Preggo Porker Part 2

 

After Friday night’s hunt resulting in a 175 pound pregnant sow (See Preggo Porker Part 1 - http://camocandace.blogspot.com/2014/09/preggo-porker-part-1.html ) and Saturday night being a little quiet, I was excited to take advantage of the three day weekend and head back out for a Sunday night hunt!

I showed up a little earlier than usual and was set up and ready before the sun went down. The trail camera pictures had been showing all the pigs coming in after dark and usually after the second feeding at 10pm; but this hunt I was in my chair, under a tree, 23 yards from the feeder by 8:15pm and it's a good thing I was there early!

This feeder has a homemade red light set up we have been trying out and it has been working great; it's a motion sensor light that comes on after dark with movement. It has been pretty helpful at getting the pigs comfortable with the red lights which are the Nite Hunter bow lights we use.

 

  

As I nestled in, kicked on the Thermacell, the the sun faded and about 8:45pm I saw a big mass moving in from my left headed straight for the feeder. It looked like another pregnant sow but it was hard to tell in the dark until she made it under the feeder and turned on the motion light. There she was, under the feeder, eating corn, facing me. I didn't have a shot!

So as I sat patiently waiting, she continued to eat, and eat, and eat! This sow was already a little spooked coming in so I was keeping quiet and just watching. Nearly 20 minutes of eating either facing me or hard quartering to me she finally shifted a little bit. My pin lights were on but I also clicked on my red bow light for added brightness. Because the pigs have become accustomed to the red feeder light, another red light doesn't affect them but makes it brighter for a more clear shot for me. I had lit up the glow in the dark paint on my peep sight with my phone and I drew back, but as soon as I drew she turned back facing me. Hold or let down? Knowing this solo sow wasn't moving around quickly (usually in larger groups the pigs will push and move each other around trying to eat and are constantly moving) I decided to let down and not risk exhausting myself waiting for a shot and it's a good thing I did. 

Another 10-15 minutes passed and she would not present a shot. Not only was she quartering to me but her shoulder was partially blocked by the feeder leg. So I waited. I just knew she was going to eat up all the corn and leave before I could get a shot. I stood up to see if I could swing around and get a better angle but as I moved right, staying in my good wind pattern, I moved out from the shadows of the tree and into the moonlight. I quickly retreated! Pigs do not have the best vision but any type of shadows will spook them; standing with the moon behind me trying to draw was not a good idea especially with her facing me and already being spooked. As I sat back in my spot I was running out of hope. It was 9:30 by now and I didn't know how much longer she would stay. 

 

Finally she started moving completely under the feeder and presenting a better angle for me. I drew and realized I had left my bow light on this whole time to keep from clicking on and off making unnecessary noise and now my battery was dead. (They are rechargeable batteries but it had been quite a few hunts since I had charged it-bad move!) It wasn't going to be as bright as I preferred but I still had the feeder light. 

She finally turned but was still slightly quartering to me but I figured this was going to be the best shot and she was moving around more which probably meant she was running out of corn. I shot (again without lighted nocks) and knew it passed through her. It was a little further back than I wanted but I saw her limping so I grabbed my handheld red light and followed her. She was a lighter colored sow so I was able to see where I shot her and the blood coming out but was worried it was too far back and might need another arrow. I had already knocked one as I followed her but my bow light was dead and she wasn't under the feeder light anymore. I contemplated trying to hold the red flashlight in my mouth while trying to launch another arrow but quickly discounted that idea for my safety and to keep from making a poor shot on the sow. I set my bow down and pulled my pistol to be ready for a possible charge. You truly never know with pigs, especially a wounded pregnant porker! She made her way under a tree and buried herself under the brush and died.

I kept the light on her and watched for about 10 minutes to make sure she wouldn't get up and leave before going to get the truck. I was solo on this hunt and knew the work ahead of me. I packed up and walked back to bring the truck with the hitch hoist because this was a big girl. I backed the truck down and then my heart sank. I finally noticed the brush she had buried herself in was covered in thorns! Just my luck! I broke off a long branch to poke her with just to make sure (while holding the pistol in my hand) before I went under the tree and into the brush in a vulnerable position.

I started backing in since my legs were covered and as the brush and thorns hit my neck and got tangled in my hair I finally got to her but only her butt was accessible and both feet were tucked under herself. So I grabbed her tail and started pulling. She moved but because she was big girl I heard her tail start ripping! Dang it! So I dropped to my knees and was able to reach back and grab a foot and started pulling. It was a struggle pulling her out without any leverage of my legs until I got where I could stand up. Luckily I didn't have to go far (otherwise I would have used my game hauler strap) because I was able to back the truck up really close. 

 

There she was! Confirmed another pregnant sow with a big full belly! Now the fun part began and I took a selfie with her! I removed the hitch and put the hitch hoist together while dripping with sweat. I forgot to mention it was 90 degrees and 87% humidity at 10:00pm so breathing was difficult and I was drenched before the hard work even began! Using head lamps and flashlights was my light source which meant thousands of gnats were swarming everywhere. I ate a few, ingested some via my nostrils, killed some on the corners of my eye and at one point went to wipe the sweat off my neck and scraped off a few hundred gnats that had drowned in my sweat! This was crazy but I was already knee deep in the process and knew when I came out here what I got myself into!


I got my knife out and cut her legs to put the Ultimate Hanger leg spreader in, attached the scale and began to crank the hoist. The first few turns were easy but as she lifted off the ground I slowed down. For the next ten minutes I looked like a crazy person pushing, pulling, putting my leg on the hoist for leverage and doing anything to wench her up. Of course I parked on a small slope so gravity was pulling her away from me (once again my luck and my fault for not paying attention but in my defense I could barely see through the sweat!)


