, Camp Ch-Yo-Ca, located in Calhoun, Louisiana. The cover image was captured with Willie on the kids archery course. ON THE COVER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John J. Radzwilla MANAGING EDITOR Lee M. Hurley CONSULTING EDITOR Matt Morgan PRODUCTION MANAGER Jill Christiansen COPY EDITOR Barry Wise Smith CREATIVE DIRECTOR Claire Cormany PHOTO EDITOR Chris Irwin CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Natalie Radzwilla EDITORIAL OFFICE 1012 W. Eldorado Parkway P.O. Box 183 Little Elm, Texas 75068 214.997.1118 CONTACT THE EDITOR FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS Materials to be considered for use in Hook & Barrel Magazine should be emailed to office. Not responsible for the loss of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or other materials. Returns only when accompanied by return postage. We do not recommend sending original photography or artwork. SUBSCRIPTIONS To subscribe or manage your subscription to Hook & Barrel Magazine, visit Participation in fly-fishing has grown to all-time highs in recent years, drawing record numbers of new anglers. CAN YOU SPOT THE HOOK & BARREL CRITTER? Each issue, the Critter is hiding somewhere in the table of contents picture. Happy hunting! PHO T O C OUR TES Y OF R OCKHOUSE MEDIAwww.lone-elm.com AUTHENTIC TEXAS WHISKEY Distilled in Forney, Texas Cheers, to a Successful Season. 04 @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | he early fall months are my favorite time of year. The cooler temperatures signal the harvest that I have worked hard all year long to hopefully reap. This year is a little differ- ent, though. My cousins and I leased land that we knew very little about and things seemed “a little off.” Normally, I would be 100 percent fixated on the deer on my trail cameras, but I have seen very few on our new lease. Instead, I have countless images of bears— something I did not expect and a hunt I have no experience with. Several years back, my cousins asked me about getting into hunting and whether you’re a friend or family, I am happy to help. I feel that as an outdoorsman, I have almost a Hippocratic oath, if you will, to help foster the sport. To me there is nothing better than getting youth into the outdoors and in this case, I helped my cousins Ben, Amelia, and their dad, Jamie, become avid outdoors- men. Now, we share a lease in southeastern Oklahoma and togeth- er hunt as a family. What’s even more exciting is the opportunity we share to learn together, due to the bears and the complications they bring. Not to mention, I have always wanted to shoot a bear… Jamie, Ben, and Amelia (and I to some extent) are used to jumping in the truck, heading to a ranch, and hunting. This year we got a lesson in hunting season preparation and the hard work it entails. We have worn the calluses off our hands using a T-post driver to secure the feeders to the ground so the bears won’t top- ple them, walked countless miles up and down the steep Kiami- chi mountains while scouting for tracks, and engineered hanging feeders that even the smartest of bears couldn’t break – hopefully. I learned another lesson that I did not expect. It proved both what a small world it is and also the generosity of the hunting community. I have a buddy named Shaine. Although he now lives in Alaska, I keep in touch with him on social media. He noticed a post I made about our new lease and recognized it. Our land was the land he hunted for years prior to moving. I had no clue. He just happened to be back in the area for a few weeks and asked if he could show me around the huge property to “teach me more in two days than I could learn on my own in five years.” Of course, I took him up on the opportunity. Shaine just didn’t show up empty-handed, instead he invited his good friend Jeff (who also hunted this land with him) and brought a “bear proof” deer feeder to gift to us. On top of that, he showed me where all of his old stands were and helped me relocate a few to better areas of the lease. The duo was determined on us having success in their old spots they loved and were determined to teach me about bear hunting. As we were sweating profusely in the summer heat while driving T-posts in, I looked up, wiped the sweat off my brow, and couldn’t help but be grateful. Here were two guys, not even family, breaking their backs for my family and me. It spoke volumes about Shaine and Jeff and the hunting community in general. Just as I passed my time and expe- rience down to my cousins, Shaine and Jeff were selflessly passing theirs down to me. That’s what hunting is all about. It is about putting in the hard work early to reap a harvest later in the year. It’s about passing the sport on to others. It’s about supporting those who share your same passion for the outdoors and giving to others when you can. Sure, there is the harvest and the trophy on your wall, but the bigger tro- phy is helping others and bonds and memories you will make to- gether. A huge thank you to Shaine and Jeff for all your help earlier this year. I hope it pays off for us later this season. So here’s to a safe and successful hunting