2027 Will Be Updated Later

Northwoods Whitetails

The True North Lifestyle

Built on Tradition. Proven in the Field. The True North Lifestyle is about honoring the hunting and fishing heritage passed down through generations-sharing real experiences, hard-earned lessons, and the pursuit of a life lived outdoors.

www.thetruenorthlifestyle.com

Team member bios:  www.thetruenorthlifestyle.com/our-team

Tim Andrus

Host of Rush Outdoors TV, National Realtree Pro Staff

Growing up watching hunting/fishing shows in a small farm town in Western NY, Tim always had that wish to be that hunter or fisherman on TV. In 1996, his dream started to come true with making the position of a National Pro Staffer for Realtree Outdoors. There he began traveling to various outdoor expos and store events for various Outdoor stores across the nation. Which led to him becoming a seminar speaker again traveling across the USA and Canada. A few years later he had his 1st chance to be filmed hunting for Realtree taking a few whitetail bucks to make the prestigious Monster Buck DVD series. And then the dream just got better and better. The final dream stopper was when Tim was asked to host Rush Outdoors, which now is just finishing its 14th season. His favorite hunt is chasing Whitetails in any state. Tim has currently chased those deer in over 20 states and 5 Canadian provinces. He always says he's a country boy living his best dream.

Lanny Benoit

Lanny Benoit needs no introduction to the Northeast hunting community. Lanny is a legend in the art of deer tracking and is considered by many to be the greatest buck tracker alive. For 50+ years he and his family have been passing along their traditional expertise in deer tracking through books, videos and seminars. Lanny and the Benoit family have inspired thousands of Norrheast hunters in search of the biggest buck of their lives.

Bobby Hart

Owner of Hart Custom Rifles

Bobby Hart was born into a family tradition of custom gun builders and gunsmiths. He has now taken over the lead role from his father, Wally Hart, at Robert W Hart& son, inc. as a 4^th generation custom rifle builder since 2001, when Wally retired. Located in Nescopeck, Pennsylvania, this small, family run business is known worldwide to the hunting, shooting, military, and law enforcement industries. Bobby has retired from bench rest shooting & now training long range shooting and working with Television shows to expand their capabilities along with running Robert W Hart to design new long-range rifles.

Some of Bobby’s credits include:

Bobby Hart was awarded the “2023 American Outdoor Sportsman of the Year”. And in 2024, he will be inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame.

Shooter for the NRA. Pro Marksman and Marksman First Class

 5 Time Jr. Bench Rest Champion

1986- 300 YD Heavy Varmint Champ

2000 – 1000 YD World Open Championship Light Gun

2001 – IBS 1000 YD International Championship High Score

Bobby has retired from bench rest shooting & now training long range shooting and working with Television shows to expand their capabilities along with running Robert W Hart to design new long range rifles.

As a member of the Varmint Hunters 1500 Yard Club, Bob is extremely passionate about the hunting and shooting industry. His goal is to promote and excel in the industry. Bobby’s motto is “Take a Hart on the Hunt”. As he puts his heart into making it possible for the customer to make “the shot of their Lives!” Bobby specializes in Long Range Shooting and Hunting, Custom Rifle Building, and reloading. He also offers an “Accuracy Package” that has been proven to greatly increase the accuracy and reliability of many factory rifles. This combined with a Hart designed Muzzle Brake ae a few of the general gunsmith procedures done in-house. He currently has a couple of Long-Range Hunting Videos and is involved in holding long range shooting seminars and offers a Long-Range Shooting School.

Bobby has shot over 13 Groundhogs at over 1000 yards. His longest hit was an Elk at 1900 yards. He also has filmed a number of shots, including African trips with 60” Kudu at over 500 yards. He has shot with and involved with industry names like Allen Treadwell, Pat Reeves, Keith Powell (Sportsmen of North America), Bob Foulkrod, Jerry Martin, Brenda Valentine, Brenda Valentin and Bob Walker to just name a few.

