Born and raised in Tennessee, I began loving the outdoors as a very young child. My grandparents had a large farm in West Tennessee and any time I could, I would be down there help out my Granddaddy. I learned to drive a farm truck before I could see over the steering wheel, and I learned to hunt before I could hold a shotgun. My grandfather was an avid hunter, me I was his faithful retriever. I was too young to hunt by his standards, but he knew there was something in me that loved hunting, so to justify to his buddies why his 6 year old granddaughter was with him, I became the “dog”.  For every duck, dove, turkey or deer season that rolled around, there we were, out in the field or in the blind waiting for the calls that would bring in the game. Once the “BOOM” of his shotgun was heard, and that game hit the ground, there I’d go, blonde hair barely seen over the grasses to get whatever my granddad shot. It may sound odd or crazy to some, but back then, women didn’t hunt much, if at all. But my granddad saw the fire of a hunter in me and fanned those flames as often as he could. That fire dimmed some in my teens, too busy with boys and such, but it never truly went out. I have been fishing, in lakes and in the deep sea, rode horses in shows, kayaked many whitewater rapids, certified in scuba diving, backpacked along the Appalachian Trail, but it was only in that three years ago when I picked up a bow and let the arrow glide out of its rest, that hunters fire was relit.

In the short time that I have been back into hunting, I have been on several amazing trips. I have hunted West, East, and Middle Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and even the northern end of Georgia.

This year I will be going to Missouri, back to Virginia, and Kentucky (so far) for some amazing……More at the “Cliff Notes” of me..

How I Got Here…

This was written from one of our prostaff Elliot.  Great advice from someone that knows

As a burn/trauma nurse for 10 of my 15 year nursing career, my favorite saying to live by became “an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure”. Sure we have safety vests for tree stands, we wear our seat belts in the car and our life vests on the water,  there are safeties for our guns,  hunter education courses, and we all are aware and  talk about “hunter safety” practices. You know as well as I, that accidents can still happen, even with the best safety practices in place.

I would like to share with you a quick list of first aid supplies ALL hunters need, no matter the season or what animal you hunt. All these items you can find at a local drugstore or Wal-Mart. And no need to buy an expensive “first aid box” either. A zip lock bag will do just fine.  You will NEVER find me on a hunt with out these basic items. I carry them EACH and EVERY time I hunt. You should too…..

BASIC FIRST AID SUPPLIES:

• Alcohol wipes or antiseptic cleanser (Hand gel works great and comes in travel size)
• Ace bandage (small and large)
• Adhesive tape- 1″ thick at least
• Ibuprofen or aspirin or another pain reliever of your choice
• Tums or antacid (never fails, someone ALWAYS gets heartburn when we hunt )
• Gauze pads
• Cotton balls and qtips
• Eye wash kit (they sell these as kits but some distilled water in a small squeeze bottle will work too)
• Instant cold pack
• Insect bite/sting stick (After bite is what I like)
• Smelling salts (this is basically concentrated ammonia, get some Windex and soak a few cotton balls to make your own)
• Tweezers
• Snake Bite kit
• Scissors (I cannot stress enough about having a GOOD pair of scissors. Trauma shears is what I carry everyday at work and hunting too. Invest in some, you will be thankful you did if you need em)
• List of allergies and medical conditions for you and the people you hunt with as well as emergency contact numbers in case you need to call someone. These can be kept in your phone too. But may need to write them down in case your phone is not able to be used.
• First aid guide book. Most smart phones have an app for this. The one I use is First Aid By American Red Cross. but keep a book handy in case your phone is not handy.
• Latex gloves (optional, but good to have)

If you feel comfortable, carry an Epi-Pen too for sever allergic reactions. This is a prescription but most doctors will write you one if you tell them what it is for.

And last piece….GET CPR CERTIFIED and advocate for others to get their certification too. You never know when you may need it.

