42644 owu magazine issue 2

accept no limits

OUTDOOR WOMEN UNLIMITED Spring/Summer 2014

outdoorwomenunlimited.org

Blazin the Trail

Women Who Make A Difference

Grace, Guns And Gear

Food & Flame

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features

8

8 Blazing the Trail

From past pioneers to today’s trailblazers...

32

32 Food & Flame

Cooking in the Heartland of Alabama

56 Grace, Guns & Gear The Must Have List for Every Outdoor Woman

50

Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

50 Habitat & Conservation

Attacking the feral hog epidemic in the River Region

22

22 Travel & Trails

The Lee family make hunting a family affair SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 3

departments 4

Calender of Events

5

Editor’s Note

16-17 OWU in the USA

On The Cover (l-r) Rebecca Wood, Founder and Whitney Wood Hurt, President

calendar JUNE

19 Spotlight

27-29

34

28

“No Limits” Recipes

Great Southern Outdoors Hog Wild Hunting Adventure

June 27-29, July 7-9, July 18-20, August 1-3, 22-24,

September 5-7,19-21. Contact (334) 738-5066 or www.greatsouthernoutdoors.com Edgefield WITO Concealed Weapons Course.

Edgefield, SC.

Contact mlindler@nwtf.org

JULY

56-57 New Product Update

12

Outdoor Women Unlimited “No Limits” Fun Shoot.

Lower Wetumpka Shotgun and Sports Club.

Montgomery, AL. Contact www.outdoorwomenunlimited.org or (334) 398 2335 or (334) 452-0995 www.lwssc.com or (334) 420-3371.

18-20

Annual World Deer Expo, Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, Birmingham, AL Contact: Channing Brown (205) 678-4141

AUGUST 2-3

Florida Outdoors Expo. West Palm Beach, FL. Contact. www.floridaoutdoorsexpo.com

15-17

Buckmasters Expo. Montgomery, AL. Contact www.buckmasters.com or (800) 240-3337

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

- Harriet Truman

Dream .... Follow .... Learn .... Lead .....

“Accept No Limits”!!!

Outdoor Women Unlimited ... challenging today's women to focus on the opportunities in the outdoor adventure. OWU provides a unique outdoor program that educates women in many outdoor skills.

Contact Us: Rebecca A. Wood, Executive Director Post Office Box 1292, Wetumpka, AL 36092 bawhunt@aol.com

outdoorwomenunlimited.org 4 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

SEPTEMBER 20-27

NRA Women Wilderness Escape “For All Women…

From All Walks of Life.” Contact; (800)672-7435 opt. 4 or www@nrahq.org

OCTOBER 3-5

Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW).

Alabama 4-H Center. Lay Lake in Columbiana, AL. Contact: SylviaPayne@dcnr.alabama.gov (800) 262-3151

SEASONAL

Hudson Marina, SKULL Harbor. Orange Beach, AL. Contact (251) 981-4127

REEL Women Fly Fishing Adventures.

Contact fish@reel-women.com. (307) 413-6671 Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

editor’s note At a young age, my grandfather opened my eyes to the excitement of the outdoor adventure. While sitting under a majestic white oak, shadowed by its heavy branches full of acorns, my grandfather whittled and carved. I watched his rough hands work patiently, He would gaze over his wire-rimmed glasses and pipe, smile and continue with no words spoken. I waited anxiously as he carved a gift that would change my life forever. He worked each whittle as it would be his last, carving delicately into the tender cane. Occasionally, he would pause and hold the “cane stick.” Soon the beauty of its origin would unfold and I would become the proud recipient of my first cane fishing pole. With tears in his eyes, I hugged him and hurried to make my “first cast.”

My grassroots, of a traditional outdoor family experience, was fostered in pond to lake fishing. Freshwater fishing was a great way of life for my family…My Dad, grandmother and I would fish every chance we could. The three of us would load up and motor to Lake Jordan, located in Elmore County, Alabama. The power of genetics blessed my family with height (on my Dad’s side), so the small aluminum bass boat was a challenge in itself. Through those youthful years, I discovered my passion and listened to call of the outdoor adventure.

Though experiencing many challenges; parents and grandparents passing, divorce, professional changes, economic adjustment, two children, my heart has never lost the passion for the outdoors. As I faced each challenge, I discovered that three areas of my life were constant and kept my focus on my vision…prayer, passion and pursuit.

Perseverance and sacrifice, to create an outdoor educational adventure for women, and families, empowered my mission With determination, and a tiny window of opportunity, my daughter and I took the risk. Through the support and guidance of believers, fundraising, strategic planning, and “The Three P’s”, Outdoor Women Unlimited became a reality!!

Rebecca

OWU Mission Statement

OWU is an organization dedicated to providing women and families with the education and the excitement of the outdoor experience through teaching outdoor life skills, sharing the knowledge of our natural resources, while building self esteem, strengthening individual character, and promoting self-reliance in a safe and professional environment.

Definition of BLAZE(n)

1a: an intensely burning fire b: intense direct light often accompanied by heat <the blaze of TV lights> c: an active burning; especially: a sudden bursting forth of flame 2: something that resembles the blaze of a fire: as a: a dazzling display <a blaze of color> b: a sudden outburst <a blaze of fury> <went down in a blaze of glory> 3. (v) - an accomplishment of a task, challenge, or goal in an outdoor activity: to harvest a trophy game; to break a target or clay; to hit a bullseye; to catch a trophy fish <blazed the turkey> <blazing through the clays> Outdoor women unlimited would like to express our most sincere and heartfelt appreciation to our supporters and believers: Brian McCombie, Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association, The Wetumpka Herald, Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc., NRA American Hunter, Southwick Associates, Weatherby, Winchester Ammunition, Leupold, Gun Digest, International Paper, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Outdoor Alabama, SAT-C and Donna Leonard Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

accept no limits

OUTDOOR WOMEN UNLIMITED

Executive Director, Editor Rebecca A. Wood

Managing Editor Lisa McNeil

Assistant Managing Editor Whitney Wood Hurt, JD

Design/Printing/Mailing McQuick Printing Company

Photography Nate McKenzie Photography Chrietzberg Photography

Board Members Lisa McNeil John Martin Jennifer Meadows Rusty Morrow Rob Pinkston Matthew Senn Whitney Wood Hurt, JD

Contributing Writers Brian McCombie Steven Pennaz Peggy Blackburn Susan Poole Louise Howard Brian Rodgers Rebecca Wood Whitney W. Hurt, JD Chip McEwen David Rainer Steve Nix Dawn Hand Chas Moore Cyndi Flannigan Loring Grove Laura Lee Dovey Mike Bazinet Mark Holyoak Ken Cook POSTMASTER: Send address changes to BLAZE, Outdoor Women Unlimited, Post Office Box 1292, Wetumpka, Alabama 36092. Contact Outdoor Women Unlimited: bawhunt@aol.com.

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the organization. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2014 Outdoor Women Unlimited Featuring the photography of Nate McKenzie Photography

®

ACCEPT NO LIMITS SPRING/SUMMER 2014 outdoorwomenunlimited.org

“The official page of Outdoor Women Unlimited” SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 5

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Blazing the The desire to explore is a natural attribute that exists within each of us. It is our nature to seek answers and respond. However, passion is the driving force to prepare for the journey. With the adventure comes preparation and sacrifice. Women understand. However, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;call of the wildâ&#x20AC;? may be of necessity rather than adventure.

8 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

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–From past pioneers to today’s trailblazers... women who made a difference in the outdoors

Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 9

part…THE HUNT! Becoming a part of the outdoors is dressing in camouflage, sitting under a tree and watching “nature” move around you. Try to be very still and listen!

The call of the wild is amazing!

I have been blessed to have participated in many outdoor adventures in my lifetime. One of the most rewarding was my hunt in Alabama with a group of young women. Outdoor Women Unlimited had 16 young ladies, ages 15-19 to attend a youth hunt in Athens, Alabama. Several outdoor industry people attended. We were paired with first time huntresses to mentor for three days on a hunting experience of a lifetime. Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to watch the transformation. Hunting can be extreme, especially when weather is a factor. Our conditions could not have been worse -rain, sleet, snow and wind! After each hunt, hunters arrived wet, cold and I must say, a bit miserable…me included. The girls were troopers and never quit. Above it all, their smiles and laughter make it a hunt of a lifetime.

Cyndi Flannigan VP Sales & Marketing Walther Arms, Inc. Arkansas

I

remember one of my early experiences. I was hunting with my Dad and his brothers. They wouldn’t let me hold or shoot the guns. But the most fun involved running down the ditches to flush birds.

One of many happenings that made growing up in Nebraska a pure joy.

One my fondest memories happened on my first deer hunting trip. My boyfriend, at that time, introduced me to the art of hunting and harvesting a deer. The chal10 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

Women have come a long way in the shooting sports industry. I must say that luck got my foot in the door and hard work kept it there. As time goes on, I learned where I needed to improve to lenge was met when I was the only one excel! I do not believe anything is defined to harvest a deer on a stand without him. by gender. I defined what I wanted to do I assume he thought I had been holding and pioneered my trail. Just do it! When I him back a bit. If only I could have seen made my decision to persevere, it did not the look on his face when he heard the matter if I was first or last, I did it! gun shot. This one for the girls!

Opportunity is not a scheduled event at Women have patience. For me, being in a specific location. It comes anytime and the woods is peaceful and serene. After anyplace. You must always be aware. a successful adventure hunting, I stop a The outdoor industry has been good moment and give thanks to God for the to me. My career break began with a opportunity he presented before me. I single phone call to the business college will have food in the freezer or donate to I attended. The Pacific Tool Company others. Hunting is ME time. I am always had an opening for a receptionist. I did not want to work for a tool company. successful; harvest or not.

I wanted a really cool job like a secreSharing experiences can be a way to tary! I could dress in nice clothes and encourage women to try an outdoor meet successful people. While interviewadventure. For example, hunting for the ing, I learned Pacific Tool Company was first time does not require a firearm. I owned by Hornady Manufacturing! And like to think of it as experiencing the real the rest is history…

Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

Laurie Lee Dovey Executive Director Professional Outdoor Media Association

A

s a little girl growing up in the 50s and 60s, I fished with my parents, helped dad clean his firearms before and after hunting season, waited up the night of the white-tailed deer opener in Pennsylvania to see if Dad was successful, and was in the woods daily, simply playing.

Unfortunately, during that time, women in the hunting space were an oddity.

Hunting and shooting camps or clubs were, in general, for men only. And for young girls, and interest in guns or killing game animals, was looked upon with disdain, at best. So, fishing and simply spending time outdoors were my connections to the wilds. Yes, I secretly wanted to be Annie Oakley.

unbridled excitement, less pressure (not desire) to perform, especially among gals who hunt. I observe great openness and dedication to learning and then mentoring and sharing.

But, truly what we bring to the outdoors is the ability to change the lives of generations to come. As mothers, sisters, grandWe owe an amazing debt of gratitude to mothers, girlfriends…we hold many of those who came before us, for their courthe keys to the outdoors for future genage to get outdoors and push the enveerations. lope beyond gardening, fishing, camping, boating and hiking.

I became involved with an outdoor organization Today women in the outdoors are in in Allentown, Pa. called hunting camps, on Facebook, Twitter and Camp Compass (www. television. They hold lead positions in campcompass.org). It shooting sports and in fishing tournament brings inner city girls trails. WE are doing it ALL! I am so proud and boys into the outof the societal change. doors, specifically into the shooting and Before I could understand the spiritual hunting sports. Camp connection, stress relief and the wonder Compass graduates of people relating to nature, I had to even come back and experience MY personal joy and passion mentor. for the outdoor adventure. Youth who comprehend and learn to love nature, It’s simple really, get grow with great moral compasses and involved in the outrespect for all living things. doors. Don’t expect every girl after a The respect is perhaps the most resonatmorning or archery ing message from days afield and on the shooting, or a weekwater. At the age of 33, I joined my dad end of camping, or for our first hunt together. I will never Saturday fishing, to forget my Dad’s words, “Sit down and become hard-core sportswomthink about this animal (mule deer); en. Make sure they have fun where it lived; what it ate and where it and teach them. Sharing with traveled. Revel in its life and what it’s them the amazing role anglers given you.” And, as he saw me choke a and hunters play in protecting little, he added, “If you ever quit getting wildlife and habitat for them that feeling (of some remorse) after you and their children to enjoy, kill an animal, quite hunting. You’re no however they choose. longer a hunter.”

