My 6 Point Whitetail Deer
It’s hunting season and hunters are catching deer and taking pictures with their harvest. So here’s mine…
My harvest:
- It was spot and stalk and tackle.
- In my backyard.
- Before my hunter caught me.
- And I didn’t spook him at all. He just stood there.
- It looks like it took 6 shots.
- And someone doesn’t have very good aim.
- But it wasn’t me. I don’t have a bow. If you notice the grass on his paw, I tackled him.
- Maybe he’s an 8 pointer. I think I see 2 little baby horns by his ear.
- I didn’t need a team of hunters to help drag him out of the backyard.
- I eat cupcakes.
- If my sister knew how to take a picture she would have said, turn around so the deer is facing the camera.
- It looks like my right foot is bigger than my left.
Have a good day all…I am off to mount my deer. Right back in the yard before my hunter notices he’s missing.
See the original article at TheHuntersWife.net
Battle of the B.O.W.-Another Pass on the 9pt. Buck
We have totally regrouped. Washed all of our hunting gear again and going after the big guy. We decided to try going after the split-tine since the wind was right for the stand. We got in around 4:30. It was pretty quiet initially.
All of a sudden I feel a tap on the head. Joe is pointing directly behind me and saying buck. I am looking back to see what, and where, when I realize he is 10 yards from the stand, and looking right at us. We sit like statues. Apparently we passed inspection and he walks around the stand doing a scent check. I turn slowly to my right side to watch as he walks right by the stand. I am struggling to get a good look at his horns.
It is the 9pt I passed on the first week. He is bigger than I remember and my heart is pounding wildly again. He gives me several perfect broadside shots, he is taunting me. I am very tempted to shoot since he is bigger than anything I have on the wall, but I know he is still hanging out with the split-tine. He stays there for 1/2 hour eating. It is getting too dark to video but we can hear another deer coming. This one comes from the left of the bait from across the creek. It is too dark to shoot into the woods but we can see flashes of horn and it is a very big deer. We know it is Split-tine.
We have coyotes start howling very near and the deer disperse. This gave us a perfect opportunity to get out. A few rocks out of the Grab-it bag to make sure and we are on our way.
OMG, what an awesome hunt that was. The only thing better would have been better lighting to film a shot at the split-tine. We were well within shooting hours. We checked the trail cam pictures and found that both bucks had both been there at noon. Unbelievable!
See the original article at CampWildGirls.com
Pull Up Your Big Girl Camouflage Grannies
Whenever I write about myself it is never flattering. I am very open with all of my outdoor insecurities. You all are very aware of my outdoor attack I’d have the minute I’d step foot in the woods because I just know a squirrel would makes its way in my hair. Those kind of things do happen and I would end up on the news. My news story would never read, “Girl in Woods Gets 20 pt Buck” no, my news story would read “Girl in Woods Gets Squirrel Clawed”.
From the way I portray myself, I often wonder what some of you amazing outdoor women really think of me. Because we all know you could careless if I got a pedicure today with a cute little flower on my big toe. No, these women are flipping around the net reading about this one hog tied an elk, this one wrestled a gator, this one tackled a bear, or this one that lived in the woods for a year. And then there’s me…
I can only imagine some of the things they think or say about me:
Her hair really does look like a nice comfy squirrel’s nest.
That Hunter’s Wife has no business running an outdoor site, she might break a nail.
Good god women, it’s only a spider.
I’m sure she has tinkled at the gas station sometime in her life and those can be some nasty s#itters. So what’s so bad about the woods?
She’ll shoot her eye out.
A couple more cupcakes and she will tip the boat over.
With all that whiskey, she will fall in the campfire.
Would you pull up your big girl camouflage granny panties already.
And she probably really does wear grannies.
I think I need to make a list of things I need to start experiencing before I attempt to meet any of these outdoor women.
Have a good day all…I’m off to complete #1 on my list…I need to go find me a tinkle tree.
Let’s hope “Girl Tinkling in Woods” isn’t tomorrow’s headline.
P.S. – I’m did a guest post at Surf and Sheds about Wendy’s son’s first deer.
