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TrailMaster two-piece Active infrared trail monitors were
first introduced in 1986 by Goodson & Associates, Inc. Prior to the introduction of
the two-piece Active infrared trail monitor, Goodson & Associates, Inc. had developed
trail monitors using three other technologies that were not found to be accurate enough to
meet the standards required by Goodson & Associates, Inc. The TrailMaster product line
is the result of Bill Goodson's life long interest in the areas of wildlife, photography
and electronics.
From an early age Bill has been interested in wildlife. At the age of nine Bill was living
in Cuba where he first started his adventures in the wild. Bill and two other friends were
walking through some thick jungle close to their home when they caught sight of something
moving through the brush. The three boys followed the animal until it was finally treed.
Bill found a long pointed stick and decided to climb the tree to see if he could chase the
creature down. In the thick foliage of the tree Bill could not clearly see the animal. As
the animal was probed with the sharp stick it turned and bit the end of the stick off.
Given the ferocity of the creature Bill elected to abandon his efforts to remove the
creature from the tree. This was only the beginning of Bill's wildlife adventures.
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At the age of ten Bill's
family moved to the island of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in the Indian Ocean. The first
morning Bill awoke in Ceylon he went to his balcony window and looked out on the back yard, and
much to his surprise he saw a very large iguana slowly crossing the yard. Bill quickly got
his Red Rider BB gun and shot at the iguana from the bedroom window. Although the BB's
bounced off of the iguana's tough skin, it did cause the iguana to disappear into the
flowers. It was clear that the trusty Red Rider BB gun was no longer up to the task.
Ceylon in the late 1950's was a tropical paradise for an adventuresome young man that
loved the outdoors, loved to hunt and swim.
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Through Bill's family, he had
the good fortune to meet three men who were devoted outdoorsmen. The first was an
Englishman by the name of Frank Fry. Frank had been a Ranger in the Second World War.
During his service Frank was wounded and captured behind enemy lines, which led to his
imprisonment. Sometime after the war Frank moved to Ceylon where he become an avid
outdoorsman and bird hunter.
The second was a Ceylonese man named Max Fernando. Max was also a avid outdoorsman and a
big game hunter. The third was Gnanny Muticamaro. Gnanny was a plantation owner who was
also an avid outdoorsman, photographer, and big game hunter.
In late 1958 at the age of eleven Bill retired his Falke 40 pellet rifle, which had
replaced his Red Rider BB gun, and started using a French made 34" single-barrel
twelve-gage shotgun made by Lepco. The first time Bill's father took him out to shoot the
new shotgun he got a bruised shoulder, a split lip, a swollen cheek and a black eye.
Although the gun was very light and easy for a young man to carry, it kicked like a mule.
Bill soon learned that if he was going to shoot the gun he had better make the shot count
because he did not want to have to shoot twice. The ammunition that was most often used
for larger game was called a SG. An SG was a full brass shot gun cartridge that had eight
large pellets. Each pellet was about the size of a .22 bullet. An SG is about the
same as a magnum 00 Buck. For the next year Bill refined his skills as a hunter with Frank
Fry hunting snip and jungle fowl in the rice fields and around the tanks of Ceylon.
In 1959 Bill started shooting a twelve-gauge Holland and Holland side-by-side shotgun and
a Holland and Holland .475 express double-barrel rifle. The Holland and Holland
twelve-gauge was wonderful because it gave Bill two shots and the additional weight
reduced the recoil, the .475 express still kicked like a mule. After a day of shooting snipe with the twelve-gauge Holland and
Holland, Bill came away with no visible injuries. This was the start of Bills the big game
hunting and wildlife adventures.
By the time Bill left Ceylon in 1961 at the age of thirteen Bill had become a seasoned
hunter and wildlife enthusiast. Time and space limits what can be told of the adventures,
but when Bill left Ceylon he had taken numerous jungle fowl, peacock, snipe, porcupine,
crocodile, bear, sanbar, deer, water buffalo and leopard.
In 1958 things were much different in Ceylon than they are today. There was no refrigeration
available in the jungle. The deer and jungle fowl that was shot for camp meat while in the
tropical jungle was only good for a day or two. While in the jungle you and the others in
your party ate what could be carried in or what could be shot.
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Bill's formal education in Electronics, his work in
defense electronics, medical electronics, his love of photography, his early experiences
with wildlife, all in combination with the dedicated professionals of Goodson &
Associates. Inc. have combined to bring you, the customer, the best trail monitoring
products available in the world.
Goodson & Associates, Inc. will not put the TrailMaster name on a product that does
not meet the high standards set by Bill Goodson and his associates.
TrailMaster ® products are manufactured by
GOODSON & ASSOCIATES, INC of Lenexa, Kansas, USA.
Goodson & Associates guarantees that
these products will be free from defects in material and workmanship for one year from the
date of original purchase. This does not cover damage caused by leaking batteries.
Proudly made  in the U.S.A.
Design and specifications are subject to change without
notice, please check when ordering.
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