Outdoor Woman, Women in the Outdoor (NWTF), Women on Target (NRA), or the wonderful Outdoor Women Unlimited adventure, every woman can find a way into the outdoors. The path has been blazed There is no level of leadership in the outdoor industry a woman cannot pursue. Nor is there a level more important that another! The only way an outdoor woman can fail, especially herself, is by not passing it on… AMEN!

Whether it’s the grandmother In my opportunities to spend time of modern women’s outdoor outdoors with other gals, I see more programs like Becoming and Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 11

Loring Grove

Global Marketing Manager Streamlight, Inc Pennsylvania

T

my fear of rock climbing.

Although I did three climbs, I never rock climbed again. As our little group rounded up on the edge of Otter Cliffs surveying the crashing waves below, our instructors appointed three volunteers. With helmets on, we learned to fasten flat nylon ropes that fit around our waist and through our legs, and to secure a carabiner at the center around our bellybuttons. Once all were securely placed, we let out the rope. With safety lines held, we were coached down and up the rock wall safely.

I was one of the first to go over the edge.

The experience was surreal, as I let out of the rope and become perpendicular to the rock wall. It was fun as I realized I could bound down the cliff as I let out the rope..

he first time I remember loving the outdoors was on a hike through Vermont woods, high on a ridge above the Connecticut River with my grandfather. I must have been seven or eight years old.

We could see the white mountains of New Hampshire. He taught me the art of stepping over logs instead of hopping on top of them and to hold the branches that I swept past so not to have them whip back into the person behind me. We would quietly pad on the soft pine needle floor of the forest as native Americans had centuries before leaving not a sign of our passing. He knew the names of the birds and the berries and showed me arrowheads that he had found on his hiking and canoe trips It was my Years later I peered down from the top of grandfather that my made my first bow out Otter Cliffs and found it hard to believe I had descended 75 feet to the wet rocks of a fruit tree branch. below, let alone climbed up the face. But When I was around ten, I accompanied my I DID IT. grandfather on a ruffed grouse hunt with his trusted golden retriever, Danny. We hiked Near the end of the course was our three through the wood and crouched on the day solo where we were supplied with outer edge of a pasture as Danny flushed the items we would need to camp- a tarp, a couple ruffed grouse. I was thrilled at the sleeping bag, rope to support the tarp and a gallon of water. I carried my trusty Swiss adventure. army knife during the entire course and it By sharing my experience on a 28-day proved invaluable as a tool. Our provisions course off the coast of Rockland, Maine, included a pack of matches, a few hard will, hopefully, inspire women(of all ages) candies and Euell Gibbon’s “A Wild Way to to know that what you dream to do-can Eat.” We were to identify plants and berries be done! When I was almost 17, I had the that we could eat and to harvest mussels opportunity to attend the Hurricane Island and even sea urchins to eat. I looked out to Outward Bound course, a sailing course sea and reflected on my life at 17. I am not off the coast of Maine. This was an all girls sure I came to any great conclusions other course primarily an ocean-going course than I was comfortable in my own space. which included ropes course and 12 foot to scale. The one aspect of the course I feared One takeaway from the Outward Bound experience was although cold, wet, tired was the rock climbing portion. and hungry, you will be alright as long This would be a mobile course, unlike the as you as the British say, “Stay calm and Maine Hurricane Island course, which had carry on.” I made friends during the month, platform tents and meals with salads, we we had supported each other, tented with would sail from island to island sleeping each other, hauled wood and made fires aboard the boats or camping on the island. together, cooked out in the open, dipped in the freezing 50 degree Main water every During the month, we learned how to sail a day. I believe I took the course because thirty foot wooden boat with a mast and a I wanted an adventure but I also wanted mizzen. The sailboat’s design was based on to push myself and prove to myself that I a old open whaling boat of the 1800s and could DO IT!!! I left the course strong, lean, tan and confident. But of course , I was 16 was hard to tip over. going on 17!

The twenty-eight day course included a three day hike over thirty miles includ- 30 years later….. ing a climb up Sargent Mt. on Mt. Desert and a rock climbing descent and climb I met a sales and marketing executive that of Otter Cliffs. It was there that I faced invited me to interview for a Director of

12 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

Marketing position at Streamlight. I went through the interview process and landed the job. I had heard my supervisor was an Outward Bound enthusiast, having taken the sales and marketing team on a rock climbing three day bonding and moralebuilding trip a year before. My first week on the job, he had arranged for an Onward Bound sailing trip in the Florida Keys. The first day of the week included a sales meeting. The following day we loaded up 2 sailboats and started learning to rig and sail a 30 foot open boat, the same type of boat I had sailed over 30 years before!!! Now, I am not 16 going on 17!

Even after 30 years, I had remembered how to rig the boat and was able to take the helm at several exercises in the 3 day course!

At night, when we tied up our boats at the mangroves, fought off the curious raccoons with our high-powered flashlights, instead of matches, and navigated the at night with our green LEDs., I secretly laughed at the transition I had made from my own business to corporate life and that through Outward Bound and the outdoors, I had a comfort level with my new team.

Within ten years, Streamlight had grown, expanded its corporate offices and factory space to incorporate an indoor shooting range. With the growth of women’s participation in not only hunting but the shooting sports, I thought it was time to field a women’s shooting team and compete.

We stepped out and chose the Shooting Industry Masters for our goal! We trained in handguns, rifle and trap shooting; and we were relieved that the industry team scores were not openly published. We look forward to this match.

FYI In 2012 Streamlight was the only company that fielded an all women’s team and second time in Shooting Master’s history an all women’s industry team competed!

Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

) U W O ( d e t i m i l n U e en h t m e o r a h W s r e o n o i d z t a u g a O m E Z A L B d n a

T A E H with

All OWU members!

Enter to win a 2014 Weatherby Vanguard Series 2 Blaze Rifle in the BLAZE pattern. Go to www.outdoorwomenunlimited.org to join and start blazing the trails today!

No purchase required.

Void where prohibited.

Lisa McNeil, Darryl Worley and Rebecca Wood at SHOT SHOW 2014 Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 13

Outdoor Women Unlimited Southern Classic

“No Limits” in Outdoor Education

By Rebecca Wood

14 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

A

s Executive Director, Founder of Outdoor Women Unlimited, I am reminded each year of the significance of our program and its impact on our members and their families. Each year, I see grandmothers, mothers and daughters, sisters, best friends and new friends learn and discover the challenge and excitement in new outdoor adventures at our Southern Classic. Celebrating over ten years OWU Southern Classic Education Adventures, has made a difference in the lives of hundreds of women and their families.

Outdoor Women Unlimited is a 501c3 outdoor education organization dedicat-

ed to providing women and families with the education and the excitement of the outdoor experience through teaching outdoor life skills, sharing the knowledge of our natural resources, while building self esteem, strengthening individual character, and promoting self-reliance in a safe and professional environment. Our vision is to educate women in outdoor adventure, while encouraging them to further their skills and

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ultimately increase the participation for their entire family in the great outdoors.

Since the founding of OWU, our program has taken steps in the direction of our vision and as our focus has grown more intense; our membership continues to flourish, with OWU representation in 38 states, and with educated and excited members who are eager and willing to Continued on page 35

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Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

30 EAGLEVILLE RD, EAGLEVILLE, PA 19403 800.523.7488 | CONNECT WITH US WWW.STREAMLIGHT.COM

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 15

OWU in the

16 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

e USA

Recognizing our members who

ACCEPT NO LIMITS Patricia Johnson Jackson Gap, AL

Love to Hunt and Fish. Joined OWU to meet other women who had similar interest(s). Enjoyed taking NRA classes; increasing knowledge about outdoors, developing friendships and discovering new activities that you never thought you would ENJOY doing! Step outside your box ACCEPT NO LIMITS!

Justine Meadows Eclectic, AL

Love to mud ride and hunting. My mom was having so much fun so I decided to join! I knew very little about all the neat activities you can learn to do in the outdoors. If you like amazing and friendly people who love outdoors and passionate about teaching others, OWU is for you!

Jennifer Meadows Olla, LA

Love shooting sports and camping.

Joined OWU to learn and share outdoor activities with my daughter. Wonderful organization; provides a safe environment that allows women to feel secure and confident.

Jennifer â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nadiaâ&#x20AC;?

McGowan Port Moresby Papua New Guinea

Favorite thing in outdoors-TO LEARN! OWU fulfills a community need-to centralize women and girls to create chances to become more knowledgeable about different ways to enjoy nature and to understand existing hunting/fishing/ gun range laws while practicing safety protocols. OWU, a valuable community asset; offers instruction and inclusion. Promotes interest in various sports and enjoyed by all.

Jen Rodman Paso Robles, CA

Enjoy Hunting and shooting sports. Weatherby provided me the opportunity to join OWU and network within our industry while connecting with women who share same passion for the outdoors.

OWU gave me the opportunity to attend the 2nd Annual OWU Hog Hunt in Yazoo City, MS in March.

Support boosted my confidence and overall hunting experience.

Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 17

spotlight

Going After Big Tom Women and Turkey Hunting

By Brian McCombie 18 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

H

earing three tom turkeys gobbling in the distance, OWU president Whitney Hurt and her guide set up next to a logging trail cutting through the jungle of pine trees, palmetto, and brush that is the Mississippi Delta in the spring. Hurt’s guide started calling. One tom moved closer but then faded away, as did another tom. That took about an hour, and just as Hurt was thinking her morning hunt was about over, bird number three suddenly boomed out a series of deep gobbles. Very close.

Her back to a tree, Hurt shifted towards the direction of the calls and got her shotgun ready, while her guide coaxed the tom with clucks and the occasional yelp.

“That tom got pretty close to us, we could tell by his gobbles, but then he just shut up,” Hurt remembers. “I was looking at that brush and it was all green, and then all of a sudden there was this white spot. His head, maybe 20 yards away. I aimed surveys of outdoor recreation, there were 116,000 women turand shot.” key hunters 16 years old and older in 1996. By 2001, that was up to 174,00 hunters, and, though it dipped down a bit in 2006, And bagged her tom! the 2011 USFWS survey revealed an impressive 332,000 women It wasn’t Hurt’s first tom turkey—she comes from a hunting turkey hunters—a doubling of female participation in this hunt family, and married into another hunting family—but it was is just 15 years. the first bird taken at the inaugural Outdoor Women Unlimited (OWU) Annual Turkey Hunt, held in the spring of 2013 near Turkey hunting as a whole has also grown over this same period, from 2,189,000 hunters (male and female) in 1996, to Yazoo City, Mississippi.

3.1 million in 2011, according to USFWS. So while it’s not a Hurt notes that turkeys are among the top game species among huge surprise that overall numbers of women turkey hunters OWU’s 5,000-plus female members, especially for an introduc- have gone up, they’ve actually increased at a much faster rate tory hunt. A big game hunt, for example, can be intimidating compared to male hunters. for a first time hunter, says Hurt. The colder weather and the chance to potentially spend all day in a deer stand can seem According to Richard Aiken, an economist with USFWS’ National Survey office, “the percentage of turkey hunters who like way too much for a new hunter.

But spring turkey hunting is much more appealing to the outdoor-oriented women Hurt knows, and the (usually) warmer weather is a real help. More importantly, turkeys provide a better chance for some action, even if it’s only hearing gobbling in the distance.

Continued on page 21

“I feel like turkey hunting’s a lot more interactive,” says Hurt.

“You’re trying to fool that bird into range, calling, and he’s gobbling. You can never get a shot and still have lots of excitement.”

Rebecca Wood, OWU founder and executive director, adds that turkey hunting is part of an almost natural progression in the shooting sports for many OWU members “Many, many women who come into OWU are curious about shooting,” says Wood, “but not necessarily about hunting. It’s very common for these women to start off with shotguns. Once they are comfortable with the shooting and the safety aspects of the gun, then they start thinking about hunting,” That hunting usually takes the form of smaller game—doves and squirrels, for example—and as they gain confidence and education afield, these OWU members begin to look for the next challenge. Often, it is turkey hunting, frequently viewed as the next step up in the hunting hierarchy: bigger than a dove, for example, but not all the way to the size of a deer.

