What’s in your vest?

In preparing to head out to the turkey woods in the morning, I figured it was time to get my vest out and give it a once over to make sure it was packed and ready. I purchased my Limbhanger turkey vest by Russell Outdoors in Mossy Oak Obsession over 4 years ago and it is still in tack and in fairly good condition; even though it has traveled to over 6 different states and has been through rain, mud, brush, briars and spent time riding in the front of Hank the HuntVe or in the floorboard of my truck.

My turkey vest is pretty much like my purse….pretty heavy, but organized. OKAY!! Maybe it doesn’t look organized but there is a place for everything and everything is “usually” in its place. I thought about weighing it, but I would put my money on 13 pounds; EASY.

Three things you will ALWAYS find in my turkey vest: ESP, ThermaCELL & Winchester Premium Xtended Range ammo.

I thought it would be neat to share what I prefer in my turkey vest and maybe see what you have in yours. Here is what you will find in my turkey vest, starting with the left side of my vest:

Left side interior pocket:
ESP Ear Protection
License sleeve with mini pen
Lucky rabbit tail
Small retractable measuring tape
Leupold Range Finder
Knotty Huntress Turkey Lariat complete w/zip lock bag & rubberband

Left side exterior pocket:
A pouch of various mouth calls
A call sweetener
Two Slate Calls
Crow call
A small can of bug spray in my box call pouch

Back pouch:
ThermoCELL
Gobble tube
Binos
shooting stick
small bottle of water
a turkey hen decoy or Little Runt
turkey stool
A limb saw/caliper clippers in a pouch
a turkey feather or three

Right side interior pocket:
6-3.5 #5s
1-2 3/4 #7s
hat brim light
chapstick
pair of gloves & extra pair of gloves
a mask & an extra mask
Several folded sheets of paper towels
small bottle of sanitizer

Right side exterior:
3 different strikers
small patch of sand paper
small patch of scrub fiber
Mini Mag Light

Yep, 13 pounds of “Pure Prepared”…. Care to share what you prefer in your vest? Good luck to you this season–I hope you dance!

Thank you, Annie Got Her Gun, for sharing Ladies in Camo with your readers

Anne Vinnola, who pens Annie Got Her Gun, was kind enough to share an interview about Ladies in Camo. Thank you for sharing this interview with your readers and fans, Anne. Visit her blog:

http://www.skinnymoose.com/annevinnola/2013/02/19/ladies-in-camo-hunting-trips-for-women-by-women/

Tick-Tock-Tick-Tock….a busy summer flies by

This has been one of the busiest summers that I have experienced in several years. From hosting hog hunts, helping build an expo booth, purchasing, ordering and inventorying goods to learning the small business/retail tax code, planning expos and working network avenues toward a really strong 2013. Phew! At any given time that I thought I could steal for a breather, it was only filled with trying to catch up on life outside of this new venture. Albeit, NO COMPLAINTS at all.

My normal ritual of strictly sticking to a To-Do List with determination and dedication has been thrown to the wind because I had become bored with rewriting the To-Do List…as a matter of fact, the re-writing of my To-Do List became an item on the list itself.

As most of you already know, I incorporated Ladies in Camo this year and launched the website with the help of some amazing ladies in March 1st. The website has been going strong with over 10,000 hits our first month. We bought a trailer for expos, hunts and other events. Richard built a wonderful booth for the expo shows. We just returned from our first expo last week where we met may people and were able to share some great items and hunts with them.

We learned a lot from our first expo; first and foremost, that the booth was entirely too small to show case all that Ladies in Camo has to share and to be able to highlight all the amazing hunts we have to offer. So with that said, Richard came home and built additional booth space. We will be attending our second expo next weekend; The GON Outdoor Blast in Duluth, Georgia. Then in mid August we will be in Montgomery, Alabama at the Buckmasters Expo. We are looking forward to the upcoming shows and events.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out what Ladies in Camo is up to, what hunts we have to offer or all of the cool items in our store, go to the website at http://www.LadiesinCamo.com. If you are attending any of the expos or events on our calendar, stop by and say “Hello!”

Enjoy the rest of your summer and be safe.

Ladies in Camo Field Journal: It ain’t over until the last ditch effort is thrown to the wind…

I was invited to hunt at Red Creek Farm by owner David Kahn, last season but it never panned our because our schedule never gave us a free weekend during the Alabama turkey hunting season. This year when the invite was extended, I knew I had to make a date work. Fortunately, it worked our great for us because we had not made plans to hunt out of state in April. The date was set, dinner was planned and a morning of hunting was surely to bring some fun and hopefully, excitement.

We arrived early so we could ride around on Hank the HuntVe and get our bearings of the layout of the land. With map and iPad linked to Google Earth we headed out. We saw 2 hens on different ends of the property and rode into a field that had a hen and tom…there was at least one good tom on this property so we had high hopes. We set up a Double Bull Blind on a chuffa field where there were tons of signs.

After a great dinner of grilled ribeye, baked potatoes, tossed salad and honey multi-grain rolls we talked about hunting and shared some photos. We all turned in early with a set departure time of 5:30 a.m. We were walking to the blind in the morning. There would be three of us–David and I would sit in the blind and Richard would be sitting outside the blind with the video camera.