He has been doing Seminars since 1996 and the industry follows him. Bobby is very passionate about doing seminars and has a wealth of knowledge in the hunting & shooting industry. He also loves to get youth involved in the outdoors as well.

His goal is to promote and excel in the industry. Bobby’s motto is “Take a Hart on the hunt”, as he puts his heart into making it possible for the customer to make the “shot of their lives".

Ken Hammel

Owner of Mountain Hollow Game Calls

Ken has been a whitetail hunting fanatic since the age of twelve. He has over forty years of experience hunting the North American Whitetail Deer. Ken has harvested over twenty Mature Whitetail Bucks scoring from 130 to his biggest 189 7/8 inches on the Boone and Crocket Gross Scale, four of which are over 170 inches, all on public land. Ken is a nationally known caller and hunter, and has hunted across the United States and multiple Canadian Provinces. Ken's passion for the outdoors has driven him to the success he has had throughout his years of hunting. His company, Mountain Hollow Game Calls, is celebrating over 40 years in the outdoor hunting industry. Ken is looking forward to the Yankee Sportsman's Classic, and talking deer hunting with other hunters at several of the deer calling seminars he will be presenting.

VT F & W Warden Abigail Serra

My name is Abigail Serra. I have been a Vermont State Game Warden for almost 10 years. Prior to working for the Warden Service, I was employed as a wild game processor for three seasons in Pennsylvania and Vermont. In 2020, I helped develop a program called Venison for Vermonters within the Warden Service. This program salvages roadkill big game animals, hunter donations and animals confiscated by wardens for violations of law, and processes them for food shelves and food insecure individuals. I currently process wild game for this program.

VT F & W Commissioner Jason Batchelder

Jason became commissioner of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department in 2025 after serving over twenty-two years with the Agency of Natural Resources. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in the French language from the University of Southern Maine in 2001, then working as a natural resource instructor at Vermont Fish & Wildlife's Green Mountain Conservation Camps, he joined the Vermont Warden Service in 2004, graduating from the Vermont Police Academy in 2005. After eight years of district field work in Vermont, Jason was promoted to District Lieutenant in St. Johnsbury, the youngest to ever achieve the rank. A year later, he was promoted to Colonel where he would stay through the end of his career. Retiring from the Warden Service after 20 years, he then served almost two years as Commissioner for Vermont's Department of Environmental Conservation before returning to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department in his current role as commissioner.

He’s been married for over 17 years to Dr. Megan Batchelder, a physician in Vermont’s underserved Northeast Kingdom. They have 3 wonderful children, a son and two daughters. Jason still enjoys hunting, fishing and foraging of all kinds as well as playing and coaching soccer.

VT F & W Biologist Nick Fortin

Nick has been working with the department since 2015. He has a B.S. in wildlife ecology from University of Maine and an M.S. in Natural Resources/Wildlife from University of New Hampshire. Nick is the department's head deer biologist, and is responsible for all aspects of deer management in the state of Vermont. He is a member of the Big Game Team, providing input on the management of other hunted species. He also works on state lands, managing habitat for a wide variety of species. When he's not managing deer, he's out chasing them in the woods during hunting season, in addition to fishing and hiking.

Bob Howe

Master Maine Guide; Owner, Pine Grove Lodge

Meet Bob Howe, owner of Pine Grove Lodge, a Registered Maine Master Guide since 1976, owner of Maine Guide Snowshoe & Furniture Company, and author having written a children’s book called Orlin the Oak. Bob also formed the very first VA approved Maine Guide’s Veterans Program to teach veterans how to make guiding a full time job, and has taught hundreds of men, women, and children a tremendous amount about nature and all who live in it. His knowledge about hunting & fishing is immense, the details he shares with his guests leaves them feeling like there’s nothing he doesn’t know about the outdoors.

Don’t miss the chance to meet him, and watch his presentations on Coyote Hunting over Bait, including important tips on how to set up your coyote bait, what to use, where to place it, shack info, staying warm, what not to do, and more. His Snowshoe Hare Hunting presentation will include details about raising and training dogs, proper care of dogs, equipment needed, working in different snow conditions, scenting, and many details about the biology of snowshoe hare and their habitat.

