Saskatchewan, land of giants
December 13, 2010 by Tracey Splechter
Filed under On the Road
Our hunt had been planned for a few months, with a few twists and turns along the way. The day had finally arrived to fly to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for our white-tailed deer adventure. Kirstie Pike, CEO of Próis and I were meeting up on Saturday, November 6 and planned to overnight in Saskatoon, prior to our departure for camp on Sunday. All travel plans went off without a hitch, and we were ready to go by 9 a.m. on Sunday.
The author, right, with Próis CEO Kirstie Pike
Devin, the outfitter, and a few other hunters met us at the hotel, and we loaded our gear into the trucks and headed north. It is approximately a two-hour drive from Saskatoon to Leoville (where ATVs are stored for the ride to camp), and the guides offer to stop in Leoville to let hunters purchase any extra beverages or snacks they need for the week. We arrived at the base camp in the early afternoon and each hunter’s gear was loaded onto trailers which were to be pulled by quads. Each hunter drives their personal four-wheeler for the one-hour adventure into camp.
I say “adventure” because this is exactly what it was. The guides had just brought the previous hunters out of camp two days prior to us making the trek but not long after starting down the trail we hit our first bump in the road. One of the hunters dug himself deep into a mud hole and had to be rescued. The weather was quite warm for early November so the trails were not frozen as they typically would be when hunting season begins. The second bump: A beaver had chewed down a large tree, blocking our “train” from passing by. The tree was too large for the six guys to lift and move off the trail, so the guides took each four-wheeler around the tree so we could continue on our journey. The rest of the ride in was uneventful, but the scenery was amazing. We saw several lakes, miles and miles of timber, clear blue skies and wildlife galore!
Once at camp, the guides unloaded all gear and we were shown around camp. There was the main cabin, where hunters sleep and meals are prepared, the guides’ cabin, the cleaning shed, a workshop, and the changing cabin. The heated changing cabin is where you store all your hunting gear. The owner is a firm believer in scent control and does not allow any of your hunting clothes to be brought into the main cabin. While the guides were busy cleaning the four-wheelers, we unpacked our hunting items into the changing cabin and took everything else into the main cabin. The main cabin has three bedrooms, each with a set of bunk beds, a bathroom with shower, kitchen, dining room, livingroom and deck overlooking Higgins Lake. The main cabin is also equipped with a wood-fueled hot tub.
Next on the agenda was the sighting in of each hunter’s gun. Once this was complete it was time for dinner and to get all paperwork out of the way. Each person drew for their stand placement and guide for the Monday morning hunt. This works well, as it keeps things fair among all hunters. After a quick video, it was off to bed as the morning would come very quickly.
A high tree stand
Bright and early Monday morning, the coffee was brewing and breakfast was cooking on the stove. Dustin, the cook and guide, created the most amazing meals you could imagine in a backcountry hunting camp. After breakfast, it was off to the changing shed to prepare ourselves for a long day in the tree stands. We loaded our gear onto our four-wheelers and wished each other well for the day. My guide for the week was Tom Beebe, the outfitter’s dad. Tom has been guiding hunters in the area for 21 years so he knows the land very well. It took about an hour to navigate our way to the stand. My stand the first morning was named Jack Pine 2. It was about 20 feet in the air and about 111 yards from the bait pile. I had three good shooting lanes and a lot of action all day. I had a nice ten-pointer chase a few does around for the majority of the afternoon but I didn’t get too excited about him. I decided that if I was in the same stand on Thursday and hadn’t shot anything, he would be my Thursday deer.
During the 12-hour sit, I also saw four eight-pointers, four six-pointers and several spikes. I lost track of all the does that came into the bait pile, of alfalfa straw and peas. Every day, the guides drive around to all 35 stand locations and place fresh bait, if needed.
Back at camp, dinner was ready and we all talked about the day’s happenings. Every hunter saw several deer, but no one had taken a shot. We were all waiting for the monster! The outfitter has about 20 Cuddeback cameras placed at different stands. Every day they pull the cards from the cameras to help pattern the deer movement. A board in the lodge displays photos of deer they have gotten on camera that have not been shot. They have each hunter study this board to be sure they know how to judge deer in the field. The guides had spotted a very large buck at a stand where they hadn’t placed a hunter, so they decided to move a few of us to different stand locations. I wasn’t really ready to move, but agreed to shake things up a bit. Four of us were chosen to draw again, and I drew lucky stand Carolina.
The next morning we drove about 1.5 hours to my stand location. This time there was one shooting lane, the bait pile was at about 75 yards and my stand was about the same height. Before we headed out, I had told Kirstie that I had a nervous feeling in my stomach. About an hour into sitting, I realized why I was feeling that way. Two does came underneath my stand and headed straight for the bait. They hung out for a while and something spooked one and off it ran. The second one stayed on the bait but was looking into the trees to my left. I scanned the woods to my left and saw nothing. A few minutes went by, and that doe hadn’t moved.
