A Bird, A Bike, A Gun, and A Challenge!

What a fun story written by Lanny Barnes – Olympic Biathletes and WOMA members (Tracy included!)

“There is nothing normal about the way my twin sister and I do things.  When it comes to hunting, there is no exception. We hunt in most places a normal person wouldn’t even dare. If its far enough, steep enough, rough enough, and challenging enough, we are going to hunt it. Amazing physical shape is our blessing and our curse that biathlon has given us. With the amount of physical training we do during a year, we found most easily accessible hunting area’s just weren’t challenging enough for us. Plus we didn’t like the idea of being elbow to elbow with other hunters that wanted the easy hunt. You see, when we hunt in an area we like a small list of things to be checked off before we consider it.

Here is the list.
-Is it remote … the further away from civilization the better.
-Are there abundant game animals, preferably the one’s who haven’t had much contact with Homo Sapiens
-Would we see another hunter? If we see another hunter, we obliviously haven’t gone back into the woods or mountains far enough. If an area doesn’t have all three on the list, than we usually won’t hunt there.

Our blessing of great physical shape has allowed us to access area’s that most people physically can’t. We can bike, run, hike, climb our way to some of the most pristine hunting wilderness and have access to game that usually haven’t had much contact with humans. Our curse is one of two things: 1.) We can get so far back into the woods or mountains that it could provide added dangers if something were to go wrong, an accident were to happen, or a unexpected storm were to roll in. Because of this, we always bring extra provisions to be prepared for the unexpected. 2.) Not many people volunteer to hunt with us, or the one’s that have usually don’t come back after the first attempt. We hunt long and hard days and are never back to the car by lunch. We usually are running out in the dark or if successful, we are rewarded with heading out (usually at a run) early.

Our latest expedition was last weekend turkey hunting. Because all of the forest service roads in Colorado are closed in the spring to allow for snow melt, most people can’t access the millions of acres that lie behind the locked gates. Now biking, hiking, running, on these roads is legal and a great way to get back into country that hasn’t seen a human since the snow started to fall back in October. Every spring, Tracy and I have expended large amounts of energy to get back to area’s where the turkey’s are. Usually this requires a two-plus hour run or bike, just to get back to where we start our hunt.

In Southwest Colorado, the turkeys are hunted hard and usually get really call shy by the end of the first weekend. With call-happy hunters squawking on their calls non-stop for two days, the birds usually wise up and don’t come into the calls. So, if you want to shoot a turkey, you have to go where the birds haven’t been harassed by tons of eager hunters.

Last weekend we biked uphill for two hours in the dark to get to one of our secret turkey hunting spots. Once there, we stashed the bikes and climbed a steep hill to a meadow that overlooked one of the most gorgeous views in southwest Colorado. By then it had started to get light. We made two or three calls and waited. No more than five minutes later, we heard a tom gobble and it sounded like he was coming in fast. I ran up 50 yards into the trees and waited, while Tracy called behind me to try and draw him right past me.  Her sweet talk was just what he wanted to hear and he was heading right for us.  In his love-struck state in hearing Tracy’s calls, he puffed up and danced his way too far to my right and went directly into the field between Tracy and me.

It was beautiful! Because of his coming in to far on my right flank, it awarded us some extra time to observe this beautiful Tom in action. I made a few calls with my mouth call and he reversed his direction towards Tracy and again came in on my right allowing me a perfect shot and a turkey dinner.

Had we hunted closer to town or civilization, this bird would have never come in the way he did. If you want to be successful in turkey hunting or hunting in general in an area that gets a lot of hunting pressure, then you have to be creative in the way you hunt. The advantage for us having biked the two hours uphill in the morning was that we tied the turkey to the bike and it was all downhill to the car!!

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Best Travel and Outdoor Vest Yet!

Two small outer pockets also buttoned.  The right hand one has a slit that I found most convenient for hanging my reading glasses.  Above the left pocket is a smaller slit pocket I used for lipstick and it was deep enough that the pocket contents didn’t drop out when I bent over.

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How friends stay friends on a boat trip: 5 steps to success

The Wildlife for Tomorrow Banquet provided the springboard for twelve Antelope foundation members to successfully bid and win a Lake Powell House boat trip. Starting with a 5 step plan designed by the soon to be happy house boaters seemed prudent.

