Gretchen Steele … Queen of the Carp

Meet outdoor photographer and freelance writer Gretchen Steele, of Illinois, our “fish babe” for March 2011. Gretchen is a carp-crazed angler, desiring to rid the world of this pesky vermin of the water. Writes Gretchen, “It’s hard to get a traditional ‘trophy fish’ image with the carp, given their size, and the fact that they have the most horrific, thick slime covering.”

She continues, “Lest anyone think we were ‘over fishing’ … the carp are such an invasive and destructive species that the more you can haul out, the better. … The up side is that they are great food source, and one day (like the one shown) can keep you in fish for a year. When it’s smoked or pressure canned in some herbs and oil … it’s yummy stuff. They also make great fertilizer and often, when we have quite literally tons of the darn things, we will donate tubs full to wildlife rehabbers who are able to use them as food for the wildlife.”

This spring, you might see Gretchen fly fishing for carp. She says, “That ought to be a riot … Let’s see, I’ve harvested carp with any all variety of lines and poles and set ups, nets, pitchforks, gigs, sling shot, bow and arrow, and by hand. Now it doesn’t get much more versatile than that!”

Follow Gretchen’s many adventures outdoors at her blog here. Check out her photos here.

 

 

Still time to join the WOMA members at mini-retreat in Sparta for Appleseed Project weekend

The WOMA member Gretchen Mueller Steele coordinated a last-minute mini-retreat and invites the WOMA members to join her at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Ill., from Aug. 21-22, 2010, for an Appleseed Project experience. See http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=14215.0

The Appleseed Program is designed to take you from being a simple rifle owner to being a true rifleman. An American tradition, the rifleman has been defined as a marksman capable of hitting a man-sized target from 500 yards away – no ifs, ands or buts about it. This 500-yard range is traditionally known as “the rifleman’s quarter-mile.” A rifleman can hit just about any target he can see within that radius. Marksmanship skill (albeit with smoothbore muskets) was particularly evident in the birth of our country, and was the difference in winning the Revolutionary War, right from the first day. At least four members have already signed up to take the weekend class, and intend to follow up with a week-long, advanced Boot Camp at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri in October.

Women are admitted free for the weekend, as the program is trying to train more women to be riflemen.

Here’s Gretchen’s agenda for the weekend:

Friday 8/20
Arrive and check in
4:00 PM Tour of the World Shooting and Recreational Complex with CEO Tony Mayfield
Following the tour we will travel  ( 8 miles) to Coulterville for dinner at Pistol City. A few local outdoor media folks will join us there as well as a rep from the City of Coulterville and the Coulterville Chamber of Commerce

Saturday 8/21
Appleseed Event 8-4 (need to be there somewhat before 0800 to register etc)
Dinner at 17th Street at the WSRC; again joined by some of the area outdoor media and industry folks

Sunday 8/22

More sweating with oldies – on the line at the Apple Seed event
Sunday evening meal we can decide  based on what we decide on lodging.

Monday 8/23
For those wishing to stay over for Monday – Bank fishing will be available at the Hunt CLub should we elect to stay there. I am also happy to give folks a tour of the area and the various outdoor opportunities, historic sites. Unfortunately my boat will only hold two ( it’s not much more than a floating laundry basket) – so our fishing would be bank fishing or bank bowfishing/slingshot fishing for those who would want to learn. We have good bank fishing at several sites close to both Sparta and Percy. Baldwin Lake and Peabody Fish and Wild Life area are both excellent pieces of public land with good fishing opportunities.

An IL fishing license is required for bowfishing.

Let me know what you ladies decide about lodging. That’s always difficult in this area – there is lodging, but our rates seem a bit high – mostly due the huge influx of people associated with the Prairie Sate Energy Campus project.

If you’d like to attend, get in touch with Gretchen Steele:

Gretchen Mueller Steele
Steele Photo Services
1314 South Main
Coulterville, IL 62237
steelephoto@gmail.com
www.steelephotoservices.com
618-201-4180

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Julie Goloski Golob wins again

The WOMA’s Julie Goloski Golob has won her second title in as many matches in the young 2010 handgun competition season. Read more

Team Artemis readies for upcoming Campbell Outdoor Challenge in Illinois

Team Artemis, the all woman team comprised of Nancy Jo Adams and Marti Davis, are excited about the opportunity to try their skills in the Whitetail qualifying challenge at Campbell’s Illinois Whitetails in Carmi, Illinois, on October 24 through 30. The team is proudly sponsored by Bass Pro Shops/RedHead, Women’s Outdoor News, Up North Journal and several various gear sponsors. This is an exciting opportunity that will give them experience of filming hunts for broadcast quality footage.

The Campbell Outdoor Challenge gives teams comprised of a hunter and a camera person the opportunity to compete against other teams proving their ability to capture the hunt and harvest on camera effectively. Campbell Cameras specializes in equipping outdoor enthusiasts with the proper video and audio equipment to capture the thrill of the hunt and offers video cameras and accessories, audio equipment, camera mount systems, video lights and editing software to make the perfect combination to fit any camera person’s needs.

For Nancy Jo, this opportunity could not have presented itself at a better time. Nancy Jo was recently announced as the First Lady of Up North Journal. As field staff, Nancy Jo will be filming her hunts for the 2009-2010 season for UNJ’s Beyond the Wild and was researching cameras and equipment for that need. Up North Journal offers weekly podcasts and you will be able to listen to updates while Team Artemis is attending this challenge. You can find Nancy Jo’s blog link on the site and can read about the Team Artemis Campbell Outdoor Challenge experience as it unfolds.

Nancy Jo expressed that she likes the idea that Campbell Cameras can be a one-stop-shop to purchase everything that is necessary to film hunts in the field. She stated, “The Outdoor Filming Packages are perfect for someone like me who is new to the sport of filming hunts. I don’t have to worry about getting a camera and equipment that is virtually of no use to me as I would if buying at a big electronic store retailer. I can rest assured that Campbell Cameras is outfitting me with all the necessary items that I need for my intended purpose. ”

Marti Davis, RedHead Pro Field Staff member, is a very integral part of Team Artemis — bringing her experience of filming hunts in the past and her successful harvest record to the team. Marti stated, “Filming a hunt is something I have tried before with low-end equipment and low-end results. I look forward to filming Nancy Jo with Campbell Cameras’ broadcast quality equipment and getting some high-quality results.”

Listen to Nancy Jo and Marti in a podcast with Up North Journal (#131) here.

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