So last night I’m having a conversation with my husband about our upcoming fishing trip to Barkley Lake Kentucky.  Apparently the Rootin’ Tootin’ Fisherman called and decided to hire a crappie fishing guide for one of our days there.  After many years of fishing with the Tootin’ family this would be our first year having a guide.  And with the 4 of us and only two allowed on the guide’s boat … we have a decision to make …

1. Should Troy and Denise fish with the guide and Mark and I follow with our boat?
2. Should Denise and I fish with the guide and Troy and Mark follow with a boat?
3. Should Mark and Troy fish with the guide while Denise and I take my boat off to fish on our own?  (I like this option.  I get to drive the boat!)
4. Should Mark and Troy fish with the guide while Denise and I go shopping?

It sounds like the best scenario would be for Denise and I to fish with the guide and Troy and Mark tag along with one of the boats.  If that were the case, Denise wouldn’t have a problem at all.  She’s a big girl.  She puts her own minnows on and takes her own fish off the hook.  But me … well … I have a problem …

Denise:  Here fishy fishy fishy.

Me:  Umm Mr. Guide – Can you please put my minnow on?

Denise:  Here fishy fishy fishy.

Me: Umm Mr. Guide – I think my jiggy thingy is stick in the brush?

Denise:  Here fishy fishy fishy.

Me:  Umm Mr. Guide Sir – Can you take my fish off the hook please?

Denise:  Here fishy fishy fishy.

Me:  Umm Mr. Guide – Umm my hook is stuck in my hair.

Denise:  Here fishy fishy fishy.

Me:  Umm Mr. Guide Boss – Can you please tell Denise to stop saying here fishy fishy fishy?

Umm yes … Denise thinks she’s all that and a bucket of crappie …

And her redears …

Have a good day all … I think I might be shopping that day.

Or maybe I should hire my own guide.

Or maybe I’ll just resort to, “Here fishy fishy fishy.”  Apparently it works.

See the original article at TheHuntersWife.net

Have you ever had one of those years where you just want to give up especially when you feel like you have worked harder than everyone around you but they seem to be the ones with the success?  This is my story about my 2009 hunting season that was horrible but then better than all previous seasons and you wonder how that could possibly be.  Chris, my boyfriend/hunting partner, and I have three places where we hunt – one is in Bossier Parish near my mom’s house and is my favorite place to hunt, another is in Desoto Parish which is the closest to where I live and the other is in Natchitoches Parish about an hour drive from my house.   This year we decided to try something a little different by putting our trail cameras out early in Bossier Parish and Desoto Parish in hopes to get some pictures of bucks in velvet.  And that we did, in Desoto, we had pictures of a nice 8 point and a good 6 point which gave us high hopes long before the season started.  That wasn’t true for my favorite place because I went from having lots of deer on my camera last year to having a doe, a yearling, and more hogs than I cared to count, which was a first for this area.  Of course I wasn’t going to let some pesky hogs bring me down and keep me from hunting in that spot so I readied for opening day, clearing old and new shooting lanes.

Two weeks before the season opened we had a special youth hunt weekend and my 8 year old son, Mason, decided this summer that he wanted to start hunting with me this year so I bought him a new rifle.  Youth weekend he and I hunted the 8 point and 6 point that we had seen on camera.  We hunted all weekend long but only saw a doe with a yearling, not once but every time we were in the stand. Mason was tempted to shoot the doe but using his better judgment he decided against it since she had a baby and I was really proud of him for making that call.  Therefore, no first deer for him on youth weekend and he was ok with it.

