Category Hunting 101

Turtle Shell Hunting Is My Therapy

If I was to take a poll on how many people (let’s say out of 100) had a “collection” of some sort, I would wager that the percentage would be high of those saying “yes.”

For some reason, we, as humans, gravitate toward something that we like.  Then we start stockpiling more of that one thing.   Before we know it we’re “hoarding!”  Yes, I said “hoarding!”

We will spend hours searching for different sizes, different colors, even different patterns of whatever it is we are accumulating.   All in the name of having our compilation be complete.

As much as I hate to say it, I am just as guilty. I would have to raise both hands.   

Because not only do I have ONE collection of treasure troves, I own MULTIPLE collections.

I am a collector from way back and not the slightest bit sorry for it either.

I collect shot glasses, from all over the world and all over the country. I think I counted 250 just the other day. However, in my defense, none are cheesy and all are cool.

“I love scouting for treasures when I’m out in the woods.”

Another thing I collect is rocks. And seashells. And sand from different beaches. Oh, I can’t leave out antler sheds, deer skulls, and turkey feathers.

The Best Souvenirs Are The Ones You Find Along Your Way

Yes, I know, it sounds like a sickness.   But I believe that the BEST souvenirs you can bring back with you are the ones you find. I spend most of my time out in nature.   Obviously, it would stand to reason that I love scouting for treasures when I’m out in the woods. That’s what leads me to my favorite collection of all…old turtle shells.

During turkey season, when I’m out in the timber, you can bet that I’ll be more concerned with looking down than looking around. As much as I love to hunt turkey and whitetail, I love hunting for empty turtle shells even more.

There’s just something exciting about trekking along through the timber and then all of a sudden spotting a white circle amidst some dried leaves. I have a love for turtles anyway.   So when I find a remnant of what used to be,  I grab it up and stick it in my pocket.

Each and Every Turtle Shell Is Different

I have been known to find several on one trip out to the woods. Over the years I’ve had a number of turtle shells and although each one is totally different, they are all very special to me.

I believe each shell has a story to tell and I thankful to be the one who gets to let the tale live on through me.

When I do find a shell the first thing I do is bring it home and wash it with a toothbrush. I get in every nook and cranny and make sure it’s clean and dry before I do anything with it. I used to just leave them in their natural state but over the last couple of years, I’ve begun painting on the shells.

I never have any design in mind. I just let it come to me and then create from there. Depending on what’s going on in my life, or what I’m thinking about, is generally where my inspiration comes from. As you can see from the pictures, I don’t have one central theme…I have multiple.

No, none of them are for sale.   Although at one time I had planned on painting them and selling on Etsy. I tried to let go of them a time or two but just couldn’t. I guess, in my craziness, it just seems like no one would treasure them as much as I do. And to be honest, they were hard to come by.

You don’t just go out and find turtle shells all the time. It takes effort and perseverance in the quest for hunting them. Seeing them reminds me of the memories I made during the searching.   And I am thankful that God led me to every one of them.

“There’s just something exciting about trekking along through the timber and then all of a sudden spotting a white circle amidst some dried leaves”

To some of you reading this it doesn’t sound like this is much of anything really. And I suppose it’s not in the grand scheme of “collections.” I guess I could have more money invested like cars, or guns, or even sports memorabilia but I’m just not interested in any of that.

I am happy and content right where my heart resides…in the middle of nature. So for me,  I’ll take my pine cones, acorns, skunk skulls, Lake Superior rocks, sand from every beach I’ve ever been to.   I’m thrilled with every seashell I’ve ever bent over to pick up. It’s not about the stuff. It’s about the memories made while hunting for nature’s “free” souvenirs.

Yes, my husband wishes I could tone it down a peg or two. And yes, when I die I have no idea what my family will do with it all. But for now, I am choosing to just be glad that I have two legs that I can walk on out to my favorite hunting spot.    I’m elated that God gave me two arms and a waist that I can use to bend over and pick those darn turtle shells up.

Life is about living, not just existing. I can’t think of a better way to live my life than with childlike wonderment at times and letting myself explore my surroundings and just see what I see. I see turtle shells.

Live a life that others can look back on and tell great, funny stories. Let them remember those small but BIG things about you. And by all means, pick up that turtle shell when you’re out in the woods and think of me…The Running Doe!