OWU and Whitney Hurt are on the leading edge of a national trend. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 19

accept no limits

OUTDOOR WOMEN UNLIMITED

Outdoor Women Unlimited P. O. Box 1292 Wetumpka, Alabama 36092 334.398.2335 334.452.0995 Email: bawhunt@aol.com www.outdoorwomenunlimited.org

New/Renewal Membership Application Membership application must be returned to OWU Membership/Marketing Director Email:lmcneil@elmore.rr.com

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RENEWAL

YES!! I WOULD LIKE TO JOIN OR UPGRADE MY SUPPORT TO THE MISSION OF OUTDOOR WOMEN UNLIMITED TODAY! WE EXTEND OUR MOST GRACIOUS APPRECIATION.

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For additional information on ad placement, product promotion or sponsorship, contact Outdoor Women Unlimited.

Outdoor Women Unlimited is a non-profit organization (501)(C) 3) dedicated to providing women and families with the education and the excitement of the outdoor experience through teaching outdoor life skills, sharing the knowledge of our natural resources while building self esteem, strengthening character, and promoting self-reliance in a safe and professional environment.

20 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

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Big Tom Continued from page 19

were female was five percent in 1996, seven percent in 2001, but was all the way up to 11 percent in 2011.” And these increases are real, he adds, not simply a matter of adjusting for possible sampling errors.

even go on the hunt, the members I’ve talked with already have a plan for the turkey meat, either to feed their own families or to donate it to others in need.

I think that’s all a part of our nurturing emotions as women.”

Teresa Carroll, the Hunting Heritage Program Coordinator for the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) notes that recent surveys also show a growing percentage of women afield for a key reason: to provide food for their families.

Once the plan was formulated to hold an annual turkey hunt, OWU had no problem lining up sponsors to help with equipment and costs. Weatherby provided the shotguns, SA-459’s in 20 gauge, Winchester Ammunition the 20 gauge turkey shotshells, Mississippibased Longleaf Camo the clothing, and Streamlight a variety of flashlights. The Mississippi Department of Tourism heard about the plans, and offered logistical and funding assistance to bring the hunt to the Magnolia State.

“We’re not sure if they are hunting for the meat because of the economy or as a way to give their families with a healthier food source,” says Carroll. “But the data shows that, for women, the meat is now a primary reason for the hunt. Being with friends and family used to top the list [as reason for hunting]. Not now.”

“OWU members are definitely interested in the fresh meat aspects of turkey hunting, as well as any other hunting they do,” says Rebecca Wood. “Before they Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

Schwiebert, Weatherby’s vice president of marketing. “I’m sure the majority of the public see hunting and shooting as a predominantly male activity. I think they’d be surprised to learn women are some of the best shooters and hunters out there!”

Whitney Hurt is a big fan of the Weatherby SA-459 shotgun. The adrenaline and the excitement of the hunt, she notes, can easily lead to things going wrong, especially when a big tom turkey suddenly appears and a hunter many only have a few seconds to make the shot.

“The SA-459 is a perfect model for any hunter, but especially for women,” says Hurt. The shotgun’s pistol grip made it much easier for her to control the shotgun and to mount it firmly against her “At Weatherby, we feel it’s critical to shoulder. “Getting the shotgun in the the growth and longevity of our hunting shoulder pocket is key to making sure heritage to promote women hunters and you don’t shoot over the turkey’s head. bring attention to their impact as role Been there, done that! The shotgun’s models to future generations of young hi-visibility sights let me line up for the woman and young men alike,” says Mike perfect shot, too.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 21

travel and trailS

22 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

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The Lee Family Tradition

By Ken Cook, Special to BLAZE Magazine from Outdoors with Ken Cook

A

n outdoor writer never really knows for sure what will greet him at the end of a dirt road, but in this case, White Tail Road led me through densely planted pines and green food plots to the lovely home of Loretta and Geoffrey Lee. The couple and their two sons, Bryce, 11, and Gage, 7, live near Nicholls, Georgia in Coffee County.

The Lees are a closelyknit, religious family, passionate about hunting, not only as individuals, but also as a family.

Each year they travel out-of-state in search of big game animals and the entire family makes the trip. And they have been doing it that way since the boys were very young. Loretta once wrote in her diary, “Bigger and better things can be accomplished when a family works together as a team.”

Loretta grew up in a hunting household where their hunting heritage was valued and protected. As a youngster, Loretta went on deer and hog hunts with her father and his pack of dogs. Geoffrey’s family did not hunt but friends introduced him to hunting deer and turkey.

Their shared love of hunting likely drew Loretta and Geoffrey closer during their engagement. On the morning of their wedding day in 1997, Geoffrey and Loretta went deer hunting.

One of the great things hunting families do is pass the heritage down to their children. Bryce, at 11, has already killed

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• Black Bear in Canada in 2000 and a second in 2013.

• Javelina in Texas in 2001.

• White-Tailed Deer in Pennsylvania in 2005 and 2006. Measurements were 164 and 159.

• Alligator in Georgia in 2004, 2008, and 2012.

Largest was 12’6” and is listed in the SCI Record Book.

• Feral Hog in Georgia, numerous; one with 4” cutters.

Planning the annual hunting trip falls on Geoffrey’s shoulders and he is apparently very good at identifying the best locations for certain species, vetting outfitters, and provisioning the firearms. Geoffrey’s rifles are custom-made by champion shooter and gun maker John Whidden of Nashville, Georgia. Not only are Whidden’s rifles works of art but both Lees have made 1000 yard shots with one of them.

In a family so unified by their values and love of hunting, you would a bear, hog, and two turkey gobblers. think there was no room for philosophiGage, no doubt, will not be far behind. cal differences.

But Geoffrey admits, “I “Sharing the shot” is also something like to hunt animals that fight back--like practiced by the Lees. If one of the family members took a bear on their last trip, hogs, gators and bear; and Loretta likes another is given “first dibs” when a bear to pursue record book animals.” is spotted on current trip.

Geoffrey is already thinking about the Loretta Lee has taken a remarkable num- 2014 family hunt and he says, “We’ll ber of game animals on their annual probably go back to New Mexico for a bear/mountain lion combo; maybe for a hunts. Here is a list: Coues deer.” Whatever the destination, • Corsican Ram in the Gila Mountains you can bet it will be another memoryof New Mexico in 2014. maker in the Lee family tradition.

• Mountain Lion in Utah in 2009.

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IMPAC

Blazing meteorite changed Wetumpka area to uniq

By Peggy Blackburn Photographer Barry Chrietzberg

24 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

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CT!

que moonscape

I

n the days of the dinosaurs, when what is now central Alabama lay beneath a warm shallow sea, a cataclysm of epic proportions changed the very fiber of the area.

About 85 million years ago a meteor approximately the size of a large college football stadium blazed a fiery trail through the atmosphere, hurtling at 44,640 mph into a spot about 16 miles offshore.

It left behind a 5-mile wide horseshoeshaped ring of hills where Wetumpka is now located.

The impact of the stony projectile was literally earth-shattering. According to Dr. David T. King Jr., an Auburn University professor of geology, the energy released by the strike equaled the explosion of about 2.3 billion tons of TNT and was approximately 175,000 times the power of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.

King said the collision likely produced an earthquake that would register between 8.4 and 9 on the Richter scale. His research indicates the meteor most likely struck at a 30 to 45 degree angle from the northeast. He also speculates that shock waves, blinding light, damage and other effects of the impact explosion radiated outward several hundred miles. Debris may have been tossed as far away as the current Gulf of Mexico.

In addition to the explosion on impact, the strike likely spawned winds of about 175-miles an hour and created a 100-foot tsunami as well as causing a cascade of flying rocks which would have been ejected from the developing crater bowl.

King became interested in the unique geological formation in the 1990s, and in 1997 released a report detailing his conclusions that the ring of hills was formed by a meteor strike.

To confirm the area as an impact crater, core drilling was conducted in June and July 1998. S hnology (MIT) revealed the samples contained “shocked quartz,” confirming King’s theory that a meteor crashed in the area.

In 2002, the research team published its results in Earth and Planetary Science Letters and officially established Wetumpka as the 157th known impact crater on the planet.

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The geographic anomalies of the terrain were noted by others before King’s research eventually proved his hypothesis.

The first information about the site was recorded by State Geologist E.A. Smith in August 1891; and maps prepared in the 1950s by H.D. Eargle, L.C. Conant and C.W. Drennan described the area as structurally perturbed.

In 1971, Tuscaloosa geologist Tony Neathery, and two other geologists – Robert D. Bentley and Gregory C. Lyons – theorized that the site’s peculiarities were the result of a meteor impact.

During June and July 2009, King utilized a grant from NASA to conduct further core drilling – excavating at four new sites around the crater rim. The crater has also been photographed via satellite. “We have very detailed pictures of the earth’s surface, thanks to a LiDAR (lighting detection and ranging) study,” said King.

King said he hopes to eventually receive funding to explore other areas of the crater using core drilling techniques.

“I would like to drill a 6,000-foot well in the center,” he said. “That would probably cost a million bucks.”

Eventually King would like to have magnetic and seismic studies of the area conducted.

Wetumpka’s impact crater is unique among such geological anomalies because it is not submerged in water or otherwise covered or eroded beyond visibility. It is also the only authenticated impact crater in the eastern United States.

Researchers from around the globe have visited the area to study what scientists describe as “the best preserved marine impact crater in the world.” In places the ridge of hills that are the crater rim rise as high as 300 feet above the surrounding terrain.

Members of the Wetumpka Crater Commission have worked for more than a dozen years toward a dream of bringing the impact crater to prominence. The eventual goal is to construct an Alabama Impact Crater and Science Center that would include an observatory, classrooms, an interpretive center and more.

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Ernieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Great Fishing Expedition

By Dawn Hand

26 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

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T

he family was very excited as we prepared for our exciting fishing trip to New York!

I had attended an Outdoor Women Unlimited Annual Southern Classic weekend in Benton, Alabama at Southern Sportsman Lodge.

What a great time learning new outdoor activities while sharing time with other women equally passionate to explore all the great outdoor classroom adventures. Throughout the weekend, OWU provided opportunities to win hunting and fishing trips that extended across the USA! Well, I decided to try for the New York Fishing Trip on the Niagara donated by Ernie Calandrelli, Ernie’s Guide Service and Charter Fishing! Well, guess who won???

We left home about midnight for a long ride ahead. Leaving early, allowed us to have family time together. We arrived in Lewiston, New York about 3 p.m. the next day. It was great seeing the countryside. We checked in to the Riverside Motel. We met with Ernie Calandrelli, owner and guide Ernie’s Guide Service to plan for the next day of fishing.

5:30 am came quickly! We were eager to meet Ernie at 6:30 a.m. Well, maybe all of us but my daughter Ashton. He brought all of us breakfast. We had a nice trip over to Lake Erie. The water was a bit rough. The first of the family to get a “hit” was my son Remington! It was a tin can!

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After the first hour on the choppy waters, I began to feel a little queasy. I was in a panic. To be sick on a fishing trip of a lifetime would be the worse thing that could happen to me.. I was determined to hang tough. Finally, I began to feel better. Ernie took the boat further out to attempt to catch fish and then came back toward the inlet. Ashton, my daughter, had curled up on the back seat of the boat and fell asleep. She had shared with all that she was not having fun.

steelhead, small walleye, largemouth bass and others. SOOOO Much FUN!!!

Ernie was amazing with my children.

He helped them with fishing technique, retrieving the fish and taking photos! The only sad moment was when Ernie took a step back in the boat and placed his foot on one of his reel and rods. He told us in all his life fishing, he had broken a few things but he had never stepped on a rod and reel! We felt bad for him, but he was one of the most jovial souls I had Ernie was determined to reel her in to ever met. He just laughed it off. the fun we all were having catching fish.

Ernie invited her to be his mate. She We stayed in Lewiston a few more days. was to hold the hook and net to help We visited Niagara Falls. What a magbring the fish into the boat. She was nificent sight to behold. After enjoying smiling and laughing the entire time. it so much, we decided to go out on Ernie was so great with her! Next thing I the boat “under the falls!! Great fun but knew she was Fishing! My entire family soaked to the bone. The thrill of the was now holding a rod and reel fishing moment was to realize you were under their hearts out hoping to be the first Niagara Falls. However, when I realized to hook the BIG ONE! The competi- we could almost reach out and touch the tion was on! Remington was out front Canadian border, I knew this family had and his Dad was close on his trail. At made history. one point, Ashton, my husband, Bobby and I all had fish tugging on our lines! Lewiston has quite a bit of history. We Remington took over my rod and reel traveled over to tour Niagara Fort which while I helped Ashton reel her fish to is surrounded by a gorgeous lake. Lots the boat. Remington claimed my fish, a and lots of pictures were taken by all. good size steelhead.

