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!

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

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

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!

THE CALL OF THE WILD BOAR…GIGGLING By: Tracey Splechter

Some hunters would say you can’t “call” in wild boar, however my sister and I would disagree.

Our first boar hunting adventure to Oklahoma had been planned for many months.  This would be the first time my twin sister, Stacey would venture into the great outdoors on a hunting trip.  It took many hours of convincing her she would love it if she only gave it a shot!  She took her hunter’s safety course earlier this summer so she was ready and prepared to handle her rifle.  We also spent a few weekends practicing at our homemade rifle range at my home.

The weekend in September finally arrived for us to make the 4.5 hour drive to Oklahoma.  We planned to arrive at the lodge by 4:30 so we could get settled and ready for the next day’s hunt.  Little did we know that once we arrived, we would be in our hunting stand within 30 minutes of unpacking our bags.  We were stoked!  So, it was now 5:15 and we were settled in our stand with our gear and were getting familiar with our new surroundings.  As we sat there, trying to be quiet and watch for game, we couldn’t help the urge to giggle about everything.  Every small noise we made, her breaking her visor, my chair creaking, her cell phone ringing (because she forgot to put it to vibrate) and even the thought of who was going to shoot first, had us rolling.  Well it seemed to work because within 30 minutes of being in our stand, the first pig walks out.  We judged his size and determined he was a shooter but I told her “No way am I shooting the very first thing that walks by us, the very first day and in the first few minutes of hunting.”  She agreed and we watched the boar as he made his way around the feeder and then off into the woods.  Again more giggling and again another boar.  The second pig was quite a bit smaller than the first so we decided we would let this one go as well.  About 30 more minutes passed, several more bouts of laughter and one more hog!  It never failed just as we were at the peak of our giggles, a hog would appear out of the woods.  Was this coincidence or was our giggling working?  We decided we were not letting this one get away, so I readied myself for the shot and she grabbed the video camera.  He made a few passes behind the feeder and then came around to the right and left himself wide open!  KABOOM went my rifle and off ran the pig.  Stacey said, “You missed him, he ran off!”

I told her, “I didn’t miss him, I had a good shot and he is probably just a few yards off in the trees.”  We tried calling the guides to let them know we had a pig down but, in southern Oklahoma our cell phones did not want to cooperate.  However, we did get a text message out to them to let them know to head our direction.  I had made the shot just about 7pm so we had about one hour before dark.  It took the guides a while to arrive and by the time they did it was pitch black outside.  Stacey, being a city girl and all, didn’t want to get out of the truck to help the guides track the pig, but I talked her into it.  We showed the guides the location of where the pig was when I shot and told them the direction in which it ran.  Aaron, a newbie to the outfit, instantly found a trace of blood and was hot on the trail.  It didn’t take him long to find it; my first wild boar!  I was shaking hands and there were high five’s all around.  We loaded the pig in the back of a truck to get him back to the lodge for pictures and processing.  The outfitter has a great set up where you can have the guides processing your animal or you can choose to do so yourself.  While the guides were hard at work, Stacey and I went in to get cleaned up for dinner.  The meals ranged from hamburgers and steaks in the evenings to biscuits and gravy for brunch.  Don, the cook, was amazing!  I would definitely recommend to all hunters to pay the little extra to have your meals prepared for you while hunting.

The next day and a half of hunting proved to be uneventful as the weather was either extremely hot or raining.  It turns out that we shouldn’t have passed up those first two pigs as Stacey never had her chance at taking her first boar.  We still had a great time enjoying nature while relaxing in the comfort of our custom built, elevated stands.  We are planning a trip to go back in late winter of 2011!  This time frame should give her the opportunity for her first kill as well as additional opportunities for myself.

