Real Name: Mark Land
Nickname: Armadillo Killer
Age: 40
Height: 5' 10"
Home State: Georgia
TradGang member number: 7
Member Status: Charter
Years traditional bowhunting: 14
(TG) Tell us about yourself.
(Mark Land)- Married to my beautiful wife Ginger for 14 years, daughter Ashley 13 y/o, I worked as a Paramedic/Firefighter for 11 years, currently working at Muzzy Products where I am the Technical Support Specialist and handle all Bowfishing Promotions, R&D and Prostaff for the last 7 years. Started hunting at 10 with squirrels, deer at 11 and got my 1st at 12, shot my 1st with a bow at 14, started bowfishing seriously around '89 or '90, been doing it ever since, have been blessed to hunt all over the country and have hunted in 11 states.
(TG) How long have you been bow hunting with traditional gear?
(Mark Land)- 14
(TG) Any heroes? Any role models?
(Mark Land)- My 1st hero in hunting was my Uncle George, he, along with my Dad, got me started in hunting and Uncle George is mostly responsible to getting me into bowhunting. He was the one that always came in with a big deer or great stories. Alwasy followed Fred Bear and others, but really enjoyed the Wensels, Don Thomas, Larry Fischer, Fred Eichler and others.
(TG) What got you started bowhunting?
(Mark Land)- Watching my uncle, I always shot a bow as a kid, but seeing him do it, made me realize that it was possible. Killed my 1st with a bow in my 2nd year of trying and had my Uncle George right with me when I did, one of my proudest moments.
(TG) Do you have any favorite memories or kills that stand out? Tell us about it!
(Mark Land)- My 1st deer of course, but one of my proudest was taking my 1st gobbler with a recurve, tried for 6 years, exclusively, before finally achieving success, very satisfying! Finally figured out the only way to do it was in a blind, had one of my best hunting partners with me at the time and he had taken several with his bow, roosted the bird the night before and set up the blind in the morning. 30 mins after daylight he walked up to the edge of the field and gobbles, still remember those chills. My buddy was filming in the blind with me and we watched him strut all the way in to the decoys and strut around my jake, when he turned his fan to me I drew and hit him perfectly just behind the wing butt, he only flopped about 3 times and was done, I literally tore down the blind trying to get to him. All those years of trying and I finally had him, the emotions overcame me and I just had to kneel down and thank God for the opportunity.
(TG) Do you remember the first animal you took with a traditional bow? Tell us about it!
(Mark Land)- Absolutely, just like yesterday. All my buddies in camp were gving me a hard time about wanting to hunt with the recurve, but I knew from shooting and bowfishing so much that I could do it. About 2 weeks into the season, headed out to one of my favorite spots not long after daylight I spot this nice doe moving in, she stopped behind some trees, but left her shoulder area exposed between 2 trees, knew all I had to do was string the arrow between them and I would make a good hit, wouldn't you know, God was smiling on me that day and I made one of the most perfect shots I had ever taken, deer only ran about 50 yds. and piled up. You should have seen the looks on their faces when I came rolling into camp that moring, yeah! Know what? Went out the next morning and shot my 2nd deer, that really shut them up and I never looked back from there.
(TG) Can you tell us a bit about your preferred hunting combo?
(Mark Land)- After much experimentation I finally settled on a Black Widow recurve with heavy carbon arrows, either Carbonwoods or lately, Axis arrows, definitely believe in the heavy tip weight on those shafts and they tune and fly perfect. I like to stay over 500 grs. and shoot around #56. I still prefer the Muzzy trocar tip heads and shoot our 125gr. 4bl. have taken some with the Phantom 125gr. heads and they did fine. This set up has worked very well for me on many animals and I do prefer a bow quiver for the added stability on the bow. I shoot split finger with a high cheek bone anchor.
(TG) What is the one piece of advice you would give a new hunter to aid him on his hunting ventures?
(Mark Land)- Pratice, practice and more practice and spend time stump shooting and small game hunting, leave the targe bales and dots for form work and concentrate on hunting practice in the woods, also make sure your equipment is matched and tuned well, really helps your shooting.
(TG) What is your favorite animal to hunt?
(Mark Land)- That's easy, hogs, nothing like 'em, the best animal for traditional archers in my opinion. Can hunt them year round and normally have multiple opportunities. I have hunted many other animals and love each one, but hogs are at the top of the list.
(TG) Do you have or prefer a certain method of hunting?
(Mark Land)- I mostly deer hunt from stands, but really prefer still hunting and spot and stalk hunting, spent so much time doing that with hogs and Western game and really enjoy it the most.
