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    Going Native
    Allen Crater
    • 11 hours ago
    • 11 min

    Going Native

    "A spot opened up for the Bowman Island trip." It's Thursday, February third around 10:30 AM when the text from my buddy, Joe, comes...
    0 comments
    Don't Mention It
    Allen Crater
    • Jun 20
    • 11 min

    Don't Mention It

    "The first rule of this river is that you don't talk about this river. At least by name." That's how the text read. "Understood." This...
    0 comments
    Five Loaves and Two Fish
    Allen Crater
    • Jun 5
    • 8 min

    Five Loaves and Two Fish

    I waded into the murky waters of fly fishing later in life, when my older son, Kyle, decided he wanted to learn, and requested a rod for...
    0 comments
    Dear Dad,
    Allen Crater
    • May 20
    • 7 min

    Dear Dad,

    Kyle just pulled in the driveway, U-haul trailer in tow, after being in Montana for four years. It's hard to describe the feeling that...
    0 comments
    The Best Water Still Lies Ahead
    Allen Crater
    • May 4
    • 8 min

    The Best Water Still Lies Ahead

    The tartar-sauce-smeared walleye sandwich, deep-fried tater tots, and tall Two Hearted hit all the right notes – more than can be said...
    0 comments
    Friendships Forged From Fly Line
    Matt Peisert
    • Jan 21
    • 8 min

    Friendships Forged From Fly Line

    The bass bumps hard as Seth and Sarah belt out the lyrics to “Old Town Road” with the band. Everyone’s dancing, partying, and drinking...
    0 comments
    Comfort Zone
    Allen Crater
    • Dec 6, 2021
    • 11 min

    Comfort Zone

    It's black and silent. Deep in my subconscious something pulls me toward a light. A sound registers. Distant, but moving closer. Shuffled...
    0 comments
    Among The Bones
    Allen Crater
    • Oct 12, 2021
    • 3 min

    Among The Bones

    I've had it. Had it with the traffic. The RVs and buses and vans. The gawkers and rubberneckers. The safety signs and orange cones. The...
    0 comments
    One Last Walk
    Allen Crater
    • Jul 31, 2021
    • 4 min

    One Last Walk

    We’re heading into the wooded grove that has been our go-to spot for so many Sunday outings. The place I learned to hunt as a boy, and...
    0 comments
    The Balm Of Adventure
    Allen Crater
    • Jul 26, 2021
    • 9 min

    The Balm Of Adventure

    It's mid July, hotter than hell, and the AC in the truck is out. We're cruising the highway with the windows down and the music up. At...
    0 comments
    The Preservation Of Fire
    Allen Crater
    • May 24, 2021
    • 3 min

    The Preservation Of Fire

    It snowed last night. Just a light dusting, but enough to turn things white again. We throw in another log and stoke the wood stove to...
    1 comment
    My Why
    Amber Casey
    • May 5, 2021
    • 6 min

    My Why

    In a world overrun by categories and labels, hunting is the great equalizer. The outdoors is one of the few places where age, gender,...
    0 comments
    Can't Be Done
    Allen Crater
    • Mar 15, 2021
    • 4 min

    Can't Be Done

    I distinctly remember flying around the old logging road corner watching the boat trailer roll up hard on one wheel. Way up. I was...
    0 comments
    A Moment
    Allen Crater
    • Jan 6, 2021
    • 4 min

    A Moment

    I recently finished reading Harrison's memoir "Off To The Side". Out of the many brilliant writings in this book, one paragraph...
    0 comments
    Echoes Of The Forest
    Allen Crater
    • Dec 16, 2020
    • 5 min

    Echoes Of The Forest

    A light snow begins to fall in the forest. Coming to rest on the boughs and carpeting the now-brown pine needles and shriveled ferns....
    0 comments
    Bananas In The Boat
    Allen Crater
    • Dec 7, 2020
    • 4 min

    Bananas In The Boat

    I'm a newbie to the world of upland hunting and, right out of the gate, I make a rookie mistake, asking Jon about his hunting dog on our...
    0 comments
    Footprints
    Allen Crater
    • Nov 13, 2020
    • 10 min

    Footprints

    We cut our first elk tracks five miles in, post-holing our way through heavy snow often reaching past the knee. Kyle has taken the front,...
    0 comments
    Return To Wind River
    Allen Crater
    • Aug 18, 2020
    • 5 min

    Return To Wind River

    The overloaded pack creaks and groans in rhythm with the boots. One foot in front of the other. 12 miles behind us and just under two to...
    0 comments
    Parts Unknown
    Allen Crater
    • Jun 30, 2020
    • 4 min

    Parts Unknown

    "OH SHIT!" The words erupt without permission after two quick strips and a metallic flash engulfs my streamer. The rod pulses wildly as...
    0 comments
    Taking The Bronze
    Allen Crater
    • Jun 17, 2020
    • 3 min

    Taking The Bronze

    I can feel the sweat trickling down my back. The thermometer is already pushing 90 and the humidity is on the rise. Even the beer is...
    0 comments
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    About Me

    Allen Pike.jpg

    I’m a husband and father of two adult sons that love the outdoors and one insane German Short-haired Pointer named Lucy that loves pointing, flushing and retrieving anything, all the time.

     

    I am the President and part owner of an advertising agency located in Michigan, and an active member of Trout Unlimited, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association.

     

    I love books – about everything – but especially travel, adventure, war, history, and outdoor pursuits. I love great food, great beer and great wine, sometimes in moderation, sometimes not.  

     

    More than anything I love the outdoors. I love the smells, the sounds, the sights. Since I was a little boy fishing with my dad, pitching a tent in the backyard, and unwrapping pocketknives for Christmas I’ve been drawn to all things wild. 

    ​

    Drop me a note at allen@stevensinc.com

     

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