HEARTBEAT of the WOMA for December 2011

There have been several new members joining the WOMA over these last few months, and to each of you I say “HOWDY!”

I’m hoping to meet our new members along with member alum at the upcoming SHOT Show, held in Las Vegas starting Monday, January 16^th (kicks off with Media Day at the Range). Then, Tuesday, January 17^th through Friday, January 20^th, we’ll be at the Sands Expo Center in booth L344.  The WOMA booth is right outside of the NSSF Press Room in the big hallway, and we are looking forward to a lot of traffic throughout the tradeshow. Help is needed to keep it staffed all four days so if you are willing to volunteer some hours please contact the WOMA Vice-President, Melita Ellington (Melita@theWOMA.com).

Here are some extra notes about SHOT Show :

• If you are attending SHOT Show and are planning to utilize the WOMA for a media badge pertaining to the Media Range Day, your online information needs to be submitted to NSSF by December 15^th at www.shotshow.org/en/Media/Registration.

• Media Range Day is completed by Monday at 4:00 pm, so starting at 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm at the WOMA booth at the Sands Expo/Venetian 3^rd Floor Lobby, we are hosting a light reception for our members. (Since we are in the general lobby area and not the firearms exhibit halls, it is open until 9:00 pm.) Please RSVP to me at Deb@theWOMA.com if you plan to attend that event.

• This year the WOMA booth will have racks to hold member flyers or brochures, even small/thin catalogs. Members must email Melita@theWOMA.com to reserve one of the racks shelves and provide her with a sample of what you intend to drop off at the booth. If you are planning to ship your flyers, please send them to Deb Ferns at 7850 N. Silverbell, Suite 114-315, Tucson, AZ  85743.

• The number of industry sponsors joining the WOMA is growing!  OTIS Technology and ATI are already Platinum Sponsors, and just this week we welcomed Bay Flats Lodge as a Platinum Sponsor and Crossbreed Holsters as a Gold Sponsor. Our SHOT Show booth will host banner/boards for our sponsors, so if you know of any additional industry sponsors potentials please contact our sponsorship coordinator, Mia@theWOMA.com

I’m not sure what happened to 2011…it went by in a flash, except for when I followed this dump truck for what seemed forever across New Mexico on my way to a pheasant hunt in Texas.  It finally dawned on me that God sent me a message in the way of a slow moving truck; let go of old baggage and start the new year knowing how blessed I’ve been in 2011 and how much I’m looking forward to 2012.  I hope that each of you has a blessed holiday season as well!

Deb Ferns
Chair

Tracy and Lanny Are Heading to Sweden!

Here’s an update on Tracy and Lanny’s races in Utah and their upcoming schedule:

After the trials races in Vermont in August and Utah in October, Tracy and I secured the top two spots at the trials and secured a spot on the World Cup/ Europa Cup team heading to Sweden in a few weeks. We have a training camp in Ostersund, Sweden and then we’ll compete in World Cups and Europa Cup races in Scandinavia and Central Europe before Christmas.

This winter we will travel to Sweden, Italy, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Russia. We’ve made a lot of great progress in our ski speed and shooting and can’t wait to use it against the rest of the world in the races coming up. Once we leave for Europe, we won’t be back in the States until the end of March.

World Championships are in Ruhpolding, Germany this year and we hope to be representing the US there at the races in March. They are expected to have record crowds at the races with close to 50,000 spectators at every event. We will fill you in on the how the races go and our schedule of races as soon as we get to Sweden. You can watch our races live on www.biathlonworld.com and we’ll keep our results, pictures, and adventures on www.twinbiathletes.com and blog on http://thewoma.com/category/the-road-to-russia/.

Currently we are some of the only biathletes in the World getting on snow training as most of Europe and Scandinavia are too warm for snow. I guess it pays to breath a little harder and live at altitude! We hope this will be an advantage for us when the first races roll around in a few weeks!

