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As all of us converged upon the lodge of Misty Morning Outfitters in Alden, Kansas, we were chomping at the bit to get in the fields hunting some birds. When we were sitting around the fire pit the first evening, we found out we would be hunting by a method none of us had ever experienced….FANNING aka REAPING, a term the Turkey Reapers had coined for this style of hunting through their hunting tactics. I was excited about the challenge, however I was also somewhat nervous. My Beretta Xtreme was set up to be effective for extended range shots, not rushed close range shots.
Our first morning started off a traditional turkey hunt with locating a bird that our guide had roosted the evening prior. Mister stepped out of the truck and let out a owl hoot and the silent, moisture thick air was cut with a hard gobble in return. We all scrambled! Troy, our guide, was gathering up decoys from the back of his truck and was headed about 80 yards into the field just off the road to set up decoys. Mister grabbed his backpack, video camera, tripod and chair as Rebecca and I loaded our shotguns, slung on our turkey vests and followed in right behind Mister. We quickly found us some trees to nest up against.
Troy and the gobbler rallied back in forth for the next hour, but the tom never did commit to coming into the field in front of us. The tom stayed on the property behind us at about 80-100 yards…property we did not have permission to hunt. We finally called the hunt in this spot, pulled up the decoys, gathered our gear and headed back to the truck. As we drove by the field that was behind us, we had the opportunity to see this tom and his hens. This would not be the last time one of the Ladies in Camo hunters would tangle with this bird; read Rebecca Gicewicz’s guest post to see how she saw this bird up close and personal.
After riding around for several hours we did spot some toms in a field and tried our skill at “Reaping” but because there were four of us, one fan and a lot of cow pasture to cover, we were not successful. I did get a taste of what to expect for the rest of the hunt: staying low, single file, crawling, kneeling, peeking and waiting.
Unlike any turkey hunting I have ever experienced, Reaping is an intense and aggressive hunt. A lead person holds a full strut tom decoy that has been altered with a handle and stake so that the person can easily hold the decoy in front of them as they crouch their head below the full tail fan and peek through the fan. The crawling, crouching, long shuffles to cover the distance to where the toms will see your lifelike decoy and take an interest is exhausting at times. Add to that, we were hunting in hilly terrain that I was not accustom to. The excitement and rush make all the effort worth every minute of the challenge–I was hooked.
After lunch, our group was split up and I was hunting with Matt as my guide and Mister behind the camera. We rode around for several hours glassing birds but most were in areas we did not have access too. We finally found a tom in an alfalfa field and we strategically closed the ground on him to get within 80 yards of him. I was on the edge of the field on a downward slope and Matt was behind the decoy working the tom closer to us. The tom had a hen with him and came within 70 yards of us but lost interest and walked back to the hen. We backed out once the bird was out of sight and decided we would come back later in the afternoon and see if this tom circled back through there. He didn’t, so we decided this would be the perfect spot for a morning hunt.
We returned to that field the next morning but never heard or saw a bird. After sitting in that spot until 8:30 a.m. we called the hunt and rode around a while seeking other birds. Several hours passed and we were on our drive back to the lodge when we saw a tom and several jakes in a small cutover ag field. Matt wheeled into the long driveway and spoke with the farmer who granted us permission to hunt the birds on his property that was on both sides of the road. We drove half the distance of the driveway and attempted a stalk on these birds by taking advantage of three short silos. Once we got to the silos, Matt crawled out on his knees just after telling me to stay tight to the silo, be ready and when he said shoot step out and be prepared to acquire my target and shoot. As he crawled out, the adrenaline I was feeling sneaking up the drive had my heartbeat blaring loudly in my ears. I heard Matt say, “They are coming. They are coming. Be ready!” I clicked my safety off. I didn’t know if two or all were coming, nor did I know if the Tom was in tow…phew, it was an intense moment as I played my role over in my head…step out, acquire target quickly and shoot!
As luck would have it, only two jakes came into the trickery of the bobbing and spinning decoy and didn’t even come straight to the decoy. They cut to the left and decided to come from behind the silos into the tom. Matt whispered to me that they were circling around so I quickly turned and repositioned myself for the shot in that direction. I caught a glimpse of one bird and it was a jake. The second bird came in and bumped the first so I had a pretty good idea that this was also a jake. We were able to back out from those birds and get back to the truck without spooking them.