So I started searching the woods to my left again, and there he stood: the large buck with the tipped main beams that I had remembered seeing on the board. I knew instantly he was a shooter! No need for binos—I went straight for my gun. The buck went directly to the bait pile and turned perfectly broadside. I took about five deep breaths and fired. Wow, what a rush! I will never forget that feeling just after you take your shot and you watch your deer trot slowly away. I immediately radioed my guide to let him know I had taken a shot, just as we’d been instructed. About an hour after I had shot, I got all my gear and myself out of the stand and was going to investigate. I walked down the hill to the bait pile and couldn’t find any blood. All I found was a pile of fur. I sent Kirstie a message to let her know that I had shot and good news, so had she. She tracked her deer and had a very nice 12-pointer on the ground!
The timber was so thick that I decided to go back to my stand and wait for the guide. A couple of hours passed and Tom arrived. We went down to the bait pile, I told him which direction the buck ran off and the tracking was on. We found a very large pile of blood and then tracked for about an hour and couldn’t find anything else. I was getting that sick feeling like I had a bad shot, but knew deep down I was right on. It was getting dark, so Tom decided we needed to head back to camp and we would try again tomorrow. I was beside myself. The entire ride back to camp, I was speechless. I felt I had wounded a deer and left him to die in the woods. Tom did everything he could to console me and said that if he was down, the birds would be on him in the morning and we would find him. Once back in camp, we learned five of the six hunters in camp had shot deer that Tuesday morning, and mine was the only one not recovered yet. There was Tom who took a 182, Kirstie with a 154, Ron with a 140 and Jessie with his first whitetail at 127. The wait for Wednesday afternoon was the longest 12 hours of my life. Tom, Devin, Ron, Jessie (Ron and Jessie were from North Carolina and Florida, respectively) and I headed out on quads Wednesday in search of my tipped main beams. Along the way we baited a few stands and finally reached Carolina.
The author's first Saskatchewan whitetail was a real beauty.
I showed everyone the fur at the bait pile, the direction he ran off and the large pile of blood we found the previous day. We all started off in a different direction with our eyes and ears open. Driving in we didn’t see any birds flying overhead so that wasn’t a great sign. Devin yelled for everyone to be quite, he thought he heard something. We all stood our positions and then we heard them, the birds squawking about 100 yards away. Devin and Ron took off at a fast pace in the birds’ direction and Ron started yelling he could see him. At that point, I was sprinting through the brush, my heart pounding. Devin was yelling for everyone to get there as he spotted an eagle. Ron, my savior, had found my deer! Little did we know that Tom and I had been only about 10 yards from the deer the previous day but could not see him through the thick brush. It was smiles and hugs all around. I was so excited! I had my first Saskatchewan whitetail, and he was a beauty. My emotions had gone on a roller coaster ride in a short 24-hour period, but everything ended well. We made it back to camp and the celebration was on! We had taken five deer in one day and that was a record at camp!
We had a fantastic meal, and Jessie even played a few tunes on the guitar for us that evening. Bobby, the only guy in camp who hadn’t shot settled in early that evening as he was going to try his luck again the next day. It turned out that Bobby wouldn’t take a shot on this trip to Saskatchewan but had several opportunities at deer over 140. Bobby and Tom both are returning to hunt in 2011. As for the rest of us, we will be back again someday.
Kirstie and I packed up and were ready to head back to Saskatoon on Thursday for Friday flights home. We said our goodbyes to the hunters in camp and to the fantastic guides. Overall this was one of the best experiences of my life, and I would recommend anyone who wants to shoot a large whitetail deer to head to Saskatchewan with this outfitter.
Great meals, excellent accommodations and very friendly guides all make this an unbeatable, unique experience. My deer ended up scoring a whopping 160 4/8 and for my first whitetail, I think it will be hard to beat. Thanks to everyone who was involved in this hunt, Kirstie (my new best friend and hunting buddy), Ron from North Carolina (who I owe my first buck to), Jessie from Florida (Ron’s son, who kept things lively around camp), Bobby (the only hunter who didn’t make a shot but deserved it more than the rest of us), Tom (who had the largest deer in camp for the week), Dustin (a fantastic cook and new friend as well), Tom (my guide extraordinaire) and Devin (who almost was the first to find my deer and to whom I owe this incredible experience). I can’t wait to do it all over again.
For more information about this whitetail hunt in Saskatchewan or any other outdoor adventure, contact Tracey Splechter with Outdoor Connection.
tracey@outdoor-connection.com
620-364-5500
Ferns Reports on WOMA Retreat — Part I
November 12, 2010 by Deborah Ferns
Filed under WOMA News
After months of pre-planning, the first annual WOMA retreat finally came together in mid-October. More than a dozen of us, a combination of WOMA members and spouses, traveled to Gunnison, Colo., for this first annual event. Read more
Pike reports The WOMA retreat started off with a ‘bang’
The first annual Women’s Outdoor Media Association (WOMA) retreat, which was held in Gunnison, Colo., started out with a bang. Quite literally. Read more
Pike and Baird take a ride on the Madison in the ‘Pink Boat’
September 3, 2010 by The WOMA
Filed under Featured Blogs, On the Road
Barb Baird (left) and Kirstie Pike. Photo by Robert Eddins.
