April’s Woman of the Wild~Tish Proffitt

As I ponder my evalution as a Huntress and avid angler, I realize my journey began many years ago growing up in the great state of Virginia, rich with wildlife and abundant with waters!  My parents still enjoy sharing stories of me wanting to sleep in but rolling out of bed at the last second when Dad was leaving to go fishing for fear of being left behind!  So began my love of the water and fishing!  Over the years I’ve had the blessed privilege of fishing in various states on the east coast along with the Gulf Stream and coastal waters. I have been able to supply my family with meals of a variety of fish including everything from Alabama crappie and Virginia bass to Tennessee striper and Gulf Stream yellowfin tuna!  Although all meals I place on the table are nice, none compare with dining on freshly caught trout from the stream served on a lap of aluminum foil!!
Another of my outdoor pleasures I only have the chance to engage in once a year and only in a 3 week window, hunting morels!! Affectionately refered to as dry land fish in areas of the south, these small mushrooms have provided many a delicious meal here in my home. Times spent hunting and gathering morels take me back to my roots as supplier for my family.  Native Americans shared in this gathering of food and generations later, I love the time spent seeking the forest floor in search of her treasure and passing along this tradition to my two young daughters.
As a huntress, again I started at the tender age of 12 hunting with my dad and distinctly remember my first hunting trip being a dove hunt.  I didn’t kill any that day but enjoyed being outdoors and being with my dad. For many years I joined him in the woods and successfully harvested small game but never any large game. I married a hunter at the age of nineteen and for four years I let him enjoy his hunts with his male hunting buddies. Then I realized, this is something I enjoy as well and can share with him the way I did with my dad!!  The need and desire to hunt took over and for the last nine years I have joined him in the field hunting with my new hunting partner!  Over those nine seasons I have harvested twelve deer, two turkey, more small game than I can count, a Texas Dall Ram and successfully added grouse hunting to my list of feats!  Although all my kills were rewarding and very special to me, none of my endeavors came close to sharing the experience of my seven year old daughter’s first kill when she harvested a 225 lb boar in Tennessee!!  To know that she carries the same passion, fire and desire that I have is a feeling that words cannot express!!
I consider it an honor to be featured on this site along other strong women in the sport!  The last year has been filled with many things I never thought possible.  I have my own Signature Series of turkey calls that I sell online and in sporting goods stores in my area, I launched my project Southern Belle Outdoors which supplies ladies with discounts on hunting related products!!  Please feel free to add me on Facebook and get to know me!! I love having the opportunity to represent women in this sport and meeting and sharing with other ladies with the same passion as I. To each of you, I wish you the very best of luck and happy hunting!!

Tisha Proffitt
Southern Belle Outdoors

 

Miss Huntress 2011!

Camp Wild Girls is Glad to announce they are sponsoring the 2011 Miss Huntress Contest. We are down to the remaining 10 Huntresses and wishing all of them good luck! Click here to find more about the contestants!

April Showers bring…Free Shipping!

Just in time for Turkey Season we are shipping your stuff for free! Good through April 30th! Good luck ladies!

Team Camp Wild Girls on Battle Scraps!

Team Camp Wild Girls competes on Battle Scraps!

Battle Scraps is an online based reality series featuring average, everyday Wisconsin hunters consisting of two-person teams who made it to the top 20 of the popular Sportsman Channel show, Batttle of The Bow,  but were not cast in the final 10 spots to appear on the show.  We believe these teams are as talented as the 10 teams who were cast for the TV show.

Battle Scraps will consist of 13 competition episodes, plus 1 or 2 finale episodes to announce winners with an average of 10-15 minutes per episode.  We will be “airing” new episodes weekly on Fridays for 13 weeks starting December 31st 2010.

Battle Scraps came about when one of the teams who did not make Battle of The Bow casually said “we should make our own show” to team CWG member Amy Sharp, wife of Producer Joe Sharp, at a gas station on the way home.  A quick discussion with producing partner Peter Mikhael and the rest is history. While Battle Scraps may be a direct result of Battle of The Bow’s elimination process, Battle Scraps is not associated with or produced by the producers of Battle of the Bow on Sportsman Channel.

Team Camp Wild Girls

Sponsored by CampWildGirls.com

Team Camp Wild Girls consists of Amy Sharp and Candy Grubisic, from Washburn and Ashland, WI.  Camp Wild Girls is an online hunting and fishing resource for Women of the Wild.  Find out a little more about these gals below and be sure to support them, Camp WIld Girls, and their efforts on Battle Scraps this season by connecting with them on their Team Facebook fan page.

