hunter shawna

“Oh you need this.. And this.. OOh and this..”

Shawna — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 20:49:26 +0000

After years of wearing over sized shirts and jeans to the hunting stand (maybe that explains why we never actually seen deer..). For months, I have been eyeballing hunting clothing.

Last night, I finally decided I had it. I want my own camo. I want actual hunting pants, I want Scent-Lok base layers. I want.. I want.. I WANT! I told Nick my plan.

Me: “I am ordering every piece of hunting gear a girl could ever need.”

Nick: *hahaha* “Okay babe.. Do what you want, but just know its going to be expensive.”

He wasn’t joking. I dropped some serious cash. I did my research first though. I wanted to make sure since I am investing so much money into this hobby, I want my gear to be top quality. I’m not the type of person that needs a new orange hat every season. I WILL get my use out of every item that I purchased for many years to come.

I bet your wondering.. “Well what the hell, did that girl buy?” Well, I bought boots(Lacrosse), base layer(Scent-lok), pants (Prois), a light camo shirt (Prois), and a Heavy Jacket (Prois [I should basically own stock in Prois now haha]) I didn’t buy all those things direct from the company either. I spent HOURS looking for deals on the internet. (I did happen to buy my base layer direct from the company but because I know they are from Michigan and I like to support my home state.) It took me a long time to decide what I need. I usually am very decisive on deciding what I need and what I don’t but hunting clothing is really different. Many of times I was asking Nick if I really need this or that (he didn’t help too much)..

Now I bet your wondering well, how did you decide Shawna? What process did you go through? Just follow these steps.

1.) Ask your self “Is it a necessity?” Do you REALLY need it or is it just for “looks”?

2.) Do your research. What is the best product for your type of terrain/weather? Whats the product made of? Is it made in the US (this is important me)?

3.) Narrow the product down to what you want then Google it and find the best price. I have found many time Amazon.com has some low prices for hunting gear. Also search for coupons!

4.) Order!

5.) Wait and Wait and WAIT until the mail lady delivers your package.(I’m at this step currently…)

Stay tuned for product review. and happy shopping!

oh yeah..

Shawna — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 03:06:08 +0000

All this bear talk has almost made me forget about this..

Yeah.. I’m calling dibs on him. Sorry Nick.

Bears love Lady Gaga

Shawna — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 22:37:18 +0000

Nick was out of town last night for a bachelor party so it was just Maggie and Me. I spent most of the day cleaning and decorating for fall (You know.. Exciting house~~wife~~-girlfriend things). About 7ish Nick calls me to see what I was up to for the evening.

Nick:What are you doing..

Me:Creating a bear bait play list on my I-pod.

Nick: You’re doing what?

Me: Making a bear baiting play list…

Nick: Um….. Why??

Me: Because I need to be consistent when I am baiting the bear. I happen to know for a fact bears love Britney Spears, T-Pain and Lady Gaga…

Nick: You have lost it… *telling his friends** ‘Shawna’s making a bear baiting playlist..’ *you hear the laughter of the guys* Well put something good on there at least..

And THAT is how I spent my Saturday night. And trust me. I had the most fun this morning .. Driving to the cabin listening to Lady Gaga

When is the best time of day to bait bear?

Shawna — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:32:25 +0000

In exactly one week Nick and I will be bear hunting. Nick will be the hunter and I am going to be recording it with the video camera. So far, it has been an adventure. We have been baiting the bears for the last couple of weeks and they only seem to be coming out at night. A bunch of nocturnal bears.

We needed to know how to get that pesky bear during legal hunting hours. I did a little research (aka spying on the outdoor forums). Created a power point complete with music and showed it to Nick. Sadly, I did not upload the Power Point to Youtube but I will share what I found with you.

Time of Day Matters

• “Times of the day were not changed with each bait, but generally done earlier in the day if possible, say between 9 and 3.”

• “Consistency regarding your baiting schedule is key.”

• “The guy that helped me (did almost everything ) would be sure not to change a thing in his routine. He used the same truck every time, dove the same speed through the woods, never slammed a car door, and then sang the same song on his way into the bait, and then again on his way out. He would not let others do his baiting for him, and only let select people tag along during bait sessions. It was truly an art, not just throwing bait out in a hole and covering it up.”