 

Finding The Right Scent Dispenser To Fit Your Need

If you’re looking for scent dispensers to take out with you to your stand, all you have to do is go online and there are literally tons to choose from.  That being said, I recently tried Buck Cage “The ORIGINAL” Polymer Bead Scent Dispenser” and I am hooked.  Nothing I have seen or tried has even come close to the convenience and ease of this little gem.

The first thing that caught my attention was its size.  It’s small, about the size of a medicine bottle and it fits easily into your pocket or hunting pack making it ideal to take with you on your hunt.   It’s also biodegradable and earth-friendly which we all know is great for our environment.

Scent Dispersers Are Simple To Use

Buck Cage comes with some pretty easy directions too…just one, two, three, four, and you’re done and ready to hang it in the tree right there by your stand.  All you do is pour ½ oz deer urine or scent into the carrying container.  Next, place your Buck Cage into the charging container.  Allow Buck Cage to absorb the scent for around 40-60 minutes (not seconds) and then you’re good to go.  Just hang it in your tree and that’s it.

We’ve all had the drag rag we’ve either tied to our boot or belt loop dragging it through the woods behind us.  I’ve even gone so far as to take an unused tampon, saturate it with doe urine, and then hang it from a limb close to my stand or blind.  The Buck Cage is reusable and easy to wash so you don’t have to throw it away when the scent dries up.  

The best part…it comes in PINK CAMO!!!!!!   It comes in Hunter Orange and Traditional Green Camo but for me, I like to stand out.  Plus it keeps all the men in the family from using MINE.    They come in single packs and triple packs and have refill packs to make changing your scents easy and mess-free in the handy charging and storage container.

If you’re looking for a handy little scent dispenser Buck Cage is the one to get.

Why It’s Important To Wait After Executing A Shot In Bowhunting Rather Than Jumping The Gun

I won’t even pretend that I am a quick learner at anything. It’s normally through my vast mistakes that my most rewarding lessons have occurred. This applies to every area of my life.

From dating the wrong guys in high school to choosing a bad hair cut that can’t grow back fast enough, or just simply trusting the wrong person to confide in. I have made my fair share of bad choices against the advice of well-meaning family and friends. But one thing is for sure. I have always received my best hunting advice from the one person I know is an expert in the field. He’s not only my hunting buddy. He’s my hunting husband.

As it is with everything, the best advice usually comes after the biggest mistake. This stands true with bowhunting as well. One of the greatest pieces of advice my hunting mentor, and my biggest fan, ever gave to me came AFTER one of the most significant mistakes of my bowhunting history.

If I had heard it once I had heard him tell me a hundred times. “If you make a shot WAIT for at least 30 to 45 minutes BEFORE getting down from your treestand to begin tracking your deer.”

You’ve noticed that I capitalized WAIT and BEFORE because I had heard him say that so many times over the years. I KNEW to do this but because I am an impatient soul and have a hard time sitting for long periods in the treestand at all, I needed it tattooed on my forehead to get the point across.

I have always received my best hunting advice from the one person I know is an expert in the field. He’s not only my hunting buddy. He’s my hunting husband.

Not heeding to good, sound advice can sometimes cost you if you don’t take it to heart and put it into practice. By not following my husband’s rule of thumb, it almost cost me finding my buck.

Old Habits Die Hard

It was in the middle of archery season. I had been playing tag with a certain eight-pointer that had shown up on our trail camera multiple times.

Up to that point, I had never had the chance at a shooter buck, and I had my heart set, THIS PARTICULAR SEASON, on him. He was the one. I wanted to harvest HIM.

I would get to my stand early and leave in the dark. In the morning hunts, I would walk out there in the pitch black, feeling my way up the ladder stand with nothing more than my Bushnell headlamp on my head.

I did this every day. I did this for weeks.

Until early one Saturday morning when the stars were aligned just right. He came sashaying up from below my stand with only one thing on his mind. He was trailing a doe.

As it is with everything, the best advice usually comes after the biggest mistake.

I’m not going to lie. When you are in your stand and a deer comes within shooting distance, your heart beats faster than it ever has before. Your adrenaline is in overdrive and you begin to tremble and shake.

Maybe not every hunter feels like that. Personally, I get excited, as well as a little nervous, when I know I’m getting ready to take a shot.

