tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79585836164463908442024-03-14T01:43:29.024-07:00WildernessBabe>>----> jersey girl by birth, huntress by choice.WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-72361447371635618812012-10-05T08:55:00.001-07:002012-10-05T08:55:37.342-07:00<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Seldom in my life is there a time when I look at what is happening and think, "This is meant to be". But a few weeks ago something happened in my life that seems strangely meaningful.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In the beginning of September my black lab Chloe had to be put down. It was heartbreaking, especially since I wasn't in Jersey at the time. Instead I was here in Kentucky guiding opening weekend. It wasn't easy to go on with the weekend as if nothing at all had happened, but somehow I managed. In reality I knew when I left New Jersey that it probably wouldn't be all that long before Chloe had to be put down...she was an old dog and no longer in the best of health. I just hadn't expected to never see her again. Death happens unexpectedly.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The area in Kentucky where I live seems to be overrun with stray dogs. I'm not sure if people can't afford to feed them or just don't care about them, but they're all over. One of the local roads was under construction a few weeks back, and and as I sat at the stop sign waiting to go through the single open lane, I counted at least 3 stray dogs that looked like they were suffering from starvation. The one construction worker asked if I wanted him to put the one puppy in the bed of my truck to take him. I told him no...what would I do with a puppy? I felt bad for the dogs but could barely afford to feed myself much less a dog.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Three weeks ago on a particularly hot evening in the treestand, I heard the patter of feet scurrying over dry leaves, and readied my bow expecting to see a coyote or turkey. Instead, a horribly skinny little chocolate lab pup came trotting up the ravine. Crossing my bait pile he continued on past my stand and out onto the four wheeler path I had walked in on. My heart went out to the pup; he was so little and so adorable I just wanted to get down and catch him so I could take him home. But, then my hunt would be ruined so I decided to stay put.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I did end up seeing deer that night, but no bucks big enough that I wanted to put an arrow through him. And life went on, a week went by and was uneventful.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Then, one afternoon while hooking the trailer up to my truck so I could load the four wheeler on, I saw a movement at the front of the lodge. It was that little lab pup, tail between his legs, watching me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At the lodge we usually throw all our leftovers in a ditch behind the building...obviously that's what had brought the pup in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I tried calling him over and walking towards him, but tail tucked between his legs, he ran off a little ways then stopped. My heart went out to him, he was so tiny, and obviously starved and most likely abused. Going inside I took some of the week old leftovers and brought them out onto the front step.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">At first he wouldn't take food from me at all. He would belly crawl in until he could grab the food, then dart off with his tail between his legs and wolf down the food as fast as he could, looking at me ever now and then as if he was afraid I'd steal the food back.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 1</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">All that afternoon the pup disappeared and reappeared, and little by little I managed to get him to eat food out of my hand. That evening I left to go hunting, and when I returned he was gone. I didn't expect to see him again...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">But, the next morning there he was, curled up on the rug in front of the front door. He seemed to think he had found a home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Over the few days I fed him, thinking eventually he would disappear again. He was extremely skittish and shy around strangers, especially men; but he made a habit of trying to crawl into my lap whenever he had the opportunity, and leaning against my legs. He was like a little kid starving for affection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Within a week he had put on considerable weight, and was actually learning to play. I stocked up on a few bags of dog food, a stake and long cord to tie him up when hunters come in so he won't jump all over them, and put a collar on him to prevent him from getting shot if he wandered off. Really I don't think I had to worry, he seldom left the front porch. Even now, when I leave to go hunting he sits on the front porch and when I get back, he's still there waiting for me.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Future Shed Hunter</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">For now, he's the official Lodge puppy of DA Outfitters...it's nice to have company when there are no hunters in. Maybe we were meant to find each other.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I named him Chance.</span><br />
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WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-78598822137335551682012-09-11T07:53:00.002-07:002012-09-11T07:53:50.034-07:00Under Armour EVO Cold Gear ReviewJust recently I bought Under Armour's EVO Cold Gear pants and hoodie from bass pro, and wore them for the first time last night. I was a little paranoid about putting them in the dryer, so after washing them in the washing machine (cold water, scent free detergent) I let them air dry outside. <br />
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I had bought a size small, which fit me perfectly: snug but not tight. The pants surprisingly were long enough so that it didn't look like I was preparing for a flood, which is what it usually looks like since I have long legs. The pants were also low rise but stayed high enough to cover everything when I sat down. My problem? No pockets. <br />
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The hoodie was fitted as well, and my favorite feature was the extra long sleeves with thumb holes...perfect for bow season!! Alas once again no pockets. <br />
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All in all it was well worth buying...super soft, quiet, and comfy...and to top it off??? Very cute!!!! Say what you want but I'm a 23 year old girl...I want the best camo I can afford but it's definitely a plus when it looks good too. <br />
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Just a side note for you girls wanting to buy it...I bought size small of pants and hoodie...I didn't go by the size chart as Under Armour tends to run big in my opinion. I'm 5'7" tall, 36C bust and size 3 or 4 jeans. Everything fit perfectly and i can fit a layer underneath each, OR put a layer over top without it being bulky (it was originally meant as part of a 3 layer system, this being the middle layer. Hence the no pocket problem.) It's really an ideal set of camo for early season bowhunting!!! <br />
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Now I'm saving my pennies for 1. A hangun; 2. A climber, and; 3. The Under Armour Cold Weather Ridge Reaper suit for women. <br />
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WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-35190766621997983882012-09-10T20:31:00.000-07:002012-09-11T07:55:04.532-07:00Getting My Life BackI haven't updated my blog since April...but getting my life back in order has taken all of my attention. <br />
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In April I left Michael, for way too many reasons to list here. It's funny how pretending to be happy and trying to convince the outside world that you're happy only makes you feel worse. And so I packed up my truck and drove the never ending six hours back to my parents house in Jersey. <br />
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Breakups are tough, they always are. This one proved to be the worst yet, and starting over with no money, no bow, and no job really made it that much harder. Not being one to sit around and feel sorry for myself, I put on my big girl boots, pants, the whole damn outfit. First I started job searching and managed to get my old farm job back. Within a month, between paychecks and money from drawing, I managed to save enough pennies to buy my baby...a Bowtech Heartbreaker. <br />
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I'm fairly certain I shot every bow in North Jersey searching for the perfect one...Bear, Hoyt, Mission, Mathews...I tried them all and Bowtech was definitely my first choice. <br />
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Step one of getting my life back was complete. On to step two: getting out of Jersey. Long story short, a friend of mine (John) who lived in south Jersey and owns an outfitting business for Whitetail and turkey, suggested I come there (Northeast Kentucky) and guide...the end of August I drove the 9 hours to Garrison and here I am. <br />
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Summer has came and went, to be replaced with fall and hunting season...and lots of big bucks on trail cameras. So far we've had several groups of hunters in, one miss, and one 8 point in velvet taken. When there are no hunters I'm allowed to hunt certain areas, which I have been doing but have yet to arrow Mr. Big. Who would have thought such big deer would be in Kentucky? <br />
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Besides the fun of cameras, baiting, stands, and of course hunting and guiding, I love meeting the hunters that come in. Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Mississippi..all over the United States. I look at it as a way to make new friends, and as of yet, that's what it's been. <br />
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The season has only just begun and I plan on enjoying it, every minute, every day. It feels good to be happy again, to be confident, to just be myself. And it feels absolutely wonderful to sit in a treestand, bow in hand and wait for the crunch of leaves and the glimpse of brown as the deer make their way towards you; the rush of adrenaline whether it's a doe or a buck, whether you get a shot or not. <br />
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Here's to bow season 2012...it's going to be a good one. <br />
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WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-66104102717069212752012-04-11T12:23:00.000-07:002012-04-11T12:23:31.177-07:00Florida And Back<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I just looked at my last post, and it's been awhile. I used to write almost every day...I'm not sure what happened. I used to be bubbling over with thoughts and words of wisdom and look forward to sharing it. I need to get back into that, but life has been so busy lately and not exactly easy so we will see...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mike and I recently got back from our Florida trip...which I also looked at as a vacation that I desperately needed.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I absolutely hate flying (don't ask me how I'll survive the flight to Africa) but we flew into Tampa since it seemed cheaper than driving. The first 2 days in Florida we basically did nothing....hung out, went hog hunting, went to a beach. Our outfitter Dave from Woodland Guides Outdoors was having vehicle problems and we weren't supposed to officially start hunting anyways...and we were there all week.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The third day (Tuesday April 3) we got up at 4:30 am, got dressed and headed out to the turkey property. The morning didn't start out so well....Mike was in a horrible mood, nothing seemed to be going right and me trying to cheer him up wasn't exactly working. (An optimist and a pessimist together in a blind doesn't always go over well.) Sitting miserably in the blind in the dark, we heard several gobbles and then nothing. We had a decoy set up about 15 yards in front of our blind to draw them in since this was supposed to quite the place for gobblers to cross.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">About 8:00 I was fighting to stay awake. Guess I'm really not used to getting up so early!!! I took a Wildlife Energy shot in hopes of livening myself up, and it seemed to help. Then, at 8:30, two big gobblers appeared out of the woods to the left of the blind. Mike got his bow ready, I got the camera rolling. The gobbled a few times, made a beeline for the decoy and immediately jumped on it and started beating it up. Poor old "Scarface" was going to end up with a few more scars before the day was over.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I ended up taking one of the gobblers with the shotgun, and he went down like a sack of lead. The other gobbler, who seemed rather confused, flew up and hit a tree, then ran into the woods to the left of us. To top it off, I had managed to capture it all on film!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Afterwards Mike told me that the shotgun (Mossberg 835) threw me back into the blind, but I don't even remember feeling the kick.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was agony sitting there watching my dead turkey laying there on the ground directly in front of the blind. But, since there was a very good chance that another gobbler could wander by, we stayed put in the blind.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElaTXO4S8egQ3a5Madrv01kQHVjGmfHRIuuecEIfbZO9FwaMt_7f_oWDouSBX6_nK3NfqaBYLBsCVHtSACPWy1DbPSz84IB3Qs9QdeklCzSCaWKJy1lQXfJa9NxaqQ_hr41rONVdg5B97/s1600/IMG_0848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElaTXO4S8egQ3a5Madrv01kQHVjGmfHRIuuecEIfbZO9FwaMt_7f_oWDouSBX6_nK3NfqaBYLBsCVHtSACPWy1DbPSz84IB3Qs9QdeklCzSCaWKJy1lQXfJa9NxaqQ_hr41rONVdg5B97/s640/IMG_0848.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We were sitting there updating our facebook statuses, texting, and blabbing away when to the right of the blind, maybe 10 yards away, I saw a huge gobbler making his way towards the decoy. It took Mike a second to notice the shocked look on my face, and me pointing at the turkey trying to get him to notice...but about 10 minutes later Mike had the gobbler on the ground, dead as a doornail.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RKBv7u4IWZg/T4XUS5RYXlI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/-Jl1UA_NQ54/s1600/IMG_0842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RKBv7u4IWZg/T4XUS5RYXlI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/-Jl1UA_NQ54/s640/IMG_0842.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Seriously, don't mess with us.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k4c3q7_Gd_E/T4XUlO9X9BI/AAAAAAAAAaI/kxUOnzBo2rg/s1600/524656_333341823389822_127001910690482_938104_242568622_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k4c3q7_Gd_E/T4XUlO9X9BI/AAAAAAAAAaI/kxUOnzBo2rg/s640/524656_333341823389822_127001910690482_938104_242568622_n.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wajMEBxedIVpA1nl6Uqf9HAWLhD0O-TQSfIhkyxqLJHB2Mx0t8QFmkPe1Xe8eDxa8fXrGU-OifMgibeFga-rmjTysi40rdoUE-oVzPfgKt9GHWiIfZqi9F_uzMCYsZhJMJcP-6C-1xjZ/s1600/IMG_0861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-wajMEBxedIVpA1nl6Uqf9HAWLhD0O-TQSfIhkyxqLJHB2Mx0t8QFmkPe1Xe8eDxa8fXrGU-OifMgibeFga-rmjTysi40rdoUE-oVzPfgKt9GHWiIfZqi9F_uzMCYsZhJMJcP-6C-1xjZ/s640/IMG_0861.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">1 and 1/2 inch spurs on Mike's Osceola</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was the happiest girl alive when we got out to grab our turkeys and take some pictures. Besides the fact that I had just killed my first Osceola, and Mike and I had doubled...we still had 4 days left in Florida, and now had plenty of free time to shoot some hogs and just hang out.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj236kmrLBg01ioGaAOZRx3BCrQSf0qk7gWbF0TpVoFXDUo3Ne8AgBM9jSzPUTw63D6MjW5ITXtQgBPJXo_W0kDxgVBAMWe5qezUeWVTVxcB2X0OrASVia7HE45kVaFxiTrrkJ0Wh-4VX55/s1600/IMG_0868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj236kmrLBg01ioGaAOZRx3BCrQSf0qk7gWbF0TpVoFXDUo3Ne8AgBM9jSzPUTw63D6MjW5ITXtQgBPJXo_W0kDxgVBAMWe5qezUeWVTVxcB2X0OrASVia7HE45kVaFxiTrrkJ0Wh-4VX55/s640/IMG_0868.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I was so happy!