See the original article at TheHuntersWife.net
Shoot to Thrill! Stacey Houston uses automatic mode to capture natural instincts
September 2, 2009 by Women’s Outdoor News
Sometimes a picture is not what it seems. The Whitetail buck in this shot was not fleeing the scene because of my presence, but was in fact, in hot pursuit of a receptive doe. Bucks tend to behave as though they have lost their minds when in the rut, often losing their fear of humans and throwing caution to the wind. As a photographer, I try to use this to my advantage, and capitalize on the rutting behavior of these magnificent creatures to capture photographs of bucks that would under normal conditions be nocturnal.
Often times when photographing wildlife, you are only given a split second to capture an image, before the animal disappears from view. This doesn’t leave much time to decide what settings to put your camera on, so I try to leave my camera on the automatic mode. When I am out I never know what I am going to encounter – an eagle soaring overhead in the bright morning sky, a bull elk ghosting through the dark shadows on a mountain side, a wolf taking care of business on a bright white snow bank, or maybe even this whitetail buck leaping over this fence in the early morning hours before sunrise. With my camera set on auto I have been able to capture some wonderful images that I may not have gotten if it had been set on the wrong setting. Wild animals don’t normally stick around for long, but if they do decide to grace me with their presence, then I will take the time needed to make adjustments.
(Canon Camera set to Automatic mode for this shot, F7.1~ 1/400 ~ ISO400 ~ taken with Sigma lens 500mm)
~Stacey Huston
Huston is an outdoors woman to the core. She would much rather spend time in the high country than in the local shopping mall, and feels more at home in heavy timber than in a salon. She is an accomplished photographer and is the staff photographer for Journey With Red Hawk T.V. series. Stacey is also a licensed falconer and raptor rehabilitation volunteer, helping injures raptors to once again soar on open skies. She resides with her husband of 18 years and their two boys in the mountains of western Wyoming.
© 2009, womensoutdoornews.com. All rights reserved. Please provide a link to The Women’s Outdoor News if you republish this post.
Shoot to Thrill! Stacey Huston debuts with story and photo about patience on the lek grounds
August 18, 2009 by Women’s Outdoor News
The WON welcomes outdoor photographer Stacey Huston to its ranks of Shoot to Thrillers. Stacey details not only the techniques used to acquire this photograph of a sage grouse, but also, she lets readers into her thought processes — always important in photography.
Spring 2008
It was that silent time in the early morning, just before daybreak when the world seems to hold its breath. That time, when a blanket of darkness shrouds the land as we parked the jeep near what I hoped would be the lek grounds. As I rolled down the windows to listen, I get a bit anxious, worried that we may not be in the correct area. I know that the male sage grouse congregate on their strutting grounds in open areas along side of the thick aromatic sagebrush clustered on the western plains … That shouldn’t be too hard to find. Wrong! It’s a little more complicated than that. They don’t just display in any open area, these grouse return only to specific areas as they have for decades. The males (boomers) will stiffen out their spiky tail feathers and fill the sacks on their chest with air as instinct drives them to join in an intimate dance with nature. The female will observe these displays to choose a suitable mate. Although all of the males strut, only a choice few will do most of the breeding. Once this ancient ritual has finished, the females will then disperse off onto the sage covered plane to raise the young on their own.
Sage Grouse displaying on Lek grounds.. Cannon EOS Digital Camera/Sigma 50-500mm lens Shot settings: F10/ 1/500sec /500mm/ ISO 320 When photographing the sage grouse I use my automobile as a blind and try to arrive before light. Parking in a place that I hope will not disturb the natural actions of these birds, but will still allow for some good shots. I used the rolled down window of my jeep as a rest for my camera. Most importantly bring along plenty of coffee or hot chocolate because early mornings in March can be quite chilly here in northwest Wyoming.
