T-Bone and Waddell Discuss First Bows and Current Innovations in the Archery Industry
Join Host Michael Waddell as he sits down with longtime friend, hunting partner and bow tech, Travis "T-Bone" Turner, who co-hosts Bone Collector with Waddell and Nick Mundt on Outdoor Channel. A fellow Georgia resident from the Piedmont country southwest of Atlanta, Turner came from humble beginnings and learned to hunt and fish with his dad, who bought him his first bow, a recurve, when he was nine or ten years old. That recurve was too heavy for him to draw and shoot comfortably, so it would be quite a few years before Turner tried archery again. This time, he bought a compound bow at the behest of some hunting buddies, and that bow changed his life. Soon he entered a local archery tournament and won the "Novice" division, which further fueled his interest, and by the late '80s he was competing – and winning – in tournaments throughout the Southeast. Turner won the Georgia State Championship in 1990 and was invited to join a manufacturer's shooting pro staff. Quickly climbing the shooter ranks, a year later Turner won the ASA World Championship. Turner's success led to his shooting professionally and running a pro shop, and his natural aptitude for bow-tuning made him a trusted resource for the folks from Realtree who were based nearby. Soon he was setting up bows for them and for their guests on the Monster Bucks show, and before long they had invited him to appear on the program with comedian and host Jeff Foxworthy, and that's when America met "T-Bone," who is once again our special guest on this episode of The Michael Waddell Podcast, presented by Spandau Arms and in partnership with Folds of Honor and Cigars International. Five years ago, T-Bone developed an aggressive cancer that resulted in his losing part of his right leg, and given everyone's continued concern, we're happy to share this recent health update:
"I'm doing good," said T-Bone. "I need to lose some weight… I just went last week, actually, to Emory Winship Cancer Center and did all my scans and blood work, and I was up there the whole day. I have to do it every six months now, and [there was] no sign of cancer. They don't ever like to say 'cancer-free' because the kind of cancer I had – myxofibrosarcoma – has a pretty high [rate] of coming back. So, we've done real good. No sign of cancer on that. So, we're good. We'll just go another six months, living our life to the fullest. Just need to lose some weight, but other than that I'm good."
For those who have followed Travis "T-Bone" Turner's archery career and bowhunting on TV, that's very good news. "Archery has been so good to me," said T-Bone. "I never was good at much of nothing. I did play sports in high school and throughout, just because I was a big dude and filled a gap on the line. But when I started archery my second go-round, you know, right out of high school, I was obsessed. Even now, it's something that no matter how good you are, you can get better. It's ageless. No matter whether you're four years old or 90, if you can bend the string, you can shoot a bow, and you can do it proficiently," T-Bone exclaimed.
A Hoyt shooter for nearly three decades, T-Bone continues to keep archery as a central focus of his life, and he also closely follows what's happening in the archery industry. "Each year, I'm just like a kid in a candy store," said T-Bone, "'Like, what are they doing?'" When questioned about whether innovations in bow technology have slowed or stalled, T-Bone was quick to respond. "Actually, the speeds probably aren't growing by leaps and bounds like they were. We're probably topped out in that 340-350 range as far as an IBO-rated speed, but you're taking a bow that's shooting that fast and you're making it shootable now. Whereas… it's extremely light, which is something that was unheard of, the whole mass [of the] bow is a lot lighter now, it's quieter now, less vibration, so you're getting shootability now. So, they're directing their innovations in 340 fps and then they're carving it out to where it's extremely accurate as if it was a tournament bow that's a 40-inch axle-to-axle bow. We're doing that with a hunting bow anywhere from 30-34 inches axle-to-axle, so if you really cut up all the things they're doing, yeah, innovation is still going on… It may not be growing leaps and bounds with speed, but they're taking that speed and harnessing it into something that's very shootable, very quiet and very freezer-filling."