WOMA member Kirstie Pike featured on Bowhunt America’s blogspot The Archeress
Bowhunt America has recently taken the plunge into the electronic world with the release of the web-based version of their acclaimed publication. This online magazine has many great features, all focusing on, you guessed it, bowhunting. With articles ranging from gear to tactics to shooter profiles, you are sure to find great tips and insights on Bowhunt America. Read more
The WOMA members featured in Turkey Country article on women’s gear
The July/August issue of Turkey Country, flagship publication of the National Wild Turkey Federation, features a few Women’s Outdoor Media Association members in their turkey hunting finery. Barbara Baird wrote the feature, titled “Power of the Purse,” that reports on the economics of women’s gear in the outdoor market. In the article she includes a quote from The WOMA member Kirstie Pike, President of Prois Hunting Apparel. Read more
Kudos to Kirstie Pike and Prois in the news
We’re all proud of our Kirstie Pike, CEO of Prois Hunting Apparel for women. She took her crates and clothes on the road to the NRA Meetings and Exhibits in Charlotte, N.C., last week and wowed thousands of hunting and shooting enthusiasts. She even gets top billing at the local news station’s coverage of women in the outdoors. Read more
PRÓIS® Hunting Apparel announces Primal Adventures’ ‘Extreme Huntress’ contest winner
Próis Hunting Apparel and well known TV powerhouse Primal Adventures has been on the hunt for the most hard-core female hunter with the launch of their first ever Extreme Huntress national contest. And now, after countless submissions and with the help of your online votes — they’ve found their gal that can really bring it in the field. Taking home this prestigious title and a hunt of a lifetime is Rebecca Francis of Woodland Hills, Utah.
“This whole contest from start to finish has been an amazing experience,” said Francis. “I’m thrilled to have been a part of a program that encourages and supports women in the outdoors — and cannot wait for my hunt in British Columbia!”
In addition to taking home the most Extreme Huntress title, Francis will get the chance to bring home a prized trophy or two on her all expenses paid sheep and mountain goat combination hunt in British Columbia. To prepare her for this hunt of a lifetime, she will be fully outfitted in Próis’ high performance hunting gear, along with a slew of other great equipment provided by contest sponsors. The hunt itself will be filmed for a future episode of Primal Adventures on Versus, with the total value of the grand prize package at more than $50,000.
Francis has worked hard for this title as her hard-core adventures have led her to take down the most challenging game including a 700lb African Lion at full charge and a 10 ½ ft. Alaskan brown bear at 24 yards with her bow. You can tell Francis is a hard-core hunter at the heart as each year she looks forward to ‘suffering from a sore butt in the saddle, rubbing elk manure on her pants to cover her scent and crawling through bushes for hours while stalking game’ — as described in her thrilling essay.
Any serious female hunter who has pushed the limits and beyond in the field was encouraged to tell her story, and share her passion with the world. Countless submissions were received online and were then reviewed by a celebrity panel of judges including Larry Weishuhn, Remington’s Linda Powell, Jim Zumbo from the Outdoor Channel, Denise Miller of Otis Technology, Inc, and Prois Hunting Apparel CEO, Kirstie Pike. The top 10 finalists were then chosen and posted on the Tahoe Films website for the hunting public to vote for their favorite.
“We were thrilled at the number of heart-stopping stories we received showcasing these amazing women who really go for it in the field,” says Kirstie Pike, CEO of Prois. “These unstoppable women are truly role models for present and future women hunters out there, and we’re excited to be able to highlight their success.”
For more information about the Extreme Huntress Contest, Primal Adventures, or Próis’ innovative line of serious, high performance hunting apparel for women, contact: Primal Adventures at Thomas@tahoefilms.com · Or Próis Hunting Apparel, 28001-B US Highway 50, Gunnison, CO 81230 · (970) 641-3355 · www.proishunting.com.
Editor’s Note: For hi-res images and releases, please visit our online Press Room at www.full-throttlecommunications.com.
Kirstie Pike featured in Forbes.com
Kudos to The WOMA’s veep, Kirstie Pike, who has been featured in an article at Forbes.com in the “Life” section in an article by Rebecca Ruiz. Kirstie and Rebecca recently hunted for elk in Kirstie’s home state of Colorado. See the article, and read about not only Kirstie’s passion for hunting, but also her entrepreneurial spirit — the one that got her into Forbes’ focus in the first place!
Kudos to Pike for Human Events article and for daughter’s success in elk world
Kudos to The WOMA veep, Kirstie Pike, CEO of Prois Hunting Apparel on her article in Human Events about teaching our children to hunt and carry on the tradition. Her 17-year-old daughter, Hanna, shot her first elk, a 7×6 bull, recently — guided by her dad, Steve, and her grandfather, Jim Dog. See http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=34318&page=1&viewID=1189518
Hanna Pike with her grandfather on left and dad on right.Don't they look proud of her!