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Unfortunately the day took a turn for the worst. An hour or so later I got a phone call from my dad telling me that both of my grandparents had passed away. It was so completely unexpected that I think that I was in shock for the rest of the day...I barely remember anything else that happened. Mike suggested taking a flight home, but since the funeral wasn't until the 14th, I opted to stay put. I needed some down time to relax and try to cope with the awful news. I could do that much better in Florida than I could at home with so many other people around bothering me and asking me questions. And, there is nothing better in the world than hunting to get my mind off of things.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wednesday Mike and I did absolutely nothing...we stayed at our hotel room all morning and hung out at the pool, went out for lunch. Nothing particularly stressful, which was exactly what I needed.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwX-1Ye3hbcXQq58c5kkF6N2BHfQBgNTPuK55DduGl0Y8DyNWMm92LfToBbTqTHVnKm3eJEyYA3bnoctkAeP6QtcWSkFaoDo9GYG_bpAMP2fATZmqFXdbjGcgvv9DaapLg3t6Mc6N0X-Zq/s1600/IMG_0917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwX-1Ye3hbcXQq58c5kkF6N2BHfQBgNTPuK55DduGl0Y8DyNWMm92LfToBbTqTHVnKm3eJEyYA3bnoctkAeP6QtcWSkFaoDo9GYG_bpAMP2fATZmqFXdbjGcgvv9DaapLg3t6Mc6N0X-Zq/s640/IMG_0917.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I just want to live here</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thursday, after getting a call from a good friend of ours telling us he had set it up, Mike and I headed over to Tiger Island in Cedar Key Florida for some hog hunting.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y-_ioh9BC3w/T4XXpzxN2iI/AAAAAAAAAao/Z-LmjQVSrv8/s1600/IMG_0875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y-_ioh9BC3w/T4XXpzxN2iI/AAAAAAAAAao/Z-LmjQVSrv8/s640/IMG_0875.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Yep. That's Mike. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ten minutes into our hunt, Mike stuck a pig with his bow...unfortunately wild pigs are a heckuva lot tougher than either of us had imagined, and despite the vast amounts of blood, we ended up not finding it. Later that day we saw it running around like nothing had happened, and also got footage of it hanging out with several other hogs although we didn't know it was Mike's hog at the time.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I had pretty much accepted the fact that I wasn't going to get a hog. Several opportunities presented themselves, and then the pigs would either run away, a tree would be in the way, or the arrow wasn't right on the Barnett Crossbow I was using.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The sun was going down, it had rained a little bit...and then finally I got a shot at a 100lb black boar. I had to take a standing shot at 45 yards, but the arrow zipped through him perfectly and imbedded itself in a tree behind the pig. The pig ran a little ways and collapsed underneath some trees. Really, it couldn't have been more perfect. I was also happy to discover that Mike had managed to get it on film.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEO26XAL_-Q2b28SBrA9tF2Mdg1_R6iQ68k9TOXAojZW_gj5cF_mgUxGqN0JY4tW35GXqgmwQ6Cppp9U4BRDCP8OiIh0QEztd8LjKNIkwIR8IC-abppkeNMIGeHPl6ZBK6YGmj56hDdWc/s1600/IMG_0876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEO26XAL_-Q2b28SBrA9tF2Mdg1_R6iQ68k9TOXAojZW_gj5cF_mgUxGqN0JY4tW35GXqgmwQ6Cppp9U4BRDCP8OiIh0QEztd8LjKNIkwIR8IC-abppkeNMIGeHPl6ZBK6YGmj56hDdWc/s640/IMG_0876.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QtQmag5Jpp5We7Omk-c5bMUBk2NbMg1ZpNPcANqP3WoLbu5u-BCf5b27J2oR0R7vnwuRyC3vnZOAZtZLOsqZVWJ9cGe2I2d_zkyH-87qQc85bIu0hzTgGyr-fxgvGarn8RmhKQQ_PXj4/s1600/IMG_0877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QtQmag5Jpp5We7Omk-c5bMUBk2NbMg1ZpNPcANqP3WoLbu5u-BCf5b27J2oR0R7vnwuRyC3vnZOAZtZLOsqZVWJ9cGe2I2d_zkyH-87qQc85bIu0hzTgGyr-fxgvGarn8RmhKQQ_PXj4/s640/IMG_0877.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKn2nHXhYXFJkZmNTSXFy2fywxnhq4fS0IiPGElFZsZ8Xc_gaBDnd0oSLumamvZ2Zx0YdrM6DIAwYpmgfL3RXqg58h0v2o6iv2f4Yl-D90_8nnY86pOiY39ziE7g6PlhaMlq3QJplMWVj/s1600/IMG_0880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPKn2nHXhYXFJkZmNTSXFy2fywxnhq4fS0IiPGElFZsZ8Xc_gaBDnd0oSLumamvZ2Zx0YdrM6DIAwYpmgfL3RXqg58h0v2o6iv2f4Yl-D90_8nnY86pOiY39ziE7g6PlhaMlq3QJplMWVj/s640/IMG_0880.JPG" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I was overjoyed to finally have shot a pig</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We packed up the hog head and the meat and got into our little rental car that was crammed full of hunting gear, and drove back to our hotel. We stuck the meat in our hotel room refrigerator and asked the Denny's Restaurant next door if we could store the pig head and turkey tails in the freezer until we left the next day. The agreed. BIG mistake.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The next morning when we went to retrieve the head and tails, we learned that someone had thrown them in the dumpster. Speaking of angry.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mike had to do some dumpster diving, but luckily we recovered the head and the tails...then had to run around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to find a freezer to store them in so they didn't spoil. We ended up going to Big Lots for a cooler, and a Publix for some dry ice. I'm pretty happy we go to bring the head home (getting a skull mount) and the tails (getting blanket mounts) and of course the meat, which proved to be absolutely delicious. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm not going to lie, I didn't really want to leave Florida. I felt like I was in my own little world, just hanging out and killing things...returning to Ohio would be like a rude awakening to real life.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now that I'm back in Ohio, it's like my world has tilted ever so slightly, and hasn't quite righted itself again. But, I had a wonderful trip to Florida and made some great memories. I can't exactly complain, can I?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In a few weeks Mike and I will be driving out to Kansas and Nebraska, to hopefully complete our Grand Slams...only this time my Dad will be going with us. I'm looking forward to another great trip, and here's hoping that the Rio's and Merriam's will be as easy to kill as the Osceola's were :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tiger Island Outfitters:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 904.338.3125</span></span></td><td style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</tbody></table></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 352.543.0851<br />
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Woodland Guides Outdoors:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;">352.302.0604<br />
785.608.2507<br />
<a href="http://woodlandguidesoutdoors.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://woodlandguidesoutdoors.com</a></span></span><br />
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</ul>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-52102993841113955792012-03-12T12:01:00.000-07:002012-03-12T12:01:43.679-07:00Women In The Outdoors: Leigh Rumbley Creekbaum<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">(This will be the first of several "Interview" type articles, featuring some of the most popular women hunters on tv.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This year at ATA in Columbus, I had the chance to meet up with the beautiful Leigh Creekbaum from the tv show "The Chase". We had been facebook friends for a while, interacted a bit on facebook, things like that. The second day of ATA I got a message on facebook with her cell phone number, telling me to text her so we could meet up. Needless to say I was surprised that she would give her cell number to little old me, a nobody from Blairstown NJ...<br />
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A few texts later we met up at the show and hung out for awhile, confirming that she was indeed one of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. Some people you meet from tv are nice, but you can tell that they're just faking it since that's their job...Leigh is real. </span><br />
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For a woman who only started seriously hunting 3 years ago, she is extremely <br />
knowledgable, and you could tell she loves the outdoors and what she does.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Leigh was born and raised in Alabama, a true southern girl. Her and her husband Travis have a 2 year old son, Gray, who she claims is part of the reason she stays in shape. I've been around many two year olds, and that's certainly understandable! She also had hunted Caribou, and walking 11 miles up and down Tundra was quite the experience...as well as tiring! But well worth it as you can see by the picture...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">She seems to be doing a wonderful job of juggling a full-time career, being a mommy, and of course the tv show The Chase, and completely loving her life. (And I thought I was busy!)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Leigh's first animal was a doe taken with her 270...she has taken many animals since then, and I'm not going to lie...I'm jealous of alot of them. She's taken some enormous whitetail something I've only dreamed of doing. Someday...someday it will happen for me too!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When I asked if she preferred bowhunting or gun hunting she replied "I don't necessarily have a preference but when I bow hunt, there's no doubt getting close enough to animals to draw is a rush that's almost indescribable." Great quote girl!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">She pulls only 45 pounds on her Mathews, but has got pass throughs on all but one animal, her largest buck to date, which still only went 80 yards and dropped. Leigh would love to someday hunt mule deer, whitetail is her favorite animal to hunt, but stalking javelinas with her bow is at the top of her list as well. While hog hunting she says that once she was charged by a boar that came within 8 yards of her before she dropped him with her second shot. Um...can you say SCARY?</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm definitely loving her SpentRound earrings!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Leigh and her family (who support her 100%) eat all of the game that is shot, and she says she has yet to find any wild game she doesn't like. Even Sandhill crane is wonderful! I didn't even know you could eat them, I guess you learn something new every day!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When I asked her if there was any one particular woman who she admired in the hunting world, she replied, "Brenda Valentine paved the way for female hunters to be taken seriously but all of us who rise at 3:30a.m. to climb a tree deserve a toast of a Wildlife Energy shot for the effort to enjoy God's great outdoors."</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Leigh is an amazing huntress with class and elegance that is enviable to all women, and is a great role model for all women and girls who are either trying to make their way into the industry, or just want to start hunting. </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HlSc7B2eD9E/T15HR1l-RKI/AAAAAAAAAZU/0ewI5DkjzL0/s1600/314906_2063859719168_1324993744_31815490_2090081330_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HlSc7B2eD9E/T15HR1l-RKI/AAAAAAAAAZU/0ewI5DkjzL0/s640/314906_2063859719168_1324993744_31815490_2090081330_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"I'm really not a pink girl...more of a red type of gal." ~Leigh Creekbaum</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"While I don't think I've necessarily been talked down to because of my gender, I do notice other men, guides, etc will ask Travis or my cameraguy, rather than me, what caliber or broadhead I shoot. Coincidentally, sometimes I get put in the better sets (hunting spots) but its doesnt always work to my favor. " ~Leigh Creekbaum<br />
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</span>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-8790615363704600502012-02-27T08:36:00.000-08:002012-02-27T08:36:37.292-08:00Who Is Ready For Turkey Season?I know I'm ready for turkey season...<br />
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A few days ago on my way back from fueling up my truck, I saw 2 turkeys fighting at the side of the road. Of course I pulled off the road into a ditch and parked, while frantically digging in my purse for my camera. Times like that I regret not carrying my good camera, but all I had was my little canon powershot.<br />
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I was pretty happy to get some pictures anyway...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnPEogt5Y8oDCX7HqIfgoEWgsgjnRGVMxMmWlWLkQb2n2EtqS1jQDRWeAobczlSa1orVTxx0jtq4E-awU3DlhCMGBQHzp8PVVtuvojuHRrwDnidAOVQOppPzOqpzt7RKgETQI2wGXB_lu/s1600/IMG_1570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQnPEogt5Y8oDCX7HqIfgoEWgsgjnRGVMxMmWlWLkQb2n2EtqS1jQDRWeAobczlSa1orVTxx0jtq4E-awU3DlhCMGBQHzp8PVVtuvojuHRrwDnidAOVQOppPzOqpzt7RKgETQI2wGXB_lu/s320/IMG_1570.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-68591145363111852582012-02-20T16:54:00.000-08:002012-02-20T16:54:30.365-08:00The Search For CamoI don't think guys will ever really understand what it's like to not own any good camouflage hunting clothing that just doesn't fit right (I know my boyfriend doesn't). I'm sure they get tired of hearing about it but it really is a problem. Men never have that problem. All they have to do is go to the nearest Wal-Mart, Cabelas, or Gander Mountain and pick out anything that's their size and Ta-dah...IT FITS!!!<br />
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Last year about this time I ordered the She Safari C2 Realtree fitted jacket and pants...I was super excited. It looked so cute on the girl in the picture, and was supposed to be awesome from the reviews that were on the website. My one friend had ordered them a few months ago and had liked them, except for the fact that the sizing was completely off and that the seams ripped while she was hunting. The way I looked at it, I could easily reinforce stitching...this camo was affordable and seemed like it would be perfect for spring turkey hunting and bow season.<br />
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Once I finally got it and tried it on, I was only fairly happy with it. I loved how the jacket fit, but the pants were a little big. No big deal, it would just leave some room for layering. I could work with it.<br />