When the season started I hunted every chance I could, every weekend going to Bossier and seeing nothing and then when I got the chance I would take off early and hunt the 8 and 6 point in Desoto since that stand was close to home.  I had made up my mind that if I saw the 6 point I would let him walk even though I had never killed a buck bigger than a 3 point – a very large bodied 3 point but nonetheless a 3 point.  I was going to save the 6 point for next year or if one of the kids were with me let them take it but I never saw the 6, the 8, or anything else and then sometime during November the gas well company came in and laid a saltwater line and really messed things up for the rest of the year.  Needless to say we were down one place to hunt but I continued to hunt hard in Bossier Parish in hopes that my luck or things there would change.  I couldn’t imagine where all the deer had gone especially since I had never shot anything off of that stand but all the deer had disappeared.  Still nothing and I was now getting very discouraged because it seemed that the harder I worked or the more I went the less I saw. But Chris, on the other hand, saw deer every time he went hunting and it seemed as though everyone I talked to had been seeing a lot of deer but not me.  My discouragement led to us making a week day afternoon trip to Natchitoches Parish.

We took off work earlier than normal and Chris and I headed to Natchitoches Parish and I was glad we made that trip because I finally saw a deer and it was a buck. Yipee!  A very small 8 point came out just before dark and hung out in my shooting lane for a good while.  He was maybe a year and half old so I just watched him, knowing that in about 2 years he would be a nice one.  I didn’t mind letting him walk because I was thankful to have seen a deer.  After seeing the little 8 point we made the decision to take off early Friday and hunt and camp there for the weekend.  When we arrived Friday afternoon we went straight to our stands I hunted the one where I saw the 8 point earlier in the week and Chris hunted what he calls long lanes.  We both hunted til dark and I saw nothing and Chris saw 3 does, I figured it wasn’t a complete loss since he saw deer and he was only hunting about 400 yards from me therefore I knew I was bound to see something that weekend.  Saturday morning Chris and I both hunted the same stands again and again I saw nothing and he saw quite a few.  That Saturday afternoon the frustration was really working on me and I asked Chris to let me hunt his stand and he could hunt mine.  You can bet I will not make that mistake again.  At 4:15 pm I hear him shoot and nearly jumped out of my skin, and immediately sent him a text to verify it was him although I knew it was and he replied “isn’t your lucky day”.  Now I was really getting frustrated – I asked him what he shot and just said “8”, my first thought was “he shot my little 8 point that I let walk” but I new better especially since he will not even shoot a doe.  He told me to stay in the stand and continue hunting the rest of the evening but I was too aggravated by now so I got down and went to see what he got.   When I saw the 8 point I couldn’t believe it, it was huge.  At that moment, I got upset and decided that he was right I just don’t have the luck and was ready to just quit all together but I’m not a quitter.  I have been told that I threw a little fit but I don’t believe it.

It took me a few days to get over being jealous and feeling sorry for myself and when I did I realized that the Thanksgiving holidays were in a few days and I would have extra time off work and more time to hunt.  The Friday after Thanksgiving I was up early not to shop like everyone else but to hunt in Bossier Parish and since my mom was out of town we had a place to camp for the weekend.  Mason wanted to hunt with us so Chris took Mason with him to give me time to focus without any distractions.  I hunted Friday evening in my favorite stand and again saw nothing until right at dark, when I looked to my left there one stood in my new lane that we extended this year.  The deer looked to have a very large body and I could see horns but couldn’t tell how many because his head was behind a tree, I hesitated due to my fear of shooting one at dark and losing it.  I took my chances anyway thinking this may be the last one I see this year.  I shot and he ran and I panicked.  I immediately called Chris but he wouldn’t answer so I waited a few minutes, got down and went to look for blood but couldn’t find any and it was really getting dark.  I finally reached Chris and he and Mason came to help me look, I showed him where I thought he was standing and we looked around and found nothing.  I began to doubt my shot but I knew I hit him so Chris walked a little further down the lane and found blood and some yellow stuff.   That’s when the sickening feeling set in, I had not only gut shot the deer but I obviously can’t judge this lane like I thought because I thought he was a lot closer than what he actually was.  After calling a friend to bring his dog to help track him we found my deer – it was a spike, and I was devastated.  I don’t shoot spikes, it is a rule I have but I had shot a spike.  The next morning when my alarm went off I didn’t move I was still too upset with myself over making a bad decision.  Chris and Mason went hunting without me.  At 7:15 that morning Chris sent me a text message that said “Mason did it. He shot one.”  At that moment I forgot about myself and focused on Mason’s success.  While I was getting dressed to go meet up with them Chris sends me another text “doesn’t look good, gut shot, going to stay in the stand til 10 and then look.”  I crossed my fingers, said a little prayer and waited to hear back from them.  At 10 am we called the same friend with the dog and he trailed Mason’s deer.  Mason didn’t make a bad shot his was perfect the deer only ran about 50 yards a laid down Mason got his first deer – a spike.  I was very proud of him but still upset with me so we went home I was done for the weekend.  Sunday morning 7:00 am the phone rings it’s one of my girlfriends; she needs Chris to come help her husband cape out the huge buck she just killed.  That was it I had had enough everyone around me was either seeing or killing deer and now one of my friends who doesn’t hunt and gripes because I do every weekend has killed a mountable deer on her first time to go this year.  I quit!