Founder, Bob Howe, began taking veterans on fishing excursions when he was 20 years old in 1976. He would stop by the local VFW and offer rides and fishing tackle to the members. For many years, he would invite veterans on free fishing and hunting trips. In 1998, he and his wife bought Pine Grove Lodge & Cabins in Pleasant Ridge, Maine. From that point on, he invited veterans and their families, among other heroes, to come stay for free and would provide free guide service as well. The program grew to include many volunteers and coordinated events which provide opportunities to hundreds of participants each year. Pine Grove Programs is now a licensed 501c3 and 100% of the proceeds go to providing veteran events.

Nick Campagna

Nick is a registered Maine and Vermont hunt guide specializing in moose and deer hunting. Nick has been hunting the mountains of the northeast since he was old enough to follow his dad. Growing up and hunting the green mountains and the Adirondack mountains where he found success, he eventually moved east and began hunting New Hampshire and eventually Maine. Along with the allure of big logging country and daily encounters with moose, books by Larry Benoit and Hal blood inspired him to stretch out on his own into new wilderness. Nick has thrived in this logging country, when he’s not tracking whitetail deer, he’s guiding moose hunters and picking up moose antlers. Nick has tracked bucks over 200lbs in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and loves to help others fulfill their outdoor dreams.

Joe DiNitto, Steve Grabowski and Jim Massett

Adirondack Trackers

The ADK trackers are coming to the Yankee Classic to present seminars this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. With over 100 years of experience between them successfully tracking big Adirondack bucks their dynamic seminar shouldn’t be missed. It has been said over and over it is one of the most exciting and knowledgeable seminars on the market today.

Wyatt Howe

Pine Grove Lodge

Wyatt Howe is a full time Maine Guide and co-owner of Pine Grove Lodge, a four season Outfitter located in the remote Maine woods. He is also a board member for Pine Grove Program, one of the longest running outdoor veteran nonprofit organizations in the state of Maine. 

A lifetime working and studying the Maine woods and waters has given Wyatt an immense amount of knowledge which he loves to share with his community. Whether it’s questions on improving a fly cast or finding more deer, Wyatt is sure to have some insight which may help you on your next adventure.

Joe Judd

Quaker Boy Pro Staff

Joe Judd, who hails from Massachusetts, first stepped into the offices of Quaker Boy Game Calls back in 1988 and has now been a dedicated Pro-Staff member with the company for almost thirty-five-years. Joe, approaching the 50-year barrier in his hunting career, has pursued everything from Maine Moose to Alabama Mallards but is best known as an “over the edge” wild turkey hunter in New England and beyond, now having hunted wild turkeys in 23 different states since he first started turkey hunting in 1979. Joe is also an avid bowhunter for whitetail deer and enjoys chasing New England Brush Wolf in the late winter months. An outdoor writer, and seminar speaker throughout the Northeast, his outdoors column, On the Ridge, appears in multiple publications and has been read throughout New England for over 3 decades. And his first book, “On the Ridge: Stories of a New England Hunter’, is now in its third publication. A much sought-after seminar speaker, Joe enjoys sharing his knowledge and skills with others. In January of 2019 Joe was inducted into the New England Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. He is currently a regional Pro with Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s, is a 2-time past Massachusetts NWTF State Chapter President and was awarded the NWTF Roger Latham Award in 2013.

John April

Safari Njema

John April lives in central New York where he pursues whitetail deer each year. He grew up reading books about hunting in Africa and dreamed that one day he too would be on the track of some of Africa’s most iconic species. As a retirement present to himself, he decided to finally make his dream a reality. He booked his once in a lifetime trip which has turned into six. John has hunted two of Africa’s Big Five and twenty different plains game species. Though he has hunted six states, two Canadian provinces and New Zealand, he says nothing compares to the variety and quantity of game in South Africa. John hopes to eliminate some of the mystery around taking an African safari by sharing his experiences.

Rainforest Reptile Shows Inc.