In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Michael Hunsucker of Full Strut to hear what adventures we can expect this year.
The fourth season of "Full Strut" premiered last week, just in time for the fast-approaching turkey hunting season. From the same team that created "Heartland Bowhunter," this show dives deep into the best turkey hunting in the Midwest. In the first episode, available at CarbonTV.com, the guys kick things off with an unforgettable hunting trip to Kansas.
WIDE OPEN SPACES: What can people expect on the new season of "Full Strut"?
Season 4 of "Full Strut" happens to be our most successful season to date. We continue to bring some of the most exciting, action-packed turkey hunts, all while hunting with archery equipment and no pop-up blinds. Throughout this season, we travel to Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota, hunting Eastern, Rio and Merriam's turkeys. We even have a few unique style hunts, including a gobbler shot after popping out of a layout blind right by the decoys!
Why do you love bowhunting for turkey so much? What's the real thrill?
We are bowhunters. It's what we do. Hunting any game with a bow is more of a challenge and in turn, more rewarding. Getting the turkey in bow range is only half the battle. Coming to full draw can be an even more challenging part of the hunt. Then, taking your time, picking a spot, and executing the shot can be extremely difficult, on a turkey in particular. When you overcome all of those challenges, the feeling of success is just that much sweeter!
What's your bow set up and why?
When it comes to archery hunting turkeys, your setup is key. Having a bow that you can tune to be as efficient as possible is invaluable. When you put in all the time and hard work, the last thing you want to have weighing on your mind is whether your equipment is going to do its job.
Right now, we're shooting Bowtech's newest Smartbow, the Reign. Their Overdrive Binary system is the only cam system on the market that can truly tune the bowstring first. Getting that cam lean perfect on both top and bottom cams is crucial. Once you do, all the energy is right where it belongs — directly behind the nock. That nock travel is everything. This allows us to be confident and know that if we do our job, we'll be successful. I personally love the ability to set my FlipDisc to the smooth setting during turkey season so I can come to full draw as smoothly and effortlessly as possible, reducing my chance at being seen.
Beyond the bow, I'd say the second most important piece of equipment is the broadhead. Turkeys are very small targets that never seem to quit moving. Having a large, expandable head that'll give you the advantage in any marginal shot situation can make all the difference in the world. We shoot the Killzone Maxx from NAP and have been unbelievably successful with that head.
This season, you're giving away your Reign 6 and Reign 7? Tell us how people get a chance at that.
We're excited to be giving away not one, but two, of the most tunable bows out there. Viewers can log on to TheSmartBow.com and register to win.
What can people expect next from Heartland Bowhunter?
It's an exciting time for HB, with a huge milestone on the horizon. Our 10th season of the show will be premiering this June on Outdoor Channel! We're very excited to be putting on another event here in Kansas City that'll allow people to get a sneak peak into the season before it launches on TV. It'll be June 10th at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City and we'll be releasing more details over the course of the next month or two.
Over the course of 10 years, we've been fortunate enough to hunt a lot of great places and go on a ton of adventures, but this season is one that we'll never forget. Two of our biggest bucks ever harvested on camera will be a part of the new season. That paired with some great spot and stalk mule deer hunts, an elk hunt, and a ton of great whitetail hunts in the Midwest make for our best season yet.
We also have another exciting season of Behind the Draw coming to CarbonTV this fall, featuring whitetail hunts from Missouri, Kansas and Texas, as well as a Texas mule deer hunt and an archery goose hunt.
Season 4 episodes of "Full Strut" premiere every Thursday. You can check out the new shows here:
Full Strut Season 4 on CarbonTV
Heartland Bowhunter Season 10 on Outdoor Channel
Follow Heartland Bowhunter on social to see what they're up to this turkey hunting season and beyond:
Facebook: facebook.com/HeartlandBowhunter
Instagram: @heartlandbowhunter
Twitter: @TeamHBTV
And don't forget to take advantage of Bowtech's giveaway. Register to win the Bowtech Reign 6 or Reign 7 at TheSmartBow.com.
