Lady Hunter Magazine Sept Oct 2014

LadyHunter

www.Ladyhuntermagazine.com | Lady Hunter Magazine |September/October 2014| 1

MAGAZINE

Vol 2 Issue 5 Sept/Oct 2014

Build Your Wall.....

I have a ladder

2 | September/October 2014 Lady Hunter Magazine | www.Ladyhuntermagazine.com

Welcome to Lady Hunter Magazine

Your online destination for female-focused hunting. It’s time the women of the hunting world were recognized in their own publication Gander Mountain Women’s Camo Logo Pullover Hoodie

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No part of Lady Hunter may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher.

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Table Of Contents Build Your Wall... I Have a Ladder Candace Hubble ............................................................................................8 Southern Grit Hog Dogs Amanda Bronder...........................................................................................11 Mommy: Provider, Comforter and Hunter Kimberly Synder...........................................................................................14 Tormented Hunter Mary Morgan...............................................................................................17 Along The Hunting Trail Candy Yow..................................................................................................18 Antelope Field Judging Ashley Westphal...........................................................................................20 We Dream Too; Disabled Youth Hunt Anita Williams.............................................................................................22 A Test of Ethics Joni Marie Kiser...........................................................................................24 The Best Time to Get Involved is Right Now Christy Turner.............................................................................................27 Bear Tails Candace Crick..............................................................................................30 Why Do You Hunt?

Kristi Lynn Hair..........................................................................................34 The Adventures of a First Time “Girly”Hunter Danielle Friedman........................................................................................38 Deer Hunting the Wind When To Use Scents Judy Erwin Branham....................................................................................42 WTH (Women That Hunt) - First of Many Kelly Lemay................................................................................................45

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Our Previously Published Huntresses

Joella Bates

Anita Williams

http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/joella-bates.html

http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/anita-williams.html

Kimberly Synder

Candy Yow

http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/kimberly-snyder.html

http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/candy-yow.html

Kristi Lynn Hair

Teresa DePalma

http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/kristi-hair.html

http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/teresa-depalma.html

Christy Turner

Judy Erwin Branham

http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/christy-turner.html

http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/judy-erwin-branham.html

Beka Garris

Amy Hughes

http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/beka-garris.html

http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/amy-hughes.html

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Bio’s can be Found at the links provided

Candace Hubble http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/candace-hubblehtml

Shannon Deskins http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/shannon-deskins.html

Jennifer Shultz http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/jennifer-shultz.html

Candace Crick http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/candace-crick.html

Amanda Jackson http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/amanda-jackson.html

For those of you who like to fish please check out Lady Angler Magazine http://ladyanglermag.com

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Welcome our Newest Team Members

Amanda Bronder

Joni Marie Kiser

My name is Amanda Bronder, my husband Allen Bronder and I are the owners of Southern Grit Hog Dogs. We are located in South Texas. We offer a variety of services including : nuisance hog removal, guided hunts, and hog dog training. I began shooting and hunting, with my Grandpa, around the age of eight. I fell in love with hog dogging, from my first hunt, three years ago. Hog hunting, with our dogs, has definitely become my favorite sport. We are active in our community and believe in giving back. We donate services for local fundraisers and give free, guided hunts to our service men and women. I founded a group, called Boar Bustin’ Babes ,on Facebook. This page is a place for lady hog hunters to share their stories, tips, and pictures from their hunts. My intent, for the group, is to bring women hog hunters together and help support one another, as well as bring attention to the contribution of women in the sport.

Joni Marie Kiser is co-owner of Alaska’s largest archery store, Full Curl Archery. When she is not teaching archery lessons or helping to outfit hunters for their next adventure, she is volunteer instructor for Alaska Department of Fish and Games Women’s Program. She is passionate about teaching others to shoot and getting women and youth involved in hunting. Joni is a National Factory Pro Staff Shooter for Mathews Archery and a Field Staff for Prois. She is an avid bowhunter taking a large variety of big game from all around the world. In 2012 she took a Pope and Young Record Book Brown Bear with her bow, becoming only the 6th woman on record to do so. Her hunt was featured on the cover of Hunt Alaska Magazine. She was interviewed for a recent edition of Arrow Trade Magazine with a feature article on her business.

Additionally, Joni owns Rockstarlette Bowhunting; a women’s archery company. In 2013 she was honored to receive the prestigious Diana Award from Safari Club International Alaska for her work in Conservation and her dedication to promoting ethical hunting.

Website: http://www.fullcurlarchery.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/FullCurl-Archery-LLC/124267497607383 Owner Rockstarlette Bowhunting Website: http://www.rockstarlettebowhunting.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockstarletteBowhunting

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Danielle Friedman Danielle is new to the hunting world but has found an instant love for being out in nature and enjoys the thrill and anticipation of it all.

She hasn’t been hunting a year yet but has gone on numerous waterfowl hunts, a turkey hunt and she has her eyeon her first deer this fall and soon maybe an elk. So far she has only hunted locally outside theWichita, KS area.

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By Candace Hubble

Build Your Wall...

I Have a Ladder!

T

he hunting community has always been attacked by anti-hunters and with social media exposing every corner of someone’s truth it is hard to ignore it. The task of addressing and combatting the anti-hunter community is a tremendous one and while so many of us are struggling to find the most effective way to deal with it, there is another area of concern in our own back yard that everyone can address on a more personal level.

The criticism within our own hunting community, specifically men against women, or men not accepting women, surprisingly still exists. It may not be as prevalent but 2 years ago I came face to face with such a bully who frustrated me to the fullest during a hunt. As I went to my stand I wrote about it‌

Disclaimer: this is a very emotional article; it

is not meant to degrade anyone or hurt any feelings. It is a true account of what women hunters still face in today’s world and a true testament to one of the many reasons why this passion of mine spills into everything I do.

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Apparently the wall is still up, the lines are still drawn, the respect hasn’t been achieved and my heart was bruised. I knew they were still out there tearing down confidence, setting us back, putting us in our place, and raising themselves up; but I hadn’t seen it up close and personal in quite some time. Why is it so hard to see me, a woman, as equal to you, a man AT LEAST in the hunting world? Why can’t I do what you do and be good, great, better at it and you learn from me?

Why must I force conversation because you won’t give me the time of day or speak to me for more than 2 seconds? I genuinely have questions about the land, the rules, the stands, the animals, the activity, and so much more but yet you make me feel inadequate, unworthy, incomparable, and out of place. My hunting stories are interrupted with your ego, your loud voice, and your disrespect; you drown me out as you beat your chest and say ‘mine is better than yours and you won’t ever compare.

What must I do to prove myself to you and change your mind? Why should I even have to though? Why aren’t my hunting pictures and harvest stories worth seeing and hearing about but your trail camera pictures are mightier than the sword? Why is it when you do want to explain anything about the ranch you wait and say ill just tell your husband? Why can’t you tell me? I know I have blonde hair, I know I am a woman but I am not stupid, ignorant, less than you, or submissive.

I will not play your game, I will not pretend to sit by the sidelines and watch and cheer like a good little girl. I won’t be the one making your dinner and waiting for you to come back from your hunt. I don’t complain about the weather, I will build my own blind, I am not afraid of the dark or of the animals, I am a pretty

good shot and I even shoot a bow.

So what is it? Are you threatened by me or do you truly believe women do not have a place in the hunting world? Or is it something else? Did I step on your toes or hurt your ego when I opened my bow case while you proudly showed off your rifle? When you finally stopped to listen to one of my conversations and overheard my true passion, education, and fever I have for hunting, you changed your attitude but only a little.

You actually let me finish a sentence, speak about my passion, and maybe, just maybe, for a brief second I saw a glimmer of respect in your eyes, a hint of genuine interest, and just a touch excitement.

Unfortunately it faded fast because others were intrigued that this 116lb woman can do what all the guys out here can do and you aren’t the talking point for every conversation. So steal whatever moment or interest someone had in what I really had to say, as I knew you would, by taking my seat when I stand up, talking louder, and showing off your bigger, better, and man-approved hunting gadgets.

You will not break my spirit, my passion, my love, or my pride; in fact you will only challenge me to work harder, get better, smile more, and ensure that I never make someone feel the way you made me feel. There are more women hunters out in the world than we all know about and it’s not because they aren’t good, or proud, or growing...it’s because there are still people in this world who try to stifle us, break us down, shove us back in the camp house, and create obstacles for us to make us fall.

Rest assured, we as women hunters, will excel, thrive, and prosper and do it with class without tearing others down or insulting anyone along the way. And the majority of men hunters out there

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are the ones who have helped teach us, inspire us, and guide us and will continue to hunt with us, as equals, learn from us as we have learned from them, and share the experiences and memories with each other, family, friends, sons AND daughters as we build a solid community that supports each other.

So build your wall, because I have a ladder and a rope, a tree climber, some stairs, a bulldozer....