Again I spent a few days dealing with what I now know was jealousy.  My aunt who isn’t a hunter is the one who got my mind right.  She told me that I was trying too hard and maybe if I stopped focusing on that BIG BUCK and got back to the reason why I love to hunt then maybe things will change.  After talking to her I thought about the main reason why I love to hunt and that is because I love the outdoors and nature.  When I hunt I feel like a part of nature whether it be in the mornings when it awakens or the evenings when it is going to bed.  That is what I did the following weekend. Chris and I both took off work early Friday and headed to Natchitoches, but since I wasn’t planning to hunt anymore this season we weren’t prepared and didn’t make it in time to hunt that evening.  During the night Chris and I both became very ill with a stomach virus but we hung in there determined not to be forced to go home.  We slept most of the day Saturday and at 2:00 pm we decided to give it a try and head for the stands.  Neither one of us had eaten since Friday and were extremely weak to the point that I didn’t know if I would be able to climb in the stand.  I went to the stand called long lanes and Chris hunted what is called fence row.  Around 4:30pm I had a spike come out about 200 yards in front of me I watched him walk off in Chris’s direction.  A few minutes late I had 3 does in my lane on the right so I watched them for a while.  At about 5:00 pm Chris sent me a text that he said he has 2 does to the right of his stand.  Things were looking up I was finally seeing deer.  Just before dark I had 3 more does come out on the lane to my left and began to wonder how I was getting back to the house because that was the way I had to walk out and I could still barely see them even well after dark.  I managed to get down and walk out without spooking the deer.  When I returned to the house Chris was waiting to tell me what he had seen.  Just after he sent me the text about the two does on his right a nice 8 point walked out behind them, he chose not to shoot in hopes that if I were to hunt that stand Sunday that maybe I would get a chance at him.