Morning came quickly…it seemed I just laid my head down on the pillow when my alarm went off. But it didn’t take me 15 minutes to be ready and another 10 minutes to eat breakfast–by 5:20 a.m. we were all walking stealthily to the blind. We heard a gobble at daybreak but it was on the North end of the property a good 500 yards away as a crow flies. It was going to be too hard to get to that bird before he was on the ground. That bird gobbled several more times as if he was taunting us.

We heard two other birds, but there just wasn’t any easy way to get to either of them. David felt that we should stay until 8 a.m. and we almost made it that long until we all decided that the bird on the ground to the North was yearning for our attention. We went out after it, to no avail. Well, we finally got on Hank the HuntVe and crept around the property and saw hens. We were riding the road system when David said quickly, “STOP! I think I just seen a turkey.” We sat still for about 15 seconds when David said, “No. It must have been something different. We started rolling slowly and silently when all of the sudden a tom darted from the edge of the two rut road darting into the side of the woods. It knocked the air out of all of us. This is the bird that we heard at the North end of the property.

We went to check two other chuff fields…Nothing. Then a third area produced a hen, but not a
Tom. As a last ditch effort, we decided to return to the area of our original hunt that morning. Low and behold, when David went to the top of the terrace he saw a tail fan and he slowly backed up to us and told us to grab a hunting spot. I sat at the base of a tree where David joined me. Richard sat at the base of a tree behind us and slightly to the right of us.

Richard called a few times, the bird gobbled back, finally the hens started moving our way and the gobbler came in close enough Richard could hear the Tom drumming, we just could not see him. My heart was raising, my gun was ready and we made a quick game plan that if the bird came out at a hard left, David was going to shoot him. About 10 minutes later I was hearing hens behind us. As usual when territorial hens hear unfamiliar hens in the area, they take their Tom and move. We didn’t see or hear those birds anymore.

We called the hunt and headed to the lodge to grab a sandwich…which was a welcomed meal–my my stomach was gnawing on my back bone. I even had a large helping of strawberry short cake with fresh strawberries and extra creamy whip cream. We took a few empty-handed photos in front of the sign. Regardless, I still had an awesome morning enjoying the outdoors with Richard and David, we did have some exciting things that happened, and it is always fun riding around looking at land.

We talked about having a ladies hunt at Red Creek Farm, which led to David asking us to come look at the fields and shooting houses we had not seen. I quickly said, “that would be great but I am not going without my gun.” David said, “Of course.” With that, I quickly went to my gear bag and unpacked my Diffusion Pullover, checked the pocket for my facemask…check…gloves…check…ESP ear protection…check…and 3 Winchester 3.5″ #5s Premium Elite shells. I quickly peeled the gun sleeve off my shotgun and hustled down to Hank the HuntVe where Richard and David were waiting on me. Off we go…

We get to the first stand, then the second shooting house and Richard takes a hard right headed Southeast for the power line. We take our time riding through the planted pines and finally make it to the power line. There were 4 more stands that David wanted to show us. As Richard was talking about the shot possibility in yardages from the particular shooting house we were staring at, he and I both instantly pick up something moving further down the power line…130-40 yards. At the same time we both said, “TOM!” The tom took off quickly for the woods. Well, he was gone.

I asked Richard if he had seen where the bird went into the woods and he replied, “Yes, at the fire break.” I asked, “do you think I should go after that bird?” He said, ‘If you feel like it, go ahead.” I quickly grabbed my vest, my gun and stepped off the back of Hank. I said, “Pick me up on your way out.” and within 5-6 hurried steps I was out of hearing distance of them.

I had a good length of road to walk and I needed to get moving and cover some ground to cut this bird off. I was walking along pretty quickly when it dawned on me that I really should not have eaten that huge serving of strawberry shortcake after lunch. I was getting a stitch in my side and my stomach felt like a half-filed water balloon with food and drink sloshing around. But I had to hurry, I was on a mission. All I could think is hustle, hustle…quicker. I reached in to my pocket and pulled out my facemask and gloves and put those on. Next, I dug into my vest pocket fishing out my striker and then into my pouch for my Sweet Talker Commando Call.

As I finally reached the road crossing, out of breath I might add, I glassed down the road and didn’t see any thing. I started walking down the road as close to the edge as I could. After about 20 yards, everything inside of me was telling me “don’t push it, stop here.” I have always had a good gut and often lately I have been second guessing it and pushing it. So this time, I stopped. I picked up my binoculars again and as I started to drop them, I thought I seen movement. I looked a little longer and there he was, crossing the road into the planted pines. I quickly found me a spot to sit on the same side of the road he just went into…I didn’t have time to cross it and I didn’t want to be seen. He was still at 90-100 yards.

I immediately struck my Commando Sweet Talk call with a few purrs. Nothing. I had my gun across my lap. I struck the call again. Nothing. I struck a few yelps. Nothing. No gobble, no movement…NOTHING. Should I move down the road quickly? No! More calling. I was about to doubt that I had a chance with this bird. I looked down beside me for a split second just so I could find a place to lay my call down and as I looked up….THERE HE WAS.

He was already at the edge of the road coming out of the woods. He was looking for that hen. My gun was in my lap, the bird was at 50 yards in the wide open road, an easy shot for my gun, choke and shot combination. BUT how am I going to get this gun up without him seeing me. There was nothing between he and I but my camo.