So how do we combat this? It might be a more simplistic approach because in these scenarios we aren’t arguing the concept of hunting but merely a gender or ego issue. This can be addressed simply by continuing to be a woman hunter, accepting all the responsibilities and education that comes along with it, and being proud and confident; slowly but surely those still rejecting us will have no choice but to accept us or move on. Persistent conversation will also open up some eyes and minds hopefully as they will eventually see we aren’t hunting to look good for a Facebook post, but for conservation, sustenance, and the pure joy of the hunt. There is nothing we need to prove but sometimes a friendly competition could be the answer! So stand tall ladies, keep it classy, and press on!

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Southern Grit Hog Dogs

By Amanda Bronder

L

et me take a moment to introduce myself, I am Amanda Bronder; my husband and I own a small family owned hog dog operation in South Texas. We have our own blood line of Blackmouth Curs, Catahoulas, and crosses of the two.

Our line of dogs has proven not only to produce hog dogs, but all around working dogs as well. I plan on giving you a little look inside our personal maintenance and training program we use for our dogs.

I’m sure you’ve all heard about hunting feral hogs with dogs. These dogs are top of the line athletes, who need proper training and maintenance. Let’s begin with how we train our bay/strike dogs. They are the dogs that go out and hunt for the hogs and bay (bark) until we can get there with a catch dog. Some of our dogs are rougher than others, meaning on a smaller hog they will go ahead and catch the hog before the catch dogs get there. When the puppies are around three to four months of age we will put them in a bay pen

with a small hog and see if they show any interest.

We will let them stay in the pen for ten to thirty minutes and let them bay the hog. We will do this a handful of times before we start them on anything in the woods. Once we feel they are ready we will take a hog into a brushy area and let it go. We then let the hog run for about ten minutes the first time and let the puppies hunt it out. Every time we do a mock hunt we let the hog have more and more of a head start. Hunting them in a semi controlled environment like this also helps us to trash break the puppies, this is when we teach them not

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to chase or bark at other wildlife or livestock. By around six months the puppies are ready to go to the woods. We will take them one at a time with older, finished dogs and from time to time take them on strictly puppy hunts. We have found that these methods work the best for getting puppies’ woods ready and making them high quality finished dogs.

Catch dogs on the other hand are a little easier to train. These dogs are the ones you send in to the bay and they will catch the hog and hold

it until we get there to harvest the animal or hobble it to take it out alive. Primarily these dogs are pitbull, American Bulldog, or Dogo. We have personally tried all three breeds, but pitbulls seem to fit our style and operation the best. We normally wait until they are close to a year old to start and with those we start them the same way by putting them in the pen while the other dogs are baying they get interested in what’s going on and they go in and catch. Most of the time when they go to check out what the dogs are barking at the hog will charge them and with a bulldog’s high prey drive they go in for the catch. Some dogs do take more time and coaxing then others. Same thing with these dogs once they are ready we will take them on mock hunts also and let them catch. The part where it gets tricky here is we start sending these dogs to the bay in brush from further away so they are not seeing the other dogs and the hog; they are going strictly on sound. There is one more thing that I feel is important for our dogs and that is our cut gear. Each of our bay dogs wears a cut collar and our catch dogs wear a vest and collar.

These help protect the dogs from hog’s teeth; Swamp Dawg Cut Gear is the only gear we run on our dogs. It is the best quality gear we have found, and it is not heavy and it doesn’t hold water. We hunt a lot of properties with water and it doesn’t weigh the dogs down, and with us hunting in the Texas heat I do not have to worry about heavy gear.

These canine athletes have to have their fair share of exercise and proper nutrition. We do periodically change their diets to suit the time of year, amount of hunting, and age of the dog. All of our puppies get puppy food until they are a year old,

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then they are bumped up to a high protein feed, and raw diet. We feed our dog’s raw pork from the hogs we catch as often as we can; they seem to maintain their weight and have the most energy while eating this. SportDog’s C9 vitamins are also a daily part of our feeding regimen, the younger dogs (five and under) get the performance vitamins and the older dogs (older than five) get the senior vitamins. Along with the feeding program the dogs have to be excised several times a week.

We normally hunt three or more days a week, which helps keep the dogs in tip top shape.

Each dog we train is different, and we have a very versatile pack; some like using the wind and striking hogs off of the truck, while some hit the ground running a track over a mile. A lot of people have different ways of doing things just like with everything else, but we have found a program that works for us and we plan to stick with it. I hope that this article helped educate you on the dogs, as they are the heart of our sport.

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Mommy: Provider, Comforter and Hunter

By Kimberly Snyder

This article is dedicated to my beautiful children who make me proud every day of life and all the mothers out there, the mothers who give of themselves in every way possible. They continue the tradition that they were given by a parent and ensure for generations our children will appreciate and love the wildlife and joys of hunting. We as women can make a difference. It is our job to provide, care and share our love for hunting with our children so that the oldest passion of all hunting continues for our future children.

From the moment my children entered this world my every focus and concern has been about them. As a mother you want to instill good values in your children, encourage them to succeed and provide the tools necessary for your children to reach for their dreams and achieve their full potential. Sometimes a mother forgets about her own needs ensuring her children are happy and secure. We as mothers will usually put off buying new clothes for ourselves, getting pampered at the spa or even getting that pedicure if we know our money or time can go into our children. It is a sacrifice a good mother will make every time not because of any glory but because of the unconditional love we feel for our children and that love that we see looking back at us. From the dawn of time roles were known, years ago a mother

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would stay home with her children, raising them and caring for them while the father would work the farm and provide for the family. As society has evolved and “times have changed” the typical roles of a mother and father have merged into a working unit. We live in a society where divorce is more prevalent, single parents are more common and as women have entered the work force, we now have two working parents in many homes. This shift in roles is also seen when it comes to passing on traditions to our children. Women are now hunters; our voice is being heard in the industry. The United States has seen a 25% increase in women hunters since 2006. Statistics suggest that women now contribute up to $117 million per year to the wildlife and habitat programs through hunting license fees, taxes, ammunition, apparel even bows and arrows, not to mention all the organization that have members volunteering and becoming active, i.e. Ducks Unlimited, RMEF and Delta Waterfowl.

What does this mean to the mother? The mother who hunts? A mother is now a Hunter and while she must continue to comfort and provide she is also learning and passing on the age old tradition of hunting. Sometimes we long to be outdoors, whether target shooting, hiking, fishing or hunting. This passion and love doesn’t have to change when we become mothers. There are many times that I have had to give up a hunt in order to care for a small child who couldn’t brave the cold temperatures that morning, may have had a sports function to attend, or maybe the hunting terrain was going to be too tough for them that day. The sacrifice again is made as a mother, because as far as we come as women we still are going to comfort our children and our role as mother comes first and foremost. But our roles as a hunter is ever growing, the passion and love for wildlife and the outdoors is instilling a value in our children that will resonate for generations to come. The moments I have had with my children outside, target shooting, hiking, hunting and fishing have taught my children patience, humbleness, kindness, appreciation, a list of attributes that embody the ideals of a great person. Hunting comes with its rewards and days when you don’t see anything. Many of my greatest moments hunting there was nothing brought home other than some memories that will last me a lifetime. To bring this all full circle think back on your history lessons, when women taught children many skills and traditions, whether it was the

American Indian mothers teaching their children to prepare the meat that was brought back by the men, or make clothing necessary for warmth. We as women have just branched off in the passion and tradition aspect since now we too are hunting the game and preparing the meat and teaching the age old tradition of hunting to our children.

Even if in the past men taught certain skills to boys and women taught others to girls we can now teach our children boys and girls alike the joys of hunting. A mother will always show compassion and love, that will never change and what greater way to do that than to get outdoors and show our children the adventures that await them.

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adventures. When I return home with game, it is super fun to bring the kids out to the truck so they can see and touch it. On those 4AM days, I still muster the energy to spend quality time with my kids and take them to do things in the afternoon.

I never want them to feel sidelined by my hunting as many people tend to do. People have joked about wives being “Hunting Widows” I want to ensure we don’t have “Hunting Orphans”

I asked some very talented lady hunters how they manage as mothers and as a hunter, this is what they said: Anna Glass, Georgia: “As a mom, it’s hard to find anytime for anything, especially to go and do something for myself-like hunting. BUT it’s such an important thing to me especially to show my daughter (& future daughter) the importance of women hunters! It’s up to me to show them the ropes and how to live this lifestyle the right way!

Sure their dad can do it, but I think it will make a world of a difference seeing their mama involved in the outdoors and will hopefully pass it along for generations to come!”

Kara Jo Lorenz, Oklahoma: “My husband and I both work full time jobs so we hunt mostly on just the weekends. I’ve spent more on babysitting than you would believe. Just to be able to hunt with my husband, we have to hire a sitter that would sometimes just spend the night since we’d leave around 4AM. But when we return from hunting, we still have all the normal weekend chores to complete such as laundry, dishes, cleaning, etc. Many times we cannot hunt together so we take turns on who goes.