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My first time wearing it was during spring turkey season in Florida. It kept me warm enough, but surprisingly the pants were slightly bulky at the knees and at the crotch, and the cloth rubbing against itself (or anything for that matter) was extremely loud.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fail. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've owned (and still own) several pairs of mens size small camo pants and jackets. The jackets aren't too bad except for the fact that they're always snug across my chest, but the lower body could house a family of five. The sleeves are always several inches too long, which does help keep my hands warm but seems to always get in the way when it comes to shooting. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The pants, even a mens size small, are huge on me. Without a belt I would lose my pants with the first step, no matter how many layers I have underneath. There is so much fabric in the crotch area that it becomes extremely uncomfortable and annoying to always have it rubbing against your legs (since the crotch is usually around my knees). I supposed I could store some extra clothing in there, or maybe some food and drinks...but I already carry a backpack when I need to bring stuff like that.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I kept the jacket to wear around town, or when I go out since it's cute and fitted, but I gave the pants away to one of my friends since I will never wear them again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Really, it's not easy to find good camo...especially when I'm on a budget. And can no longer go out and buy myself some new camo whenever I want since I have to think of Mike and the kids before anything else...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some camo that I have bought and liked (and was able to afford) so far, are:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1. My realtree girl pants. They're really only for warm weather such as spring turkey and early season bowhunting since they're lightweight. (Although you can wear them around town or anywhere since they look so cute and fit like a pair of jeans). I have 3 pairs of these, two in a size 4 and one in a size 5 for an extra layer underneath.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G7IjrTcH7Q8/T0LhIci5jYI/AAAAAAAAAXc/36oCSyox4uc/s1600/AAAAC38CAOwAAAAAAHWuTw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G7IjrTcH7Q8/T0LhIci5jYI/AAAAAAAAAXc/36oCSyox4uc/s1600/AAAAC38CAOwAAAAAAHWuTw.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2. My matching realtree girl zipper hoodie. Its great for layering, and matches my pants. It's also lightweight enough to wear with just a tshirt underneath when its hot out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eSWFCywAO9w/T0Lhb98BE4I/AAAAAAAAAXk/FntxRlr3EPg/s1600/51ER++f8zGL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eSWFCywAO9w/T0Lhb98BE4I/AAAAAAAAAXk/FntxRlr3EPg/s1600/51ER++f8zGL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3. This is one piece of clothing I COULD NOT go without. Easily the best $40 I've ever invested in when it comes to hunting clothing...my camo Under Armour shirt. I wear it literally every day during deer season (yes I do wash it). Its fitted, so really there's no way it could fit you wrong unless you buy the wrong size. And it keeps my toasty warm. I have a pair of Under Armour cold gear long underwear bottoms as well, which I also love since guess what??? The waistline doesn't have to be up to my chin like most long underwear bottoms made for women.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-De1erFCKmUc/T0LiB4rXcnI/AAAAAAAAAXs/gNg9SCCWGgg/s1600/439261_L1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-De1erFCKmUc/T0LiB4rXcnI/AAAAAAAAAXs/gNg9SCCWGgg/s320/439261_L1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've already chosen my next set of camo that I want to save up and buy...one of my friends bought it, has worn it plenty of times hunting, and it looks amazing (always a bonus). Under Armour has come out with their own line of women's hunting clothing, for both warm and cold weather. Right now I want to find a really good pair of camo for warm weather, since its easier to find and also cheaper. So, I'm going to start saving up some money from selling my painted feathers and am going to buy a pair of their pants and a shirt to try...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DKTpWwv3VRs/T0LjJCLHptI/AAAAAAAAAX0/GScjR5Y8u5s/s1600/UAWmnsEvoColdGearCamoPants_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DKTpWwv3VRs/T0LjJCLHptI/AAAAAAAAAX0/GScjR5Y8u5s/s320/UAWmnsEvoColdGearCamoPants_1.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm excited. In a few weeks I should be able to order the pants.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also, I'm going to go on a search for a great pair of women's hunting gloves...all of the mens gloves are too big, which means I can't shoot my bow while wearing them. That's a problem I need to fix.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Stay tuned...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-8773113735196788672012-01-19T07:25:00.000-08:002012-01-19T07:25:04.686-08:00Texting With Gloves<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yes, I am one of those people who brings my smart phone along to the treestand. It helps keep me occupied when sitting in the stand for hours at a time when I'm not seeing any deer. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Michael makes fun of me. "How are you supposed to see any deer when you're texting?" He always asks. He just likes picking on me, because he also texts while in the treestand and in the blind. Just turn the phone on silent and keep your eyes and ears open for deer and you're perfectly fine.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In the warm weather I would usually run my phone dead unless I charged it before I went hunting; but thats what going on the internet (facebook) does to my blackberry: kills it. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yesterday my friend Carol and I went out hunting. It was about 25 degrees and breezy and we froze our little butts off (though we did see 8 deer, and had them at 70 yards, too far for the bow but hopefully Friday they'll come in closer when we're there again). </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We both came across a problem: since it was so cold it was pretty much impossible to text without taking our gloves off. Mike was texting me and asking if we were seeing anything, and the second I took my gloves off to answer his text, my fingers froze. They didn't just get cold, they FROZE. I couldn't feel my fingers and could barely move them. I guess I got a little to used to hunting in 40 degree weather all through December and January. I was so cold my eyeballs hurt and my lungs felt like they were going to freeze everytime I took a breath.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When I was 15 I went hunting in 15 degree weather, forgot my gloves, and got frostbite in my fingers so I can no longer feel my fingertips. I no longer forget my gloves. Ever. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Huddled inside the little treehouse that was attached to the raised deck we were hunting in, I told Carol "I wish I could text with gloves on."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So this afternoon I googled "texting gloves" and hundreds of of websites/pictures popped up. Gloves in every color, every kind of material, knitted gloves, leather gloves, gloves with plastic circles on the fingertips so you can TEXT WITH GLOVES.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Really, its brilliant.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I wonder if there's a place locally that sells them.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I think every hunter who brings their phone to the woods should own a pair!!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-87413212045724009822012-01-18T10:00:00.000-08:002012-01-18T10:00:17.594-08:00Painted Turkey FeathersMy latest hobby is painting turkey feathers. I've never been a huge fan of painting so I can't say I do it because I like too...I mostly do it because it looks so awesome when its finished, and also I can sell them and make some extra cash (which is always good).<br />
<br />
I painted a few for Andy Ross and his girlfriend, and also sold a few for NWTF banquet raffles. If anyone is interested in buying one, please contact me :)<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5o1i3cZRcACKBMkeUQlQmRfLzASfrFVjBrLvohwV4L5jzmEBwxhYO_rdweqS0bm04uzTsBicPmpOBABvMIvp0inNMylNNvGERlcZMtyKwb6WrKExpy5anr-TUVST2SjnDKY7JkTx9gf6/s1600/409494_2806194884474_1546736374_32699851_1154126175_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5o1i3cZRcACKBMkeUQlQmRfLzASfrFVjBrLvohwV4L5jzmEBwxhYO_rdweqS0bm04uzTsBicPmpOBABvMIvp0inNMylNNvGERlcZMtyKwb6WrKExpy5anr-TUVST2SjnDKY7JkTx9gf6/s320/409494_2806194884474_1546736374_32699851_1154126175_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzpkUUksIASTZFKIahyphenhyphenwLi1-nAO6Rt8SDrWHccsSKNCO62PtttP1cW7ZiqI4F4b2ObsDzzFp3g4-6lG6f1f-ql0WG8MEO7G3F8D0bAoIypndWOGRWryjoVF5Xy3YPSzpHAsc8rBV4SIrx/s1600/414040_2653844983266_1170038169_32319156_1666594010_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzpkUUksIASTZFKIahyphenhyphenwLi1-nAO6Rt8SDrWHccsSKNCO62PtttP1cW7ZiqI4F4b2ObsDzzFp3g4-6lG6f1f-ql0WG8MEO7G3F8D0bAoIypndWOGRWryjoVF5Xy3YPSzpHAsc8rBV4SIrx/s320/414040_2653844983266_1170038169_32319156_1666594010_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-39501122193322617722012-01-17T12:49:00.000-08:002012-01-17T12:49:34.104-08:00Is It Turkey Season Yet???So, it certainly doesn't seem like January at the time being. As I sit here typing its nearly 60 degrees out, the sun is starting to make its way through the clouds and hopefully dry up some of the puddles in our driveway. I went out to my truck this morning and sank into mud up to my ankles. Thank goodness for cowgirl boots. Needless to say I haven't been hunting much.<br />
<br />
Last week was the ATA show, which was held in Columbus this year. I'd never been before so I was pretty darn excited to go. Mike and I both helped set up the Maximum Archery booth for Andy Ross, and also worked the booth all three days of the show. And even helped take it down. Andy wasn't around much so it was Mike and I and Andy's editor Adam.<br />
<br />
I got to meet a ton of people at the show, and I got to shoot the new Ross single cam women's bow. Unfortunately the one I wanted to shoot was a left handed bow, and the only other one was nearly 60 lbs draw weight. Fortunately with a little help I managed to pull the bow back. The thing I love the most about it is that once you have it drawn back, it's like holding air. Once you release, you barely feel it. If it was set at 50 lbs it would have been perfect.<br />
<br />
I had a ton of fun, but by the end of the last day my feet hurt and I was plain old ready to go home. To sleep in my own bed. And sit in a real chair. Though it was worth it to be at the show.<br />
<br />
Back to matters of importance, I was supposed to go hunting today with my friend Carol, but we canceled due to rain, wind, and the fact that she got called in to work. So, we postponed until tomorrow. I'm hoping a cold front will come in and get the deer moving. Carol has never shot a deer, and I certainly wouldn't mind shooting a deer either. I'm going to bring the video camera in hopes of getting it all on film.<br />
<br />
I think that my desire to deer hunt has pretty much disappeared. The bucks are shedding their antlers already, and I'm really starting to wish it was spring. I'm excited for turkey season. This year will pretty much be the same as last year; Mike and I are headed to Florida first for our Osceolas, then to Kansas and Nebraskas for Rios and Merriams. Except hopefully this year we'll actually shoot some.<br />
<br />
Last year part of our problem was that since Michael was hunting with a bow and me with a gun, I always waited to see if the bird would come in close enough for a bow shot instead of trying to shoot it myself. This year I'm not going to be so nice I think. This year I want to KILL something. It's been 3 years since I've shot a turkey, I need this dry spell to be over with.<br />
<br />
Then, after turkey season comes our trip to Africa...which is even more exciting. I've never even been out of the country before, so this should be quite the experience.<br />
<br />
2012 here I come!!!WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-49232991964485018782012-01-05T08:24:00.000-08:002012-01-05T08:24:13.351-08:00While My Boyfriend Sleeps<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This morning I decided I wanted to go out. Besides the fact that I was tired of being stuck in the house, it had turned freezing cold and snowed...and I needed a little pick me up. What better way to do that then go out and have some fun???</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My boyfriend has been working the night shift all week so every night he leaves at 5, comes back at 7:30 in the morning, and goes straight to bed and sleeps most of the day. Repeat as necessary. I really miss him and I get lonely, but we need to save up some money for our hunting trips. Alas, it's time for me to take matters into my own hands. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I dropped Cheyanne off at the bus stop and went back to the house where Mike was already sleeping (I could hear him snoring). I tiptoed around straightening up the house and starting supper in the crockpot, careful not to wake him...I hadn't told him I was going...let the fun begin!!!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First, I put lotion on, all over my whole body. Then I decided to do my hair and couldn't decide how to do it. I could do braids but it was too cold...so I decided to just brush it and leave it as it was.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Next: makeup. I've never been much for makeup...except when I go out. Across my forehead and cheekbones, down to my chin. A little mascara today...I even put on some lip shine to keep my lips from getting chapped.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hair, makeup, now clothes. Clothes are fairly easy, I don't have all that many to choose from some it only took a few minutes to narrow down my choices. Of course weather is always a factor. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hmmm...which scent should I spray on??? Oh yes I had left that in my truck and would put it on later. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now I was starting to get excited!!! I'd been watching some videos lately that really were making me want to go out and get something...I was jealous of the other girls in the videos, why should they get to do that and I couldn't??? It was good motivation to get my butt in gear and get going. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Boots: CHECK. Clothes: CHECK. Makeup: CHECK. Hair: CHECK.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Some people like to go out nights, others like the afternoons. I've always like the mornings; you never really know what you will see or what will happen, or when you will get lucky. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I decided to try my usual hot spots, but I didn't see anything to bring home, or even just sit and watch. Discouraging is what this was turning out to be. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After 2 hours I gave up. I was cold and a little disappointed and hungry. Thought it had been fun. Maybe I'll go out tomorrow. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And it would be nice if when I go out tomorrow I'll be able to actually SEE a deer and SHOOT a deer and BRING IT BACK!!!!</span><br />
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</span>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-13183777459522680982011-12-20T10:32:00.000-08:002011-12-20T10:32:56.803-08:00What To Get Your Wilderness Babe For Christmas<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Over the past few weeks several people have asked me what on earth they should get their huntress friend/girlfriend/wife. So, I figured I would share a few of my brilliant ideas. (Well I think they're brilliant anyway!!!)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yes, I KNOW Christmas is less than a week away...but for those of you who don't know what to get an outdoor woman for christmas...here are a few ideas that are more unique than your average gifts. If you already got her something, then save these ideas for next year!!!!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1. If she likes jewelry, get her something from the Lucky Buck Club. I think that their jewelry is beautiful, though some of it isn't exactly my taste I love that it's outdoor themed. Go to http://www.luckybuckclub.com/ to see their whole collection.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zv-c1CNnLvQ/Tu43r4rbg9I/AAAAAAAAASQ/Om0HZllE4mw/s1600/267723_246382705377332_152704334745170_1181142_2823023_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zv-c1CNnLvQ/Tu43r4rbg9I/AAAAAAAAASQ/Om0HZllE4mw/s320/267723_246382705377332_152704334745170_1181142_2823023_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5-Rm3rt7P68/Tu434MmEf8I/AAAAAAAAASY/nQkvW3TEBw4/s1600/207189_215905688425034_152704334745170_952850_3143338_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5-Rm3rt7P68/Tu434MmEf8I/AAAAAAAAASY/nQkvW3TEBw4/s320/207189_215905688425034_152704334745170_952850_3143338_n.jpg" width="301" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2. Here's something interesting...a handgun holster that fits in your bra. Now, I'm not exactly sure how it would work, or how comfortable the thing would be but its certainly a unique and interesting gift. It obviously wouldn't be something you would use if you were going to a gunfight since it would take a few minutes to pull your shirt up and pull the gun from the holster (though that might work to your advantage since your opponent may think he's going to get a show). I can see that it might come in handy when you want to feel safe but don't want to be obvious about carrying a weapon. Not sure if this would work on small chested women. The girl in this picture is wearing one, and you cant tell. You may want to include a push up bra with this gift!!! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ihyl9cxK6B0/Tu45TSDEAcI/AAAAAAAAASg/HDYB99dnP9A/s1600/384730_2756316157537_1546736374_32679712_1853260702_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ihyl9cxK6B0/Tu45TSDEAcI/AAAAAAAAASg/HDYB99dnP9A/s320/384730_2756316157537_1546736374_32679712_1853260702_n.jpg" width="212" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">http://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2011/12/week-4-of-bang-bang-boutiques-giveaway-streak-featuring-the-flashbang-holster/</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. Scent free bodywash, shampoo, conditioner, and body spray!!!! This is something that as a women hunter I LOVE. Most scent free products dry my hair and skin out and make me feel like I have alligator skin and two million split ends. It takes me weeks to get my hair and skin back to its usual self. My favorite product so far is from His & Hers Outdoors, my skin stays moisturized and my hair stays moisturized and keeps its usual body instead of falling flat...