1. Have a planning meeting

2. Draw for sleeping quarters

3. Design a menu and food

4. Decide what gear to bring

5. Format the adult beverages needed

And the secret number six was to personally decide to stay positive and have fun no matter what.

Shane Stewart, current president of the AAF offered to bring their beautiful boat. Jim McCasland, current Board of Directors and Jim Unmacht, Board of Governors and past president, chimed in and offered up their Bass boats. The group included:

Board of Governors- past president

Jim McCasland and Debbie

Pete Cimellaro founding member and Cathy

Jim Unmacht and Tracey

Bill Keebler

Mary Keebler – Treasurer

Al Sue – Board of Directors and wife Marsha (me!)

Arriving the evening before, the soon to become boating buddies, arrived in Page and dined at The Dam Bar and Grill. Early the next morning the troop headed for the marina and began the daunting effort of loading all the gear onto the 70′ Silver Millennium luxurious houseboat. Thankfully the ‘helpers’ from the marina packed up the trailered golf carts and hauled many loads of ‘stuff’ to our floating paradise.

The planning meeting paid off – sort of. Way too much food was unpacked so there was never the thought of starving. The variety and excellence of the meals would have pleased any gourmet’s palate.

With a limit of over 200 small mouth bass and the prospect of many poles in the water we knew one of the feasts would be a fish fry. Hush puppies, French fries and coleslaw would provide another incredible meal. Layer on a dose of perfect weather for a perfect holiday.

The only issue seemed to be running low on water and we did not want to retire to the home marina only to be remembered as the dirty dozen. The plan did include coming closer to the Antelope Marina the evening before our week ended.  So departing from our anchored bay, we stopped by Dangling Rope Marina, filled our empty water tanks and of course refilled the ice chests. Showers were had by all by the end of the day!

All equipment seemed to work well, except for Umacht’s skiff named Betsy.  She decided to die just as the troop started back to the marina.  With a little help from their friends, and the Lake Powell rescue boats, everyone arrived safe and sound.

So here is the lesson: when attending banquets bid often with friends and win. Supporting these great conservation groups should be on every ones agenda. Help the Antelope herds and throw in a bunch of fun.

By: Marsha Petrie Sue

AAF Volunteer

President Women’s Outdoor Media Association

NRA Women’s Leadership Forum Executive Council

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Argentina – Cordoba’s best dove hunting!

The WOMA members, Elizabeth Lanier, Anne Draper and Marsha Petrie Sue enjoy an amazing trip to Cordoba, Argentina for a little wing shooting. The dove were more than plentiful, the loaders kept us all in action and the surroundings breathtaking.  Los Chanares is THE place to experience dove hunting in Argentina.  The lodge, people, accommodations, food, grounds and so much more were beyond our expectations.  And you only travel 5 to 10 minutes (not an hour or two) from the lodge to begin shooting.

Thanks to Elizabeth and her group of  G.R.I.T.S. (Girls Really in to Shooting) for coordinating everything. If you are interested in joining us next year, just let me know!  Marsha@TheWOMA.com

For more pictures, please visit Marsha Petrie Sue’s facebook link.

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Pheasant Hunting with Style!

Two women, two dogs and guide Marcus created part of the most memorable afternoon for me in a very long time. Wing shooting and sporting clays are not activities in which I am well versed but off I went on my third day at Virginia’s amazing Primland Resort to participate in something I knew nothing about. Barely resting the night before, my sleep was constantly interrupted by images of the shotgun skills I just learned at recent shooting lessons. Morning came quickly and off I went for my day of ‘European style walk-up hunts.’

In case you aren’t familiar with a European style hunt it actually starts before you ever leave your room.  In my case I left my beautiful room at the Primland by dressing in the English style hunting apparel. This attire included the proper feathered hat, soft caramel shooting jacket, a silk ascot, tweed pants tucked into knee boots with taupe cable knit stockings peeking from the top, and skin tight leather gloves. I felt transported back to an elegant era of long ago.

As Carl McDaniel, Primland Activities Director, instructed us to safety procedures and what to expect, my mind was racing with the possibilities of planning a retreat to this beautiful lodge, imagining a women’s hunt, father – son outing and/or family reunions. The possibilities seemed endless. The amenities in the entire resort are flexible and friendly for so many events.

