The Deer Tracking Family
We are blessed and before we talk about ourselves, we want to acknowledge the One who allows the privilege of living the adventure that is our life. We find that if we start each day counting our blessings, it turns out each day holds many more...or at least we notice more of them! Deer Tracking is just one of the many things we are thankful for.
We are the Deer Tracking family. Editor and bride, Randy and Tara, along with sons Dale, Shane, and Kole, work together on the magazine and everything else that comes our way. Tara (with a bachelor of education degree) and I (with an education degree and a second degree in English) were both teachers when we began family, deer farming, and magazine all within a few years. We loved what we were doing, but had a hunch that we hardly glimpsed the goodness that God had heaped up for us. Children are heaven sent so we decided to go about life a little backward from what society says we should do. Our goal was to spend as much time together as possible while our boys grew up and less time making and saving money. We'd homeschooled the boys (the two older only until grade 10, when they went to the public highschool, riding a school bus 3 hours a day, for their last 2 1/2 years, both graduating in 2012). Thankfully we could still maintain somehwhat of a trapping lifestyle through winter on weekeds and every day off from school. We are glad we decided to work from home together and perhaps work a career later in life if needed.
Time together is what we've had and coupled with a wide variety of adventure...this is true wealth! We began deer farming whitetails in 1996, artificially inseminated about 2 out of every 3 years, and raised both breeding and hunt stock.
Despite having followed stringent regulations and managment practices, sadly, we lost our herd of 132 animals to government policy on CWD in 2007, but the magazine that began 15 years ago (1998) is going strong. Published in northern Saskatchewan, the magazine is distributed across all of North America and gives our family lots of occasion to travel, taking in auctions and trade shows while touring farms along the way. Our family likes learning and, while we hope the magazine is entertaining to a degree, it tends toward being a resource for deer farmers. We have a growing list of veterinarians, lab researchers, biologists, nutritionists, etc., to draw on for expertise, but much of the magazine content comes from our travels, observations, research and writing. We strive to be an unbiased voice in the deer industry.
I am biased though. I'm biased toward the life that, gratefully, includes the magazine, but is not dictated by such. We live off grid all year round, but come winter, my family heads further north to a remote cabin on a rather isolated trapline for 6-9 months at a time, about 3 hours by snowmobile from the nearest road. We trap about a dozen different species, home-tan many pelts, sell some for taxidermy, some as home and lodge decor, and turn some into mitts, hats, moccasins, ect. We also work with the boys on a bear outfitting camp (for guns or cameras) in spring and fall based on our trapline. We used to snowmobile out to a phone and computer in order to return calls, and stay in touch with the deer industry. Through recent technology though, we now work on the magazine through a satelite system and a simpler way of life gives us plenty of time for research and writing even while living a trapper's lifestyle. Yes, we do own something other than a snowmobile, and greatly enjoy our industry tours throughout the U.S. So, perhaps we're backwards and backwoods, and I know its not the 'American Dream', but most would agree that we are "living the dream".
We are grateful for so much including the fact that you, right now, are taking the time to get to know us. We look forward to getting to know you, too.
Sincerely,
Randy Barks (Editor)
We are the Deer Tracking family. Editor and bride, Randy and Tara, along with sons Dale, Shane, and Kole, work together on the magazine and everything else that comes our way. Tara (with a bachelor of education degree) and I (with an education degree and a second degree in English) were both teachers when we began family, deer farming, and magazine all within a few years. We loved what we were doing, but had a hunch that we hardly glimpsed the goodness that God had heaped up for us. Children are heaven sent so we decided to go about life a little backward from what society says we should do. Our goal was to spend as much time together as possible while our boys grew up and less time making and saving money. We'd homeschooled the boys (the two older only until grade 10, when they went to the public highschool, riding a school bus 3 hours a day, for their last 2 1/2 years, both graduating in 2012). Thankfully we could still maintain somehwhat of a trapping lifestyle through winter on weekeds and every day off from school. We are glad we decided to work from home together and perhaps work a career later in life if needed.
Time together is what we've had and coupled with a wide variety of adventure...this is true wealth! We began deer farming whitetails in 1996, artificially inseminated about 2 out of every 3 years, and raised both breeding and hunt stock.
Despite having followed stringent regulations and managment practices, sadly, we lost our herd of 132 animals to government policy on CWD in 2007, but the magazine that began 15 years ago (1998) is going strong. Published in northern Saskatchewan, the magazine is distributed across all of North America and gives our family lots of occasion to travel, taking in auctions and trade shows while touring farms along the way. Our family likes learning and, while we hope the magazine is entertaining to a degree, it tends toward being a resource for deer farmers. We have a growing list of veterinarians, lab researchers, biologists, nutritionists, etc., to draw on for expertise, but much of the magazine content comes from our travels, observations, research and writing. We strive to be an unbiased voice in the deer industry.
I am biased though. I'm biased toward the life that, gratefully, includes the magazine, but is not dictated by such. We live off grid all year round, but come winter, my family heads further north to a remote cabin on a rather isolated trapline for 6-9 months at a time, about 3 hours by snowmobile from the nearest road. We trap about a dozen different species, home-tan many pelts, sell some for taxidermy, some as home and lodge decor, and turn some into mitts, hats, moccasins, ect. We also work with the boys on a bear outfitting camp (for guns or cameras) in spring and fall based on our trapline. We used to snowmobile out to a phone and computer in order to return calls, and stay in touch with the deer industry. Through recent technology though, we now work on the magazine through a satelite system and a simpler way of life gives us plenty of time for research and writing even while living a trapper's lifestyle. Yes, we do own something other than a snowmobile, and greatly enjoy our industry tours throughout the U.S. So, perhaps we're backwards and backwoods, and I know its not the 'American Dream', but most would agree that we are "living the dream".
We are grateful for so much including the fact that you, right now, are taking the time to get to know us. We look forward to getting to know you, too.
Sincerely,
Randy Barks (Editor)
The Backwoods Boys
So what are the Deer Tracking/"Sons" of Winter boys have been up to lately? They have busy lives, but have found time to bring exciting updates and special videos of some of the aspects of life as they live it in "real life". Check them out on youtube and be sure to subscribe there for more updates: www.youtube.com/c/backwoodsboys
Also for sneak peaks and special features, check out the Backwoods Boys home page www.backwoodsboyslife.com.
Or, view the entire Backwoods library, all on one handy page www.backwoodsboyslife.com/backwoodsboyslibrary.html.
For more on the videos, check out each individual vlog page, where many of the videos have an accompanying blog written with them (not found anywhere else)
https://www.backwoodsboyslife.com/the-vlog-archive.html
These same Backwoods Boys, can also help lead you on YOUR adventure of a lifetime with the family outfitting business, Bear Essential Wilderness Adventures. Trapline adventures, and Black Bear or Whitetail Deer hunts are sure to get the adrenaline pumping and create memories that last a lifetime. So come to the "backwoods" and do life with us some time!
Also for sneak peaks and special features, check out the Backwoods Boys home page www.backwoodsboyslife.com.
Or, view the entire Backwoods library, all on one handy page www.backwoodsboyslife.com/backwoodsboyslibrary.html.
For more on the videos, check out each individual vlog page, where many of the videos have an accompanying blog written with them (not found anywhere else)
https://www.backwoodsboyslife.com/the-vlog-archive.html
These same Backwoods Boys, can also help lead you on YOUR adventure of a lifetime with the family outfitting business, Bear Essential Wilderness Adventures. Trapline adventures, and Black Bear or Whitetail Deer hunts are sure to get the adrenaline pumping and create memories that last a lifetime. So come to the "backwoods" and do life with us some time!