Campfire Journal with Steve Behun

by: Tom Sorenson

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 Steve Behun, of HuntNut.com, poses with his son Stephen earlier this fall with their first buck of the season.  Steve told me, “He is 2 yrs 4 mos in this photo.  Hopefully he will be hunting them soon.”

I had the good privilege of speaking with Steve Behun a while back about the project he’s been working on for a good ten years – HuntNut.com. Steve was a real down to earth guy and a pleasure to speak with – and he was kind enough to share some stories from his experiences in the woods.

HuntNut.com is an idea that has been in the makings for at least ten years that started the way many outdoor companies begin – a deep passion for hunting and the outdoors led him to ponder how he could make his living doing what he loves most. That question led him to dabble in photography and videography as well as manufacturing game calls – and now has led him to HuntNut.com. The idea for the site is to have a complete line of game calls and gear as well as some featured material from their video production company.

 Steve’s first gobbler of the 2008 Pennsylvania season.

Steve hails from Rural America in the coal region of Eastern Pennsylvania. He had the good fortune, then, of tagging along with his dad and his grandfather on many outdoor adventures. A trapping background from his two mentors has helped shape him into the woodsman and passionate outdoorsman he is today.

 Steve with a buck he downed in 2006 during Pennsylvania’s archery season.

His travels have taken him upstate New York chasing hares with hounds (I dare you to say that ten times fast) where he’s run into some wild and colorful characters! He remembers his first kills, like most of us, and holds those close and treasures them as his most valued memories. He’s an honest, every day hunter that you’ll find easy to like and his passion for the outdoors is easy to connect with. Give the podcast a listen and keep checking back here and we’ll let everyone know when HuntNut.com is up and live.  After our interview, Steve sent me the disclaimer that his “most humorous story” had been replaced by many new ones this year:

“I came up with 100 better funny stories after the one I told you.  In fact one I have on video.  It involves a spring turkey hunt where the key players are a house cat, set of decoys, a racing horse, myself, and three toms.  Now if the list of characters isn’t funny enough you should see the video.”

Now that is a video I’ve got to convince Steve to share with us!

 Steve with a big bear from New Jersey. Here is what Steve told me about this bear:

“A NJ Bear, one of the few years they had ther hunt.  Greatly protested by the anti-hunting polpulation.  The current governor has vowed there will never be another hunt while he is on office.  But every year bears continue to destroy property, attack pets and livestock, and even humans.  Houses and cars are broken into by bears in NJ and law enforcement officers are now sent to destroy them.  Sort of wastes the whole purpose of hunting to control wildlife populations, I just don’t get their logic.”