“Stop and Smell the Moose” – Hiking the Across the Continental Divide

Summit, Flattop Mountain 12,324 ft.

The first time I came to Colorado was with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) in 1981 as a volunteer on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park. It was a three month position at the Kawanechee Visitor’s Center just above Grand Lake. I arrived by bus in Granby and my supervisor transported me up to the housing area by the Visitor Center. Having no car I hiked everywhere, which included in to town at least once a week for the few groceries I could afford with my meager subsistence allowance provided by SCA.  I saw elk for the first time.  I stepped out one evening behind my government housing trailer and walked through the lodgepole pine forest to the edge of the meadow below the Never Summer Range. I was awe-struck at the sight!  There must have been 200 plus elk in the herd.  This was amazing. I remember humming birds dive bombing me on my hikes.  They were everywhere! I remember seeing a golden mantled ground squirrel for the first time thinking, “Wow, that is the hugest chipmunk I have ever seen!”  I hiked up Specimen Mountain where I saw my first Big Horn sheep. It’s a killer mile almost straight up from where the Continental Divide crosses the road to get above tree line.  A lot of firsts that summer…and a lot to learn.

Wildflowers on the Western Slope

The western slope receives a lot more moisture than the eastern side.  It was still covered in wildflowers!  A slice of heaven….

I had been talking about doing this hike for over ten years now and figured since I turn 50 this year what better way to celebrate life!  By mile 13 or so my near 50 year old feet were feeling every mile of it.  I still had at least 4 miles to go to make it out…now my hips were feeling the miles too!  Nothing like dangling my feet in the icy stream to revive my achy feet and renew my spirits!

Cooling My Heels!

But what a beautiful hike!  The summit of Flattop Mountain you see on the first picture was 12,324 ft. and I was still smiling! Making my way down the western slope through many switchbacks, I escaped the thunderheads and lightening that were fast approaching. I made it below treeline once again and hiked past the storm.  Wahoo!

Along the way I saw numerous pika, marmots, elk, mule deer, and just when I was about a mile from reaching the trailhead we had a little moose standoff on the trail!

Immediately achy feet and hips were forgotten!  There was not one, but three moose:  bull, cow and calf all within ten feet of either side of the trail.  How magnificent!!  I kept a respectable distance.  They had no intention of moving on anytime soon.

Well…ok….I guess I can do a little off-trail detouring.  Wise decision.

You Want a Piece of This?!

 

The older I get, the busier I seem to be.  This hike was a good little life check.

Sometimes you need to stop and smell the roses….or in my case it was “Stop and Smell the Moose!”

Roses….Moose…. I’ll take it!

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From Shooting Steel to “Shootin’ the Breeze”

Gearing up for shoot!

Pink Lady with the Fire Power!

Bonnie smoking the stage!

Our squad is seven shooters, two of those shooting two guns and one is an eight year old boy shooting a 10/22 rimfire for his first match with his dad.  We take turns running the clock and keeping times and painting targets.  When you have a squad that works well together it makes for an enjoyable shoot.  I wouldn’t have it any other way!

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On the Road with HIVIZ….and the Stupid Stick!

Don’t get me wrong by the title here, this was a fantastic open house!  The hospitality of the owners was over the top!  The “stupid stick” comment you’ll see at the end of the blog.  Just thought I’d share a little of what women experience working in the male dominated gun industry.

I just spent five days in Tulsa, Oklahoma with Sports World, Inc.  They had a huge open house going on.  Gun manufacturer reps were there, Ruger, S&W, Sig, Mossberg, Remington, Springfield, Benelli along with other industry companies such as myself for HIVIZ.  The place was hopping!

I was the only female sales rep there in attendance, although they did have several women, including the owner of the store, working there.  It was a smothering 106 degrees one day with humidity off the charts…  The store was a cool welcome haven from the heat outside.   Entering the store you were on cozy wood floors with rows upon rows of long gun racks overflowing with “smokin’ deals”!  To your left was the handgun counters snaking their way around and filling most of the left side of the store.  Above and behind the counters yet more long guns!  Animal mounts adorned the walls with two towering bear mounts drawing your attention through to the back of the store.  To the right was anything from safes to clothing and knives.  The most interesting part was a little cafe tucked in the back corner with old bank teller windows separating it from the rest of the store.  You could sit and have coffee, soup or sandwiches during your visit here.  Very quaint!

