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

 

 

Hunting Hindrance – Volatile Vision

 

I have no problem admitting some of my hunting mistakes that I have made because we all make them and I hope others can learn from them too; with the same regard I want to share one of my biggest struggles that I deal with in everyday life and hunting that has led to some mistakes and missed opportunities. I am not perfect and hunting, fishing & outdoor activities do not come easily for me all the time, but I work at it every day. I have dealt with this hindrance since I was in second grade and every year it has progressed to a worsening state; it is one of the most important tools you need when hunting and although it can be aided, currently mine can’t be fixed.

I am talking about my vision, or lack thereof. Starting in second grade I began sitting too close to the TV and there began my struggle. It started with glasses, eventually progressed to contact lenses and unfortunately my eyesight has not stabilized since then, only worse. I started with a -4.00 prescription and I now have a PX of -10.50 and -9.50 in my eyes as of January 2014; without getting all technical this basically means instead of 20/20 vision I have 20/1050 and 20/950 respectively; extremely nearsighted. I cannot function at all without my contacts or glasses and if I wanted to read something without them the words would need to be less than 3 inches from my nose.

 

In addition to the nearsightedness, I have astigmatism, tiny holes in my retinas (that must be monitored which is why I see an ophthalmologist every year), and through a crazy freak accident I have burned a layer off both my corneas and my optic nerve is stretched to the max. Needless to say my vision is far from perfect and continues to get worse. With all of these issues, LASIK or laser correction surgery may be nearly impossible and until my eyesight actually stabilizes a bit irrelevant. Newer ‘lens’ transplants and other options are still so trivial and unpredictable it is hard for me to even think about pursuing them because I am terrified of losing my vision completely or encountering more problems.

Unfortunately, although I get new contacts and glasses almost every year to adjust for the change, my vision is still not what I want it to be because my eyes are changing daily and getting worse. This becomes a huge frustration when hunting that I have to adapt to all the time. It is very hard for me to see what others see moving across the field, in the trees, or even the antler count of a buck just 40 yards away. Spotting an animal’s legs or nose in the brush is nearly impossible to my naked eyes, determining which birds are flying in the sky is such a challenge and frustration, and there have even been times when I was completely wrong about what type of animal it was in the distance.

I always have binoculars with me which isn’t a bad thing most of the time but when I am up in a tree stand or in a ground blind surrounded by deer and the animal that is the most mature and legal is 50 yards out I can’t tell without binoculars I nearly cry. I have to be extra stealth trying to use my binoculars with so many eyes around me, but I refuse to just guess and take the ‘wrong’ deer. I have been busted looking through my binos at times to ensure my eyes aren’t lying to me which makes my frustration grow even more; the extra movement can sometimes ruin a hunt for me and has definitely caused missed opportunities. Although binos help, seeing extremely far distances is very difficult.  

 

Although I remember praying every night as a child that I would wake up and see the numbers on my alarm clock without contacts or glasses (and sometimes as an adult I still do – hoping for a miracle I guess) I refuse to let it stop me from enjoying my hunting trips and the outdoors. This is why when I get extremely up close to an animal it means so much to me because I can probably see all of their features without binoculars. When I harvest an animal or anyone else does, I love examining them up close so I can train my eyes to look for specific characteristics next time I am in the field. The other positive I rely on is that because I cannot depend on my eyesight 100%, my other senses are heightened; I can hear the tiniest sounds and smell the faintest of smells and so many actions are completely by memory (especially when I do not have my contacts in) so for that I am grateful.

Everyone has their weaknesses in life and in hunting, mine just happens to be a substantial hindrance with a sense that is needed in the field. I hope that sharing this will let you see that anyone can enjoy the outdoors. I have harvested some beautiful animals and each one means so much because I know the daily struggle of ‘seeing’ has been overcome. My heart looks forward to a miracle day where maybe my vision will stop getting worse and I will be able to see a beautiful animal without the aid of binoculars!

Get Lost To Be Found

  

Noise. Noise everywhere. Traffic, honking, typing, machinery, cluttered conversation, meaningless words. Everywhere. Every corner, every turn, every person. People in a constant rush, buy, wait, hurry, wait impatiently. The clock ticks, the clock tocks, the clock spins. Pushing, keep up, keep going, no rest. Get ahead but leave integrity, humility, tradition, morals and self-worth behind. The days fly by, minutes are meaningless, speech is abbreviated, handshakes are non-existent. Words are fake, staccato, misspelled and childish. Quiet moments interrupted by technology, the true feel of the world's beauty missing from so many minds, forgotten, overlooked, incomparable to what could be surpassed next; pushing the limits, ignoring risks, but not accepting consequences. The noise, it's silencing; silencing the true beauty of the world and the heart of Mother Nature. 

