Has anyone ever heard of Noel Feathers...and the story behind him?

Noel Feather (note: it's not feathers), was a big-name bowhunter who had reportedly taken 3 B&C bucks by rattling them in and taking them with a bow. He had videos (several of which I own), books and did a lot of hunting shows. I met him at a hunting show and he seemed like a decent guy.

However . . .

it was discovered that he was not taking game by the books. He was taking game in one state and checking it in another and other even more unethical behavior was found. He was found guilty of the charges and even admitted to them. After that, nothing more was heard from him.

I have actually caught him in one of my stands before, believe it or not. I asked his name and he told me, but at that time I had no idea who he was and he said he had permission to be hunting the land. I told a guy that i work with that a guy by the name of Noel Feather was hunting one of my staI have actually caught him in one of my stands before, believe it or not. I asked his name and he told me, but at that time I had no idea who he was and he said he had permission to be hunting the land. I told a guy that i work with that a guy by the name of Noel Feather was hunting one of my stands. He then told me that, yeah there is supposed to be a big name deer hunter in the area hunting. He then told me about all of the trouble he had been in the the past. I was pretty mad that I did not know who he was when i caught him in my stand. It was not my land anyway...just land I had permission to hunt on.

Another guy I know real well told me he was in my area again this year hunting. I hope he wasnt!

Yeah he got busted alright. I believe Dan Fitzgerald at the time was one of his buddies. Wonder if they still hang out together?

MC

I was saddened and surprised when news spread of his self professed guilt. I used to watch his videos and really enjoyed them. No doubt he was a good knowledgeable bowhunter and was excellent with a pair of horns.

I have a couple old time video's some great kills, to bad they taped most on illegal property, anyone can whack monsters in preserves and parks.

Yep, he was a rising star for a while in the bowhunting video business. I have a couple of his and really like them. Too bad he was overcome by greed.

Noel Feather was one of the frontrunners of the hunting video industry. He was making videos when they really started getting popular. Heand Dan Fitzgerald did make a few videos together. November Madness and Whitetail Magic. They were really good videos for the time. ( Nothing like they are today, but back then they were really good). Then he had some of his own videos. The infamous Bitter Cold Bucks vols. 1 and 2, Butt Kicking Bucks and a few others. He was pretty much one of the few " bowhunting stars" of the time. I talked to him a few times at some shows and he really was a super nice guy. He was just a regular guy , worked in a foundry of some type I believe, who loved to bowhunt and started making videos and selling products. Like I said, he and Fitzgerald teamed up and did some stuff. Then unfortanately the quest for the almighty $$$ got the best of him, and the pressure to sell more videos and more products caused to him to resort to some illegal stuff and he got caught. He was busted on a few different offenses. One was that he had killed a deer in one state, and then transported it across state lines to check it in in another stateto claim the stste recoed in the stste he checked it in. Then the investigation revealed some other things.Namely the fact that,at least one if not both ( I don't recall for sure) of the Bitter Cold Bucks videos were filmed behind high fenced properties and that he actually bought captive bucks, and then advertised the videos as wild public land hunts . I remember the the receipts for the deer being shown in a hunting magazine at the time.
It was a shame because it ended his hunting carrer. I remember the season after it happened, I was at a Deer expo and he was there at a booth trying to sell his stuff, and there was nobody, and I mean nobody, visiting his booth. There were guys heckling him and laughing at him. It happened all day. The second day of the expo he was cleared out and gone. After that , he just pretty much dissapeared from the industry. Even though he was a nice guy, you can't feel sorry for him. He knew right from wrong, tried to dupe the hunting community and got caught. It was his own fault.
I do know that Fitzgearld distanced himself from him really quick. I heard a guy ask him about Noel feather at the Ohio deer and Turkey expo one year and Dan said " No Comment", and that was it.
I still ahve all those old vids. and break them out and watch them every once in a while. The only time I ever here of Feather is once in a while someone will bring him up on the forums , but that is it. I don't know if he is even still alive or not?

yes he is still alive and hunting in other peoples spots!!! Look at my last post above!

This is just another argument for they'll do anything to sell a movie.

His big bust was in Yellow Stone where he was caught filming a Elk hunt on an off limits area shooting tame Elk. Thats when the rest of his problems started. Part of his court settlement was he can not make his living through the outdoors any more. I don't know to what extent that is as the article I read this in didn't expaond on it.