The Running Doe

Hunt Squat Inspire Repeat

Category Hunting 101

Hindsight Is Almost Always 20/20

by Kelly Blogs, Bowhunting, Deer, Hunting 101

Hunting Is Best Learned By Looking Backwards

Hindsight is almost always 20/20, in life and especially during hunting season
Hunting season is filled with moments that you look back on and wish you would have done things differently. That’s hunting hindsight.

Hindsight is most always 20/20 when it comes to hunting.

Especially during bow season.

A couple of evenings ago I had literally just sat down in my stand when I remembered the advice of our youngest son, Tristan. Earlier that day he had told me that the bucks were really responsive to grunts and the ratting horns.

So.

“Rattle, rattle, rattle!”

I’ve never had much luck with the rattling horns but I brought them with me just in case.

Before I got completely situated, I decided to go ahead and put out a couple of grunts and then rattle some in spite of the crazy, gusting wind that was blowing. HARD!

I went back to organizing my little tree stand area for that night’s sit.

No more had I turned my head when BAM! Here come TWO nice bucks charging down the hill, right to the little patch of timber about 50 to 60 yards to my right.

Wow!

That was fast!

Getting overly excited and thrust into “what to do now mode,” the only thing I could think of as I watched them frantically search for the “scrap” they thought they were coming to get in the middle of, was to get out my grunt call.

So I did what I thought would keep them close and come over to me so I could get a shot at one of them.

I grunted lightly.

They looked, of course, but as I raised my arm, to quietly reach for my bow and get into position to possibly shoot, my grunt call fell off my lap (stupid I know) right into the trees below my stand, startling them just enough to run back up the hill from where they came.

To top that off, shortly afterwards one of my gloves dropped into the bushes as well.

Hindsight and Lessons

That night taught me so many lessons.

First and foremost, STAY ALERT!!!

If I hadn’t been piddle poking around with my stuff I would have seen them come out of the timberline and I would have been making plans as they charged down to my rattling.

I would have been anticipating their move and been prepared.

Secondly, KEEP CRAP OFF MY LAP!

Put it on hangers or in my pockets. To my defense, though, when I’m wearing my harness it’s hard to really get to my pockets because I’m so bound up.

The moral to this story is this.

Always be ready for ANYTHING and learn from your mistakes.

Be teachable, even if you’re both student and teacher.

Hunting lessons are not just for hunting. They can be applied in day to day real life.

Be ready for anything that might come your way and be looking around and not down. You might miss an opportunity if you’re not ready for it.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice Makes Progress Not Perfection

by Kelly Blogs, Hunting 101, Videos

A Successful Archery Season Requires More Than Just A Pretty Bow

To have a successful bowhunting season you’ve got to put in the time to practice shooting your bow from comfortable yardages but also from the distances that are not so comfortable.

With the close of last year’s archery season and the warmer days coming in like a hard rain, literally, I am finding myself thinking about NEXT archery season.   In our household, not only do we hunt as a family but we also practice as a family.    Generally, we get really excited thinking about preparing for the next “round” of hunting and we start practicing and putting in countless hours of flinging arrows. 

Hunting for us is serious business.

Bow Tournaments Are A Great Way To Get In Some Extra Practice

One way we get in some practice, and my favorite way, is shooting bow tournaments.   As a rule, it’s my job to get online and seek out shoots that are close in proximity to our house.  For us, the 3D target shoots are best because you are actually using targets that look like the animals and the vitals are clearly marked to really help you know where on the animal you need to fire that arrow. 

The best place I have found to find a shoot near you at the website 3DShoots.   The website is easy to navigate through, making finding a tournament for your family a piece of cake.

Bow tournaments are actually a lot of fun and if you get a group together, it makes it even more enjoyable.  If you’ve never been, you definitely need to try it out. 

There are several of us in our family that shoot bows and getting up early on a Saturday morning to shoot a tournament is usually the ONLY way I can get three boys up without struggle…unless they’re getting up to go hunting of course.   Once we’ve up, though, we’re ready to put the hammer down on each other. 

It’s competitive in our family and I mean competitive.    But once we shoot at the first target all bets are off and we’re all on our own.  

 There are usually 30 to 40 3D targets at the bow shoots.  Normally you go through half of them and then come back for the second half.   There is absolutely ZERO stress during the competition.  It’s a laid back atmosphere and you meet a ton of new people.  Really the only stress you encounter is with your own family. 

Practice Doesn’t Make Perfect. It Makes Progress.

I am very competitive in bowhunting but mostly with myself.  And let me tell you that the day is ruined, and everyone else’s, if I lose an arrow.  It’s not uncommon for me to lose one per tournament.  I might mention that I have gotten better about hurling an arrow into the abyss of no man’s land…never to be found again.   Over the years I’ve stock piled up and now have quite an arsenal of arrows so if I lose one (or two) it’s okay.  