The Tom didn’t look real for a minute as he bobbed his head slowly looking for that hen that was making those content feeding purrs. He made two, slow methodical steps and was in the road, headed my direction….my gun is in my lap, I can’t move, nothing to use as a barrier to pick up this shotgun in my lap. WHAT TO DO?? It was at this point that I started to hear my heartbeat in my ears. This was a serious moment. I was under pressure…I had to make a decision and quickly cause this Tom was definitely going to bust me in a fews seconds cause he was going to be sitting min my lap.

He took a hard right, slowly walking into the woods…a step and looking around sharply tilting his head. He walked behind a short bush that gave me the opportunity to pick up my gun and put it in front of me. He walked two more steps and finally was behind a small pine. I shouldered my shotgun, placed the stock to my cheek, lined up my bead and he raised his head as if he saw movement. He was about ready to walk into a really thick area and the saplings were surrounding him. In two steps he was going to be in a shooting lane at 40 yards with a 12″ shooting lane gap between the saplings from the angle I was sitting. I knew my gun, my choke and my shot combination and I knew what my pattern was at 40 and 50 yards so I felt confident about my gun and making an ethical shot….my issue was the exact timing that I stop this bird. He was going to have to stop in just the right area between that 12″ so I could make the shot.

My heart was pounding in my ears, I had sweat beads on my forehead from the near jog to get to this spot. I took in a breath and slowly let it out when the tom took another step entering my 12″ shooting lane. He started to execute the next step when I putted and he stuck his head straight up, perfectly centered between the 12″ gap I had to work with, I faintly thought “Thank you, Jesus!” as I lined up my bead with his ear and I squeezed the trigger. BOOOOMM!!

The tom dropped straight down and because of the heavy brush I could not see him. I ejected my shell and pumped in another round as I quickly got up and put my gun on safety. I saw him flop an entire circle and as I approached him, I drew my gun on him, took my safety off just in case. I saw that he had no control over his head and knew it was over for him. I stalked this bird, called him to me, made a shot that would redefine “threading the needle” and this all happened after we called the hunting for the weekend. I still could not believe it. I remember cheering and saying “Whew!! I could do this every day, all day long! Woo Hoo!” I did a little turkey dance and quickly dug my phone out of my front pouch. I called Richard and I said, “Woo Hoo!! I got him!” He told me that they heard the shot. I had to wait about 10 minutes for them to come get me and I lived the whole scenario over and over about 10 times and I was still bubbly with excitement. I even did a little turkey dance in the road when they turned the corner.

What an amazing end to an already great weekend. This bird may be the Tom to finish out my season, but I have had more than my share of great turkey hunting this spring so I will be thankful to the Good Lord, my husband, my mentors, the turkey Gods, some great folks that have shared their resources with me and those who have shared in these memories…..we DANCED!!

Around the Palmettos and through the Spanish Moss in search of the Osceola

Another great Florida Osceola hunt goes down in memory. Nancy Jo and Heather with Osceolas harvested their first day in Florida.” title=”Another great Florida Osceola hunt goes down in memory. Nancy Jo and Heather with Osceolas harvested their first day in Florida. ” width=”200″ height=”300″ class=”size-medium wp-image-4351″ />[/caption Another fantastic Florida hunt has come and gone and although the harvest was not as spectacular as last year's triple in less than 2 hours of our first morning hunt; We did have double success on the first day.

Ladies in Camo Staff, Heather Lininger and her husband Clint met us in Montgomery and followed us through Troy to pick up Rusty Cockrell, LIC videographer/photographer. We had a two-truck caravan headed South and arrived at our hotel room with plenty of time to stop by to check-in and to go straight to Cracker's Restaurant to enjoy a seafood dinner with our guide, Dave Mehlenbacher of Woodland Guides. After dinner, plans were made for the morning hunt with an early alarm for the one-hour trip to the property. When we returned to the hotel after dinner we quickly unloaded our gear and laid things out for the morning hunt.

When we stepped out of our room in the morning, the weather was very mild, warm and somewhat muggy with elevated humidity. We arrived at the hunting land with plenty of time to spare. Richard was carrying a blind, tripod and camera. Rusty had his hands full of camera and video paraphernalia. I had my gun, several turkey stools and a decoy. When I walked back to Dave's Vehicle, I found practically the same thing....we looked like we were going to be hiking into the forest for a week. We quickly rounded everything up and headed into the pitch black fields without a single headlamp glowing. It was not as hard as it sounds until we were motioned to leave the main trail going into the fields. I followed Richard who was in the lead and Rusty who was hot on Richard's heels; what seemed a deliberate stroll to them was nearly a jog to me. Richard was walking in his "On a Mission" mode and Rusty at 6'8" was literally on a stroll; I got to our spot where we plan to set up about 80 yards behind them.

The blind was set up and we were in place within a short few minutes. I was in the blind with Rusty who was sitting behind his camera and tripod. Richard was sitting on the ground to the left of the blind in a turkey lounger covered in a ghilley suit with a tripod and camera in front of him. It seemed like forever before we started hearing a few tree yelps, then finally a gobble and shortly after, a fly-down cackle. We were unable to see any birds for a while, then I spotted a hen that flew down onto the field in front of us. Shortly after there were a few gobbles in the woods to our right; my heart started racing. Rusty was busy working with his camera filming the hen when I heard a faint "Psst..." from Richard. I looked at Richard as he motioned to the corner of the field to our right.