The noise of the world is easy to get lost in. We all get lost there with jobs, family, and high speed haywire lives we live, but for the lucky few who know how to escape it effectively we survive, I survive. I survive by consciously seeking the embrace of the road less traveled, the unbeaten path, the untouched breath of God in the quiet moments best spent alone in the marvelous outdoors. 

I am found here. Here with each burning sky of the sun breaking through the trees, the awakening of the awe inspiring moments that breathe life into the morning and into my yearning soul. My heart overflows with passion, gratitude, humility and everything that was lost collides with the simple untouched moments of the woods; the chaos is consumed and I am found. 

 I am found as the dark is colored with light when the woods awaken, breathe and come to life. I am found in my tree stand, ground blind, or path to heaven on earth anywhere in the field. In a tree, in a chair, walking without a purpose, with or without a weapon, I am found in those moments of tranquility that are untouched by man, undisturbed by manipulation and unexplainable to anyone resisting the welcoming call. 

I am found as leaves fall, crunch beneath my feet, blow in the wind and float on Gods simple transportation that changes everything as it remains the same. I am found with every sound; no longer noise but joyful notes of harmony and melody; the same tune but different verses. The moments of purity I witness as I walk to and from a hunting spot as I feel the touch of the bark of the trees, the hard and soft ground beneath my tired feet, and the smell of the perfume of the grasses, flowers and animal scents left behind in their daily life of survival. 

I am found as I watch the crazy critters scurry about all while I am observing from just a few yards away; unnoticed (most of the time) I peer into their lives, their personalities, their flaws and features as they exist in their perfect natural environment. I see their tiny paws and claws, the small patches of fluffed fur, their eyelashes and ear tufts, their movements as they almost always remain alert. I am alert, waiting, watching, enjoying every moment with the most resounding moments of peace in existence. 

Will there be a shot at an animal? It's possible but so much must come together for that moment to occur. I am content being in their world and absorbing the refinement and artistry of a living painting before me. I am envious but protective of their ability to be free from the overbearing thoughts of chaos we as humans must endure. True freedom at its finest. Their movements, style, and grace are all with purpose; every step, head turn, flinch, jump, or sense used is calculated, with reason, for survival but it still fascinates me. 

Will I be disappointed without a shot? Never. The journey of being found while getting lost is more than enough to satisfy my soul, more than enough to refresh, renew, and relax my heart and mind, and more than enough to recenter my gravity and keep me grounded like the mighty oaks. Mother Nature's foundation is my building block in life; it's what keeps me sane, provides clarity, and ensures my return trip to the chaos is safe; safe knowing that I will be getting lost again real soon. 

Central Texas Dove Hunt 2013

 

Here is some fun footage with me and hubby from some dove hunting we did last year. We just set up the camera on the ground and went with it; sorry there aren't any pics of the birds flying, but its just us having fun. Hope you enjoy

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozt850kO-JY

First Weekend of Firsts

Headed to the heart of the Hill Country in Central Texas I knew this trip was going to be different, but I was not prepared for all that happened. It was the first weekend of the New Year of 2014 and although I love every minute of every hunt with hubby and my awesome hunting buddy Muzzy (our miniature dachshund who I will write more about another time)  we were being joined by some awesome friends and two young boys that would provide some of the most memorable moments of any hunt. This was a weekend of firsts, not just for me, but for Noah and Remington (Remi) and their parents as well.

The Texas Hill Country always refreshes my soul with the varying landscapes that although static most of the year, show adaptive changes during drastic weather. The prickly cactus, the solid strong oaks, the scent of the cedar that exposes its layers more and more as winter strips it away, and the sunrises and sunsets of each hunt that nearly take my breathe away every single time. The Texas Hill Country never disappoints!

 

The first 'first' for me was the process of making sassafras tea; something I have never known much about and although after the process was over and a little research this is best taken in very small doses. The root from a sassafras tree used to be the primary ingredient in root beer but after many changes from the FDA it is not used anymore (please research this before you attempt to make this or consume it-I do not want to be liable for anything haha)

 

Moving on...the root is chipped at to make small shavings (you can smell the 'root beer' smell once exposed) and placed in a pot to boil. After boiling, we strained it through a coffee filter and added sugar and enjoyed! A very sweet, root beer flavored tea! Such a fun process to make something like this and learning something new from others is the best part. I love expanding my knowledge of the outdoors and I am forever grateful for this experience!