Editors Note:  Tracy & Lanny Barnes are part of the US Olympic Biathlon team. Their WOMA blog, “Road to Russia” gives wonderful insight into what these talented athletes are going through to take a medal in February 2014 at the Winter Olympics held in Russia. It will be their 3^rd Olympics and we encourage all the members of the WOMA, along with companies you may know, to help these twin sisters with donations and sponsorships. For more information, or to make a donation, visit their website at www.twinbiathletes.com.

Double Column for Illinois Outdoor News

If you’re reading this, you’re reading more of a culmination than a column. I’m a procrastinator by nature, so it was a true oddity when I turned in my column a week and a half early, only to find out that for this particular issue, I was asked to write specifically about the goings on in deer behavior in my area of Northern Illinois. Honestly, I was kind of bummed that I wouldn’t be able to reveal my recent deer hunting calamities to the good readers of Illinois Outdoor News.  Luckily, I have an editor that hid his annoyance well in an attempt to humor my request of a double column.

Don’t ask me why I make intentional choices to make a public reverie of my deer hunting mishaps. It goes against all human nature, and if I think about it too hard, I come to the conclusion that it’s actually a bit weird. It’s certainly not to make a joke out of female hunters everywhere. I guess it’s all about shedding light on the fact that we are human, and despite our fervent attempts not to, we all make mistakes. I mean, think about it. Wouldn’t the hunting world be a lot better place if it contained fewer delusions of grandeur?

One thing, however, the hunting world can’t seem to get enough of is deer reports, and lots of them! It’s a great way for deer hunters to rely on each other’s eyes and ears, in order to pull off a successful season. As of yet, in the 2011 deer season there isn’t a whole lot of excitement to report. But, the small, sometimes almost unnoticeable changes occurring are enough of tangible prelude to tide us over for what is yet to come.

I would be grateful to readers who wouldn’t mind emailing me reports of deer behavior that you’re noticing in your general hunting area. Just type “IODN DEER REPORT” in the subject line, and be sure and tell me what county you’re from. Email your info to: antleraddict2@yahoo.com. Thank you in advance!
Here is my attempt at a double column…

Time frame: Oct 14 – Oct 22, 2011.
Reality Check

Oct 17 – I awoke this morning at 3 AM bright, bushy-tailed, and probably just as annoying as a little squirrel to a writing inspiration that was directly fueled by sheer humiliation. Not wanting to waste the moment I launched out of bed, and scurried to my computer, only to find that it wasn’t where I left it. An immediate search of my 11 year old daughter’s room that could cause someone with OCD to have a breakdown led me to my lifeline.

I’ve always done something different than most who write about their hunting adventures; I’ve always been brutally honest about my screw-ups and mishaps in order to stress the point that it doesn’t matter if we’re new to its lifestyle, or have been hunting our entire lives; there are always lessons to be learned.

Recalling 3 days earlier, Oct 14

Leave it to deer hunting to bring me to my knees with humility as it reminds me of the obvious once again; I’m not perfect. This past weekend was not just a lesson, it was an all out bonk on the head – literally.

By noon on Friday, Oct. 14, I was dying. Okay, so maybe that’s a bit dramatic. I was longing to be in one of my favorite treestands, but I was supposed to pick my kids up from school, so my chances weren’t looking good.

Yes, kids, Mom has officially lost it

Throwing caution to the changing wind that was bringing in cooler temps, I called my 17 year old daughter’s school, had her paged, and got everything straightened out. Not happy about rearranging her plans, but not being above accepting a bribe of free gas money, she agreed to help me out, but not before dishing out, “Geez Mom! Really?”

What was I thinking?

Never, since I began deer hunting have I attempted to sneak into the woods in the middle of the day, and trust me when I say that I will never do it again.
It was 12:47 when I wheeled into my entrance of choice, parked, and retrieved my gear. Performing a personally biased stealth-like stalk, I made my way to the stand that made the most sense according to the wind. On the way, I was ecstatic to find the need to tiptoe around 4 giant scrapes. Three quarters into my walk, the sense of “feeling lucky” disappeared without a hint of consideration.

Busted!

Two deer stood looking at me as I crested a hill while two remained bedded in the field behind my stand. Instinctively, I dropped into the muddy bean field where I laid for two hours. A walnut falling on my head was probably God’s way of reminding me that I should have been more patient.