season and to the friends and family we will share the memories with. Cheers Y’all, T Jeff and Shaine show me a thing or two about bear hunting. Two black bear, caught on a game camera, have a good time while tearing up our deer feeders. John Radzwilla editor-in-chief EDITOR’S NOTEwww.lone-elm.com AUTHENTIC TEXAS WHISKEY Distilled in Forney, Texas Cheers, to a Successful Season.06 @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | s I watched the sun rise over the marsh, I could hear the wing- beats of ducks overhead—the fast beats of teal mixed with the more methodical cadence of mallards. The sun was just peeking above the water line, creating a beautiful landscape in front of me. It crossed my mind at that moment that without Ducks Unlimited, op- portunities like these would be few and far between. You see, Ducks Unlimited (DU) was created during the Dust Bowl of 1937 when a group of hunters, concerned over low waterfowl numbers and lack of habitat, joined forces to create a new company focused specifically to combat those issues. Now one of the nation’s largest wetlands and waterfowl conservation organizations, DU strives to continue the mission of those passionate conservationists. Now, I could sit here and tout facts and figures about the great work we’ve accomplished across each flyway, or I could give you numbers about the work we’ve done in Canada or Mexico that benefit people and wildlife at the same time. Instead, let me start with just one number: more than 700,000. That’s how many DU members are in the United States alone. Of those more than 700,000 members, more than 40,000 are volunteers—the ones who put on the local banquets, take time out of their lives to mentor young hunters, and help support our great organization. Those 40,000 volunteers put together more than 4,000 events nationwide, and those events are the backbone of our organiza- tion. Our success literally depends on the work and dedication of volunteers. Not to be misrepresented, our corporate partners like Bass Pro Shops, Axalta, and Purina, to name a few, also play a large role in our ability to improve habitat, but the volunteers are the heart and soul. In turn, we as an organization make the promise to those volunteers to ensure the money they donate is used exactly the way it was intended: To fill the skies with waterfowl. But that can’t happen without great habitat. Great habitat in the breeding grounds of the Prairie Pothole Region ensure so many waterfowl get a solid start to their lives. As they traverse south, habitat helps ensure those waterfowl have enough food to successfully com- plete their journey. That journey ends in the wintering grounds where good habitat helps waterfowl thrive and fatten up before they begin their arduous trip back to the breeding grounds. But more than waterfowl benefit from the work DU does, however. People can be added to that list as well. How? The work we do to improve habitat also helps filter runoff from farmland and urban areas, ensuring cleaner water downstream. Wetlands also act as water storage, helping to mitigate flooding. We all know that agriculture is a mainstay of our existence, and DU and farmers work together to find the best possible solutions. And we do it shoulder to shoulder. We work with farmers, ranchers, corporate partners, and DU volunteers for the best outcome possible. It’s certainly a team effort. And that effort takes the form of another number: 83 cents. That’s right, 83 cents of every dollar donated to DU is put back into conservation. And that 83 cents equates to more than 14 million acres conserved across North America. For perspec- tive, that’s the size of Maryland and Vermont combined. And given that we just completed one of the largest wet- lands and waterfowl campaigns in the nation, we expect even more great things going forward. Our goal through the Rescue Our Wetlands campaign was to raise $2 billion. And we were successful. In fact, we were so successful that we surpassed that goal and raised $2.34 billion! All that money—all $2.34 billion—wouldn’t be possible with- out the people who are so passionate about conservation— those more than 700,000 people who give their money to DU to make a difference. Those corporate partners, the state and federal agencies we work with, those farmers and ranchers… they all share our passion. It’s because of that passion that DU can thrive. And if we can thrive as an organization, then rest assured the habitat will be improved, and people and wildlife alike will benefit. A Ducks Unlimited We all know that agriculture is a mainstay of our existence, and DU and farmers work together to find the best possible solutions. And we do it shoulder to shoulder. To learn more, visit ducks.org At Hook & Barrel, we are firm believers in giving back to the greater good. In each issue, we showcase a business, group, or organization that gives back. Conservation is a team effort and takes many forms: from habitat and species conservation to preserving hunting and fishing rights or growing the sports by introducing new folks to the joys of the outdoors. Some of our key focuses are kids in the outdoors, habitat