After what seemed like forever I saw her nose pull away from the ground and start swinging (just barely but it was enough!) I checked the weight and it was about 170 pounds. Now it was time for pictures, sweaty pictures, but I had to get a few other than the selfie I took earlier. I set up the tripod and the self timer on the camera and tried my best to look decent while I looked like I had just finished swimming and my pants were starting to sag from all the sweat! Yes the glamorous side of hunting! At least my 'gnat-neck' wasn't visible! 

Swivel her in the back of the truck, disassemble the hitch hoist, the camera and put everything up and after about an hour and a half head out to deliver to one of the ranch hands! What a night! Luckily I had an extra shirt to put on because I could wring mine out with sweat! I was exhausted but felt accomplished! Another preggo porker down, another group of piglets averted from populating the area and meat for a family! Now that's a Sunday night!

 

Preggo Porker Part 1

 

 

It was Friday night and I was headed out to hunt pigs which was mostly normal for me. I try to go every chance I get and I am beyond blessed to hunt a beautiful place only 25 minutes from my house. For those that follow me on twitter, you know the pigs out there have been elusive lately and it had been a while since I was able to have it all come together. But there is more meaning behind this pig than most know. 

When we learned we would be going on an elk hunt for the first time I knew I needed to make some changes to my bow; really focus on getting it fine-tuned perfectly, get sighted in out to 40-50 yards and feel comfortable shooting at that distance. With a lower draw weight of 44lbs I usually won't shoot a whitetail deer past 30-35 yards and risk them jumping my string and wounding the deer. But with a larger animal like an elk I was willing to move out. 

Anyway...I changed to a heavier arrow, bumped up to 125 grain broad heads (Slick Trick Viper Tricks) & started fine tuning. Again as you may know nothing ever comes easy for me and the journey to where I am now has been a difficult one. Fine tuning was a struggle as well not to mention Colorado does not allow any battery operated devices on a bow including lighted nocks. 

As simple as that sounds switching from my Nockturnals to plain plastic nocks coupled with the other changes was not that simple...for me anyhow. Different weight of nock, changing the D-loop a little and really getting down to true arrow flight details made for some frustrating days. I would get it right (or so I thought) and then be wrong again. 

I also was having to remove my bow light (Nite Hunter Illumination) to practice for elk and then put it on to go hunt pigs and compensate. I could never just pick up my bow and head out because I was practicing for elk but having to adjust for pigs. It doesn't seem like much but when you're struggling to get everything as perfect as possible, those little changes detract from your progress and more than anything affect your mental frame of mind too. So after a few months of heartache (because I take it to heart when I'm struggling) a lot of frustration and changes, I was finally able to make it come together and get my head right too. 

About 10:15 a pregnant sow showed up to the feeder (I had seen her on trial camera for a while and she was there the night before too) but as I sat 23 yards away in a chair under a tree she actually detoured right by me about 10 yards before heading to the feeder. I almost pulled my pistol because she got a little too close but I stopped. I wanted her with my bow. She moved in and then a big boar and two smaller pigs came in as well. As she ate corn and I waited for them to get comfortable, she began head butting the boar and ran him away from the feeder, stomped one of the smaller pigs which made it squeal (and made me smile). This fat girl didn't want anybody getting her corn. (Funny to see a pregnant sow fighting for her food! Must have been hormones haha)

 

So as time passed I sat insanely still because there wasn't an ounce of wind blowing. I watched as she kept running the pigs off to protect her corn. Finally after about 20 minutes she moved outside the feeder legs to present a shot. Here is where the hard work came into play and why I am so proud of the great shot I made (not bragging just excited!)

With my bow light on I was shooting 2 inches to the left at 20 yards (yes I had to practice that too) so I had to compensate for that and I was shooting regular plastic nocks so seeing my arrow hit her was going to be a challenge. All of this going through my mind in addition to proper shot placement, staying quiet, drawing back, watching the other pigs, and hoping this sow would stand still long enough to make it come together. 

I drew, moved 2 inches to the right and released. I kept my light on her to see my arrow hit her as best I could and she ran. The shot felt good to me and I was pretty excited but with pigs sometimes you just never know. I waited a few minutes, sent a text to my buddy that I had shot and then went off to look for blood. 

 

There wasn't any at the impact site nor did I find my arrow there. I walked about 40 yards where I saw her run and saw a branch laying over with blood smeared all on it! Yes!! I followed a great blood trail (bleeding from both sides) for about 30 yards, found a piece of my arrow she broke off, covered in blood. She had gone under a fence so I went to get my buddy to finish the tracking job and help with the recover. I was pretty sure it was a good shot but tracking a pig in the brush is never 100% safe, especially alone. 

We crossed the fence and followed the blood trail another 30-40 yards and as my buddy pointed out in front and said 'There She Is!'  I ran over and started jumping up and down! There with a perfect shot on the shoulder (which meant I compensated accurately) was my big sow! It was the greatest confirmation that all the hard work and frustration was worth it and all the changes I made were right! It was a great moment that I was glad to share with a great friend and was very thankful he was there to help get her pregnant 175 pound butt out of the brush and into the truck! 

 

USSA (United States Sportsmen's Alliance)

 

I am very proud and humbled to be part of this great organization in any way possible...

 

"Faces of Hunters" is a blog post series that is dedicated to showcasing passionate sportsmen that still work the 9-5 grind. This select group of contributors will be sharing their stories and tips from the field, while promoting the need to protect and advance our outdoor heritage.

 

We'd like to introduce to you Camo Candace, a member of the Faces of Hunters blogging team!

 

Learn more about Candace and her hunting interests: http://bit.ly/camocandace

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!