June 20, 2014

A nightmarish chaotic week ended on a high note with an escape from the unrest of the daily grind.

 

Even before the hunt as I sat in the truck, windows rolled down, a warm summer breeze swirled through and swept away my troubles.

 

A deep breath and there it was...peace. Perfect peace.

 

It's absolutely amazing what Mother Nature can do for my soul and I take none of it for granted.

 

I am thankful for its solace and inviting spirit that calls me home and washes over my entire body.

 

God is good.

Maddie Hayes Naturals

(Insect Repellent & Lip Balm)

http://www.maddiehayesnaturals.com

 

 

Maddie Hayes Naturals (Insect Repellent & Lip Balm)

Maddie Hayes Naturals is a company that makes insect repellents and lip balms that were “inspired by one awesome dog, made for people.” Their dog Maddie Hayes survived a rough bout of tetnus and is a tough dog and inspiration to their company which is something I loved before even trying out their products.

 

 

Maddie Hayes Insect Repellent -Overview

My first impression was that it was a pump style bottle, not an aerosol that can blow away in the wind, in your face or on others. A pump style dispenser allows for control of the product, instead of wasting it. The repellent is DEET free and uses essential oils like Grape Seed Oil instead of filler products making it an Earth friendly product. I was surprised to see the final ingredient was catnip but was informed that it is more effective than DEET! Their website advises that the insect repellent is effective in repelling mosquitoes, black (biting) flies, deer flies, gnats, "no-see-ums", sand fleas & chiggers.

 

 

Application, Functionality & Scent

I knew I would be outside a lot over the 4^th of July weekend and was excited to use the repellent. I had just moved further out into the country and had noticed some mosquitoes and other bugs around more than I wanted. I pumped a small dime size amount into my hands and began applying to my leg. I put the repellent on one leg and not the other to do a comparison. A little does go a long way with this product and despite oils being used it was not greasy, oily or running down my leg. The repellent absorbed almost immediately into my leg and I didn’t notice it the rest of the night.

I set off fireworks and spent almost 3 hours outside at dusk and during the night when bugs are sometimes the worst. Not only did I not have mosquitoes biting my legs but as I sat on the ground, tail gates, and chairs I never felt the product. It was never sticky or oily; in fact I forgot I had it on. I didn’t get bit on the other leg either but with the repellent being so close to my other leg I’m sure it didn’t matter. The one leg test was more for the feel of the product on my skin; women will love how the oils make their skin feel soft and Grape Seed oil is a natural antioxidant too.

The other benefit of the repellent is the scent. Nearly all insect repellents that work have some odor or the company attempts to add a fragrance to cover the odor which makes it sticky or smell worse. The natural oils provide a light fragrance that isn’t overwhelming and gradually disappears with time, women (and men) will love the light scent and I only smelled it during the initial application. The only negative I could find about the repellent was that the light smell may not be 100% practical when hunting. Hunters try to be as scent free as possible and I am not sure how the animals would react to it. I’ll have to try it out during hunting season! The repellent is great for fishing or anything outdoors and back at hunting camp for sure though!

 

 

Maddie Hayes Lip Balm

The Maddie Hayes Lip Balm is my favorite. I never wear lipstick and rarely wear lip gloss or lip tint so lip balm is my go to product for my lips! The lip balm is made with shea butter and doesn’t contain petroleum or sugar (which I recently learned after speaking with the Maddie Hayes owner that sugar is the ingredient that causes someone to lick their lips). The application was smooth and felt light on my lips. It lasted for hours without reapplication and never got sticky.

Maddie Hayes products, both the insect repellent and lip balm, worked great and their products are Made in the USA which I proudly support.

 

Check out their products at their website http://www.maddiehayesnaturals.com and LIKE their FB page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maddie-Hayes-Naturals/226985877368492

Release

 

 

As I sat in the woods on a Friday night waiting for pigs with my bow, I took out my Rite in the Rain notebook to write down my thoughts. As I picked up the pen I looked at my hand and there of course, ready as always, was my Scott Archery Fox release. There it was staring at me, attempting to hinder my penmanship, screaming at me to either take it off or adapt and write with it still on.

 

With the chance of pigs around I couldn't take my release off so there was only one option. As I looked at it, I was going to win this battle and I maneuvered my hand around with the pen, and the words just poured out. In about 3 minutes there on paper was a simple, yet inspiring piece of my thoughts. Hope you enjoy!