On this podcast, Waddell and T-Bone take a deep dive on arrows and other archery accessories that can improve bow setup and performance in the field, but T-Bone was quick to point out that there's no substitute for practice. "Time behind a bow and building confidence in your setup is invaluable," T-Bone began. "So many people try to buy themselves, 'Hey, if I get this sight, or if I get this rest, or if buy this new vane, I'm going to be more accurate.' There's nothing that's going to duplicate getting out there and shooting and building confidence, becoming one with your bow, becoming one with your arrow, and building that confidence so that when that nanosecond opportunity comes, because it only comes, you know, once, maybe twice, three times a year, especially for the average guy that can only hunt a little bit. You have to be prepared. There's nothing that you can do, buying-wise, to increase your accuracy more than spending some time behind the bow, bending the string and getting some arrows down range. Just know that you're going to be able to do it."
"I see it time and again," T-Bone continued, "and I know we've got busy lives, but everybody can scratch out time to shoot 5 or 10 arrows a day. That's all you've got to do. You want to be able to shoot cold bore. But you need to do it 5 or10 times; put all your heart into it. Whereas so many people pull their bow out of the bow case two weeks before the season and try to crash-course and get back there. And they do okay, and there are some success stories, but at the end of the day, the guy that's firing three or four days a week, you know, firing 15-20 arrows a day, is going to be so far above and beyond…"
The Michael Waddell Podcast is produced by Outdoor Sportsman Group and is available widely on Outdoor Channel YouTube, MyOutdoorTV, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and OutdoorChannel.com, to name a few.
Waddell led T-Bone into a conversation about the impact of certain new technologies and hunting practices. "I wouldn't change the way I grew up hunting," answered T-Bone, "because it helped build me as a hunter, and it's part of my pedigree. But, I do like the things that are in place now, and because we do have great innovations like trail cameras, it has got me vested 12 months out of the year, meaning as my financial status can afford to – and I'm not going to put my family in ruins – I love planting a food plot, I love watching a trail camera 12 months out of the year so that I know what I am hunting and [can] go after a certain deer and or try to strategize all year long. Whereas before, I'd start scouting a month before. I wasn't even thinking about hunting – turkey hunting – but I wasn't thinking about deer hunting from when it ended in January until the first of August. I was onto something else. But now, I'm vested all year long…I enjoy this style of hunting because it makes me feel vested and it increases the pride factor because you feel like you've farmed or raised that deer because you knew he was there, you knew what size he was, you knew how old he was, and you were knowledgeable enough to get him to his full potential…if that's your thing. It's nice to have all those tools. If it's legal; pop him!"
"I just love when T-Bone is around," said Waddell. "We just have so much fun together, and I'm glad that he was able to free up some time for me to visit with him again. I admire him so much and he has been a continued blessing to me and my family and to our Bone Collector team, and I so look forward to the time when he feels healthy enough to be back on the road hunting with us again. I sure appreciate his setting up my Hoyt Carbon RX-10 for me – nobody tunes a bow like T-Bone!"
The Michael Waddell Podcast releases new episodes every other week.
Waddell's story began in the backwoods of Booger Bottom, Georgia, where he grew up surrounded by nature, family, and a love for the outdoors. A self-proclaimed "rowdy redneck," his passion for hunting and storytelling led him to win a Realtree turkey-calling contest, which launched his career in the outdoor industry. From guiding and filming hunts to creating hit shows like Realtree Road Trips and Bone Collector, Waddell has become a beloved figure in the outdoor world.
About Outdoor Sportsman Group: Outdoor Sportsman Group is comprised of the world's foremost media and entertainment brands for outdoor adventure enthusiasts. It includes four leading multichannel networks: Outdoor Channel, Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, and GAME & FISH TV, a dynamic new Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) channel dedicated to sports enthusiasts and outdoor lovers. Additionally, Outdoor Sportsman Group operates Sportsman Channel (Canada) and MOTV, the world's leading subscription streaming platform created for outdoor lifestyle enthusiasts. The Group also consists of numerous established publishing assets, including 14 outdoor magazines such as Guns & Ammo, Game & Fish, Petersen's HUNTING, and In-Fisherman, along with 20 top websites. Outdoor Sportsman Group also includes television production operations through Winnercomm. For more information, visit www.outdoorsg.com.