Because I spend a lot of time in the field, it is important to make sure my kids know how much I love them and I include them on all the stories and

I’ve taken my son hunting several times. We’ve gone out for duck, turkey and deer. He even harvested his first turkey this year with me by his side.

As a mom, it is hard not to push too hard. I know that morning we were turkey hunting, he was tired and cold so all he wanted to do was go home. I was perplexed over what to do. I didn’t want him to be miserable, but I also wanted him to know that it is important to be patient and push ourselves.

I could tell he was just over tired so I wrapped him up and let him sleep for a little while. Then we took a break for lunch and discussed going back out again. He resisted at first but agreed to try. By the grace of God, the opportunity to take a shot presented itself and he took it. The sheer joy on his face and pride was more than I could take. I get emotional just thinking about how happy he was at that moment. We talked later that afternoon about not giving up and he was so glad he didn’t.

He had been unsuccessful other times hunting so I think without knowing what the payoff was, he didn’t see the reason for staying. We use this as a learning tool and I’ve even heard him offering the wisdom of being patient to others.

The desire to empower my kids is so strong. I want both my kids to know we can do anything we put our mind to.”

Duck, Duck, Goose

By Kimberly Snyder

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Tormented Hunter

By Mary Morgan

The aroma of fine, roasted hare, Plentiful in the air.

He has floured and seasoned, Each leg, each thigh, each breast, And browned them on each end, Slowly they cook to a tasty zest!

In his kitchen, he calmly states, “This past season, I killed every rabbit on this place.

The creatures wreak havoc on my garden and my trees, And now my taste buds, I will please.

Satisfied my stomach and my pride, Those hares will surely hide.”

Another time has gone, The work on the garden has begun, Hoe, hoe, hoe!

Tirelessly he wipes his brow, As he tends the plants he sow, Suddenly he proclaims as he sees, “A bunny! You are bold to look at me!

I will hunt thee, when the time has come.

Next season you will be gone!”

Taunting they come, One by one!

Two by two!

Ten by ten!

‘Til today he is at his end, When in his sacred, working shop, Hopping in as nonchalant, A hare comes in.

He shouts with great discontent!

And declares to heaven sent!

“I’m not going to feel bad shooting him!

I’m not going to feel bad peeling the flesh off his bones!”

The time came and went.

In the kitchen, his love walks in cautiously, She senses his serenity, And smells the aroma of fine, roasted hare, Plentiful in the air.

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Along the Hunting Trail

By Candy Yow

I have spent all year long preparing myself for this, all the days of hiking, strength training, running and working out. Trying to build endurance and strength to keep up with the guys out on the trail.

No matter how hard I try nothing can prepare you for putting on the pack and just doing it. I know I will be exhausted and hurting in no time but the satisfaction of the hunt is why I have to do it.

Something deep inside me drives me to this; it’s a desire that I can’t explain, overwhelmingly strong.

Something that makes me push harder, try harder and go further with each and every hunt.

We are up at 4 am, get breakfast made and hit the trail, we have several miles to hike in before daylight and we can start hunting. This is the hard part, not enough coffee and trying to hike in the dark down a game trail in the backcountry. Stumbling over rocks in the trail and getting slapped by branches and limbs at the same time. Just as

I am starting to doubt myself if this is all worth it the sun begins to rise and I remember why I am here. God’s beauty fills the sky in an amazing sun rise, words could never describe how beautiful it is, with renewed energy we take off down the trail.

I notice the guys checking out tracks ahead and talking real low, so I check them out myself to see why they are not telling me what they see, it’s a mama grizzly and two cubs prints, fresh and we just passed them. That would be why they kept it quiet, not to sure I want to bump into a mama griz and her babies in the dark!! No time to argue we have a ways to go yet, but even still we start spotting at the first open hillsides we see, searching for the blond spot that would be the illusive elk. I spot one but after glassing it we decide to keep on trucking and let him grow a few more years. After cresting the next hill we stop to glass again and see a few more elk in the distance. We glass for a while and decide even though there is

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he has a bull but I am not in position to see what kind so I watch Randy’s face, he seems content with what he sees and is figuring out what to do now.

Since its Archery Season we have to be very close.

Randy starts to cow call first and gets the bulls attention, then he gets me beside him with the camera and starts to Bugle, its do or die now. But it works, the bull is curious as to what Bull would be crazy enough to challenge him and starts our direction. I get the camera on and pray I can get this shot on film, Randy positions himself for a shot and continues to bugle. The bull is within 100 yards, 75, now 50. He is literally screaming in my camera, Thank God for a tri-pod because I am shaking like a leaf. As if a shot of adrenaline takes over the huge bull closes the distance to 30 yards and Randy lets the arrow fly. Score!! Not just for Randy but I got it on film too, Thank God. We are both shaking and giving thanks; hugs and high fives are exchanged while we wait for the bull to go down. No worries there, the bull ran 75 yards and was down. What an incredible adventure, I actually love to film the hunt as much as to be the hunter. Now the work begins but we are so Thankful for another successful hunt. Each and every harvest is always greeted with a prayer of Thanksgiving for meat for the freezer, memories and great times in Gods beautiful outdoors.

a nice bull it is several miles of steep country and we haven’t even got to our favorite spot yet. So we head off around the hill hoping we made the right decision. It wasn’t long till we spot some elk feeding in an open meadow along the tree line, we creep up close enough to get them on film. It is so amazing to me to be able to capture them in their natural environment without being detected.

Two calves jump and buck within 50 yards of us, one cow glanced our way suspicious but stayed, I filmed as long as I could before the guys wanted to move on and spot a big bull. As we trudged on over another hill ground birds flew up under us as if asking “What on earth are you doing here?” Giggling silently I follow the guys while enjoying evCandy Yow ery aspect of nature along the way. It wasn’t long before I see Randy wave his hand to motion me down, instantly my heart starts pounding, I know

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Antelope Field Judging

By Ashley Westphal

E

ach year, one of my favorite hunts continues to be traveling to eastern Montana to hunt pronghorn antelope. Antelope can be one of the most challenging game animals to field judge. After many years, I have discovered a few methods that make field judging a bit easier.

It helps to know what you are looking for in a trophy antelope. Minimum score to make boone and crokett for an antelope is 82�. Characteristics of a book buck include long horns, usually 15-16inches, heavy mass, for an antelope 6-7 inches at the base of the horn, and long prongs, 5-6 inches from the back of the horn.

Knowing approximate measurements of the ear and the eye help to quickly gauge these key characteristics. Antelope ears are about 5-6 inches in length. Base of the ears will measure approximately 4 inches. The eyes are about 2 inches. These measurements will vary by the area you are hunting, so use them as a general rule.

Length When I am trying to determine length, I want the horns to be three times the length of the ear. A large curve and large hooks results in even longer length measurements, so keep this in mind. Horns that do not have much curve often fall short of the 15-16 inch mark.

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Mass There are four mass measurements taken on an antelope, so heavy horns are important to the overall score. The base of the horn should be at least the width of the ear, or double the eye. This will give you a circumference of 6-7 inches.

Prongs I find this to be the most difficult aspect to judge in the field. If you judge mass incorrectly, you may overestimate the prongs. Prongs should be twice the width of the horn as viewed in side profile. Prongs located higher on the horn are beneficial because then the third mass measurement will be taken below the prong, yielding a higher score.

A good set of binoculars and a spotting scope allow a good look at the animal from a distance. These are my greatest tools in accurately field judging antelope. Antelope have excellent eye sight and being able to spot them from a distance is a definite advantage. Distance allows the time needed to make a good assessment.

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We Dream Too; Disabled Youth Hunt

By Anita Williams

The dream began two summers ago. A group of hunters, led by Tike Sutherland, gather weekly and form a committee that will give away trophy white-tail deer hunts to youth with physical disabilities. We gather sponsors and host a fundraising banquet in Cohasset, Minnesota which raises enough money to award two hunts.

Ashley Weston, of Cohasset, was the first chosen to hunt deer at Sutherland’s ten acre highfence wildlife farm. The committee members met with Weston and her family at Pizza Hut in Grand Rapids the night before her hunt. Ashley had this to say about her opportunity “I don’t know if I will be able to sleep tonight because tomorrow I get to shoot a big buck.” Ashley has never hunted before and is excited to be chosen to participate in the

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hunt. We say a prayer of blessing for her hunt and tell her what to expect.

Ashley arrives at the Sutherland farm before sunrise and marvels at the platform Tike has arranged for her wheelchair. She settles just in time for the bucks to start moving. Weston notices the buck that she wants, sets her sight on the deer, and pulls the trigger. The shot connects and her trophy buck goes down. “It all came together” Sutherland said. “It was a big success and to see the smile on Ashley’s face was worth it all.” Ashley realizes her dream of hunting a trophy whitetail deer, and shoots a deer bigger than her grandpa’s largest buck.