Remington and Ashton enjoyed learning and seeing new areas of our beautiful Remington was still in the lead. I am country. zero. The wind current had picked up and the boat was drifting back toward Thank you Outdoor Women Unlimited, the inlet. Ernie had to keep trolling the Ernie Calandrelli and Ernie’s Guide boat back to our honey hole. Our family Service for making our first family trip fishing trip on Lake Erie was never to be to Lewiston, New York a memory of a forgotten, even by Ashton. We caught lifetime.

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Dress for Success

Fashion, Flowers and Feed Good Hope General Merchandise sets “NO LIMITS” in the Mississippi Delta!

By Whitney W. Hurt, J.D. 28 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

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A

wonderful mix of a sassy, tailored, latest fashion and high end finds. This store has a little bit of it all. Once a feed store with horse tack, feed, and plants, owner Holly Coleman channeled her creative juices and created a one stop shop for original and distinctive designs. Good Hope contains women’s clothing, one of kind jewelry, women’s shoes and boots, men’s clothing, men’s boots, children’s boots, plants, home accessories, flower arrangements, tux rentals, and bridal registry.

Holly has lived in Yazoo City for the past 20 years. She is married to Jay Coleman who has been a guide for OWU hunts in the Mississippi Delta. Good Hope General Merchandise started in 1997 by her brother and has continued to remain a family business for the past 17 years. When asked what her favorite part about owning a business in Yazoo County Holly said, “it is the friendly atmosphere and unexpected experiences you find everyday here in Yazoo County.”

Holly says the advantage of owning a business in a small town is you become an extended member of the family. She recounts the numerous times she helped find a last minute dress for high school senior’s big event or spends that extra hour with a newly engaged couple discussing their plans for the future while selecting their registry items.

Good Hope General Merchandise is active in community events and supports the outdoors. Her taste in unique and fun clothing gives every outdoor woman of any age something to shop for in her store. From Holly’s great selection in clothing for summer nights in the Delta to that just right item for daily outdoor adventures, a shopper can find just what they are looking for.

Good Hope General Merchandise is on Facebook. Stop by and see the great finds when you are visiting Yazoo City, Mississippi. Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 29

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StrikerFireTM System–slide the button forward to quickly and quietly cock the gun.

The silver recessed button allows you to de-cock the rifle.

30 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

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28” Ultralight Chromoly Barrel

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Shoulder the future of muzzleloading, head to your local dealer or visit:

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StrikerFireTM System Button Stow-N-Go Removable Butt Pad makes it easy to cock and Removes easily with the push of de-cock the striker mechanism Two-stage trigger allows for a a button providing convenient crisp, clean-breaking trigger storage space

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• Tracking leads on crossing birds

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FOOD & FLAME

Cooking in the Heartland of Alabama W. Brian Rodgers, C.C. â&#x20AC;˘ Executive Chef Five Star Plantation, LLC

32 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

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Marinated Grilled Pheasant Ingredients: 4 ea Pheasant Breasts ½ Cup Balsamic Vinegar 1 Cup Pomace Olive Oil 1 Tbs Black Pepper, Fresh Cracked 1 Tbs Kosher Salt 4 Cups Baby Greens or Mescaline 8 ea Cherry Tomatoes,

Cut in Half lengthwise 10 oz Hearts of Palm 16 oz Artichoke Hearts,

Cut in half on a bias ¼ Cup Balsamic Vinegar ¼ Cup Olive Oil Salt and pepper to taste ¼ Cup Balsamic Vinegar ½ Cup Vegetable Oil ½ tsp Creole Mustard ½ ea Fresh Lemon Juice 1 Bunch Fresh Parsley, Chopped 5 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary, Chopped 5 Sprigs Fresh Thyme, Chopped Salt and pepper to taste

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•

Lightly season the breasts

•

Place in a pan deep enough to marinate in

•

Pour the vinegar and the olive oil on the breasts

• •

•

Allow to marinate for 2 hours turning the breasts every 30 min

Turn the bird over and grill the bottom side just enough to cook it to a medium temp approximately 2 to 3 minutes

•

Place the sliced cherry tomatoes, hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, and fresh herbs in a bowl.

You will still have some play in the texture of the bird (not like a cooked piece of chicken)

•

Slice the breast on a angle lengthwise to make 4 pieces out of one breast

•

Pour the balsamic vinegar and olive oil over the items in the bowl

•

Season with salt and pepper and toss gently.

•

Toss the baby greens with the dressing and plate towards the back

•

Place in the cooler until ready for plate up

•

•

Grill the topside for approximately 2 to 3 min.

Gently place some of the hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, and cherry tomatoes in front of the salad in a half moon shape

•

Get good color on the topside

•

Place the slices of pheasant in the center of the salad draping to the front of the person eating in view

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 33

Oven-Baked Fish Ingredients: 1 cup dry breadcrumbs (fine) 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp chopped fresh oregano, optional 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp pepper 2 tbl chopped fresh parsley, optional 6 (8 oz.) catfish fillets ½ cup melted butter

Outdoor Women Unlimited “No Limits” Recipes

By Louise Howard

B

orn and raised in Milwaukie, OR I grew up fishing with my parents. In 1977, I married Jim and spent our honeymoon fishing the Oregon/Idaho border to Brownlee Reservoir and the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area. My husband, introduced me to chuckar and dove hunting and deer hunting.

I also enjoy turkey hunting. After six years, I harvested my first bird in 2013! I am constantly learning new concepts in hunting. OWU has helped me in that desire. Through my adventures and membership opportunities in OWU, I have made many friends. As I continue my trails, I hope to connect with other ladies that like the out-of-doors and hunting as I do.

After moving to Alabama in 1996, I had a great opportunity to fish women’s bass tournaments though out the southeast. Over the last ten years of fishing the bass tournaments, I have discovered it requires a lot of hard work. Friendships I have made on the trail remain close.

I continue my love of tournament fishing by being active in the Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation as a member of the weigh-in team. I fished with this group from 1997 thru 2011.

In recent years we have enjoyed introducing deer hunting to our granddaughter (she is a graduate student at University of Oregon). I have two step-children, four grand-children and one great grand-daughter.

34 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

Stir together first 5 ingredients and, if desired, parsley and oregano. Dip catfish in butter; dredge in breadcrumb mixture and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake at 375º for 25 min. or until fish flakes with a fork.

Yield - 6 servings Southern Living, April 1999 I like to serve fish with a Cucumber sauce

Cucumber Sauce Ingredients: 1/3 1 tsp 1 tbl 1 tbl 1/4

cup sour cream lime juice minced green onions mayonnaise cup seeded and finely chopped cucumber Pinch of salt, pepper and dill

Mix all ingredients until blended (by hand), chill a minimum of 1 hour.

Serves well with salmon, tuna or most any fish and great with fried fish.

Southern Living, August 1997 Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

Southern Classic Continued from page 15

lead themselves and their friends and families into sharing the experience.

new structural design and opportunity for achievement at each event. Members will be educated consumers and respon“It is time for us all to stand and cheer, sible outdoor enthusiasts. OWU is a firm for the doer, the achiever, the one who believer in “passing it on” and the imporrecognizes the challenge and does some- tance of making a difference. Members, thing about it!” sponsors, volunteers, instructors and outdoor enthusiasts, collaborate with OWU The Classic hosts over 100 members, leadership, to increase the outdoor marvolunteers and instructors and featured ket for women, encourage participation Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

in events and purchase products. By telling their story, members create a bridge for new members to enter into OWU and ultimately the outdoor world/industry.

Visit www.outdoorwomenunlimitd.org and FB the official page of Outdoor Women Unlimited.org.

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 35

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Outdoors & Education

“This is a Choctaw County tradition that is dying out,” said the 44-year-old Roberts. “Back in the day, they either had to run moonshine or run hoop nets.”

Roberts said James Hall, Walter Wayne Hall and Connie Littlepage introduced him to net fishing, and he’s learned from them all.

“James’ daddy did it,” Roberts said.

“That’s the way his daddy fed him. It’s important to him. C.A. Ezell (Ezell’s Fish Camp founder) used to run hoop nets for his commercial business. When they got out of it, they had a bunch of old hoop nets in a barn. So we started using them to fish with.”

Although both Roberts and Hall have commercial fishing licenses, a requirement to fish with hoop nets, neither has to do it to feed their families.

“We catch all we want,” Roberts said.

“We don’t sell them. We fill our freezers and then give them away. We give them to people for birthdays or some other reason to have a fish fry. We’ve got a friend who is fixing to retire from the (paper) mill, so we’re giving them the fish for the retirement party. I just really get a kick out of running hoop nets.”

Roberts, who has worked in oil fields all over the world for the last 25 years, said timing is the key for setting hoop nets successfully.

Gone Fishin’

By David Rainer, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

W

ith 6 feet of water covering the parking lot at the Tuscahoma Landing boat ramp, Phillip Roberts and James Hall didn’t hesitate to adjust. The road leading down the hill toward the Tombigbee River became the makeshift ramp for the Roberts’ custom-built aluminum boat made specifically for the task ahead – running hoop nets.

Roberts said their hoop netting is a tribute to the past when the folks along the river scraped by on whatever they could do to put food on the table. In the 20th century in rural Choctaw County, if you didn’t cruise, cut or haul timber, the choices were somewhat limited.

38 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

“What we do is wait until the springtime to do our fishing,” he said. “That’s when the fish go up the rivers to spawn, and they run the banks. They run the banks for two reasons, to get out of the current and to feed. All your baitfish, the minnows and shad, are in the bushes or running the bank.

“When we set our nets, we want a good bank where there are not a lot of trees where your nets will get hung. You want a place with current, but you don’t want any eddies. If the water eddies, it will make your net fold up. We tie the head line to a tree or something. Then we put a float on the tail line. It’s just easier to grab the line that way. Some people will anchor the tail line and use a drag to find the line. That’s a lot of trouble, which is why we use floats.”

Roberts said the equipment is very important for a successful trip. A reliable outboard with a wide, sturdy boat are Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

essentials. Boat positioning is important as well. During our trip last week, Hall was at the helm and all his focus was putting the boat in the right place with the high-water conditions.

“If you noticed, when we were running the nets, James never let the boat get sideways to the current,” Roberts said.

“If you do, the current’s got you. You’ve got to keep the boat pointed pretty much into the current. When I grabbed the net, I would turn the boat back toward the river so Mr. James could keep control of the boat.”

Once the tail line is grabbed and the first hoop comes to the surface, there is no time for hesitation, Roberts said.

“You’ve got to go with it,” he said.

“You’ve got to put it in the boat. If you don’t, you can tear a hole in your net or put somebody in the river. When you’ve got the net in your hands, you’ve got to commit to putting the net in the boat. If you don’t, you’ve got to let the net go. It’s too dangerous.”

That’s especially important if the net is full of fish, which can happen at any time.

“We’ve caught about 500 pounds in one net before,” Roberts said. “That was a job, but you’ve just got to bow up and get it in the boat.”

The contents of each net are pretty much like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates.

“When you start running nets, you don’t know what you’re going to catch,” Roberts said. “When I started this spring, the water was real cold. There wasn’t much of anything running. I caught a few catfish, but not many. When the sun started warming the water, I started catching catfish. The other day was the first time I’d caught any drum.

“I think that when the water gets a certain temperature, the catfish start running.

When the water gets a little warmer, the scale fish (drum, buffalo, carp, etc.) start running.”

When the fish really start running, Roberts and Hall have to be careful about the number of nets they’ve got out.

“What we’re doing is just for fun,” Roberts said. “If we did it any more, it’d be too much like work. But I do have people I can call and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got a bunch Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

Running a hoop net in high water requires two people on the net and one driving the boat. The Tombigbee River was high enough recently to submerge the parking lot and boat ramp at Tuscahoma Landing. Phillip Roberts shows off the big catch of the day, a 30-plus-pound flathead catfish as James Hall looks on

of fish,’ and they will come and help. I give them fish for helping me.”

Roberts said the best way to learn to fish the rivers is to find mentors who have been doing it for a while.

“I like fishing with the older folks,” he said. “I learned from them by soapfishing on trotlines and hoop netting.

And I didn’t just learn from one man.