• “I refreshed mine early morning like 8 or 9 am. Worked like a champ. my odor was gone by time 2 hunt.”

• “When possible, we bait at 4pm. The usual time we get in the stand is also 4pm. Dinner bell effect? Yes, in fact we “bang” on the five gallon buckets on the way out. Now, perfect scenario, have a buddy bait with you when you hunt and have him walk out banging on the buckets (just like normal), if no one is able to walk ya out, bang on it anyway.”

The “Dinner Bell” technique

• “When I hunted Maine and Quebec both guides beat the barrel or bait stations with a log almost as a dinner bell calling the bear as to speak to the dinner table. “

• “Replenish the bait, bang the bait barrel or bucket…. and walk out with your eyes peeled If a hunter was to hunt a stand on that particular evening…. he/she would be arriving at the stand, exactly at “dinner time”…. and also be instructed to apply the “dinner bell”……. BEFORE …. getting up in the stand…..”

• “I try to bait via a clock and show up every time at the same time. I hunt private land so I can use an ATV. I made a mistake one time and shut it off while I was restacking the logs. I had a young bear come within 10ft of me when I was bent over restacking the logs plus another one inside 30 yards standing up. This was at 12:10 pm that was the last time I shut my ATV off at my bait station. That taught me a lesson to feed at noon, run the ATV into the bait site just prior to hunting, leave and sneak back down to my stand. I can’t tell you how many bear I’ve had come in within the first hour of my hunts. The ATV is the dinner bell so be prepared. Good Luck with your hunt.”

When all else fails..

• “Review YOUR hunting pattern.. I was getting frustrated and bored while waiting so my mind got going and I started thinking of any patterns that I had created in the previous 4 days. The only thing I did consistently every day was to light a cigarette when I exited the stand. So about 1/2 hr before sunset I light one in the stand. 20 minutes later she finally showed herself and I shot her. Maybe it was dumb luck, maybe the bear was laying nearby every night and patterned me by smell, and when she smelled smoke she thought it was safe to approach the bait.”

• “Get a good stink bait going.”

FORCE ‘EM IN

• “We have used battery powered alarm clocks before to get bears in. Set the clock radio to go off about 1/2 hour- hour before your baits have been hit. set it to a talk station. This has worked to force bears in earlier.”

• “Try baiting a lot less. like maybe an ice cream pail size at best. If you put a lot of bait out, bears come at there leisure. but if they get there and the tiny bait is gone, they come earlier, wanting to be the “first bear there”

Other Important Tips

• “The biggest mistake people make is they carry some bait in when they are going to hunt. They put the bait on the pile and then get into their stand. That is like ringing the door bell and letting them know you are there. A bear can smell where you walked from 10-15 feet away. They will smell where you walked into the bait and then your stand without exposing themselves for a shot. Remember, they know where your stand is as well as how you get to the bait from the road and how you get to your stand because every day is like a fresh snowfall to them.”

• “Bait in the afternoon or morning. The bear will smell where you walked in and out of the bait. Use a different approach to your stand. Use an approach that keeps you away from the bait and baiting trail. A lot of times a bear will circle the bait to smell your trail so they can see if you are there. They will smell where you went in and out on the baiting trail. That may get them careless enough that they don’t bother to check your stand.”

• “You will find them only hitting a bait when you are not there. Create a habit of how you bait and hunt. Then change the habit. Get them use to always doing things the same way. Then they get careless because they are use to you and your habits.”

So because of all those tips. Nick decided that I would be the one who baits the bear early in the morning. Since he has a job and all.. At exactly 9:15 am, I carried a pail of granola out into the woods. Hopefully Mr. Bear will come in during the daylight!

revamping.

Shawna — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 17:57:57 +0000

It’s time to shift gears… Get into the grove… Actually start making our goal, my goal, a reality. Sooooo since I am now unemployed, I can actually make this blog my full time job. And since the blog is now my job. It’s time for a name change…

Announcing..

Join me in my adventure of becoming an actual “hunter girl”. There will be laughs and jokes and maybe.. just maybe you’ll learn something new about being a great hunter.

Oh and don’t worry, Nick will be making guest posts from time to time.