Two weeks later, Dylan Klampe of Grand Rapids is chosen to be the second hunter to participate in a We Dream Too… hunt. Klampe has never hunted before and is not sure what to expect on his first-ever hunt. The committee met Dylan and his family the night before the hunt at Sammy’s Pizza for dinner. Dylan can’t get the smile off his face, as he radiates excitement. His mother and I visit over pizza and she says she never dreamed her son would be able to hunt trophy whitetail deer. We say a prayer and iron out the plan for tomorrow’s hunt.

Dylan climbs in the stand and can hardly believe his big day is here. There is a chill in the air, but Klampe is comfortable. Tike reassures Dylan the deer will move and he needs to be prepared to take a shot. Things can happen quickly. The leaves rustle as the bucks start moving. Dylan raises his gun, locks in on the deer he wants, and releases the safety. Next, he places his finger on the trigger and pulls it back. Boom! Dylan starts to shake and Tike beams. “I have a big heart for youth with disabilities, and am thankful to have the opportunity to do these hunts.” Sutherland told me later as he relived the hunt. Congratulations, Ashley and Dylan, on your trophy bucks!

Watch Ashley’s hunt on this youtube link.

http://youtu.be/26OfU-vo9J4 Watch Dylan’s hunt on this youtube link. http://youtu.be/iJW6fRmK4MM

Anita lives in Grand Rapids, MN and is the mother of two adult children. She has been a hairstylist for thirty years. Her empty nest allows time to pursue interests of bow hunting, fishing, travel, and photography. She served on the founding board of We Dream Too and is currently on the board of Let’s Go Fishing with seniors. Follow her on Facebook and YouTube.

24 | September/October 2014 Lady Hunter Magazine | www.Ladyhuntermagazine.com

A

Test of Ethics

By Joni Marie Kiser

4

days into my 7 day South African dream hunt I still had not taken any animals. Needless to say, now past the halfway mark of the trip I was getting pretty stressed. I had hoped to take multiple animals on the hunt, as you often see folks coming back from African hunts with many animals, and now I was fearing that I would leave Africa with nothing! We had been sitting in a blind at a watering hole since 630 in the morning, almost 12 hours later as dark was rapidly approaching, my anxiety was building. We hadn’t seen one animal all day and as the long hours ticked by in the blind

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my stomach had turned into a tighter and tighter knot. Of course there is no guarantees in hunting, but I couldn’t help my disappointment. My guide Flippie, was stressed too, though he was trying not to show it. A lion had come into the area we were hunting 2 nights earlier, we had seen the huge tracks and heard him calling at dusk in the distance. They had not had a lion in this region for about 30 years and this had all the animals on edge. Things weren’t moving around as much as normal, they were more skitish to come out into the open and this was definitely working against us.

Minutes before dark, in the “witching hour” we heard hooves just outside of our view. My friend Kate was in the blind with me too. Her eyes got big and she looked at me and raised her eyebrows and nodded as if to say “here we go!” I slowly and quietly stood up and got my bow. Finally the animal came into view out on the right side, just coming out of the tree line and it was a HUGE Waterbuck. I call him the King of all the Waterbucks, because that is what he looked like to me! He was gorgeous. My heart started pounding hard in my chest. He was about 35 yards out and with my Mathews Chill SDX set at a 52# draw and my heavy 450 grain Easton arrow set up; I didn’t want to Joni and her friend Kate heading out to hunt at sunrise in shoot over 25 yards to ensure a full pass through and South Africa. Joni hunts in Prois hunting gear on all of her hunts from Alaska to Africa an ethical shot. So I had to be patient.The sun had set (Photo taken by Hunting Guide Flippie Frost) behind the horizon and the day light was almost gone.

In my mind I was begging and pleading with him to walk in closer before it was dark. He had gotten big for a reason. He was smart and he wasn’t coming into that clearing until the light faded. I was standing up, holding my bow, arrow knocked, release hooked in, tense, just waiting. Finally he slowly made his was towards the water. He stopped broadside at 20 yards, it couldn’t have been more perfect, except that by now, the light had faded so much that all I could see was the dark outline of his body. It was that last moment of light when your eyes play tricks on you and I could not make out the definition of his body, his shoulder, the crease, nothing. I felt sick. I wanted to take an animal in Africa! And I wanted to take HIM in particular so badly! I raised my bow and drew, anchored and looked through the peep to the sight. This was even worse. I couldn’t see where his shoulder was at all. I held for what seemed like an eternity. The internal dialogue in my brain was intense. “Maybe” I could take a good shot. “Maybe” I could see well enough to put it in the right location....but “maybe” not. Its that moment of hunting ethics that a bowhunter faces. The last thing I want to do is take a “maybe” shot and wound an animal. A beautiful buck like this certainly deserves the respect of a clean, ethical, well placed shot. I held and held and held....with my thoughts racing. The

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guide whispered “please tell me you can see well enough.” I let down. “I cant” I said in total defeat. I looked over at Kate and she looked like she might cry for me. She knew how bad I wanted it. As we left the blind and walked back in the dark the guide said, “you made the right choice. I couldn’t see either, I was just praying that YOU could!”

I went back to the lodge that night and I barely slept. I played it over and over in my head. I was now going on day 5 of a 7 day hunt with nothing on the ground. “Was I too conservative? Should I have shot? Maybe it would have been alright?”

In the end, I do feel good about my decision. My father is a well respected Alaskan Bush Pilot. For many years while I was growing up, he had a saying posted on the dash of his airplane that he lived by. “If in Doubt, DONT” That saying was ringing in my head that night. I believe I made the right ethical choice. Its a tough call that every bowhunter has to make at least once. A test of your hunting ethics between something you really really want, and what is the “right” thing to do in a hunting situation if the shot is less than ideal. The following 2 days the hunting gods smiled on me and I shot a beautiful Impala with my bow and 2 great Wart Hogs; so I didn’t leave Africa empty handed after all. I still think about the Waterbuck that “got away” but feel proud of my decision and my fulfillment of my obligation as a bowhunter to only take ethical clean kills with my bow.

Joni harvested this Impala with her Mathews Chill SDX, Full Metal Jacket Arrow and Slick Trick Broadhead (Photo taken by Hunting Guide Flippie Frost)

Joni with one of the 2 African Wart Hogs she took in South Africa with her Mathews Chill SDX, Full Metal Jacket Arrow and QAD Exodus Broadhead (Photo taken by Hunting Guide Flippie Frost)

Joni hunting in a blind in South Africa with Guide Flippie Frost (Photo taken by Kate Jarvis)

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The Best Time to Get Involved Is Right Now!

By Christy Turner

Being a volunteer in the outdoor and hunting industry is very important weather it is for educational or fund raising events. We need to help preserve our future of hunting and fishing and keep passing on this important tradition for generations to come. You can volunteer for local organizations or National organizations either way you will make an impact and you will be connecting with some amazing people.

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Some of my favorite National banquets I like to attend and get involved with here in East Texas are the Duck Unlimited banquets and the National Wild Turkey Federation. I am Turkey crazy and if I want to Turkey hunt I need to travel several hours because they have disappeared in our area. But with the efforts of the National Wildlife Turkey Federation and the help of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department this past February there were over 80 Wild Rio Grande Turkey released in our area. They called it a “Super- Stocking” and we hope in the coming years that we will see the population continually grow. I have seen several of these birds since they were release and it is so exciting to watch them thrive. The NWTF say’s the habitat is so important to keep the Turkey populations strong. Their motto is Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. In Texas over $6,110,595 has been raised and spent by local chapters. The Texas chapters in the NWTF say $631,040 was spent on habitat improvements projects. $452,795 was spent on educational programs and literature. $114,368 was spent to trap and transfer turkeys within the state. $33,996 was spent to support hunter safety classes and initiatives and $90,337 spent on wild turkey research. So our support goes a long way!

I am the Chairman for our Henderson County Wildlife Committee. We are part of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service just like the 4-H department. There is also the Henderson County Beef Cattle Committee, the Henderson County Horse Committee and Henderson County Master Gardener’s Committee. Our Committee has 12 members who serve a three year term. We conduct quarterly meetings during the months of March, June, September and December. We have a Committee Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary that are elected to a one year term. The purpose of this Committee is to offer land managers, and sportsmen the opportunity to study their situation in an orderly manner, identify important problems, and create programs designed to bring solutions. We provide education in wildlife and natural resources for both the adult and youth of Henderson County. Besides our quarterly meetings, our plan of work for the year include: Our Spring Rendezvous in May. This is one of our favorites which consist of two days out at the Henderson County Fairgrounds. We invite all of the 5th graders in the Henderson County area.

