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Chad Coburn
Hometown: Victor, Iowa Occupation: CEO of Poweshiek Rural Water Association, journalist and videographer Hobbies: Spending time with my family is my number one hobby. After that the list begins: serving the NWTF. No matter if I am on the State Board, on the local committee, doing a JAKES or WITO event, I love to volunteer my time to help further the expansion of turkeys and turkey hunting. Being a former elementary teacher, I love to educate others. I enjoy working on archery equipment, teaching proper shooting techniques and tuning archery equipment. Taking youth hunters on their first hunts for any species is also something I really enjoy. I love to share my outdoor experiences through writing and video to better educate hunters too. I am also an official measurer for the Pope and Young Club. What age did you start hunting: I started hunting with my father at the age of 10. When I was 12, I spent my first year in the spring turkey woods and haven't missed a spring since. I still occasionally upland and waterfowl hunt, but my heart is in turkey hunting and big game hunting with a bow. How many days a year do you hunt: I will spend around 20-25 days chasing gobblers, with a gun or bow in my hand, or guiding for other hunters in up to 6 states a spring, depending upon my "real" work schedule. So far I have hunted Florida, Illinois, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, and Wyoming. At other times of the year I'll spend a tremendous amount of time in a treestand pursuing whitetails with archery gear here in Iowa and occasionally you'll find me in a black bear camp in Canada in the late spring. I have also chased Mule Deer in South Dakota. No matter what I am hunting, a video camera is usually in tow as my hunting partner and I submit footage to Adventures Wild Productions, who now produce Rocky Geared Up on the Outdoor Channel. Favorite Turkey Hunting Area: I have two favorite turkey hunting areas. I love pursuing longbeards in the Southeastern part of Iowa. There's a pile of them, they're big and like to gobble. I also like chasing them in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming just as much. You can't see elk and muleys in Iowa, plus I love those Merriam's. Gun of Choice: I shoot a Mossberg 9200 with a Simmons scope utilizing Winchester Super X #5's. That top tang safety allows me to shoot right or left handed when needed. You can't always slide around a tree or shift your body as quietly and easily as you can your gun. Favorite Ol Tom Product: You just can't beat those Ol Tom pants. The waterproof areas are strategically placed and are also functional, as are all those pockets. The knee pads have had three knee blow outs like I have, that extra cushion on the knee caps makes me more comfortable. Favorite turkey call: My favorite turkey call is the one that is working at the moment. I carry everything but the kitchen sink when I hit the field. I usually start with a diaphragm such as a Legacy Real Dill, followed up by a glass top friction call with a variety of strikers, and then a box call. The more hens I can sound like the better I like it and the gobblers seem to like the idea too. Out west I utilize a boat paddle type box as well as a glass/crystal top friction call for locating my birds. I need that higher pitch to gain more reaching power in my calling to find those Merriam's and Rio's in open country. Proudest Achievement: My proudest achievement occurred when the love of my life, Crystal, gave birth to our only child, Cael, in February of 2007. My proudest turkey hunting achievement came when I pulled the trigger on an old Osceola longbeard down in Florida in 2004, putting an end to my goal of a Grand Slam. I had wanted to complete a Grand Slam since first reading about it when I was 14 years old. Honorable mention goes to becoming a filed expert for Ol Tom, a great company with great products. I so look forward to educating other hunters at just how great and functional Ol Tom's products are while helping the company to expand their customer base and develop new products. A big thanks to Kelley Powers for giving me the opportunity to work with Ol Tom. Email:cui96@hotmail.com |