Sunday morning I hunted the fence row and he hunted the stand that I had hunted in the previous evening. That morning we hunted til about 11:00 am and I saw 8 does and Chris saw 5 does but no bucks. That evening we were back in the same stands that we hunted that morning and I am thinking Chris saw the buck the previous evening so maybe this will be my evening. Around 4:45 pm a doe stepped out to my right and my heart started pounding I was thinking this is it the buck can’t be far behind her. I sent Chris a text and just as I pushed send the doe spooked and ran back in to the woods I knew then that he was on his way out. Directly across the shooting lane from where the doe came from, out stepped a spike. I knew then that the big buck wasn’t there because the spike didn’t seem too concerned. A few minutes later I get a text from Chris saying “the 8 pt is on my shooting lane to the right.”  Again my point is proven he was just luckier than me and the deer seem to follow him, but why?  A few minutes later he sends me another text that said “get down and come this way if he is hanging with this doe like I think he is you can make it.” My doe had returned and now I had 2 deer to my right about 75 yards from the stand and I didn’t want to spook them but I climbed down anyway and just as I got to the bottom the doe started walking towards me and then stopped and watched. I never scared them and they just watched me walk away and at that moment I knew my luck had to be changing. The stand Chris was hunting in has a lane out front and lanes to the left and right, like a T with the stand in the center. I walked down the lane out front and headed straight for the stand trying to decide what in the world I was going to do once I got there or should I say if I got there without jumping up or spooking one that may be coming out on the lane I was walking down. I walked thru knee high water that filled my boots and made a loud squishy sound or at least to me it seemed loud.  I made it to the end just in front of the stand and was burning up from all the clothes I had on. I got down on my hands and knees and crawled out in to the lane facing the direction of the buck but he wasn’t there only a doe and a 3 point were there. Chris whispered “he is in the woods snort wheezing at the 3 pt, so just be patient” but I was uncomfortable and needed to get out of my coat so I slowly took it off and laid it on the ground. I still wasn’t sure how I was going to shoot from the ground and I knew I needed some type of rest. Everything from this moment on happened so fast that I will tell it how I think it happened. Chris pointed in the direction of the doe and the buck stepped out all I saw were horns and a huge body. I immediately stretched out, laid on my stomach, propped up on my jacket, and shot. He stumbled for a second and ran into the woods followed by the doe and then a few seconds later the 3 pt followed behind the doe. I did it I walked all the way over and I did it I got my first big buck with my brand new Savage 30-06 rifle that Chris bought me for an early Christmas present. That was an exciting moment but it wasn’t over. After Chris got down from the stand we heard a lot of crashing in the woods and I got a bad feeling that I had made a bad shot and it was getting dark. The crashing lasted for about 5 minutes and I stood ready in the shooting lane while Chris went around to where he thought he was headed to send him back my way.  A few minutes later the crashing stopped and I could hear Chris walking thru the woods in my direction, he then yelled at me and told me to start walking the lane.  I went about 30 yards and spotted something white near the woods and there he was.  I didn’t make a bad shot! Chris then told me that the crashing noises were from the 3 pt chasing the doe once he saw his window of opportunity. That’s when the high fives began because I had made a perfect 75 yard shot from the ground. Some people may call that cheating of some form since the buck didn’t come out by my stand but I call it one heck of an adrenaline rush and a really good story to tell.

I always thought of myself as a patient and non-jealous person but I let my emotions get the best of me and that is something that I will not let happen again.  When you let the things that you love to do become work and you try to hard to achieve the goal then you forget your reason for doing it at all.

Shreveport, LA

See the original article at CampWildGirls.com

A late winter wind cuts through the morning like an obsidian blade through new leather. Russian olive trees, chokecherry and alder fill this river bottom landscape and the smells of willow and sage fill my senses. Canadian geese and golden eye ducks float upon the clear cold waters of the river here beneath the majestic peaks of the Beartooth range. My wife Stacey and I are bow-hunting cottontail rabbits today and she is somewhere west of me stalking the heavy cover for the fleet footed long eared warriors. I see an antler tine sticking up out of the snow, for some people the finding of a shed whitetail antler would probably seem insignificant. For me it is like finding a rare treasure, the deer who carries this heavy rack all year has left his mark upon the smooth bony surface. Long gouges announce the fighting with other bucks during the rut, a broken tine tells the story of a possible battle with another warrior buck. a slight bend in the third tine tells me that this buck had an accident which left his right antler bent and mis-formed while still in the velvet. By days end eight cottontails have fallen to our arrows and we have found four sheds and one broken main beam from an obvious fight between two rivals. Eagles hawks and waterfowl have graced the skies this day. Deer, fox, bobcat, coyote, mink, rabbit, weasel, coon and skunk have left their tracks upon the trails we walked. pheasant and chuckar partridge have busted from the heavy cover and spawning rainbow and cutthroat trout are all along the icy riverbanks. Nature surely abounds here in the wild places, I feel fortunate to live here and even more fortunate to share this wild adventure with my wife today in this majestic place. The true bounty is not in the found sheds, or bunnies taken, nor in the wildlife seen. It is in the life we live, being included in the magic of it all, the circle of life all around us. As a great horned owl watches me from a nearby cottonwood branch, I am reminded by this nocturnal hunter that what I have witnessed in these few hours is only a fraction of what must go on here day and night.a whitetail buck busts from cover and races toward safety with raised tail and one lone antler still clinging to his head. I smile to myself and realize that as much as I would like to believe that I am one with this place , I am nothing but an invader of their homes. However I will return.. because my adventurous soul craves the wild places,my being would not be complete without natures Bounty surrounding me!