It starts at 9am with all the students splitting up into 5 stations and rotating. First station We have is the NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service), they have a natural resource center with a hands on feel with plants, water and dirt. Station 2 is our Fishing Skills. Station 3 is Archery.

Station 4 is our Texas Parks and Wildlife Exhibit.

Station 5 is our Shooting Gallery and Station 6 is our Texas Game Wardens. Also in May we host a Lake and Pond Field Day and help host the Annual Farm and Ranch Tour, along with support and assist Hunter Safety Classes and the Henderson County 4-H Shooting Sports.

Our final and largest event of the year is our Fall Hunters Rendezvous we host free of charge and encourage the whole family to attend. We have a topic and theme that is different each year. Last year in 2013 our speakers informed the public about the release and the re-stocking of the Wild Rio Grande Turkey in Henderson and Anderson County. We learned all the Laws and

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rules protecting these birds and how even during Turkey hunting season, we are not allowed to hunt them here at this time. The NWTF (National Wildlife Turkey Federation) explained about their, Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt. This year the speakers we will bring in will be discussing Alligators. With more and more Alligators in the East Texas area including Henderson County, we will hear from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Game Wardens on what to do if you have an Alligator is living on your property. Learn from the mock hunt that we will have set up, on how to hunt an Alligator or if you hit one on the road with your car, what should you do? We also have several informative Venders set up and some will even have merchandise for sale. Throughout the evening we will be giving A LOT of amazing door prizes away! At the end of the evening we will draw the winners of the gun raffle.

My favorite part about volunteering has been with the Fifth Graders during our Spring Rendezvous. Helping a child pull back a bow and hit a 3D target for the first time is a feeling you can’t buy. You can almost see their confidence level raise a couple feet as they are smiling and giving you a high five! Some of these children will never get the opportunity to experience some of these outdoor activities besides this Fifth Grade field trip and I like to make it a very positive experience in their life. Get involved today, there are so many organizations and all are always in need of volunteers. Contact your County Extension Agent to get pointed in the right direction. Not only will you be helping your community, you will get so much out of it and make some amazing friends. Please visit our Henderson County Wildlife Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ HendersonCountyWildlifeCommittee .

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Bear Tails

By Candace Crick

Candace Crick 300 lb. Archery Cinnamon Black Bear

I

officially had one of those days, you know the one where you are cursing yourself sideways because of what you got yourself into. One your momma probably warned you about!! It was June 2012 and we were off to Idaho by plane. We scampered off the plane with a slight bit of jet lag. Packed all our gear into the outfitters truck & drove a 2 ½ track up the mountain to the snow drifts. It was there we switched to four-wheelers & “Bombi”, the snow-track, for an additional 2 hour adventure to Weitas Creek Station. A place we would call home for a little over a week. Weitas Creek had no electricity, but the luxuries of a cabin and a bed, and most importantly a hot shower! I’ve been on several remote hunting trips and a hot shower & real bed was an added plus on this adventure!

I bugged Tim, my husband, for a solid year to take me on a bear hunt. There were several things that sparked my interest in bear hunting. It was incredibly hard to contain my excitement. The adrenaline rush factor would be my first and for most reason to go bear hunting. Dangerous game was something I hadn’t quite yet dabbled in as a hunter. It would be a huge accomplishment to harvest a bear with my bow. I have lots of girlfriends that have hunted but not one had a bear. Secondly, there’s the decorating factor, I particularly had my eye on a color phase black bear to add as décor to my living room attire. I have almost every animal hanging on my walls, but a bear was not one of them. Most women would be repulsed by that comment, but not me in the slightest! Last but not least, my love of cooking sparked my interest with bear. I have heard so many stories about cooking bear meat or any wild game at that.

I always hear how it’s not very good & basically you just don’t eat it. I take pride in my harvests & love to create feasts for my family from the woods to my kitchen table. As I didn’t grow up a hunter and hunting is new to me, I have made the promise to myself that I will not kill anything that I will not eat

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myself. And I will not steer from that no matter how gamey the taste. I actually find it a challenge & strive to educate others on how to make it a delicious meal for all. Bear is not something I’m ultimately familiar with but if you know how to cook; you know how to cook. It’s the preparation behind the meal & I take pride in the things I put on the table. I knew it would be a challenge at first to cook but with time and dedication I’m sure it’ll turn out all sorts of wonderful! Besides, I’m always up for a challenge!

I couldn’t be a happier lady the moment we stepped foot in camp. We settled in the first night & got all our gear ready for the next day’s hunt. Bear hunting is typically done in the afternoon so that next morning we screwed in our broadheads and made sure everything was still sited in. It was a nice change of pace to be able to practice with some time before the hunt. We are going to be using the natural surroundings & brushing ourselves in on the ground. I’m a firm believer in practicing like you hunt. So, I used my swivel chair & flung arrows from the sitting position. I even had some time to become more educated about the black bear species from the outfitter. Bear would be a tad different of an aiming point than whitetail for myself. It also would be an added challenge, as archers need to be precise to keep from wounding animals.

Bears vitals are a little further back than the normal whitetail vital I was so used to. I was taught not to go for that heart shot I typically always aim for. With a black bear I may just pluck hair or have a very angry bear alone with me in the woods! Not exactly what I’m looking forward to.

So best advice geared me to split the shoulders & the rear; find the middle and go down half way. So your shot would be perfectly middle & middle. A double lung shot a on a black bear all day long. Bear tend to run further & have a high survival rate if you only clip one lung. So practice was a must & that’s exactly what I did.

The next afternoon, we quickly put our game faces on, (also known as camo face paint). We then scented down with our scent suppression.

As most animals have great scents of smell, it is a vital process before heading into the woods.

Next thing you know, we headed up the trails into the bear woods. Quietly we crept in & set up in the natural surroundings. You don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb but you definitely don’t want to change too much. The woods is their living room, if you change where you set your couch in your living room you’d notice, and Gary, Owner of Weitas Creek Outfitters with if you change where a log or some sort is or hunters Tim & Candace Crick build a fort they are going to notice. So change as little as you can, check your windage, and sit still and be quiet. I set up where I thought I could take approximately a 20 yard shot. Tim huddled next to a tree using my Hide-A-Bow for the camera stand cover. I was sitting to the right of him, in the open, but well camoed in with all the greenery.

Only 30 minutes after getting settled in and a large boar comes down the trail! When I first seen the black bear he was only about 25 yards away. It was incredible to realize I couldn’t hear an animal of this size coming in! Their paws are so soft they literally can creep up on you without a moment of notice. I

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tapped Tim on the knee who was half way to ‘sandman land’ already. He quickly looked up & pressed record on the camera. The bear didn’t stop either; he just kept coming straight at us! This massive animal literally stops within arm’s reach at 5 yards in front of me! Talk about jitters!!! Bear hunting has just gotten incredibly real! This is the part where I was cursing myself sideways, and contemplating in my head how to hand Tim my bow without the bear noticing. A sissy thought, I’m sure but it’s was the truth at that very moment. The bear lifted his nose and sniffed for what seemed like an eternity and then moseyed back up the trail. Thank you Lord! Wait a minute, nope the bear decided to head back down the other side of the trail to almost 5 yards again! Seriously, what had I gotten myself into? At this point I had made the assumption we were probably going to end up bear soup; especially since we weren’t packing any “heat” besides my carbon arrows. The bear does exactly the same thing sniffs & looks around for a gracious amount of time. I’m shaking so much I’m just praying he doesn’t notice us.

Candace Crick archery bear hunt

My inside voices were trying to steady my breathing. Finally, he turns and heads away. It was just like the Outfitter said, he’d mosey around for a while to see if everything’s ok. Then he’d eat, give him about 20 minutes let him get comfortable, and remember not to take a shot unless it’s a double lung. Down he’d duck his head, and come out chomping away, over and over in the same repetitive motion. It was as if he was on pins & needles and knew we were there. Eventually he lightened up & began drooling from the caramel. His motions got slower and slower and more repetitive. I knew I had to calm my breathing down & get my stuff together. It was now or never! I picked up my bow, and went to draw

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back and my arrow fell right of the string, out of the rest, and bounced several times on the ground!

Really, after all this time, I drop the arrow, seriously? What is wrong with me?

I waited a couple minutes, re-nocked, and waited for his motions to repeat over and over again. I slowly drew back my Mathews Reezen, and anchored solid, took a deep breath in and held her real steady.

Down his head went, and back up; it wasn’t the perfect shot yet. Then, finally he relaxed his shoulders and widened my shot, I release. Camera still rolling, I began bawling hysterically. I had just had what was my first pass through besides a whitetail doe. Best of all, I knew that’s what had happened! My arrow flew through the small tough of hair I was aiming for. I replayed the entire shot in my head, slow-mo style & it was perfect!! I couldn’t be more ecstatic with my equipment at this moment. I had 4 years or so of struggling to get try to achieve that ultimate solid shot and here it was. My arrows and broadheads were a deadly combination! I probably owe a lot of it to my dedication to practice practice practice mostly. All I did for at least ten solid minutes was manage to cry. They weren’t tears of sorrow but a compilation of so many things. I was crying from the fear I had at first, the adrenaline I was feeling now, and the excitement of calling the guide to tell him lets go trail my bear! I did it!