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's like a small miracle. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RuE5KNSJMFw/Tu4592d-ntI/AAAAAAAAASo/TFgvMWq4GSE/s1600/388684_310687595615868_303124023038892_1243786_544001981_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RuE5KNSJMFw/Tu4592d-ntI/AAAAAAAAASo/TFgvMWq4GSE/s320/388684_310687595615868_303124023038892_1243786_544001981_n.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">http://www.hisnhersoutdoors.com</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4. One of my favorite ideas (but that's just me) is fun camo clothing, specifically lingerie. It's the gift that keeps on giving if you are her boyfriend/husband. My favorite site of all time is www.camodiva.com, and I also love www.camochic.com. I do believe it's time for them to come out with some new things since I own pretty much everything on their sites already!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Or you could get her a dress, this one is super cute and comfy (I own it)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XaeAPNHAkLE/TvDSlZLq6rI/AAAAAAAAATY/M0J7PMAch6s/s1600/yhst-14955762900059_2188_38386810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XaeAPNHAkLE/TvDSlZLq6rI/AAAAAAAAATY/M0J7PMAch6s/s320/yhst-14955762900059_2188_38386810.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Or...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H206-vdhEM4/TvDSr9dYZwI/AAAAAAAAATg/yiZIixExHGI/s1600/yhst-14955762900059_2188_38641157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H206-vdhEM4/TvDSr9dYZwI/AAAAAAAAATg/yiZIixExHGI/s320/yhst-14955762900059_2188_38641157.jpg" width="239" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uArqBzQ2kIw/TvDSy813B-I/AAAAAAAAATo/gZRbMRblBms/s1600/yhst-14955762900059_2187_23221613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uArqBzQ2kIw/TvDSy813B-I/AAAAAAAAATo/gZRbMRblBms/s1600/yhst-14955762900059_2187_23221613.jpg" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's your choice!!! I promise she will love it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5. If you want to check out some more super cute apparel, check out <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><a href="http://www.trophychickapparel.com/" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.trophychickapparel.com</a>...A new clothing line with a unique twist specifically made for outdoor women. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xBL-mvQw_bM/TvDUDauiFYI/AAAAAAAAATw/fYbbOjmmGc8/s1600/319675_275693162469722_167392449966461_724162_1268494751_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xBL-mvQw_bM/TvDUDauiFYI/AAAAAAAAATw/fYbbOjmmGc8/s320/319675_275693162469722_167392449966461_724162_1268494751_n.jpg" width="246" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9XkcwQZqojM/TvDUlHjec9I/AAAAAAAAAT4/66nUwiPEt3I/s1600/387856_290782694294102_167392449966461_760672_2118545584_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9XkcwQZqojM/TvDUlHjec9I/AAAAAAAAAT4/66nUwiPEt3I/s320/387856_290782694294102_167392449966461_760672_2118545584_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">6. For something else that is unique, outdoorsy and extremely beautiful, check out my friend Rochelle's handmade wreaths. You can find them on facebook at: </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">http://www.facebook.com/OWLFEATHERSWILDWREATHS?sk=info </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">AND you can even design your own!!! If you love deer hunting, you can make it more of a whitetail theme, if you're into pheasant or turkey, make it more themed to that...each one is one of a kind!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This one is my favorite...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z77y3Uh7bGM/TvDRKAour-I/AAAAAAAAATQ/gpkrN-eyJg4/s1600/378829_278243592227907_267175133334753_805742_141480349_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z77y3Uh7bGM/TvDRKAour-I/AAAAAAAAATQ/gpkrN-eyJg4/s320/378829_278243592227907_267175133334753_805742_141480349_n.jpg" width="302" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Turkey and deer hunting, and it reminds me of fall.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And, that's about all I could come up with for now...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Merry Christmas!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</div>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-35657272165915196272011-12-18T10:40:00.000-08:002011-12-18T10:40:19.208-08:00New Article Published on hunting.outdoorzy.comRecently got another article published on a website, I've decided to share it here :) I would love it if you could go comment/share/let me know what you think!!!<br />
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<div style="color: #5f6161; font-family: arial, tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The hunting world is made of mostly of men, and being a woman in the middle of it all can be a challenge. Though most people welcome women into the hunting industry, not everyone takes kindly to a woman hunting, and many people have a biased opinion of what women who hunt will be like. Being a woman in the hunting world myself, and also living in a rural area where not many women hunt, I have dealt with the good, the bad, and the ugly. I am by no means a feminist, but I sometimes feel that I have to defend myself a little too often as a woman hunter.</div><div style="color: #5f6161; font-family: arial, tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Women who are trying to make their way into the hunting world have a much harder time getting there than the men. If a woman is looking for a job in the hunting industry she has to be twice as smart, work twice as hard, and be twice as careful about how she is portraying herself, in order to get respect.</div><div style="color: #5f6161; font-family: arial, tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Just because you hunt, doesn’t mean that you have to give up being a woman, as many people don’t relate the two. Hunting is and always has been my favorite thing to do. However, I am very proud to be a woman. There is nothing wrong with trying to remain feminine while being tough, hardcore, and adventurous. Some of us have that drive in our blood. We need to chase it, but remain proud of who we are. Grandmothers, mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, friends, and most importantly an individual who dares to pursue her passion.</div><div style="color: #5f6161; font-family: arial, tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">That being said, it is much easier to be feminine in the world of hunting now that there are a lot more great lines of clothing for women who hunt, clothing that promotes a woman’s appearance both in and out of the field.</div><div style="color: #5f6161; font-family: arial, tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">This of course leads to the question, ‘are appearances an issue for women in the hunting world?’ Of course, this wouldn’t be fair, but that’s just how the world works.</div><div style="color: #5f6161; font-family: arial, tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">A few years ago was the first time I went to the Harrisburg Outdoor Show in Pennsylvania. I waited in line to meet <a href="http://www.thecrush.tv/" style="color: #d2791f; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Crush Team</a>, Lee and Tiffany Lakosky. The line was long, really long. My sister and I waited in line for nearly an hour, which really wasn’t so bad since we could talk to other people while we were waiting. Most of the people in line were guys, wanting to meet Tiffany. I mean, really, what guy would want to meet Lee when Tiffany is around? After finally meeting the Lakosky’s, my sister and I decided to check out the <a href="http://whitetailfreaks.com/" style="color: #d2791f; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Whitetail Freaks</a> booth, where Don and Kandi Kisky were. To my surprise, there was no line whatsoever at their booth. Kandi Kisky is a wonderful person, friendly, down to earth, a pretty woman and an amazing huntress. Yet, she was up against curvy blonde Tiffany Lakosky whose smile, among other things, won over fans all across the country.</div><div style="color: #5f6161; font-family: arial, tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Being a fan of <a href="http://www.thecrush.tv/" style="color: #d2791f; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Tiffany Lakosky</a>, I myself have often wondered what she has had to put up with because of all her male fans. It is true that the Lakosky’s use Tiffany’s good looks and personality to their advantage. Some people dislike this fact, and have lost some of their respect for the Lakosky’s. Does this make Tiffany Lakosky the sex icon of the hunting industry, as some people like to think???</div><div style="color: #5f6161; font-family: arial, tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In reality, women in the outdoors are a saving grace to the whole hunting lifestyle. Hunters overall have declined but women hunters have increased significantly over the past decade. To quote Brenda Valentine, “I believe that not one buck, bull or gobbler I’ve shot cared one whit about my gender”.</div><div style="color: #5f6161; font-family: arial, tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Really, it doesn’t matter what others think, as long as you are doing what you love and are passionate about it, but these questions have been asked many times by different women. There are many different opinions and views on the topic of women hunters, yet there are women out there like <a href="http://www.brendavalentine.com/" style="color: #d2791f; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Brenda Valentine</a>, <a href="http://www.thecrush.tv/" style="color: #d2791f; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Tiffany Lakosky</a>, <a href="http://whitetailfreaks.com/" style="color: #d2791f; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Kandi Kisky</a>, and <a href="http://www.archerschoicemedia.com/" style="color: #d2791f; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Vicki Cianciarulo</a>, who have proved time and again that women can and will succeed wonderfully in the hunting world, and still be beautiful doing it.</div><div style="color: #5f6161; font-family: arial, tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 20px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">What are your thoughts about women in the hunting industry? Do you think they give hunting a good image?</div><br />
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http://hunting.outdoorzy.com/author/bharris/WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-7275303272400471182011-12-18T10:17:00.000-08:002011-12-18T10:17:55.635-08:00And the LUCK continuesOur Bear hunting trip to NJ didnt' exactly go as planned. Mike and the kids and I left Ohio at a reasonable time, calculating that we would be in NJ in time to hunt the next morning since it only takes about 5-6 hours to get to there. But, our GPS had other plans. We were sent on a wild goose chase off route 22 in PA, weaving off and on the interstate and wasting 40 minutes of our time. Needless to say we got there a little later than planned.<div><br />
</div><div>We had made reservations in a local motel so that we wouldn't have to stay at my parents and kick some of my siblings out of their beds; so the first night there Mike and I headed down to the motel to check in and pay the motel. At the sight of our room, we changed our minds. We would just kick my siblings out of their beds and stay at my parents; the room was so disgusting that even standing in it made me feel like I would catch a disease. If we stayed we would probably end up abducted or something.<br />
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</div><div>And of course it was raining. It felt like it was summer, it was nearly 60 degrees and it rained for the first three days we were there. The bears don't really appreciate strolling around in the rain. Besides the fact that there were probably 2 million deer hunters doing drives around the area, the bears were coming in the middle of the night to eat the bait that we scattered around. They didn't touch the corn but they loved the apples. Who knew bears would be so picky??? Only in NJ...</div><div><br />
</div><div>The fourth day it was sunny and WINDY and FREEZING...also not ideal bear hunting weather. When it gets super cold the bears find some hidey-hole and cuddle up until it gets a little warmer. Mike and I spent hours walking through the rhododenrons and azaleas out in the swamps looking for even a glimpse of a bear. </div><div><br />
</div><div>The last day there we finally saw signs of life in the forest again...we saw several deer, running away. And we almost got shot. Good times.</div><div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Needless to say it turned out to be an unsuccessful trip and we didn't even SEE a bear, which was a huge disappointment. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now that we're back in Ohio I've been out hunting several times and my luck has yet to change. We put up some new deer stands and its snowed last night. Last night I actually saw a deer here, which is the first time in weeks I've seen a deer while hunting. It was a tiny little fuzzy fawn that was so tiny that at first I thought it was a rabbit. Someone had shot a doe near there that morning so I'm assuming he was looking for his mama.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tonight if he comes back I think I may try to catch him. I went out this morning to see if he was still bedded down but there was no sign. He may have been eaten by the coyotes already, I doubt a fawn that tiny is going to survive the winter. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wish me luck tonight. It's gun season but I've been taking my bow out (which is legal) since I really would rather shoot one with my new Ross than with my muzzleloader. Maybe just MAYBE a big buck will walk by.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div></div>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-74036509411376528802011-12-03T09:48:00.000-08:002011-12-03T09:48:33.255-08:00Where Have All The Deer Gone???<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When I first moved to Ohio, I was scared to death. I'd just left behind my family, my friends, my dog, emptied my bank account, and was leaving all that was familiar behind me. I would be moving in with someone for the first time; I would be taking care of the house and cooking and cleaning but not only for myself anymore. And would also have to be a mom for two kids who I wasn't even OLD enough to be a mom too. So, really I had plenty of worries when it came to everyday life in Ohio.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One thing I never took time to worry about was the deer season in Ohio...Mike and his dad and plenty of other people from Ohio were always telling me about the hundreds of deer that they saw every season, of the giant bucks they saw and shot. In New Jersey you could hunt for years and never even SEE a deer as big as what they had here. Heck, I was more excited than anything to hunt here!!!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Needless to say, this season hasn't been that successful. My last encounter with Mr. Big the 11 point is still my last encounter with him. I have yet to see him again. Mike has caught glimpses of him several times but hasn't had any shots. It's been weeks since I've seen a deer while I'm hunting...the only deer I see are when I'm driving down the road and see them in fields, or see them crossing the roads.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I would like to say it's just me having bad luck, but it's not. No one else is seeing anything either. Mike shot a doe a few weeks ago on a bitter cold day, right at dusk. But, the next day it was back up to 50 degrees again and there was no more deer movement. And hasn't been any more deer movement.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is really a depressing season. I hope it changes soon.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Opening day of firearm season here in Ohio was Monday, and I missed the first few days due to being sick. I went out yesterday and saw nothing, going to try again today. Monday bow season opens up again, but early Tuesday morning Mike and I will be packing up our guns and the kids and heading to New Jersey to hunt some black bear. Who knows, maybe I'll have a chance to shoot a buck back in New Jersey. How ironic would that be???</span>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-34656724939275003032011-11-06T11:38:00.000-08:002011-11-06T11:38:02.367-08:00Meet Mr. BigThree nights ago I finally got my first glimpse of an Ohio buck. It was my first night in the stand that it DIDN'T rain, and with pre-rut kicking in I was pretty excited to get out there. I was alone again since Mike was working on our house, which really didn't bother me all that much since I just wanted to get out there.<div><br />
