Nike Special Field Boot Review by Karen Butler

I was fortunate to receive a pair of Nike Special Field Boots (SFB) to use while shooting.  These boots were designed for tactical use by our military and first responders, but make an excellent cross over to a shooting and hunting boot.  My SFBs quickly became my go to boots for hiking, shooting, training, trade shows and most recently physical therapy! 

In training hard for my upcoming Elk Hunt with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s television show, Team Elk, I started getting a pain in my knee.  I went to an orthopedist who diagnosed me with Patella Femoral Syndrome (hurt knee).  This is not a big deal and can be corrected with physical therapy.  So, off to therapy I went.  I told my therapist that my knee hurt less in the Nike SFBs.  He was curious to see a boot that made a difference in my pain level, so I took them into my physical therapist.  After carefully examining the boots, he determined that these boots provided excellent support, and the design of the arch aided my stride so that my knee properly tracked, and would hurt less.

In honesty, I have never really given much thought to a dedicated shooting shoe based on performance; I’ve been more of a comfort kind of gal.  Who knew you could get both!  The Nike boot is ridiculously comfortable.  Even though I had to order a men’s size converted to a ladies size, the boot fits well.  The lacing system ensures that I get a snug fit, that isn’t too tight, and allows for the perfect fit.  Another favorite aspect is the boot is light, 15.9 ounces, and still provides support to my ankle, adds stability to my shooting stance and out performs my traditional hiking boot.

What I think is most unique about the Nike SFB, and what really does set it apart is the stability.  Not only in fit, but on uneven ground, it feels stable.  In a recent shooting competition, my fellow competitors were complaining about the ground being so rough and rocky, to the point that they were trying to stack up sticks to level the ground.  I stepped up to the stake, and no matter how the ground was, my stance felt solid and secure.  Even when taking a kneeling shot, it is amazing how the flexibility of the boot allows you to be strong in the shot.  I guess, that is really what I like most about the Nike boots, no matter the circumstances of the terrain, I am confident in the strength and stability in my shot that is enhanced by my Nike boots.

If you don’t have a pair of Nike boots on this year’s gear list, I highly recommend you not only add them to your must haves, you get them.  What you get in this boot, is a light weight, durable, performance designed and comfortable boot.   Visit http://store.nike.com for more information about the Nike Special Field Boot.

Test Flight Success Story by V. Jones

From V. Jones This is the exact message I sent Hoyt..."I really want to express how thankful I am that you support "Shoot Like A Girl". I am new to archery. Having no experience (and probably even if I had) I would never buy a bow with out trying it hands on. My husband and I drove over 2 hours to the Buckmaster Expo in Montgomery AL just to visit their booth. After hours of help and shooting about 14 different bows I reached the decision that the Hoyt Carbon Element was the bow for me. Yesterday we drove to our local Hoyt dealer to order it. The total with tax was over $1400, an amount 3X what I was hoping to spend on a bow but I'm so thankful to Karen Butler, her help, and your sponsorship so that I could test the bow. My only wish is that there was an organization like this for left-handers. My husband has a cheap, low end PSE simply because it was the best of only 3 left handed bows he could find to test. Where I bought my bow they had a left handed Mathews Helim that he REALLY likes a lot better than his current bow. My second choice was a Mathews bow (the Jewel) so I can understand why he likes it so much. But we both feel that if he could only try the Carbon Element he could experience why I liked it so much that i was willing to spend twice the cost of the Mathews. But there's now way we can afford another $1400 just to test it. He has called all of the dealers in the 200 mile radius with no success. Any advice for where he could test a left handed carbon element?"”

Why Wear Hunting Clothes That Fit?

It is getting near that time again….Hunting Seasons will start around the country.  The anticipation I have is the same feeling I had when I was a kid and got excited for Santa Clause to bring me great stuff (not coal)!  Now is the time to make sure you have the gear that is going to make your hunting experience comfortable and strategic to offer the best chance of getting that big buck. 