I took what all of them taught me and combined it. Everybody has their own way of doing things. There are always different methods.”

One of the nine nets we ran last week had three hybrid striped bass, including one nice one, heavier than 10 pounds.

They were quickly thrown back into the swift, muddy water.

“If we catch any game fish (bass, bream, crappie, etc.) they go right back in the water,” Roberts said. “It’s against the law to keep any game fish.”

“Just guessing, I’d say we’ve caught blue cats between 80 and 90 pounds,” he said.

“We’ve caught yellow cats between 70 and 80 pounds.”

Last week, we had a yellow (flathead) catfish that was somewhere in the mid 30s with a couple of blue cats that were pushing 30 pounds.

From my experience, the flavor of a large flathead doesn’t get too strong. On the other hand, a large blue cat must be properly cleaned and some meat discarded. On the larger fish, Roberts and his cleaning crew will cut the tail off to get the blood out while it’s being skinned.

Also, current regulations limit the retention of large catfish. One catfish over 34 inches in total length is allowed per “When you filet a blue cat, you’ve got to trim off all the fat and the red meat,” fisherman per day.

Roberts said. “Once you get that done, The one thing Roberts doesn’t have in it has a red line that goes right down his boat is a scale, so he doesn’t know the center. You’ve got to cut all that red exactly how heavy the fish are that come meat out. If you do that, all you have to do then is fry it up.” into the boat.

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 39

T

here is a family that contains more than 700 species scattered around the world. Habitat that is most comforting is the tropical and sub-tropical regions. The family name is Bignonia (Bignoniaceae). The catalpa tree is a member and has quite a history to share in North America. There are two species of the catalpa tree in North America and both natives. Catalpa can be recognized by its large heartshaped, sharp pointed leaves, white or yellow showy flowers, and long fruits which resemble a slender bean pod.

Catalpa speciosa (Northern Catalpa) grows into a loose oval shape, 50 feet tall in most urban locations, but occasionally grows to 90 feet under optimum conditions. The large-leaved tree spreads 50 feet and tolerates hot, dry weather, but leaves may scorch and some drop from the tree in very dry summers. The leaves of speciosa are opposite.

Catalpa bignonioides (Southern Catalpa), is smaller; reaching only 30 to 40 feet tall, leaves are arranged opposite or in whorls and a southern US native.

A sunny exposure and a well-drained, moist, rich soil is preferred for best growth of Catalpa but the tree will tolerate a range of soils from acid to calcareous. It has been known to be called Catawba, Indian Bean Tree, Caterpillar Tree, and Fish Bait Tree!

Both North and South natives, have a course, very open growth habit forming an irregularly shaped crown. Catalpa has moderately long life (60 years or so), but trunks on large trees often contain rot. Catalpa trees are very adaptable and they are tough trees, having naturalized in many parts of the south.

Southern Catalpa

The Fish Bait Tree

By Steve Nix, Forestry Expert for about.com at Forestry about.com 40 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

The catalpa fruit is a long pod growing up to two feet long! The fruit is similar to a string bean. The old pods will eventually drop. Certainly the pods add ornamental flavor to the specimen.

Catalpa are often used as a land reclamation plant because it successfully grows where air pollution, poor drainage, compacter soil, and/or drought can become a problem for other species. It produces lots of shade and is a fast grower.

The largest living catalpa tree is on the lawn of the Michigan State Capitol, which was planted at the time the Capitol was dedicated in 1873. The oldest known living catalpa tree is actually Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

in the United Kingdom, a 150 year-old specimen in the Minster graveyard of St. Mary’s Butts in the town of Reading, Berkshire.

The larval stage of Ceratomia catalpa is known as the catalpa or Catawba worm. When first hatched, these larva are pale in color, but shade darker. The yellowing caterpillars will usually have a dark, black stripe down their back with black dots along their sides.

They grow to a length of about two inches and feed on the leaves of the Northern and, more commonly Southern catalpa.

The fully developed caterpillar has a conspicuous black spine or horn on the back of the insect’s rear. Catalpa sphinx moth caterpillar is usually plump with forage and are beautiful.

Catalpas are often planted to attract these catalpa “worms”. An enticing prize for fish bait because the skin is very tough that oozes a fluid with a sweet aroma. The caterpillar can defoliate the tree once or twice a year, but there appears to be no adverse effects to the tree.

Continued on page 42

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SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 41

Catalpa Tree Continued from page 41

Our Editor reflects on her experiences with the Catalpa Tree Family ties between nature and man are closer than we sometimes realize.

Memories of my childhood take me back a few years to the days of my first fishing lessons.

After whittling my first cane fishing pole, my grandfather introduced me to nature’s secret “lure” to fishing most species of freshwater fish, especially in the South.

He had two objectives to every lesson shared. First, learning how to spell every word in the title; secondly, learning how to apply what you learned. His philosophy was simple. If you could spell it; you could read it! If you could apply it, you would never go hungry! Spelling “Catalpa” still doesn’t come easy!

No worries for next year’s crop production. He taught me one of the most ingenious ways to preserve the catalpa worm. He used a simple staple item that had many uses for food preparation. He would pour cornmeal into a container. Roll the worms around gently. Place the worms in the container and cover lightly with cornmeal. Seal and freeze.

Southern traditions and childhood memories never seem to leave us. Recently, I was trimming shrubs in my front yard. A SUV turns into my driveway. A gentleman in a tailored suit steps out of the vehicle. He kindly introduces himself and explains his business in the area. He slowly walks toward me. As he gazed across the property, he began to smile. With glistening eyes, he turned and asked me a few questions about the homestead. I explained that I rented the property and asked him why he was interested. As a youth, he had experienced some of his fondest memories with his best friend. One of his favorites was racing home from school, grabbing up the fishing poles and running to “shake the limbs” of the catalpa tree.

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Female Hunting Participation Increasing, RMEF Hails Growth

By Mark Holyoak

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he Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation applauds recent research that indicates more female hunters are heading into the woods, mountains and backcountry than ever before.

Hunting is not just for good old boys, said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. More and more young girls, teenagers and women of all ages are getting out in the field. That’s a great thing and not just for them personally, but also because it bodes well for ensuring the future of conservation and our hunting heritage.

Data accumulated by the National Shooting Sports Foundation from participation studies conducted by the National Sporting Goods Association shows a

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combination of 3,346,000 women, toting either a rifle or a bow, actively hunted in 2012 compared to 3,041,000 in 2008.

That growth of 305,000 represents a 10 percent increase in just four years. In contrast, hunting participation over that same time period was just 1.9 percent for males.

Those numbers also mirror the overall growth of hunter participation on a larger scale in other recent research. The 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation showed a nine percent increase among American men and women 16 years and older from 2006 to 2011. Over that same time period, the percentage of female participation among all hunters jumped from 9.6 percent in 2006 to 11 percent in 2011.

Hunting is an American tradition. That way of life holds true despite gender, ethnicity or location. The fact that more girls and women are making their way in the woods or on the water only increases our ties to the wildlife and land around us, added Allen.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Founded over 30 years ago, fueled by hunters and a membership of more than 200,000 strong, RMEF has conserved more than 6.4 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of America’s hunting heritage. Discover why “Hunting Is Conservation” at www. rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 43

Top Hunting and Shooting Equipment Brands for 2013 Southwick Associates has announced the brands hunters and shooters purchased most frequently in 2013.

This list has been compiled from the 36,680 internet-based surveys completed by hunters and shooters who volunteered to participate last year in Southwick Associates’ HunterSurvey.com and ShooterSurvey.com polls.

In 2013, brands most frequently purchased included: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Top rifle brand: Savage Top shotgun brand: Remington Top muzzleloader brand: Thompson Center Top handgun brand: Tie: Ruger and Smith & Wesson Top crossbow brand: Barnett Top air rifle brand: Daisy Top rifle ammunition brand: Remington Top shotgun ammunition brand: Winchester Top handgun ammunition brand: Winchester Top blackpowder brand: Pyrodex Top balls, bullets, or shot brand: Hornady Top bow brand: Matthews Top broadhead brand: Rage Top bow case brand: Plano Top archery sight brand: Truglo Top decoy brand: Flambeau Top game call brand: Primos Top reloading die brand: Lee Precision Top reloading bullet brand: Hornady Top reloading primer brand: CCI Top reloading powder brand: Hodgdon Top reloading shot brand: Lawrence Top scope brand for firearms: Nikon Top scope accessory brand: Leupold Top binocular brand: Bushnell Top spotting scope brand: Bushnell Top range finder brand: Bushnell Top boot brand: Rocky Top bi-pod and shooting stick brand: Primos Top GPS device brand: Garmin Top game feeder brand: Moultrie Top food plot seed brand: Whitetail Institute Top knife brand: Buck Top cover scent brand: Wildlife Research Center Top lure scent brand: Tinks Top odor eliminator brand: Scent-A-Way Top tree stand brand: Ameristep & Summit Top trail camera brand: Moultrie Top shooting target brand: Shoot-N-C Top safety equipment brand: Remington Top clay brand: White Flyer Top trap and throwing device brand: Champion Top holster brand: Blackhawk Top gun cleaning supply brand: Hoppes Top gun safe brand: Stack-on Top choke tube brand: Remington Top magazine brand: Magpul

44 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

The list above is only a portion of all hunting and shooting categories tracked by Southwick Associates. Other types of information available include sales by caliber and gauge, percentage of sales occurring at different types of retailers, total spending per category, average prices, and demographics for hunters and shooters buying specific products. Additional participation information is available including total days spent afield by hunters and shooters, type of hunting and shooting enjoyed and preferred species and places to shoot.

You can stay abreast of consumer buying patterns and overall market trends by purchasing an annual subscription to Southwick Associates’ bi-monthly AnglerSurvey.com reports. Reports are also available for specific product categories. Greater insights are possible through custom reports that can help companies learn in which sub-markets they excel, or where they trail the competition. Individualized research is also available to help identify products desired by consumers, optimal pricing, and more.

To purchase a subscription or learn more, contact John DePalma at jdepalma@brandintelligent.com.

About AnglerSurvey.com, HunterSurvey.com and ShooterSurvey.com: Launched in 2006, AnglerSurvey.com, HunterSurvey.com and ShooterSurvey.com and help the outdoor equipment industry, government fisheries and wildlife officials and conservation organizations track consumer activities and expenditure trends. Survey results are scientifically analyzed to reflect the attitudes and habits of anglers and hunters across the United States. Follow them on Facebook at http://facebook.com/huntersurvey and http://facebook.com/anglersurvey or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/AnglerSurvey and https://twitter.com/#!/HunterSurvey.

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Project ChildSafe Gains 500 Supporter Organizations

Firearm industry program distributes free safety kits in 47 states since January

By Mike Bazinet

porting organizations are reaching out to the firearm-owning community to stress the importance of proper and responsible firearm storage. Central to that program are the Project ChildSafe Firearm Safety Kits, which include a free cablestyle gun lock. NSSF, which launched Project ChildSafe in 1999, provides the safety kits and locks to more than 15,000 The program began recruiting supporter law enforcement partner agencies across organizations last summer to expand the the country at no charge. reach of its safety message nationwide.

The Wild Sheep Foundation, a national Thanks in part to the work of Project organization dedicated to enhancing ChildSafe supporters to promote the wild sheep populations, promoting pro- “Own It? Respect it. Secure It.” message fessional wildlife management and pro- on their websites, advertising, storefronts viding public education on hunting’s role and in social media, demand for the in conservation, became the program’s safety kits has surged. More than 53,000 500th supporter this week. It joined a safety kits have been shipped to local host of local and national organizations law enforcement agencies in 47 states including USA Shooting, the Mule Deer nationwide since January, adding to the Foundation, Law Enforcement United, more than 36 million safety kits donated National Association of Sporting Good throughout the U.S. and in five territories Wholesalers, US First Responders and since Project ChildSafe began.

USA YESS, among others.