It was my backside that made the decision to get up. Not seeing anything, I figured they had moved, so I trudged on toward the stand, stopping about every 10 feet to peer into the woods to be sure they weren’t bedded just inside. Not surprisingly, they saw me first, and all I saw was a flash of white tails. I should have gone home, but went to my stand instead. Needless to say, my deer hunt was over long before it started. Sometimes, it’s really hard to feel like you’re at the top of the food chain!

Here we go again…

Always a glutton for punishment, I went back out Saturday afternoon, but this time at a more normal time of day to be heading out for an evening hunt. My hunt went perfectly. I even had a little black capped chickadee land on the cam of my bow as it lay across my lap. The 186 squirrels were annoying as ever, and I saw a couple doe’s that never came within bow range. I’m one of those annoying people who don’t measure the success of a hunt by the kill. As long as I’ve seen deer, I’m happy.

With shooting light over, I made my way back to my car; popped open the hatch, grabbed, and opened my bow case. What was the first thing I saw? Sure as the squirrels playing tricks on my ears, there hung my release, dangling from the Velcro straps. Again, this was another first because I always attach it to my wrist as soon as my bow is out of the case and the quiver is on. But, worse was the harsh fact of not realizing in the three hours I sat in the stand, that I’d not only forgotten a necessary piece of equipment, but remained totally unaware of my brain malfunction! We all know the saying. Sticks and stones will break my bones, etc…. Well, if there was ever an assembly of words that stung like rattling horns on cold fingers, “stupid is, as stupid does,” kicked so hard that it bruised my already fragile, and battered ego. I may have been receiving lessons in patience and thoughtfulness, but was lucky enough to be spared the consequences that would have occurred if a bruiser had come within bow range.

Time to re-boot

This next week, I’m staying out of the woods. Not because I’ve been defeated, but to establish that lessons we learn tend to create the exact opposite effect. It’s a trait of human nature that doesn’t happen in the realm of hypothetical ifs. It’s a matter of when our arrogance gets the best of that we are outsmarted by creatures with fur and four legs. And, truth be told, I got what I deserved.
So, after a little reading of hunting material, and a lot of reassessing my goals for my 2011 archery season, come next weekend, I plan to be in the woods, and back on top of the food chain!
***For the next few days, I hunted strictly for information. I spoke with fellow hunters and made some extra passes via car around our hunting areas***

Part 2

When this issue of Illinois Outdoor News is being slipped into mailboxes, deer hunters everywhere will already be tangled up in dreams of big bruiser bucks as the mocking fire of anticipation is finally extinguished, and “Sweet November” winds blow into the prairie state. The 2011 pre-rut will have all but consumed the minds of us diehard bow hunters, myself included. Truth be told, this should be an easy column to write, but since honesty is supposed to be the best policy I’ll readily admit that I’m having a ridiculously hard time concentrating. A perfect northwest wind blowing the tassels on the corn still standing in the field behind my house keeps distracting my train of thought, as I zone out to a different place, my favorite place; the deer woods.  As a bow hunter in Northern Illinois, the only thing better than waking up on a mid-October morning to the sound of a combine whirring through the fields, is to fall asleep listening to the same hum with the glare of combine lights searing through the window.

Friday, Oct 21 – Probably one of the best tools for hunters to utilize is the men and women who harvest the crops around their hunting grounds that deer up until this point have been using as choice bedding areas for obvious reasons. In fact, about an hour ago, I crammed on my rubber boots, and painfully finagled my way through picked corn stalks in attempt to get some info from the guy in the big, green tractor.

His observations mirrored the other hunter’s that I’ve spoken with – not a whole lot going on. Yet. Of course, when it comes to hunting, there’s always more to it than meets the human eye, because despite the predictions, and the extensive knowledge we’ve gained in recent years, we’re still dealing with one of the largest and uncontrolled forces; nature.

