Brian Bradley, business manager of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Local 113, was a natural choice to be featured on a recent episode of the Sportsman Channel’s “Brotherhood Outdoors” program.
“I started hunting when I was old enough to walk,” said Bradley, a Colorado native and the latest IBEW member to appear on the television show, which is produced by the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance. The IBEW is one of the founders of the Alliance, a union-dedicated nonprofit whose members help improve public access to the outdoors, conserve wildlife habits and mentor and interest young people in outdoor activities.
Bradley, who was initiated into Local 113 in 1998, started out hunting rabbit and other smaller animals with his father, he said, graduating to larger game such as deer when he turned 13.
“I love anything outdoors,” Bradley said: “hiking, camping, hunting, playing sports.” He took a short break from hunting to start a family and pursue a career in electrical work but took it up again about six years ago, he said.
“I got a link to register for the show, and they contacted me for an interview,” Bradley said. He lasted through three separate phone interviews, he said, as producers whittled the list of 10 prospective episode subjects down to the business manager.
Bradley’s episode follows the experienced hunter as he tried his hand at bagging his first-ever whitetail deer nearly 500 miles away from home, in the Bighorn Mountain foothills of northeastern Wyoming, near the town of Buffalo.
The hunt took place during the first week of November 2020, which sadly followed an especially tough time for Bradley and his family. “The month prior, my old man passed away,” he said.
Bradley was accompanied on his Wyoming adventure by a guide from Big Horn Outfitters, the hunting club where he stayed during the shoot, plus a two-person video crew from “Brotherhood Outdoors.” Like most people, being followed by a camera crew was a new experience for Bradley. “It was pretty cool,” he said. “Fun times.”
After settling into Wyoming’s rugged terrain, Bradley and his party quickly staked out locations where they could spot a potential prize and mimicked the rustling sounds that deer make to try to attract one their way. The hunt was scheduled to last for four days, but thanks to Bradley’s skill, he was able to bag a large buck by Day 2.
Bradley said he was surprised to learn recently that his episode was about to run on the Sportsman Channel almost a year after the shoot. “I didn’t really remember what I said or did,” he said with a laugh.
The episode also covers Bradley’s passion for conservation, noting his role in starting up the annual Colorado State Conservation Dinner, which brings union members together to raise funds to support local conservation projects and community outreach events, such as a “Take Kids Fishing” event.
“We take the money raised at the dinner and do positive things in the community with it,” he said. The fifth annual dinner, which raise nearly $60,000, was held Oct. 9.
Bradley, who has served as business manager of the 1,000-plus-member Local 113 since 2017, also enjoys fishing on Monument Lake in his spare time. “It’s nice up there,” he said, “and my daughter can enjoy it as much as me.”
Click here to watch on the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance YouTube channel how well Bradley did on his first whitetail hunt. His “Brotherhood Outdoors” episode also will be shown again on the Sportsman Channel:
- Tuesday, Nov. 9, at 4 p.m. ET
- Friday, Nov. 12, at 11:30 a.m. ET
- Saturday, Nov. 13, at 1:30 a.m. ET
- Sunday, Nov. 14, at 11 a.m. ET
Visit thesportsmanchannel.com to learn more; episodes also are available online at myoutdoortv.com.
Learn more about the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance at unionsportsmen.org.