Next step was to trail my bear down a mountain, with about a 12-12 pitch. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do either with a adrenaline rush the size of Mount Everest. My knees never stopped shaking for more than ten seconds at a time. There were several times I felt like I was giving up and scooted a couples steps down on my hind end. I was shaking so terribly I was afraid I was going to end up heads first at the bottom of the mountain. My husband & the guide were having quite the trouble themselves. Tim actually slid about 20 yards or more on accident. Just a few minors scrapes and bruises but we all made it in one piece. There he was, I staring a cinnamon color phase bear at fingers length. I could touch and feel and take pictures and live the glory of my hunt & know that I had successfully harvested my first bear!!! The reward of actually double lunging the animal and making that solid shot was more gratifying than I can ever explain.

We packed out my bear, camera, and bow & started for our workout up the mountain. I ended up putting my french manicured nails to the test as at times as I cat crawled up the side of the mountain. I could not be more pleased with this hunt. It could Tim & Candace Crick on the way in to not have been more memorable than it was not even camp with “Bombi” the snow-track for a moment. The first day in the field, and hunter to harvest was me! Seems as if you get your stuff down right; arrows, broadheads, scent suppression that works, and practice those shots. It’ll all come through it the end. We were also so very blessed because to top it all off we had captured the entire adventure on film. Well maybe it doesn’t happen every time like that, but that’s why we call it hunting, not shooting. Reality this time though was it did for me, finally it did for me, and I’ll never forget it!

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Why Do You Hunt?

By Kristi Hair

I often get asked: “Why do you hunt?” The answer should be simple, to provide nourishing food for my family & yes that is part of it. However, the reasons I hunt are much more complex than that. I was born to hunt. It was not a choice. It is my way of life. It is as if it is instinctual. A primal urge. As the bible says, “Now then, go and get your weapons, your quiver and your bow & hunt some wild game for me.”

(Genesis 27:3) I hunt to provide for my family. I hunt to be self sufficient. I hunt for the pure tranquility, peacefulness, serenity & enjoyment that only the woods can offer. You learn a lot about yourself when it is just you, God & the great outdoors. Whether you come home empty handed or with dinner, you always come home feeling completely satisfied.

I have a true passion for the outdoors. A passion that is hard to contain. Yes, I love a successful harvest, but it is not always about the kill. It’s what you learn about yourself, your willingness to endure any circumstances in order to live a traditional way of life. I hunt with a variety of weaponry, but there is just something magical about hunting with a bow. Bow hunting is my passion, an addiction & so much a part of me, it is who I am. A way of life that has been passed down throughout many generations. While sitting 30 ft up in a tree waiting on the buck of a lifetime, I am virtually undetected and have the opportunity to witness nature in its purest form. I often have blue birds and cardinals land in my tree. Occasionally there will be a hoot owl landing 25 yards in front of me. Watching the squirrels scurry about, collecting nuts, then burying them is quite entertaining as is the look they give you when they climb into your tree (literally) & finally realize you’ve been sitting there the entire time. Watching the sunrise & sunset from 30 feet up in a tree. Hearing the woods come alive in the morning, then having the stillness of the night encompass

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you. Learning the behavior of your prey makes you a better hunter. I often witness the dominant doe run off the less dominant ones or see the younger buck knock racks with the older ones, always a challenge to be the best, especially during peak rut. You truly do become a part of their world. There are no words to describe how lovely it is to be so close to nature.

I began archery hunting 6 years ago, although I grew up in a hunting family & went along on many hunts. I picked up the sport later on in life, however, the seeds were planted early. I was introduced to archery hunting by my husband, Clay Hair. I started tagging along with him on his hunts and decided I wanted to become a hunter, but in a more traditional sense, I wanted to take my game with a stick and string. I wanted to use a bow. Determined.

Focused. Driven. I worked hard. I was tough & tenacious. It became an obsession. Practicing, Training, Learning.... In about 6 months I was ready....

My first harvest was a deer. I focused on whitetail hunting & becoming the most lethal, ethical predator I could possibly be. I practiced. I studied animal behavior. I asked my husband a million questions about why he hung stands where he did. I learned the importance of scent control. I began to manage my own land alongside of my husband who is my mentor. I wanted a whitetail mecca. Honestly, I never anticipated hunting anything else. Whitetails are my true passion. I’ve taken numerous deer and donate many to Hunter’s For The Hungry every year.

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The thrill of the chase. The adrenaline rush of taking an animal with a stick and string, thereby putting dinner on the table, has led me to expand my range of the wild game I hunt. I’ve hunted for: Antelopes, Dall Sheep, Hogs, Turkeys, Squirrels, Mule Deer, Axis Deer, Whitetail Deer, Raccoons, Elk, Gators, Bear & Rattlesnake. I am expanding my list of wild game even further this year. I try to expand my horizons, chase different game, study various animal behavior & continually challenge myself to become a better hunter. I listen to those who are more experienced than I, wanting to absorb every bit of their knowledge. I like to help mentor and teach up & coming hunters. Hunting isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am. I look forward to exploring new terrains & chasing various game all over the country, making myself an even more ethical, deadly predator. With that being said, whitetail hunting is truly what I enjoy the most!

How my passion has turned into my way of life.... I am a mother of three, all of my children hunt. They understand the importance of being self sufficient, being able to provide, respecting the great outdoors & truly enjoying all aspects in regards to the thrill of the hunt. Hunting is a family affair for us. We have a t.v. show called “Cross Hairs with Kris & Clay Hair” airing on The Hunt Channel (266 DISH Network). It comes on Thursday nights at 7 PM (EST). Our goal is to teach our children to be independent, become good providers & promote conservation the old fashion way. I strive to promote the ideals only hunting can provide. Protecting, Providing, and Self Sufficiency. The best indicator of success is measured when I watch my children harvest an animal, thanking God for the opportunity & smiling the biggest smile you’ve ever seen when I serve it for dinner. You see, we relish in each other’s successes & are trying to preserve what little tradition & heritage this country has left. “Now then, go and get your weapons, your quiver and your bow & hunt some wild game for me.” (Genesis 27:3)

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Mike Alday mike@aldaycommunications.com 615-791-1535

BOWTECH ARCHERY INTRODUCES CARBON ROSE, THE LIGHTEST WOMEN’S BOW ON THE MARKET EUGENE, Ore. – Just months after the successful launch of the Carbon Knight, BOWTECH Archery, the industry leader in archery innovation, introduces the Carbon Rose, the lightest women’s bow on the market at just 3.2 lbs.

Starting with the lightweight and tremendously durable carbon compound Knight Riser™, the Carbon Rose adds many of BOWTECH’s Industry Changing Technologies to produce a high-performance, easily maneuverable and decidedly deadly women’s bow with IBO speeds above 300 fps.

“Female hunters have asked for a lightweight bow with a smooth draw, and BOWTECH has delivered with the Carbon Rose,” said Samual Coalson, Director of Marketing for BOWTECH. “But make no mistake, this bow may be lightweight and deceptively beautiful, but the Carbon Rose is pure performance.”

In addition to the Knight Riser™, the carbon compound Knight Riser™, the Carbon Rose also features BOWTECH’s sought-after Binary Cam System™ for maximum accuracy and consistency and rotating modules for easy draw length adjustment.

SPECIFICATIONS Brace Height: Axle to Axle: Draw Length Range: Draw Weight:

6.75 Inches 30 Inches 22.5-27 Inches 40, 50, 60 lbs.

IBO/ATA Speed: Kinetic Energy: Effective Let-Off: Mass Weight:

302 fps 62.19 ft-lbs.

80% 3.2 lbs.

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--30--

• 30” ATA • 6.75-inch Brace Height • Knight Riser • Binary Cam System • IBO/ATA Speed: 302 fps • Weight: 3.2 lbs.

• Available R.A.K. Equipped or bare bow • MSRP: $699/$599

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The Adventures of a First Time “Girly” Hunter

By Danielle Friedman

U

nlike many of the other females in this magazine, I haven’t been hunting my whole life. I just started hunting within the last year, but in that short time I am already addicted. My first experience was a duck hunt and was pretty uneventful compared to what I would see later on in the season. The 2 year old son of one of the hunters had been bugging his dad to take him out and it was unseasonably warm, so they decide to take both of us “newbies” together just to get an idea of what it all about. We set up a few decoys and sat on the river bank just hoping something would fly by. I think we saw only one duck, but it didn’t matter - I was already hooked. Plus, the little boy was nice enough to share his “be quiet candy” with me so we were both pretty happy….and quiet. On a side note, the first time loading my shotgun, I

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somehow got my thumb stuck in the barrel. I was almost certain I wouldn’t be asked to go out again.