 

 

After finishing some refreshing sassafras tea it was time for another first for me. Although I have hunted for a while now, I have never actually had the opportunity to shoot a cross bow. I love my compound bows but how could I say no?!? The 2 boys were having a blast shooting it and I had to get in on the fun. I try not to ever pass up an opportunity to try something new, especially with weapons or the outdoors! You truly never know when the opportunity will come back around again, so seize the moment!

 

 

After a little target shooting with the cross bow it was time to hit the woods with my bow and try for a deer. But enough about me, because this weekend was all about these two excited boys that were soaking up every minute of the trip. The first night Noah had the opportunity to shoot his first raccoon and this kid was a great shot! When he made it back to camp I could see the excitement in his eyes and was unsure how he was going to get any sleep that night with the morning hunt looming. Noah's weekend was off to a great start for sure!

 

 The first evening hunt was slowly slipping away with hubby and I in our own bow blinds and Noah and his dad in their box blind, rifle in hand, excitement building for the anticipation of Noah's first deer. As the sun was fading away, just at last light, we all heard a shot and the hit. Immediately phones were texting about what had just happened. Noah had shot a doe and was overflowing with excitement. We advised for them to stay put for 30 minutes because they had not seen the doe go down. As we all packed up and met at their blind I could see the most excited boy I have ever seen. He told us the story in his head and dad confirmed Noah was shaking so bad! Noah said "Dad I have buck fever, no doe fever, I have some kind of fever!" What a moment, but we still had to track.

 

We confirmed it was hit when we found blood on the ground right where she had been standing when he shot. We tracked blood in the dark for about 30 minutes before running out. Noah was soaking it all up as we tracked blood and asking questions along the way. What a teaching moment this was. A little frustration sat in after our blood trail ended, but I told him we would get Muzzy to help track. I would hate to lose Noah's first deer so we were going to do our best to recover her. Muzzy found the same blood trail we had and another couple of spots that we didn't find but lost a clear trail after a while. We backtracked numerous times, checked around some down hill slopes, a tank, and under brush and trees for any signs but our hope was running out. Sadly we weren't able to recover the doe, but after talking with Noah he said if he had to guess if he shot too high or too low, he said a little high, which we explained to him could have hit the void and missed vitals altogether and the doe would survive.

 

Although we weren't able to recover Noah's first deer, I was completely humbled the way he responded. I have never seen someone with such a great attitude about the situation. He said "I did my best, we put our best into finding her, its ok...". Never once did he show signs of frustration or defeat. We all shared our stories of 'the ones that got away' and explained as much as we hate it, it happens and all we can do is learn from it, correct any mistakes we think we might have made, and get back in the blind. He was truly grateful for the experience of the situation and actually made me rethink some of the ways I have acted in the past over a lost animal; it is heartbreaking and we all have our moments and that's ok. But as sad as I was to not find his first deer, I was reminded of something along the way; little did Noah know, he showed and reminded me to be humble, grateful and resilient. A first deer shot, a first blood tracking experience, first frustration, and a first moment for me being reminded of a great attitude from one of the coolest kids ever, 20 years younger than me!

 

The frustration and defeat was wiped away as the boys headed back out for the evening for more predator control; this time Remi was on board! Another first for Remi who was able to take down his first raccoon! These kids were on a roll and grinning from ear to ear enjoying every moment like it should be. Noah was able to notch another first in his belt by seeing his first ringtail and shooting his first ringtail. I told y'all these boys were great shots! Many people go their entire lifetime without seeing a ringtail in the wild, and while hubby and I prefer to watch them because they are rare to see, it was game on for Noah. Using his .410 shotgun to minimize damage, Noah took down this ringtail and it will forever be a memory because they are getting him mounted! Heck I have to say I am a little jealous of having that cool mount in the living room; they are such beautiful creatures but the true beauty was the smiles on Noah and Remi's faces - priceless! 

 

 

The next morning hunt was cold and windy which seemed to keep the deer bedded down but not our spirits. After everyone met back at camp it was time to go search in the daylight for Noah's doe just to ensure we put forth every effort to recover her. Driving and walking back around the area the recovery effort still fell short but we know we did our best searching at night, with Muzzy, and during the day. Fortunately or unfortunately something else happened that changed everything, another first for the boys and parents.