Walking through the weeds were two hens, followed by a jake. A tom in half-strut came into view as he floated across the ground, bobbing through the tall weeds as if the weeds tickled his belly. As soon as he stepped out onto the cut field, he popped his wings. instantly raised his tail, tucked his head to his chest and had every feather on his body raised as he floated methodically around the hens. Five more jakes, in a single file line, came through the tall grass at the edge of the field. The jakes quickly trotted up to the lone jake who was already in the field. The tom was skirting the edge of the field farthest from our setup, strutting and putting on a show. Unfortunately, that was over 60 yards from the barrel of my shotgun. The hens came in closer but the tom never committed to coming in any closer as he strutted and marched in place; never once gobbling.

The jakes spotted the Little Runt decoy we had set out and b-lined right to it. It was kind of comical the way they all grouped up together as they approached the decoy, all of them sticking their heads high up into the air to make them appear bigger than they actually were. One of the jakes actually pecked the decoy as it jumped sideways as if ready to high-tail it out of reach. I had to giggle under my breath. The tom, at this point, had worked its way around to my left and was now at about 50 yards. I would be comfortable with that shot from the certain shotgun, choke and shell combination that I was holding in my hands.

However, there was a hen at about 8 yards curiously bobbing her head and clucking at my outline ready to bust me the moment I raised my gun through the blind window. I just sat still and enjoyed the show knowing that this tom and the two hens he was trying to get the attention of were not going to come back to an area they just walked out of. That is about the time I heard Richard let out a rushed but quiet "Psst.." and nodded his head toward the woods where the other birds came from. I turned and saw a tom coming through the tall grass, followed by another tom and I told Rusty that there were more birds coming.

Rusty was able to pick the toms up with the camera quickly which was a good thing because these two toms made a straight line at a trot to the decoy. As the first tom reached the decoy I was already sizing up the two and raising my gun in the window. I was committed to take a shot because these were both mature toms. As the second one reached the decoy, Rusty asked me "Are you going to shoot?" I answered, "Yes." Then he asked, "which one?" I said, "the one on the right." I had to wait for the first bird to take a few steps to put the second bird in a place where I could shoot and not have to worry that the other bird got pelleted.

Two steps and a shuffle later, I took the shot. BOOOM!! A few feathers flew up in the air as the tom hopped up about 8 inches and then he hit the ground still. The other tom had jumped as well and ran about 5 yards and stopped looking back. Richard made some clucking sounds to calm the other tom and it seemed to work because he waited for a few seconds before walking off a few steps and then trotting toward the first group of turkeys that were now in the middle of the field.

I took my facemask off and we high-fived and talked for just a second about what just unfolded when we heard the putt from a hen, then another, and as I looked out of the side of the blind in Richard's direction, he mouthed "They are coming back." Two hens and all 6 of the jakes came back toward the decoy and the tom that I shot which was laying at the base of the decoy. We watched as they meticulously worked the scene trying to make sense of it. Eventually they did meander back out into the field.

This was obviously a great spot that the birds were comfortable with so we were unable to move for not wanting to bust this spot for the afternoon or morning hunt for any other hunters. After about a 45 minute wait we were finally able to walk out to the bird I shot. A good mature 2-year old bird with 1 inch spurs and an 8-8.5" beard. As with my last year's bird, this tom's beard had beard rot on the tips and was broke off square but it had the most unique twist to it. I love unique beards.

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We took some quick photos and we headed over to meet Dave, Heather and Clint at their blind. They did not have any birds at their blind that morning but Heather did get out of the blind and go after a tom that they heard from the blind. You will get the opportunity to read about her hunt in the Ladies in Camo field journal.

Thank you to Rusty Cockrell for some great photos and video footage. Some or part of the photos in this entry where contributed by Rusty and are unedited photos.

When things come together….

I have truly been blessed in the hunting industry to meet some really great folks. I have also been fortunate to be mentored by some experienced ethical hunters right from my start. My path has crossed with some truly extraordinary people that I have been inspired by and even some characters that I marvel in my uncanny way of knowing to disregard. It is the conglomeration of my experiences that keeps me trudging forward.

Right from the start, it was a deep-rooted belief that there were many women out there, much like myself, that were seeking hunting opportunities; the chance to broaden their familiarity in the sport of hunting. I took it upon myself to coordinate my first women’s hunt a mere 7 months after my very first hunting trip.

I enjoyed the company of other women hunters and although there was not a harvest on the hunt, some friendships were made that are still special to me today. Matter of fact, on that first hunt I met Tammy Kent who founded the name “Ladies in Camo, whom since has transferred all rights to me. Thank you Tammy, for this, I am very grateful.

For the past 3.5 years I have bounced around with the thought of broadening the realm of Ladies in Camo to other areas of the states and taking the concept a step further. I have coordinated and hosted nearly 2 dozen hunts over the past two years and weekly I would get request, blog comments, Facebook messages and emails as to how an LIC hunt could be expanded to other areas of the states and requests for hunts in specific regions; and even numerous emails from outfitters who were interested in hosting a women’s hunt.

Not being one to let fear stare me in the face too long without putting up a good fight and with my nature of always accepting a challenge as an opportunity, I structured a plan to give myself a year to see if hosting these hunts single-handedly was something I could do, while still working my full-time employment as a paralegal and reserving time for Richard and I to enjoy some personal hunting trips together.