The camp is located near Mill Creek, Oklahoma.  It is a rustic, but very comfortable cabin that can accommodate up to six hunters.  Enjoy satellite TV in the living room or hanging out in the outdoor pavilion, discussing the day’s hunt.  There is a large, fully equipped kitchen for those who choose to cook their own meals.  Hunters can choose from many stand locations dispersed on 8,500 acres of a working cattle ranch.  In the afternoon, you can choose to fish in Pennington Creek for smallmouth bass or jump in the trucks with the guides for a tour of the ranch.  Processing facilities as well as a walk-in cooler are available to store your animal until your hunt is over.  The guides will process your animal for you for a small fee and help pack it for the drive home.  The guides are all very knowledgeable about the land and the game as well as very friendly.  I would recommend this destination to anyone looking for a quality hog, deer or turkey hunt!

Just remember the next time you are sitting in your stand and not having any luck, try it…giggle.

Born to Hunt-by Melissa Shopes

Born to Hunt

By Melissa Shope

My first hunting experience was when I was a little girl and my dad decided to take my sister and I grouse hunting.  I, of course, being against killing helpless animals, had no intentions of letting him kill anything.  He told us before we left that we had to be very quiet.  We weren’t and that was the last time he took us hunting.  He loved to hunt grouse and turkey but was never much on deer hunting.   He loved the outdoors and in turn taught us to love nature also.  We didn’t have much money or a lot of extras but he always saved enough money to take us on a family vacation.  We learned not to be in a hurry to get to our destination because he always took the scenic route and made plenty of stops to enjoy the views.  I don’t really remember being upset about it.  It was just what we were used to.  He always tried to pick historical places so we could learn something from our experiences.

Growing up in eastern Kentucky gave me a love for being the mountains that I didn’t realize until I moved to North Carolina.  As a girl I loved being in the woods exploring or climbing a tree with my favorite book and reading for hours.  I moved to the foothills of North Carolina when I was eighteen and didn’t visit the mountains that often. My first husband did not hunt nor did he enjoy going to the mountains or visiting KY.

I went home to Kentucky as often as I could and looked forward to the climb up the winding roads to get to my parents house.  I found that I would get more homesick in the fall.  It has always been my favorite season and the mountains in Kentucky are beautiful in the fall.

At age thirty-six, after a failed marriage and two wonderful teenage daughters, I started dating a man that I worked with.  I had worked with him for five years so we knew each other well.  He had always been big on hunting and I used to tease him sometimes about killing helpless animals.  We fell in love and spent as much time together as we possibly could.  One day he asked me if I wanted to ride to South Carolina with him to his hunting land and I said that I would love to go.  I still remember how I felt the first time we walked into the swamp.  It was in the spring and it was breathtaking. I cried as I stood and took in the beauty of it all.  The way the sunlight broke through the tress spilling rays of light into the densely wooded swamp gave me goose bumps.  I fell in love instantly.  I could see how much he loved being there and that he felt the same way that I did. Seeing his love for the outdoors and how he took time to stop and show me things that I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise, made me love him even more.   I continued going with him to help him get ready for deer season.  It was a lot of work but I enjoyed every second of it.

One day he jokingly asked me if I wanted to go deer hunting with him and again I agreed to go.  He was very surprised but excited that I actually wanted to try it.  He found me some clothes and bundled me up as much as he could and warned me how cold it might be.  I made it through the day without complaining even though I couldn’t feel my feet as I walked back to the truck.  We didn’t see any deer that day but I continued to go with him every chance I got. It was a long time until I actually saw a deer and I was getting very impatient.  He tried to encourage me and continued to tell me that if I kept going I would see deer.  I finally did start seeing deer and it was so much fun being able to sit in the stand and watch them walk under you and never know you were there.    I loved being in the woods and listening to the sounds and seeing all of the wildlife. You feel so close to God during those times.  Seeing all that he created and experiencing it firsthand makes you appreciate things so much more.  It gives you time to examine your life and be thankful for the ones you love.

He took me to the range and I finally found something that I was good at.  I had never been athletic and failed at every sport I had tried but I could shoot a gun!  I loved it.  The more I went hunting the more I wanted to try it for myself.  I started sharing a stand with his son, Hunter.  We had so much fun.  We saw a lot of deer but we always seemed to get the giggles over the silliest thing.  Those were memories I will never forget.  Eventually I started hunting by myself but I just never saw a shooter.  I had no desire to shoot a doe.  If  I was going to kill something I wanted it to be a good one. With that said, I still haven’t got my chance to this day.  But I have patience and I know it will happen.