For women being comfortable in the field has been a long time coming in the industry, but finally there are several companies that offer women’s hunting clothes that actually conform to our body types.  In the past, many of us have worn hand-me-downs, kids’ gloves, oversized jackets and men or boys’ pants.  We looked like a rag-a-muffin tromping into the woods, but we were happy to be hunting.  Often, due to the disproportionate fit of our clothes, we were uncomfortable…cold because wind would blow up our jackets, plus there was that Michelin man effect of being so bulky we felt like we couldn’t move…I honestly don’t know how we pull back our bows in all that extra bulk, but we did!  All that is behind us now, because we can find clothes specifically cut for women from manufacturers like Próis, and companies like Her Camo Shop, where they have most every (if not every) garment made specifically for women!  These two companies recognize that women have unique physical needs in the fit of our hunting clothes, and they do fit.  Not only do these clothes provide comfort and enhance our ability in the field, they also look great!

Looking great, however, for a hunter is secondary to the strategic performance of the outfit in the field.  Did you know that deer can rotate their ears to the back their head to listen, and they can see on both sides and to their front?  They can…they’ve heard and seen me lots of times in my rag-a-muffin outfit. That’s why clothes that fit are vital to our hunt.  The snugger the clothes are to our body, the less noise we’ll make.  We can actually turn our head, raise our weapon and shoot without the extra noise from the fabric of clothes that are too big rubbing together.  Deer can see motion, so less bulk also means less movement to be seen.  Hiking and tracking becomes much easier with clothes that fit too!  When clothes fit, and we are on a blood trail through the woods on our hands and knees crawling through the thicket, we won’t get hung up on the branches because of oversized clothing.  This personally has happened to me, and it is frustrating to feel like that kid from A Christmas Story that gets stuck on his back after being knocked down, but no more.  We now have choice in clothes that fit.

Shoot Like A Girl Photo Shoot

Thanks to all our friends who took time out of a VERY hot day, to take this picture with us!  It is one of my favorite pictures!  All the girls look amazing, it was a ton of fun!  Thanks Ladies!

The Joy of a Gun Dog by Todd Butler

I love wing shooting.  And while I enjoy all aspects of the sport, the look and feel of a fine shotgun, the tradition and style of the clothing and equipment, perhaps my greatest pleasure is watching the gundogs work, whether a Brittany, an English Pointer, a German Shorthair or a Heinz 57 mutt .  It never fails to amaze me when I see the dogs working a field, using all of their god-given instincts and abilities in the hunt.  The joy they take in the work is evident in the happy barks, the furious wagging of the tail, the bounding joy as they work a field and the intensity in their eyes.  Numerous great outdoor writers such as Charlie Waterman and George Bird Evans wrote most eloquently of this joy.  If you have never enjoyed their works I highly encourage you to seek them out.  They sum up beautifully the special qualities of the gundog and the special relationship between people and their hunting dogs. 

Over the years I have been fortunate to hunt over some excellent dogs, but I never really had the opportunity to have such a partner to call my own.  This last year Karen and I took steps to correct this when we chose Casey, our German Shorthair pup, or rather when Casey chose us.  Once the choice is made the possibilities are limitless and all gundog people dream big about the future.  For me there is something exciting about looking for that special animal whether it is a dog or a horse.  You are choosing a companion for life, someone you hope will be a good partner in the field.  And no matter how much research you do into bloodlines and performance records it is all a bit of a crapshoot, because you can never measure the heart.  “You can’t put in what God left out” to quote a famous someone who escapes me now.  There is always that intangible quality that no amount of training can create.  But how do you make those possibilities a reality?  Where to start?  You can read countless books and view DVDs by the thousand but unfortunately dogs can’t read and they lose interest quickly in television.  So while you may understand the process, your hunting partner only has instinct and your ability to teach to rely upon.  Most of us attempt to train our own gundogs with varying degrees of success.  At some point the dog stops learning good habits and things quickly become frustrating for both partners.  Perhaps you need to find a professional trainer.  Who do you chose? 