I am not going to lie, some weeks I felt I was a cat on a hamster wheel chasing a light bug. On a few occasions, I would find disappointment because I didn’t feel I was meeting the challenge and then there were the hunts…. all bringing me so much joy. Sharing, laughing, and experiencing harvests and even some first harvests, with other women hunters. I learn something new from every huntress that I come in contact with; either related to hunting, life or just a simple tip.

I have always been a creature of my own accord and have never been one to follow the beat of another’s drum. This is probably because I am too hardheaded to take the beaten path or maybe just too inquisitive…whatever the case, my journey has brought me much happiness.

A year and 11 hunts later, I have made the decision to move forward with Ladies in Camo. With the help of some good friends, the dedication of some regionally located women hunters, some interested writers and dedicated bloggers, we launched the Ladies in Camo website on February 29, 2012.

I want to extend a special heartfelt thank you to Michelle Harmes for single-handedly taking on the web designing, rendering many sleepless nights and sometimes leaving both of us scratching our heads. We were new to this whole thing but Michelle never wavered; she just pushed through the issues accepting each challenge as a stepping stone closer to her goal. Michelle did an OUTSTANDING job on the website and has even been asked by several other groups, organizations and companies to come rescue their websites. I knew when I first met Michelle that I wanted her in the Ladies in Camo group as a vital member…I have a good intuition for those gut feelings.

I am excited that all is coming to fruition…but not without a lot of hard work, late nights, deadlines that keep getting extended and even some sleepless nights. I have been blessed to have had some great outfitters contact me who support women in the sport of hunting and want to advocate and promote them. I am proud to say that we have put 21 hunts on the calendar already and I look forward to adding more across the states. We are adding regional hosts weekly and I hope to have hunts in many areas of the U.S. available to those women that want to participate in some great hunts at affordable prices. New this year is the addition of a few “couples” hunts.

The Ladies in Camo website hopes to bring you not only a calendar of affordable hunts across the nation but also articles, product reviews, stories from women hunters, photos, videos, great blogs and field journals to follow and even a membership that will get you a discount on your first purchase at the LIC store and eligibility into member-exclusive quarterly hunts for some great gear and hunt give-a-ways.

The website launch is going to give a lucky lady the opportunity to win a paid 4-day hunt and others the opportunity to win some great gear, so make sure to read the attached announcement to see how you can get your name into the drawing; and even multiple entries.

Note: Ladies in Camo is seeking some elite women hunters, bloggers, writers, regional hosts and marketing representatives. If you think you may be interested in contributing to the Ladies in Camo website or hosting some hunts, contact me at ladiesincamo@centurytel.net.

***Introducing the new Ladies in Camo website***

As the founder, I am excited to announce the release of the Ladies in Camo website. This is a dream that has come to fruition for myself and to have the opportunity to be a part of it with several women that I have met through this journey is just amazing and humbling. Here is a little about Ladies in Camo and what you can expect:

MISSION/GOAL

“Our mission is to provide women hunters with affordable hunts in an encouraging atmosphere; mentoring and advocating positive hunting ethics, effective conservation principles while promoting the hunting heritage. Our goal is to supply information through the publication of useful articles, product reviews, and through sharing the hunting experiences of others.”

WHAT YOU WILL FIND ON THE WEBSITE

Featured Huntress: a different huntress will be highlighted bi-weekly
Tails of the Hunt: Archive of stories, photos from fans, staff and featured huntress column
Field Journals: Blogs written by region field staff, volunteer bloggers and guest bloggers.
Hunt Calendar: A listing of all hunts offered with a hyperlink to the printable announcement and other important information
Gallery: Photos and video for LIC hunts, photos submitted by staff and fans of LIC
Articles: Writings submitted by staff and guest writers
Product Reviews: product results from gear that has been tested in the field
Favorite Outfitters: Outfitters we proudly recommend
Favorite Gears: Gear and products we are proud to promote or use in the field.
Logowear/gear: a variety of branded products for sale {Designs will be posted later this week.}

MEMBERSHIP

For a low membership fee of $35 you will get the option of a short sleeve logo wear shirt or a LIC ball cap, a vinyl sticker, 20% off your first order from the LIC store and you will be eligible for the membership-exclusive quarterly drawings for hunts and/or gear give-a-ways. You can sign up today using PayPal at the website.

PLEASE VISIT:
http://www.ladiesincamo.com

DON’T FORGET TO SIGN THE GUEST BOOK – you could be a winner!

In celebration, Ladies in Camo is giving away a hunt and some awesome gear. To get your name in the drawing, see the details in the attached flyer.

Ladies in Camo: Couples Rio Grande/Rio Hybrid Semi-Guided Turkey Hunt at Hickory Creek Outfitter, Kansas

Couples Rio Grande/Rio Hybrid Semi-Guided Turkey Hunt at Hickory Creek Outfitter, McCune, Kansas. Just $660 per couple, 1 bird per hunter, includes lodging and meals. May 11-13, 2012. Limited spots available.

Ladies in Camo Couples Semi-Guided Turkey Hunt for Rio Grande/Rio-Hybrid at Hickory Creek Outfitter, Kansas

Ladies in Camo: Guided Eastern Turkey Hunt w/extras at Mountain View Plantation, Alabama

Ladies in Camo guided Eastern turkey hunt with 5-stand and pond fishing at Mountain View Plantation, Delta, Alabama. This hunt includes a guided turkey hunt, 5-stand, pond fishing, lodging and meals for just $450. If you are a first time turkey hunter or a veteran, you will remember this hunt for years.

