Hawaiian Gobbler Smack Down

Our good friend, Jeffery Scott, just slammed a Rio Grand Wild Turkey on the big island of Hawaii. Right now you may be saying to yourself.. Turkey hunting in Hawaii?? Why yes, it is true! The NWTF map clearly shows that they exist in this tropical heaven.

I just got off the phone with him as he was getting on an airplane. I had texted him for details about his hunt and after a few texts back and forth he decided a quick call would be faster. (It was great to talk to you Jeff!)

So, here is the brief story straight from the source... The landscape on the Big Island where Jeff was hunting provided for some beautiful scenery; however, for hunting turkey it was a bit challenging because the acreage they were on had several rolling hills with sections of flat land in between that rolled on to the edge of the coast. Basically it was a field of open land with hardly any cover. They had chosen to actually spot and stalk these birds. When he first told me this I asked him if he was serious. I'm not an expert Turkey hunter, but come on! Spot and stalk Turkey?? One of the first things I learned about Turkey was how spooky they were and that they had great eye sight. However, with the relatively low hunting pressure over there the birds honestly don't spook as easily. (Jeff, I think there still is some skill involved here.)

He utilized a slate call early on to locate the birds. However, at one point when he saw them in the distance cresting the next hill, the chase on the flat section of land was on. After a few chases through the rolling hills it seemed like the hunt may not pan out, but with some good fortune and a little pressure from some nearby grazing cows the turkeys were headed back towards Jeff. As the gobbling Rio Grand Tom raised his head slowly above the ditch he was met with a shot gun barrel ten yards from his head. According to Jeff.. "I smacked him down and folded him up."

Now that Jeff knows where these island birds are located, I think my husband should take his bride on a vacation to visit our friends in Hawaii. A little turkey hunting and pacific sun sounds pretty good right about now. Jeff, do you have any room for these mainlanders??

Congrats to Jeff on a great Turkey!!

Next time... I'm coming to the Big Island to go hunting with you!

Lofty Mountain Grandeur

I never really paid attention to the second verse of "How Great Thou Art." It hit me the other day. This is the song I'm singing today and the song I'll be singing the next time I look down from lofty mountain grandeur...

When through the woods

I hear the birds

Sing sweetly in the trees;

When I look down

From lofty mountain grandeur

And hear the brook

And feel the gentle breeze;

Then sings my soul,

My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art!

How great Thou art!

Then sings my soul,

My Saviour God, to Thee,

How great Thou art!

How great Thou art!

P.s., I think I'm finally done playing with my blog background. I'm really happy with the way it looks now so I am probably done messing around with it. The only thing I'm still not sure about is whether or not the white text is a bit hard to read. Let me know! And thanks for putting up with my indecisiveness.

Sling Bling and Bee Stingers

I'm still trying to complete my bow set up and have just a few more things to buy. I'm down to the final purchases: 1) Sling and 2) Stabilizer.

For my sling... I have to share my excitement over the cool site that someone at our local archery shop told me about. The Hunt N Shak out of Gum Spring, VA offers "Bling Sling" on their website. You can pick out your sling and leather colors and they will custom make the sling for you. I absolutely love all of the options and the look of these slings. They are chunky, which I think is great! It was hard for me to make a decision b/c there are so many possibilities. I finally decided on black and silver with black leather. I can't wait for it to arrive!

For my stabilizer... I have a Bee Stinger on order. Honestly, if I was going on looks alone, I would have never picked this one out. Thank goodness for Evan at the archery hut for encouraging me to try out the different stabilizers before making a decision. I originally picked out a different stabilizer simply because it looked cool and I never imagined that there could be that much of a difference in a stabilizer. However, let me tell you.. I was totally shocked at how much of a difference there was. I felt like it truly balanced the bow out, especially at full draw. It also helps with the follow through of your shot. For hunting purposes, obviously the longer stabilizers wouldn't be optimal but the 8.5 inch I think will work just fine. We will see. The good thing is that it can easily be disconnected.

Only 19 days until Turkey season opens. I will be ready! Can you tell I'm excited!?!?

Squealing Hens

There is always something that seems to surprise me about turkey hunting. Last year, I read about how careful you need to be in order to not get shot by another hunter. This year, I'm realizing that the birds themselves are a bit crazy and not just the hunters!

We recently purchased a new Hunter's Specialties Squealing Hen turkey call in preparation for the upcoming season. Opening day in Colorado for turkey is April 10th, so we still have a few more weeks to get prepared.

While watching the video that came with the call I quickly learned that the call was aptly named. Apparently, the Toms totally squish the poor female birds while mating. And the sound of the call we bought mimics the sound of the screaming female turkey. It is if she is yelling "WTH get off me!!" I'm a bit torn. I don't know if I want to laugh or can't wait to put a broadhead through the broadside of the TOM. Maybe I'll just do both. Anyway, the sound of that poor female bird brings the other Toms running to the noise. According to the HS website, "the turkey call reproduces the sound a hen turkey makes during breeding, triggering an internal frenzied response from gobblers to seek and find the source of the sound." Like I said... crazy birds!!

She's All Dressed Up

My bow has been waiting patiently. I have been waiting patiently. The day has finally arrived. She is finally all dressed up with new limbs, new sights, new rest and new stabilizer (on order). I am beside myself with excitement. I love the black with Max-1 combination. I can't wait to slam a turkey in a couple of weeks with my beautiful new bow.