</div><div>As I sat there in my stand, the sun directly in my eyes, I couldn't help but think that so far this year was kind of sucking. I hadn't seen any good deer so far, and from the way Mike talked about Ohio deer, I figured I would be at least seeing lots of does.</div><div><br />
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</div><div>There were deer tracks under and around my stand so I knew they were there...but the trail camera wasn't exactly doing its job so that wasn't really helping out. Mike has Wildgame cams set up, and they don't really work that well in my opinion. If it gets too cold or rainy it just plain doesn't take any pictures. Or it takes lots of pictures and they're all just black. I'll stick to my moultrie.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I had brought my grunt tube with me, and every hour or so I would use it. About 5 oclock I heard a buck grunt in return, and the crunching of leaves. Something was coming my way. Fast.</div><div><br />
</div><div>It was behind me so I stood up in my ladder stand and face backwards. Really, I wasn't sure how I was going to get a shot this way since there were so many vines hanging down, but I could certainly wait and see. </div><div><br />
</div><div>The next five minutes happened fast and slow at the same time. A big buck walked into the clearing, looking around for the other buck that had made the grunts. My heart pretty much stopped. In the back of my mind I remembered I still had my gloves on. Using my teeth I took the glove off my right hand and dropped it onto the seat of my stand, then tried to clip my release onto the loop on my bowstring. And tried. And tried. The buck started rubbing a small tree in the clearing and pawing at the dirt. I valiantly tried to get my release on my bow and after a few minutes of shaking I managed to get it. </div><div><br />
</div><div>This is what happens to me when I see a deer and I know that there's a good chance I will get a shot. It doesn't even really matter if its a buck or a doe, I just start shaking. My legs were wobbly as I watched the buck, only 20 YARDS AWAY!!!! And the vines were hanging down directly in my shooting lane. I wasn't sure I could do anything to bring him closer, if I blew on the grunt tube again he would probably bust me. He would have to come around the other side of my tree in order for me to get a shot.</div><div><br />
</div><div>The buck continued to work the scrape, and I waited impatiently for him to do something. I suddenly remembered my camera hanging around my neck. Slowly I moved my hand up and turned it on and held it out away from my body and snapped a picture. I had no idea if it would turn out or not, or even if the buck was in the frame but I didn't want to move around too much just in case he saw me. </div><div><br />
</div><div>The buck only stayed there for about five minutes before once again scanning the field and turning and heading down hill. Away from my stand. Out of my life. Noooooo!!!!!! I waited until he was about 50 yards into the brush and softly blew on the grunt tube again. He stopped and looked back but it wasn't working. He was gone. </div><div><br />
</div><div>On the bright side, he wasn't spooked. He had a fresh scrape that looked like he had been using fairly often. There were two other shooter bucks we had on trail cameras at this same spot. All was not lost.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I sat back down in my stand and I couldn't stop shaking. My knees were wobbly and I was starting to get cold. I waited about 20 minutes before I sent out a few text messages to Mike, Sarah, and a few of my friends. And I checked out the picture on my camera; it had come out beautifully. The buck was an 11 point (I never think to count points when the buck is right there, I just judge the mass and tine lenght/width), he was an old deer and a definite shooter. </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdA-IDacxVK2mP00JcnUT-9Dx6xYY4rDUZEcNXUiNghB1Wvkw6eiXSlAEqvPqrvwBq2-ngjsB6cT0rqwMosqrwBRQZBhMn1qg0iSm76xj9FJI967GdBlPfz5To6cLNj5HQ0RaE5JhXl2Z8/s1600/IMG_0722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdA-IDacxVK2mP00JcnUT-9Dx6xYY4rDUZEcNXUiNghB1Wvkw6eiXSlAEqvPqrvwBq2-ngjsB6cT0rqwMosqrwBRQZBhMn1qg0iSm76xj9FJI967GdBlPfz5To6cLNj5HQ0RaE5JhXl2Z8/s320/IMG_0722.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
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</div><div>That night is the best one I have had so far, and it made me that much more excited to get out there again. I've been out to the stand again in the evening and had some coyotes scare away some deer that were coming in. The rut should kick in the end of this week/beginning of next week. I'm going to be hunting alot over the next few weeks. It's all I can think about, I just want to be out there 24/7. Mike and I put another stand up this week that we will be hunting together Tuesday and Wednesday. I've got my fingers crossed that I'll see (and kill) a shooter buck this week and it will make it alot easier to concentrate on filming Mike shooting some deer. </div>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-73001941864560554902011-11-01T09:33:00.000-07:002011-11-01T09:33:41.765-07:00Just Another Rainy DayLast night I went out hunting again, and of course it was raining. Mike had some work to do on the roof of our house since he goes back to work tomorrow, so he was at the house with the kids and I was finally able to get out in the woods again.<br />
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Driving down the road to the property I was going to hunt, I suddenly felt free. I was going hunting in the evening and was going to be able to stay until dark; I wouldn't have to worry about being home for the kids or to make supper or anything. It was like "the old days" when I hunted every day and it didn't really matter how late I stayed in my tree or if I would be home by suppertime. Really, it was nice. I didn't even mind the rain.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogYatkTPuKstGZyTsNvKO-nNPhOT-Td8swQuXxef_jczYtUp1jqn4gN3fpByreOTXFH42-KLx2CIMGp7eI0ye9gIlxYj8E_IxxN9YD751AQJYz4SBz70Ik1yrfdr68nHqiiZSgJQ4zhgx/s1600/329993_2460945133446_1546736374_32560509_1229579029_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogYatkTPuKstGZyTsNvKO-nNPhOT-Td8swQuXxef_jczYtUp1jqn4gN3fpByreOTXFH42-KLx2CIMGp7eI0ye9gIlxYj8E_IxxN9YD751AQJYz4SBz70Ik1yrfdr68nHqiiZSgJQ4zhgx/s320/329993_2460945133446_1546736374_32560509_1229579029_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I brought two cameras with me, the one I use to film Mike and also my small handycam that I used for the past few years to film myself. If the rain continued I was just going to bring my small camera so the big one wouldn't get wet.<br />
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By the time I was walking to my stand it was pouring rain. I stopped by our trail cam and checked the memory card...some pictures of two different shooter bucks certainly made me all that more excited for my evening hunt.<br />
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I got situated in the tree and turned my phone on silent and settled in for the next few hours. I was sitting in what I always considered my "lucky stand". It's an old metal ladder stand that I've sat in and killed pretty much every deer I've shot in the past few years, including my big 8 point from 2009. Sitting in that stand pretty much makes me feel like I'm at home.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUR89S8DrcXnfGKEPJNv4dlNBhmSVqTgQ1TOeXIh-rRzC4lCXgBP0sGSRVlVqKigS7rku4zbXZMyBkqJmCy09yWaeZbvA3hEAybcCNdAaE1VYT-MGEc4jyC36HTJ6qmcWFBT8-j0x2Zyd8/s1600/389865_2472775709203_1546736374_32569269_1138370419_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUR89S8DrcXnfGKEPJNv4dlNBhmSVqTgQ1TOeXIh-rRzC4lCXgBP0sGSRVlVqKigS7rku4zbXZMyBkqJmCy09yWaeZbvA3hEAybcCNdAaE1VYT-MGEc4jyC36HTJ6qmcWFBT8-j0x2Zyd8/s320/389865_2472775709203_1546736374_32569269_1138370419_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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After about an hour in the stand the rain let up a little and some does came out to feed behind me, then walked along the edge of the field and over the hill. If I had stood up in my stand and knelt on the seat I probably could have shot one of them, but not having a place to hang them right now, Mike and I don't want to shoot any does this week. If it was a monster buck, it wouldn't have mattered. He would have had to die, whether we had a place to hang him or not.<br />
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The evening turned out to be pretty quiet. The sun came out right around dusk, which made for a beautiful sunset. It was cold enough that I could see my breathe, and it was so still I could hear the birds walking in the leaves. I wanted to hold my breath it was so quiet.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66yje65dCzTYy68v1pxei9p2EYzJvDhxvA4_sqsjvoLre73h0sdPtXCW7G7WSH3UP94_knISZ5_7blXT_0rjxIrenGjNhB8lEuK8srQTLusAqiUrUA5RAtGyS68kGM1qqColzQ4vQZmvY/s1600/392619_2474867801504_1546736374_32572069_1394954987_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg66yje65dCzTYy68v1pxei9p2EYzJvDhxvA4_sqsjvoLre73h0sdPtXCW7G7WSH3UP94_knISZ5_7blXT_0rjxIrenGjNhB8lEuK8srQTLusAqiUrUA5RAtGyS68kGM1qqColzQ4vQZmvY/s320/392619_2474867801504_1546736374_32572069_1394954987_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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I was pretty sure I was going to see some more deer, and was really hoping to see a buck, but it didn't happen. It got dark and I climbed down and went home to make supper for Mike and the kids.<br />
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Tomorrow I'm headed back out to the woods in hopes of seeing a nice buck, and on Thursday and Friday Mike will be coming along with me. I'm going to start hunting every day since it's pre-rut and the deer are moving. I don't have the time to hunt that I used to since I got an instant family over the summer, so I need to make the best of the time I do have, and try to put a big buck on the ground!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98X_s5QkHuW-PsYJA25JydxWEwrfjxizLahHhWbhCU0jH5Dc1aCjVAhQK18OvTOne6bSZvr6E_uE1AQBQZpDdt3ttcRrJEWxyjM1BopJCbXJidwufguKffLzM71ugrIzX7biJRhP0G3VS/s1600/380144_2474870561573_1546736374_32572071_1080214095_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98X_s5QkHuW-PsYJA25JydxWEwrfjxizLahHhWbhCU0jH5Dc1aCjVAhQK18OvTOne6bSZvr6E_uE1AQBQZpDdt3ttcRrJEWxyjM1BopJCbXJidwufguKffLzM71ugrIzX7biJRhP0G3VS/s320/380144_2474870561573_1546736374_32572071_1080214095_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-46882594680528679942011-10-26T06:09:00.000-07:002011-10-26T06:09:45.234-07:00My Luck Needs To Turn!!!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, I finally got a chance to get out there and sit in the treestand here in Ohio. I have to say, it didn't really go as planned.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First off, Mike and I had to wait until I got Cheyanne on her bus at 8 o'clock am, then we had to get all of our hunting stuff ready (we should have done it the day before) then load everything in his truck, make sure we had everything, and drive to our spot. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As we were pulling out of the driveway dark clouds were moving in on the horizon. When I say dark I mean BLACK clouds. It was definitely going to rain. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We got to our spot, parked, unpacked our stuff, walked to the treestand we put up earlier this month. Then realized we'd forgotten rope to pull our bows up with. Ok, no big deal I would climb into my stand and strap myself in and then mike would climb up and hand me my bow. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We came accross another problem when I tried putting my safety harness on. Neither one of us could figure out how the heck to put it on me. After ten minutes we gave up and I wore Mike's harness since I was going to be in a lock on that was extremely high in the tree, and he was going to be in a climber.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I finally got settled and it started raining. Mike was going to set up in a tree slightly behind me with his climber. I could hear alot of banging and clanging going on as he tried to get the climber situated. Several times I heard a loud sound that SOUNDED like he had just fallen...which he hadn't luckily. The stand kept slipping on the wet tree. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Awhile later we were both finally set in our treestands and it was POURING rain. I could feel water soaking into my two layers of camo, I could feel it dripping down my face. My hair was soaked. I felt like I had just taken a shower. To make it even better it was COLD out. I could see my breath in the air. And the rain meant that we wouldn't be able to film, or even take pictures with our new Hycreek camo on. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We probably sat there for an hour or so before we decided to climb down since I was soaked and we weren't seeing anything. The last thing I need is to get sick on the first time in the treestand. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We started back up the hill to the truck and soon discovered that with all the rain, the hill was impossible to walk up without falling flat on your face in the mud. Or flat on your butt in the mud. Or on your side. Or any other awkward position you could think of. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We ended up turning around and going back the long way, which wasn't quite as muddy. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">All in all it really wasn't a successful hunt. It wasn't even all that fun. But, at least we got a chance to get out there and make some memories. We're headed back out this weekend, and if this awful torrential rain will let up I'm going to try some spot and stalk by myself in the next few days.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I took a drive yesterday and saw some does near the property we hunt, but didn't see any bucks until I started driving back home. Then of course I had a big buck run right across the road in front of me...right in front of some peoples houses. So it didn't matter anyway.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Last night I was at Mike's parents with the kids and we saw some small bucks in the horse pasture...if they had been bigger it would have been a fairly easy spot and stalk. Wyatt took a walk out with the dog and they both got within 40 yards, walking directly across the field. If they were big bucks, I could have gone around the edge of the field and come in right behind them and they never would have known what hit them. So, I'm keeping my eye out in the pasture for this week. I also may go for a drive down to the property we hunt and see if I can see any deer out in the fields. It's time to make the best of this weather!!!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2T7b1waek275LZCZJ8vCgPvFBxiLL2dgJUc8Zyk54w_JI8B5Kx8iR3Vb9pyZ6rBHgMaj7K09oiQBSizVKPauyKMKVMDCGaLYuRUEOEU3IG5zk8yTnxP8cDlkaUx_uWI8yvWcAu9wdNM5/s1600/IMG_0630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2T7b1waek275LZCZJ8vCgPvFBxiLL2dgJUc8Zyk54w_JI8B5Kx8iR3Vb9pyZ6rBHgMaj7K09oiQBSizVKPauyKMKVMDCGaLYuRUEOEU3IG5zk8yTnxP8cDlkaUx_uWI8yvWcAu9wdNM5/s320/IMG_0630.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-49003259294746383402011-10-20T10:15:00.000-07:002011-10-20T10:15:53.373-07:00Last Years Regrets<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Recently I was going through all my deer hunting pictures and videos from last year, and it hit me: I have quite a few regrets from last year that I really need to let go. It’s not like my life will be destroyed if I don’t or anything, but really I need to get over it. </span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The first thing (just a small regret, nothing that really bothers me) is that I wish I would have arrowed a few of the does that I had under my stand every night. If nothing else, I would at least still have some meat in the freezer. I shot one deer last year in October, a BIG deer, and I ran out of meat in April…I ate it all myself…yes I ate a lot of deer meat. It’s pretty darn good. And also I was too poor to go out and buy beef all the time. </span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My second regret is that I wish I hadn’t passed up the big 8 point buck that I saw twice underneath my stand. Of course, I was holding out for Mr. Big…who never showed up for our date. Most of you probably remember me blogging about the 8 point and of course Mr. Big, who is practically famous. Needless to say, the 8 point would have been a nice addition to my wall. He was a big bodied deer, and had a unique rack. At the time it wasn’t what I wanted, so I’ll have to learn to live with my decision.