Once the safety briefing concluded we headed outside to start the hunt.  I was joined by the four other properly attired hunters and we stood at the assigned pegs (new term for me meaning shooting station,) guns ‘leaded’ (another new term meaning loaded) by our individual ‘loaders’ (people that reloaded shotguns) and waited for the first bird to pop over the horizon.

Then it began. With the sun peaking from behind puffy clouds in the crystal blue sky, we could hear but not see the ‘beaters.’ Provided by the lodge, these well-trained people were thumping their sticks in the grass and on trees, hollering and even singing.  Their goal was to launch the Pheasant from the thick grass to the air and within our sight.

Why my heart didn’t pound right out of my body is still a mystery. My loader, Carlton, was a dream and gently steadied me with a hand on my back and suggesting when to shoot. Each time we moved from peg to peg, success rate improved.  I was in heaven and was officially bagging Pheasants!

I was pleased that the day before we had the opportunity for shooting clay targets at yet another activity area at Primland Lodge. The sporting clay venue was set up perfectly to practice all kinds of angles and helped me gain confidence.

We stopped for a lovely lunch in Woodland Grill at Primland activity center and were ready for our next event, the afternoon walk in hunt.  I was paired with Barbara Weiland, who was also a novice wing shooter. Off went two women, two dogs and our guide, Marcus. After his precise instructions on working with dogs and our ‘cone’ of shoot zone, we began walking through the most beautiful scenery I’ve traveled to in a long time, that included a very old hunter’s cabin.

As the dogs, Bo and Blue, worked the field, my heart started to pound again and with no warning, a Chukar ripped from the grass into the sky. Barbara’s shooting cone was alive with shot, and she folded the bird to the ground; a perfect first shot!   Then out of nowhere, there was a Chukar within my shooting sphere and voila, I had my first bird. Barbara and I looked at each other, and with Marcus walking between us, we did an ‘air’ high five.

Blue retrieved my bird, dropped it with Marcus and immediately rolled over in her victory dance. Now this was fun!  Just that quickly it dawns on me to steady my nerves and be focused; just like when I’ve taken Babes with Bullets handgun programs.  There is no room for mental terrorism, I know I can do this, I regain my composure and I’m ready for the next bird.

Changing fields, I continued to be amazed by the beauty of Primland. Barbara and I ended up our afternoon with 29 shots and from those shots came a total of 23 Chukar and Pheasants. The congratulations offered by the other guides and hunters complimented an already perfect day.

Consider planning a trip to Virginia and take advantage of the incredible 12,000 acre Primland Lodge. Schedule time to enjoy golf, the spa, wonderful dining options, astronomy, deer hunting, fishing and even tree climbing! Plan meals at the 19th Grill, Elements – just to name two of the fabulous dining options. This is an experience not to miss.

Marsha Petrie Sue

NRA Women’s Leadership Forum – Executive Committee

Women’s Outdoor Media Association – President

Babes with Bullets – Alumni

Photographs courtesy of Primland Resort

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Lunch with Callista Gingrich, Ann Romney and Karen Santorum in St. Louis!

You won’t want to miss this luncheon at the St. Louis NRA Convention. This 6th annual event, hosted by Susan LaPierre and Suzie Brewster, NRA Women’s Leadership Forum Luncheon Co-Chairs, will be held on Friday, April 13th at the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis. The luncheon’s very special invited guest speakers are Callista Gingrich, Ann Romney and Karen Santorum. There will be a silent auction, a live auction and an opportunity to have your picture taken with the guest speakers.

This is a great way to catch up with old friends and meet new ones! Special guest Wayne LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President, will be in attendance. The silent auction will begin at 11:00am followed by the luncheon and live auction at noon. Tickets are available at the $200, $500 and $1,000 levels. For more information, please contact me at Marsha@MarshaPetrieSue.com. I have seats available at my table so please let me know if you are interested!

See you there!

Marsha Petrie Sue, The WOMA Board Member and President

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Better Than A Hoodie: LL Bean does it again

I have many standard sweatshirt hoodies and none of them were keeping me warm or meet my needs. So I finally found one that does!