Sage Grouse displaying on Lek grounds.. Cannon EOS Digital Camera/Sigma 50-500mm lens Shot settings: F10/ 1/500sec /500mm/ ISO 320 When photographing the sage grouse I use my automobile as a blind and try to arrive before light. Parking in a place that I hope will not disturb the natural actions of these birds, but will still allow for some good shots. I used the rolled down window of my jeep as a rest for my camera. Most importantly bring along plenty of coffee or hot chocolate because early mornings in March can be quite chilly here in northwest Wyoming.
As the silence seems to spread around us, I began to detect a sound. As the faint glow of the early morning sun begins its climb over the eastern hills, this sound also begins to grow and swell, and we soon find ourselves surrounded by an almost hypnotic beat. I sound that I can only describe as water dripping, or maybe the sound of drums… playing faintly in the distanced. It was hard for me to imagine that these amazing birds are responsible for this beautiful sound. I have always loved the songs of birds, but this, I would not say is a song. It is more like an ancient music, and if you listen carefully and close your eyes, you can almost picture the native ancestors of this land, gathered around the drums and dancing in the flickering firelight, dancing with the never-ending circle of life…
I would have to say that the best advice I can give anyone who wants to photograph wildlife would be, “get out there.” Take the time to study the animals that you are looking for. Learn their habits and patterns, how they react to danger and changes in weather. You can learn a lot by searching the Internet and reading books, but that will only take you so far. There will come a time when you will just have to get out there and observed, make mistakes and learn. Wildlife photography is not a given. The animals do not always show up at the right time or place for you to get the shot, but if you are persistent and prepared, your time will be rewarded. The best equipment that money can buy does no good if you do not know the animals that you are pursuing. Keep searching and don’t give up. Spending time in the field and knowing the animals, will only increase your chance of locating even the most secretive of creatures.
Spring 2009
The annual return to the lek grounds has once again been triggered; unheard and unseen “something” once again draws the grouse back to this ancestral place amongst the sage covered hills of Wyoming.Throughout the last month, I‘ve wasted countless gallons of gas, and many hours checking the area for any sign of their impending return – to no avail. Thanks to the wonderful world of digital photography, I was able to tell that the pictures I took of the dancing Sage Grouse last spring, where taken on March 27 and again, in the snow, on the 30th.
Despite my vigilance, these large secretive birds continued to elude me until the morning of April 1st. On this morning, I happily stepped into the roll of April fool, as I once again sat mesmerized by this intriguing bird’s performance. Around and around they strutted, confidently demonstrating to all four sacred directions, in hopes of attracting a mate.
I will never understand what force signals the beginning of this performance. Or what it is that tells the Sage Grouse that this round of dancing has concluded until the next time the sun climbs the western sky to warm the ground, and they‘re called to return and share their reverberating music in celebration of the arrival of spring.
~Stacey Huston
www.staceyhuston.com
Stacey Huston is an outdoors woman to the core, she would much rather spend time in the high country than in the local shopping mall, and feels more at home in heavy timber than in a salon. She is an accomplished photographer and is the staff photographer for Journey With Red Hawk T.V. series. Stacey is also a licensed falconer and raptor rehabilitation volunteer, helping injures raptors to once again soar on open skies. She resides with her husband of 18 years and their two boys in the mountains of western Wyoming.
© 2009, womensoutdoornews.com. All rights reserved. Please provide a link to The Women’s Outdoor News if you republish this post.
Battle of the B.O.W. Opening Weekend
Team HuntingLife.com Date-9/12 and 9/13
Opening Weekend Opening morning and the weather was not what we had hoped for. Temps on Saturday morning were in the 60’s and 100% humidity. Terri Lee was hunting and since Kale was working Joe Sharp took over the filming.
Oma and Opa picked up Tali Friday night, (she was not happy) so we could head out early in the a.m. Tom is working so he can’t watch her. Joe and Amy had supper with us and I took my last shots with the bow from the garage rooftop. Everything is ready. All my clothes have been washed in scent killing laundry soap and placed into a tub with cedar and pine boughs, even my underwear and socks. I am going all out after that big buck.
4:20 the alarm goes off and I am not ready to get up. 2 nights without sleep, due to excitement, had me dragging. 4:25 I am out of bed and into the shower. We are going to be chasing after a big buck that we have seen on the trail cams, but not this a.m. We are doing a trial run at the apple tree stand. The big buck has been coming in early evening and we do not want to spook him but I do want to get some jitters and bugs worked out. We see two small bucks and a doe as we thought we would.
