Home Defense for Women

I work with a lot of people and talk to a lot of women who are usually intrigued by my lifestyle. With the recent events in the world, more and more women are approaching me about firearms and home defense. I have had this conversation more times than I can count and I think it […]

Read More » | March 20, 2013 | Category: Blog | Comments: 5

Super Sheephead Sunday

Like I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, when I am not hunting you can probably find me fishing and that was just the case on a cool but nice weekend in February. Because we had sold our boat last year I knew we would be fishing from the bank, which is just as awesome – […]

Read More » | March 19, 2013 | Category: Blog | Comments: 3

Offshore Addiction

The hum of diesel engines and the gentle rolling waves rocking a boat put me in a trance! The best sleep I have ever had has been on a boat! Then there is the sound of a screaming reel! FISH ON!!!!!! I have never seen people jump up so fast from a slumber than when […]

Read More » | March 18, 2013 | Category: Blog | Comments: 1

My Most Exciting Hunt

I never thought of Washington State as having trophy-class bears, but when my husband took a huge color-phase black bear with his longbow in 2009, it became my goal to bag one of my own. I had taken two bears previously in Idaho, but both were pure black and in the 5 foot range. While […]

Read More » | March 17, 2013 | Category: Blog | Comments: 2

To See or Not To See; That Should Not Be the Question

If you were to ask me what would be the most important item to take into the field when hunting besides my weapon, my answer without a second of hesitation would be “good optics.” Binoculars are an invaluable tool that I would never be caught without. Whether you use a bow or rifle, binoculars will […]

Read More » | March 16, 2013 | Category: Blog | Comments: none

Rich in Spirit

“This weekend I am going hog hunting!” and “probably next weekend I will do some fishing…” These are the words my coworkers and non-hunting friends hear from me all the time or something close to that. When the weekend starts to get close everyone begins to discuss their plans and mine usually fall into the […]

Read More » | March 15, 2013 | Category: Blog | Comments: 6

A Whale of a Time

I was watching TV the other day and the show was talking about the aquarium in Atlanta Georgia. It naturally caught my attention being a mermaid and all, ha ha! The Atlanta aquarium is the biggest in the world stretching 13 acres, holding 8 million gallons of water! This program I was watching was focusing on the Whale Sharks they have in the tank. People get on a waiting list just to be able to dive and swim with the sharks. I can completely understand people’s fascination with whale sharks, I have met one first hand, and yes they are amazing creatures! … Having fished the Gulf of Mexico for years I have had an occasional run in with Whale Sharks, but they usually keep their distance or just cruise by the boat once for a curious hello! I consider myself extremely lucky to have seen these fish in their natural environment. Early one cool October day our fishing buddies and I found ourselves in an up close encounter of the fishy kind! … We had loaded the boat up with tackle and friends and went off for a day trip of offshore fishing. It was a shorter trip than the previous ones we had taken that year. We were targeting Cobia and Amberjack. We hadn’t been at the rig very long when we saw bait breaking the surface off in the distance. The jigging was slow so the crew decided to go check out what the white water commotion was all about. Well the commotion was coming from a twenty plus foot long Whale Shark and all of its fishy friends that were sharing its dinner. Whale sharks are filter feeders and have no teeth. They feed on krill and plankton along side other baitfish eating the krill with them. … We drifted up to the commotion and to our surprise the shark was not bothered by us. In fact he liked being by the boat. I reached down and gently touched him with excitement. He just kept swimming around us. My husband and one of our friends were the first to jump in with him. Even after they visited him in the water, Sharky still stayed near. I decided this was an amazing opportunity and I had to do it! … The water was cold and I only had on a snorkel and mask, no flippers. I am a very confident swimmer and have always been at ease in the water. Not having flippers was not an issue for me. I jumped in and swam over to our shark friend. His size was intimidating and he swam slow and I easily kept up. I grabbed ahold of his dorsal fin and just let him drag me. It was a rush…… He began to rise to the surface and I suddenly found myself sitting on him like I was riding a horse! I was riding a polka spotted 20 foot shark, WOW!!!!!!!! It was a true mermaid moment and I couldn’t stop smiling. I sat up on him and waved at our crew on the boat! The ride was short lived and he descended deeper and I made my way back to the boat to get out of the cold water. … Swimming with a Whale Shark was an experience I will forever remember vividly and with excitement every time I think of it! Whale sharks are truly gentle giants of the sea. Having met one first hand and had the opportunity to swim beside one is a highlight of my many outdoor experiences! Being one with Mother Nature and her children make for a lifetime of memories and amazing experiences! I love the ocean just as much as the fields and the forests!

Read More » | March 14, 2013 | Category: Blog | Comments: 2

How did She See That?

I have a dear friend, Annie, who moved to Washington from Minnesota. One day Annie happened to mention that since moving here three years ago she had never seen a deer. I was astounded, as we live in an area with an abundance of deer! I suppose that if she stayed in town the lack […]

Read More » | March 13, 2013 | Category: Blog | Comments: 1

Mistakes Made

Not everyone is willing to admit to their mistakes, but I am a firm believer that you must make them, own up to them, learn from them and have others learn from them. I try to apply this at my job, at home, and especially in my hunting and outdoor adventures. Very few people, if […]

Read More » | March 12, 2013 | Category: Blog | Comments: 6

Life is an Adventure with Pack Goats

Two years ago my husband and I started a new adventure. One snowy day in the middle of March, we adopted four baby goats who were destined to become the start of our pack goat herd. Life hasn’t been the same since! … My introduction to pack goats started several years before. Prior to meeting […]

Read More » | March 11, 2013 | Category: Blog | Comments: none