Whether early morning gym trips, taking that brisk morning walk, hiking in the cool air of the mountains or shooting sporting clays on a breezy day, this multi purpose sweatshirt is a real find. One of my favorite features is the elastic band on the hoodie to hold it close to my head, covering my ears and still allowing me to wear a ball cap. Also, there are pockets within pockets with a little Velcro closure to secure keys, credit cards, etc. that provided extra convenience. And there is more:

• extra body length maximizing body warmth

• sleeves long enough to cover my hands when needed

• easy care, washable merino wool with soft fleece on the inside

Now about the fine merino wool – typically I can’t stand any kind of wool against my skin and have been known to break out in a very interesting rash.  Not with this knitted wool. Plus it is as comfortable and ‘non itchy’ as a soft cotton. And did I mention it doesn’t retain odor?

I ordered the black and now will order that same hooded sweatshirt in the olive green.  It is perfect for cool air travel or for being out in the field. Excellent value and a real find. Click here to see what I’m talking about. Get it for yourself, or better yet, buy it for a gift!

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Bad Officials are Elected by Good Citizens

Past NRA president Sandy Froman, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Marsha Petrie Sue and Judi White joined together for a discussion of the importance of voting and helping others see the importance of getting to the polls. I’m happy to report that Governor Brewer is a case in point where citizens elected a good official!  Sandy, Marsha and Judi are on the Executive Committee for the NRA Women’s Leadership Forum.

The conversation was stimulating and very interesting as they were enjoying a dinner with 30 other people who have the same passion for protecting our constitutional rights.

Personally  I am going to carry voter registration forms with me, asking people to please complete one. If they say they are registered to vote, I will tell them we are ‘freshening’ up the information and need a clean copy — hoping this will work in the majority of times.  We must do something!

Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote! George Jean Nathan (1882-1958) So let’s keep the good ones, like Governor Brewer, and replace the bad officials in the upcoming elections.

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Primland – first impressions are the most important

An easy flight to Charlotte, North Carolina and a beautiful ride by car, brought me to the incredible Primland.  Sitting on 12,000 acres of the Dan River Gorge in Southwest Virginia, this breathtaking property is giving me choices of hiking, golf, riding horses, ATVing and shooting sporting clays.  In addition, fly-fishing, trout and bass fishing, pheasant hunting, spring gobblers, white tail deer and more are available. But it’s snowing right now!

What truly intrigued me was the capability for complete rejuvenation at the Primland including tranquil alcoves to read, a spa that sooths the soul, sitting by the lobby fireplace with a lovely glass of wine or relaxing with an elegant meal in the Elements dining room. So I just booked a massage!
But my focus this trip is sporting clay shooting and pheasant chasing.  I just might try to squeeze in some more spa time or ATV riding … or even some fishing! (Oh and the picture is a stock picture because you couldn’t see your feet outside right now — beautiful!!) Check it out!

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Single Stack Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Lisa Munson and Deb Ferns at the Western States Single Stack Match in Arizona

What fun it was to travel down to Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club to see Lisa Munson and Deb Ferns competing in the 2012 Western States Single Stack Match at Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club in Mesa, Arizona. The success was more in the camaraderie than the shooting success, and despite some technical issues, everyone had a great time.

Lisa had a rough start to the match and ended up losing “high lady” by just a few points.  Deb fought gun problems ALL day on Saturday, mainly because she had a borrowed .38 super single stack from one of her friend’s husband.  It’s hard to tweak other people’s equipment for things like a larger extended mag release,  etc.

Finally on Sunday morning, Deb and Lisa figured out that the 10 round mags would only run reliably with 9 rounds in them.  While frustration was the word of the day, overall, it is all about fun and the entire squad agrees that they had a ‘blast’ – including WOMA board member Jaci Janes and her fiance Robert! Jaci shot VERY well and saw huge improvement over her last major match, placing fourth lady overall.  Plus, they all had so much fun that their squad mate Eddie Garcia from Cameron’s Custom Guns (Lisa’s big sponsor) said he is going to donate products to the WOMA for product review and to help with our auction at the end of the year.

Deb Ferns, Jaci Janes and Lisa Munson of the WOMA warming up before the second day of shooting the match

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