The Redemption Bird

April 5th, 2013

My son was born on April 6th of 2013, right in the middle of turkey season. I got a few pre-baby hunts in, but didn't cash in on a bird. Six days post-partum, Brandon and I hit the woods again (we took it easy, of course) and hunted as much as we could for the rest of the season. Unfortunately, I made the biggest, dumbest mistake I had ever made in the woods that season, and blew my only chance to tag a bird that year.

It was the last day of the season. They were calling for rain, a 90% chance. It was muggy, foggy, and drizzling the morning Brandon and I set up on the edge of a huge cow pasture. We were late, go figure, but the leaves were wet so we could slip in relatively unnoticed. Fortunately, we didn't bring the camera because of the rain (I'm thankful of that to this day). It only took about five minutes for the first bird to fly down. Yeah, we were that late. After the 4th turkey hit the ground, we counted 3 jakes, and one gobbler with a pitiful, thin beard. They were about forty yards, which was a stretch for me and my trusty Charles Daly 20 gauge. Now Brandon had killed a coyote with this gun just a few weeks earlier at every bit of 45 yards, but me? I'm just not confident in 40 without a scope.
"Take one" Brandon whispered. I adamantly told him no, they were too far for me. But here was the problem; they were walking away from us. The last morning on the last day, and my only opportunity was moseying away from us.

"Pick one out, take your time, and shoot. This is your last chance. They aren't getting any closer than this." I sighed. They were disregarding any call we threw at them. I raised the gun, rested the bead on the back of a jakes head, and squeezed.

Missed.

"Be still!! Do not move!" Brandon whispered/yelled at me. I did as he said. All four birds looked around and continued feeding. Okay. I could do this. I blew it but hey, they're still here.

Two hours passed. The same four birds fed in the same 50 yard radius the whole time. I wanted to die. I was mad, uncomfortable, and discouraged. Brandon looked at me and said, "Let me try one last thing." He flipped his call upside down and let out a kee kee run. All four birds stuck their heads up, practically ran to the fence about 80 yards to my left, and went out of my sight completely.

"Good job, Brandon, you scared them off."

"No. No I didn't. Get ready, they're coming straight up the fence." Little did I know that he could see everything that I couldn't. Apparently all four birds hit the fence line and were on a beeline towards me. There was a knoll about five feet in front of me, that blocked my line of sight until they were in my face. I saw one red head, then two, bob through an opening about 3 steps from me. I swung the gun, slow and easy, flipped the safety, and when bird number three came out, I could see his pupils. We looked at each other for a second.

CLICK.

What happened next has haunted me every time I go in the turkey woods. I tried to slowly reload my gun, which I forgot to pump after my initial miss. Then, my infallible gun jammed for the first time.

The Lord knew what he was doing that day, because Brandon didn't bring a gun. If he had, we probably would have been separated for a while. He could've easily killed a double while I fumbled with my traitor of a gun. Between the profanities I blurted out, the amount of things I threw, and the tears, I sure am grateful that cameras weren't rolling that day.