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi865d-Z4MqctJjWTUrolqNCuKB6E3wZ81XGoLPGzRl7UqEmO5oTSuTKyjuhhCq1NZizLC3J7nZuFJeEZ5c3HOHdsedRr2axXX403UKiGYPyLc9IXZ2aYV7uXJifntzNjg6zDWluuUIj0VE/s1600/Picture+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi865d-Z4MqctJjWTUrolqNCuKB6E3wZ81XGoLPGzRl7UqEmO5oTSuTKyjuhhCq1NZizLC3J7nZuFJeEZ5c3HOHdsedRr2axXX403UKiGYPyLc9IXZ2aYV7uXJifntzNjg6zDWluuUIj0VE/s320/Picture+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Third: I guess this really can’t be considered a regret since its not my fault…but I still wish I would have shot Mr. Big. Bow, shotgun, muzzleloader I don’t care how. I’ve never hunted so hard in my entire life as I did last year for that big ten point. And then some other city hunters had to shoot him on opening day of firearm season. During a drive. It wasn’t how I imagined him dying. I imagined him dying with a hole through his lungs from my arrow.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I hunted him day after day, week after week, all through bow season and muzzleloader season. I barely missed a day. It was my obsession, it was what I got up for in the morning. My friends and family never even saw me…it was kind of like I was dating a deer. Anyone else ever have this problem???</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I still remember the day I found out that someone else had shot him…my dad called me on the phone (I was bear hunting with one of my friends) and I knew it was going to be bad news by the tone of my dads voice. I’m pretty sure I almost started crying when he told me Mr. Big was no longer. </span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFws_qo-f0sKmPAgun8ErWbU4iVGI_WcgrLX43pMbjdDrvzn3d47FJqNPPXC5VuIqlItIsHKJAjMR-tjy4RreHqQ7PIerq0mTAcdwMpoZ6d8oA3Xmr7TD60-u65D4av1uP02KfEKaCa5TU/s1600/Picture+073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFws_qo-f0sKmPAgun8ErWbU4iVGI_WcgrLX43pMbjdDrvzn3d47FJqNPPXC5VuIqlItIsHKJAjMR-tjy4RreHqQ7PIerq0mTAcdwMpoZ6d8oA3Xmr7TD60-u65D4av1uP02KfEKaCa5TU/s320/Picture+073.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Looking back, I was more upset about Mr. Big being killed by someone other than myself than I was about the recent breakup I had gone through that October. And STILL when I look through my pictures of Mr. Big, and the one video I took of him, I think: that would have been just AWESOME if I had actually shot him like I had planned!!!</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Just goes to show you, life doesn’t always go as planned!!! </span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This year had been a lot different so far…I haven’t got to hunt as often, and I’m not as familiar with the land since this will be my first time hunting Ohio. There are more bucks, and a lot BIGGER bucks, which is a good thing. The weather is cooling off, the rut is just around the corner, and I’m looking forward to spending the days in my stand until I have to pick the kids up from the bus in late afternoon. It certainly is a change having kids around to look after and not being able to hunt every day whenever I want...but I'll get out there!!!</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">All I want is one chance at a big buck and I’ll be more than happy.</span></span></div><div><br />
</div>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-43025644904802202412011-10-18T12:51:00.000-07:002011-10-18T12:51:32.085-07:00Lead Bullets: The BanThis is something I rarely do on my blog...but being a hunter I find these articles quite interesting, and for lack of any other interesting hunting stories (like I wish I shot a huge buck), I decided I would share these articles with all of you...<br />
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It makes you think!!!<br />
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<div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Times New Roman'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Lead Bullets</b></span></div><div style="color: #693506; font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: #693506; font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Anti-hunting and anti-fishing interests are currently litigating against the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) to force the EPA to expand its Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) authority in order to regulate traditional ammunition and recreational fishing tackle. </span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">When the Act was established in 1976 Congress explicitly excluded from regulation any article subject to excise taxes -- including pistols, revolvers, firearms, shells and cartridges.</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The EPA has already once declined a petition that asked the agency to </span><span style="color: #313433;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">prohibit the manufacture, processing, and distribution in commerce of lead for shot, bullets, and fishing sinkers</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> because it did not have the authority to do so under the TSCA. </span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Anti-hunting and anti-fishing interests assert the EPA does have the authority and that a lead ban is necessary to address the significant impacts to wildlife populations that are resulting from traditional tackle and ammunition.</span></div><div style="color: #693506; font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The assertions made by the petitioning groups lack credible scientific foundation, especially when seeking a blanket ban on all lead use. Outside of the California condor, where every death is significant, there is no evidence of a lead crisis at the population level – an entire group of one species living in a specific area.</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The biggest threat of lead in wildlife is with birds that have gizzards, which hold on to and grind up food, rather than pass it quickly through their systems.</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Proponents of the ban cite the impacts on individual raptors, such as Bald Eagles even though raptor populations are increasing across North America and the Bald Eagle was removed from the Endangered Species list as recently as 2007.</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">If a complete ban on lead in ammunition where achieved it would have a dramatic negative impact, because of the increased cost of alternative metals, on the cost of ammunition, and therefore participation in hunting and recreational shooting, which in turn is the engine that drives most of the funding for conservation and wildlife management through the excise taxes paid on the purchases of ammunition.</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Sportsmen groups have rallied to push forward the introduction of the Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Protection Act (S.838 & H.R. 1558), which will amend TSCA in a manner that serves to protect and enhance our hunting, recreational shooting and recreational fishing heritage while concurrently facilitating the important benefits that the hunting, shooting and recreational fishing industries contribute to the betterment of our nation’s economy and treasured natural resources.</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 12.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font: 11.0px 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Act is now being discussed and considered in committees. To learn more:</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"> HYPERLINK "http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s112-838" </span><span style="color: #243afc; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s112-838</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="color: #243afc; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And the second article I read was this one...</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><div style="font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Lead Elephant</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Lead in all its forms has become a four-letter word in our society. Of late it has become a tool for environmentalist, animal activist and anti-hunting and fishing groups – a tool with dangerous consequences, in some ways maybe more so than the metal itself. If there ever was an elephant in the room that could affect how we hunt, shoot, and fish from here on out, this is it.</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Environmental groups are now claiming that wildlife on a large scale are being impacted by lead poisoning, either by ingesting spent lead, or in the case of large raptors and scavengers, ingesting lead fragments from consuming gut piles or unrecovered game. They further claim a human heath risk from eating wild game. They make no secret; they are pushing for a complete ban on the use of lead in all ammunition and fishing tackle. </div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The facts surrounding this issue are complex and the ramifications of a complete ban far reaching. </div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Lead is the easiest and least expensive metal to form into bullets, birdshot, and sinkers. As such lead is at the foundation of the traditional outdoor actives of hunting and fishing. All forms of hunting with a firearm, plus recreational, law enforcement, and military shooting involve lead ammunition. In fishing lead is used in weights, sinkers, and jig heads, and in flyfishing, in split shot and twist-ons.</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Because lead is so widely used in the products that support these activities, two issues emerge – funding for wildlife conservation and management, and the low cost participation in these activities by young hunters, shooters, and anglers.</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">It’s no secret that sportsmen and women, shooters and anglers pay for the majority of wildlife conservation and management through the excise taxes on equipment purchases, including ammunition. It is also no secret that if equipment manufactures are forced to use alternative metals that cost more to source and produce into product, the cost of these products has to go up, and in some cases go up substantially. Ramification #1 is future conservation funding – as costs go up participation goes down, purchases go down and excise taxes go down. Ramification #2 is the loss of inexpensive ammunition for young shooters getting into shooting or hunting. The last thing conservation, our wildlife, and hunting and fishing needs is another obstacle keeping young people for getting active outdoors.</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><b></b></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Shots Fired</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">On August 3<sup>rd</sup>, 2010 environmental groups petitioned the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue a complete ban under the Toxic Substance Control Act. Congress had specifically excluded ammunition from this legislation and the EPA rejected the petition on the grounds it did not have the authority for such a ban. Subsequently, environmental groups filed suit against the EPA claiming they do have authority to ban lead ammunition. Those behind this petition would have us believe that any amount of lead deposited into the environment is a threat to wildlife and humans. </div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Real Science</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Lead is a naturally occurring element in the environment and has no functional or beneficial role in biological systems. Based on our knowledge of its toxicity, lead has been banned in paint, toys, and gasoline – gasoline being of the biggest concern in transfer to humans. Over concern for waterfowl eating spent lead pellets and the threat of lawsuits by environmental groups, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service banned lead in all waterfowl hunting in 1991. The ban followed from research documenting the accumulation of lead shot in wetland habitats that were heavily used by waterfowl hunters, and other studies reporting mortality in bottom-feeding waterfowl following the ingestion of lead pellets while foraging. </div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Depending on a range of factors lead can be toxic to some wildlife, but it is primarily an issue with birds. This is because birds have gizzards, which hold on to and grind up food, rather than pass it quickly through their systems. The right type of lead can also be a toxic to humans depending on the amount consumed, over certain duration of time, individual body size, and age.</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Proponents of the ban cite the impacts on individual raptors, such as Bald Eagles even though raptor populations are increasing across North America and the Bald Eagle was removed from the Endangered Species list as recently as 2007.</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Understanding this issue and sorting fact from fiction is difficult because of all the variables. It is being made even more difficult by groups asking for more science. Many studies have already been conducted and a technical review of existing scientific literature on the subject was completed by The Wildlife Society, the premier professional organization for wildlife science and management, in collaboration with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. These studies show that potential ingestion rates and health impacts vary by species, age, body size, amount consumed, method ingested, and geographic area. Some have measured the amounts and distributions of lead fragments found in carcasses and gut piles. We know that ingestion rates are related to lead concentration in the specific environments where animals may possibly ingest pellets or fragments while feeding. On the extremely low-hazard end are individual bullets fired in the field. On the high side is where shot-shell pellets concentrate where shooters regularly use the same locations, like dove fields and trap and skeet ranges.</div><div style="color: #243afc; font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Other than condors there is no evidence lead bullets are a serious conservation issue at the population level – meaning an entire group of one species living in a certain area. With the endangered California condor, every death is significant and so banning the use of lead ammunition in condor range made sense and sportsmen have supported this effort. </div><div style="color: #243afc; font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Considering human health, we have to realize that the lead in gasoline was emitted into the air and settled everywhere in our environment and that is very different from how hunters and anglers are depositing lead. The question is not whether lead fragments or pellets can be found in wild game. The question is can this be a source of lead toxicity for humans? The only reported human health issue from ingested lead ammunition comes from a study of subsistence hunters in Northern Canada that ate lead-harvested wild game in high quantities every day. </div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The punch line is, if there is more science needed it would on be at the population level for a specific species in a specific area. The real question with lead is should our policy-makers take a sledge-hammer approach to an issue science says is tightly limited to certain populations and situations?</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><b></b></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>Bottom Line</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The tools used for centuries by hunters, shooters, and anglers are in the crosshairs of environmentalists whose agenda appears to be mixed. Some would say theirs is a real concern for wildlife and humans. Others contend the plot to ban all lead is just another attempt to chop the legs out from under sportsmen and the user-pay model of wildlife conservation.</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">A blanket ban on all lead ammunition and in fishing tackle is clearly overreaching, especially when it includes lead that has no chance of being deposited in the environment, like indoor facilities for shooters, self-defense and law enforcement training. This is not a one-size fits all issue. The science simply isn't there to support a human health issue. As for wildlife, in terms of the health of populations and ecosystem function there may be the need for localized restrictions, but those decisions are best left to local managers, not judges. Our wildlife professionals need to clearly articulate to policy-makers what is a conservation issue requiring drastic regulatory changes and what is a non-issue, or a personal choice based on a desire to not kill or sicken individual birds. </div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b>S. 838</b></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">After the environmental groups filed suit a Bill was introduced to Congress supported by sportsmen’s organizations that would amend the Toxics Substance Control Act to clarify the jurisdiction of the EPA. The S. 838: Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act is now being discussed and considered in committees. <span style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman';"> HYPERLINK "http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s112-838" </span><span style="color: #243afc; font: 12.0px 'Lucida Grande'; text-decoration: underline;">http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s112-838</span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Where this issue will land is yet to be seen. What we do know is that sportsmen care about wildlife, all wildlife, and have proven so time and again. If or where real science, not advocacy called science or agenda-based science, but real science that holds up to scrutiny demonstrates a population impact and the use of non-lead products is warranted, sportsmen will do their part. The best thing you can do now is stay informed and let yourself be heard, especially regarding the proposed Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Protection Act.</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It makes you wonder what Hunting will be like in 10, 20, 50 years from now...</span></span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Sorry if I bored you with the articles...just something I thought I would throw out there!!! Hopefully my next post will be something exciting (like me shooting a huge buck, with tons of pictures to post!!!). </span></span></div><div style="font: 11.0px 'Lucida Grande'; line-height: 17.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
