Chicago Area Painter Featured on Brotherhood Outdoors
Nashville, TN – The Union Sportsmen's Alliance's award-winning hunting and fishing TV series, Brotherhood Outdoors, will feature Oswego, Illinois, resident Stephen Lefaver as he attempts to harvest his first Montana buck at 11 a. m. ET on Sunday, March 15 on the Sportsman Channel.
As Director of Training for Painters District Council 30's Joint Apprenticeship & Training Fund (JATF), Lefaver prepares apprentices for future careers while supporting the community by giving them the chance to earn credit toward graduation by volunteering their trade skills to assist churches, homeless shelters and other non-profit organizations, including the Union Sportsmen's Alliance (USA).
An avid sportsman working to pass America's outdoor traditions on to his children, Lefaver joined the USA "to be a part of the only conservation organization that highlights the union workers and their families and organizes community projects to put our skills to use for conservation initiatives. "
Unlike many sportsmen, Lefaver didn't grow up in a family of hunters and anglers but had to learn on his own through trial and error.
"Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, the outdoors weren't necessarily right out our back doors, " Lefaver said. "I was lucky enough to live near a pond where I learned to fish. [Wisconsin] is where my passion for the outdoors really began. "
With his family and fellow union members as top priorities, Lefaver doesn't get a lot of time to hunt these days, especially out of state. Upon learning all Lefaver does to give back to others, the Brotherhood Outdoors crew decided a four-day Montana deer hunt would be a well-deserved respite.
The excitement of the November 2014 trip began right away as Lefaver, along with Brotherhood Outdoors co-hosts Daniel Lee Martin and Julie McQueen, spotted elk, mule deer and pronghorn on the drive from the airport to Bearpaw Outfitters. The anticipation of a trophy buck continued when they spotted 72 deer on the first day and learned from the guide that Lefaver's deer permit was good for a whitetail or a mule deer.
"So by now, I'm feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve with a wish list a mile long and not sure of what I was going to get, " Lefaver said.
With so many deer in the area, Lefaver and the crew continued to hold out for a monster buck, until it came down to the wire. After hiking 4-5 miles around ridgelines and through draws on that last morning, they spotted a shooter buck at 800 yards out. They raced to the creek, but their shooter buck disappeared into the thicket, this time at about 300 yards away. They waited and hoped for a shot as the buck came out of the thicket chasing his doe four times.
"Before they got to the creek, they both stopped about 325 yards way, " said Lefaver. "Once I knew this was our shooter, I told the cameraman that I was going to take the shot. "
Will Lefaver harvest his Montana buck in the final hour of his trip? Tune in to Brotherhood Outdoors at 11 a. m. ET on Sunday, March 5 on the Sportsman Channel to find out.
Winner of "Best Combination Show" in the 2011 Sportsman Choice Awards, Brotherhood Outdoors awards union sportsmen and women who are committed to preserving North America's outdoor heritage with a guided hunting or fishing trip or the opportunity to show off their own guiding skills on national TV.
Presented by Bank of Labor, Brotherhood Outdoors is also sponsored by the following unions, contractors and corporate partners: Buck Knives, Burris/Steiner, Carhartt, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, National Electrical Contractors Association, and United Association/International Training Fund.
For more information about Brotherhood Outdoors, the Union Sportsmen's Alliance or Sportsman Channel, visit http://www.BrotherhoodOutdoors.tv/ and www.facebook.com/brotherhoodoutdoorstv.
About the Union Sportsmen's Alliance: The Union Sportsmen's Alliance (USA) is a union-dedicated, 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, whose members hunt, fish, shoot and volunteer their skills for conservation. The USA is uniting the union community through conservation to preserve North America's outdoor heritage. For more information, visit www.unionsportsmen.org or www.facebook.com/unionsportsmen
About Sportsman Channel: Launched in 2003, Sportsman Channel/Sportsman HD is a television and digital media company fully devoted to honoring a lifestyle that is celebrated by millions of Americans. A division of KSE Outdoor Group, Sportsman Channel delivers entertaining and informative programming that showcases outdoor adventure, hunting and fishing, and illustrates it through unique and authentic storytelling. Sportsman Channel embraces the attitude of "Red, Wild & Blue America" – where the American Spirit and Great Outdoors are celebrated in equal measure. Sportsman Channel reaches more than 36 million U. S. television households. Stay connected to Sportsman Channel online at thesportsmanchannel.com, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