(TG) Does any of your family hunt or fish?
(Mark Land)- My wife tried a little, but really just supports me more, am getting my daughter into it more and more and she really loves to bowfish, took her down to FL this summer and she got a 8ft. alligator and several stingrays.
(TG) What or who first got you involved in traditional bow hunting?
(Mark Land)- That's really hard to pin on one thing or person, probably David Waldrop and Tommy Chambliss, they were doing it when I got into bowfishing heavy and that encouraged me to give it a try.
(TG) Do you have any bowhunting goals or plans for the immediate future?
(Mark Land)- Currently I am still trying to get an antelope and bear and would love to get a caribou someday as well as a nice bull elk with the recurve.
(TG) Do you make any of your own gear?
(Mark Land)- Not really, don't have enough patience to build bows, besides there are many that are much better at it then I ever could, I do build my own strings and assemble my own arrows, I guess that gives me some self satisfaction.
(TG) Where is the one place you would really just love to hunt?
(Mark Land)- Well, got to do one this May and that was Alaska, but would really love to go to Australia and hunt and I think that would be really unique and offer lot's of opportunities, a little out of the norm you know?
(TG) Do you primarily hunt private or public ground?
(Mark Land)- I prefer and mostly hunt private ground, but that is getting harder and harder to keep, still hunt public some, but mostly concentrate my efforts on private.
(TG) Do you prefer evening, mid day or morning hunts?
(Mark Land)- Evening is almost always the most productive times for me, but have had alot of success in the mornings, especially on deer when they are running.
(TG) Do you normally use anything like scent covers or attractants, camo, or calls?
(Mark Land)- I have always been scent conscientous, but really had my eyes opened when I was encouraged to try Scrape Juice products and I now use them exclusively, I have seen the results and I don't hit the woods without it. Have always used grunt calls and lately have had a lot of success with the doe bleat calls. I always use turkey calls and really prefer the slate calls, along with some mouth calls. I don't use elk bugles much anymore, but have had a lot of success with cow elk calls.
(TG) Do you do any small game hunting?
(Mark Land)- Lot's and lot's, love to hunt all forms of small game and feel that they really keep my edge up, especially do a tremendous amount of bowfishing, snap shooting fish is not great for my hunting form, but it sure is alot of fun and keeps those muscles limbered up.
(TG) Tell us what your dream hunt would be.
(Mark Land)- My dream hunt would be to spend about a month in Australia pursuing all manner of game and fish, just have lot's of arrows and plenty of taxidermists on standby.
(TG)- Tell us some specs and the setup on your CUSTOM Muzzy bowfishing boat..
(Mark Land)- 1870 Legend Craft custom Aluminum boat, 4x5 ft front deck, elevated 20in. 4ft. high middle videoing deck and rear fan support deck. Diamond plate decking all around the boat, elevated dual console, 5 ft. fish tub in front with drain out back, 6ft long 6in tunner, Detwiller Hydraulic jack plate, 200EFI Mariner outboard, 20HP Vanguard motor with 42in. Multi Wing fan, 24volt Minnkota 65# thrust trolling mtor w/74in shaft, Depthfinder and Magellen GPS, 12-300 watt halogen floodlights, Generac 4000XL generator. Boat will run about 50mph and float in 10in. of water and run wide open in less than a foot of water. Able to carry 1500# of fish and 3 adults well.
(TG)- What is your favorite bowfishing setup?
(Mark Land)- My favorite now is my 1972 Black Widow HF1225 60in. take down metal handle recurve, 54# at 27in. shooting a Shakespeare 4003Ti reel spooled with 45yds. of our 150# Tournament Braided Spectra line and 32in fiberglass arrows with our quick release carp points. I use no glovs on the string and have taken fish over 100# with this setup.
(TG)- What is your favorite thing to bowfish for?
(Mark Land)- Locally my favorites are Grass Carp over 50# and Buffalo over 30#, I just love to shoot big fish. When I get the chance to head to FL I like those big stingrays and in LA I look for Big Alligator gar.
Interviewers notes - I came up with Mark's name going through and trying to get the first 10 member's of Tradgang. Not only was he one of the first there but he was one of the first to return the interview form. He was very helpful and willing to help. Seems to me that he just loves to be outside, heck is there anything he doesn't hunt/fish for? We thought you bowfishers might enjoy seeing Mark's "ride" for bowfishing. It looks to be a pretty sweet set up to me.
Topic: Mark Land (Read 3788 times)