In the spring he took me turkey hunting and I my love for hunting doubled!  I was shocked at how much fun it was.  The first day we hunted he called in a big bird right to his decoy.  He shot and I jumped and yelled, “You got him!”  I guess I was surprised but he thought it was funny.  He is a very good hunter and a very good shot.  He easily killed his limit that year and I was disappointed when it was over so soon.

My dad was surprised and proud that I had taken to hunting the way I had.  After each hunt I would call him on the phone to give him every detail.   He would share his experiences with me and would tape things on TV to show me when I came home to visit.  We planned to go turkey hunting together in Kentucky during their fall season but he passed away before we got the chance.  I am so glad that I found my love for hunting before he passed away.  Being able to share our hunting experiences with each other made us closer than we had ever been.  My mother gave me his turkey gun and I will proudly carry it hunting with me the next time I go.

I had my first exciting chance to shoot at a turkey this past spring.  It was a lot of fun but a big miss for me.  I was so upset and disappointed.  I will try again next year.  I have been teased many times by my co-workers about hunting but it doesn’t bother me.  They have no clue what they are missing and I can’t explain it to them.  I owe so much to my wonderful husband for taking me with him and letting me fall in love with the many joys of hunting.  I have no doubt that it will be a part of my life for many years to come.   I look back and laugh at how I used to be and how I am now.  I went from a little girl who hated the thoughts of hunting, in to a woman who, I now know, was born to hunt.

My first buck-by Deborah Fox

After multiple weekends of whining and feeling sorry for myself; my many years in the woods finally paid off.  I hate to admit it, but I’d been whining. I was sick of hearing myself, and I know my husband would agree. It seemed that no matter what I did to hide my scent, be quiet, and make as few movements as possible, my cover would be blown!

We’d been hunting in Georgia for a few years with some “good ole’ boys” who had some “freezer” success but no real bragging rights. As the only female hunting on the property I didn’t really get a warm & fuzzy welcome from the other male hunters. At one point they even asked my husband, “Do you bring her every weekend?” He smartly replied, “I wouldn’t think of leaving her at home, she’s a better shot than me!”

The moon had been full or close to it for several nights so the deer had been doing most of their feeding then. There had been signs of rutting activity for a few days, and my husband witnessed several bucks chasing a doe.  As they raced past him, he spun around so quickly that he broke the chair he was sitting in. But that’s for another story.

We made the decision to sleep in the next morning.  We ate a big breakfast and head to the stands around 9:00am. We had plans to stay all day instead of breaking at noon for lunch and maybe catch some bucks wondering mid-day.

I had been in my ladder stand five minutes when I heard the fateful blow of an alerted deer behind me. I was so close to climbing down and going back to bed! But not wanting to mess up my husband’s hunt, I stuck it out.  I’m really glad I did.

Ten minutes later I noticed some movement inside the wood line about 85 yards in front of me.  I picked up my binoculars and scanned the edge to find out if it was a “shooter”. I caught the glimpse of an antler and my heart started to pound. I carefully raised my gun and tried to locate the buck in my scope. Where was he? Every time I looked in the scope I couldn’t locate him through the saplings and briars. I could only see him with the naked eye. I was really getting nervous! I thought back to the past few weeks and all the blown opportunities. I was sure if I didn’t get it together soon this would be added to the list. I took a deep breath and looked back in the scope one more time and found his front legs. Eureka! Just above that is his chest! I slowly moved my gun up until I found his front right shoulder and pulled the trigger on my 30-06. All four legs went in the air in the classic bucking motion. I had made contact! He broke into the field and headed straight for me. This is when I realized he wasn’t just a buck he was the biggest buck I’d seen in the woods, and the first one I’d shot at! I rapidly pumped my gun and fired off four more shots. He came to rest about fifteen feet behind my stand. I quickly grabbed another clip and slammed it into the gun. I wasn’t going to take a chance that he might get back up. He wiggled a little and I shot him again. Once I was confident he wasn’t going anywhere the celebrating began. Later I was told that I was heard on the other side of the property hoopin’ and hollerin’! My husband keyed up his two-way radio and asked if I was ok, and if I had one down. I confirmed that it was big but he should continue to hunt. I still had no idea the magnitude of what I had just accomplished. He waited about ten minutes but couldn’t stand the anticipation and headed my way.  By then I had finally stopped shaking and felt confident enough to safely climb down out of the stand.  I stood there for what seemed an eternity just staring at the magnificent animal in front of me. When my husband arrived he congratulated me with a hug and a tear. I then said to him, “Don’t even think about telling me I’m not getting it mounted!”