High Country Archer ~ Mike “Hawk” Huston

Posted: 06 Feb 2010 09:29 AM PST

Mike and Stacey Huston are Team Huntress Outdoor Ambassadors, Avid Outdoor Promotors and lovers of the High Country. To read more of Mike’s writings Click on High Country Archer.

My friend asked me, “How do you live up in South Dakota when it is so cold? Do you guys really go outside?” Then a terrifying thought hit him as he said,”I think I would die spending a day out in sub zero weather.”

Well folks, we do live in an extreme place. Oh granted there are many places much harsher to spend time in than South Dakota, we get a wide range of weather from 100F plus in the summer to -40F below zero. Due to these extreme climate changes South Dakota is a great place to test outdoor gear.

The answer to my friend was simple. We dress, prepare, and plan appropriately for the weather. The most important of these is dressing appropriately for the activity at hand. It is possible you can put on too many clothes on a sub-zero day. If you do, it causes you to sweat inside your layers; you don’t want this to happen because your clothes will become wet from the sweat. Then the cloth will freeze from the cold temps in turn causing your body temperature to drop.

To avoid that scenario you need to ask yourself the following questions.

#1 Plan: What am I doing to be doing outside today?

 #2 Prepare: If my plans call for different activity levels – What do I need to take with me?

#3 Dress: Dress for the weather and for the day.

Today I spent most of the day outside with South Dakota temps around zero or less. I am going to mention some items I use. Please keep in mind I have no sponsors for this article; I just want to share what works for me.

Next to my skin I wear silk long underwear. I find silk to be my favorite for a light weight insulating layer, it moves well under any type of secondary layer, dries quickly, and wicks moisture away from your skin. Next layer of clothing I wear is fleece sweat pants and a sweat shirt. Yes I know, I am not going to win any fashion shows wearing sweats all day, and some days I wear jeans but no matter the winter weather I always wear layers. My outer layer today is Carhart Arctic bib overall bottoms and a Carhart arctic coat. For my feet I wear Wetland Muck boots with cotton socks, (I find the wetland boots work very well to minus ten or so) a bomber rabbit fur lined hat, Kinco insulated gloves and a silk wild rag around my neck. Of course eye protection from the bright sun glaring off of the snow. I spent over six hours in zero degree temps today and was not cold at all wearing the above items. For years our family has worked, hunted, and played outdoors year round. We have bought cheap gear, and some extremely expensive gear.  I will tell you GEAR makes all the difference in the world.

Thinsulate and other new fibers are awesome stuff. Know how many grams plus the temperature rating in the gear you are buying. Take time to read some reviews, You will spend more time enjoying the outdoors and less warming up or worse, suffering from exposure.

The Muck boots I wore today weigh about 5 lbs. I use them for hunting in the fall, all winter, and throughout the spring. The Wetland Muck Boot is an extreme boot for extreme field conditions. They are rugged, durable, comfy and very warm. These boots keep my feet warm and dry even in the most unpredictable temperatures of South Dakota. You can find them via http://www.hanksclothing.com/muck_boots_wetland_premium_field_boot_buy. html  

Arctic Carhart clothing holds up to the rigors of ranch work as well as hunting. Mine are still in service after ten years of hard use. I have put in a few zippers and patched a spot or two where the fence has bitten me, but the quality is unbeatable. I give two thumbs up to the folks at Carhart, this stuff works. I have many of their products and love them all. I prefer Black; it soaks in the suns warmth giving that little extra on the days when you really need it. It also makes it easy to be spotted in the snow. Shop for these products via       http://www.hanksclothing.com/carhartt_arctic_wear.html

Silk wild rags can be purchased in many places, don’t think you’re going to stay warm by being cheap, 100% silk is the only way to go in this item. Here is a vendor I have not used, but I like the fact they guarantee the items they sell http://cowboywildrags.com/index.html

Silk wild rags are one of the coolest looking things you can wear to keep you warm.