Amy Sharp

Amy, 42 years young, has been married for 16 years to Joe, an avid rifle and bow hunter.  Joe, taught her oldest son, Scott, the ropes of hunting growing up and now their daughter who is 10 has an interest in hunting and has been tagging along since she could walk.  Her son who is 6 doesn’t have much of an interest in hunting as of yet but does love to be outside and tag along with dad also.  Plus he has a pretty cool little bow.

Amy was introduced to target shooting with a recurve last summer by Hawk and Stacey Huston at Team Huntress and loved it!  When early bow season came around a friend of hers, Terri Lee, was competing on the Battle of the Bow.  She saw her excitement through the season and it encouraged her to try bow hunting.

She bought a recurve at a local pawn shop and had been practicing.  She was shooting confidently so finally she decided to head out to sit at the infamous apple tree stand without telling a soul.  She saw many deer her first season (2009) and that was fascinating alone.

That winter she watched the Battle of the Bow and discussed throughout the spring and summer about trying out for the show with another friend, Candy, to be an all women’s team.  Her and husband, Joe, were also planning to do some hunting and filming and team up with a friend of theirs to do an online show.  Since not making the Sportsman Channel show, Amy found new life in Battle Scraps.

So here she is this season with her first shot and first ever buck on the ground, an 8 pointer, the trail camera gets a picture of the shot, and she has it all on film!  How awesome it that!

Candy Grubisic

Candy Grubisic, 45, wife, mother, grandmother, was born in Flint, MI and moved to Vassar, MI after 8^th grade.  She graduated from there in 1983 and it was in Vassar that she discovered she enjoyed target shooting and wanted to give deer hunting a try. For various reasons, that never came to fruition. No one in her family hunted, so this wasn’t something that got passed down the way it does in most families. One thing she did love was fishing and at least she got to do plenty of that.  ”I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors and grew up somewhat of a Tomboy”, she recalls.

In 1987, she moved to Ironwood, MI where she got a degree in Commercial and Graphic Arts.  Then moved to Ashland, WI in 1992 in search of work, hoping to find a job in her field.  It was in Ashland that she met her husband, Rod, of almost 11 years.

“If it weren’t for his enthusiasm after I expressed my interest in purchasing a deer license back in 1998, I may not have ever hunted to this very day” Candy says, “Rod outfitted me with whatever he could find and the following year, 1999, he bought me all of my own gear including my first rifle.”  That year she took her first buck, a small but respectable 7pt.

They hunt just about everything together now and she shot her first turkey the year they opened it up in their area approx. 5 years ago. It wasn’t until about 3 years ago that they both decided to start bow hunting.  She took her first bow buck in 2009, a freak of a fork.  I’m a sucker for the freakish and unusual.  Unfortunately, her husband works long hours and rarely gets the opportunity to bow hunt during the early season.  When he is unable to hunt due to work, “he always tells me he hunts vicariously through me and I am more than happy to oblige”.

This will be her first year ever trying to actually film a hunt.  It’s something her husband and she have been wanting to do for a long time.  He had bought a camera arm awhile ago, but still needed the camera and finally made the purchase this season and are ready to rock on Battle Scraps.

Battle Scraps IS produced by Peter Mikhael and Joe Sharp of Big Rock Outdoor Productions which is based in Northern Wisconsin. With a combined 50+ years of experience chasing big bucks and other game along with 10+ years of experience filming and editing in the outdoors, you can bet there will always be something interesting to watch in BROP productions.

Women Hunting Dall Sheep in the Brooks Range, Alaska

Women Hunting Dall Sheep in the Brooks Range, Alaska

For the past 3 years my friends and I have been hunting sheep in the Brooks Range in Northern Alaska. Experiencing these remote wildernesstrips has changed my perspective of life. When I am in the midst of  these lovely wild mountains and long flowing rivers, I realize that I am quite small yet magically blessed with being a part of the natural order. The natural order demands that death is necessary to sustain life. Some plant or animal must die for me to eat and live. Hunting is the  process of stalking, killing, and surviving and this requires  an acute awareness and presence. When I am hunting I feel most alive.  I feel what it means to be a human, raw and exposed, without the cushion of society.

I enjoy both the planning process and the product of our hunts. I plan the gear and my friend, Kimberley, plans the food. Marianne and Kay have the same system. Everyone is responsible for providing 3 days of food for the group. The food theme for 2009 was Thai and for 2010 pasta. We always carry wine. We avoid duplicating gear. We only need one spotting scope, one stove. The weight limit for us and gear  is 1200 lbs and we take 1199.

The process of the hunt includes kayaking, day to day survival, camping and hunting. I’m thrilled to land on the tundra, pull out the gear and watch our plane fly away. We immediately inflate the water wolf kayaks, secure the gear, put on our dry suits and push off into the current. I love reading the river ,making a few corrective strokes and being one with the current. My awareness is heightened and I resolve to accept whatever comes as I flow with the water.