“We’ve partnered with Project ChildSafe “As an orga- and NSSF to distribute locks and edun i z a t i o n cational materials at several events dedicated to in the past year. At each event, the ethical hunt- response from the community has been ing and safe tremendous, demonstrating that Project shooting, we ChildSafe is the right approach to firebelieve any arm safety,” said Joe Huggins, Hunter d i s c u s - Education Coordinator with the Arkansas sion on Game and Fish Commission. “Reaching the impor- this milestone shows that the vast majortance of ity of gun owners are committed to being gun safety safe and responsible. We look forward and responsi- to continuing our work with Project bility must include ChildSafe to provide resources and tools storing guns respon- to help them do that.” sibly when they are not in use,” said Ryan Brock, Ph.D. and youth education coordinator for the Wild Sheep Foundation. “Project ChildSafe is the nation’s leading program in getting that message out, and providing the means firearm owners can use to help prevent accidents. We’re glad to be partnering with them.” the importance of safe firearm storage,” said Steve Sanetti, NSSF president and CEO. “This broad spectrum of support amplifies our industry’s safety message and lets people know there are resources available to help firearm owners take action - right now - to help prevent firearm accidents.”

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he National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) announced today that more than 500 retailers, sporting clubs and conservation organizations have signed on to support its Project ChildSafe program and promote the message of “Own It? Respect It. Secure It.” to help prevent firearm accidents.

“Reaching 500 supporter organizations for Project ChildSafe speaks to how the shooting sports community understands Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

Together, Project ChildSafe and its supSPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 45

In every community there is work to be done. In every nation there are wounds to heal. In every heart there is power to do it.

- Marianne Williamson

the country. This year, the Prattville Mill worked with the Foundation to provide more than 100 kits to classrooms across the River Region, bringing environmental education directly into the classroom.

Since 2008, the IP Foundation has contributed more than $30,000 to OWU’s mission of reaching out to educate women on the environment. This year, OWU worked with the Foundation on one of International Paper’s signature giving programs, Coins 4 Kids.

International Paper...

Making a Difference

By Susan Poole, IP Mill Communications Manager

I

Coins 4 Kids brings much needed inschool meals to children in Nairobi, Kenya. For only $50, one child can be fed for an entire school year. The primary fundraising for Coins 4 Kids is through an annual auction, held each spring.

IP facilities work with local partners to contribute items to the auction, and this year OWU didn’t hesitate to contribute.

With the donation of a fantastic gift basket, including membership and event attendance, OWU reached out to benefit children thousands of miles away. Their generous donation, along with other community partner such as the Prattville YMCA, Montgomery Biscuits, Courtyard by Marriott Prattville, Montgomery Marriott Prattville Capitol Hill, Oak Tavern Restaurant, Alabama Wildlife Federation, Robert Trent Jones Capitol Hill, and individual contributors, raised nearly $3,000 from just our community. That’s tremendous, and will feed nearly 60 children for a year, meals that they might not otherwise have.

zations such as OWU consistently offer programs and services that make a positive impact throughout our community.

Along with other organizations such as the Alabama Forestry Foundation, which offers Walk in the Forest for elementary-aged children, and the Alabama Wildlife Federation, which offers educators training on developing and sustainThe Prattville Mill, through the ing outdoor classrooms, OWU works to IP is very proud of our relationship with organizations such as OWU, and excited International Paper Foundation, has sup- enhance environmental education. to discover more organizations and ways ported OWU for several years, helping support education opportunities dur- Another contribution from the IP that we can work collaboratively to be a ing annual events. The Foundation’s Foundation is seen each year through positive impact on our community and primary giving areas are literacy and the Earth’s Birthday Project, which plac- the world. For more information on the environmental education, and organi- es butterfly kits in classrooms across IP Foundation, please visit www.ipgiving.com. nternational Paper is proud to partner with community organizations such as Outdoor Women Unlimited.

OWU provides a vital opportunity for women throughout the region by offering a hands-on outdoor education experience, highlighting the importance of conservation.

46 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

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Top Fishing Equipment Brands for 2013 Southwick Associates’ AnglerSurvey.com announced the brands and products anglers purchased most frequently in 2013. This list has been compiled from the 18,559 internetbased surveys completed in 2013 by AnglerSurvey.com panelists.

In 2013, sportfishing’s most frequently purchased brands included: • Top rod brand: Shakespeare (Ugly Stik, Sturdy Stik, etc.)

• Top reel brand: Shimano • Top combo brand: Shakespeare • Top fishing line brand: PowerPro • Top hard bait brand: Rapala • Top soft bait brand: Berkley Gulp • Top spinner bait brand: Strike King • Top jig brand: Strike King • Top sinker brand: Eagle Claw • Top swivel brand: Eagle Claw • Top rigs brand: Eagle Claw • Top leader brand: Seaguar • Top fly rod brand: Orvis and Redington (tie) • Top fly reels brand: Orvis • Top fly line brand: Scientific Angler and Rio (tie) • Top fly leader brand: RIO • Top tippets brand: Seaguar • Top ice reel brand: SHAKESPEARE • Top ice rod brand: ST CROIX • Top ice combo brand: Frabill • Top ice tip ups: Frabill • Top wader brand: Hodgman • Top clothing brand: Columbia • Top raingear brand: Frogg Toggs • Top landing net brand: Frabill • Top bait bucket/aerator brand: Frabill • Top fishing knife brand: Rapala • Top fish scale brand: Berkley • Top trolling motor brand: Minn Kota The list above is only a portion of all fishing categories tracked by Southwick Associates. Other information tracked includes percentage of sales occurring at different types of retailers, total spending

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per category, average prices, and deShimano mographics for Baitrunner DL anglers buying Reel specific products.

Additional information tracked includes total days spent fishing, type of fishing (fresh, salt and more), preferred species and where they fish.

You can stay abreast of consumer buying patterns and overall market trends by purchasing an annual subscription to Southwick Associates’ bi-monthly AnglerSurvey.com reports. Reports are also available for specific product categories. Greater insights are possible through custom reports that can help companies learn in which sub-markets they excel, or where they trail the competition. Individualized research is also available to help identify products desired by consumers, optimal pricing, and more.

To purchase a subscription or learn more, contact John DePalma at jdepalma@brandintelligent.com.

About AnglerSurvey.com, HunterSurvey.com and ShooterSurvey.com: Launched in 2006, AnglerSurvey.com, HunterSurvey.com and ShooterSurvey.com and help the outdoor equipment industry, government fisheries and wildlife officials and conservation organizations track consumer activities and expenditure trends. Survey results are scientifically analyzed to reflect the attitudes and habits of anglers and hunters across the United States. Follow them on Facebook at http://facebook.com/huntersurvey and http://facebook.com/anglersurvey or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/AnglerSurvey and https://twitter.com/#!/HunterSurvey.

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 47

Lessons Learned From the Lake Commandos

What happens when you dump two expert anglers on unfamiliar water and tell them to conquer it … and each other?

By Steve Pennaz

our goal was simple: to highlight the thought processes successful anglers use when developing effective patterns.

Each week my guest and I fish unfamiliar water. And before we even launch the boat, we each announce our chosen pattern for the day. Then we fish my guest’s pattern for two hours, then switch to my pattern for the next two; the most productive of the two are then used the around why I was getting thumped so rest of the day. bad. We were both throwing a 4-inch Berkley Chigger Craw in green pumpkin Weird? Yes. Tough? Always! Effective? and our casts were landing just five feet Most of the time. apart.

So why do it this way? Because when you are forced to fish a single pattern and trying to beat the guy with you, you do whatever it takes to catch fish. And that’s when you really start to push the envelope.

A

Texas buddy of mine and I pulled up to a bar that started in 19 feet of water and topped out in 5. We were both fishing a Carolina rig, and both using a Berkley Chigger Craw for bait.

So why did he catch five bass in the next 10 minutes while I remained skunked?

It’s hard not to be fascinated with the factors that affect fishing success. And as much as one tries to break things down to key elements such as bait selection, speed, location, color, etc., the more frustrating it can be—the number of possible combinations is endless.

But, when I looked closer at what he was doing, I noticed he was fishing a fluorocarbon main line, a ¾-ounce sinker and clacker bead on an 18-inch fluoro leader. My line choice was braid, my sinker was slightly lighter at a ½-ounce, my leader was only 12 inches, and I purPonder the following questions a posely rigged without a bead. moment: When’s the last time you burned a bass jig over shallow grass?

You guessed it. As soon as I switched Tossed a lipless crank in two feet of from braid to fluoro, increased my leadwater? Compared your flippin’ efficiency er length and opted for a heavier sinker with someone using a reel geared a and bead, I started getting bit. It’s not speedy 7.9:1 (or even 9:1)? Made a color that his rig was “better” than the rig I was change simply because a cloud bank using, it was simply better that day. moved in? Tried fluorocarbon for vertical jigging in rivers?

Speed is another factor to consider, especially now that companies like Abu Lesson One—Getting on Fish Fast Garcia are offering models that cover the One of the best ways to get on fish fast is speed spectrum. Surprisingly, fast is often offering the fish multiple choices. That better than slow. Recently, we fished a means, using your partner to help elimi160-acre natural lake known for producnate bait options. Try not to use the same ing trophy fish. Yet, two hours into the bait as others in your boat, and if you day we had yet to boat a decent bass do settle on the same make and model throwing swim jigs, pitching to holes in lure, play with different lure colors until the dense weeds or drop-shotting. a clear winner emerges.

Also experiment with line choice, speed, hook size, leader length, and other factors in your offering. Time and again I’ve seen how subtle choices make big differences in success. Case in point, that day on a classic Texas reservoir I mentioned When we launched Lake Commandos earlier. At first, I couldn’t wrap my head 48 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

Out of desperation, I started burning a jig over shallow grass, a technique that has produced well in the past. Within minutes a solid 4 pounder slammed the jig, and in the Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

next 10 minutes three more quality fish joined him.

Here’s the “take home” message: Most baits are a lot more versatile than most anglers realize.

That’s the deal. Lake Commandos has taught me to fish creatively with attention to the details, making subtle, onThe result? We smoked the bass! Again, it the-fly adjustments, when necessary to seemed counter-intuitive, but it worked! provoke strikes.

Lipless Cranks Where?

Just weeks ago I was on another Texas reservoir fishing with Tony Owens, biologist/tournament angler with the Texas Freshwater Fishery Center in Athens.

Tony chose rattlebaits as his pattern, so I picked jerkbaits. The water temperature was trending upward all week, jumping from 50 to 60 degrees in a matter of days. All indications pointed to bass starting to move up toward spawning habitat. So we targeted shallow areas with the warmest water we could find in the system.

This particular outing also illustrated just how important color can be once the pattern is set. My guest fished natural shad color and I picked chartreuse. We fished the same baits on the same gear in the same areas and chartreuse flat-out caught more fish than natural shad. Of course, once he switched, it was game on!

Left to fish intuitively, I would’ve thrown a spinnerbait, jig, or a Texas-rigged worm, but never a rattlebait. But by being forced to do something different, I learned an entirely new way to catch bass.

Here’s one last example. This past summer we were stormed off our objective lake and onto a smaller, 500-acre lake picked at random. My opponent chose a medium-diving crankbait and I went with a shallow diver. It wasn’t long before I was up 10 or 12 fish to his zero.

We gave ourselves the choice between two different rattlebaits for the episode: the Sebile Vibe Machine and the slightly bigger and heavier Sebile Lipless Seeker. My opponent was running the boat and throwing the Vibe Machine into shallower water.

I was probing slightly deeper with the Seeker. We fished an entire hour or more without a bite. Then we moved up even shallower into a back bay, where I never in a million years would have considered fishing a rattlebait. It was only two feet deep with intermittent grass! A traditional rattlebait would have been hard to fish, but the Vibe Machine runs shallow and when fished on a slightly faster 7.1:1 reel on heavier line, we were able to keep our baits grass-free and in the strike zone.

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bor the point. For more examples, kick back and watch an episode or two of Lake Commandos.

I challenge you to Go Commando. Grab a buddy, head to water you haven’t Again, it came down to details. I was fished before (or recently), pick a coufishing a shallow-diving bait on a 7.9:1 ple patterns, and stick with one for the retrieve ratio reel, which simply put the first part of the day. Then switch. See bait in front of more fish faster than his who catches the most fish. More impormedium-diving bait on a slower retrieve. tantly, figure out why they were more It’s a good example of identifying what successful. to do when the fish are “on,” in terms of tweaking speed or bait selection.

After all, in a sport rich with bait, tackle and gear choices, the best choice is not There are countless more examples from always what you might think. The fish filming that I could use to convince you will let you know when you’ve picked a to fish outside the box. But I won’t bela- winner, that I can guarantee.