Gloves, I should have mentioned two rules earlier, if your feet or fingers get cold, YOU ARE COLD! Buy the right gear for the activity you are taking part in. Here are a few of my favorite places to shop for gloves; yes I know I am a bit of a glove junkie. http://www.kinco.com/prods/L03.php        http://geierglove.com/                   http://www.sullivanglove.com/scripts/default.asp

Silk underwear is my choice, but some folks enjoy others; try them to find what works best for you and your body. Compare all kinds all prices and shop from a source you trust. Buy American made when possible. http://www.wintersilks.com/ three weights of silk http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/guide-gear-china-silk-clothing- .aspx?a=40252 china silk http://www.underarmour.com/ Under Armor http://thesocksite.com/100-cotton-midweight-waffle-knit-thermal- underwear-p-559.html Cotton

Heat escapes out of the top of your head so choosing a warm topper is a must. I prefer a rabbit fur lined bomber hat. I have several depending on the outing. The fur lining is soft and light weight, making this very comfortable as well as toasty warm. http://www.madbomber.com/store/

Over the years growing up watching my father, I learned to value good gear and how to take care of it so it can take care of you. Don’t be afraid to pay for quality; research, shop, and purchase wisely. Quality never goes out of style and chances are it will not wear out or fail when you need it most. If we can help you with any gear purchase please feel free to give a call. We are consumers just like you. The above mentioned sites are for reference and research only; we are not affiliated with them. Here at the ranch we don’t make any clothing or get paid to mention brands, we work hard and play hard putting our gear to the test every time we go out the door. When we find something we like, we not only use it, but try hard to share what we learn with others along the way so they might spend more time comfortably enjoying the great outdoors too.

Dave is a Team Huntress Outdoor Ambassador, South Dakota Hunt Safe Instructor, outfitter, certified concealed carry, competition hunter and President of Pheasant Phun Inc. As an avid outdoorsman he enjoys a wide variety of outdoor activities.

When I was a small girl, I remember going to my uncle’s property to hunt deer, turkey, dove, quail, etc with my family. I loved being out in the woods, running free, watching the wildlife. My dad would take me to hunting camp, despite the comments from the older members; dad would put me in the woods with my grandfather’s Smith & Wesson model 1000 shotgun and say, “sit still and good luck”! I only ever shot one doe, and we never found her…I was heart broken.

As the years went by, the family grew apart. I found myself driving my very old Grandfather to hunting camp, just so I could get another chance at another deer.  No Luck, I grew older as did the relatives, and there was no one to take me hunting, but you could always find me outdoors either at the horse shows or at the mud hole, which is where I met my husband of 19 years.

Bryan has been a hunter all his life and we kicked it off immediately.  We married, had a son and moved to North Carolina and had our second son. Bryan joined a Hunting club in Georgia, that we are still apart of to this day. It was at this club with my husband, that I really learned how to hunt. I was taught how to watch and “let the deer get closer” and where to put a stand, etc. I harvested my first doe on that club, weighing in at 120 lbs, while my husband sat in the truck with the boys watching a clear cut. That was it, I was really hooked! No, I wasn’t the first woman in camp to hunt, but I was the first to hunt as hard as the men do.  Sure, I have heard the same questions over the years; “How do you do it”? My only answer to that was “How can you not”? The woods are my sanctuary. Things always seem clear when I’m in the woods. And I have seen some wonderful things in the woods!