As luck would have it I was asked to go a few weeks later after the temperature dropped, but this time there was no candy or kids so I knew I had to be on my A game, or at least try not to embarrass myself. The people I hunt with are my boyfriend Jerod and his friends, and they are 100% into the sport and take it very seriously and I wouldn’t want it any other way. My goal those first few hunts wasn’t to take down a goose or duck but to stay out of the way, do exactly what they said, and learn as much as I could. I also had to try to smother my girly side a bit. I’ve never been the prissy missy type but every once in a while that side would come out in me. For instance, instead of grassing the blind I say I would say I was decorating it, and I always slip and call my lanyard a

necklace. The most memorable girly moment to date was when I had to break my first goose neck.

I squealed the entire time, and I’m pretty sure my boyfriend thought I was having some sort of weird seizure. My best BA kill would have to be when I was goose hunting and using my 20 gauge. I hit the goose in my lane once and it still kept flying so I pumped and reshot and took him down - you just can’t beat a double tap. I’ve still got a lot to learn about waterfowl hunting, but I know it’s something that I will want to keep doing. I love the anticipation the night before, being part of a group that works together and the bonding that happens, and I even love those freezing mornings where you can’t feel your toes or fingers. It is all worth it and is something that is hard to explain to others who haven’t had the experience.

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Waterfowl hunting is what I spent the majority of the time doing this past year, but my boyfriend took me on my first turkey hunt this spring and that experience was pretty awesome, as well. We arrived about an hour before sunrise and heard a turkey gobble as soon as we hit the field, but it was still too early so we just walked around trying to find a good spot for me to set up at. This was a little different than waterfowl hunting. I wasn’t used to having to be so quiet, and if you ask anyone, talking is one of the things I do best. I was nervous that there were too many trees that I would have to shoot between, and I had a fear of shooting so horribly that I would hit a tree and it would ricochet back shooting my eye out or something crazy…sometimes my thoughts aren’t always logical. It finally started to get light out so he had me sit down and get my gun ready and pointed towards the area we thought he would come through. He started calling and it gave me goose bumps to hear one respond back right away.

Within minutes the tom flew down off his tree and started walking our way. I was so nervous that I was shaking and I was worried I wouldn’t know when to shoot or that I would move too much and scare him. I sited him in, took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. Feathers went flying, and I was certain I had just scared him; apparently they only do that when they’ve been shot though because within a few seconds he was down. I think Jerod was as excited as I was that I hit him and I don’t think I stopped smiling for hours. I knew then that this was yet another addiction to add to my hunting list.

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My next goal is to shoot my first deer in a few months. I have been practicing with my bow, and although it’s going to be the most difficult animal I’ve had to hunt to date, I know that I will love every second of it. I know a lot of people think hunting is all about killing or the prize but for me and the hunters I go with it’s about being out in nature and appreciating what God has given us. We don’t go out and drink or take a picture and then discard the body on the side of the road. It’s not about the kill; it’s about everything else in between.

42 | September/October 2014 Lady Hunter Magazine | www.Ladyhuntermagazine.com

Deer Hunting the Wind When to Use Scents

By Judy Branham

Whitetail Deer hunting is challenging to say the least for men and women alike. Learning to play the wind in your favor takes time and experience; adding scents to the game is another chapter in the book of deer hunting. Many companies offer diverse scents from cover scents to luring scents. Check your local hunting regulations to see if these types of scents can be used while hunting. Both are legal in Indiana where I reside; I will use my local surroundings to explain my scent tactics.

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Cover scents: Deer spook when they see, hear or smell human activity. They will actually avoid an area with human commotion during the time of day this usually occurs. Deer pattern human activity. Hours during the day while we are normally outside the deer are not seen. As soon as we go inside they begin appearing. Deer know our usual routines and live around those routines in populated areas.

Cover scents are wonderful at times. Dirt scent has always been my favorite for hunting on the ground. I first scrape out a place down to the dirt for a quiet spot to sit. Secondly I would make sure all my gear would fit in the space I clear. Many wild animals dig; therefore dirt scent is common in any area and should not alert deer. Always use a scent which is common for your hunting area.

Acorn or oak trees are common all over Indiana; acorn scent is well received in the Hoosier woods and forests. Diverse scents such as walnut, apple and many more work in my area. Practicing changing scents daily assists my hunting when approaching the same stand more than two days in a row.

Never place urine on your clothes other than the bottom of your rubber boots. Deer will go to the urine smell and be looking at you; the best scenario is for the deer to come within range of a shot. Place the urine on something within range of a good shot placement. Give the deer a target to come to such as the stick I speak of below.

Luring scents: Buck and doe urine are col lected from captive deer at specific times during deer mating cycles due to the attracting power these scents have. When utilized properly, these luring urines can bring a deer close to your hunting area from far distances. Years ago I began collecting film canisters to place a cotton ball into and squirted a small amount of doe urine (Tink’s Doe-in-Heat) on the cotton ball to use in the field.

I would step off 20 yards from my stand and place a stick in the ground, then place the canister upside down on the stick so the cotton ball would not fall out. Almost every time a deer would walk up and smell the canister giving me a perfect shot.

Deer are curious creatures and if comfortable will inspect new odors if not too profound.

Another old time trick is to place a small white cotton rag into a zip lock baggy and squirt a small amount of doe or buck urine onto the rag after tying a string around it about 6 feet long

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leaving the extra string zipped outside the bag. Soaking the rag is not necessary as the urine will just drip off. When arriving to my destination I would tie the other end of the string around my ankle and drag the moistened rag as I walked; the scent would not only cover my scent, but would also leave a trail for the deer to follow. The first time I used this trick I walked from one end of a field I was hunting making a 10 foot circle to begin, walked along the edge of the field about 15 yards away from my stand and made another 10 foot circle at the other end of the field. I watched a large buck follow the trail with his nose to the ground all the way across the field. Unfortunately I had climbed down from my stand at 10 o’clock and was on my way back home when I noticed him. This however has taught me this old trick works.

Wind: All the cover and luring scents in the world will not work unless the wind is in your favor.

This means the deer should be coming from a direction where the wind does not blow the hunters scent towards the deer. If you have a similar situation, then you have a great chance at harvesting the deer. If the wind is blowing your scent towards the deer then your chances are much less to harvest no matter what cover or luring scents you are using. Any scent in the woods which is not a familiar scent to the animals alerts them. Just think if someone was in your home or bedroom and had an unfamiliar scent, you would notice it right away. Deer are no different.

Best wishes on a safe and enjoyable hunting season. Remember to always wear safety gear and harnesses if in a tree stand.

Photography by Judy and Ken Branham

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WTH (Women That Hunt) – First of Many Written by Kelly Lemay

It always amazes me how, when you put a few women together, what can happen. Little did we know that a cold night in March, over hot pink Barbie doll drinks and wine, would we forge a bond that would lead to one of our greatest adventures together?

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I

had never met Sharleen Martell before, but knew about her great hunting successes. She won Ladies heaviest buck and widest rack in the 75th Annual Brookfield Elks Big Game Hunt, and won Ladies heaviest buck in the 77th Annual Brookfield Elks Big Game Hunt. I still remember when she walked into my house for the first time; because no woman has ever walked into my house before and seem pleased at the deer mounts on the wall.

It wasn’t hard to tell Sharleen was a hunter and could appreciate the beauty of my husband’s trophies.

I’ve known Tricia Nelson since before I moved to Brookfield, Nova Scotia. She always has a fishing rod in her hand, devoted to her anglers club and fishing with her father. She has been dedicated to the Brookfield 4H club for as long as I can remember. We often talked about getting our hunting licenses together, especially now that we have kids old enough to hunt.

I didn’t know Teresa Elliot long, but in a short time had shared some memorable outdoor experiences with her. I knew that her husband was an avid hunter, and although she didn’t consider herself a hunter, it was not unusual to see her accompany him to his deer stand.

It didn’t take long for the four of us to turn our conversation to hunting and to quickly recognize that it was an underlying passion for all of us. And what ended up that night, more in jest than anything, was the newly formed executive of the WTH, Women That Hunt.

The very next day, more to humor me, Teresa created our facebook group the WTH, and immediately invited our mutual friend and most experienced hunter to join, Lisa Godin. We originally met Lisa through the NWTF, National Wild Turkey Federation, of which we were all members by means of our hunting partners and children.

Lisa is a very seasoned angler and hunter, and she runs her own guide service in Northern New Brunswick, North Shore Guide Services. I can’t remember how long it took Lisa to come up with the idea of an all-women’s bear hunt, but before we knew it our comedic poke at being a hunter was about to become a reality.