He was about 20 yards in front of me when I stood up to draw my bow. Although my memory says he was broadside, looking back at the trail camera pictures proves otherwise.

In the excitement of the moment, I didn’t realize that he was ACTUALLY quartering TOWARD me a little bit. So when I executed my shot into the “vitals” I didn’t get the penetration as I thought. I did get some penetration. However, I also managed to stick my arrow down around his “buck parts” as well. But, I didn’t know this at the time.

BE PATIENT

It’s Always Better To Wait Than To Push

After I shot and he took off running, I did what any non-seasoned hunter would do. I immediately climbed down from my ladder stand to see if there was any blood. Then, I got back UP into my stand to send my husband a text letting him know I had just shot “the buck.”

After texting me back “Good job” he told me to stay put for about 30 to 45 minutes to let the deer lay down and die. To not push him and make tracking the blood easier. In an investigative, hesitant “texting voice” he asked, “You didn’t get down yet did you?” And of course, my answer was “NO?”

The truth of the matter was that I had climbed down SEVERAL times, and then scurried right back UP again.

Because my stand was fairly close to our house, I actually made several trips back and forth in hopes of seeing my dead buck laying there ready to field dress. But that didn’t happen.

My husband and one of our sons were at another farm hunting. I knew it would be a while before they would get there to help me track my deer. A couple of hours passed before they returned home. The first question my husband asked me was “How long did you stay up in your stand before getting down?”

I wanted to lie, I really did. But the trail camera set up in front of my stand had the proof. I had made multiple treks to and fro looking for blood and looking for my deer.

Busted!

My son, husband and I began the search and started with the first drops of blood I had found. It was slow. A drop here and a couple of drops there but nothing substantial. We tracked small droplets for hours, over barbed wire fences and along creek banks. The trail was winding and sparse with blood.

After several hours we came to the conclusion that we were pushing him. We needed to let him lay and marked the last major blood spot we found. We decided to wait until morning.

LISTEN TO GOOD ADVICE

Sometimes getting caught up in the moment overrides any sound hunting advice we’ve been given

I felt devastated. How could I have been so stupid to have gotten down right after I took the shot? I knew better. My husband taught me better. But that side of me that occasionally takes over my common sense took control that morning. And I had no one to blame but myself if we couldn’t find my buck.

To say I didn’t sleep that night would have been an understatement. I tossed and turned worrying about him injured and laying out there dying a slow, painful death. Replaying the morning’s events, in my mind, from beginning to end, made me sick from the whole ordeal. I wanted to quit hunting. It upset me that much.

The next morning we all went out looking again but couldn’t even find a tiny blood trail. We ended up calling a friend, who had a tracking dog for help. Bruiser led us straight to my buck in a matter of minutes. By the time we found him, he had managed to make it to the water’s edge by the lake. Coyotes had eaten his back end so the only thing left to salvage was, thankfully, the backstraps.

It was a horrible experience and it’s one that I will never forget. I could have avoided it if I had just listened to some of the best hunting advice I’ve ever received.

Not only did that hunt have a great impact on me but my husband’s unyielding wisdom did as well.

Since then I have branded his advice of WAITING on my heart. I will never forget the lesson that came along making that one crucial mistake. I am now more concise and conscientious as a hunter.

LEARN FROM IT

Every Silver Lining Has A Lesson Attached To It

What I learned, as a result of not listening to my husband’s advice is to WAIT before tracking a deer. Hunting is all about patience. It doesn’t hurry or rush. Nature is the same. It doesn’t hurry either.

Also, that hard lesson reminded me of the importance of regular and consistent shooting practice. The more time you set aside for practice, the better your accuracy will be.

Another incite I gained from this experience was to pay attention to your surroundings and always be ready. Deer move very quickly and can be quiet in front of you before you even realize it.

However, the most critical thing I learned as a result of ignoring what I knew to be true, is that NOT putting solid hunting advice into play could sacrifice the very thing you’ve worked hard to achieve. Not only could it cost you a successful harvest. But even worse, not heeding to good instruction could cost you your life.

Why Is It So Hard To Step Out From The Comfort Zone

How many of us have felt a little uneasy while walking out to our stands in the dark?  What about climbing higher than you did last season in your stand?  The answer is probably more times than we are willing to admit.  Our fears and our comfort zone are at the continual battle against each other.