We had customers galore in and out all day long for four days straight.  Saturday was a killer!  The second evening they had a local live radio broadcast that I was volunteered to do an interview for!  Nervous, I quickly thought about disappearing to the restroom and locking the door for a few hours until they left.  But I put on my reading glasses (somehow that makes me feel more confident…gee, maybe because I can see!), sat down and did the little radio interview.  Turned out to be fairly painless.

Two days later and after a little personal shopping of my own in the gun department, I was ready for some R&R.  Kelly Bostian, an outdoor writer who was also a part of the live radio broadcast, invited me out to the local gun range to try out the HIVIZ sights on the 5-Stand.

www.tulsaworld.com/site/articlepath.aspx?articleid=12287&b=1

We had a “blast” and returned to work the rest of Sunday at the store.  Here is where the “Stupid Stick” reared its ugly head.  It’s bustling in there.  I’m in my HIVIZ attire, standing in the midst of probably 500+ long guns with just as many handguns too, when a younger guy walks in and proceeds to explain to me that he is not from the Tulsa area, and asks if he can buy magazines.  I’m thinking why wouldn’t he be able to?… Before I can answer, he says “….not the kind you read you know….” Now I’m thinking, does it look like I’m standing in the middle of Barnes and Noble…does he not think I know what he’s talking about?  Ok…where is my “Stupid Stick” so I can tap him on the forehead?!

Ah, yes… occasionally, but repeatedly, women get these few (and thank goodness it is just a few), men out there with these kind of remarks.

Overall the trip was a great experience, including the chuckle I got from the magazine remark.

Anyone passing through the Tulsa area, I’d recommend stopping in!  You can visit their website at www.sportsworldtulsa.com.

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Skull Cleaning 101…..Just Plain Nasty!

When I returned from my bear hunt this past May I took the frozen hide to the taxidermist the next day to have a wall/rug type mount made.  I knew they extracted the skull and use foam forms when mounting so I told him I’d like to have this skull back before he throws it away or whatever it is they do with them.  He then told me he could clean it, etc. for about $125 or so.  Well I’m thinking….I can surely handle cleaning a skull, right?  I tell him to call me when he skins it out and I’ll pick it up.

Two days later I get the call and drive up the canyon to his place to pick it up.  YUCK! I get this garbage bag with a nasty looking head…eyes, tongue and all.  I don’t know what I was expecting, but I certainly got the “package deal”….even a good portion of neck attached.   Oh yippee.

I take it home and put it in our basement refrigerator until I have time to do this because I know it is going to be a long process.   Several days later….before this thing begins to ripen in my frig, I pull out the biggest pot I have and put the skull in to boil outside on the burner next to our gas grill.  Bears are very strong-smelling when they are alive and I can’t imagine it getting any better while cooking a head!  Hours go by and before quitting for the evening, I pull it out and try cutting off as much of the meat as possible.  Meaty little bugger he was!!  I repeated this process several nights in a row.

In the meantime I am telling my coworker, who does a lot of his own taxidermy, about my endeavor…and whom I’ve jokingly dubbed ”Norman” …as in the Norman Bates character from Psycho.  He tells me I will need this chemical powder to add to the water that dissolves the cartilage.  “Norman” was very nice to bring some in for me the next day.

Wow, what a difference this made.  The remaining meat, cartilage, and misc. unidentified parts easily fell from the bone.  Now I pulled the skull and used a small brush to clean his nasty choppers and other small tools to reach into the numerous (more numerous than I had imagined), cavities and extract everything.  Apparently there were some things this bear just didn’t want to give up that easily.   Cool, I am done, finito, outahere!  Not so fast! It just dawned on me I never extracted anything from the brain cavity…oooooo!   I slowly turn the skull over, peer down in there and sure enough there it is.  Now how am I going to get that out?  I grab the handle end of a fork and swirl it around in there  I feel like the ancient Egyptians preparing a body for mumification…N-A-S-T-Y! Turn it upside down and shake, turn the faucet on and turn upside down again and …well, it’s like the directions on the shampoo bottle, “lather, rinse and repeat” only about 20 times over.   Oh I can’t tell you how nasty this was!  Now I know why they charge what they do to clean skulls.  I don’t know how they did this with my buffalo! ….on second thought, I don’t even want the visual of how they did this for my buffalo skull…

It was quite the learning experience for me and I think it turned out relatively good for a first, and probably last, attempt!   “Norman” seemed quite impressed with me if nothing else…  Thank you Norman!

……oh the things we go through to gain a little respect!

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Fishing versus Firearms….Tough Decision!

Why is Deb holding up a fish?