All in all, tournaments give you a lot of quality practice and after several hours of walking around and laughing,  you don’t even realize you’ve shot forty times.  It’s a ton of fun.

Working Out Is Another Way To Prepare For Bow Season

Another way I get ready for bow season is running and working out.  I used to run anywhere from 3 to 5 miles a day getting my heart rate ready for those long treks through the woods.  But this year I’ve changed it up by lifting weights to increase my strength. My goal is to increase the poundage on my bow.

I also, occasionally, use an AccuBow Bow Trainer.  I love my Bow Trainer.  It’s a rubber band system that allows you to strengthen the muscles needed to pull back your bow easily and without injury.  In the past, this method has actually allowed me to increased my poundage so I would definitely consider it to be an important tool. 

Backyard Targets Work Perfectly For Getting In That Extra Shooting Time

This poor old deer target had seen better days but let me tell you that not only was it my FIRST target but it was where I got my most practice in the very beginning of my bowhunting journey. I can’t stress enough how important muscle memory is and how crucial it is for proper arrow placement when that deer comes in range.

Put up targets in your back yard and you will have 24/7 access to them.  We’ve actually done that and normally at least one of us daily will go back there and take anywhere from 20 to 30 shots just to keep loosened up.  We’ve even been known to have competitions amongst ourselves just for the fun of it.   There are some good climbing trees not too far from the targets and we’ve also put our climbers up and shot out of them for even more practice. 

The possibilities are endless of what you can do to get in some good old fashioned practice. Whatever you do, don’t get discouraged and give up. It’s a constant work in progress. But you’ve got to put the work in. But when you’re out there practicing and having fun it doesn’t seem like work at all. That’s just the way I like it.

Morel Mushroom Hunting: Knowing Where To Look

Morel Mushroom Hunting: Knowing Where To Look

by Kelly Blogs, Hiking, Hunting 101

Hunting For Morel Mushrooms Can Be Tricky Unless You Know What To Look For

Morel Mushroom Hunting: Knowing Where To Look
Photo Credit: Krista Guy

April showers bring more than just May flowers in the Midwest. Folks here in Missouri get excited about three things when springtime rolls around…turkey hunting, crappie fishing, and hunting the ever-elusive MOREL MUSHROOMS. I’m one of those folks. There is truly nothing better on the palate than a fried Morel and if you’ve never experienced eating one, you definitely need to put it on your “bucket list” of things to do.

Mushroom Hunting Is An Adult Easter Egg Hunt

Morel mushroom hunting has also been called “The Adult Easter Egg Hunt” because truth be told, it’s exactly like that. Maybe even worse. The traditional Easter egg hunt consists of coloring eggs and then having the kids find them and then fill a basket full. The colorful eggs are easy to find with their bright yellows, pinks, bird egg blue, and even those neon green ones that stand out.

The child with the most eggs wins. Most of the time the hunt is located in a nice, freshly mowed yard and usually some of the eggs have either candy or money inside. Afterward, the kids, dressed in their Sunday best, eats their candy, and Mom or Grandma shells the eggs and makes deviled eggs or potato salad for Easter supper.

Not so with Morel mushroom hunting.

They Are Hard to Find If You Don’t Know Where To Look

Photo Credit: Krista Guy

Those little boogers are hard to find and you have to know EXACTLY what you’re looking for. More importantly, is that you have to know WHERE to look. I’ll be the first to admit that I am NOT very good at hunting them. In fact, I’m so bad at it I haven’t even gone yet. 

Thank God for my husband because he did manage to find time in between crappie fishing sessions and found me several to fry up and eat with our supper one night. And his success lies in the fact that he knows the most important facet in mushroom hunting and that’s the WHERE variable.

Morel Mushrooms Are Fungus

Never mind the fact that just like all mushrooms, Morels are a fungus. Yes, a fungus. Why would anyone want to eat a fungus? I really don’t have the answer to that except to say that fried up in an egg and flour batter, with a little salt and pepper for seasoning, makes them YUMMY. And because their growing season is short and limited to just several weeks in the spring makes finding them even more of a challenge.

Morel Mushroom Hunting: Knowing Where To Look
Photo Credit: Krista Guy

But have no fear, those little devils pop right up when the ground is warmer and the outside temperatures begin to rise. Throw in some rainy days and you’ve got yourself a great time to so in search of mushrooms.

Around Trees Are The Best Place To Find Morels

The best place that we have found to find Morels are on the south-facing slopes of open areas. We go out in the woods and search around the bases of trees first. If I see an oak tree that’s the first place I look.