Keep in mind that you’ll be reading this approximately a week and a half after I’ve turned it in for publication, so as I said earlier, deer activity will more than likely have changed dramatically.
It’s been a good year as weather is concerned, so farmers have wasted little time getting their crops picked, which has the deer switching it up a little. A few hunters I’ve talked to have seen bucks still in small bachelor groups. We’re noticing a few rubs here and there, but mostly scrapes, which are probably being made while we’re sawing logs.  The scrapes on the edge of a bean field that I tiptoed around last week were scraped bare on the ground, but the licking branches above them remained intact and unscathed, so I’ll be watching for that to change shortly.

Younger bucks, 3 ½ years and under are being seen crossing the now bare fields during late morning hours, but from my personal perspective, and the accounts of fellow hunters, the monster bucks remain elusive, and guarded.

As far as the female gender of the whitetail population, all focus should really be on them. Research says that bucks at this moment are quite literally ready and waiting, and probably have been for a while. A select group of does will come into estrus early, just as a select few, typically the younger, will come in late. If conception doesn’t occur in a doe’s first breeding cycle, the doe will come into estrus again 28 days later. Sometimes, if a doe comes into estrus early, she’ll join a larger group to help ward off the inevitable for as long as she can.

At this point, the does are still calm, and appear to still be with their fawns, but do seem to be herding into bigger groups now. For the antlered giants, the elite members of the buck hierarchy, it’s a waiting game for the moment of truth to arrive; a moment that makes the possibility of ending up on a wall worth the risk. So, while they wait, so will we.

USA Shooting Women Capture More Medals in Pan American Games!

The Women’s Trap athletes packed a one-two punch for the podium. Kayle Browning (Wooster, Ark.) led the way into the final with 68 targets for a new Pan American record. Teammate Miranda Wilder (Diana, Texas) was three targets behind in the second position with 65 targets.

With only four shooters remaining, the flash targets began acting up and breaking. “I knew what target I was going to get – the hard right off of four that I missed the first time around – I just concentrated on breaking the bird,” said Wilder as she recalls waiting for her turn after the interruption.

Wilder buckled down and shot 21 targets in the final for the gold medal for 87 total targets and a new Pan American total record. Browning fired 17 targets in the final for 85 total targets and the bronze medal and gained valuable international experience: “I learned that I can’t rush through shooting, I have to take my time just like every other match.” The silver medalist was Lindsay Boddez of Canada with 65 match targets and 21 targets in the final for 86 total targets.

The Women Behind Ducks Unlimited

By WOMA Member, Andrea “Andi” Cooper of Ducks Unlimited…

I took a photo of a friend of mine, Alicia Wiseman, who is a Regional Biologist with Ducks Unlimited for the last 2 years. She administers the Louisiana Waterfowl Project, which is a partnership program with state and federal agencies. Part of her job is to provide field assistance to private landowners in south Louisiana. Alicia is also helping Ducks Unlimited establish a working relationship within the rice industry of Louisiana.

Alicia received her bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science in 2006 from Mississippi State University. She also received her Master of Science degree in Wildlife Science (2009; Mississippi State University). Her thesis work, studying waterfowl foods in managed grain sorghum fields, helped her specialize in waterfowl and working wetlands management. Her professional goal is to help farmers and landowners be successful on the land while simultaneously benefiting wildlife. This is right in line with the Ducks Unlimited mission and as Alicia said, “makes working for such a great organization just plain fun.” There are a number of professional women who work for Ducks Unlimited and I hope to highlight others down the road.

Gonna Get My Duck On, Texas Style!

By: Keri Butt ~ Illinois Outdoor News Blog

As hard as it is to remove my ever spinning thoughts off of deer season and the upcoming 2011 rut, which is supposed to be a sizzling nine days for deer hunters everywhere, I have to remember that this year I’ll be missing the last few days of the pre-rut. Fortunately, and yet strangely, I’m thrilled at the prospect.

Typically, should someone or something come between me and my treestands between October 15^th and December 1^st, it’s likely that they’re not going to do so without encountering problems.  Heck, even my poor kids know the rule; “Unless you’re bleeding or barfing, don’t call mommy when she’s in the deer woods.”  But, this year my leave of absence is a good thing. Well, maybe not for the ducks flying across the gulf in Texas!