Doug & Marsha Williamson invite you to visit:

“Your Firearms Specialty Shoppe” 2766A Bell Road Montgomery, AL 36117 Phone: 334-239-8276 sales@thegunshoppe.biz Visit us at: www.thegunshoppe.biz

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 49

HOG WILD

HABITAT & CONSERVATION

By David Rainer,

Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Feral hogs are prolific reproducers capable of bearing two litters per year with four to eight piglets per litter. The most effective trapping technique is to capture the whole sounder (family group) at one time, which requires that the pigs become acclimated to the trap and bait inside.

P

laying catch-up is a difficult task in almost every endeavor. That’s especially true when the issue at hand is the explosion in the feral hog population.

There for you any season...

I heard a story last week from a hog hunter who had trapped and relocated a group of hogs to the Tombigbee River swamp in the 1980s before everyone realized what a destructive force an unchecked wild hog could become.

The complicate owner of the swamp told the hog hunter, “If I knew then what I know now, I’d have killed you and the hogs.”

While that statement might be a bit over the top, landowners with feral hog infestations know the damage these eating machines can wreak.

E T S A G Heating & Cooling Licensed Contractor Sales , Service & Installation Hm: 541.2908 • Cell: 799.0946 • State License # 06199

50 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

Early in the previous decade, wildlife managers and landowners knew something had to be done about the burgeoning wild hog population.

Since 2003, Steve Ditchkoff, the “William R. & Fay Ireland Distinguished Professor” at Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, has been involved in wild pig research. In 2004, Ditchkoff and noted wild pig expert Jack Mayer of the Savannah River National Laboratory in Georgia introduced the International Wild Pig Conference; it has been held every two years since. This year’s conference, held recently at the Embassy Suites in Montgomery, hosted 250 attendees from all over the world.

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“We know the wild pig problem is growing,” Ditchkoff said during a break at the conference. “We have pigs popping up in areas where they were not before. Damage has to be increasing.

We were talking about how poor our damage estimates are. $1.5 billion in agriculture damage is the estimate we always use nationally – that’s based on $300 per pig – but that’s a guess.

Some people project the damage is in the multiples of billions. In Alabama, the estimate is between $50 and $100 million. We think that’s a conservative estimate.”

Ditchkoff said the greatest concentration of pigs in Alabama is in the lower coastal plains below I-85 with significant densities north of Mobile Bay in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.

“We’re starting to get a measles sort of distribution across the state with little spots here and little spots there,” he said.

Ditchkoff said the distribution problem has been exacerbated by people with trucks and trailers.

“Hunting won’t do it,” Ditchkoff said. “You have to kill about 70 percent of your pigs just to hold it steady. If you’ve got 100 pigs, you’ve got to kill 70 this year, 70 next year and 70 the year after that just to maintain.”

Ditchkoff said his team discovered territorial behavior with the pigs at Fort Benning. Sounders would stick to and defend their “People ask how fast pigs spread,” he said. “One of our presenters territories. With whole sounder removal, trappers can start worksaid, ‘They move at 70 miles per hour – in the back of a pickup ing in a grid fashion to remove the population. truck.’ Pigs move extremely slowly on their own. This is a human problem. The vast majority of these pockets popping up are due “If you take the whole sounder, you don’t educate any, and to hunters releasing them. they’re smart critters,” he said. “That way, you’re dealing with novice pigs all the time.”

“Even then, can you really stop them? We’ve got people who say, ‘We want pigs and we don’t care how it’s going to affect anybody Chris Jaworowski, wildlife biologist with the Alabama Department else.’” of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division (WFF), said the wild pig conference covered When feral pigs show up in an area, Ditchkoff said the only viable control methods from toxicants and contraceptives to thermal option to deal with the infestation is trapping with a plan. imaging and traps with remote technology.

“Strategic trapping is the only way to do it,” he said. “I don’t care about how many pigs you kill. I only care about how many you left behind that can reproduce.

Continued on page 55

“We developed a trapping strategy at Auburn and cleared 20,000 acres at Fort Benning (Ga.). You can do it if you do it right. It’s not a new mouse trap. You use game cameras, bait and corral traps.”

Ditchkoff said they developed a five-step process: find the pigs, identify the pigs, acclimate the pigs to traps, trap them and monitor the area afterward.

“You’ve just got to make sure that when you trap them you get them all,” he said. “Patience is the key. Identifying them is easy.

Baiting has to be done strategically. You’ve got to make sure you’ve got every pig in that sounder. If the sounder is too big, you have to build a bigger trap or add traps.

“Then we’ve got to set the triggers to make sure that when the door falls, all the pigs are in the trap. Again, being patient is the key.”

Ditchkoff said the traps can be as simple as a trap with a stick, string and guillotine door to the modern traps that can be monitored and executed by smartphone. The smartphone user gets a video feed from the trap and then dials a number and enters a code to close the trap door.

Because pigs have such a high reproduction rate at up to two litters per year with four to eight piglets per litter, trying to control the population through hunting will likely be futile.

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5156 U.S. Highway 231, Wetumpka

334-567-8444 Monday–Friday 8:30 am–6 pm Saturday 9 am–5 pm

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Spring Planting for Wildlife

By Chas Moore, Wildlife Biologist, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries

52 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

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P

Sunflowers should be planted between April 1 and June 30 in Alabama.

lanting for wildlife is often seen as simply planting a green field with cool-season crops, such as wheat, oats and clover, in the fall just prior to the opening of deer season. These plots are easy to plant and maintain, and do a great job of easing the stresses of food shortages after the fall mast is essentially gone. They also serve as great areas for attracting wildlife for harvest opportunities during hunting season.

However, these plots typically do very little to aid in the overall growth and development of wildlife on a given property.

plant diversity by disking, mowing and burning, or they can be planted with agricultural crops as part of an overall habitat management plan.

In the South, the most stressful time of the year for most wildlife is the hot, dry period of late summer through early fall. This also is when many species are actively growing, raising young, and most in need of the benefits of good nutrition. Availability of quality native browse is limited this time of year on most properties, especially areas dominated by closed canopy forests.

In most areas of the Southeast, especially where deer numbers are high, openings of less than 3 acres should not be planted with warm-season crops. Deer will overbrowse the crops before they are able to produce enough forage or seed to justify the expense of planting. Most warm-season crops are used by a variety of game species, such as deer, turkey, dove, quail and rabbits, as well as a host of non-game species.

Planting at least one 3- to 5-acre plot per 100 to 200 acres of total acreage should provide a significant amount of supplemental forage and/or seed production.

Landowners and wildlife managers interested in minimizing the negative impacts of these seasonal highs and lows in food availability and quality should focus their efforts on management of the native food plants.

Well-managed pine stands, which are adequately thinned and burned on a three- to five-year rotation, provide great forage and nesting opportunities for many species. Bottomland hardwood forests should be protected from fire and maintained for mast production in the fall and winter months. Less desirable trees within these stands, such as maple, yellow poplar, sweetgum and unproductive oaks, can be removed to allow more sunlight to reach the forest floor. Removing this competing vegetation frees up resources for the more desirable trees in the stand and increases the siteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential for browse production.

Besides forested stands, a very important component to consider when managing wildlife habitat is wildlife openings. For deer and turkey management, having at least 1 to 5 percent of a propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total acreage in wildlife openings should be a goal. The openings should be well distributed on the property and can be managed to increase available natural forage and

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Wildlife openings planted with warmseason crops can provide high-quality forage during the most stressful and beneficial period of summer. Many of the commonly planted warm-season crops can last through early fall, which can provide hunting opportunities as well. However, planting and maintaining warm-season crops often presents several hurdles and challenges that cool-season crops do not.

Another issue not often encountered with cool-season plantings that usually needs addressing in warm-season plantings is weed and grass competition. Using the right herbicide or combination of herbicides before and after planting can resolve most problems with unwanted weeds and grasses. A selective herbicide should be used for specific crops unless you are planting some of the Roundup ReadyÂŽ crops. A non-specific herbicide, such as glyphosate, can be applied over the field prior to planting to eliminate some unwanted weeds and grasses.

Allow all vegetation to brown before tilling the opening. This post-planting application can help to some degree, but it will not address the grass and weed seeds still present in the soil.

Utilizing an appropriate pre-emergent herbicide before or immediately after planting can be very effective at combating the unwanted grass and weed seeds that have not germinated. This will allow the crop to get a jump-start over the competition, but may not be all that is needed.

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Warm Season Crop Planting Guide SPECIES

White-tailed Deer

CROP

PLANTING DATES

SEEDING RATES

PLANTING DEPTH

cowpeas

May 1 - July 15

Broadcast = 45 lbs./acre Drill = 15 lbs./acre

1 in.

lablab

April 20 - June 30

Broadcast = 20 lbs./acre Drill = 10 lbs./acre

1 in.

soybeans

April 20 - June 30

Broadcast = 60 lbs./acre Drill = 30 lbs./acre

1 in.

chufa

May 1 - June 30

Broadcast = 40 lbs./acre Drill = 25 lbs./acre

1 in.

corn

March 15 - May 1

Broadcast = 15 lbs./acre Drill = 12 lbs./acre

1 in.

browntop millet

April 1 - August 15

Broadcast = 25 lbs./acre Drill = 15 lbs./acre

½ in.

proso millet

May 1 - June 15

Broadcast = 30 lbs./acre Drill = 15 lbs./acre

¼ in.

sunflowers

April 1 - June 30

Broadcast = 15 lbs./acre Drill = 4 lbs./acre

½ in.

grain sorghum

April 15 - June 30

Broadcast = 15 lbs./acre Drill = 8 lbs./acre

½ in.

Wild Turkeys

Mourning Doves

If weeds and grasses are still a problem after the crops are established, a selective herbicide may be needed.

A grass specific herbicide, such as sethoxydim or clethodim, can eliminate most grasses in non-grass crops, such as soybeans, lablab and sunflowers. They should never be used on fields planted with millets, sorghum or corn. These crops are species of grass and these herbicides will kill them. For these crops, several broadleaf specific herbicides are available to control 54 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

weed competition. When using any The Alabama Department of herbicide, carefully follow all labeling Conservation and Natural Resources instructions. promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natThe chart above can be used as a ural resources through five divisions: warm-season crop-planting guide for Marine Police, Marine Resources, State several wildlife species. Soil from all Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and areas to be planted should be test- Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more ed well before planting. The recom- about ADCNR visit www.outdooralamended levels of lime and fertilizer bama.com. should be applied according to the test results. Sites should be well-tilled prior to planting.

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Hog Wild Continued from page 51

“Some people think toxicants and contraceptives could be the cure-all for pigs,” Jaworowski said. “That was discussed – that it was not true. These are just more tools for the toolbox. Right now there are no approved speciesspecific toxicants (poisons) or contraceptives in the United States. We’re hoping that within three, five or 10 years those tools will be available to everyone.”

Jaworowski thinks one important bit of news highlighted during the conference is that the U.S. Congress has allocated $20 million for feral hog control.

“That’s a huge step,” he said. “We’ve finally had Congress recognize that the nation has a pig problem, but this is a long-term process. This is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Jaworowski said Auburn graduate student Rachel Conley participated in a research project that sought to identify the distribution of wild pigs across Alabama. Conley enlisted the help of WFF’s conservation enforcement officers to map wild pig populations in each county.

Conley’s research indicated feral hogs are in 64 of Alabama’s 67 counties with 36 counties reporting an increase in the pig population in the last five years. That pig distribution covered 38.3 percent of the land base in Alabama.

Jaworowski, who manages the Lowndes County Wildlife Management Area, said WFF is looking at ways to deter people from moving live wild hogs. It is already against the law to transport wild hogs, but it is happening anyway.

WFF Director Chuck Sykes has proposed a change to feral hog regulations that requires that any hog caught by trap or by dogs must be killed at the site of capture before it is moved.

“We’ve got to get increased fines and penalties,” he said.

“We’ve got to get people to look at risk versus reward. It’s got to be more expensive to get caught trying to move them.

“And we’ve got to teach landowners how to trap hogs.

The most beneficial method is to make it a collaborative effort where all the landowners in an area are on the same page with trapping and control programs.”

That brings up the question of what to do with the feral hogs once reduced to bag. Wild pigs can carry pseudorabies and brucellosis, so proper handling is a must.

“We recommend using gloves when cleaning wild pigs, and stay away from the reproductive tract,” Ditchkoff said. “I’ve eaten a bunch of them, and they make the best sausage in the world. Most people can’t figure out why wild hog sausage is so good. But if you go to the store and buy sausage, that’s the worst meat off the pig. With a wild pig, you use the hams, backstraps and tenderloins. You’re grinding that into sausage, and it is delicious.”