Morel Mushroom Hunting: Knowing Where To Look
Photo Credit: Krista Guy

Some of our good friends, David and Krista Guy of Guy’s Logging, are some of the best Morel seek and finders that we know. This season, alone, they have found hundreds maybe even more than that. Of course any good mushroom hunter, as well as fisherman or hunter, never gives up their honey hole.

However when asked what the secret was to succeed in the woods they gave me a few tips that they use in hunting Morel mushrooms in the spring:

Tips For Success

  • Look to see if mayapples are up and about 4 inches. That’s a good sign that the temperatures are right for Morels to pop up.  
  • In early season keep your eyes on the south-facing slopes around red oaks, ash, and also dead elms for the small gray ones.
  •  Later in the season, when spring rains have settled in and the night temperatures are above 50 degrees, that’s when the yellow mushrooms start popping up. During that time you can add walnut, walnut stumps, and sycamore trees to your list of trees to look around.

Mushroom Hunting Is A Right Of Passage And A Passing On Of Tradition

Morel mushroom hunting is a great time to just get out in the woods. It’s the perfect time of year to spend time with your families and go on a seek adventure to find those hiding mushrooms.

I love how Krista describes her husband’s excitement when he finds his first mushroom of the season. She said, “I like seeing him get excited. He’s like a kid on Christmas morning.”

Like so many mushroom hunters, they love being out in the woods. Once they get that first trip under their belts, you’ll find them hunting for Morels every chance they get.

It truly is a fun time. Obviously with spring and warmer temperatures you have to be aware of snakes that blend into the leaves and those pesky ticks. Chiggers usually aren’t out yet here in Southwestern Missouri but you definitely need to spray down for bugs. 

If you’ve never been Morel mushrooms hunting, grab a Walmart sack and head out into the woods. Be looking down regularly because you’ll miss one of those golden treasures if you’re not paying attention. More importantly, though, you’ll miss the opportunity to connect with your family, make unforgettable memories, and pass down tradition that your children and grandchildren can share with the generations to come. 

xoxoxo

Kelly

scent control clothing spray for hunting in the woods

The Best Scent Control Hunting Spray For Eliminating Odors

by Kelly Bowhunting, For The Hunter, Hunting 101, Product Reviews

Why I Think Scent Killer Is The Best Scent Control Spray For Your Hunting Clothes

Hunting is a challenge all by itself but SUCCESSFUL hunting is even more of a challenge.  When you’re out in your stand or in your blind, there are many factors that affect whether or not you’re going to catch a glimpse of that deer you’ve been tracking all summer or better yet get close enough to actually take a shot.  One of those factors during hunting season is scent control and eliminating odors.

Scent Control And Elimination Is Key When You’re Hunting

Although total scent elimination is impossible, Scent Killer Gold offers products in every area to control the scent you leave when you’re out hunting.

Personal hygiene is the first critical step in scent control when you’re in the woods and Scent Killer Gold has several products that absolutely are the checker in that area. 

Scent Killer Gold Scent Elimination Body Wash and Shampoo

After using the Scent Elimination Body Wash and Shampoo, my hair was not only soft and clean but I found that after using it my hair was void of any previous shampoo smell and basically scent-free. 

Anti-Perspirants and Deodorants

Roll-on antiperspirants and deodorants tend to break me out under my arms but the Scent Killer Gold antiperspirant rolls on easily without a rash or breakout.

The List Of Benefits Are Long

One of the reasons that I will always use Scent Killer Gold is because it is a clothing spray that continues to do its job 20 days after it’s been applied AND dried. That’s impressive.

Another reason that it’s our go-to scent control spray is that it works both wet AND dry. It has odor fighing ingredients that attack a wide range of odors. The most important odor, however, is human odor.

Scent Control Requires Consistent Use

When bow season begins each fall, about the week before, we gather up all of our hunting clothes and we wash them in scent-free laundry detergent and then hang them on the clothes line. Afterward we spray them down and leave them outside until that first hunt.

What’s great about the Hunt Dry Technology Plus is that it let’s you spray it on your hunting clothes hours, days, and weeks before you actually go hunting. I have yet to come across a scent control spray that does that. There is nothing worse that been forced to go out with wet hunting clothes because you just sprayed down. Scent Killer Gold eliminates that problem.

Scent Control Laundry Detergent

Now as far as detergents go, we either use Scent Killer Gold or just the regular Scent Killer laundry detergent. In my opinion, both are good. And we’ve actually used both, depending on what’s available at the time. Believe it or not, they even have dryer sheets! Yes, dryer sheets! They’ve got it all.

Yes, Scent Killer Also Has Field Wipes

Another product the Scent Killer sells is field wipes. They’re basically a hunter’s “baby wipe” and easily accessible for on the go and are the next best thing to a shower.   You can use them for hunting, camping, hiking, and backpacking. They are a definite must-have for your hunting bag and they’re enriched with Vitamin E and aloe. They’re made with a special anti-odor formula making it convenient to battle human scent.