Over the years, I have harvested some nice deer and I’m always proud of whatever I do harvest. I hunt Alligator, Turkey, Deer, Ducks, Coyotes, Fox and Bobcat. I am open to try anything once. I fly fish in the spring and summer months but hunting is always on my mind.

I have been married for 19 years to my “hunting mentor” lol, Bryan. We have two sons, Bryan Jr. and Boone. Bryan Jr. is currently in the Navy and fishes and duck hunts with us when he takes leave. Boone is in the woods and water with us all the time and has become quite the hunter.  I know a lot of other ladies that hunt hard like me and I love meeting other lady hunters.

Jennifer L. Metzker

See the original article at CampWildGirls.com

Nancy Jo Adams – Shenanigans from the Field
I know our paths will cross sometime in the future and we will meet in person…however, I do know it is highly unlikely it will be in THE WOODS!…

See the original article at TheHuntersWife.net

If you are willing to look and listen, nature has the answer to most any problem. I hear people tell me all the time that if they had my camera, or my lens, or if they lived where I do, then they would be able to take good photos too. However, it honestly isn’t the equipment you use; cameras and lenses are only tools, even though I am pretty proud and protective of my camera. It is all in how you choose to look at life. You do not have to have the most expensive camera, and I can tell you from experience, if you enjoy wildlife photography, you will NEVER have a camera with a good enough zoom. Nature still exists, and will always do the coolest things just outside of your “zoom” range – that is part of the beauty of nature and my draw to photography. There are so many cool and wonderful things, and the ones that I am allowed to capture and share with the world are each a special gift to me. As for where I live, well it is a pretty amazing place, but there is beauty everywhere – if you choose to look for it, you will find it.

People, for the most part, tend to get stuck in the rut of life and with the state of our economy, it may only get tougher for those who have forgotten how to look and see the beauty that is all around them.

Look out your window; look in your own back yard. I would say that nature is there with all her glory and wonder, just waiting for you to discover the little treasures that she has placed there. Just for you, to remind you of what is truly important. Don’t overlook or take for granted what nature has to offer. In fact, my most valued gifts are the ones I almost took for granted, because I look out my window, or walk by them every day.

The mule deer cross through my yard everyday, morning and night. I know they are coming and will often find myself watching for them, but I very seldom stop to truly appreciate the beauty that they bring to my world each time they do. But on this evening, when I looked out my window, I saw things in a different light, as the sun’s light drained from the world that surrounded me, and the cool evening turned the air blue and cast dark shadows over the landscape. I was reminded once again that beauty isn’t only found by searching, going miles into the woods, or by spending thousands of dollars on expensive equipment and gas. Beauty is and has always been right in front of you … all you have to do is look.

To take a photo in low light it is important to eliminate camera shake as much as possible, and most photographers suggest using a tripod and remote shutter release to accomplish this task. With this shot, though, I did not have much time to think the shot through before the buck disappeared over the rise, or the light left completely, so I quickly grabbed my camera, slipped out on the deck and braced the camera in the corner, where our railing and porch post come together. I waited until the deer sky-lined, and took the photo, leaving the flash on for a faster shutter speed. Since he was walking away from me there was no eye shine. A little contrast adjustment and saturation removed more of the detail, leaving this silhouette photo. (Exposure 1/100 F6.3 at 400mm ISO400)

~Stacey Huston

Stacey Huston is an outdoorswoman to the core, and 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 injured 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. To see her photography, go to http://afocusinthewild.blogspot.com/

© 2010, womensoutdoornews.com. All rights reserved. January 10, 2010 by Women’s Outdoor News

Kim Pezzeminti, explorer, huntress and creator of things.

“Woman of the Wild” could not be a more perfect description for this explorer!  As a young girl, I would create some of the most amazing places in the wild of the outdoors.  The most memorable is of my playhouse underneath a GREAT big maple tree!  The dirt floor was swept daily and the luscious and green moss became the carpeted areas of this delectable place.  I served mud pies topped with the flowers of the Forsythia bush.  My Grandmother Ruby would always be there to assist in my projects.  I credit her for blessing me with creativity.  She taught be how to see pictures in the clouds and how to make something out of nothing. (Which by the way has been a wonderful trait to have through my adult years!)