I head over to pick up Tali and go home for some much needed rest and later a change of babysitters. Auntie Nicky picks up Tali at 4:00 p.m. Tom will get Tali back after work and meet me back at home, after hunting. Into the shower again, as it is so hot and I am so sweaty I have to become scent free again. Joe picks me up at 4:30 so we can head into the stand early. It is so still and muggy.
We take the wheeler in at 5:00 and bait the stand like we did the night before. We have been running the wheeler in every night at 5:00 for 2 weeks picking up trail cam pictures trying to pattern this buck. We are hoping to get the deer used to the wheeler noise also. Joe returns the wheeler to a remote spot while I get set up. We get settled in sweat pouring off of us.
Around 6:00 we have a visit from a pesky bear. We have only seen him in here once on the cameras and he picks tonight to show up. He does not want to leave. It is getting closer to the time we have been patterning our buck and we want him out of there. We start throwing rocks from our Grab-it bag. We put it in the stand earlier just in case something like this would happen. We never hit the bear but Joe almost took me out as his rock ricocheted and nearly hit me in the head! lol. He should have had that on camera.
Joe finally decided he was going to get down and chase the bear out. (I was going to film because I knew this was going to be good!) When he stood up to get out of the stand, the bear finally walked away. He was not happy he huffed and puffed as he sauntered off.
Nothing more came in and we headed out at dark, planning to return the following morning. When I arrived home, supper was waiting for me. I have an awesome husband!
9/13-My husband Tom is home this morning so no need for babysitter. Joe picks me up at 5:15 again. We head into the stand in the dark. Not much happening this morning. We think the bear has changed the dynamics of things. Weather is still very humid and warm. We pull the trail cam pictures and head home to review. We want to know how long it was before the big buck returned last time, after the bear raid. He had been back the following day. That was good news and we were hoping he will make an appearance tonight.
I Head back home for family time, a nap and another shower.
5:00 p.m. Joe and I head back to the stand again. Same routine. Joe drops me off and ditches the wheeler. We get settled in. It is probably close to 80 degrees just slightly less humid than last night. The air is very still though, no breeze. Around 6:00 we have a small doe come into the bait pile. She hangs around for a short time.
We can hear something coming in from behind us and circling around. Through the limbs I can see the deer and I get a glimpse of horn. My heart begins to race slightly. If the pattern we have seen is true, the 9 pt will come in, followed by the big buck. He finally steps out head down and I can see it is the 9 pt. He looks up directly at us. We don’t move a muscle.
The mosquitoes are biting my cheek and back of my neck but I know I cannot move. I know I am not going to take this one but if we spook this him, the big one will not show up for sure. He continues to look at us and then moves back into the woods and comes around at a new angle. At one point I thought it was the big buck coming in and my heart was jumping out of my chest. I took some long, silent deep breathes to try and compose myself. Then it felt like my heart totally stopped. I thought maybe I had had a heart attack and just hadn’t fallen over yet.
The deer kept staging for quite some time, coming in part way and then retreating. He finally departed, and it was pretty dark in the woods by now. We never spooked him and I don’t think he knew we were there. I didn’t realize until I talked to Joe that it was the 9pt all along. The big buck didn’t come in and we will not be back to hunt there for a few days. We will be checking the trail camera, though to see what he is up to and work on a plan from there. Later in the week I will be filming Kale. Stay tuned for more!
Remember to join us on www.wisconsinoutdoorsnetwork.com!
See the original article at CampWildGirls.com
Battle of the B.O.W. joins the Sportsman’s Channel in Jan. 2010!
Well it is finally official. The “Battle of the B.O.W.” contest on www.Wisconsinoutdoorsnetwork.com will be aired on the Sportsman’s Channel in Jan. 2010. We will be filming our hunts starting Saturday the 12th of Sept. up to the start of the rifle season in November.
