Tillsonburg outdoors enthusiasts featured in upcoming Angler and Hunter TV youth episode

The young hunters and their guide make a plan before heading into the woods for filming for Angler and Hunter TV. Left to right are: Joe Witlib, Nikki Van Brenk, Abby Helsdon, Derek Witlib, AHTV host Mike Miller and cameraman Brent Richardson. (Jeff Helsdon Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Echo Correspondent

Three girls, a guy, guns and grouse.

These four elements may not line up in the plot line of most Christmas season movies, but thanks in large part to Tillsonburg-area direction, they will come together in the Angler and Hunter TV (AHTV) broadcast on the Sportsman’s Channel the week of February 3-8th, 2025, and on City TV February 8th.

“What could go wrong, right?” laughed 20-year-old Nikki Van Brenk, one of four young ‘stars’ featured in the episode, and one of two coming from Tillsonburg.

The first strokes of the plot were scripted by Chris Madej, who took over as Ruffed Grouse Society of Canada’s (RGS) coordinator in the summer of 2023. Seeking the post-COVID rebuild of an organization dedicated to revitalizing mixed forest habitat for the benefit of ruffed grouse, woodcock and other forest wildlife, Madej began working on a number of initiatives.

As part of an overriding awareness in the value of increasing RGS profile through publicity, Tillsonburg RGS committee and national board member Mark Forabosco of Mt. Elgin proposed featuring grouse hunting in conjunction with the RGS in an AHTV episode. Filmed largely in Ontario, the show’s national broadcast has led to a huge following says Forabosco, demographically aligned with RGS membership and goals.

“You have to get out there to get noticed,” he explained.

Although not knowing AHTV host Mike Miller personally, Forabosco reached out as the friend of a good friend.

“Mike was all for it,” Forabosco reported happily. “He was terrific - all in on it.”

The approach Miller envisioned was a youth hunt, volunteering daughter August as a participant. Forabosco recruited Van Brenk who he knew from her employment at The Tillsonburg Gun Shop, and who enjoys ‘bonding time’ hunting with her dad Henry. Tillsonburg’s Jeff Helsdon, who when not editing The Tillsonburg Post is an award-winning outdoor writer featured in multiple publications including Ontario Out of Doors, founded the local RGS chapter 35 years ago and is also a member of the national RGS board of directors. He proposed his daughter Abigail, who has grown up sharing Helsdon’s love for outdoor pursuits. Madej suggested the son of a new RGS chapter member from Barrie, Joe Witlib, as the fourth youth subject.

The ‘cast’ was rounded with Forabosco’s friend Brayden Boucher, a Southern Ontario waterfowl guide who hails originally from the Kapuskasing area, and has shared hunting experiences with Forabosco there.

Shooting a grouse-hunting episode is tricky says Forabosco, their potentially explosive flush providing scant filming opportunity compared to, for example, a static deer or bear stand, or the often graduated progress of a wild turkey toward decoys. The challenge was exacerbated by the fact they had a one-day shooting schedule in late September, 2024 featuring four comparatively inexperienced participants.

“The guys were pretty nervous,” recalled Van Brenk with a laugh. “Taking a bunch of random girls up, they didn’t know if we could shoot.”

In fact, Van Brenk would open fire, harvesting the day’s first bird and enjoying a classic retrieve from Forabosco’s Black Lab Emma.

“It kind of broke the ice for the rest of the day, that’s for sure,” Van Brenk said. “Everyone seemed to walk a little lighter after that.”

‘Abby’ Helsdon, a 22-year-old student, says her father always encouraged, but did not force her to share his passion for the outdoors.

“But I fell in love with it,” said Abby, who got her apprentice licence as soon as she was 12. She is an enthusiastic angler and waterfowl, pheasant, turkey, deer and bear hunter.

Abby watched hunting shows with Jeff when she was a little girl, fantasizing at the time about being in one herself, but never imagined the chance would arise. She was interested to see the behind-the-scenes process for filming for the episode, expecting it to be quite structured and strict.

“But it was very much a casual, fun time,” Abby said, heading into the day far more nervous about being on TV than anything else. “Been hunting forever,” she explained with a laugh, “TV, that’s a little stressful.”

Like Van Brenk, Abby was relieved to get her first bird, and harvested several more. She also thoroughly enjoyed the experience, both her father’s supportive role (although he was not part of filming) and meeting other young people with similar interests. She does run across other youthful hunters, although not many females.

“And especially not as enthusiastic as I am about it.”

Her biggest concern is how she’ll look and sound on camera, reserving the right to call a halt, if necessary.

“I’ll be like, that’s enough,” she laughed.

Van Brenk summed the experience up as ‘exciting, a thrill,’ and ‘a rush’ when she harvested her bird.

“Plus, they’re really good eating as well.”

If she has any nervousness about the experience, it involves her on-camera exit interview, hoping it’s not a ‘big slew of words.’

“They got the raw version, that’s for sure,” Van Brenk laughed. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Forabosco for one was not surprised the girls more than held their own on the day, backing up his long-held contention they may have less ego than male counterparts and tend to listen a little better.

“They’re pretty good shots.”

In summation, camaraderie was shared, birds were harvested and the makings of a great AHTV episode ended up ‘in the can’, cast and crew feasting on goose, venison and hamburgers as the sun dropped toward the horizon.

“It was that entire outdoor experience,” said Forabosco. “Just a wonderful day.”

“It was a great trip,” added Miller. “Northern Ontario has lots of grouse hunting opportunities and is the perfect way to spend some time walking the woods, and even better if you are new to hunting and looking to gain experience.”

Beyond outdoors-related enjoyment, RGS members hope the episode also generates broader understanding of their organization. Its chapter work in the Tillsonburg area has included plantings in support of ruffed grouse and woodcock populations, invasive species control and an educational display at Backus Education Centre. Numerous when Forabosco was himself a youth, numbers have declined due in part to egg predation from avian predators, raccoons and opossum along with habitat loss or evolution toward mature stands of trees. Grouse and many other species greatly prefer a mixed stand, with younger growth. Money raised through RGS initiatives goes back into environmentally-positive activity says Forabosco, part of the responsibility inherent to those enjoying its attributes.

“You have to give back to nature.”

The work of the local RGS chapter is ongoing, its 33rd annual fund-raising banquet scheduled for Saturday, May 24 at the Courtland Community Centre. Those seeking more information on the organization or tickets for the event are invited to contact Helsdon at 519-983-3947 or email jeffhelsdon@gmail.com.