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Grace, Guns & Gear 1

2

The Must-Have List For Every Outdoor Woman 56 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

4

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1

Pro-Edition Jacket - Constructed with 3 ply windstopping and water resistant fabric. Soft shell enhances silence. Nylon tricot lining to improve layering and enhance warmth. 3-panel, removable hood. Arm pockets with magnetic closure snaps to enhance silence. Scapular drop pockets located between shoulder blades to hold activated hand warmers. Deep set hand pockets with zippered pockets. Snap down sliders on zippers to ensure silence. Zipper garage at neck to reduce chaffing from zipper mechanics. Tapered sleeve cuffing with thumb holes added for warmth, concealment and ease of movement. www. proishunting.com

2

THUG™ – The Teacher™ is a mouth call system that will improve your mouth calling. Major turkey calling champion Chris Kirby takes you step by step on the basic fundamentals; then ramps up the lesson to take the fundamentals to a higher level. The Teacher™ system includes the Half Moon Double™ for clear pretty calling and the Half Moon Nasty Old Hen™ to take care of the raspy needs you may need afield. These calls are a perfect one-two punch to master and elevate your mouth calling abilities. www.quakerboy.com

3

‘Texas’ Biggest Bodacious Bullet Buckle with Antique Pink Swarovski Crystals & Antique Silver Base - Our biggest buckle yet! This hot buckle rocks! Beautiful scalloped border on an American Made pewter base. We like to think of these as ‘Texas Style’Over 30 spent rounds & many Swarovski Crystals come together to make any boots and jeans look good!

Measures in at 4w x 3h, all of our bases come with hook and d-ring to fit any SNAP belt...of course it looks PRETTIEST with all of ours! www.prettyhunter.com

4

NEW CANYON COOLERS® OUTFITTER 35 - 35 quart; premium polyethylene shell filled with high density foam; beastly thick walls(3” lids with 2” floors); Silicon seal; Weighs 22 pounds with a 28% thicker body than competition. Thick rope handles; Squared corners for simple packing; closing latches recessed to prevent snagging other gear; non skid rubber feet;Ice Retention 9-20 days. Aluminum hinge pin runs length of lid. Attractive sandstone finish; will not stain or absorb odor. Canyon Coolers offer a four-year warranty. www.canyoncoolers.com

5

The Easton® Outfitters Gamegetter™ is the all-purpose, hydration compatible backpack. This pack is ideal for day hunts when mobility is key. Tailored for “run and gun” turkey hunting, as well as treestand or ground blind hunting, the Gamegetter is lightweight with a capacity of 1700 cubic inches, and can handle a decent amount of weight when needed. The pack has an adjustable/removable waist belt for added versatility that can fit up to a 52-inch waist. The Gamegetter is Hydration Bladder compatible, making it easy to stay hydrated in the field. The pack is equipped with six internal and six external pockets for plenty of storage. A rollaway rain cover keeps the pack and gear dry during wet weather. The pack features a removable Tab Light, convenient for locating gear during low-light situations. www.eastonoutfitters.com

3

3

5

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SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 57

The Instructor’s Corner

Chip McEwen Partner, SAT-C NRA Certified Instructor

SAT-C Small Arms Training-Consultants, LLC

O

ne of the most asked questions from OWU members considering purchasing a firearm for personal protection is, “What kind of gun should I buy?” It is such a simple question but creates a somewhat more complex answer for the Firearms Instructor tasked with providing a simple answer. The simple answer is, “It depends!”

The decision on which firearm to purchase for personal protection will always start with your commitment to invest the time to research the information available and to thoughtfully consider your own personal situation. Do not let some salesperson at a gun shop, husband/boyfriend/companion, or other trusted relative/friend make the decision for you. This is a very personal decision that YOU must be personally comfortable with in all aspects!! The scope of this article is focused on personal protection and the purchase of a handgun, but some of the points should be considered if you are buying a firearm for other purposes such as target shooting/plinking, competitive shooting, or hunting.

Consider first if you are a person who understands the commitment to personal responsibility inherent in owning and carrying a pistol for personal protection. Do you have the emotional maturity and control as well as the willingness to exercise this Constitutionally guaranteed right in your life? Do you know and understand your local/state applicable laws regarding the carry and use of firearms in self-defense?

You are purchasing a pistol for self-protection!

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Sometimes firearm owners may want a gun they can use for protection, target shooting, and hunting, but beware of the temptation to have an “all-in-one” pistol for any purpose. Stay focused on the ones that best help you with your primary purpose.

The next thing to consider is your experience with different action types (i.e revolver, semi-auto, single action, double action) and the advantages/disadvantages which need to be researched relating to your ability to load/unload, operate the action, bring the pistol to bare, shoot effectively, clean/ maintain, and comfortably carry the firearm with you at all times. Personal protection is not an occasional thing; it requires constant vigilance and awareness.

The next step to consider is the method in which you plan to carry the pistol and the advantages/disadvantages of each in relation to the type of pistol action you are considering purchasing. As an example, if you are planning to carry your pistol in a purse then you need to look at various purses that are specifically designed for carrying a firearm in them and how easily they can be accessed and brought to bare if necessary to stop an imminent threat of severe bodily injury or death.

Also will the pistol action function if you have to fire it from this concealment device in an emergency? A revolver may work and provide a follow-up shot but a semi- automatic might “stove pipe” and fail to operate for a follow-up shot. Another method of carry such as a hip holster doesn’t have these same concerns, but you have to think about how you will maintain concealment of your firearm in this carry method.

And finally after you make that purchase continue your training by taking the NRA Personal Protection Inside the Home and Outside the Home courses to increase your knowledge and skill to be the responsible, mature, effective, and law-abiding personal protection firearm owner you desire to be. If you have questions regarding this article or your research you can email me at chip@smallarmstraining-consultants.com .

Another important decision is the caliber of the firearm. In Your decision to be “personally responsible” for your own perNRA Personal Protection courses it is recommended, as a sonal protection is a very empowering choice and one that minimum, a person consider the 9MM or .38 Special calibers the women of OWU are choosing to make!!! to start and consider larger calibers as long as you can safely, accurately, and comfortably shoot them in the pistol you are planning to use for personal protection. Other areas in this regard will be your personal comfort with pistol recoil, the advantages/disadvantages of a particular caliber and associated bullet regarding penetration/over-penetration and your basic ability to operate the pistol’s action.

As you can see there isn’t just a simple answer and these are just a few of the questions to begin your research. The answers for each person are individual to them only! No real “rule of thumb” to rely on here. BUT, this process is not so complex that you should throw up your hands and say, “Forget it!” My wife likened it to “buying a bra.” To get one that truly fits, you have to go through several steps because there isn’t a “one size fits all” but when you get to the end it’s like you finished “riding the roller coaster!”

So what should you do? Use this article to start your research and “accept no limits.” Take an NRA Basic Pistol course and these questions along with many others will be addressed.

Seek out an NRA Certified Instructor with Pistol rating and have a discussion in greater detail regarding the questions in this article and advantages/disadvantages of various pistols for personal protection use. I encourage you to complete all this research and, wherever possible, test fire the firearm you think you want BEFORE your purchase it. This should not be an impulse purchase!

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Wetumpka

Paint &

Body LLC

AUTO REPAIR AND SERVICE

BRAD PRICE

SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 59

Heather Adams Title: OWU Member Age: 25 Occupation: Nurse My first experience with OWU was a shotgun clinic seven years ago. From that clinic I was hooked, I wanted to learn and grow with OWU. I became an member of the Venture Crew and received my Hunter’s Education card as well as certification in shotgun. I knew I wanted to learn more and grow not only in the shooting sports but I wanted to hunt.

The Siege® Lantern The Siege® Lantern features five C4® power LEDs, four white and one red with five output modes and a battery level indicator built into the on/off button. With the outer lantern globe in place, the light will float.

Use the lantern with or without the outer globe cover. Remove the outer globe and hang the body upside down by the D ring for large area lighting needs. Battery replacement is a breeze with the center post orienting the battery cover correctly every time. www.streamlight.com

MY GEAR

Being a member of the Crew gave me this opportunity. I blazed my first deer in 2010 at the OWU/Crew deer hunt. It was an awesome experience.

Without OWU, I would not understand the importance of the outdoors, but more importantly I would have never harvested my first animal. My goal now is turkey hunting. OWU has made that difference!

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MY GEAR

TenPoint Crossbow Technologies® New Shadow Ultra Lite The Shadow Ultra-Lite Crossbow is a new combination light-weight 19.6-inch carbon-injected polymer barrel and 5.5 oz. trigger housing which reduces total bow weight to 6.4 lbs. 13.5-inches from axle-to-axel when cocked. Riser fitted with tactical 11-inch IsoTaper Limbs™, MRX™ cams, D-75™ string and cable and detachable lightweight coated aluminum foot stirrup. 180-pound draw weight.

Shoots up to 150 FPS. One of the lightest crossbows in the marketplace. www.tenpointcrossbows.com

Bullet & Clear Swarovski Crystal Copper Ring Show the world that you are a lady that shoots with style by sporting our Bullet & Bling Rings! This is just one of four fabulous options...all bullets are hand cut and all bling is genuine Swarovski crystal. Ring face measures about 3/4” long x 5/8” wide, all are coated brass bases with adjustable bands. PH jewelry is lead and nickel free. www.prettyhunter.com

45 Caliber Bullet Earrings With Blue Swarovski Crystals These 45 cal earrings will help you complete your Pretty Hunter look beautiful & badass all at once! These stud earrings have a touch of bling with Blue Swarovski Crystals. Earrings are handcrafted from a variety of spent rounds. www.prettyhunter.com

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SPRING/SUMMER 2014 | BLAZE | 61

MY GEAR

Chef’sChoice® Sportsman™ 4635 Diamond Hone® Knife Sharpener This professional manual three-stage sharpener applies a super sharp and durable edge on fishing and light hunting knives, pocket knives and serrated knives as well as both 15° and 20° edge household knives. The Chef’sChoice® Sportsman™ 4635 creates a razor sharp, double-beveled, arch-shaped edge that is stronger and lasts longer. Using Chef’sChoice® signature 100% diamond abrasives it will sharpen faster than other abrasives and create shaving sharp edges. The Sportsman™ 4635 sharpens the entire length of the blade, from tip to bolster or handle. It’s fast, safe and easy to use, requiring no guesswork. www.chefschoice.com

Bass Pro Shops® Stalker™ Backpack Tackle Bag or System is crafted of heavy-duty, 600-denier, water-resistant polyester and incorporates a wealth of standard features, such as an insulated upper compartment to keep your food and beverages hot or cold and an integrated molded lure case. A lower compartment can hold up to five 360 utility boxes. There’s a tool holder and convenient line spooling pocket, plus an exterior mesh storage pocket. A heavy-duty side pocket is even provided for jarred bait storage. Available as a backpack tackle bag or as a system with three 360 utility boxes. www.basspro.com

THUG – Full Tilt Glass™ The revolutionary Full Tilt Glass™ call is the most advanced glass pot call ever designed.

The custom design pot provides a variable sound chamber to reproduce the ringing yelps, cutts, purrs and clucks that only glass can do! Deep on one end shallow on the other! The precision matched internal sound board allows for the creation of a variety of tones and volume. Soft subtle calls on the shallow end, ringing rasp on the deeper end. No dead zone on the entire slate surface. www.quakerboy.com

Traditions™ Performance Firearms Ripcord™ For times in the field when you just can’t reach your Otis cleaning system and need a quick and effective clean – reach for the Ripcord™. This convenient tool cleans from Breech-to-Muzzle® in one quick and easy pass. The molded rubberized core and Nomex® fibers together create a more effective way to trap and remove fouling. Available in .223 cal/5.56mm, .30 cal, 9mm, .40 cal & .45 cal. www.otistec.com 62 | BLAZE | SPRING/SUMMER 2014

Traditions™ Performance Firearms introduces checkered grip models into the Frontier Series of Single Actions. The checkered grip provides the shooter a better grip on the revolver during shooting and target acquisition. The checkered series is available in .45 LC or .357 MAG and 4.75” or 5.5” barrels and have a color-case hardened finish and Walnut grips. The checkered grip models are another excellent choice in a wide range of single action options! www. traditionsfirearms.com Accept No Limits | outdoorwomenunlimited.org

“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending” – Carl Bud

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