Shooter Spotlight: RealTree

Where do you live? (what state or country)  

I currently live in Land O' Lakes, Florida.  No, we don't make the butter.  My family moved here in 2006 from Anchorage, Alaska.  No, we did not live in an igloo.  I am very fortunate to live in an area that I can shoot nearly every weekend, if I choose.  There are numerous clubs within an hour and a half from my house.

When did you start shooting CAS and how did you or who got you into the sport?  

As a child I watched all the western TV shows such as, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, Wanted Dead or Alive, etc.  As an adult, I found ME TV station and low and behold, they were showing all of these same shows.  I started recording them and watching on my days off from work.  Then I was in a grocery store and picked up a Guns of the West magazine.  There was an article about CAS.  I went home googled it and learned even more.  YouTube was a friend and I really began to get interested, finally attending my first match July 4th weekend 2015 at the Hernando, Florida club.  By the way, it is a fantastic shoot every first Sunday of the Month.  A little plug for Shoulda Dun Gun who does a wonderful job organizing these matches.

Who was your mentor, either known to them or not?  

I can not list all of my mentors as I have received advice from so many wonderful people in the past 4 1/2 years.  I will make mention that my over all mentor and very good friend is Should Dun Gun.  Shoulda has taken me under his wing and shown me the Cowboy way beyond just shooting.  He has mentored me on stage set up, CAS rules, and just being a friend that we can bounce ideas off of and ask advise.  

My Duelist mentor is Shilo Red from Michigan.  I am very lucky that he is a snow bird and comes down to Florida and thus, I am able to shoot with him in the winter.  He is the one that has taught me certain Duelist strategies and I truly enjoy the friendship that we have built.  Then there is Sheleen, he is my mentor of what not to do, like:  "Lever-trigger, lever-trigger, not lever-lever dumb ass" or "don't suck!"  In all honesty, he has always pushed me on my transitions and watches my movements to be more efficient.

How much do you practice, how many rounds a month do you send down range?  

I practice very little at home during the week, if any.  Maybe when I get closer to a large match, I may do some dry firing, just to be more confident with my movements, but truly very little practice.  I try to participate three to four shoots a month.

Have you won any state, regional, national or world championships?  I am very proud to be a two-time Florida State Champion Best Dressed Town Gentleman.  I also am very fortunate to put together two good days of shooting and won the 2019 Florida State Championship in the Duelist category.  I have never shot a match outside of the state of Florida, but believe this will be the year that I venture out to the Southeast Regional and maybe SC or Ga State.  Yee Haw!

Tell us about your most memorable match:  

Every weekend that I have the privilege to participate is a memorable match.  Obviously, the Florida State matches, Ides of March matches and the International BP match in Fort White are tops on my list because of the event feel and large participation.

What is your favorite aspect of CAS?  

Easy question to answer as I would not do this sport if it was not for the amazing people that I have met.  I love attending matches and hanging out with my favorite pards.  

Is there a story behind your alias, and what is that story?  

My first shoot in Hernando, as I explained earlier, I showed up wearing athletic shoes, jeans and a REALTREE T-Shirt.  I was greeted by May-eye-Rider, Smart *, Shady Brady, Should Dun Gun and several others.  My Alias became REALTREE and it has stuck.  I have to say that I was there only to watch.  I had no guns, no nothing.  Guess what, I shot all six stages.  May-eye-Rider was an inspiration and showed me all the guns, collected ammo and educated me on what to do.  I was hooked.  I owe a lot to those pards at that first match.  Thank you!!!!!

Do you have a travel/shootin buddy? (you know that friend that makes this game what it is) 

Not really do I have a travel or shooting buddy, but I do have a buddy that I befriended because of CAS.  I enjoy getting a text, email, or a call from him as we discuss ideas on our hobbies or bouncing ideas to promote SASS so that we can continue this sport for many, many, many years to come.  I have also thoroughly enjoyed doing my part to assist in promoting his CAS website: https://actionshootingnetwork.com.  If you have not guessed already, one of my best buddies is the one and only "Moog".  I consider he and his Wife, Madame Moog, as two of my best friends in the sport and even outside of the sport.

Where is your favorite place to shoot? (range or match past or present)

Hernando will be my favorite as it is where I began and where I feel most comfortable.  I do what I can to assist Shoulda and Shady Brady setting up and tearing down the steel.  I consider it my home club.  

What category do you shoot?  "Duelist is the Coolest" 

 

Have you tried other categories? What categories have you shot and how did that go?  

I Started out in Wrangler and was getting comfortable when I decided to go Double Duelist style.  As a Wrangler, I was starting to post some fairly good times, but am so happy to have switched.  I love the camaraderie of the Duelist category and the friends that shoot in the same category.  I shot as a Duelist for one year when I was ready to change to Gunfighter.  Then I met Confederate Colt and I saw the bond that the Duelist have and the rest is history.  Thanks Colt!

 

I will spot nearly every stage, but my favorite job is keeping the scores at all of the big matches because this gives me an opportunity to learn everyones alias.  When I attend a big match, I prefer to shoot with people that I have never shot with, thus adding to my favorite pard list.  Last year, when I shot at the "Dark Day on the Santa Fe" I met new friends from all over the country and I truly enjoyed that experience. My posse only had 3 people from Florida.  Some day, I will run into the rest of my Posse members and I'm sure we will remember our experiences from that shoot. 

What is the time of your fastest clean stage?  

The stages are set up so differently, I cannot recall a best time.  I know there was a time in the single digits, but there were bonuses and probably no shot gun targets.  Not exactly a traditional stage.  Mostly my clean stages average out between 25 and 30 seconds.  The video above, I had some left over smoke cartridges and decided to use them in my rifle on a couple stages.  Surprise, surprise, surprise!  The video is a good representation of my current times.

What was the best advice you got from a fellow shooter, and who was it?  

"Come for the Shooting, stay for the friends"  Not really advice, but I live by this motto.   I am competitive and want to do well, but most of all I want to enjoy the few hours with my pards and do a lot of smiling and laughing.  

What advice can you give to some of the shooters reading this?  

Read above.  It is a wonderful sport and more importantly it is an opportunity to establish life long memories with life long friends.  

What keeps you playing this game?  All the TREE HUGS!  Chickie Winsome, Greta Dee, Madam Moog, Sunshine Rose and many others know what I am talking about.  I am grateful to have the Alias of REALTREE.  Mic Drop!

What is your favorite thing to do when you are not on the range or shooting?  For the past year, I have had a hobby of making knives.  I promote them on ASN in the Flea Market.  I am mostly proud that I have donated several of my knives to be given away at several large matches including EOT 2019.  I had the support of fellow Duelist, Tampa Flash who works leather and made sheaths for the knives.  Moog did his part with several of these knives, as well, donating some of the materials and laser engraving.  It feels good to do my part in making this wonderful sport just that much more enjoyable.  I have something in store to be given away at the FL States and the International BP Championships in Fort White for 2020.  No hints, but my mom is contributing her abilities.  Hope everyone appreciates the thought and effort and someone goes home feeling blessed to be a part of this wonderful sport.