Release
 
 On my hand
 
  Of my troubles
 
   Of the world
 
    In my mind
 
     Becomes my hand
 
      Extension of me
 
       Connected through
 
      Draws the string
 
     Launches the arrow
 
    Frees my soul
 
   Feeds my hunger
 
  More than a tool
 
 Pressure pointed
 
Directed, purposeful Release
 
Peace

Squirrely Sunday Surprise

 

As I have said so many times before, sometimes the most memorable moments happen on a spur of the moment trip or when you least expect it and it rang true once again. As I was leaving for the weekend from work someone asked me “you gonna kill anything this weekend?” Most people I work with are intrigued with my lifestyle and some just don’t understand it but most know that I hunt. Clearly they don’t use the proper language all the time and for others in earshot it sounds horrendous, but I knew what they meant (and so did most everybody else). I said no I was headed to my hometown to spend some time with my family and attend a few events with them. No hunting on this trip.

I love going back home because of all the memories and it is always a sort of get away from the chaos at work and where I live now. Most of the weekend was uneventful but refreshing, just spending quality time with the family, and letting my dachshund Muzzy play with other dogs and run free. A huge portion of my time was spent painting

 

garden stones and lawn and yard art for my mom. I love helping her out and the ‘paint-by-numbers’ is easy enough for this artsy-challenged girl to just be crafty! Sitting and catching up while painting outside was so calming and relaxing. Some birds were chirping, the hummingbirds wings were buzzing as they sipped the red nectar from the feeder, the blue jays were squawking and eating the peanuts put out for them, and the squirrels were chattering.

Yes the destructive squirrels had been making their presence known in the garden, mulch areas of the trees, wood piles, and all throughout the property. My parents have been battling these pests for quite some time too and were getting frustrated. Most counties in Texas do not have a closed season or bag limit for squirrel and this county was one of them. It was open season all year long and game on! We had spotted a few near the fence line of the property but safe shots were not possible with their current locations. So patience was important…

My trip was nearing the end and I was packing up to head back home. I had one last garden stone to paint that I was working on outside enjoying my last few refreshing moments. My mom had been walking around the property looking for squirrels when I heard her yell for me! The pellet gun hadn’t been sighted in so I grabbed a .22 and headed toward her. The plan in my mind was to shoot the squirrel and knock it down so my dachshund Muzzy could get him. He is still young and although he has taken a fox and tracked a few deer, I wanted him to experience the fight of a squirrel. Dog training at its finest!

As I creeped up I could see the big squirrel flattened out on a limb high above me. Muzzy hadn’t seen her yet because she wasn’t moving and was pretty high up, but I wanted to get her down for him to have. Unfortunately, my killer instinct took over and I saw myself putting the crosshairs near the heart. I was afraid of trying for a wounding shot and either missing or not having her fall out of the tree. I always try for the best shot possible to prevent wounding any animal so I knew I was doing the right thing and it actually made me happy that my first and natural choice was for the proper shot.

As I pulled the trigger the squirrel fell to the ground. It was over for her except for when Muzzy came in to make sure she was expired. He was so excited and was getting the taste and scent of squirrel that I knew would only benefit him later for another squirrel hunt. Although I would have loved to have seen him take on the squirrel this was just as good at educating him. He sniffed all around her, tasted a little blood, and even got aggressive when I wanted to take her away from him. Good Puppy!! Haha

So although my squirrely surprise Sunday was unplanned it was definitely a great time. I was able to help my parents eliminate a pest, educate my dog on another animal to hunt, and satisfy my hunting needs for the weekend! A success in my book every time!!

A Momma's Mission for Me

The influence of women in the outdoors is growing and we must all be ambassadors for them and the children being raised by them. Although I am not a mother myself I was influenced from an extremely early age by my mother about the great outdoors and I try to pass it on to any children I am in contact with. Although my dad was a gun enthusiast, I know my mom played a huge part in my love for the outdoors, especially being a woman.

Every summer our entire family would vacation at the same cabins on the gulf coast for weeks at a time. It was nothing fancy and we never had money for guided fishing trips or our own boat, so we fished off of a pier, all day and all night. The days were spent with my mom showing me how to tie chicken necks in a crab trap to lower into the water from the pier with the hopes of catching some big crabs, walking the sand bars, exploring the tiny shell islands, and always learning. Mom would teach me to slide or drag my feet in the water instead of walking to prevent stepping on stingrays, to watch the current for floating jellyfish passing by, and not to freak out when seaweed brushed across my legs. I learned strength and common sense from her.

