Listen in as Steve discusses his first hunting trip of the season, a late October archery hunt in Kansas for whitetails. He talks about the challenges that the weather created for this hunt and the lack of pre-rut activity. Plus, he also reveals his disappointment with the shot he took on a nice buck that ultimately proved to be non-fatal. You can do everything right, practice all you want and have great equipment, but when the buck is right in front of you it's different, Steve says. Although it wasn't the ending he was hoping for, Steve says the miss in Kansas has motivated him and he's ready to move on to Texas in the hopes of filling his tag there. Rattling is so much fun in Texas during the rut, he says, and he's hoping to capitalize on the action and bring home a buck. Outside of his own hunting pursuits, Steve also discusses the enjoyment he gets from introducing others to the outdoors and helping facilitate opportunities for them to get out on hunts.
Then, Steve highlights Destination Yamaha, a fantastic program that allows Yamaha to work with their partners across the country to provide adventure rental vehicles so people can explore new and exciting locations. That kind of adventurous experience is one that, when people can carve out a little time from their busy schedules, is worthwhile. You don't have to own an ATV or side-by-side to be able to explore Anchorage, Alaska or Moab, Utah. You can rent those vehicles when you get there! Even if you do already own an ATV or side-by-side, this Destination Yamaha program makes it possible for you to try out different models or have access to vehicles if you don't want to trailer your unit across the country. There are epic destinations all across the country, from coast to coast, and everywhere in between. This kind of program puts outdoor recreation within the reach of more people!
Finally, Steve talks about the Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative, a program designed to help create and defend access to land for outdoor recreation. The Outdoor Access Initiative has been able to contribute more than $5 million dollars in the form of grants to help support more than 400 projects across the country since its inception. Funded out of the sale of Yamaha vehicles, Steve says a small portion of each sale is directed to this initiative. Using a grant application process, Yamaha awards that money quarterly to nonprofit or tax-exempt organizations including OHV riding clubs and associations, national, state and local public land use agencies, outdoor enthusiast associations and land conservation groups with an interest in protecting, improving, expanding and/or maintaining access for safe, responsible and sustainable public use. The Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative is a program that does a lot of good, Steve says, but not a lot of people know about it. In the interest of creating and maintaining spaces to recreate for generations to come, Steve says Yamaha will continue to commit money to this initiative. He encourages people to check out the program and apply for grants to fund projects they are working on that support land access.
Listen to the full interview by clicking on the player below!
Bunny