and wildlife, and veterans who protect our rights as Americans to live the lifestyle we all enjoy. Adam Putnam CEO, Ducks Unlimited GIVING BACK Adam PutnamC M Y CM MY CY CMY K 2019-hook-and-barrel-sept.pdf 3 6/12/19 5:04 PM06 @HOOKANDBARRELMAG | HOOKANDBARREL.COM s I watched the sun rise over the marsh, I could hear the wing- beats of ducks overhead—the fast beats of teal mixed with the more methodical cadence of mallards. The sun was just peeking above the water line, creating a beautiful landscape in front of me. It crossed my mind at that moment that without Ducks Unlimited, op- portunities like these would be few and far between. You see, Ducks Unlimited (DU) was created during the Dust Bowl of 1937 when a group of hunters, concerned over low waterfowl numbers and lack of habitat, joined forces to create a new company focused specifically to combat those issues. Now one of the nation’s largest wetlands and waterfowl conservation organizations, DU strives to continue the mission of those passionate conservationists. Now, I could sit here and tout facts and figures about the great work we’ve accomplished across each flyway, or I could give you numbers about the work we’ve done in Canada or Mexico that benefit people and wildlife at the same time. Instead, let me start with just one number: more than 700,000. That’s how many DU members are in the United States alone. Of those more than 700,000 members, more than 40,000 are volunteers—the ones who put on the local banquets, take time out of their lives to mentor young hunters, and help support our great organization. Those 40,000 volunteers put together more than 4,000 events nationwide, and those events are the backbone of our organiza- tion. Our success literally depends on the work and dedication of volunteers. Not to be misrepresented, our corporate partners like Bass Pro Shops, Axalta, and Purina, to name a few, also play a large role in our ability to improve habitat, but the volunteers are the heart and soul. In turn, we as an organization make the promise to those volunteers to ensure the money they donate is used exactly the way it was intended: To fill the skies with waterfowl. But that can’t happen without great habitat. Great habitat in the breeding grounds of the Prairie Pothole Region ensure so many waterfowl get a solid start to their lives. As they traverse south, habitat helps ensure those waterfowl have enough food to successfully com- plete their journey. That journey ends in the wintering grounds where good habitat helps waterfowl thrive and fatten up before they begin their arduous trip back to the breeding grounds. But more than waterfowl benefit from the work DU does, however. People can be added to that list as well. How? The work we do to improve habitat also helps filter runoff from farmland and urban areas, ensuring cleaner water downstream. Wetlands also act as water storage, helping to mitigate flooding. We all know that agriculture is a mainstay of our existence, and DU and farmers work together to find the best possible solutions. And we do it shoulder to shoulder. We work with farmers, ranchers, corporate partners, and DU volunteers for the best outcome possible. It’s certainly a team effort. And that effort takes the form of another number: 83 cents. That’s right, 83 cents of every dollar donated to DU is put back into conservation. And that 83 cents equates to more than 14 million acres conserved across North America. For perspec- tive, that’s the size of Maryland and Vermont combined. And given that we just completed one of the largest wet- lands and waterfowl campaigns in the nation, we expect even more great things going forward. Our goal through the Rescue Our Wetlands campaign was to raise $2 billion. And we were successful. In fact, we were so successful that we surpassed that goal and raised $2.34 billion! All that money—all $2.34 billion—wouldn’t be possible with- out the people who are so passionate about conservation— those more than 700,000 people who give their money to DU to make a difference. Those corporate partners, the state and federal agencies we work with, those farmers and ranchers… they all share our passion. It’s because of that passion that DU can thrive. And if we can thrive as an organization, then rest assured the habitat will be improved, and people and wildlife alike will benefit. A Ducks Unlimited We all know that agriculture is a mainstay of our existence, and DU and farmers work together to find the best possible solutions. And we do it shoulder to shoulder. To learn more, visit ducks.org At Hook & Barrel, we are firm believers in giving back to the greater good. In each issue, we showcase a business, group, or organization that gives back. Conservation is a team effort and takes many forms: from habitat and species conservation to preserving hunting and fishing rights or growing the sports by introducing new folks to the joys of the outdoors. Some of our key focuses are kids in the outdoors, habitat and wildlife, and veterans who protect our rights as Americans to live the lifestyle we all enjoy. Adam Putnam CEO, Ducks Unlimited GIVING BACK Adam PutnamNext >