I would watch in awe as she would throw a huge cast net with perfection to catch her own bait that I knew we would be using later that night. I would watch as she hurled the net into a perfect circle landing on top of the miniature perch and mullet she had spotted in the water. Her strength and dedication was definitely rubbing off on me. Occasionally, we would have to spend some hard earned money to buy bait, even after all day of trying to catch it, but mom always tried to prevent that. As the evenings would begin to near, mom would make me sit out at her spot on the pier with her tackle box and bait buckets while she would make a quick dinner for us. She had fished up and down that pier for years and knew which spot produced the most fish. I learned persistence from her.

Somebody was always ‘holding down’ her fishing spot at some point and rotations would start with me, my brother and my dad to make sure momma had her spot! I will never forget the moments I spent sitting next to her at that spot, fishing until the sun came up. Not only would I watch her fish for hours but stare as she would bait her own hook, remove her own fish, re-tie her own tackle, clean and gut her own fish, then cook it up for the family. If we ran out of bait and the fish were still biting she would task me to catch a small fish with my cane pole to use for cut bait. She was the real deal and I was learning and soaking it all up. I learned patience and self-sufficiency from her.

My point behind this personal story is how much my mother influenced me. My dad would come out and fish a little but the dedication I saw in my mom was beyond what I have ever imagined. It didn’t matter the weather (it was always windy on the pier) she was out there; we would always joke about how our hair would look after a night on the pier but it didn’t matter because we were having fun and providing fish for the family. I learned humility from her.

Young children will always want to be like their parents for at least a short period of time and it’s crucial that we as parents, mentors, friends and family seize those moments and make the biggest impact we can. It’s typically expected that the father or male figure hunts or fishes but I guarantee that if children see their mother or greatest female influence not only participating but dominating in outdoor adventures, it will remain engrained in their mind and influence them in a positive way. 

Piggy Palooza

 

New video uploaded of random footage of some pig hunts I have been on in the last year. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Doe-Licious Delight & Coyote Chaos

 

 As much as I love to bow hunt whitetail I encounter situations that require me to pick up a rifle. These are rare moments, especially when hunting deer, but that was the case this past January. An opportunity was presented to conduct deer management on some property in Deep South Texas & with over 5000 acres to cover in 3 days & plenty of tags to fill I knew I would have a rifle in my hand. There wasn't time to scout or set up good bow blinds and the land owner needed some doe herds thinned out. The land was going to be leased out for the following season & who could pass up an opportunity to fill our freezers & feed our family!

 Most of the hunting was done down long senderos and hitting up water sources so we tried to increase the challenge by taking long shots, usually 200+ yards each time.
 

Over the next few days we were able to put 6 doe in our ice chests & another friend filled his with 3 doe as well. Knowing we would be keeping some of the meat but also filling our parents & families freezers was very rewarding and being able to help out the land owner in the process. 9 doe may not be a big dent in the doe population but it could only help.



The 3rd doe I shot was  in the early afternoon and the weather was warming up so we field dressed her immediately so we could continue to hunt (this was actually one of the bigger doe I shot but the angle in the picture below made her look smaller-we were keeping her in the shade to keep her cool as well). We left the gut pile and headed out to finish checking senderos. We were making our way back to the area of the gut pile when we saw a big ol bobcat run off from the pile! It had not been more than an hour since I had shot the doe and the bobcat found his own dinner quickly and during daylight hours! We tried to get a shot on the cat but he was too quick for us!

In between filling ice chests we were always on the lookout for predators, pests, pigs and javelina to hunt. While driving around midday we headed to one of the water sources for some action. When we drove up over one of the damns we all spotted a coyote devouring an animal carcass.

The first shot from our friend was a miss but then my husband took a follow up shot while the coyote was on the run and he hit him. We quickly made our way over to him. This was turning into a team effort and since he was still alive (broken back) I then put two .40 rounds into his head. Dead coyote. As always I wanted pictures (have to share with y'all) so I drug him out of the brush & proceeded to take pictures. 

 

 As I laid him back down I freaked out! He started breathing and moving his mouth. At first I thought maybe it was just his body reacting to the shots and being held upside down but when we put a boot on his stomach he pushed it off with this breathing & started moving! A few more rounds in him finally led to his expiration. I would have thought 2 shots to the head would have sealed the deal but apparently I was wrong!

 

 This was one tough coyote & here I was holding him up taking picture while he was still alive!! The only comfort I had was that I had on snake boots that came up to my knees and 3 bottom layers of clothing! As you can see from the picture his gnarly teeth were well within range of latching onto my leg and leading to a whole mess of problems! Not the smartest moment I have had in the woods! 

 

 

The last morning of the hunt hubby and I were sitting together watching a sendero when we saw 2 doe come out. They were calm and relaxed and it was his turn to shoot; as he was getting set up for a shot at 180 yards we both noticed something else in the distance.