The hens, jakes and one tom headed across the road and we were strategizing how to get into that pasture in front of them. We drove up the road to a higher advantage point where we were able to glass the birds and find out where they were going. Mister stayed at the truck as Matt and I went over the fence, into the pasture after this tom. Matt was carrying the reaping decoy and we were able to quickly get to the vicinity of the birds and we were lucky to have several cedars and some trees to use to our advantage. As I looked back toward the vehicle, I watched as Mister was scanning the pasture above us. I saw him look in my direction through the binoculars and when he saw that I was looking back at him, he made a sign for us to go back down low and around a little pond, he was seeing birds there, no doubt.
We had two jakes come into Matt’s calling and they didn’t commit when they saw the decoy…I had no plans on shooting a jake so we let them walk back into the woods without further pursuing. We heard a good mature tom gobble up above the pond so we quickly got up and took off in that direction. We were in a bottom and Matt made some yelps and on the terrace above another good mature gobble shook the air. We quickly climbed the hill, Matt with the decoy and fan in front of him and me glued directly behind him as if we were one unit, we were able to get to the top of the terrace when Matt saw the tom.
Being a turkey hunter, I have to be honest and tell you staying directly behind the decoy person, not being able to look around and size up the tom for myself was the hardest thing to do. I tried a few times and Matt caught me, growling under his breath, “BE STILL!” I did get a peek at the bird as it turned to walk in another direction and I saw beard…long beard. I could not tell if it were five inches or 10 inches but at this point I committed myself to take a shot at this bird.
Matt asked, “You ready?” I kneeled on my knees with my butt on my heels, clicked my safety off, shouldered my gun with the barrel pointed at the ground and said, “Yes!” I could only imagine this is what a bull rider feels like when the gate man asks that question…I had NO CLUE what was about to unfold, but I knew that this performance was up to me. Matt ducked and rolled to the left as I shot up onto my knees, quickly acquired where that tom was and I placed the bead midway down his neck and squeezed off my gun, expecting to follow up with a second shot. The first flipped the bird and he didn’t flop. I said, “GOT HIM!” as I stood up. Matt finally unfolded from his half fetal position on the ground and got up and said, “Oh yeah! Awesome!”
What a rush! I can’t tell you what part of that moment made it more exciting, not seeing the bird until the fan was moved, having to quickly acquire my target and shoot or the fact that we were slipping around in the wide open in stealth mode behind this decoy completely fooling the keen eyesight of this tom. My second Rio Grande was in the bag! I danced in the Land of Oz and I was now one bird away from my second Grand Slam.
Guest Post by Rebecca Gicewicz
I am here in Alden, Kansas enjoying hunting camp with old and new friends. Part of my mission for this trip was to do my best to harvest a Rio Grande. Our first morning in the woods was spent with Nancy Jo, Mister and our guide, Troy; which is truly a treat as I am usually in the woods alone. I don’t mind the solitude but sharing the experience with friends was really a special element I was looking forward to. That morning came and went with just a few gobbles from turkey in the distance, but no shot opportunities. No problem, it is hunting after all.
Our plan for the afternoon was to use a different strategy by splitting the group up. I was kind of bummed but I just rolled with it. This turkey hunting gig is all new to me so I thought, :Let’s do this.” The afternoon involved driving on country roads past known areas and unknown land. Lo and behold, there was a nice Tom strutting near a creek but we didn’t have permission to hunt that particular land. Troy had a plan; a few clicks on a smart phone app gave the property owners information. So off we went on a mission. A few knocks on the door revealed that no one was home, but the show must go on. Undaunted, we went on with our turkey quest.
We drove and drove, but as fate would have it nothing came together. The final act of this show was to go back to the morning spot where all four of us had started of and try to catch the birds as they circled around to roost. The decoys were set up and I sat back against my tree from the morning hunt. I was missing my other two companions and kept wondering how their hunt was panning out. As an hour or two ticked by, Troy called and there was intermittent distant gobbling but it didn’t sound as if it was closing the distance. The sun was beginning to set and I started to think of what our morning plan might be.