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</span></span></span></div>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-84575641256963114762011-10-09T09:53:00.000-07:002011-10-09T09:53:01.070-07:00Life in Ohio<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The other night Mike and I went and put up a treestand on one of the properties we'll be hunting. It's down in a hollow where three or four deer trails come together...I'm pretty excited to get out there. I just need to go get my Ohio resident hunting license and deer tags.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Last week I went and got my Ohio drivers license, switched my truck title and got new license plates. I even had to take a drivers test (written) which I passed fortunately since I didn't know all the answers on the test and had to play multiple guess.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's kind of weird being here in Ohio for hunting season. I'm used to being able to go out every single day, morning and night, right from opening day. Now I have 2 kids to take care of and get on the bus, pick up from the bus stop, football games to go to, etc. Not that I'm complaining or anything, it's just different than what I'm used to. I think I'm going through deer hunting withdrawal a little bit...but next week I should be able to go sit in the woods with my bow and video camera!!!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm hoping to get a big ohio buck on the ground before our next out of state hunting trip...which I'm not altogether sure when (or where) our next trip will be. We have been planning to go to Kentucky for whitetail, as well as back to Jersey for a bear hunt. We put in for our cougar tags the other day so if one (or both) of us makes the draw, we'll be headed to Cougar Creek Outfitters in Utah for our first time ever cougar hunting. With bows!!! Which makes me happy. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I need to get all of my hunting stuff ready for here in Ohio...bow, broadheads, arrows, rangefinder, knives, release, camera, camera arm, camo. I think I may need to make a list. It feels like it's been years since I've been hunting. Mike likes turkey hunting better than deer hunting so he hasn't been as excited as I am to get out in the treestand. Fall is my time; I love bowhunting whitetail more than anything.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I kind of feel like I missed out a little this year on all the pre-season scouting, food plots, trail cams, looking for scrapes, setting up stands...I guess I'll have to wait to do all that again until next year here in Ohio. All of that was done by the time I moved here, and I kind of miss doing it. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But, hopefully next week I'll have a chance to shoot a big buck or even a doe here in Ohio. It will be my first Ohio deer, my first time killing anything with a Ross bow, and also my first time using Rage broadheads. Wish me luck!!!</span><br />
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</span>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-91475450314344937252011-10-02T10:22:00.000-07:002011-10-02T10:22:22.567-07:00Hunters DelightThe other night I had my first taste of elk meat...and it was SO GOOD!!! Mike and the kids all loved it, we had leftovers the second night and all of them still had second helpings. I used cubed steak meat for what I made the other night, and I can't wait to try an actual steak on the grill.<br />
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*Hunters Delight*<br />
<br />
2 and 1/2 lbs of red potatoes, uncooked, peeled and sliced<br />
2 medium onions, sliced<br />
2 lbs of uncooked cubed uncooked elk meat (can also used venison or beef)<br />
1 to 2 lbs of cooked bacon, crumbled<br />
2 cans of creamed corn<br />
1 tsp sugar<br />
4 tbs Worcestershire sauce<br />
salt and pepper<br />
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In a crockpot, layer the potatoes and onions. Second layer: meat and bacon.<br />
In a bowl, combine corn, sugar, W. sauce, and salt and pepper. Pour over meat layer. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.<br />
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I served it with homemade mozzarella sticks, it was so yummy!!!<br />
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*Mozzarella Sticks*<br />
<br />
12 cheesesticks<br />
12 eggroll wrappers (Can be found in the refrigerated organic food section at your local supermarket)<br />
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Wrap the eggroll wrappers burrito-style tightly around each cheese stick. Fry in hot oil until golden brown on both sides.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfwrSuvRoArcduxUzNLdckrCWck0dGvDVBOxaKBdVgW2YFEyk2CW0kSBAzzcUWc390of31ki_0QQTYlBgbnhqEy34Tp4Hlb_YwS5q5Sdv5gtEODKRd0yGLsdgVJznQZh4v_z8rqgrZz6A/s1600/IMG_0479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfwrSuvRoArcduxUzNLdckrCWck0dGvDVBOxaKBdVgW2YFEyk2CW0kSBAzzcUWc390of31ki_0QQTYlBgbnhqEy34Tp4Hlb_YwS5q5Sdv5gtEODKRd0yGLsdgVJznQZh4v_z8rqgrZz6A/s320/IMG_0479.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-42676013485288445242011-09-29T15:56:00.000-07:002011-09-29T15:56:46.885-07:00Colorado And Back<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-1RER1OqsEIzpqupJGEdX8yJWpKyr1gfZMe43J4a1b1GFtILNtVD_0gdGTgfAOKw9AiRE4iaQQ_SQxPTjtIOZXd7jnTk-6HiWIztsphG6YgLcMWaCL8xp8aAGyp-0SvBsxCZe7fQlYVl/s1600/IMG_0356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-1RER1OqsEIzpqupJGEdX8yJWpKyr1gfZMe43J4a1b1GFtILNtVD_0gdGTgfAOKw9AiRE4iaQQ_SQxPTjtIOZXd7jnTk-6HiWIztsphG6YgLcMWaCL8xp8aAGyp-0SvBsxCZe7fQlYVl/s320/IMG_0356.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Well, this past weekend Mike and I just returned from our Colorado trip. Mike was going to hunt elk, I was going to film. I have to say I was pretty excited about it, except for the 26 hour drive.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Guess what??? The drive wasn't quite as bad as I thought it was going to be...on the drive there I drank too much energy drink and COULDN'T sleep, so I didn't have to worry about falling asleep while driving. Or falling asleep while not driving for that matter. I guess I learned my lesson; I will never drink energy drinks in that quantity again. I guess I'm a lightweight. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">We made pretty good time on the drive up there, checked into our hotel room, and met up with our guide to make plans for the next few days.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_z6MdZDzgE8Qd3bJMHBA8s99ZKY0KZliULqzjKSoRZcxRzei0uvv21xOcxnAce6Qn455e1tma9-Vf8P698q2lFNW3geRu4U7gXV0HObMK7ATTkLgQF4ZWGblwKVKT_01MKtfSfQktXU2/s1600/IMG_0277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_z6MdZDzgE8Qd3bJMHBA8s99ZKY0KZliULqzjKSoRZcxRzei0uvv21xOcxnAce6Qn455e1tma9-Vf8P698q2lFNW3geRu4U7gXV0HObMK7ATTkLgQF4ZWGblwKVKT_01MKtfSfQktXU2/s320/IMG_0277.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEUROahBqRr68F-sohCBcSEy41lOAf_nVfsAxM6kZgqLz3O_loYWW60HLbeLnNrbz2YVtNE4L3Rj6WCO2XqHglb-6w-sshTveCB0tWlcQ8BjgVKHMfdxp0gbBoFQkGKkRRkbN3PysZ9eu/s1600/IMG_0301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEUROahBqRr68F-sohCBcSEy41lOAf_nVfsAxM6kZgqLz3O_loYWW60HLbeLnNrbz2YVtNE4L3Rj6WCO2XqHglb-6w-sshTveCB0tWlcQ8BjgVKHMfdxp0gbBoFQkGKkRRkbN3PysZ9eu/s320/IMG_0301.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Before I get any farther I just have to say: hotel = showers every day!!!! More than one shower per day even. Before leaving for our Colorado trip, I got some new scent free shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and body wash. I usually don't go out of my way to promote stuff unless I'm either getting paid, or really really love it...and I really really loved this scent free stuff. It's called Just For Does, and I'm pretty sure it's the best thing invented ever. Instead of having messy hair every day, and dry skin that made me feel like I had alligator hide, I had smooth hair and my skin was normal. I would recommend these scent free products to anyone. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">Back to the hunt; every single day we saw elk. The first few mornings we came so close to killing an elk that we could practically taste it. Several of the bulls continued to be the strong silent type, and would sneak in on us unannounced without even bugling. Others would come within 25 yards, but continue to stay behind a tree/bush/shrub etc. so Mike wouldn't be able to take a shot with his bow. If we had been rifle hunting we could have taken a good bull every day.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VCBOsNXmZSc/ToT1olH8z5I/AAAAAAAAAOc/uAFd3UD6cqY/s1600/IMG_0311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VCBOsNXmZSc/ToT1olH8z5I/AAAAAAAAAOc/uAFd3UD6cqY/s320/IMG_0311.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjXZuQ5avz2soL7D8Pls_FVa_rVa6Uzuhed9pdJ_arKA68hOyJ8a1tWlPv9V5wTgCwzfvGPrsippgYRVYNR7cpzHZG54_-cSncwX1ZA5zPqNRKsI0qCLXr0v1x1ICg01klrC99H2n7_qn/s1600/IMG_0321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTjXZuQ5avz2soL7D8Pls_FVa_rVa6Uzuhed9pdJ_arKA68hOyJ8a1tWlPv9V5wTgCwzfvGPrsippgYRVYNR7cpzHZG54_-cSncwX1ZA5zPqNRKsI0qCLXr0v1x1ICg01klrC99H2n7_qn/s320/IMG_0321.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlPjMy19MmhCEHXEjqFB3BHSX7wVAlB1SP6i63UlSUwbcbq5BadE1Xmzu10pzQRzisAf9AdlMp9qqprzfmtDfSySyUQNCHc_Ht8Pu_wZrY2kCvRr4qAX2-X7b60FBgenH1MTaSCiNM327/s1600/IMG_0353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlPjMy19MmhCEHXEjqFB3BHSX7wVAlB1SP6i63UlSUwbcbq5BadE1Xmzu10pzQRzisAf9AdlMp9qqprzfmtDfSySyUQNCHc_Ht8Pu_wZrY2kCvRr4qAX2-X7b60FBgenH1MTaSCiNM327/s320/IMG_0353.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">At the beginning of our trip, Mike's plan was to hold out for a 300+ bull elk. We had arrived Sunday afternoon and started hunting Monday morning...by Thursday and still no elk down, we were getting a little discouraged since we were planning on leaving Saturday. Our guide was awesome, and an amazing caller, and was really doing his very best to get us an elk...but things just weren't going well.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;">I had blisters on my feet from my new boots, Mike and I were allergic to the sage brush, and we were both getting sick. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We spent Thursday night watching a 5x6 bull elk on the side of the mountain, following his girlfriend around. He would respond to Kim's (our guide) cow calls, but by the time he started making his way up the side of the mountain, it was getting too dark to shoot. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Friday morning was another close call; by Friday afternoon Mike was willing to settle for a small bull, or even a cow since he had a cow tag and we really wanted to at least bring some meat home. Friday evening we were covered up in elk--and cows. BUT they were beef cows, not elk cows. I don't think the farmers would have taken too kindly if Mike arrowed a beef cow to take home. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Right around the time it was starting to get dark, we got ambushed by some small bulls crossing down one mountain and going up the next one. Kim, Mike and I dropped down into a ditch. I ended up not being able to film because the ditch was too deep; Mike took a shot at the 4x4 but it was an uphill shot, and didn't have time to use a rangefinder so he ended up missing. It was a long walk back up that mountain, I'll tell you that much. Mike was a bit depressed; Saturday was our last day, and who knew if we would get another chance???</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWungrHe7sLIliNKO8PqXGtz4twaJVRIhFZhBmnt97ZOoiAmvzciopHBw79dChAHXAUNtvpKYsXUxhIekM70IMa9Sx7mLpuaX2dGkmNr6ETY4_K84vTHAix5mTQbWxKoaHmuIkTExMwIC/s1600/IMG_0361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHWungrHe7sLIliNKO8PqXGtz4twaJVRIhFZhBmnt97ZOoiAmvzciopHBw79dChAHXAUNtvpKYsXUxhIekM70IMa9Sx7mLpuaX2dGkmNr6ETY4_K84vTHAix5mTQbWxKoaHmuIkTExMwIC/s320/IMG_0361.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Saturday morning we had bulls bugling right off the bat. We were only a few hundred yards from the truck when we had two bulls coming in with cows. <i>This is it,</i> I thought. <i>Last day, last morning, we'll get Mike his elk. </i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It didn't quite work out that way. The bulls came in to about 100 yards from Mike and Kim. I stayed back with the camera so I could watch the whole thing; the bulls went right past Mike and Kim, and they were gone forever. So much for that plan. I kind of felt like going back to the hotel and going to sleep. Maybe I should have stayed in the hotel. I was feeling a little sick and my blisters were bleeding again.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Once again we started off across the mountains, heading to the "lookout", a spot on the top of a mountain where we always seemed to hear lots of bulls, and had almost killed one Tuesday morning. We heard some bulls bugling before we even got there, but really I wasn't all that hopeful. We got to the top of the hill and I sat down on a log to rest my feet while Kim and Mike glassed and called.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After a few minutes they decided to hike up the mountain even farther. My feet were pretty sore so Mike told me to stay behind...and now that the hunt is over, I'm sorry I did stay behind. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I sat on the mountain for about an hour, leaning against a log, taking pictures, looking for rocks in the dirt. I was starting to get bored. I heard an elk bugling down below me, but couldn't hear Kim and Mike, or any other elk. I figured they would come back soon enough and we would head back to the hotel and head home. What a disappointment this was with no elk.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMreJCMkKwc9u9d0g2_6VkOZPTJByv9olJ8yDod6hfQPjiMss8ucAQMYcO1ecNzxPmnUE3jutIN1Ly_sOMWfw7J-7uUj3fS-OR3-SmMI4DXKiz2D97WYMgVXzFstcNwRLDmSJMjKEc0tP/s1600/IMG_0426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSMreJCMkKwc9u9d0g2_6VkOZPTJByv9olJ8yDod6hfQPjiMss8ucAQMYcO1ecNzxPmnUE3jutIN1Ly_sOMWfw7J-7uUj3fS-OR3-SmMI4DXKiz2D97WYMgVXzFstcNwRLDmSJMjKEc0tP/s320/IMG_0426.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdM1lKYKM1RZRROln79v5shXwn2r0XFZ-zzdWJvrocRsOf91hlVgOR_Pd4hfvKQSLu39yyYhQIIENIZ0WHNMPQVP2BVYONuNvPexs9Y5pQU_a1SkYE8vLuZsMsTJ3I4vJkl-BKWPzczkF/s1600/IMG_0432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdM1lKYKM1RZRROln79v5shXwn2r0XFZ-zzdWJvrocRsOf91hlVgOR_Pd4hfvKQSLu39yyYhQIIENIZ0WHNMPQVP2BVYONuNvPexs9Y5pQU_a1SkYE8vLuZsMsTJ3I4vJkl-BKWPzczkF/s320/IMG_0432.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It wasn't long before I heard the guys coming back so I picked up the camera and my backpack and mentally prepared myself for the painful walk back down the mountain. But to my surprise, Kim came walking down the mountain alone...no Mike...no pack...no elk calls...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ummm....where was Mike???</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Where's Mike???"