After a few hours we pull off on a sandbar and make a comfortable camp with a fire and  tasty food. Our party consists of two hunters and two hikers. The days are active but at night we share conversation while sipping wine by the fire. We stay in one area for several days and see sheep, caribou, and wolverine then move on to another site for a few more days.  Every day we see Rams by the river.The River is high and fast. Marianne and Kay have a hard time stopping their kayak when they see a trophy ram hanging out with ewes on a rock cliff close to the river. In the end they manage and Marianne shoots him from 350 yards. We continue down and find a camp in an area with ram potential.

I hike up a creek bed at 5 am while the others stay back to work on the cape. I love those early morning solo hikes where each bend reveals some new discovery. I pass plenty of sheep and a few rams along the way. Five large rams come into view several miles up the creek bed.  At times I walk along the creek but often cliffs force me to back track, searching for a path where I may climb up the mountain side. The rain and even a thunderstorm come and pass. After several miles, I pull out my scope.  The stalking begins.  I must get closer to those rams. I use the creek bed for cover and hike beyond them. I cross the creek and find a ravine to climb. I am now above them. They did not see me and the wind is in my favor. It is 2 pm. I leave my pack at the top of the ravine at the base of a rock wall. I slowly lower myself down a steep rock hill with my back against the rocks. It is too steep to safely crawl head first on my stomach. Periodically I lift my head just high enough to see one noble ram lying in on his perch  and watching the world below him. I am not sure if the other rams are grazing and I assume they are below this ram. As I watch and approach, a thought penetrates my focus, “ This stalk is so thrilling, I’m satisfied with the experience  even if the ram runs and lives. He is so beautiful.” I am 30 yards away.  He lifts his head, scents me and jumps to his feet. I stay still, hardly breathing. 3 Rams are 45 yards from me. I look at them and they at me for 45 seconds. They are legal game, but they are facing me and I can’t see the full curl. The double broomed one locks his eyes with mine. I slowly sit up, raise my gun and shoot. One ram runs.  The other stands next to his dead buddy. He looks into my eyes with dismay and sadness and I look into his eyes with remorse and great respect. After 7-10 minutes , he trots and then gallops away.

I stand, look down at the valley, out across the mountains and take a deep breath and thank God and the world  for my life and the sheep’s life. I field dress the ram, put him on my back and slowly descend.  My pack is too heavy. I leave much of the meat and head on through some brush above a small creek . After leaving my scent to deter the bears I hike back to arrive at camp at 11 pm. Marianne and I hike back the following day.  Together we  pack the sheep out.

All animals experience life for a brief time. We both kill to survive; I kill the sheep and the sheep kills part of the vegetation. Eventually we all become food for someone. Before that last breath, we strive to experience life. We try to understand.  We connect with others and find a way to contribute something.

I wonder what drives these noble sheep. Perhaps for the sheep it is enough to be here, graze,  chew, and take in these incredible views. I learn from them.

Dr. Julia Heinz

http://www.WomenHuntingAlaska.com

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Saskatchewan…The Land of Giants

Saskatchewan…The Land of Giants

By:  Tracey Splechter

Our hunt had been planned for a few months, with a few twists and turns along the way.  The day had finally arrived to fly to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for our whitetail deer adventure.  Kirstie Pike, CEO of Prois and I were meeting up on Saturday, November 6^th and planned to overnight in Saskatoon that evening, prior to our departure to camp on Sunday.  All travel plans went off without a hitch and we were ready to go by 9am on Sunday morning.  Devin, the outfitter, and a few other hunters met us at the hotel Sunday morning and we loaded all of our gear into the trucks and headed north.  It is approximately a two hour drive from Saskatoon to Leoville (location where ATV’s are stored for ride into camp) and the guides offer to stop in Leoville to let hunters purchase any extra beverages or snacks they need for the week.  We arrived at the base camp in the early afternoon and each hunter’s gear was loaded onto trailers which were to be pulled by quads (also known as four wheelers).  Each hunter drives their personal four wheeler for the one hour adventure into camp.  I say adventure because this is exactly what it was.  The guides had just brought the previous hunters out of camp two days prior to us making the trek but not long after starting down the trail we hit our first bump in the road.  One of the hunters dug himself deep into a mud hole and had to be rescued.  The weather was quite warm for early November so the trails were not frozen as they typically would be when hunting season begins.  The second bump:  a large tree had been chewed down by a beaver and was blocking our “train” from passing by.  The tree was too large for the six guys to lift and move off the trail, so the guides took each four wheeler around the tree so we could continue on our journey.  The rest of the ride in was uneventful, but the scenery was amazing.  We saw several lakes, miles and miles of timber, clear blue skies and wildlife galore!