For me, I live in a household full of testosterone. The mantra at my house is “suck it up.”

Growing up as an only child, my parents didn’t teach me to push past my fears. 

At an early age, I learned that if you were too scared to try something new you didn’t have to. I was taught it was okay to settle into the place that I call your “comfort zone.”

Hunting for me didn’t start until I was in my mid 40’s.   It wasn’t that I didn’t like it.  It wasn’t that I was against it or didn’t believe in it.   My dad was a hunter, but a gun hunter only.  So although it was a long tradition in my family, I just didn’t carry any interest in it.

When I got married, to my children’s dad, I married into a bow hunting family.  My mom cooked all the wild game Dad brought home. When I became the wife of a hunter I learned how to do the same.  Hunting was all around me yet it wasn’t something my tender heart was comfortable with.

Sometimes Life Will Give You A Hard Push Out Of Your Safe Place

In the fall of 2009, my mom passed away from lung cancer.  My dad had previously died from heart problems two years prior thus leaving me without any parents. 

When you wake up one morning and you’re basically an adult orphan, you begin to contemplate and question many things. Your capabilities for one. 

It was an odd time in my life. What sparked my interest in hunting was the one question that kept running through my head. Would I be able to take care of my family if I needed to?  Would I be able to kill our food if we were starving? 

Turns out that the answer to those questions would end up being YES! It’s here that I want to give all the credit to the man I NOW call me husband. It was his influence and passion for hunting that led me on the hunting journey I am now on. He helped lead me OUT of my comfort zone.

It wasn’t until the fall of 2010 that I actually pulled the trigger of my dad’s Winchester .243. It just so happened to be the first snow of that season.  I had been out EVERY day up until that point. I don’t sit still well and I will admit that I had begun to get discouraged. It was a waiting game. Both of patience, to finally see a shooter, and the discipline of waiting for a clear, ethical shot. I had both physically and mentally prepared for that moment. 

Now to make a long story short, when the 70-yard moment arose I took it.   A little “unicorn” spike came in about 15 minutes after I got to my hunting spot and I dropped him. Funny, he looked A LOT bigger from 70 yards away!

That moment was bittersweet for me because I had never killed anything in my life.   Anyone who knows me, even today, knows that I am a tender heart. Killing something is always a little hard for me to do.   But at that historic moment, I was both sad and proud.  

I think my dad would have REALLY been proud.  My mom, on the other hand, would have wondered what on earth had happened to her baby girl.   For me, it was a coming of age, almost middle age. I did it by stepping out of my comfort zone.

Over the years there have been many times I have been afraid while hunting. I have had to push past my own fears. One example is learning to use a climbing tree stand.   I’m somewhat afraid of heights. However, I am REALLY afraid of falling out of a tree and breaking my neck or back or all of the above.    

There’s something a little unsettling about inching yourself up a tree to over 20 feet. Then once you’re up you must twist your bow hanger into the bark. All the while hoisting your bow up in hopes of not falling out.

 I’ll admit, that the whole scenario has frightened me many times. However, I continue to do it and continue to push past the fear.  Am I better than I was at first? You bet I am.  Do I still sweat profusely? Yes, I do.  

But I refuse to let fear take hold of me. I refuse to let it keep me from learning further into something I love to do. 

This past season I climbed into a hang-on stand that was a little higher than I normally go.    I wouldn’t have attempted it had my son not secured it. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that the stand was completely safe.  Also, I was wearing my harness, so in the event, I was to fall I was secure.

Once I got up into the stand and my stomach stopped hurting. I calmed down a bit and relaxed into the hunt.   As I sat there, looking down, I realized that it wasn’t that high and I was okay.  And the best part was that I was looking at deer from a new view.  It was really pretty awesome and again I had the “proud of myself” moment.

Take That First Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Every time I walk out in the dark, to go to my stand, I am stepping out of my comfort zone.

I don’t know about you but walking in the pitch black is a little unnerving. Every time, I am basically blindly feeling my way to the ladder stand.   I know that path like the back of my hand and have made the trek a million times, in the daylight and the dark. 

There’s just something about total darkness that I think makes us all a little uneasy. 