10 teams from Wisconsin will share their stories and hunts for 13 wks. Fans will be asked to vote for the Team they like the best on www.Wisconsinoutdoorsnetwork.com.
Terri Lee Pocernich of CampWildGirls.com and Kale Williamson will be representing “Team HuntingLife.com”. Both are on the HuntingLife Pro Staff and looking forward to battling it out with a great group of guys and 1 other gal.
Hunting season will be a little different having 2 people in the stand this year. We have been working hard to get all of the stands into the trees. We have done a lot of scouting and think we are on to some great bucks.
The show will air on Tuesday nights at 8:30, Friday mornings at 6:00 and Sunday nights at 4:30. Please join us on our journey through the “Battle of the B.O.W.” I’m sure it will be quite entertaining!
See the original article at CampWildGirls.com
Próis Pro, Kirstie Pike goes on a Gator Quest!
Próis Hunting Apparel owner, Kirstie Pike, writes about her 
GatorQuest
Air Sickness and Air Boats…what’s a girl to do?
Gator Quest…day 1! We flew into New Orleans late last night following a vomit inducing flight from Gunnison to Denver…ok, didn’t really vomit, but wished I had. As with typical travel days, we experienced near homicidal frustration with all proveyors of transportation. So- did you realize that you can be charged $30 for a 10 minute taxi ride by a non-English speaking cabbie who does not use a meter? Nether did we. As well, upon our late night check-in to a rather sketchy hotel- I got the unique opportunity of visualizing a cockroach that was literally the size of a mouse…need I mention my dismay that the hotel room smelled of Raid.
It was all absolutely worth it! We arrived in Springfield around noon, at which time we teamed up with Chad and Dana Wall of Gatortrax tv. We had the unique opportunity of touring their gator farm which is nothing short of amazing. Within a couple of hours, we found ourselves on Tickfaw River in an airboat cruising deep into the swamps. As a homegrown Colorado girl, I found myself utterly slack jawed at the beauty of the swamps. Cypress trees, Spanish moss, lilly pads and lush folliage thickly surrounded us. The airboats can go ANYWHERE, and we quickly learned that Chad was NOT kidding when he said they can cross dry land…they can! We also had an interesting experience involving a boat, a trailer and near capsizing…I’d love to divulge the facts but I was pinky-sworn to secrecy.
We hit the hunt at 6am tomorrow and we’re ready to roll! I wonder if I can find Starbucks on the way…
I have to say, when I accepted Chad and Dana Wall (of Gatortrax TV) to head down to the swamplands of Louisiana, I was more than just a little intrigued. Being from Colorado, I had all sorts of images in my head of what the swamps and gator hunting would be like. Of course, my primal fear of bugs came to mind. Oh, and my fear of snakes. Can’t forget about murkey water, leaches and aligators (which I have learned ARE the top of the food chain in the swamps). OK, and let’s face it…who HASN’T seen the movie, ‘Deliverance’? I came to Louisiana equipped with all sorts of cliche’d propoganda in my head..
As we set out in the morning, I was taken by the absolute beauty of the surroundings. The cypress trees, spanish moss, saw grass and lillies were beautiful. As well, there is a unique slant of the sun at sunrise through the swampland that casts an unparalleled. I had never really heard the sound of bullfrogs in the caucophony of noise that comes from everywhere. Now, the only way I can really explain it is this…if you have ever ridden the African Queen boat ride at Disneyland and recognized the canned jungle noises along the lazy river…well, now you got it! OK, but as Chad and Dana will attest, despite my appreciation for the beauty of the swamps, I may have still reacted like a school girl in response to the baseball size grasshoppers that seemed to have quite an affinity for the boat.
Ahh, but what about the hunting? All I can say is that it was a thrilling experience! Day 2 provided us with numerous gators. I am heartily humbled by the difficulty of the hunt in terms of hitting a very, very small killzone. Slight deviation in any direction will result in bullet placement into the animals inpenetratable armor. As well, only a very small fraction of the animal’s head will surface which may or may not provide a shot to the hunter. Clearly, there is a reason why these pre-historic animals have survived for millions of years! Chad, a 5th generation Springfieldian who has hunted these waters since he was a child, spent endless hours teaching us the patterns and habits of the aligators. We encountered a number of gators, but after some heavy rains and a 45 minute staredown with a sizable gator, I was able to get a kill with my CVA muzzleloader!