My Mother and Father are also very instrumental in the development of my creativity Through many years of camping, seeing, doing and just sharing added the element of honesty and integrity.  My Dad would take me fishing atop Mowbry Mountain near Chattanooga, Tennessee.  I caught my first 3 pound bass on a Zebco 202 rod and reel and I was hooked.  I began to scream to my Dad across the pond…”Daddy, Daddy, Daddy” as I drug the most incredible, awesome fish ashore.  Daddy came just a running and was so proud of me!  I went home, took my hands up to my Mom’s nose and said smell…I caught a fish!

As I grew and developed into a woman, all of these experiences and skills would ultimately become the foundation for my work world success.  After spending almost 20 years in the tile industry, I found it ironic that I was selling “baked dirt” for a living. (Hmmm, thank you mud pie).  I was able to work with ceramic engineers from France, Italy and Spain to take clays, silica sand and glazes to make beautiful tiles for homes and buildings around the world.  This job also enabled me to travel where I was constantly in sensory overload!  As this Tennessee girl traveled to the West, it was if she had found her home.  Wyoming became the place that every chance I got, I would go there, place my feet into the vast forests and just be on cloud nine.  The grand mountains would bring my creativity out like flowing lava from a volcano!  I spent several summers in the Teton National Forest on Horseback and I never returned the same person.  I am so thankful for these days in the woods.

As I traveled, I became the Platinum Princess on Delta Airlines.  Spending over 200 nights a year in a hotel was quite and experience.  I never knew what I would receive from all these frequent flyer miles but I found out a little over four years ago…the award was my darling and precious soul mate.  As we sat side by side on a flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta (thank you Delta) we talked about deer hunting, which I had never done, but my Dad loved to deer and turkey hunt.  I told him about the back strap my Dad cooked every Christmas morning.  Needless to say, this was love at first flight!

We married 2 years later on the Bell Tower of the Hotel Colorado ( Interestingly, this hotel became the White House of President Teddy Roosevelt, while he bear hunted…I think I must have felt his love of the West) then we jumped in our jeans and headed Elk Hunting for our Honeymoon.  My hunting buddy taught me to shoot my first gun and ultimately harvesting my first deer.  We make being in the WILD a priority for our extra curricular activities.  I escorted my husband on this 50^th birthday celebration to Namibia, Africa where I watched my mentor focus and harvest.  We have Elk Hunted together in Colorado and Wyoming.  Our most favorite place is our hunting camp in Georgia where we work on the many aspects of the Whitetail Deer.  Living now in Merritt Island, Florida, we are anxious to someday find a little cabin hidden in the woods where I can sit on my porch and listen to the creatures sing their songs.

Once again my experiences would take hold of my creativity and I from this my company Doeville would be born.   This is a place for women to come and capture items created by women and made in the USA.  The products and artists are a direct result of my many years of traveling and meeting people all over the world.  Our tag line is “Accessorize Your Spirit” which is what the places in the wild have done for my spirit!

My message to all women is to explore, not only places but also within you.  There are many treasures to be found!

See the original article at CampWildGirls.com

The Battle of the B.O.W. with our own Terri Lee Pocernich and her son Kale starts Tuesday the 29th on the Sportsman’s Channel. It starts in the 7:30 p.m. time slot. (that is CT).

We are very excited to see the new show and how it gets all put together. We only know one of the stories, ours. There are 9 other teams and the stories that they will also have. It should be an exciting venture, through the season!

Voting will start on after the first show on www.battleofthebow.com. Please watch the show and let us know what you think!

See the original article at CampWildGirls.com

The voting has begun. You can rate each team once a day. Click here to vote!

See the original article at CampWildGirls.com