Once at camp, the guides unloaded all gear and we were shown around camp.  There was the main cabin, where hunters sleep and meals are prepared, the guide’s cabin, the cleaning shed, a workshop, and the changing cabin.  The heated changing cabin is where you stored all of your hunting gear.  The owner is a firm believer in scent control and does not allow any of your hunting clothes to be brought into the main cabin to keep the scent problem down.  While the guides were busy cleaning the four wheelers, we unpacked our hunting items into the changing cabin and took everything else into the main cabin.  The main cabin has three bedrooms, each with a set of bunk beds, a bathroom with shower, kitchen, dining room, living room and deck overlooking Higgins Lake. The main cabin is also equipped with a wood burning hot tub.

Next on the agenda was the sighting in of each hunter’s gun.  Once this was complete it was time for dinner and to get all paperwork out of the way.  Each person drew for their stand placement and guide for the Monday morning hunt.  This works well as it keeps things fair between all hunters.  After a quick video, it was off to bed as the morning would come very quickly.

Bright and early Monday morning, the coffee was brewing and breakfast was cooking on the stove.  Dustin, the cook and guide, made the most amazing meals you could imagine in a back country hunting camp.  After breakfast was cleaned up, it was off to the changing shed to prepare ourselves for a long day in the tree stands.  We all loaded our gear onto our four wheelers and wished each other well for the day.  My guide for the week was Tom Beebe, the outfitter’s dad.  Tom has been guiding hunters in the area for 21 years so he knows the land very well.  It took about an hour to navigate our way into the stand.  My stand the first morning was named Jack Pine 2.  It was about 20 feet in the air and about 111 yards from the bait pile.  I had three good shooting lanes and a lot of action all day.  I had a nice 10 pointer chase a few doe around for the majority of the afternoon but I didn’t get too excited about him.  I decided that if I was in the same stand on Thursday and hadn’t shot anything, he would be my Thursday deer.  During the twelve hour sit, I also saw four 8 pointers, four 6 pointers and several spikes.  I lost track of all the does that came into the bait pile, of alfalfa straw and peas.  Every day, the guides drive around to all 35 stand locations and place fresh bait, if needed.

When we returned back to camp, dinner was ready and we all talked about the happenings of the day.  Every hunter saw several deer at each of their stands but no one had taken a shot.  We were all waiting for the monster!  The outfitter has about 20 cuddyback cameras placed at different stands throughout the week.  Everyday they pull the cards from the cameras to help pattern the deer movement.  They have a board in the lodge with pictures of deer they have gotten on camera that have not been shot.  They have each hunter study this board to be sure they know how to judge deer in the field.  The guides had spotted a very large buck on a stand they hadn’t placed a hunter so they decided to move a few of us to different stand locations.  I wasn’t really ready to move, but agreed to shake things up a bit.  Four of us were chosen to draw again and I drew lucky stand Carolina.