We ended the day with 3 gators and a cantankerous boat motor that threatened to strand us in the water. We made it safely to the landing (as we knew we would) and beat a hasty retreat to the ladies room as we determined that under NO circumstances would we venture off to take care of business in the swamps.
Day 2 of the GatorQuest started out just as early as day 1…We launched out to another gorgeous sunrise as we ventured out to the swamps. I was still utterly awestricken at the beauty of the area. I have to also admit that I was more than just a little bit excited that we didn’t have Gigantor the Grasshopper and his closest friends on the boat this day!
Today was action packed and we spotted numerous animals. I must admit that it took me some time to differentiate the splashes of jumping fish vs. movement of gators. More than once I performed a spastic bout of arm waving and finger pointing at jumping fish that I was certain was a passing gator. After two days of this, Chad and Dana just ignored my fits to save me the embarrassment.
Jennifer got on the first animal of the day and pulled a nice gator. He was pulled aboard and we moved on for the next gator…or jumping fish depending on who you ask. We set about the various waterways and it was my pledge to not drink a sip of water today for fear of having to go to the bathroom. Chock that up to another valuable lesson learned. As the day drew to a close we pulled in some nice gators and headed out to beat the heat. Jennifer and I discovered a long lost love in Springfield, Louisiana…Strawberry Slurpees! Giddy with anticipation (and some pretty severe dehydration!) we indulged not once, but twice in these delectable treats! OK…so they weren’t as good as we remembered, but hey… who couldn’t get excited about a frozen treat chock full of high-fructose corn syrup!
Our experience was awesome as was the company of the Walls. We look forward to another adventure with Chad and Dana…maybe in Colorado…if we can cure Dana’s fear of Mountain Lions. If you ask me, they aren’t nearly as scary as leaches and ginormous grasshoppers! Until then…bring on the GOAT!
Do me a favor. Check out www.gatortraxtv.com to find out more about Chad and Dana Wall and their tv show, Gatortrax Outdoors. All fair chase, all fun! Oh…and did I mention they are quite entertaining as well!?
Original Post found at www.Proishunting.com
See the original article at CampWildGirls.com
Are you a Wild Kinda Gal?
Snuggle up with this warm, fun and fashionable Jacket after the hunt or wear it just because you are a wild kinda girl! Our CampWildGirls.com logo adorns the back of this cute and functionsl piece. This is a Timberline Ladies Priscilla Jacket with double needle heavy weight stitching with a princess cut for feminine fit. The 440 gram microfleece will keep you toasty warm. The microfleece wind flap keeps the wind out while the 2 concealed front zippered pockets will keep your valuables in. It also sports a 2 sided cinch cord around the bottom. It comes in Raspberry Pink or Navy Blue. Sizes: XS-XXL Just $75.00
See the original article at CampWildGirls.com
Lynn Pankey on living in a Realtree world
September 2, 2009 by Women’s Outdoor News
Lynn Pankey not only markets Realtree camo, she lives in it when not in her office. In fact, she may even live in it in her office — as Realtree appears on more casual clothing and she recently purchased a fleece Prois jacket to wear to work this fall. Lynn attended the first Team Huntress event in SD last June and talked about her job and her love of the outdoors while around the fire pit. We thought the readers of The WON would like to know some of her background and her philosophy.
And, thanks, Lynn. ~BB
The WON: What’s your affiliation with Realtree?