…More at Survive the Hunt

Spooner, Wis. — Nearly 50 people gathered for a public meeting in Spooner on June 6 to provide input on the DNR’s proposed wolf hunting and trapping season rules, a proposal headed to the Natural Resources Board for consideration July 17 in Stevens Point.

Comments, public surveys, and other input will be tallied and eventually handed off to DNR administrators by early July, before they make final recommendations to the NRB.

The Spooner meeting was the first of several public and tribal meetings held across the state during June, the start of a busy month of planning for DNR staff determining the parameters of the hunting and trapping season that’s set to begin Oct. 15. In order to have a hunt this fall, applications will need to be available by Aug. 1, with an application period through Aug. 31, so permits may be handed out in September.

“This is really a big day. It’s the first meeting where we’ve had public discussion in modern history about what wolf harvest management ought to be in this state, and it’s an incredible thing that this top predator came back in Wisconsin,” said Bill Vander Zouwen, DNR Wildlife Section chief, who was given the assignment to work with biologists, rule experts, and wardens in the DNR to come up with a draft proposal.

“It’s very compressed. We’re doing our best to make it happen this year … it will happen this year unless there’s another lawsuit,” Vander Zouwen said.

Several other local wildlife staff members helped answer wolf season-related questions, including state DNR wolf expert Adrian Wydeven, who will be at all four of the public hearings. Wydeven gave a broad overview of the history and management of wolves in Wisconsin, and other DNR staff offered presentations on the changes in the wolf depredation program under Act 169.

One of the major changes under Act 169 will be funding for the depredation program. Previously, depredation payments were funded through the endangered resources license plate, and volunteer tax check-off. They’ll now be paid through the sale of hunting and trapping licenses, as well as permit applications.

On April 2, Gov. Scott Walker signed several bills into Act 169, which directed the DNR to come up with the details of a wolf-hunting plan. Several of the statutory provisions for a wolf hunting and trapping season already are in place, but still came up for discussion in Spooner, including the Oct. 15 season start (it would run through the end of February). Others discussed the cost, which includes a $10 application fee with a license cost of $100 for residents and $500 for nonresidents.

“Really, what we’re trying to get are ideas for whether the proposal we’ve come up with is right on … or something needs to be changed. One way we’ll get that is in comments and questions at end of our speaking,” Vander Zouwen told audience members.

He also stressed that those who couldn’t attend a public hearing could comment via the DNR website.

Public comments

While there were no anti-hunting sentiments expressed at the hearing in Spooner, several in attendance did have concerns about some of the statutory provisions, including license fees, yet Vander Zouwen reiterated that the only way to change those rules would be through the state Legislature.

One topic that did generate discussion was the DNR’s preliminary harvest quota of 143 to 233 wolves for the first season, and a permit level proposal of about 500 licenses.

“I really think you should give the folks out there more of an opportunity to harvest these animals. Trapping and snaring, and perhaps dogs, are going to be your most effective methods,” said an attendee from Rusk County.

With a minimum of 815 to 880 wolves in the state, some in the audience believed it didn’t make sense to issue fewer tags than what the population goal of 350 suggests. During the presentation earlier in the evening, it was explained that the DNR’s approaching the management plan goal of 350 gradually.

Some in attendance also raised concerns about the seven hunting zones that are in the DNR proposal, and wanted to see less complexity. Others raised concerns that with fewer tags, the anti-hunting community might try to apply for tags to keep hunters from harvesting an animal.

“Fortunately, after the first year we’ll be able to learn whether a lot of people do apply who don’t intend to use them because the success rate will be really low, and we can adjust permits in the future like we do for other species, but for the first year that will 

…More at Public weighs in on a Wisconsin wolf season

Growing up on the edge of over 100,00 acres of Forest called the Ocala National Forrest I spent a lot of time after school fishing on a local lake at the end of the dirt road. Fishing was always good catching pan fish with bread and some nice large mouth bass. Occasionally I would run a trout line to catch catfish. Did all right if the gators didn’t pull them off for a easy meal. Every fall the neighborhood which were mainly hunting camps would fill with hunters. And every fall I dreamed of going hunting one day to see what all the fun and excitement was about.