That is when I saw something red and black about 100 yards to my left; it was a Tom! The tom was running up the edge of the field towards my position. I frantically whispered to my guide “to my left, one is closing in.” My guide was not able to see and just kept saying hold still, don’t move, and let him come. That is what I did. The tom slowed up at about 50-yards and of course he was standing in my one and only blind spot. I thought, “Oh no, he is suspicious, has turned and gone into the woods.”
That was not the case at all! The tom continued to move into range and I could now see him but didn’t have a clear shot. Troy gave me the “Shoot when your are ready” command but I had to wait for a clear and ethical shot. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the tom moved into a shooting lane. I clicked my safety off, lined him up in my Ghost Sight and squeezed the trigger. Down went the bird and Troy shouted, “Good Shot!”
There were two other mature toms behind my downed bird. They kept closing the distance but I only had one tag; no double for me. Finally, they moved off into the woods and we got up to check out my harvest. I was anxious to see him up close. We looked at his spur on one side and it was a rounded nub; I have to admit I was disappointed. So, I focused on his fan, which was beautiful. I finally got brave enough to look at the other spur and when we did I was ecstatic. There was my unicorn; a stout, sharpened, 1-5/8” spur. I thought, “It’s ok that the tom only has one spur. He only needed that one.” I was super stoked! That is how I found my unicorn in the Land of Oz.
For me, this hasn’t been a very successful turkey season. With spending the least amount of time ever spent spring turkey hunting in the woods, my lack of success was to be expected. As I scroll through social media and see all the successful harvests at each of the outfitters that we are traveling more than 15 hours to hunt with, I have high hopes that my luck will change at the two Ladies in Camo turkey hunts we are about to spend the next seven days hunting. Six ladies from four different states are converging upon Misty Morning Outfitters in Kansas to hunt Rio Grand turkey, and four are traveling on to The Roost in Nebraska to hunt Merriam’s turkey.
Rebecca’s 1st turkey harvest! Photo Credit: Rebecca Gicewicz
Rebecca, from Florida, is traveling with us…asleep in the back seat of Cletus as I type this entry. Marla and her friend are traveling together from Illinois. Sherry and Connie are traveling together from Michigan. None of us “NEW” to turkey hunting, however, this is Connie’s first guided outfitter hunt; this will be Rebecca’s 2nd and 3rd bird and species as she recently harvested her first turkey, an Eastern in Alabama; Marla and her friend were just in the woods turkey hunting this past weekend.
I have been fortunate enough to have hunted some place at a point in time with each of these women, except Connie. I am looking forward to gaining a new hunting friend. It has been nearly eight years since I have hunted with Sherry, who attended my very first hunt I organized. It has been nearly four years since I have hunted with Marla and just last September that I hunted with Rebecca. I feel blessed to be able to call these ladies friends.
My plan is to share as much of this hunt with all of my blog followers and subscribers, as well as my social media friends and followers. I will post some contributed blog entries and photos from the ladies attending this hunt if they wish to contribute. Look for stories of our travels, our good times at the lodge, photos and tales from the hunt, and of course, all the shenanigans. Check out the Ladies in Camo and Life in Camo Facebook page, search the hashtags #LICMMO16 and #LICTheRoost16 in social media to keep up with posts from the Ladies in Camo Kansas and Nebraska turkey hunts.
As we are rolling through north central Oklahoma, crossing over into Kansas, with just two more hours of travel, my mind is already on the turkey hunt…wishing these ladies the best of luck in the coming days.
I hope we ALL have the opportunity to “dance with a fist full of feathers!”
Among the numerous bags I own, some of them are guaranteed to be on every adventure. Trophy Totes is definitely one of those bags. Check this bag out at the Ladies in Camo website. This is definitely a bag you are going to want to add to your packing list.
I have found the perfect all-purpose knife for my backpack, turkey vest and purse. Read all about it at the Ladies in Camo website. The new 2013 colors are available now.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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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.”
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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.}
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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.
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 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 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 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
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.
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 https://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.
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Life in Camo - Shenanigans From the Field 