Babes with Bullets…doesn’t sound like a fishing camp right? Well in this case we just finished our second annual “Babes” camp for OTIS Technology employees. The Lucky Star Ranch (and it’s attached gun range) is a first rate facility which is owned and operated by the OTIS “family.”  It also has a first class fishing lake with big bass!  Since I live in Tucson, not known for its great fishing, I really enjoyed catching this 5.5 pound bass. And yes, I baited my own hook and took my fish off without help. While I didn’t fillet my fish (thank you Brad Bartlett) I did cook it, along with several others caught by the Babes instructors. We enjoyed an awesome fish feast that final evening at the OTIS camp even though I did manage to get the smoke alarms yelling on that last batch of fish when I let the oil get too hot (my bad…)

By the way I can’t give enough kudos to OTIS for their commitment to employee training. What always amazes me, year in and year out, in talking with dozens of women in the firearms industry at the large annual SHOT Show, is how many of them have little or no experience with any type of gun! OTIS Technology, along with other sponsors of our Babes camps like Hi Viz Shooting Systems, invest training dollars into their female employees because they recognize the value of having women “walk the talk.”  In other words if you are going to make your living providing products for firearms,
hunting, fishing or archery, then it would be a good thing if these employees understood how and what their products are used for.

It has far reaching effects that I want to share with you…
* 26 women come to a camp, 24 of them have never shot a handgun before.
* All 26 women finish a three day firearms course with a wonderful safety
record and a new self-confidence that you can’t put a dollar amount on.
* These women work for the same company but in a variety of departments. At
this camp they all work like one big team where new friendships are forged
and team attitudes are solidified.
* Within a week of leaving camp 18 of the 26 women have applied for their NY
pistol permits.
* Within a week of leaving camp 13 of the women are submitting paperwork to
purchase their first firearm.
* Within a week of leaving camp 11 women have contacted me to have their
sister, or mom, or daughter, or partner, attend a future camp.

This was but one camp where firearms training was the main course of the
three days and yes, the fishing was pretty good too!
Read more

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Waterfowl Season is approaching!

It won’t be long before waterfowl season is here! The anticipation that starts building in August is almost unbearable as we wait for the haze of summer to burn off and autumn to bring its first cold front—and another opening day.

Now is the time to prepare! So as you begin working on your to-do list, Ducks Unlimited has put together 7 Steps for Success to help your pre-season preparation go smoother. These tips on everything from gear to guns are sure to get you even more excited (if that’s even possible) for another season afield.

Once you glean all you can from these tips, be sure to spread the word by forwarding this message to your friends so they can begin their pre-season preparations as well.

We hope you enjoy getting ready for opening day and the upcoming waterfowl season.

Thank you for your continued support of Ducks Unlimited!

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OTIS ANNOUNCES NEW DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND WELCOMES NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Lyons Falls, NY: Otis Technology, manufacturer of advanced gun cleaning systems and accessories, names Harold Philbrick as director of operations and Parrish Lewis as new product development manager.

With vast experience in lean manufacturing, Harold has been employed with Otis for two years. Formerly the Operations Manager, Harold holds certifications as a lean black belt and a six sigma green belt and has over 10 years of continuous improvement experience. Before Otis, he worked for three years as director of manufacturing for a tier 1/tier 2 automotive supplier and five years as a process improvement consultant. He has helped organizations achieve record results in the areas of product quality, employee safety and operating performance while exceeding budget expectations in regards to savings and margin.

Parrish brings his new product development skills to the sales and marketing teams at Otis. His background includes brand management, strategic positioning, and market research and analysis. Parrish was product manager at Coleman, Inc. as well as product manager at Stearns, Inc. and product developer at Payless Shoesource, Inc. where he demonstrated success driving growth in targeted markets through the introduction of key product lines. Parrish’s background as former military with the Battalion Intelligence NCO, of the US Army will also aid in growing the military division at Otis.

“I would like to congratulate Harold as well as welcome Parrish to the Otis family. Parrish’ experience in new product development will help strengthen the sales and marketing portfolio while Harold’s lean manufacturing experience will support our efforts on the operational side.” says Len Nelson, Otis’ vice president of sales & marketing. “Their combined experience in new product development and continuous improvement will grow our company in new areas while continuing our growth in existing markets.”

Otis Technology is known for manufacturing the most advanced gun cleaning systems available. The superior Breech-to-Muzzle® design combined with unmatched quality has positioned Otis as the gun care system of choice with the US Military. Otis Technology is smart gun care.