Ladies in Camo Guided Eastern Turkey Hunt w/extras at Mountain View Plantation, Alabama

Ladies in Camo: Guided Eastern Turkey Hunt & Hog Hunt at Rack Nine Outdoors, Alabama

Ladies Eastern guided turkey hunt and hog hog hunt at Rack Nine Outdoors, Clio, Barbour County, Alabama, April 6-8, 2012. Just $650 which includes the guide, 1 bird, unlimited hog, lodging and meals. Limited to 4 women. This hunt will book fast, reserve your spot today.

Ladies in Camo Guided Turkey & Hog Hunt at Rack Nine Outdoors, AL, April 6-8, 2012

Ladies in Camo: Hickory Creek Outfitter Couples Eastern/Hybrid Rio Grande Turkey Hunt

Ladies in Camo Couples Eastern/Rio Grande Hybrid Turkey Hunt
Hickory Creek Outfitters, McCune, Kansas
May 11-13, 2012
Limited to 6 couples
$660 per couple, 1 bird per hunter/2 hunters
$550 per couple, 1 bird/1 hunter/1 non-hunter
Email ladiesincamo@centurytel.net to find out how to reserve your spot today.

Ladies in Camo Couples Eastern/Hybrid Rio Grande Turkey Hunt

First EVER…Ladies in Camo Co-Ed Hog Hunt

By popular demand, this is the first co-ed hunt offered by Ladies in Camo. This hunt will give the “other halves” the opportunity to share the fun of these fun hog hunts. It will also give all those that have requested to have a cameraman along the opportunity to film your hunt.

This hunt is an awesome opportunity for you to enjoy a weekend hog hunting with other couples sharing the same interest at a nice lodge in beautiful southeast Alabama all for a fantastic discounted price. This hunt will be for a maximum of 6 couples and will fill quickly, so book your hunt early. You will be hunting hogs on 3,000 acres of agricultural land, pine plantations and river bottoms. No harvest limits or size restrictions. All box and tree stands are already placed in prime hunting spots. The weapon will be hunter’s choice. This will not be a night hunt-however, a management hunt will be offered at a later date.

Date:
February 25-26, 2012
Arrive on Friday afternoon/evening, hunt Saturday and Sunday and depart on Sunday evening/Monday morning.
NOTE: Additional days of hunting are available with this outfitter at an additional cost. This would be a great opportunity for you to take advantage of the discounted rate.

Outfitter/Guide:
Rack Nine Outdoors
Terry Garrett
See YouTube Videos:
Rack Nine Outdoors

Location:
Clio, Alabama in Barbour County. Email me for a link to a map if you would like to see the property.

Cost:
The outfitter has extremely discounted the price of this hunt. The fee for this hunt is $500.00 per couple ($250 per hunter); which includes lodging, meals, and transportation to and from your stand. This hunt is limited to 6 couples so reserve your spot early. Skinning and quartering of hogs to place in your cooler is included. Meals will include dinner on Friday night and continental breakfast and 2 meals on Saturday and Sunday. Non-alcoholic beverages will also be available at all times during the hunt.

License:
The required license:
3-day Non-Resident Small Game License $40.00
License can be purchased online https://www.alabamainteractive.org/dcnr_license/welcome.action

Equipment needed:
THERMOCELL (Bring this just in case)
Firearm and Ammo/Bow and arrows
Safety Harness
Camo clothing that you can layer
Rain wear and gear
Personal toiletries (towels and wash cloths will be supplied)
Cooler to take your harvest home in

Reservations:
To reserve your spot, or if you have any questions, email me at guruhuntress@centurytel.net. A 50% non-refundable/non-transferable deposit is required within 10 days of booking your hunt.

Guru Huntress Column Post: Lucky Buck Club by Ed Beets in the Wildlife Collection

Check out what the Lucky Buck Club has to offer at http://www.womensoutdoornews.com/2012/01/guru-huntress-shes-charmed-by-the-lucky-buck-club/

Another successful Ladies in Camo hunt with Rack Nine Outdoors

The Ladies in Camo rifle hunt with Rack Nine Outdoors brought ladies from Pennsylvania, Missouri, Indiana, Tennessee, North and South Alabama. Nine women participated in this hunt and four were successful at harvesting, another hunter took a shot at a wonderful 8-point and everyone saw deer, coyote, bobcats and/or feral hogs.

This hunt started off with a successful harvest within the first few hours of daylight….you can’t ask for better hunting than that. The fellowship was priceless, the food was divine and the lodging was cozy and comfortable. Terry Garrett and Doug Dressler were amazing in making this a memorable hunt for these ladies. We had a wonderful bonfire Saturday night and spent time sharing stories and laughs while sitting around it…we even attempted to sing a few songs. Talking Carl on Michelle’s iPhone definitely did a better job at signing…

Diane Hassinger harvested a nice buck on her first morning and went on to harvest a 130 pound sow her second day in the field; you can find her amazing and inspiring story, with photos, in my blog at http://njadams1.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/guest-post-diane-hassinger-shares-her-success-of-her-hunt-and-of-life/.

