Aside from specializing in Cardiovascular Medicine, Bass Pro Shops hunting pro staff member, Warren Strickland has mastered the technique of bow hunting to become one of the most world renowned. BOM Publisher and Founder, Charles K. West and Strickland had a chance to chat and discuss his passion for bow hunting.

BOM: What attracted you to the sport of hunting and how have you been able to transition from hunting as a hobby to becoming an experienced or professional hunter?

Strickland: Well Charles, it did happen overnight. I had a passion for the outdoors all my life. I grew up in the outdoors and wanted to simply share my experiences with other people. I had not intent to be a professional or don’t consider myself a professional hunter or bow hunter, but I wanted to share this experience with as many people as possible. I wanted to share this through writing and that’s how I actually got started. One of the first articles I published was with Peterson Hunting which is pretty tough to get in. And I wrote for Peterson for several years. Then I felt that there was another segment that I needed to penetrate and that was video and television. I’ve done quite a few videos and have recently in the past few years worked with the Bass Pro Shops in efforts to reach out to people who are interested in the outdoors, particularly bow hunting. You hear early on whether in kayaking, fishing, or hunting that there are not enough African Americans involved in the outdoors. And you hear that it will be difficult to break into the market since it’s a white male, middle class sport. Even though the thought was there, I never really made it an issue. Regardless of what you do, people respect you for your expertise. I’ve had no problems…I’m on several pro staffs (not-full time). Over the years I’ve established myself as being reputable and honest at what I do.

BOM: What are some of your favorite species to hunt? Strickland: I hunted practically every animal in North America. There are twenty-eight species in North America and with my bow and arrow; I’ve hunted twenty-three. Still, whitetail deer has to be my favorite.

BOM: Yeah, I’ve seen the mounts on your shed in your photo gallery on the site. Strickland: (Laugh) Yeah it’s quite a lot. Everyone can relate to the white-tail since they are abundant in every state and everyone has an opportunity to hunt white-tail. But probably the most challenging mentally and physically is to hunt wild sheep in North America…you know there are four species and all four have been harvested with bow less than 30 times and I’m number 25. That was definitely the most challenging hunting expedition that I’ve been on.

BOM: Describe some of your favorite places to hunt.

Strickland: British Columbia…I love British Columbia, especially northern BC. It’s pristine, still very wild, and it really challenges your bow hunting ability. There are two to three week backpack hunts so you need to get yourself in good physical condition and need the right gear. It’s just the challenge. You get to live, breath, and feel the outdoors.

BOM: So it’s more than just traveling for the hunting experience.

Strickland: Oh yeah…hunting is definitely a small part of it. In fact bow hunting gives you the opportunity to touch and feel your environment. It’s not solely about harvesting the animal, but getting a chance to enjoy the challenge and beauty of the natural elements.

BOM: Describe your choice of gear needed for a hunting excursion.

Strickland: I shoot a Hoyt bow …a compound bow. I shoot with Easton carbon arrows, open on impact, broad-heads. I prefer these because they are accurate at longer distances particularly in open country like out West and North the distances are greater than in South where your distances for shooting white-tail are between 15 to 20 yards. I find myself shooting between 40 to 50 yards on most excursions, which is a long shot for bow and arrow. So you need to use specialized equipment to take those long shots. Now I shoot anywhere between 85-90 pounds which is pretty heavy, but I’ve been shooting a bow literally since I was 11 years old…pretty much all my life. And I shoot 3 to 4 days a week year-round. So this enables me to handle that kind of weight.

BOM: How do you prepare for your typical hunting excursion?

Strickland: Usually every year, I’ll do one or two adventure hunts to places like Alaska or British Columbia, but it takes me at least 6 months to get ready. And it’s the physical fitness training that you need to pay attention to. You know a lot of guys go on a hunt and concentrate on equipment. And that’s very important…you need the right gear, backpack, the right clothing. But the most important thing or what’s going to get you up to the top of that mountain and get you down are your legs, lungs, and heart. You need to really get those in good shape. If you don’t you’re going to have a miserable experience and probably won’t be able to do the hunt. You can end up blowing out a knee or hurting your back or you simply just can’t make it. So you really need to get yourself in top physical condition. In fact, I have a section on my website about physical fitness for the high altitude bow hunter and some of the things you need to prepare yourself for hunting. Coming from the South and East, you’re really not challenged with altitude and that’s another experience in itself. To carry a 40-50 lb. backpack vertically about above 5,000 feet is a big challenge.

BOM: How have you indoctrinated these hunting traditions with your family?

Strickland: I’ve exposed all of my kids to the outdoors one way or the other and I think it’s important to start them young and make sure that they have good experience. You know the worst thing you can do is take an 8 or 9 year old kid out in sub-zero degree weather. I started my daughter with shooting the bow with fun things such as Junior Olympic indoor for target hunting and trained her how to properly handle a bow and arrow. Initially we went duck and quail hunting and you enjoy the talking and family time. We slowly transitioned into deer hunting because it really took more patience. It’s a little bit uncomfortable for kids…you need to sit still for longer periods. Initially it needs to be an enjoyable experience for them. I’ve seen a number of parents run there kids off from not making it an enjoyable experience.

BOM: What childhood experience attracted you to hunting and sealed the deal that this was your lifetime passion?

Strickland: Well I felt it was just kind of in my DNA (laugh). As long as I could remember, I was always trying to trap or shoot a BB gun. I was building traps to catch birds and always trying to do something in the outdoors. What really led me to serious hunting was a TV show called the American Sportsman and I saw a grizzly bear and elk hunt and I fell in love with the bow and arrow. I got one for Christmas when I was 12 and I literally, literally never put that bow down.

BOM: Do you still have that bow?

Strickland: I do have that bow now. My daughter shot her first buck with that bow and arrow and that was special.

BOM: What three points of advice would you give to someone, young or old, that is interested in hunting?

Strickland: For one thing you really need a mentor, because it really takes years to develop the type of sportsmanship to be competent in the outdoors. And it’s hard to do that on your own. And the good thing about avid outdoorsman is that they love to share their experiences with other people. I was fortunate to have a father who enjoyed the outdoors and he knew that if he was going to spend time with me it would be in the outdoors (laugh). And we have passed these traditions down…my grandfather passed it to my father, my father to me, and me to my children. I grew up in Arkansas and moved to Alabama…northern Alabama specifically for the type of hunting I wanted to do.

BOM: Do you have other outdoor hobbies or interest?

Strickland: I do, but most of my outdoor activity outside of work and other hobbies are spent being with my children and family. I really have no other. I’m not a golfer or a fisher. I’m active with the Alabama Game and Fish Commission and that takes a bit of time. That body is really responsible for the wildlife regulations, so I spent quite a bit of time involved with that

BOM: Any last words for our voices

Strickland: The same steps needed to become competent in the outdoors are the same steps it takes to do well in life. You need patience, persistence, hard work, passion, and drive. Those are the things that it takes to be successful in anything. And if you build on those qualities and draw from those experiences it will make you a better person.