One late summer day I asked my mom and dad if I could go hunting. My parents never hunted so I asked if Mr. Hancock a southern gentleman could teach me how to hunt. A few days later we went to his cabin that he lived it to ask Mrs. Sue his wife and Mr. Hancock if they would teach me to hunt. I can still see the inside of the cabin as we asked. I was nervous, a yes answer would be the start of a long time dream being fulfilled. The Hancocks were nice neighborly people, I figured they would say yes and they did. He told me to get a gun and gave me some advise where to buy one. The following weekend my dad and myself went to a pawn shop and got a 12 gauge single shot so I could shoot buckshot.

Opening morning arrived so I was at their cabin before light. In the south they hunt with hounds for hunting deer. They were barking with the excitement of the hunting party and their dogs arriving and getting loaded into the dog boxes. They knew it was almost time to run. The closer we got to heading to the woods to run the dogs the more my nerves got to me. I just wanted to do what my elders told me so I would be able to go hunting with them again.

Time arrived to leave and head to the woods so I got to sit in the back of the truck on top of the dog box. The morning air felt good to calm my nerves. Dogs heads were sticking out the side of the dog boxes and many questions were running through my head. My dreams were being fulfilled. All the trucks turned on forest road 23 way out in the forest and we stopped next to a truck on the side of the dirt road. We piled out and the elders took a look at a track that had crossed the road. They said it looked fresh and a nice size deer. Everyone gathered around for a huddle to make a plan and determine where everyone was going to sit. There was another kid with us and he was instructed to go around the edge of a new clear cut in case the deer ran out into it. I was instructed to walk the road and side the dogs if they jumped a deer (a term used when they get a deer out of its bed) and it crossed the road I was to shoot it. Soon everyone left and I was left with my thoughts and nerves.

I could hear Mr. Hancock deep in the woods working the dogs in hopes of finding the deer since they never took the track. He slowley worked the other direction then I started questioning myself as to if I was really supose to skirt him on the road. He soon faded out of hearing and then it was quietness. After a while the other kid showed up from around the clear cut not staying where he was told. Without knowing him we made small talk as kids do but I soon sensed he was not one to do as an adult told him. I stopped questioning if I was told to walk down the road or .…More at My first day deer hunting

Out here in Camden, TN for some R&R with my little one and my inlaws. My father inlaw got a new boat. It’s pretty awesome; it’s called a “pond toon”. We got it all set up and here is the results of the first trip out. We also had a great Boat Captain.

   …More at TN Trip

Have you had a chance to check out www.tacticalarcherysystems.com? Well if you haven’t take a look because they have a new sight out called the S.A.B.O Gen 2 Holographic sight.  The way this works is very similar to how most new sights with fiber optics work. It gathers light through the fiber optics and sends it to a housing at the rear of the sight and projects your sight pins onto the glass.  It is a very cool technology much like what is used by today military for target acquisition.  It produces a clear objective helping to eliminate hand torque on the bow, it does this by forcing the shooter to align the holographic dots onto a permanently-fused fluorescent alignment triangle line that is on the sight housing, when the dot are aligned it is time to make that great shot. Also there is no electronics needed to make this the best sight you have ever shot while archery hunting, or target shooting in competition or for fun.

With the new Tactical Archery Systems S.A.B.O Gen 2 bow sight you also eliminate the need for a peep sight as well.  The sight gives you a huge sight picture and helps you to focus the dot exactly on the target you want.  There is a spot on the side of the sight much like traditional bow sights that allow you add a light for indoor shooting.  I recommend the Truglo Tru-Lite Xtreme Adjustable Sight Light sight package that has the adapter/reducer spacers in it due to the larger size threaded holes for the light on the S.A.B.O Gen 2 sight housing. I also found that the white light works best when using this sight

I got my new TAS S.A.B.O Gen 2 sight last week and have been using it in a couple of shoots so here is the good the bad and the ugly scoop on it.