Lynn: I have had the pleasure of working for Realtree as their Marketing Assistant for three years and as the Executive Assistant to the VP of Marketing/Advertising for the last seven years. Barbara recalls me telling a story at the first ladies’ Team Huntress Event in South Dakota about not really being sure where I worked the first week I was at Realtree. I had actually applied for a job at a TEMP agency in town. Just came to Columbus from Miami, Fla., where I worked for a TEMP agency in Doral. I had to wait to join on board (replacing someone at the agency that was due to leave a month later). Since I was more than ready to get back to work, I asked if they could send me out on a few temping assignments while I waited to begin working for them. Believe it or not, my first assignment was for the Marketing Dept. at Realtree. During the first week working for Realtree, I answered the phone with, “Good Morning this is Raintree, how may I help you?” I went home and told my husband that I was working for Raintree – some sort of camouflage company. My husband almost fell out of his chair! “You can’t say Raintree – it has to be Realtree!” The next day I came back to work and asked to make sure …What a surprise when I found out where I actually worked! (No blonde jokes please!) After two weeks on the job my boss, Ray Lynch, approached me and asked if I would like to stay at Realtree and work with the Marketing Team. It has been a great experience each and every day! I work for a wonderful group of people!
The WON: Let’s talk about the women’s market. You mentioned that Tiffany Lakosky, as a spokesperson for Realtree, has inspired many women to pick up a bow or hunt for the first time. Care to elaborate on that?
Lynn: Oh my gosh, where do I start?! We are fortunate to have a wonderful crew of ladies promoting getting in the outdoors and enjoying your surroundings and the wonderful sport of hunting! Some started hunting later in life so they can relate to those of us that never really had the opportunity to pursue this sport younger. All will tell you that it continues to be a learning experience and that they learn something each time they go out in the field. I wish every woman that thought about hunting, but never really had the chance, could meet Tiffany LaKosky, Vicki Cianciaralo, Kandi Kisky and Ginger Moorehead. What is amazing is that each of these gracious ladies travel all across the US promoting the sport of hunting and still find time for their families!
Lynn loves learning about hunting, and here she is boning up on Berdette Zastrow’s excellent “Women’s Guide to Hunting.” Photo by Kirstie Pike.
Every one of these ladies would encourage you to approach your local sports clubs and try shooting a bow or gun. You never know whether you will like it or not until you actually try it! Now for my usual GRILLING: Working with a bow and/or gun is SAFE if you learn how to properly handle each the first time you lay eyes on them. And, I mean literally laying eyes on them! Picking up a weapon and shooting it does not qualify you as a safe hunter or proficient with either weapon. That’s where qualified instructors come in to the picture! I encourage everyone to visit a local gun or archery club and learn how to handle each weapon safely! I guarantee you that you will find female instructors, at most clubs, that can walk you thru the steps! The Archery Shooters Association and The National Shooting Sports Foundation each have information on their online sites for archery and shooting clubs in each state. Let me encourage you to check those listings for further information about clubs near your area.
The WON: What does today’s market tell you about women, hunting and the outdoors?
Lynn: I was amazed to read, on the home page of HunterSurvey.com, the other day, that there are currently 1.1 million female hunters in the US. That number almost blew me away! When we attend the Archery Trade Association & SHOT shows each year, I am able to visit with many avid lady hunters in the field. They express, many times, the need for additional product that is explicitly designed for female hunters. Our Licensees and retail partners are beginning to see the value in offering a broader selection of product for women in the field. They are listening to our pro staffers, who initially get to test new products, the outdoor ladies groups, outdoor guides, all that write into our and their websites with ideas and suggestions. We are thrilled to be offering PROIS and SHE SAFARI product in our camouflage patterns. These are new Licensees that carry female specific clothing. Camouflage clothing FINALLY fits! With those growing numbers of ladies in the field comes specific demands! Those demands include clothing that actually fits, is warm, wind- and waterproof, shoes and boots that fit and are warm and waterproof, guns that are lighter weight and fit arm lengths, smaller bows with shorter draw lengths. Our licensing, manufacturing and retail partners are hearing our cryie! Everyone is making great progress. As a female hunter, I sometimes want to expedite getting product on the shelves. But, with everything I have to remember to be patient. It’s about QUALITY not QUANTITY and our licensing and manufacturing partners are doing an excellent job ensuring that they make the right product offering available to the ladies that hunt. We are just as tough outdoors as our male counterparts and product needs to last through several beatings!