I’m very blessed to have found someone who enjoys the sport as much as I do and that we were able to share this moment together. The only thing that would have made it greater was if my Dad, who introduced me to hunting could have been there too.

As we started to drag the deer out of the woods my husband noticed there were only two shots in the deer. The first shot and the last shot. The first being the fatal one and the last was my nervous one….right into tenderloin, which to this day my husband won’t let me forget!

When we returned to camp we discovered there had been multiple deer shot that morning including an 8 point, a 6 point, and several does.  But nothing came close to my 11 point. Those “good ole’ boys ”  were in awe of what the “girl” had harvested. The president of the club said it was the largest buck shot on the property in 20 years. The guy who shot the 8 point couldn’t stop rubbing the antlers of my deer. He said he was really happy with his deer until he saw mine.

After all the congratulating my husband and I took my deer to a local “stop n shop” that had a scale to get it weighed. As they began to hoist it up the last number I read was 185 lbs before the scale blew apart. It might have weighed more than that but I’ll never know.

He now proudly hangs in our home on what I like to call my “Wall of Fame” along with two of the biggest fish I’ve ever caught.

I’ve always looked forward to deer season beginning, but since that October morning in 2005 things have been a lot different.

Women can’t catch muskies — right? Look for yourself

Women can’t catch muskies — right? Look for yourself.

What Do I do with the spurs? Make Jewelry of Course!

What do I do with the spurs? Make Jewelry of Course! by Irene Pawlisch

It has been 6 LONG years since my last Eastern turkey harvest.  Speculation of bad winters and predation have made it appear there are less birds on the property combined with bad luck of weather make a harvest that much more difficult to achieve.  This year, I got my bird!  Twenty-two pounds, 10 inch beard, and 1 inch spurs.  Beautiful matching spurs at that.  I have wanted to make a necklace for years and at last I had my chance.

It is a simple method to clean up the spurs.

1. Cut off the feet at the knee knuckle with your hunting knife when butchering the bird.
2. Get a hacksaw.  Hold the knee end on a firm surface and slowly as close to the spur cut off the foot end.
3. Still holding at the knee end cut off the other side of the spur with the saw.
4. Using a toothpick or wooden skewer poke out the insides of the bones.
5. Remove as much skin and soft tissue as possible with your knife.
6. Boil spur in water with a few drops of dish soap for a few minutes.
7. Spur will discolor temporarily.  Remove as much additional soft tissue as possible.  Reboil until clean.  The longer you wait to clean off the bone the yellower it will be in the end.
8. Let dry then use a fine sandpaper to smooth out the bone edges and clean up bone appearance.
9. Apply a coat of polyurethane or clear nail polish to the spurs for a glossy finish.
10. You can now treat your spurs like beads!

If you are not an experienced beader you can take your spurs to a bead store for assistance.  I have done this a couple times so I decided to dive in and purchased all my supplies for minimal cost at a big box store.  (I went to a store that starts with a W if you like the beads on my necklace.)  After searching the internet bead jewelry for design inspiration I decided on copying a necklace I tend to wear often.  I copied the lengths and everything from this necklace.

Some design tips I have found helpful.  Beads that look the same rectangular shape and color of the bone section of the spur help blend the spurs into the necklace design.  Patterns make the necklace more appealing to the eye.  Layout your pattern in full and experiment with different patterns before you commit.  Natural stones and wood seems the best match for spurs.