Check it out...

An Ode to My French Press

COFFEE

There's a reason why coffee tastes so good

when pressed down through a strainer

It is hard to explain, but I think

It has something to do with the container

Glass cup filled with grinds and hot water

a simple contraption, yet I'm fascinated

In chemist like style a few minutes later

the rich bean aroma has me elated

The dilemma at hand I struggle with now

is what to do when hunting season comes around

will such a contraption even be allowed

or will an instant drink only be found

Alas I'm not ready to give in just yet

This mischievous gal has a plan of attack

With the gear all packed up and ready to go

I'll perform the final check of the packs

The husband won't notice that last little bulge

and when coffee is brewed at first sunrise

this coffee lovin' gal will never divulge

the secret of how the aroma did arrive

In all seriousness - the coffee press will be left at home. However, I'm thrilled that Starbucks Via packs make a mean cup of coffee and will easily fit in my pack. The jet-boil will be put to use on top of the mountain so that we can have a hot steamy cup of coffee, or hot chocolate. Yum!

Woodland Traffic Jam

On the way home from work this evening I was reminded to keep a look out for deer as one dashed across the road stretched before me. The woods are home to critters that don't pay attention to traffic signals or the road I travel on between work and home. They have their own trails they follow on a daily basis and the black top road that brings me home each night seems to interfere with their forest trails.

I love this pic that was forwarded to me in an email. It seems the tables are turned a bit in this deer woodland traffic jam illustration. It says to me, "stay out of our way - this is OUR road." It is apparent that this happy deer highway route was probably generated due to a supplemental program which I have no issues with. I love that these animals are managed and cared for by wildlife programs during harsh winter seasons. Each time I purchase a hunting tag, I know that the funds are being put to good use. However, if I'm being honest, there is one thing that does bother me a bit... when I see some folk feeding deer and it is obvious that there is plenty of food around for the deer to survive. It seems they are simply wanting the big game to drop their antlers in their backyard in the spring. That just unnerves me. What do you think? Is this an issue in your neck of the woods?

And on a lighter note... I bet there are a few good captions out there for the above picture. What caption would you put with this pic?

BATB Dates Announced

The dates have just been announced for the 2010 Bowcast at the Bird 3D archery shoot. My husband and I attended last year and had an absolute blast. If you are looking for a great 3D shoot - this is the one to come to.

Make sure to bring your hiking boots and be ready to stretch your limits. It is seriously a weekend to remember.

This July you can guarantee that we will be on the slopes of Utah's mountains. I can't wait. Come join us!

Belly Flops and Fletching Arrows

I've recently had a little extra time to finally piece together a quick video tutorial on fletching arrows. The reason why I've had a few spare moments? Well, here is how the story goes...

I live in the country. There is a good acre or two separating my house from my closest neighbor. Therefore, some mornings when I let the dogs out I may have some interesting outfits on - or lack there of. This past Sunday, I was fortunate to have "normal" morning attire on: lounge pants, one of the hubby's old fire dept t-shirts, and slippers. PTL I actually had pants on - I'm not kidding. There are some mornings where I will run outside in just a t-shirt and then remember by the brisk morning air that something is missing. Crap! I forgot my pants again. Ahh... the joy of living in the county. Anyway, I digress. The point is I was very thankful to have pants on Sunday morning since I ended up running across the pasture like a crazy woman. You see, my wonderful 100 lb lab named Tuffy is usually the good dog of my two canine kids and will run straight to the kennel when I tell him to. However, this morning the confines of his 2 acre kennel was simply not appealing to him.

I saw her before he did. There she stood on the horizon - a beautiful blond lab. With nose to the ground, Tuff was hot on her trail and I was not about to let him romp off to never never land after her. Not this morning. There have been too many mornings where the "kids" have come back home covered in cow manure, porcupine quills, etc.

Unfortunately for me, my brain was not yet at full alert - it was still early evidenced by the sun's first soft rays of light and coffee had not yet been consumed. I don't know what I was thinking, but I quickly found out that I am no longer as nimble as I once was. For some reason I had a bizarre thought that I could launch my body off a 6 foot embankment at a full run and catch up to him. I can't fly. The ground is extremely hard in the winter and it hurts to do a belly flop when the surface below is not water. I wish I had a bra on. However, I did have pants on which was good b/c imagine how much crazier I would have looked limping across the pasture holding my chest and yelling at my love sick lab if I only was wearing a t-shirt and slippers. Enough said. So, I've been doing a lot of sitting with my leg propped up with ice on my knee.

Enjoy my latest video creation...

Fletching Arrows from Emily on Vimeo.

G2G Extreme

My husband is now blogging a little. He has seen how much fun I've had sharing hunting stories online and has decided to join in. His blog is entitled "G2G Extreme" (G2G = Good to Go Extreme). Check it out and give him some support - plus it may be fun to get "his side" of the hunting stories I add here.

He recently bought a new Hoyt Carbon Matrix. It is a sweet looking bow. It is a bit on the pricey side, but he got a screaming deal that he couldn't pass up. Plus he had a little bit of cash burning a hole in his pocket from a side job (excavating).

Check out his bow. It is bad @$$!!

www.scentfreelipgloss.com

I jumped in.. I switched over to a custom domain. My little blog is now found at the following address: www.scentfreelipgloss.com

If you have a blogroll, favorite link, feed etc that points here, please take a moment to update the link. Thanks everyone!