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Ladies Only Argentina Dove Shoot – 2012

PROISHUNTINGTRIPS.COM is now offering spots on a WOMEN’s ONLY Argentina Dove Hunt! Join Tracey Splechter of Outdoor Connection, Kirstie Pike of Prois Hunting Apparel and Ron & Betsy Spomer for an awesome 3 day hunt in Argentina!

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Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) – Part 1

Did you ever go to summer camp as a little kid? Do you remember the feeling of excitement and anticipation of being away from home, meeting new people, and trying exciting things? Well, all those feelings came rushing back to me this past weekend as I prepared to head off to my own summer camp, Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW).

North Dakota BOW Logo

For those of you not familiar with BOW, it’s a workshop designed primarily for women to assist them in gaining self-confidence and self-esteem with outdoors skills. The Annual BOW Workshop in North Dakota covers such topics as hunting and fishing, shooting, navigation, dutch oven cooking, plants and animals, and survival techniques. The classes generally stay the same year after year, but with so many options, one can return indefinitely and continue to learn new outdoor pursuits. As an example, my first two years I focused on hunting and shooting skills taking classes like shotgunning, rifle, archery, tracking and trapping, and big game cleaning.  Having never had any experience in most of these areas, it was a great opportunity to try new things in a safe and friendly environment. I could ask all the ‘dumb’ questions “I think my bow is broken. It doesn’t work.” It helps to have a left-handed bow, if shooting left handed. “Why am I going in circles?” Don’t follow your own trail on a GPS unit. “What do you mean Game and Fish won’t clean my deer for me?” I still think this should be part of their jobs.

This year I decided to try my hand at water based activities: canoeing, kayaking, fishing, and intro to waterfowl. I probably should have had these classes BEFORE our town flooded, but hindsight is 20/20. So early Friday morning, I packed my little car with the necessities like life jacket, swimming suit, sleeping bag, mosquito spray, and SMORES!!! I was also equipped with enough firepower to possibly take over the world. I take my own weapons, even if I’m not registered for the class, so other women get a chance to see that bows and firearms come in other colors besides black.

To begin with, we were forecast three beautiful days of weather. The temperatures were to be in the 80s, with a variable breeze, and little to no humidity. Halfway on my journey, I encountered the Mother of all thunderstorms and had to pull over a couple of times because I could no longer see the road. One important note: It only takes 6 inches of fast moving water to sweep a car off the road, so do not drive through water running over the road.

I arrived at camp to partly sunny conditions but the atmosphere was electric. Ladies were hugging and laughing. Everyone was talking at once and trying to catch up on the events of the past year. Most of these women only meet each other once a year, but there is an undercurrent of family. We are Outdoors Women, and that makes us family.

We had a brief lunch and then a short preview of events, and then it was time to begin the weekend activities. My first class was kayaking, and I was excited. I had never been in a kayak and the only ones I had ever seen were the crazy people kayaking in white water rapids.

Making a fashion statement has always been my forte, so I proudly sported my black and white Hawaiian board short with my pink Babes with Bullets t-shirt. To complete the outfit, I had my BRIGHT pink aqua socks (yes, aqua socks), blue life jacket, and alien-eyes sunglasses. I figured if I was going to capsize, I at least wanted to be easy to spot in the water.

Deluge at the Park

As we proceeded to the lake, the skies opened up and a deluge started. Hard, driving rain with very coldand gusty winds pelted us as we arrived at our meeting place. We discussed not kayaking, and one of the ladies said, “I’m not sure I was to go kayaking in the rain. I’m going to get all wet.” I hated to inform her; she stood a pretty good chance of getting wet without the rain.

So kayaking, what can I say? First, I’d like to say thank you to the lady from the lake who graciously allows BOW to use five of her own personal kayaks for the weekend. She is so passionate about other women trying and liking outdoor activities that she had lent her own kayaks for the last ten plus years. So, whoever you are, thank you.

First, kayaking is a lot harder starting out than it looks. For those of us with no coordination, putting one leg in, attempting to sit down, and then swing the other leg is in nearly impossible. Thankfully it was still pouring, so it didn’t matter if I fell unladylike into the bottom.  Once inside the kayak, the process is relatively simple. You paddle one side and then the other in a leisurely fashion. Left, right, left, right. Or in my case, left, left, left. I think I spent more time going in circles, but I did become best friends with Little Goldie Goldfish, who followed me around.