Jeanne Peebles harvested a big mature doe, dropping her in her tracks. Jeanne had several wonderful hunts in the shooting house she was in, getting to watch deer frolic in a water hole and several deer that came through her field. Hopefully she will write a guest post with some of her photos in the near future.

Jeanne Peebles with her big mature doe harvest. What a great shot...dropped her where she stood. Photo Credit: Terry Garrett, Rack Nine Outdoors

Amber Markley, our youngest huntress shot a doe on Sunday morning making a perfect shot at 248 yards…fantastic!! Just like her Mother, Shannon Markley, a dead-eye. Kudos to Shannon for raising Amber in the outdoors and mentoring her. Amber is accomplished beyond her years in the sport of hunting and we are so proud to have her on our hunts.

Amber Markley, the youngest huntress in the group, shot this mature doe at 240+ yards. Photo Credit: Terry Garrett, Rack Nine Outdoors

Jennifer McKinney had a nice 8 point visit on her Friday hunt, but was unable to make a successful shot. That happens in the sport of hunting and we all hoped that the buck would return and Jennifer would get another opportunity; but it didn’t happen.

Michelle Harmes was fortunate to see a small bobcat at her stand. She, however, was not lucky enough to harvest a doe or buck on this hunt. Hopefully Michelle will share her hunt with you through another guest post here on my blog.

Pat Hendrixson from Indiana had some does and a few young bucks visit her stand on this hunt but did not have a shot opportunity at anything she wanted to harvest. I was hoping that Pat would have the opportunity to harvest a bobcat; which she has wanted since I have known her.

Tammie Knopp experienced her first stalk hunt on hogs on Saturday. Tammie said, “Oh my gosh! I was so scared and excited at the same time. I can’t wait to do it again!” Terrie Garrett, lodge owner and guide, told me that they were surrounded by hogs but were in very thick woods and just could not make a clean shot.

I, too, experienced my first stalk hog hunt on Sunday. I have to admit there is something very eerie about walking within 10-15 yards of a sow with piglets and other juvenile hogs all around them. You never know if a sow will charge you or not. I followed Terry as we walked, stopped and listened–following the sounds of hog movement and feeding. We got on a group of hogs within 45 minutes of the start of our hunt. We were in the woods with thick palmettos, various other bushes and very little clearing. I was thinking to myself that picking a shot in this type terrain is going to take skill and I would have to be ready to take the shot quickly and accurately.

At one point, we stopped and sat on a downed tree. Terry could hear hogs in the distance and he said we would have to close in on them slowly by stopping and listening and moving with them. We came to a good size wauler hole that had soupy mud and stagnant water in it. Terry explained to me that his son, T.J., had shot a hog earlier in the week and they tracked the blood trail to this mud hole. The hog had laid down in the mud hole, stopping up the wound and moved on. I have heard so many similar stories.

As we walked, Terry finally caught movement and we made our way to within 10-12 yards of several hogs. There was a large black hog and several juvenile hogs rooting through the leaves that had fallen on the ground. Terry asked me if I could take the shot. He told me to shoot it right behind the ear so we would not have to track it. I couldn’t get a good shot, so Terry told me to move over a step or two…I did and I saw a smaller hog snatch its head in our direction. Terry said, “Don’t move.” That little one will see you.

When the smaller hog walked forward, rummaging through the leaves with its snout, I had a clear shot of the black hog…however, it was not going to be in the ear since it’s head was behind a tree; but I felt confident that I could make a good shot and it would not run far. I took the shot and the hog dropped where it stood.

The woods erupted with the sound of leaves scattering in every direction. WE WERE SURROUNDED!!! Hogs were running every where. Little hogs squealed as they ran into big hogs. Big hogs grunted as they ran over little hogs. A small red hog had crossed in front of the hog I just shot and Terry told me to take the shot. I shot under the hog and watched through my scope as it jumped in the air and took off running like a hot iron had poked him. He was gone in a flash. It was a clean miss.

I cycled another round into the chamber and Terry went to pointing…over there! There’s one! Just as I would raise the gun, it was gone. Terry pulled my coat sleeve in another direction; over here! See it? Shoot it if you can! Poof! It was gone as quick as it appeared. At one point he motioned to be quiet. We could hear the hogs circling us. We moved to one side and you could hear them move a quarter circle around us. It was almost as if they could hear our footsteps in the leaves, mistaking it for other hogs and were trying to come into the sound.

Terry said to me, “If I had a hog grunt, I could call these hogs in.” You can bet the next time we go stalking hogs he will have one–I will see to that. WHAT A RUSH!! We walked up to the hog I shot, a 120+ pound sow. Terry had the sow gutted quickly and he drug the hog to the edge of the road system so it could be picked up. We walked back to Terry’s truck talking about stalk hunting…I have to admit, I can’t wait to do that again. A total adrenaline rush.

My first stalk hunt on hogs was successful. A 120+ pound maiden sow.

By Sunday afternoon, several of the ladies had already left for their trip home. We had a small group at dinner and we reflected on the weekend and the fun we had. I told the ladies about a beautiful blue coyote that I had seen on one of my hunts and we all agreed that we needed to book a coyote and hog hunt in the next few months.