Today the FedEx man brought me…

Nick — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 21:41:17 +0000

LOOK WHAT CAME IN THE MAIL TODAY!

We found this awesome deal on pop up blinds from KillZone Hunting. We purchased the Turret XL hub style blind. It took us a little bit to figure out how to set it up, but once we it was awesome.

Moosejaw

Shawna — Tue, 11 May 2010 22:41:55 +0000

I have found my new favorite website EVER!

Maybe I have a “funny” sense of humor but I dig the witty comments they have placed every where. I also LOVE the fact they are from Michigan (WAHOO! Home town pride!).

Moosejaw sells everything outdoors, well they don’t physically sell the outdoors but everything you need for the outdoors. Think Northface, Roxy, Gore-tex & many more! Trust me this stuff is hot and I want to buy everything there. So if you love the outdoors, cool clothing and funny comments GO THERE! NOW!!

rainy day go away…

Shawna — Tue, 11 May 2010 21:06:56 +0000

It is the 11th of May and it has rained 8 of those 11 days in Michigan. I really thought April Shower’s brought May Flowers.. Why are we having May Showers? This is ridiculous! So our Tuesday that could have been spent doing important outdoor things, is spent watching The Outdoor Network (best channel EVER). Hopefully this weekend the weather will decided to cooperate.

Nick is turning 30 this year and I feel that I should actually buy him a gift. We don’t normally buy each other presents but I think this birthday is important enough to buy SOMETHING! But what do to buy for the hunter that already has everything?

Gift cards? Nahh that’s a lazy gift. A new bag of food plot mixture? Um no I’ll pass. Maybe some Scent Lok gear? YES I would love to buy that but I am a pretty frugal girl so unless its on sale its not going to happen. I actually wouldn’t mind buying some Under Armour for him. Then he could wear it for muzzle loader season and then snowmobiling, but again frugality kicks in.

I’ve actually been searching for local hunting product websites (we like to support the little guys trying to make it big. Much like us ) or for range finders. I am leaning more towards clothing or blinds, but who knows. Maybe all Nick deserves is a kick in the butt!

Monday

Nick — Tue, 11 May 2010 02:26:01 +0000

About a week ago, an old tree fell into the food plot. I spent the morning cutting and throw it off onto the side. It’s important to me to up keep on the field and just cleaning up the tree makes a huge difference. This is just the first step in the fall hunting season preparation. Hunting is definitely takes preparation. You can’t expect to go out into the field and just come home with meat. If your not prepared your not going see the wild life your hunting. You’ll pretty much just waste your time.

One of my favorite parts of the cabin is the pond we had dug about 3 years ago. I have been catching perch, blue gills and crappie ; then releasing them into the pond. Ever year since the pond was dug there has been fat head minnows boughten and released into it. The other fish really have done a good job reproducing and they love eating the minnows. They also enjoy the occasion worm thrown. Shawna swears they are spoiled fish. The pond also benefits the animals in the area. It gives many of the mammals somewhere to drink, ducks a safe place to swim and we have a million frogs for our nephews to catch now! The only nuisance we experience is the Blue Heron. That bird will eat every fish in your pond if you let them. In Michigan (not sure about other states) the bird is protected so we have to let it run the roost.

Next week is a big week for both Shawna and I. It’s time to plant some food plots back at the farm and the cabin. We’ll keep you posted on the excitement!

Also special thanks goes out to saulfishfarm.com (for the fathead pictures) and to BioLogic (for just being so awesome)

Ladies Can Hunt!!

Shawna — Mon, 10 May 2010 06:05:24 +0000

I may have lived in Northern Michigan for my whole life, I never actually went hunting until I met Nick. He was a little apprehensive to take me with him. Even though up until this point all I’ve done is sit in the blind. This Fall, I am ready, to grab a rifle and finally shoot a deer. I work in the food plot’s just as much as Nick does and I see the trail camera pictures of the bucks (and bears!). It’s time for me to be the hunter and Nick to sit in the blind and watch me!

Our goal with this blog is to encourage other couples to get out there and hunt! Even to encourage men to take their wives, girlfriends, sisters, daughters whatever it may be out into the blind with them. Even if they just watch you hunt! Overall my personal goal is to get women excited and proud to be hunters.

No Shame ladies! Wear your Camo with pride!