_________________________________________________________________________________
 

Fast forward a year. I haven't killed a bird in two years because of my royal screw up. I was hungry for a kill. Between my family and friends ragging on me about that fateful day, I had to prove myself. So Brandon and I set off on some land that we had never turkey hunted on before. We walked and walked, and finally called. That's when he fired off.
He was at least 100 yards through the woods, over two ridges and past a creek. So we started slipping, as quietly as possible in dry leaves, up one ridge and down the next. The longbeard wasn't saying much, which had us worried about where exactly he was. Finally, once we crept up the final ridge and neared the summit, we got down on our hands and knees. Finding a good tree, we set up and Brandon called. Old Tom wasn't any more than 40 yards by now. I couldn't hear walking, but I could feel the vibration of the gobble. It rattled down deep in my chest and gave me a bad case of the shakes. Brandon called for a good hour, and he didn't gobble any more than three times.
I was about to cry. Two years of frustration was getting the best of me, not to mention the 90 degree heat. Brandon looked at me and shrugged. "Let me try gobbling at him" he said. I told him heck no, we wanted to kill him not run him off. He pretty much told me that the bird wasn't coming, so what could hurt? "The worst we could do is spook him." That's pretty much our turkey season motto. So Brandon gobbled three times in a row, and in the midst of it, I heard another gobble. It was different from the first three, it was plum angry. So I set back, turned on Brandon's red dot, and tried to control my breathing. That's when I heard the crunching leaves. It didn't take three minutes, and I saw a big blue head coming up the ridge. I swung, settled the red dot, shot, and he disappeared.
My initial reaction was disappointment. "Dang it I freakin missed him!" I yelled at Brandon. Thanks to the enormous recoil from Brandon's gun and the fact that I was almost seeing stars, I nearly overlooked the ruckus going on over the ridge. We stood up, and there he flopped.
After closer inspection, we saw that he was a jake (Brandon and I named him Super Jake, because I've never heard a jake gobble like that). Honestly, I could have cared less. He was my redemption bird, and though he was the only one I killed this season, he was more than enough to make me happy. I doubt there is as good of a feeling in the woods as when you know everything finally worked out right, and this was one of those times. Sometimes you need the fall to realize how wonderful the top is. Nothing humbles you more than ruined opportunity, especially when its your fault alone. So now, I'm grateful for messing up that day a year ago, because it made this Super Jake one of the most memorable hunts I've had. I cant wait to see what next year holds, but I've got to tackle deer & bear season first!

Looks That Kill

There's a red hot issue popping up on my newsfeed everyday, and it has to do with what women wear in the woods. You might ask yourself, "why does it matter? Who cares what they wear in the woods?" To me, as a mother, it matters. I know I have a son, but if I had a daughter, the last thing I'd want her "looking up to" would be a girl with virtually no clothes on fishing for attention.  I've seen Eva Shockey's picture shared on social media almost non stop since it first appeared. I'm glad someone finally took a stand, but is it a dividing force among women hunters? We're already so few, should we stand together or should we take sides?

 

As much as I hate too, I'm taking a side on this one. For the sake of upcoming huntresses, we need to better ourselves. Ladies, you know that all the men liking your bikini pictures don't like them because of your personality. I'm all for bikinis at the pool, but in the woods? They have no place whatsoever.

You should check out some of the facts in this video. Make sure to listen to the studies they did on men viewing pictures of ladies in bikinis. If you didn't watch it, I'll paraphrase for you,
 

"Brain scans revealed that when men are shown pictures of scantily clad women, the region of the brain associated with tools, such as screwdrivers and hammers lit up. Some men showed zero brain activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, which is the part of the brain that lights up when one ponders another person's thoughts, feelings, and intentions. Researchers found that shocking because they almost never see this part of the brain shut down in this way. And a Princeton professor said, "its as if they are reacting to these women as if they're not fully human. It is consistent with the idea that they are responding to these photographs as if they were responding to objects, not people." "
 



If that doesn't strike a nerve with you, then something's wrong. Essentially, it says when men see half naked women, that they don't look at them as people, but as objects. That's pretty deep stuff.
Now am I saying that we need to ditch the makeup, dress in men's clothes, and not care about our appearance? Absolutely not. Some people feel that make up is a necessity, while some think its a complete waste of time. Some people even think that donning makeup in the field makes us inadequate because of the tell tale make up smell. On that one, I say to each is own. Personally, I wear makeup. Why? Because I'm a woman and I feel pretty when I wear it; I feel confident. There are plenty of times I go out bare faced just because I'm too tired to fool with it. Has it affected my hunting abilities? Absolutely not. I've harvested animals with makeup on, makeup off, wearing all camo, wearing camo & blue jeans, heck even wearing camo that has some pink in it. My looks didn't affect the kill, but the pictures I posted later may have been my "first impression" to some people. If I was in shorty shorts with a bathing suit top on, they probably would have thought a lot differently about me. I may have get a bunch of "likes", but I can guarantee I would get some creepy messages too.

I honor of true journalism, I decided to ask opinions of some of the most true & hardcore huntresses I know.