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Back there, we got an elk down."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Wow, he seemed nonchalant about it. "For real???"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"Yup, a 5x6."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Oh goody. My life was complete. Except...I hadn't got it on film!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nooo!!!!!!!!!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Well, oh well. I guess it wasn't totally my fault....at least that what I keep telling myself.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNek0Rq85q5NpR7oqfE5uB_4cbdXxotlx7w3U0guRNzYdjDJmORto7yc_8m7AKKjnHwleJr-3dIMTdx64GMq-EafioJw9P0nqjyqK1f-Rg_y5LD8rnB_7ibrHdIZvtjttoMRiPUCsGeOY/s1600/IMG_0437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNek0Rq85q5NpR7oqfE5uB_4cbdXxotlx7w3U0guRNzYdjDJmORto7yc_8m7AKKjnHwleJr-3dIMTdx64GMq-EafioJw9P0nqjyqK1f-Rg_y5LD8rnB_7ibrHdIZvtjttoMRiPUCsGeOY/s320/IMG_0437.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I followed Kim up the mountain to where Mike was waiting for us. There was buckets of blood where he had shot the elk, only 5 yards from the tree he had been standing behind. The elk itself had only gone about 40 yards back down the mountain (of course he ran downhill). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AfsNJoNHohYW9msX8xx030QX8XzWNoaSUv3uRXSP6sndm7xAxVdWpHH8PTXarBMfAniIUJktmoyKX-x7QbagbApZ7WunAUHBRASyXvHCTs5HI69-L_RdQXAqs-bRcDGjfVdsr2rNIabb/s1600/IMG_0438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5AfsNJoNHohYW9msX8xx030QX8XzWNoaSUv3uRXSP6sndm7xAxVdWpHH8PTXarBMfAniIUJktmoyKX-x7QbagbApZ7WunAUHBRASyXvHCTs5HI69-L_RdQXAqs-bRcDGjfVdsr2rNIabb/s320/IMG_0438.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I was more than a little happy to see the elk laying there in the brush with blood all around it, and even more happy to see the smile on Mike's face. His luck had finally changed this year, the Crave had taken its first elk!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kZRaBHqcVQA/ToT28966qpI/AAAAAAAAAPA/XLnPkrS9wKc/s1600/IMG_0443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kZRaBHqcVQA/ToT28966qpI/AAAAAAAAAPA/XLnPkrS9wKc/s320/IMG_0443.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kSWV51WoLPU/ToT3BOHS0EI/AAAAAAAAAPE/z9i0Dq5yCps/s1600/IMG_0451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kSWV51WoLPU/ToT3BOHS0EI/AAAAAAAAAPE/z9i0Dq5yCps/s320/IMG_0451.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pplPB-QnpzA/ToT3c5NdGgI/AAAAAAAAAPY/-vEjMLhH5lI/s1600/IMG_0464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pplPB-QnpzA/ToT3c5NdGgI/AAAAAAAAAPY/-vEjMLhH5lI/s320/IMG_0464.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l9xe4UlRcwc/ToT3qCB4z1I/AAAAAAAAAPc/KHAHk-_vCIQ/s1600/IMG_0462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l9xe4UlRcwc/ToT3qCB4z1I/AAAAAAAAAPc/KHAHk-_vCIQ/s320/IMG_0462.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It took us 12 hours (well, it took the guys 12 hours since I wasn't strong enough to lift a bag or quarter of the meat...I felt so lazy!!!) to pack the meat down the mountain.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RQC0jBK3AWI/ToT3HxSzauI/AAAAAAAAAPI/Vd6y8GMY-vU/s1600/IMG_0471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RQC0jBK3AWI/ToT3HxSzauI/AAAAAAAAAPI/Vd6y8GMY-vU/s320/IMG_0471.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmREl3-a5BZK6nbO43g5NF2Rh2y37yjcOIHBB2Hc-ioM8uZXH7pvGHu6GRDt2AR_kJiE8vm7FNJCon0V6zA9qXMFc6glgH_o2emWmizQtsWydZFtr4nMA3pZICwDyV2GVXIn82G0Fe715m/s1600/IMG_0479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmREl3-a5BZK6nbO43g5NF2Rh2y37yjcOIHBB2Hc-ioM8uZXH7pvGHu6GRDt2AR_kJiE8vm7FNJCon0V6zA9qXMFc6glgH_o2emWmizQtsWydZFtr4nMA3pZICwDyV2GVXIn82G0Fe715m/s320/IMG_0479.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tonight we had our first taste of elk meat, and it was pretty yummy. We have a full freezer, lots of pictures, and even more good memories. I can't wait until it's my turn to take an elk :)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVaxb9_tKMIclbrnONRlsnq3tFT2jm9JQd5CC4IXcpWFnZc5pWf307LAZ1SYlzk6nmWa9w1PCrDsvwdWJXQicBvQERrDYQ3tfRmmwMZJ2OCLXIWAB_8vt-OryjMT7TnqUG78YbnkKne_q/s1600/IMG_0524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVaxb9_tKMIclbrnONRlsnq3tFT2jm9JQd5CC4IXcpWFnZc5pWf307LAZ1SYlzk6nmWa9w1PCrDsvwdWJXQicBvQERrDYQ3tfRmmwMZJ2OCLXIWAB_8vt-OryjMT7TnqUG78YbnkKne_q/s320/IMG_0524.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div>WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-77677518710247653032011-09-04T18:15:00.000-07:002011-09-04T18:15:21.826-07:00What I Miss Most About New Jersey<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm finally starting to miss some things about New Jersey...it certainly took longer than I thought it would!!! But I'm more than happy here in Ohio, and have been busy with Mike and the kids and hunting and just getting the house done.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The first thing I missed was my dog Chloe...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh50widfY0UgH3bVhI-4MjaN9mE_RZXRF3fkdzR0BluirZrOTRCCP1uup1rGfiOOkbQPjulSnNa2S8kRoDWM5h1A_AM7MwBnb7x46M4CIGAWAMCEE3aqcYU5OcK77GN9VbLYMbcAbXVTY7I/s1600/chloe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh50widfY0UgH3bVhI-4MjaN9mE_RZXRF3fkdzR0BluirZrOTRCCP1uup1rGfiOOkbQPjulSnNa2S8kRoDWM5h1A_AM7MwBnb7x46M4CIGAWAMCEE3aqcYU5OcK77GN9VbLYMbcAbXVTY7I/s320/chloe.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And then of course I miss my sister Sarah...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6JUVye-f9uU/TmQhMWHAO3I/AAAAAAAAANg/-ELs1tL7Iaw/s1600/172090_1750497612702_1546736374_31762986_6078780_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="138" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6JUVye-f9uU/TmQhMWHAO3I/AAAAAAAAANg/-ELs1tL7Iaw/s320/172090_1750497612702_1546736374_31762986_6078780_o.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And my best friend Alli...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAzTbvw0Ac_IYIdmXexjerBoKrdHHaFAtfJIGvIBM-fYeDM46XCTZFSwjc3v6v0pcbs2ymKYBIFn1BIJ0YG7a3mbKaMbluUQ6w6ON0nDaLh2RpF7L7_W6p62xGKlWY1yxNC3CmITUlKbJ/s1600/BekaAlli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAzTbvw0Ac_IYIdmXexjerBoKrdHHaFAtfJIGvIBM-fYeDM46XCTZFSwjc3v6v0pcbs2ymKYBIFn1BIJ0YG7a3mbKaMbluUQ6w6ON0nDaLh2RpF7L7_W6p62xGKlWY1yxNC3CmITUlKbJ/s320/BekaAlli.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And all our crazy girl talk.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And my dog Chloe.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And of course my family.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And although I'm certainly getting used to the roads/towns here, I miss knowing that I'm not going to get lost!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And mostly...</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I miss my dog!!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">She's just so cute, who couldn't love her???</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6XF3_V1X0Z3A9Z_G_WHDiz7wDML1QM20IBE4XFZHHGTA8J4kbds7iloZmGfzrLSOzpGiGFQ26x7XNNIODyDc3nAePmf2ixn4uRZKFJxDZsG9jvlIui6G5ELifSbFmk-fYrFH7FtoZFYP/s1600/n1546736374_30258319_5625259.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6XF3_V1X0Z3A9Z_G_WHDiz7wDML1QM20IBE4XFZHHGTA8J4kbds7iloZmGfzrLSOzpGiGFQ26x7XNNIODyDc3nAePmf2ixn4uRZKFJxDZsG9jvlIui6G5ELifSbFmk-fYrFH7FtoZFYP/s320/n1546736374_30258319_5625259.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
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WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7958583616446390844.post-61408398283336068122011-09-02T12:52:00.000-07:002011-09-02T12:52:40.185-07:00Utah: You Win Some, You Lose SomeI've been home for a week and have finally had a chance to sit down and try to write a blog about Utah...<br />
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We returned empty handed (tag soup anyone?) but we did have a lot of fun while we were there! And the scenery was gorgeous.<br />
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Before we left on our trip to Utah, Mike had informed me that we were going to be sleeping in tents...I'd never slept in a tent before. Guess what??? It wasn't even that bad. We had camp cots and sleeping bags so it was almost like sleeping in my own bed...except that Mike was in his own cot, far away, four feet from mine. So when I got cold I had no one to cuddle up to or steal all of the blankets from.<br />
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I had never hunted Mule deer before either, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. The first few days Mike and I were set up in a ground blind, me filming and him with his Ross. (Mike's dad was with us as well, but he hunted out of another blind.)<br />
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We didn't have much luck the first few days, no deer came to the water hole we were sitting over. Then, we discovered cougar tracks and moved to another spot since (obviously) mule deer aren't going to want to hang around where cougars have been.<br />
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Day three and still no luck we decided to do some spot and stalk and had much better luck. We saw lots of deer, but either 1. they were does, fawns, or small bucks, or 2. they were too far away, or 3. they were in a park where we weren't allowed to shoot them.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxv1CJ0OBfMjwkHXvksqlGhKsGttd5bM26qWQME2Gd7-LrpFtxQo2vObqLA85FI5y_UCPbEDepVcwKvmBPUD1EIxYWQyL-UAdZfGRGeOQkI5ysmNBj7JVpNGH90PE1Oex8uU36xDd_IBwy/s1600/IMG_0154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxv1CJ0OBfMjwkHXvksqlGhKsGttd5bM26qWQME2Gd7-LrpFtxQo2vObqLA85FI5y_UCPbEDepVcwKvmBPUD1EIxYWQyL-UAdZfGRGeOQkI5ysmNBj7JVpNGH90PE1Oex8uU36xDd_IBwy/s320/IMG_0154.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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We did have the good fortune to drive up near a herd of pronghorn bedded down under some trees (the first pronghorn I have ever seen in the wild) and also got to see some elk bugling, which was pretty amazing!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJT7YnOcWmeixbTWbU7J8PemBLGtP0keR9eFrmngG07cZDrxahyphenhyphenotYWytdtrFk9Hz9VPVwKTyPS5zUiB54ttJLDZ_HUj0tbMIXbI7xMW8AfSCxtsiLDn-6vjm-m5sthZasbWi-aoE6BUGw/s1600/IMG_0166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJT7YnOcWmeixbTWbU7J8PemBLGtP0keR9eFrmngG07cZDrxahyphenhyphenotYWytdtrFk9Hz9VPVwKTyPS5zUiB54ttJLDZ_HUj0tbMIXbI7xMW8AfSCxtsiLDn-6vjm-m5sthZasbWi-aoE6BUGw/s320/IMG_0166.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToNXh0ss7bfFBNUE3VYaCE2EdTdG60LsKOgSU5jr8rjlP4WsfUpCU8pEQ9oUEWrbwuQO9Polbv2ZMSsTrbNSTjyxKgogCCXGFZYgttqa9o7gc4cvCRY-FW5dKm6aR40WyJfcWAIva0fiI/s1600/IMG_0190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhToNXh0ss7bfFBNUE3VYaCE2EdTdG60LsKOgSU5jr8rjlP4WsfUpCU8pEQ9oUEWrbwuQO9Polbv2ZMSsTrbNSTjyxKgogCCXGFZYgttqa9o7gc4cvCRY-FW5dKm6aR40WyJfcWAIva0fiI/s320/IMG_0190.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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The next few days (we were there a week) we alternated between water holes and the mountains, but our luck stayed the same and the bucks we wanted to shoot continued to stay smart and out of range of Mike's Ross bow. It was also brutally hot, unusually hot for Utah, which meant that the deer weren't watering like they usually were.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6hCXoCl7XbdWLnLChKv_zj25J7PZ9UFl53F6cDkPPc7Jy8JN6VP_s_-wavIPBf9G5eOdYgBrDb0g_2_5GVdloPoItTyghEjLwAt7PU_ybxTQudmskVi4X5-mHXqHd4jsrleIGoYDuOPg/s1600/IMG_0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg6hCXoCl7XbdWLnLChKv_zj25J7PZ9UFl53F6cDkPPc7Jy8JN6VP_s_-wavIPBf9G5eOdYgBrDb0g_2_5GVdloPoItTyghEjLwAt7PU_ybxTQudmskVi4X5-mHXqHd4jsrleIGoYDuOPg/s320/IMG_0199.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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There was another first for me on our trip: for the first time ever, I didn't shower in three days. Since we were staying in a tent, there was obviously no showers or any other facilities. And I have to say, not showering was probably the hardest part of the whole trip. Not the oven-like heat of the ground blind, or walking up/down mountains, or getting soaked by rain so my pants got stretched out and for the rest of the trip I had to hold them up with my hand so they wouldn't end up around my ankles; sleeping alone on my cot in the tent was fine, and the food we had was amazing. None of that was worth complaining about, it was just part of the hunt. Nope, not showering was the only thing I didn't enjoy on the whole trip.<br />
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My hair felt dirty and I could practically feel the layer of dirt and sweat on my skin. I know that sounds really girly, but hey I'm a girl!!! And as much as I love/adore/obsess about hunting...I really do love to shower ever day.<br />
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Luckily there was a truck stop not far from our camp so every few days we would drive down and take a beautiful wonderful shower and I would feel (mostly) clean again.<br />
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Despite not getting any deer or elk, it was an awesome trip. You win some, you lose some. That's why it's called hunting!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UBwm3FA606s/TmEyJf_op8I/AAAAAAAAAMk/W5Q0G3t00EM/s1600/IMG_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UBwm3FA606s/TmEyJf_op8I/AAAAAAAAAMk/W5Q0G3t00EM/s320/IMG_0148.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And I got to wear facepaint :) and have a valid excuse for looking ridiculous</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9itEiZXH-6ixFBw5qlhb-1GVBcYZv00_OosE8qGN8MZIWsGftI0H7mcjEvs9mVvCinJ1yXmj27v8KWAcGkQw5ikipKcZwqDErPmz_5j0zZ5M32puN84z0JKechyKQfGbsUTM6pW44qRVV/s1600/IMG_0205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9itEiZXH-6ixFBw5qlhb-1GVBcYZv00_OosE8qGN8MZIWsGftI0H7mcjEvs9mVvCinJ1yXmj27v8KWAcGkQw5ikipKcZwqDErPmz_5j0zZ5M32puN84z0JKechyKQfGbsUTM6pW44qRVV/s320/IMG_0205.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Got pictures of this hawk while on one of our drives through the mountains</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0plUKwbnpmwg7F81h3AypRMXEspB20Kqa-brJkqvnTbZjiDAb9w5s4Oxz7jchpbhN7PsWqtHYcbQZGEg-sdhYeOwFKugn5ArUQLGKmJTH9mhEo4cn5lP6_c2k5M90ClufXXjyj5VkcNu/s1600/IMG_0183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0plUKwbnpmwg7F81h3AypRMXEspB20Kqa-brJkqvnTbZjiDAb9w5s4Oxz7jchpbhN7PsWqtHYcbQZGEg-sdhYeOwFKugn5ArUQLGKmJTH9mhEo4cn5lP6_c2k5M90ClufXXjyj5VkcNu/s320/IMG_0183.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We stopped at a scenic overlook to get some great pictures of the canyons</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuDaFO8Gx-bTe0HicDY8w-pFYOFiYnawKlcCeGOn75f-2b7hHBqVX_VQUMlL9D0vBzdf7ed9cGSOzTns7HBxN9I1pjdhERoygdIdZxws-pbDZfKvi3LTtJgmblz8-Lb6b4zdmaOBi-kdp/s1600/IMG_0194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuDaFO8Gx-bTe0HicDY8w-pFYOFiYnawKlcCeGOn75f-2b7hHBqVX_VQUMlL9D0vBzdf7ed9cGSOzTns7HBxN9I1pjdhERoygdIdZxws-pbDZfKvi3LTtJgmblz8-Lb6b4zdmaOBi-kdp/s320/IMG_0194.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There were always tons of mourning doves at the watering holes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRNk7qDnlyyrYd3_9WehRUYPku9kl4yxIGF9F1dE_a6z-gQhvX-vIpSyi4YjFBuo_FgJtfUlhn889BWnjBYVpC9V3QiaPyntuQhz9sIoPRGs642YWWaPeiTS7oD9uNxHF-vvLbJ3BdaRt/s1600/IMG_0176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRNk7qDnlyyrYd3_9WehRUYPku9kl4yxIGF9F1dE_a6z-gQhvX-vIpSyi4YjFBuo_FgJtfUlhn889BWnjBYVpC9V3QiaPyntuQhz9sIoPRGs642YWWaPeiTS7oD9uNxHF-vvLbJ3BdaRt/s320/IMG_0176.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This chipmunk was posing for me at the overlook</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitu-Abwifwzq860WOMdcFYwMhnQr8qB-AYM8q9D3s1YZUkjA6f7SM4gokPoCnWScJ0fJtAVmMwIUVdwmMQQqmHcwDBiqSOBtK4hJRITlofRfPgUhXNY5qSFdW6DR8Oxw3zv0riYcY1ER85/s1600/IMG_0193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitu-Abwifwzq860WOMdcFYwMhnQr8qB-AYM8q9D3s1YZUkjA6f7SM4gokPoCnWScJ0fJtAVmMwIUVdwmMQQqmHcwDBiqSOBtK4hJRITlofRfPgUhXNY5qSFdW6DR8Oxw3zv0riYcY1ER85/s320/IMG_0193.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Evening on the mountain</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89HgxJUgF4JZqVq7QNJJPGq16HszUmkpd0QEOlmuXQ2O5kbRCqm13pRqOf6KFMmB-TW3qJgUN9bJ5erxiMB2j2YlJy-jjAIlCplKuSkgYLdc4hz7vM1Fz16HFdWKkTJhRt_1HDXfD_Ii-/s1600/IMG_0131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89HgxJUgF4JZqVq7QNJJPGq16HszUmkpd0QEOlmuXQ2O5kbRCqm13pRqOf6KFMmB-TW3qJgUN9bJ5erxiMB2j2YlJy-jjAIlCplKuSkgYLdc4hz7vM1Fz16HFdWKkTJhRt_1HDXfD_Ii-/s320/IMG_0131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sunset near Vegas</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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WildernessBabehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16495326479415024801noreply@blogger.com2