There were some vicious waves out on the lake while kayaking. It took a lot of upper body strength to paddle back to the landing pad since we were paddling against the wind. I would not recommend attempting big lakes with high waves unless you have a lot of upper body strength and a lot of time.

We spent approximately three hours kayaking around the lake. I saw several different varieties of birds, different species of fish, and even a

Freezing yet Fashionable

beaver. As for the blinding rain, and the fact I had to stick my hands in the lake water (which was considerably warmer) to warm them up, I would do this again. It was a great time and I really did learn a lot. After arriving back at camp and taking a quick shower to warm up, I stepped outside to see the sun shining. Figures.

Some important information I received about kayaking.

• One size doesn’t not fit all. The size and shape of the kayak is determined by the user’s height/weight, where the kayak will be used and how it will be stored. Be sure to know this information if you plan on buying your own kayak. Selection of the paddle is also important and based on the aforementioned items.
• Wear your life jacket. Most states require a life jacket to be worn while kayaking, some people decide not to. Make sure it fits properly and have it secured correctly.
• Stay centered and low to the water. This helps with your center of balance. And makes the kayak harder to roll.
• Sit straight up and use the foot rests if the kayak has them, or knees slightly bent and spread so they are resting against the sides of the kayak. This gives you more control and makes paddling easier.
• Lastly, know your limits. Start out slow and don’t push yourself. Practice technique and enjoy the scenery and wildlife.

Coffin Blind with Decoys

My first class of day two was Intro to Waterfowl. I have been to several BOW Women’s Only Waterfowl Hunts, but it’s always helpful to have another course. I always learn new and interesting techniques and enjoy sharing my enthusiasm with other women.

I have decided I have been attending BOW too long since most of the instructors know me by name and offer a better bio about me than I give about myself. It was this was with the waterfowl class, but I guess that’s the nice thing about having smaller class sizes.

We spent the first part of the morning learning about decoys, setting up for the hunt, and calling. It was amazing. We each received our own duck calls and began quacking like crazy. Okay, so many not exactly quacking, but there was definite noise being emitted for the call. The most incredible thing was we had some ducks starting to return our squawking. What a rush!

I got to practice lying in a coffin blind and ‘popping’ up with a shotgun. It is a completely unnatural feeling to shoot from a half seated/half prone position. Definitely something you would need to practice again and again before actually practicing in the field.

Peek-a-boo, I see you

Lastly, we learned about dressing for the hunt. Here in North Dakota, it is especially important to prepare for cold weather and prevent hypothermia. This is one area where quality of clothing is critical. Also, women should buy hunting gear specifically made for women. Wearing men’s clothing will allow wind to seep into the gaps and make for a miserable hunt. Remember to dress in layers and tuck everything in. One other important fact I learned was don’t wear boots in your waders. This is in direct conflict with what the salesman told me. It’s information like this that women need to know. I would have look completely ridiculous going out hunting with my hunting boots INSIDE my waders. Always get a second opinion.

Overall, this was one of the best classes by far. The instructors were informative and completely understanding with answering questions. They didn’t make fun of me when I tried to put the waders over my boots, but instead got mad at the salesman for deceiving me. They laughed with us when we all attempted our calling methods, and generally made us feel relaxed and excited to learn.

Some useful information I learned during Intro to Waterfowl:

• Face your decoys into the wind. Birds land into the wind, so if your decoys are facing the wrong direction, the birds will know something is wrong.
• Place decoys in a ‘V’ shape with the narrow part of the ‘V’ towards you. Leave a space in the middle for the birds to land. Also, you can mix and match geese and duck decoys.
• Put the farthest decoy at a specific distance. This will allow you to know how far out the birds are when they are coming in.
• It doesn’t matter how you call, as long as you are making some type of noise (no squawking or shrieks). Birds love to hear other birds and will generally respond to anything.
• Dress warm and in clothing specific to females. This is especially true if you are hunting in the northern plains.

Geese

Overall, the first two classes were a blast. Aside from the deluge on the first afternoon, the rest of the weekend was sunny and warm. I learned so much and am eager to try my newfound skills.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where I learned to fish and canoe. Lots of action and tipping the canoe as well.

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Fierce Battle Over Gun Rights

Are your gun rights being challenged? Are you letting the “Fast and Furious” actions of the Obama Administration challenge your right to carry, shoot and hunt? The more you know, the better you can protect your Constitutional rights and especially the Second Amendment – the right to bear arms. Watch these quick links for information concerning your gun rights and listen to Wayne LaPierre’s view.

How do you feel?  Does the NRA protect your gun rights?

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