The Good

• Eliminates Bow Torque
• Easy to install and sight in
• light weight and durable
• crystal clear sight picture
• No Need for a Peep Sight
• Has four sight points.

The Bad

• mmmm, nope nothing here

The Ugly

• Nothing, this sight has huge features that make it a winner and nothing that says not to buy

You can check this out at www.tacticalarcherysystems.com, www.cableas.com. Take a look you will be surprise at how this can turn you into a better target shooter or hunter….More at Tactical Archery Systems New S.A.B.O GEN 2 SIGHT (review)

First Blacktail Buck I never shot …..

My first deer season with my Dad til this day is still in my opinion the best one we have had yet. This was a big step for me cause not only was I going on the hunt but in my mind it was something bigger. You see my Dad was  employed at the local lumber mill in southern Oregon. In this particular line of work, at this time, wasn’t the greatest pay or steadiest of jobs. Getting laid off was a regular occurrence. So hunting season was a way to save some money by filling the freezer with some food. This was the year where I could share the responsibility with my Dad and help out the family, in essence, do my part. So opening morning we grabbed our guns. Dad carrying a lever action 30-30 and my grandmother loaned me a Remington 700 series bolt action 30-30. We were actually both pumped cause this year we also got to draw doe tags as well, so we felt we couldn’t lose this season.

So at first light we head down the road and then get out and start looking for our tags that were currently running around out in the woods. Not long into it and we spotted a doe about 150 yards out. My Dad says there you go Glenn, I quickly throw my gun up take aim and squeeze the trigger. It was a clean miss by almost 2 feet, “Slow down and take your time, she wasn’t going any where.” Dad says. Frustrated cause I thought I had the sights right on her. We headed to another spot cause it was still early. As we just start to go down the the spot where Dad said there should be some deer, we see another doe. This time she locked right on to us at about 60 yards out. Luckily she tries the ever so popular if I don’t move they can’t see me. Not her lucky day, she was standing in a small meadow and we had seen her. Same thing I pull up squeeze the trigger and BANG, she runs off into the brush. Guess it was her lucky day after all. Now the arguing between me and my Dad begins, ” You need slow down and squeeze the trigger don’t jerk” he says. ” I’m not! ” I yelled as I picked up the empty casing. “Glenn you have to be she was right there in front of you looking at ya “. As we started heading home for the morning Dad pulls over at a spot and says lets make sure the gun is sighted in. So he goes first shoots the gun and it is dead accurate. Now my turn. We start at about 50 yards and it is way off. Realizing at that point Dad sighted the gun in for me and not using glasses plus his eye sight…… well isn’t exactly 20-20. So now that we have fixed the problem we head home Dad needs some rest working graveyard the night before, and the plan was to go out for an evening hunt.

So the plan was that we would head back out around 4:30 pm for an evening hunt when the deer started to move around again. By 2:00pm I broke a cardinal rule and woke up my Dad “Cmon lets go” I said. He looked at me like I was crazy when he looked at the time. He did his best to explain to me that it was still too early and we’d be wasting our time. I however wasn’t having it and in my mind they were all out there getting away. Despite what my Dad was thinking or thought he did the good old Dad thing and rolled out of bed sighed and said “OK”….yes! I had won. We take an old logging road up the to the mountains just behind the house. We then go down an old cat road no longer in use that wraps around a cut block that is about 5 years old. I remember us walking around a drainage and looking down in it. We keep going a bit then I stop. I realize there was a deer there looking at us. I didn’t notice it at first cause we looked down a small opening in the brush as quickly going by.

…More at First Blacktail Buck I never shot….