Thanks to an awesome group of ladies from the W.O.M.A, (Women’s Outdoor Media Association) which is an organization I’m a member of, and a generous sponsorship from Ducks Unlimited, I will be headed down to Bay Flats Lodge in Seadrift, Texas on November 7^th to meet up with a select group of other women in the outdoor media including my friend, and fellow Outdoor News writer, Kristen Monroe.

Since duck season in Illinois coincides with deer season, which is my sole purpose for waking up each morning, along with the fact that Northern Illinois isn’t exactly waterfowl central, I’m headed to the Lone Star state as a duck hunting rookie. For some peculiar reason I have an image in my head of huge duck flocks flying overhead pointing their wings at me as they chortle some sort of odd quack-like laugh.

That’s why I’m asking for advice from those who are confident waterfowl hunters. Back in March, I went down to Missouri on a snow goose hunt, but that hunt encompassed a completely different set of circumstances than I’ll be met with in Texas.

So, perhaps asking for advice isn’t exactly what I meant. I think pleading would be more like it. I encourage any and all readers to send some good advice this duck hunting rookie’s way as it would be much appreciated.

I’ll be sure and post the hopefully exciting details of our hunt when I get back. Of course it may be a bit delayed.  See, I’ll get home around midnight on November 9^th, and the inferno we deer/big game hunters call the rut, is expected to ignite hot and heavy on November 10^th.   I guess sometimes you can have your back straps and eat them too!

USA Shooting’s Uptagrafft Wins Bronze at Pan American Games

Sandra Uptagrafft (Phenix City, Ala.) won the Women’s 10m Air Pistol bronze medal. She shot 379 match points and 97.3 points in the final for a total of 476.3 total points. “I was disappointed that we missed the quota, but it was still an honor to represent America on the podium. I’m looking forward to the opportunity for a quota in Women’s 25m Sport Pistol,” said a determined Uptagrafft. The gold medal was a battle to the final shot-Canada’s Dorothy Ludwig topped Maribel Pineda of Venezula. Ludwig entered in the final in the second position but overtook

Pineda’s four point lead with a strong final of 96.8 points. Ludwig was ecstatic to win not only the gold, but a quota for her country with 476.8 total points. Pineda finished with 92.7 points in the final for 476.7 total points and the silver medal. American Teammate Teresa Meyer (Dearborn, Mich.) narrowly missed the final with 371 match points. The air gun action continues Oct. 17 with finals in Men’s and Women’s 10m Air Rifle.

 

 

Live streaming of the Pan American Games can be found at http://bit.ly/q4UwBR and http://es.pn/mW8QeW. For results and news, please visit USA Shooting’s Website, Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

 

About USA Shooting:

USA Shooting, a 501c3 non-profit corporation, was chartered by the United States Olympic Committee as the National Governing Body for the sport of shooting in April 1995. USA Shooting’s mission is to prepare American athletes to win Olympic medals, promote the shooting sports throughout the U.S. and govern the conduct of international shooting in the country. Check us out on the web at www.usashooting.org and on Twitter at twitter.com/USAShooting.

 

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Kelli Hughes – WOMA Member

The WOMA welcomes Kelli L. Hughes, her main interests are in the field of shooting to include hunting, sports and Law Enforcement.  She is currently involved in developing an online website selling accessories for hunters, shooters and Law Enforcement activities.

Bows Are Not Just For Your Hair!

Before I met my husband Al, I thought that bows were hair decoration.  Not so but Al was exclusive into any kind of gun. So fast forward 18 years and lately I’ve been curious lately about bow shooting. Many of you may already be well versed on this subject and realize bows are an alternative to using a shotgun, rifle or pistol. Could you please give me your take on this alternative?

Here is what I found so far – What size bow do I buy?

Small Frame Women (100-130 lbs.) 25 – 35 lbs.

Medium Frame Women (130-160 lbs) 30-40 lbs.

Large Frame Women (160+ lbs.) 45 – 55 lbs.