 Sneaking up behind the two unsuspecting doe were 2 evil conniving coyotes. We were about to witness them carry out their plan of attack from behind on the smaller doe and we were not about to let this happen. The doe had no idea the coyotes were sneaking down the road. As much as we wanted to get another doe on ice and meat in the freezer, we knew taking down these predators and saving the doe and future fawns was more important.

 So hubby turned his sights of his .270 to the coyotes and took a shot at 200 yards and dropped the first coyote in his tracks. He moved quickly to try for a shot on the second coyote but it had already made its way into the brush. The doe scattered as expected but we were happy to have destroyed that coyote and ruined their plan of attack!

 

 So yes the coyote in this picture was shot by my husband and not me, but he isn't as excited to take pictures as I am haha! However, that coyote was very smelly and my hands stunk for quite some time afterwards! 

 It was a great weekend trip of filling freezers, managing the doe population, taking down some predators and I even did a little javelina stalking with my bow that came up short. Now all of those doe are in our freezers and the freezers of our family. The land owner thanked us over and over but we were the ones who were extremely grateful for the opportunity to hunt, feed our family, and make memories to last a lifetime!

Throw Back Thursday - 2nd Grade Story

As I have said before I love to write and it seems to have started at a very early age. The following is a story I wrote in 2nd grade about a mouse that went to a baseball game.  Obviously this is not a blog related to hunting but what is interesting to see is a glimpse into my childhood and areas that seem to be disappearing in many kids childhoods today. The time spent being active and outside is evident including harvesting items from our garden and the creativity and imagination of my young self. Although 'cartoon watching' on TV was part of my childhood it pales in comparison to the time spent playing outside.

 

I hope you enjoy this fun little blog. I am pretty excited to type out some of the many stories I wrote as a kid because the pencil is starting to fade on the 'wide ruled' notebook paper and this is a great way of preserving it. Enjoy and have a little laugh and maybe reminisce a little too! 

 

P.S. The rabbit in the picture is the one in the story and although I don't look especially excited in the picture I thought it would be fun to include it.

 

 

A Mouse That Went to a Baseball Game (April 15, 1992)

Once I met a mouse. I asked him where he was going, and he said he was going to a baseball game but first he is going to the store because he needs tennis shoes. I said I would go with him. He said ok. So we went to Wal-mart and bought him a pair of high tops. So we left Wal-mart and went to the baseball game. 

We bought two root beers and two bags of cotton candy and drank our sodas. The Astros played the Missions and the Astros won the baseball game. The Astros had 24 and the Missions had 15. After the game we went out eat at Pesos. I ate enchiladas and the mouse ate chalupas. We went home and I took a bath so the mouse took a shower. We watched a movie on television and then went to bed.

When we woke up we both are pancakes and drank milk. Today was Sunday and we got our Bibles and went to church. When we came home we jumped on my trampoline. We played crack the egg. It was fun. The mouse wanted to swing on the swings. After we were through swinging we watched cartoons. By the time we were through watching T.V. it was lunch time. So we ate lunch and then we went in my room and played house. The mouse was a baby and I was the mom. We played for 30 minutes. 

So we went outside and picked carrots from the garden. We went to the strawberry patch and picked the strawberries. That was our dessert. After we ate supper we ate carrots and strawberries. We went to bed after supper. The mouse snored the whole night so I didn’t get any sleep. 

The next morning I was tired but I got up anyway. The mouse had two extra tickets to another baseball game. I told him maybe tomorrow. OK said the mouse. I ate cereal for breakfast then I brushed my teeth. The mouse used a tiny little toothbrush. 

The mouse and I went to the park. It was fun! At the park we went across the monkey bars. We had fun at the park. When we went home we got a drink. It was almost lunchtime so we jumped on the trampoline. We jumped until it was lunchtime. I ate a sandwich and the mouse ate pizza. The mouse and I always use a napkin but if we don’t we will get all dirty. 

After lunch we took a nap and watched television. We watched cartoons or Full House. Then we went to see my rabbit and let her out. She jumped around and the mouse asked what her name was. I said Felene. He said it was a pretty name. It was time to eat supper so we put Felene up and ate hot dogs. We even watched a baseball game on television. After we watch the baseball game it was late. So we went to bed. I told the mouse not to snore.

It was Monday and I took the mouse to school and showed it to Mrs. Moore. The mouse said he wanted to go to a baseball game after school. I said OK. So we did math, letters and sounds, writing and language. After that we had games. The mouse said I’m hungry. So we had a snack. School was out so we went home and got the tickets. The mouse drove a tiny mouse car and I drove a convertible. The mouse’s care was a Ford. 