The next morning we drove about 1.5 hours to my stand location.  This time there was one shooting lane, the bait pile was about 75 yards and my stand was about the same height.  Before we headed out, I had told Kirstie that I had a nervous feeling in my stomach.  About an hour into sitting, I realized why I was feeling that way.  Two does came underneath my stand and headed straight for the bait.  They hung out for a while and something spooked one and off it ran.  The second one stayed on the bait but was looking in the trees to my left.  I scanned the woods to my left and saw nothing.  A few minutes went by and that doe hadn’t moved.  So I started searching the woods to my left again and there he stood; the large deer with the tipped main beams that I had remembered seeing on the board.   I knew instantly he was a shooter!  No need for binos, I went straight for my gun.  The buck went directly to the bait pile and turned perfectly broadside.  I took about five deep breaths and fired away!  Wow, what a rush!  I will never forget that feeling just after you take your shot and you watch your deer trot slowly away.  I immediately radioed my guide to let him know I had taken a shot, just like we were instructed to do.  About an hour after I had shot, I got all my gear and myself out of the stand and was going to investigate.  I walked down the hill to the bait pile and couldn’t find any blood.  All I found was a pile of fur.  I sent Kirstie a message to let her know that I had shot and good news, so had she.  She tracked her deer and had a very nice 12 pointer on the ground!  The timber was so thick that I decided to go back to my stand and wait for the guide.  A couple of hours passed and Tom arrived at my stand.  We went down to the bait pile, I told him which direction the buck ran off and the tracking was on.  We found a very large pile of blood and then tracked for about an hour and couldn’t find anything else.  I was getting that sick feeling like I had a bad shot, but knew deep down I was right on.  It was getting dark so Tom decided we needed to head back to camp and we would try again tomorrow.  I was beside myself.  The entire ride back to camp, I was speechless.  I felt I had wounded a deer and left him to die in the woods.  Tom did everything he could to console me and said that if he was down, the birds would be on him in the morning and we would find him.  Once back in camp, we realized 5 of the 6 hunters in camp had shot deer that Tuesday morning and mine was the only one not recovered yet.  There was Tom who took a 182, Kirstie with a 154, Ron with a 140 and Jessie with his first whitetail deer at 127.  The wait for Wednesday afternoon was the longest 12 hours in my life.  Tom, Devin, Ron, Jessie (Ron and Jessie were from North Carolina and Florida, respectively) and myself headed out on four wheelers Wednesday in search of my tipped main beams.  Along the way we baited a few stands and finally reached Carolina.  I showed everyone the fur at the bait pile, the direction he ran off and the large pile of blood we found the previous day.  We all started off in a different direction with our eyes and ears open.  Driving in we didn’t see any birds flying overhead so that wasn’t a great sign.  Devin yelled for everyone to be quite, he thought he heard something.  We all stood our positions and then we heard them, the birds squawking about 100 yards away.  Devin and Ron took off at a fast pace in the birds’ direction and Ron started yelling he could see him.  At that point, I was sprinting through the brush, my heart was pounding.  Devin was yelling for everyone to get there as he spotted an eagle.  Ron, my savior had found my deer!  Little did we know that Tom and I were only about 10 yards from the deer the previous day but could not see him through the thick brush.  It was smiles and hugs all around.  I was so excited!  I had my first Saskatchewan whitetail deer and he was a beauty.  My emotions had gone on a roller coaster ride in a short 24 hour period but everything ended well.  We made it back to camp and the celebration was on!  We had taken five deer in one day and that was a record at camp!  We had a fantastic meal and Jessie even played a few tunes on the guitar for us that evening.  Bobby, the only guy in camp who hadn’t shot settled in early that evening as he was going to try his luck again the next day.  It turned out that Bobby wouldn’t take a shot on this trip to Saskatchewan but had several opportunities at deer over 140.  Bobby and Tom both are returning to hunt in 2011.  As for the rest of us, we will be back again someday.

Kirstie and I packed up and were ready to head back to Saskatoon on Thursday for Friday flights home.  We said all of our goodbyes to the hunters in camp with us and to the fantastic guides who we had the pleasure to get to know for a few days.  Overall this was one of the best experiences of my life and I would recommend anyone who wants to shoot a large whitetail deer to head to Saskatchewan with this outfitter.

Great meals, excellent accommodations and very friendly guides all make this an unbeatable, unique experience.  My deer ended up scoring a whopping 160 4/8 and for my first whitetail, I think it will be hard to beat.  Thanks to everyone who was involved in this hunt, Kirstie (my new best friend and hunting buddy), Ron from North Carolina (who I owe my first buck too), Jessie from Florida (Ron’s son who kept things lively around camp), Bobby (the only hunter who didn’t make a shot but deserved it more than the rest of us), Tom (who had the largest deer in camp for the week), Dustin (a fantastic cook and new friend as well), Tom (my guide extraordinaire), and Devin (who almost was the first to find my deer and who I owe this incredible experience to).  I can’t wait to do it all over again.

For more information about this whitetail hunt in Saskatchewan or any other outdoor adventure, contact Tracey Splechter with Outdoor Connection.

tracey@outdoor-connection.com

620-364-5500

T-shirt Sale!

This fun Ladies Camp Wild Girls t-shirts have the full color logo on the front. It comes in Bright Pink, Violet, Yellow Haze, and Navy. Save $5.00 off of the normal retail price. Reg. $17.99 now only $12.99 thru March 31st! Click Here

January’s Woman of the Wild-Tera Busker

Every little girl idolizes her daddy and growing up I wanted to be just like mine. I wanted to be a truck driver, a fireman and, most of all, a hunter. Every November I remember helping my dad get his gear ready for Wisconsin deer opener. I was a ball of excitement as we hung the blaze orange clothes outside, packed up the chili and made sure everything was ready for the next morning.  But, every year as my dad headed out to the woods, I was left behind. Not because I didn’t want to go, but because I didn’t have a hunter’s license. Where I grew up not many girls hunted and I was way too intimidated to take hunters safety with a bunch of boys. So what did I do? I waited until I was 18 to take hunters safety with a bunch of pre teen boys. AKWARD! But after so many years of sitting in the woods and not being able to hunt, I had to do what I had to do so I could partake in the full hunting experience.