Am I afraid of running into another person? Absolutely not!   Am I afraid of running into a skunk and getting sprayed? Or having a wild boar growl at me? YES!   I’ve been out there many a morning and hear deer blow at me and I’m okay with that.   Tripping over a skunk and getting sprayed is just something I am not interested in doing.

This year I’ve started strapping a light on my cap when I head out before first light.   I hate it because it’s cumbersome but I do it anyway. I’ve seen several skunks, and even had one hang out under my stand. But to date I’ve been lucky to have not ever been “skunked.”

It’s Actually Healthy To Push Past Your Fears

To push past your fears and step out of secure places applies to all areas of your life. It’s not confined to just hunting.

I think it’s healthy to push past your fears when you’re afraid to do something that you want to do. It’s a must when it comes to doing something that you NEED to do.

Like when I held my mother’s hand, as she took her last breath. That was waaaaaaaay out of my comfort zone. I had to literally force myself to push back against my fears. To be in the moment to comfort her, as she was about to make that transition.

Also, having run a half marathon TWICE was way out of my comfort zone because I was afraid of failure. But I “sucked it up” and crossed that finish line TWICE and improved my time the second time around.

“ I think it’s healthy to push past your fears when you’re afraid to do something that you want to do.”

We all have times in our lives when we need to take a step forward in faith. That’s why we call it faith. But we’ve got to trust that God will be there with us and he’ll work it out to our good. If we don’t, our fears will put a chokehold on us. We’ll live from a place of being afraid instead of a place of truly living. Life is meant to be lived.

All it takes is four little words…I can do this! 

And then you will.

Tips On Setting Up Your Trail Camera To Attract Mature Bucks

Tips on Setting Up Your Game Camera for Attracting Mature Bucks

Trail cameras are a very popular tool in increasing your chances of getting a shot at a mature buck.  They are also a lot of fun to use.   Everyone I know that hunts has at least ONE game camera placed on their hunting grounds if not at least several.  Trail/Game cameras have actually become as important a piece of equipment for hunting as the compound bow.   Over the last six years, through trial and error, I have learned a lot about setting up my cameras to bring in the big bucks.

Before you take your camera out in the woods you really must be familiar with it.  Although trail cameras are pretty much the same, they are also somewhat different.  That being said, my advice is to play around with it and really check out what all the buttons do and how the camera itself operates.  Don’t wait until you’re out there to figure it out.  PREPARATION is vital!  Practice different lighting times to see how the pictures take.  Also, play around with different heights to find out about high your camera needs to be on the tree to get good footage of the deer.

Now you’re ready to take it to the timber.  First, you need to set it up about 10 to 15 feet from where you think the deer are going to come through and possibly camp out for a bit.  Find a pretty sturdy tree with a decent size trunk, not too big, but stout enough that your camera will stay securely in place.  Next, you’re going to want to place it about waist high.  Sometimes if there’s a bend in the tree where I can see the camera is facing up a little, I’ll find a stick and place it between the tree and camera forcing it to position downward.    Make sure you position your camera facing north to prevent sun’s glare on your camera.  A lot of time when the sun’s hitting it, there’s more movement causing your camera to go off when nothing is actually out there.  Facing it north prevents that.   Also, make sure there are no limbs hanging down in the way obscuring the view of the lens.   Avoid placing your camera right there by your stand.  The cameras will alert the deer.

Scouting is part of the hunting process and putting up trail cameras is an excellent way to do just that.   Game cameras let you know just which deer are coming and going through your hunting spot.  To effectively identify mature bucks you need to have at least one camera for every 50 -100 acres.  Usually we put our cameras out about August, the month before bow season starts, but this year our plan is to leave them up all year round.  We live right next to Corp. property so hunters hunting conservation land tend to push deer onto our property.   Through the cameras we keep tabs on which deer have made it through gun season giving us hope of having a shot next season. 

A good idea, and we have done it a time or two, is to keep the pictures of the different bucks, give them names and keep a journal so you know their patterns of where they are going and at what times of the day.  It’s actually a lot of fun.  And if you’re lucky, as I was this year, you’ll get to take a SUCCESSFUL shot at one of those bucks.  I did…during the rut…an 8 pointer.  I contribute my success to keeping records and knowing which bucks were frequenting my stand and at what times.   Game cameras can be pricey, but really all you need is a good one to get your started.  Once you use one,  you’ll be glad you did and it will become part of your hunting routine.