 

A yearling was spotted hung up in the fence with a broken leg, a partial hind quarter eaten, still alive. (the next photo is slightly graphic but necessary). There was nothing good about this situation but acting quickly Noah was ready and ended the suffering of the yearling. We weren't sure if coyotes or a cat was the culprit of the destruction of the yearling but one thing was certain, Noah got his first deer in the most unconventional way with a hard lesson included. Luckily because she was still alive when found and only one hind leg had been destroyed the meat was still good. Noah again showed the best attitude and soaked up every moment, helping skin and clean the deer, getting bloody in the process and sharing the experience with his family and us.

 

It was a heartbreaking situation that was turned into a positive learning and educational moment for everyone. The cruel reality of nature presented itself but the end result was Noah's first deer, meat in their freezer and an end to suffering for a young deer. I honestly can't imagine being 9 years old and witnessing something like this and having the best outlook and attitude about the whole thing. I was truly blown away at the maturity of both boys and the respect they showed for the land, the animals, and the entire hunting process, having rarely been exposed to any of it before.  

 

 

The weekend ended with one last morning hunt where I had another first at this specific piece of property. The deer out here are pretty spooky all year round so stalking them is a pretty tough feat, especially to get into bow range. As I sat in the lean on stand in one of the oak filled pastures, trying to stay warm, I was all about to give up hope. It was 20 degrees with a wind chill of 4 and I felt like I was hunting in Kansas again! 20 degrees in Texas is a pretty big deal to this 'tropical' South Texas girl but I was surviving. A heated vest and heated insoles were my saving grace!

 

As I looked behind me I saw a doe creeping into the area but to my disappointed she must have been cold too because she bedded down in a low lying area where a tree had fallen. There she was 60 yards behind me; I could see her ears sticking up as I peered through the trees and tall grass. I was convinced there was absolutely no way I could climb down out of the squeaky lean on and get close enough for a shot, so I waited, and waited, and waited. She wasn't moving so I decided to. If I could get my bow and myself down without her running I knew I might have a chance. Bow was lowered and I slowly climbed down the ladder, made it to the ground and she was still there. I got my bow and hid behind a tree to let things calm down and plotted my path.

 

I had ranged a few trees and spots I needed to get to for a possible 30 yard shot. I knew I had to get relatively close because she was in a hole and as soon as she stood I was going to have to be a quick shot. I slowly creeped my way to the next tree and waited again. She was still there and I was in shock. I dropped down on my stomach and began a slow belly crawl to the next group of small cedar bushes that would get me about 40 yards away and in a better wind position. I locked my release in my D-loop and slowly raised up to start moving towards her when she popped up and bolted! GRRRRRR! I was so close but it just didn't come together.

 

I watched her run away and jump into the neighbors property and out of my life forever haha! I was pumped though from the excitement of the stalk and was so proud to have closed the distance on her. This was the closest I have ever been stalking on a deer at this ranch and I was excited, even though I am pretty sure she only stayed that long because she was just as cold as I was; I wouldn't want to move from my warm spot either!

 

It was a beautiful, cold weekend of firsts, during the first weekend of the year. I learned so much though beyond the hunt. Noah and Remi are 2 special boys who have a bright hunting future ahead of them. I was truly blessed to have spent a weekend with them and learn from them as they learned from us. I helped Noah understand that there a lot of people out there who will not agree with hunting or with the story behind his first deer but advised him of the good he did for the suffering yearling and how he turned something devastating into food for the family, instead of food for the coyotes or wild cats. He helped me remember to keep the best attitude possible and showed such a genuine, innocent and perfect mindset throughout the entire weekend. These two boys have a special place in my heart after this weekend and I can't wait to get them back out there for some predator control and call in the coyotes. It will be a great moment to seek revenge on the destructive predators that almost succeeded on that yearling.

 

 

 

 

Thank you to Noah, Remi, and their parents for allowing us to share knowledge with each other and for one of the best, most unforgettable hunts. Although hubby and I don't/won't have children of our own, there is something so rewarding about influencing and shaping the mind of the younger generation and passing on priceless knowledge, moments and memories that I know everyone benefits from. Until next time... 

 

Lady Hunter Magazine

I am super excited to announce that I have an article featured in the Jan/Feb 2014 edition of Lady Hunter Magazine! I love hunting wild pigs and my article "The Appeal of the Squeal" captures a piece of that. I also have my bio at the front of the magazine as well!

http://ladyhuntermagazine.com/mag/janfeb2014

I hope you check it out and spread the word!

80lb Boar I recently took - Spot & Stalk at night - Mathews DXT - December 21, 2013