I remember my first hunt like it was yesterday.  It was one of the coldest mornings of the year up to that point – 5 degrees. My dad and I sat in a small stand together in Prescott, Wisconsin. I was SO excited for the sun to come up for my first official hunt to officially begin, but it seemed like the light of day couldn’t get there soon enough. As soon as the sun came up, the temperature seemed to drop another 10 degrees. I remember thinking…”Is this really what I was excited about? I’m going to freeze to death before I get a chance to shoot.”  (I can be a little dramatic at times) We sat in our stand all morning and didn’t see a thing. After lunch we decided to do a small drive with our hunting party. Since I was the newbie in the group they set me up to get the deer. Not long after they started the drive a large doe came my way. It was a textbook scenario – she stopped 30 yards from me, broadside. I pulled up and took the shot – perfect.  When you have great beginners luck like that, you can’t help but fall in love with the sport. I was hooked. Since that first hunt, hunting and the outdoors have been a passion of mine.

In 2005, my dad introduced me to the greatest hunting experience ever – Spring turkey hunting. There is NOTHING like calling in a big, fanned out Tom Turkey while he slowly struts his way towards you. It’s an amazing adrenaline rush to hear the gobbles get closer and closer and when you finally see the Tom dancing in full strut right in front of you – it’s beautiful! Since 2005 I have only missed one Spring Turkey hunt, which was when I ran my first half marathon. BUT – I will tell you that for 10 of those 13 miles I had visions of turkeys dancing in my head.

Hunting and being in the outdoors are passions of mine, but another love of mine is fitness. As an avid runner, weight room junkie and personal trainer, I’ve found a great way to combine both of my passions. 2 years ago I started a fitness program for hunters and outdoor men & women called CrossHairs Fitness. CrossHairs Fitness is a hunting/outdoors specific fitness program designed to help people get ready for their upcoming hunts or to get in better shape for the hunting season. Many hunters don’t think about important their health & fitness level is to their hunt until they are out in the woods and gasping for breath as they walk up a hill. When you are in shape and feel good, the hunting experience is so much more enjoyable. This is a very fun and rewarding program for both me & my clients. I help them get strong, healthy & “hunt ready” and they have more energy & fun during their hunt.

I became an ACE (American Council on Exercise) Certified Personal trainer in 2000. After working in a large gym for a few years, I decided I wanted and needed a change. I noticed that the setting that I was in wasn’t ideal. There were too many distractions (waiting lines for equipment, noisy conversations, loud music) and the excuses to miss workouts became more frequent for my clients (no baby sitter, bad weather, too busy). I became very frustrated with what was happening! I wanted to give my clients the privacy and the one-on-one attention that they deserved as well as eliminate the excuses to miss appointments. I wanted the best for my clients and I knew that they wouldn’t be able to get it in a gym. In 2002 I developed Fitness To Go, an in home, online and private studio personal training service tailored to fit into my clients busy lifestyles. With Fitness To Go, I am able to bring my services and equipment to my clients as well as offer them a quiet and private place to workout at my studio in Roberts. No more excuses or distractions. Just me and my clients, working collectively together to reach their goals in a way that is challenging, yet, convenient and fun.

In 2010 I added Get Fit Bootcamp to the services that Fitness To Go offers. Get Fit Bootcamp is a unique and fun 60 minute class that combines cardio, strength training and core work all in one exciting workout. It’s not your “standard” bootcamp class – no yelling and NO negative talk. Get Fit Bootcamp is all about being positive and encouraging each other to do YOUR very best.

You can say I’m a no nonsense type of trainer. I don’t believe in excuses, gimmicks, pills or shortcuts of any kind. There is no easy way out when it comes to your health. Hard work, determination & commitment are what it takes to reach any goal that you set for yourself. Making excuses will only set you further away from achieving your goal! I am truly blessed to be able to work with my amazing clients and see the progress that they are making each and every day! Each one of my clients is an inspiration to me & they are why I keep doing what I do.

When I am not training my awesome clients, I spend my free time hunting with my husband Luke, relaxing with my 2 lazy bassets Lucy & Maggie and finding new way to challenge myself. Whether I’m hunting a new animal,  sprinting through 6 miles of mud or running 2 half marathons back-to-back, I try to always keep myself JUST outside of my comfort zone. I believe if I am always striving to do bigger & better things in life, it help me relate to my clients so much better.  Losing weight and getting healthy can be hard & scary at times, but once you step out of your comfort zone, you open yourself to a whole new world of possibilities.

I am always looking for a new way to challenge myself, so this year I plan to try coyote and pheasant hunting as well as bow fishing. These are things that the other great hunter in my life, my husband Luke, loves to do during his free time. It will be a great way for us to spend time together and enjoy the outdoors. Because, as the saying goes in my family….the family that hunts together, stays together.