The WTH executive wasn’t complete until our last member joined. Kim McBurnie has been a lifelong friend of Teresa’s and was well known by the rest of us through her successful Boot Camp business in Brookfield. Although Kim wasn’t a hunter herself, and up until this point didn’t share

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the same passion, she loved the outdoors, and recognized that this was one adventure she didn’t want to miss.

Lisa took control of the details and started the plans for our first WTH hunt. She organized a bear seminar, sought out sponsors, arranged licensing, and set the date. Because we lived over 5 hours away from where we were hunting it wasn’t possible for us to participate in the preparation of the bear sites so Lisa made arrangements for her guide services crew to do that part for us.

With much anticipation, since our first thoughts of this hunt were back in March, June 5th was finally here and we were Northern New Brunswick bound. And as our husbands and kids showed their support, wished us well and waved goodbye, we knew there was a hint of jealousy, for this was an unusual sight to see, six women, their wives and mothers, pulling away on their own hunting excursion. Two vehicles packed to capacity with an abundance of camouflage, hunting gear and ammunition was the tall tale sign we were prepared for our first spring bear hunt.

As soon as we arrived at the North Shore Guide Services lodge we immediately understood why men are so unwavering when it comes to the prospect of missing their annual hunting trip. There is definitely something to be said about shacking up in a lodge in the woods hours from home, without kids, and the monotony of daily chores. The air was fresh, absent of familiar scents like the stale stench of our teenage kid’s bedrooms, and dirty laundry, because between the 6 of us we left 18 kids at home. The lodge was everything we imagined and more. We shared laughs and jokes as we set up our bunks and prepared our first camp supper, and with only a few hours of being there already started making plans for next year. Before even experiencing the thrill of the actual hunt we could already foresee that this was going to be amazing. There is such a level of comradery that forms, when you set out to do something as a group that has never been done before.

The plan for the first night was to get camouflaged up and head out to the sites to check the trail camera’s, and familiarize ourselves with the bait location, ground blind placement, distance and line of sight. There were three sites available to us so it was decided that Teresa, Kim, and Sharleen would start out at one, guided by Lisa. Tricia and I would go to another, guided by Daryl, Lisa’s

brother and assistant guide. Terry, Lisa’s husband would also assist Daryl in our blind. Up until this point we shared in experiencing the excitement and anticipation of the hunt but, it wasn’t until after the visit to the hunting sites that the nerves kicked it. Talking about going bear hunting and actually being there had now become two very different things.

We got up Friday morning and unanimously agreed that our first effort would not occur until 4:00pm. The trail cameras had revealed to us that we would see the most action around dusk.

That being said we spent the day running errands, shopping, preparing our gear, and trying to calm our nerves. It was almost like getting ready for prom only our hair, make up, and gowns consisted of slicked back pony tails, black and green face paint and a fully camouflaged wardrobe. No one could dispute the fact that we took this seriously.

We dropped Teresa, Lisa, Sharleen and Kim off then proceeded to the second location, a couple of kilometers away. We set up the blind about 17 yards from the bait, nestled between some brush and trees, still maintaining a clear line of sight. I was armed with my cross-bow, Tricia by my side, Daryl and Terry snuggled in behind us as we settled in for the wait. It was raining hard so the steady beat of it hitting the blind made it possible for us to whisper to one another. My heart still races when I recall the first bear that made its approach, only an hour after we got there. Up until that point I

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was pretty confident and my nerves didn’t really bother me, but when our eyes caught sight of a big black mass, silently appearing in front of us my entire body was shaking and I couldn’t catch my breath. I’m not going to lie, I was scared. What amazed me though was Tricia. Her nerves had bothered her for days, but when the bear was only 6 yards away from our blind she was calm, smiling at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. All I could envision at that point was jumping through the little peep window in front of me and running.

It was obvious the bear could sense us there so it didn’t approach the bait; instead it flanked us and remained out of our line of sight. That left us feeling very uneasy, knowing this massive animal was only yards away from us but we remained silent and continued observing. It wasn’t long before another bear inaudibly appeared out of nowhere.

It astonished us how quiet these large creatures can make their way through thick brush and trees without the crack or snap of a branch. As this bear approached it lifted its nose many times catching our unfamiliar scent in the air, but made its way to the bait cautiously within minutes. We observed its pawing and watched how it investigated the surroundings for over 30 minutes. We were taught in our training how important it is to allow time to determine if there are cubs and to distinguish an age. Since the beginning of our journey many people have inflicted us with their views on baiting. It makes sense, now that we’ve been educated on bear hunting, that this is a responsible, safe way to properly manager your hunt. If you shoot the first bear that comes along and it happens to be a mother with cubs, you’ve potentially killed 2 or even 3 bears. That’s just not responsible and what we all wanted out of this more than anything was to be responsible hunters.

I was still unsure at that point, even with crossbow raised and the bear in my crosshairs, whether or not I could pull the trigger. When I dropped the crossbow all I saw was the luminox tip brightly marking where the arrow had penetrated the tree. I was so upset, thinking I had missed, only for Tricia to quickly correct me that it had passed right through, it was a perfect shot.

Within 30 minutes we had found the bear only a few hundred feet from the shot. It took all four of us to pull it from the woods and get it to the 4-wheeler.

We headed back to camp anxious to find

out how the other group was doing. It was pretty quiet for Teresa, Lisa, Sharleen and Kim. They were pretty much ready to pack it in after three hours of sitting in the rain when they had received word that Tricia and I had got a bear. They felt a renewed sense of excitement in the blind and decided to push on for another hour or so. The time crept by slowly. They were getting tired, wet and it had been uneventful so decided to pack up for the night. In the midst of all the noise and chatter, because at that point, they were done being quiet, Kim, already outside the blind, looked up and saw a bear looking back at them. They were shocked, all that time being quiet and nothing and now without notice there it was. Teresa quickly calmed herself and lined up her .308. The bear finally turned broadside, so she took the shot. The bear jumped at least 3 feet in the air and then took off over the ridge and into the woods. We got the call at camp that Teresa got a bear so we headed over to help with the search. As soon as we arrived we were like six hens in a chicken coop, swapping stories with great enthusiasm about what had transpired already that night. Eight of us searched for over an hour, and with no evidence of blood, bone

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or hair, we concluded that the bear was not hit.

In good conscience we returned to the site first thing Saturday morning to ensure we didn’t miss anything. Of course the girls were disappointed but that didn’t mean it was over. It was Saturday morning, which meant we had lots of time and still another bait site.

Daryl loaded Teresa, Lisa, Sharleen and Kim into the side by side and drove them deep into the woods to the third site. They set their blind up, only 24 yards from the bait. What they experienced that day was something they will never forget. In fact, Terry, being a proficient hunter, admitted that men who have hunted bear all their lives may never witness what Teresa, Lisa, Sharleen and Kim would soon claim as the experience of a lifetime.

The morning was beautiful, sun shining and breeze blowing. They were barely set up in their blind when a bear approached from the right. It seemed distracted, and at first Teresa, Lisa, Sharleen and Kim thought it could smell them, but it turned out to be a second bear trying to make its way in. The first bear attempted to scare the second bear away therefore popping in and out of Teresa’s view. The bear returned making its way toward the blind. The tension in the blind was building. Lisa, Sharleen and Kim whispered back and forth as Teresa focused, just waiting for the bear to make itself visible. Teresa had it lined up through the crosshairs and as soon as it turned she made the shot. The bullet hit behind the right front shoulder, and instead of the bear running away, it roared and rolled right toward the blind.

Only 10 yards from the front window the bear stood up on its hind legs, stretching its front legs above its head, demonstrating the full size of its body. For a brief moment they thought the bear was going to charge the blind, but then it dropped from its rearing mount and ran off into the woods.

As the shock subsided their mood quickly turned from, fearing for lives to complete amazement.

We received the call back at camp so quickly returned to the third blind to help with the search.

This time it only took minutes as it was a close 50 yards out. The heat of the day prompted us to quickly get the bears to DNR (Department of Natural Resources) and registered so that we could successfully harvest them. Thankfully, Sharleen had experience field dressing from her hunting excursions so she guided us through the process

with ease. We worked as a team, all taking turns.

Although Lisa, Sharleen, Tricia and Kim may have hidden their disappointment that they didn’t get to hunt, except for pulling the trigger, they did everything it takes to hunt a bear. From the training courses, to sitting in the blind, to harvesting the meat and getting it to the kitchen table, we all equally own the rights to this great story.

We ended our adventure Saturday night with amazing moose meat spaghetti, recapping our adventures around the kitchen table in the lodge that seemed so inviting from the moment we arrived. I’m sure a familiar sound filled the rooms, like many hunters before us, as our laughter and storytelling carried on throughout the night.

We have all declared that this was one of the most amazing adventures we’ve ever had, but we are adamant in stating that it does not end there, it’s only the beginning.

50 | September/October 2014 Lady Hunter Magazine | www.Ladyhuntermagazine.com