Precious Kaczor

Precious Kaczor of Hooked with Precious & Pete said "I feel some women in the hunting industry need to have more respect for themselves. To all the women hunters out there, I hope they think before they are posting pictures with barely any clothes on. Think of all the youth that are looking up to us, we need to set standards. God made everyone of us beautiful. We have the choice to choose right from wrong. I feel that women need to think about the future of hunting and not living in the moment of fame. For make-up I would say it is acceptable. It doesn't need to be overdone. Women should feel comfortable about themselves at all times. Hunting to Hooked with Precious and Pete is about the harvest, Its not about the fame on TV or social media. We are all about feeding our family the organic meat that comes in its original package. I feel that when someone is looking at you they should remember the awesome kill and great times with friends and family, not remembering that the a woman "had a nice rack"."




Sara Kirk Doyle

Sara Kirk Doyle, who prostaffs for Just for Does, Dirt Nap Gear, and Game Seekers Outdoors, stated "The only thing half naked women in camo are hunting for is attention. I think it's sad that girls don't have anymore self respect than that. Cover up what you don't want mosquito bit! And as far as makeup goes it really just depends on you as a person. As long as it's unscented and not too gaudy I don't have a problem with it. I like to put on lipstick after I kill something just for the pictures and because I'm a woman, I won't apologize for lipstick."



Megan DeHaan

Finally, Megan DeHaan of Prois Hunting & Field Apparel For Women share her opinion on the matter. "Well I don't really care what gals wear. I think it's humorous when some get all gussied up but hey, to each there own. I prefer to wear my Prois and get as scent free as possible. I don't wear pink but honestly don't care if others do. Most animals are color blind anyhow! I never wear solid colors, and I don't bother with scent free makeup as I don't really wear any in the woods."

 

I understand that women are going to dress how they want to dress. After all, this is America, and they have the right to pretty much do whatever they want. All I'm saying, is I have the right to say that I don't appreciate nor agree with it. Like I said earlier, bikinis are fine, in the right situations. Yes, I wear a bikini at the pool or the beach, I've worked hard to get back in to pre-baby clothes. But does that mean that once I reach my goal weight that I will post pictures of myself in said bikini with guns and calling it "hunting"? Nope. Women are making great leaps in this industry, and we're growing in number every single day. We need to show that we are as skilled as the men, not just prettier posing in the gear. Lets step up, have some respect for ourselves and let our kills do the talking.

 

 

Bacon Wrapped Jalepeno Venison Backstraps

Since Brandon and I cant eat this for a while, I figured I would imagine the bacon-y goodness and write up the recipe for you. We've tried it grilled, but the bacon makes a mess on our Jenn Air, so we've resorted to sticking them in the oven. Still amazing, and even more juicy because it bathes in bacon juices the whole time it cooks. My arteries are screaming as we speak.

   

Ingredients

1 Whole venison tenderloin. We normally use 1/2 to one whole tenderloin, depending on how many we're feeding.

1-2 Packs bacon (not thick cut, you want it to be flimsy).

3 Jalapeños, de-seeded and de-veined.

Marinade (Preferably Lawry's Steak & Chop)

Salt, pepper, & garlic powder to taste.  

 

Prep

If your meat is already thawed and soaked, skip step 1.

1. Thaw tenderloin (I usually do so overnight). Soak tenderloin in saltwater or milk for majority of the day.
2. Preheat the over to about 350.
3. Slice tenderloin into small steaks, about 3/4 inch thick, 2-3 inches long.
4. Soak tenderloin cutlets in marinade while you prep bacon and jalapeños.
5. Cut bacon in half.
6. Cut jalapeños to desired size. I cut mine to pretty small pieces. Like 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch squares. But if you're into much spicier foods, feel free to use as big of pieces as you want.
7. Take a piece of tenderloin and place a piece of jalapeño in the center. Wrap cutlet in bacon to hold jalapeño in.
8. Repeat until all your tenderloin cutlets are gone.
9. Place in foil lined pan (with sides! NOT COOKIE SHEET)
10. Stick in the over for about 20 minutes & voila!

So give it a try this weekend and give it a try while we just imagine the goodness. Feel free to send in pictures if you just love it!

 

 

***If you try this on the grill, follow steps 1-8 the same, but hold pieces together with toothpicks. Also, make sure your toothpicks have been soaked in water. Or else you'll have fire, a LOT of fire.***