Shoot Like a Girl Raises Money for Breast Cancer

Archers raise $4,630 for the National Breast Cancer through their “I Shoot for the Girls™” Charity Mail in Archery Shoot hosted by Shoot Like A Girl

Shoot Like A Girl is thrilled to announce that archers across the United States raised $4,630 for the National Breast Cancer Foundation to date, and expect to surpass $5,000 when the final contributions arrive.  Eleven Archery Clubs, Business and Leagues and ten individuals participated with a total of 284 archers competing in this first ever “I Shoot for the Girls” tournament.  “This was our first year to host the tournament, and we received great feedback.  Everyone has asked us to make it an annual event, and we will, but we will extend the time to shoot to accommodate more archers!” said Karen Butler, the President of Shoot Like A Girl.

The winners for the tournament receive a dozen Victory Pink Arrow Project Arrows, donated graciously by Victory Arrows.  In the Men’s Division, the winner is John Pero, with a score of 380, from the Wa-Xo-Be Archers; the Women’s Division winner is Debby Hammock, with a score of 335 from Pellegrino’s Archery Hut; and the Youth Division winner is Dakota Hoagland, with a score of 330 from Vic’s Archery.  Contestants shot from 18 meters on a target consisting of three large breast cancer ribbons and one small bonus ribbon.  There were ten 10 rounds, for a total max score of 400 points.

Shoot Like a Girl is grateful to the ranges that donated range time to host this tournament, Pellegrino’s Archery Hut in Colorado Springs, CO; Vic’s Archery, Saint Joseph, MO; Full Curl Archery, Anchorage, AK; Archery Unlimited, Etna, WY; Autumn Addiction Archery, Burghill, OH; Hideaway Archery, South Dayton, NY; Cheyenne Field Archers, Cheyenne, WY; Mohawk Archery Club, Mason City, IA; and special thanks to the Union County Cub Scouts, Monroe, NC.

Grandpa’s Hunting Legacy

Hunting in Northern WI has always been a way of life. We have a nine-day season that starts the Saturday before Thanksgiving and ends the Sunday after. Some call it Holy week here because almost everything here revolves around hunting that week. More>

Mia’s Elk Hunt 2010~Camp Wild Girls Rep Mia Anstine

This years fall elk hunt was, as always, a tough one.  I hunted third rifle season which ran November 6th through November 14th.  Third season is always a chilly one, and this year was no different.  We had it pretty easy the first weekend.  It at least got above 40 degrees during the day. More>

MY Hunting Story! by Robyn Woodruff

I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors and had a strong appreciation for the beautiful planet in which we live.  I was first introduced to hunting by my high school sweetheart and his family. They were avid deer hunters and their enthusiasm for the sport made me want to hunt.  However, “hunting is not for women” they would say.  Years later, I met and married the man of my dreams.  The man who also happened to be an avid hunter and fisherman and who would jump on the opportunity to teach all he knows about hunting and fishing to any willing participant.  I now fish and hunt musky, small game, waterfowl, turkey, whitetail deer and just about any animal that comes in season in the State of Indiana with one caveat.  I only harvest animals I will eat.  I have a great time outdoors and have been very successful over the years with the exception of whitetail deer.

Every year on the Friday before deer firearms opens; we head out (camper in tow) to one of Indiana’s state owned properties.  We do our homework by scouting areas in advance of the season, setting up latter stands and making sure we have a plan B in the event there are other hunters in our area.  I have had a couple of encounters with nice bucks, but never such that I could get a good shot.  I am particular about shooting and have to feel comfortable about every shot I take.  My Husband teases me and says “why didn’t you shoot?”  Every year seemed filled with squirrels or orange hat humans getting my heart going and the words “why didn’t you shoot?”  While I am confident that Indiana’s natural resource programs work and our state forests and parks are of great caliber, I have ran into to less than favorable situations hunting public land; including, but not limited to, a burning truck, a guy target shooting an automatic assault rifle, a dead calf and marijuana plants.  The latter was my last straw. It’s unfortunate that a few bad apples ruin it for the bunch.  I told my Husband I would no longer hunt in these areas.  It just so happened about the same time I made my ultimatum, my Husband acquired permission on 400 hundred acres of private land. We were ecstatic! We immediately began scouting and setting up trail cameras.

It’s now opening morning of deer firearms 2010.  We drive to our parking spot, finish dressing and spray down with cover scent. We walk for a little a while until it’s time to split ways to our respective stands. My Husband bends down, kisses me on the cheek and whispers “no small bucks, sweetie.”  I nod in response and head toward the woods.  It’s a cloudy morning, very dark and I note that I may have a difficult time finding my stand.  As I enter the woods, I spook a deer. It snorts and trots away.  The remainder of my trek in the woods could be compared to an elephant stampede and I was convinced there wasn’t an animal within 50 miles, let alone a deer.  I was beginning to get frazzled and think I would have to sit on the ground until it was a bit lighter.  I then realized I was standing right under my stand. I almost laughed out loud.