The recommendation seems to be a Compound Bow. So I did a little research and here is what I found.  To me, with my limited knowledge, this one looks like a winner.  Comments?

The Bear ® Archery Home Wrecker Ready to Hunt bow package is designed specifically as a bow for women, but not lacking in any performance. The traditional Bear ® quality of silence and efficiency seep out of the Home Wrecker’s pores along with slight touches of pink. Weighing in at just over 3 lbs., this bow still packs a punch perfect for different game at 280 FPS.

FEATURES:

• Perimeter-weighted modular single cam for efficiency and easy release
• Flared quad limbs to distribute stress evenly across the bow for clean shots
• Offset string suppressor to reduce vibrations and noise in the field
• Designed for women
• FPS: 280
• Weight: 3.2 lbs
• Brace Height: 6″
• Axle to Axle: 29.75″
• Peak Draw Weight: 50 lbs.
• Draw Length Range: 22″ – 28″

In addition, BOW stands for Becoming an Outdoor Woman. Eighteen years ago I attended this event in Arizona. That was the first time I’d every held or used a bow and learned they are not just ribbons for your hair.  Maybe it’s time to try again!

Twin Biathletes Attend ATI Writer’s Event

Recently we attended the ATI (Advanced Technology International) Writers event at the Impact Training Center in Mt. Carol, Illinois. This year ATI signed on as our platinum level sponsor and are helping to make that gold medal in the 2014 Olympics achievable. This event was the first time we were able to spend some quality time with the owners and employees of ATI.  I don’t know why I still am shocked at how many incredibly good and decent people I meet in the gun industry, but it now really makes me proud every time I do meet more shooting industry people.  I’ve been involved with and met people in many other industries and can honestly say that the gun industry holds the most wonderful and endearing people I’ve ever met.  ATI’s owners are a shining example of this.  I have never met two people who were more passionate about what they do.  John Chvala and Eric Pfleger are truly remarkable people.  Being passionate about business, I look up to and am inspired by the business savvy that these two possess.  John and Eric’s business sense is exemplary.  As a young entrepreneur I can only hope to duplicate the rare and incredibly innate sense of how a successful business should be run.

We also witnessed ATI’s ability to produce incredibly reliable, and cutting edge products. Their buttpads are like nothing I’ve ever tried. They feature a recoil system that literately takes the shock out of shooting.  During the writer’s event everyone was shooting shotguns, AR’s, and a 50 cal and no one complained of a sore shoulder. With any standard buttpad you’d find on the market, you’re sure to be sore the next day after that many rounds fired, but with ATI’s Akita Scorpion Buttpad you can keep shooting until you run out of ammo.  I am continuously impressed with ATI’s products and their versatility.  During the writer’s event competition everyone used the same AR and shotgun.  With ATI’s adjustable stock it was a quick adjustment to go from a 6 foot tall guy to my short 5 foot 4 inch frame. They are the industry standard when it comes to gun stocks and accessories.  The company promises new and exciting products yearly that will blow the mind of any shooter.  Their products make sense. They are light, strong, and durable thanks to the science developed by Poly One.  Their stocks are adjustable.  Their colors are stunning and sleek.  Their technology unrivaled.

Besides the product aspect of the business we were exposed to ATI’s ability to be laid back and relaxed. Hence the writer’s event.  I haven’t been to another writer’s event but I doubt many are as exciting and fun for a writer as ATI’s writer’s event.  How many events involve a 3-gun competition, cutting edge products from top line companies, and a car filled with tannerite?  I witnessed Suzi Huntington, Editor of American Cop, accurately move through the pistol stages with the new Ruger SR1911’s, Kim Sidelinger of Media Direct flawlessly make her way through her very first 3-gun shooting competition. Gloria Shytles, Managing Editor of Inter Media Outdoors, stepped up behind a 50 cal and hit a jug of tannerite in a Toyota Corolla and blew it sky high, Eric Poole of Guns & Ammo took some great shots offhand with the AR’s to do some damage on the car.  Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time.  The food was great, the people we incredible.  We can’t wait until next year’s ATI Writer’s event.  ATI is sure to host another great event.

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