I just can’t say enough good things about this scent control clothing spray. I’ve tried so many over the years. I literally leave my bottle by the front door all hunting season so that it’s easily accessible and I never forget to spray down.

Proof Is In The Pudding When It Comes To A Good Product

Last year I sprayed our clothes down before going out on that last day of Missouri’s bow season and I’ll just say that I had two does and a little buck come to the base of my stand, look up and never miss a beat.   

In the past, using other products I have had a different experience where the deer definitely smelled me but not with this product.   You are not going to be able to fool deer but you can surely cut down on your scent in the woods and eliminate and control as much as possible.  And I believe Scent Killer Gold and all the products that go along with their product line is the best on the market to do just that.

pink spring flowers budding on a tree

Spring And New Beginnings Inspire New Goals

by Kelly Blogs, Health & Fitness, Hiking Basics, Hunting 101

Why You Can't Have One Without The Other

I don’t know about you but I love springtime. I guess maybe I should say that by the end of winter I’m “ready” for spring. There’s just something about spending four months being COLD that welcomes those torrential spring rains and the endless mowing that will soon follow.

You can’t have the rainbow without the rain and you can’t have new growth without spring showers.

I have always equated spring with new beginnings. Springtime is when the world wakes back up from its hibernation. It goes to sleep from around early December and then awakens from its slumber in March.

That’s when the magic happens. The moment when a new life emerges.

Turkey season is a hunting season like no other and what makes it even greater is that it signals the onset of spring.

There’s nothing that makes my heart leap faster than to go out on my deck first thing in the morning and hear that “gobble, gobble, gobble” in the distance.

That sound, alone, is the epitome of a new season coming on. A tom gobbling to find his “woman” is one of my favorite sounds EVER! If you’ve never experienced sitting in the woods, calling in a turkey, you are clearly missing out.

Spring wakes up your senses.

It’s about new sounds, new smells, and witnessing all the new colors that are slowing unfolding. It’s like taking a drink of an ice cold glass of water on a really hot day. It’s refreshing and it’s the beginning of something beautiful.

The beginning of anything is just like that. Whenever you start something, whether it be a new job, a new goal, or even a new relationship, it’s kind of the same. That feeling you get when something, or someone, is new quenches your thirsty soul.

I can’t imagine a better time to begin anything new than to start it in the spring. The weather is perfect. Everything is coming back to life. It just feels right to dive right into something different when everything around us is beginning to grow.

Trees are beginning to bud. Baby birds are in their nests just waiting to spread their wings and learn to fly. The grass in our yards is growing at an alarming rate from the seasonal rain that’s been dumped from the sky. Even those little yellow daffodils are popping up in groves around the timber’s edge. Everything is in motion of new growth.

Shouldn’t we be also?

I don’t know about you but springtime inspires me. The outside temperatures are warm enough that you don’t have to wear a jacket. Yet, it’s cool enough during this time of year that you can still be outside without gasping for air. I hate the air conditioning and would leave my windows open all year round if I could get away with it.

I suppose that it’s the reason that spring is one of my most favorite seasons. I guess if we break it down we only have FOUR to choose from. And I suppose another reason would be is because it comes right after the snowy cold season of winter. And I HATE being cold.

If you’re like me, the beginning of anything is easy. It’s the staying with it that’s the hard part. I am the starter of many projects and although I’ve completed many, I can also be a procrastinator. Give me a good book and I’ll get to Chapter 3 and slap a book marker in it. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll pick it up and finish it. I said MAYBE! Yes, I am one of THOSE people.

I don’t know about you but my mind tells me that NOW would be a great time to begin something. ANYTHING! Although it’s not under the best of circumstances we’ve been given a lot of TIME to get started on whatever goals and projects we choose. It’s the PERFECT time to self motivate and just BEGIN.

If the sound of birds chirping and the smell of that springtime air don’t inspire me, or you to DO SOMETHING new, I honestly don’t know what can.

With this COVID-19 in our faces every minute of every day I can’t think of any place better to be than outside taking in all things “spring.” It will be gone before we know it and then we’ll wish we would have spent more time enjoying it.

Go out and take a BIG, DEEP breath and breathe in this beautiful springtime day. Get up before the sun comes up this week and step outside to see if you can hear a gobble or two. I bet you can!

And begin something new this week. Something you’ve been afraid to try, just take that one step toward it. The rest will follow. But take that first step this week. There’s no better time than right now. No excuses, just action.

It’s spring! New growth is all around us and the perfect time to begin a “new” thing. So let’s begin and GROW right along with nature.

We’ll be glad we did.