I got settled in my stand, pulled up my gun and loaded it. It’s an hour before shooting time and I try to clear my mind and listen to the woods.  At 8:30a.m, I text my Husband, “c any?”  He responds “nope.”  I respond, “they know it’s opening day.”  Ten minutes later, I spot deer headed my way.  My heart is pounding.  It’s a doe and a knob buck, or as my Husband would say, a button buck.  The doe is unaware of my presence, eats acorns and continually shoes away the knob buck who obviously thinks he is prince charming.  A few minutes later, I hear something coming behind me.  I slowly turn around. It’s a buck with antlers and a doe!  My eyes must have got as big as saucers and my heart kicked into overdrive.  I instantly decided I needed to let them pass.  Then those haunting words crossed my mind, “why didn’t you shoot?” The buck is 30 yards away, turns and begins to take steps away from me.  I grab the call hanging around my neck and softly grunt a couple of times. He turns his head my way and stops.  I only have one viable shot and it’s in the neck.  I raise my gun, click off the safety and shoot.  He dropped right where I shot him. I can’t even describe the joyous feeling. It was overwhelming to say the least.

I finally harvested a deer after years of trying. He had 7 points and weighed 130 pounds field dressed.  My only reservation is that my Husband was not there to witness the harvest and celebrate with me.  My sense, however, is that he would have kept me from shooting given the age of the buck.  In retrospect, I’m glad he wasn’t there.  I am so thankful and proud of this harvest.  I am now pumped up to get back out there!  My goal is to harvest a doe for Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry.  Let’s hope I’m successful.

Robyn Woodruff

Arcadia, Indiana

You smell like the Bomb! The Buck Bomb!

My husband came home the other day with these lovely little canisters for me to try, called Buck Bombs. (He always makes me try things first in case they don’t work). Since I was heading out for a long sit in my stand, and the rut is going strong right now and I thought this was going to be the do all end all. I’ll try it. I will try anything to give me an edge, because I don’t get a lot of time in the woods or at least not as much as I would like. More

Hi Mr. Buck!

As many of you know how I encourage taking little ones into the woods. It can be a very rewarding adventure to let your little ones experience nature first hand. I love taking our little girl to ride on the rhino when I go to check the stands. She has been riding with me since she was born and is usually singing and making all kinds of noise and all that stuff that kids do. My theory is the if we do it all summer and fall the deer are just used to it as well as the sound of the Rhino more

Take Me Hunting!

Hey moms and dads, feel like you need to go hunting? Take your little one with you!.

I know it sounds crazy but I take my 3 yr. old with me all the time. We do have a hunting shack that we hunt out of so that does help, but here are a few tips that might help you along the way.

1. I do not give her a nap before we go in the evening. This often times works out so that she just falls asleep while we are hunting. Now if you have the kind of kid that can’t handle life in the evening without a nap, by all means get the nap in first. You know your child better than anyone!

2. Invest in a small dvd player so they can quietly watch movies to keep them occupied. Ipod movies, or u-tube movies on your phone or small laptop work also. Make sure the headphones fit them and are comfortable or you will frustrate them and yourself by having to put them on again over and over! lol Keep in mind battery life. It really sucks when it is just getting prime time and the battery dies in the middle of your little one’s favorite movie! (serious problems occur when this happens, can you say melt-down? ha ha).

3. Small toys also keep them occupied. (When the batteries fail you need other means to keep them occupied/and or distracted from the fact that the movie is not playing!)

4. Lots of snacks. Keeping a child well fed can save your night!

5. Get them their own pair of kids binoculars they love to pretend that they see a deer. And you never know, sometimes they see the deer first!

6. A potty chair is very helpful if you know what I mean! Take a large ziplock bag with for odor control and disposal! (Place the baggy in the potty before they do their job and don’t forget toilet paper.) You know full well that even though they will not poop on the potty at home, now will be the time!

7. Don’t try to take them for all day. Go by what they can handle. Our first outing was only an hour but each one is getting a little longer and a little better.

8. Dress them weather appropriate. We have a heater in our shack so she stays toasty warm.

9. Last but not least, DO NOT let them play with the grunt call! (We had a sick grunting deer in the shack the time she discovered how fun that was! lol)

Just remember they little and are just learning. Sometimes the only way to get out there in the woods is to take them with. It can be fun and rewarding for both of you when they look at you and say…Thanks mommy (or daddy) for taking me hunting! And someday, when you are old they might even take you with to the shack!

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