We went to the baseball game. This time we bought a snow cone. I like snow cones. The dodgers were play the Red Sox. The Red Sox won because they had 20 and the Dodgers had 18. It was fun. When we got home we went to bed and I snored so the mouse snored too. The End.

SOSGEAR Review – Custom Paracord Rifle Sling

 

SOSGEAR is a unique company that creates custom paracord products including gun slings, bow wrist slings, turkey totes, lanyards and more. Below is my review of the custom paracord rifle sling that I received. 

Durability/Function/Design:

 When I received the paracord rifle sling I was impressed immediately with the quality and bright saturated colors. The sling was solid and stiff, yet flexed and moved with ease. The loops and knots seem to work together for durability but provided enough flex to mold to my hands and shoulder. I am not familiar with the different techniques of ‘braiding’ or ‘looping’ but it appears that this pattern is conducive to more bending and flexibility for throwing over your shoulder, hitting the woods, and enjoying the comfort it provides.

 

 I used the sling in Deep South Texas recently while chasing pigs and javelina; as I was driving around the land there were times when I needed to jump out quickly to make a move and attempt to get in range of an animal and surprisingly this sling actually made that easier. My previous nylon/cloth sling would easily wrap around the shifter of the Polaris but the SOSGEAR sling did not sag or wrap around any components of the vehicle. This may not seem like a big deal but if you need to jump out and run after a pig you don’t want your gun sling getting hung up on gas pedal, shifter, other guns, legs or anything else in your way. (I am a bit clumsy so things like this are important to me!)

 I also put the sling to test while doing a great deal of walking and stalking on a pig hunt. The entire hunt was 5 hours long with multiple stalks lasting 30 minutes or more. The sling seemed to mold to my shoulder during the long walks and remained comfortable throughout most of the stalks. I have small hands and probably not the strongest shoulders so when I needed to grab it off my shoulder the sling fit right in my hands and my shoulders did not tire from the long stalks. The paracord material sits nicely on top of your shoulder and clothes and does not ‘cut or dig into’ your skin leaving marks. Although I have only had the sling for a few months its durability in warm & cool climates seems promising and will hold up for many years to come.



Reverse Positives?

 I don’t want to use the word negative or ‘cons’ in this review because the small concerns I had will not affect everyone and are not solely the owners misstep. There were a few times on the long stalks where there was a slight discomfort on my shoulder. I noticed that where the sling connects back on itself is a little thicker and slightly bumpy from the extra material but is necessary to hold it together. It did not bother me most of the time but occasionally would move to a certain spot that I could feel.

The only other concern I had was actually just a lack of communication between me and the owner regarding the type of ‘attachments or connectors’ (D-rings, buckles, loops etc) I had on my gun to attach the sling too. SOSGEAR used quality sling swivels but unfortunately did not fit on my pre-attached loops. I made a simple modification with black cables ties (zip-ties) to attach the sling in the same manner as some binoculars have them; problem solved and lesson learned.

 

As I said the only ‘cons’ were minor issues that will not affect everyone and can even be avoided with a few questions and answers during the ordering process.

 

 

 Overall Impression

 I absolutely love my custom paracord rifle sling. I loved the colors I picked out (which were true to color in the picture and in person) and SOSGEAR provides a wide range of colors to choose from that will appeal to everyone from little girls to grown men! The prices are perfect knowing the hard work put into each hand made piece and the friendly customer service is a rarity in today’s world.

Please check out SOSGEAR at: http://sosgearmt.com & Follow Chelsea & SOSGEAR on twitter & Instagram: @SOSGEARMT

 

Inner Savage

An oldie but a goodie! Ha! A poetic blog of such that poured out of my heart and mind in a few minutes....

 

Dear Inner Savage,

I am woman.

I am sometimes girly, sensitive, emotional, and passionate.

I am never completely weak, forgotten or dependent.

I stifle the inner beast during most days and present a polished and put together woman.

I hold back the burning passion of the wild, untamed instincts that seek expulsion.

I journey past the roads and signs into a state of nature.

I become primal, physically, emotionally, mentally.

I am rustic, rugged, natural, and fundamental.

I begin to release the intense, unbroken woman that is hidden on most days.

I allow the ancient, archaic, ferocious tendencies within to consume me.

I am unmodified, unrestrained, unspoiled, and perfect in this moment.

 

I become the savage that is within my soul.


I seek to hunt, gather, explore, harvest, and refresh.

I am the woods.

I am woman.

Sincerely,

My Inner Savage