Lynn Pankey on far right, along with the gals of Team Huntress. We like Realtree!
The WON: What is the most popular camo Realtree pattern on the market with women?
Lynn: I would have to say our Realtree AP is #1, MAX-4 is #2 & MAX-1 is #3. We introduced our Realtree AP pattern a few years ago and it took off like a ROCKET! Bill [Jordan] changed a few features in the pattern which improved its effectiveness in the field. The pattern is neutral and a bit lighter in color and works very well in any surrounding and for any location to hunt. MAX-4 is very popular with the ladies that like to waterfowl hunt – wetlands surrounding pattern and MAX-1 – sage and brushy pattern works very well for the ladies that hunt out West. Both MAX-4 & MAX-1 have ended up being very popular lifestyle patterns, as well. If you go online to www.realtree.com and take a look at the product being offered in our RealStore, you will see several items for the ladies featured in our MAX-1 pattern. Also several of our licensees are offering bedspreads, show curtains, window curtains and furniture in many of our most current and popular patterns. This is pretty cool, especially if you have a lodge or cabin that you would like to decorate with an outdoor theme. Cabela’s, Bass Pro, Gander Mountain, etc., offer various home style product with our camouflage patterns. Check out our web site for information about what licensees are currently offering home product and/or where you can locate your nearest Bass Pro, Cabela’s or Gander Mountain store locations.
To note: If you are in a quandary as far as what pattern to wear, based on terrain, not a problem, take a look at our camo pattern guide. This area will give you an idea of what pattern might be the most effective to wear, based on the location that you will be hunting.
The WON: Have you heard this theory? That you should really mix your top camo and bottom camo pattern to break it up even more?
Lynn: Yes, I have heard this theory. I, personally, have never tried it. Well, maybe I have. Thinking back, I remember going duck hunting with my husband Ken and using military camouflage mixed with whatever generic camo I could find in the store (’70s and ’80s) – but then, all camouflage really did look the SAME. I believe the practice of hunting this way is totally up to the individual. In today’s world camouflage patterns have gotten so effective that I believe it is no longer necessary to put this theory to the test.
The WON: And, you’re an outdoors gal … what do you like to do outdoors?
Lynn Pankey (far right) with fellow Camp Wild Girls (and one wild guy!) at Team Huntress. L-R Terri Lee Pocernich, Dave Olsen (note his Team Realtree pink shirt) and Stacey Huston. Photo by Barbara Baird.
Lynn: Well, let me start by saying I was a late bloomer when it came to getting involved in hunting! I loved to camp, hike and fish, with my Dad, as a little girl. I didn’t get involved with hunting until I was in my early 20’s. My husband decided to introduce me to the world of duck hunting, the first year we were married. My first and ONLY Christmas gift that first year was a shotgun! My husband’s answer to the puzzled look on my face was, “Boy are you in for a real treat!” I thought he was crazy until I was in the blind with the BOYS and shot my first duck. I think I drove them all crazy from that point on! First in the boat and first to get in the blind, every time we go now! They tell me I’m pretty quick for my age.
Then came Realtree and the introduction to TURKEY hunting at the spry age of 48! I have never been the same since! I love to hunt those ugly critters and would camp out the entire season just so I could be in the woods early enough! Bill Jordan and the fellas I work with in Marketing, at Realtree, are responsible for this addiction! They all encouraged me to try it and I just fell in love! I leave the deer, antelope and elk for the guys – too much work for me – I’m too lazy. I love to bird hunt!
The WON: How can folks reach you?
Lynn: Feel free to contact me at Realtree. I would love to chat with ladies that love to get out in the woods and enjoy the beauty and serenity of it all. You have your own outdoor television program available right before you! Just sitting under a tree before daylight and dusk you can watch a myriad of activity! I remember right before the end of the day, during a turkey hunt, watching several deer, fox and rabbits playing and running to a stream to drink water right before darkness. All passed very close to where I was sitting. Talk about your heart racing! I would love to hear more stories and why you like to be outdoors or your thoughts/questions on becoming an outdoors woman! 1.800.992.9968 or email: lpankey@realtree.com
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