You could do the traditional leather strap with wooden beads but I like a little shine and sparkle.  I am still a girl at heart even if I have dirt under my nails 90% of the time.  I am the only hunter in my circle of girlfriends and I love that my spur necklace would stand up to their bling when we have girls night out.

Learning to Call-By Mia Anstine

I love so much learning new things when it comes to hunting.  This spring, one of our clients suggested that I try a specific mouth reed for turkey calling.  He recommended the “Lost Poult” from Cane Creek calls.  I got on-line and found the reed.  I also viewed a video which they have on their site about how to use it, as well as what it should sound like.  I placed my order and awaited the arrival of my new call!

I practiced with my glass call, slate and box call in anticipation of the arrival of “The Reed”.

Finally the day arrived.  I received “Lost Poult” in the mail.  My husband watched as I held it up with a big smile and popped it in my mouth.  He being experienced at calling with a reed, immediately began to laugh.  I smiled and tried to blow….  kchhhhhlllllllccccchchhchhhhh.  Nothing but static!  I sounded like the suction tube at the dentist office.  We laughed, and he warned me not to choke on it.  I tried to catch my breath from laughing, and nearly did swallow the reed.  Hmmm.  I tried again.  “ssschhhheeek”  Oh no!  I was definitely going to need practice at this thing!  A few more squawks, out of me, and then my husband broke out his reed and showed me how it was done.

Now I had competition.  Now I had to figure out that call!

Picture this.  I drive an hour to and from work every day.  That means I have plenty of spare time on my hands.  I try not to text and drive.  I try not to take photos while I drive.  I also try to stay awake while I drive.  I drive and I drive and I drive.  I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to practice my “Lost Poult” call!   I loaded the YouTube video onto my black berry, and played the “Lost Poult” for inspiration.  Then I proceeded to practice.

Well, I must tell you that I also had already been playing around with a reed for a coyote call.  I found that one fairly easy to use.  It wasn’t so technical to make a sound with the way that the turkey call was.  One day while driving, I was admiring the gigantic prairie dogs that were popping up out of the snow.  I gazed across the field and spotted a coyote sleeping in the field off to the right.  I pulled over and decided to try out my skills.  I popped my reed in and yelped a couple of times.  The coyote raised its head.  I then yelped like a pup, and the coyote got to its feet.  It started to come to me.  Knowing that my husband would NEVER belive me, I pulled out my trusty camera which I never leave at home.  I took photos of it and I yelped and called as the traffic drove by until it finally was scared off by a big semi.

When I arrived at my destination, I called my husband and told him my story of calling in a coyote.  I knew it.  He didn’t belive me.  That evening, I showed him my proof, and he smiled.

I see plenty of wild life on my daily trips to and from work.  I see prairie dogs, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, deer, elk, and I also see none other than wild turkeys!  Well, now that I had barked at a coyote, I needed to try my “Lost Poult” on a real live turkey.

One sunshiny spring afternoon, I was cruising along, driving and driving and driving.  I saw out of the corner of my eye two turkeys.  I quickly grabbed my reed, veered, pulled off the road, rolled down the window and grabbed my camera.  I clucked at the hens and they ignored me.  Hmm.  I thought.  I better try a shock.  I bocked a loud call to them and got their attention.  Then I purred.  They purred back and headed toward me.  Toward the highway with the passing vehicles.  Woah.  I decided that I was satisfied with that!  I turned off my camera and put my reed away.  I headed for home with a big grin on my face.

Upon arrival at the house, I pulled out my camera and showed my husband the pics of the hens.  He said “no way”.  I told him that I now know how to use my call.  He asked me to show him.  I grabbed my reed, bocked, purred and cackled as he watched with his eyes wide open!

The best way to learn a call….  Many hours of driving!  

Thank you to Cane Creek for their YouTube video and instruction.  I couldn’t have done it with out you!  Season starts Saturday.  Let’s see how I do!

Mia has a blog at http://outfitterlife.wordpress.com/ . You can find several more of her exciting stories and adventures there.

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