Another fantastic Ladies in Camo hunt…new friends were made, the food was divine, the fellowship was awesome and the hospitality that Terry Garrett and Doug Dressler of Rack Nine Outdoors showed us was outstanding. I cannot wait to hunt with these ladies again. Check out the announcement just posted for a hog hunt at Rack Nine Outdoors in February, 2012; don’t miss this opportunity to come hunt with Ladies in Camo at Rack Nine Outdoors.

Guest Post: Diane Hassinger shares her success of her hunt and “of life”.

This was my first time meeting Diane Hassinger from Pennsylvania, but I can promise you that I will not forget her any time soon. Diane’s life story is such an inspiration. Diane’s personal struggle and success gave new meaning to a quote I once read by Helen Keller: “The struggle of life is one of our greatest blessings. It makes us patient, sensitive, and Godlike. It teaches us that although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”

I am so thankful that our paths have crossed and I had the opportunity to share camp with her. Here is Diane’s story from her hunt at Rack Nine Outdoors with the Ladies in Camo.

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I happened to see a post on Shenanigans from the Field about a Ladies in Camo Ladies Only Hunt at Rack Nine Outdoors in Clio, Alabama. What caught my eye was that it was a buck, doe, coyote, hog and bobcat hunt. This was just too much to ask for. I had found this post only 2 ½ weeks before the hunt, so a lot had to fall into place for this to happen. I am a firm believer in fate and it would work out if it were meant to be. Well things fell into place perfectly and on December 7th I flew into Montgomery Airport to catch a ride with Richard and Nancy to the camp.

Pulling into the camp I immediately felt at ease and knew this had been a good choice. The lodge felt like home, and the few huntresses and guides that were there felt like family from the start. While everyone pigged out on pizza, we made our plans for morning. There would be 3 of us hunting, while the rest were to come in staggered over the next 2 days. Four a.m. came early the next morning, with temperatures below freezing, and having not brought all of my cold weather gear, freezing is what I did too! Terry put me in a tree stand overlooking a food plot. It wasn’t long before the show began and I forgot all about being cold. I had a nice 8 point bucks with 2 girlfriends come thru, just pausing long enough for me to know I could not get a shot off at him. What a tease!

Shortly after that another 8 point entered my view, and took his good old-time about entering the food plot. He was joined by 2 spike buck that entertained me for almost an hour with their sparring and play. Meanwhile my 8 point was raking the trees nearby and making a scrape right in front of me. After 15 minutes of wonderful memories, I decided that if I would shoot this guy on the last day, the first day was a good day too. Almost right on cue the buck turned broadside then quartered away just slightly.

Two young bucks spar on the greenfield, keeping Diane entertained while she waited for the opportunity to take a shot at an 8 point. Photo Credit: Diane Hassinger

As I pulled the trigger, I was thankful I was able to be here at this time. You see 2 ½ years ago I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer, and underwent a bilateral mastectomy. They also removed some lymph nodes to check for the spread of cancer. Following my surgery, no one could answer whether I would ever be able to fish, bow hunt, or shoot shotguns and rifles again. No one had ever asked these questions of my doctors, I was the first! Well I am delighted to prove to everyone, that not only is it possible, but you can still be successful as well!

My buck tucked his tail and hunched up telling me I had hit him good. I sent a text to Terry and continued watching the two spikes play. They never even flinched when I shot, and I videotaped them for the next 15 minutes. Unreal! In Pennsylvania I would have chased off every deer for a half mile with that one shot. When Terry and Doug arrived, we started looking for a blood trail, and panic started to set in. I knew I had hit him good, but there was no blood to speak of. We finally found 1 drop 10-15 feet from where he was shot and then 1 drop at a time, at 5-10 feet intervals, for about 70 yards. I was just about heartbroken when Doug said “there he is”. He had only gone 75 yards and piled up under a pine tree. He was nice high 8 point, and I was thrilled.

Diane Hassinger from Pennsylvania and her nice buck harvest. Photo Credit: Terry Garrett, Rack Nine Outdoors

The next evening I was placed in a ground blind, in a tract of woods near a food plot. Both Terry and Doug had said to feel free to spot and stalk hogs, so that was my goal. Coyotes were howling nearby as I slowly hiked about ¼ mile down a logging trail from the blind. Before long it sounded like a football team racing thru the woods. Slowly and quietly I inched into a position to see the hogs. It did not take long to find a big sow, and with a lot of luck she walked into the one sight window that I had that was big enough to shoot thru, about the size of a coffee can. Holding my breath I took the 75 yard shot, and was rewarded with watching her drop not 3 feet from where I shot her.

Diane Hassinger with her nice 130 pound sow harvested at Rack Nine Outdoors. Photo Credit: Terry Garrett, Rack Nine Outdoors

I continued to look for my next shooter, but this group turned tail and ran. After texting Terry that I had a hog down, and that I was going to continue looking for her friends, I marked her location and started tracking the herd. It did not take long to locate them across the logging road. I had to go into the cramped quarters of the paper mills pine forest. At one point I had 3 groups pretty much surrounding me, easily 100 wild pigs, all squealing and rooting and paying no attention to me at all. As much as I tried to, I could not down another pig, but what a rush to have that many wild pigs around you!

I am already planning my next trip to Rack Nine with my husband this time. I hope he gets to experience situations like I had here. And I will be excited to be here to share it with him. I am proud to not only say I am a cancer survivor, but I am enjoying life! Everyone should get out and do what they love every opportunity they can. “Love the Life you Live, Live the Life you Love” (Bob Marley)