There is an old saying in horse racing, “Any trainer can make a great animal good but it takes a special trainer to make a good animal great.”  I believe this holds true with dogs as well.  With all of this in mind, Karen and I made the choice to send Casey to a professional trainer, Mr. Chuck Tash of Tash Kennels in Florence, Alabama.  We were very fortunate to find Chuck.  He is a man who truly enjoys what he does and does it well.  Over the course of his career he has trained numerous National Shoot To Retrieve Association (NSTRA) Champions and the 2003 National Quail Invitational Champion, Tash’s Lulu.  He works from daylight until dark with Bird Dogs and Labs seven days a week, and clearly loves his job.  He only keep 10-15 dogs to train at a time because he wants to give special attention to the dogs he is working with at the kennels.  He trains each dog based on the particular dog's temperament and level of maturity.  He has hunted in many states and has trained field trial and hunting dogs for customers throughout the United States.  Perhaps most important for us and for Casey, he has considerable experience with dogs from the Elk River Rex bloodline.  This proved invaluable as he understands her weaknesses and strengths and is able to work through and develop them.  He also has seemingly limitless patience with people and the ability to pass on his knowledge.  Too frequently both are rare commodities. 

Casey was 11 months old when Karen delivered her to Chuck.  She understood basic commands such as sit, stay, come (although that was usually dependant upon the number of birds flying at any given time) and was retrieving her Kong to hand.  She had also been exposed to quail and pheasant wings and a dummy quail with scent.  However she was also somewhat spoiled what with sleeping in the house (usually on our bed) and a tendency to ignore commands when focused on birds or flies.  Chuck told us he wanted to keep her for a week or so to evaluate her.  His main concern was that we not waste our money on training if she was not going to hunt.  After two weeks he let us know that she was making progress and was pointing.  He continued to work with her.  In September he asked us to come out and visit so that we could view her progress.  Karen went as I was unfortunately not able to.  And the excitement was evident in her voice as she described the moment when Casey pointed the first bird and then retrieved it straight away.  It was a wonderful moment.  Chuck continued to work with Casey giving us regular updates on her progress.  Last week we determined that she was ready to come home.  Chuck said that she was pointing and retrieving consistently, as well as backing and honoring when other dogs were on point.  He recommended giving her a break, hunting her gently and then bringing her back for additional work when she had some more maturity.

On Wednesday morning Karen and I went out to pick her up at Chuck’s place.  This would also my first opportunity to hunt with her.  I brought my 20 gauge Fausti side by side and my hunting vest along with a new Tri-Tronics electric collar for Casey.  I can’t describe the feeling as I watched Casey begin to work, hunting for the quail in the field, scenting hard and working back and forth across it.  Then she froze on point, quivering just a little as I moved forward to flush the bird.  As the bird broke into the sky my heart was in my mouth and I over shot the bird.  Casey did her job but I had missed the shot.  Oh well that’s hunting right.  Quietly cursing myself I watched as Casey went back to work…back and forth, nose and tail going furiously.  After 7 or 8 minutes she again froze on point.  This time I made sure to pause just a second and get everything right in my mind before flushing the bird.  I hit the quail with my first barrel this time cleanly dropping it about 20 meters out.  Casey immediately went to the fallen bird and retrieved it straight to my eager hands.  What a moment!  To actually have the dream of a hunting partner of my own become a reality was grand.  The only thing better was the realization that it was only the first of many such moments we will share over the coming years.   

Tash Kennels-Chuck Tash

(256) 70-9546

Florence, Alabama

E-Mail Address: tashkennels@hughes.net

 

 

 

               

 

My Daughter's First Turkey Hunt by Cristy Crawford

One of the most rewarding adventures for an outdoor woman like me is being able to enjoy the wonders of nature with family and friends. As the weather turned warmer and the woods started to green up with new life in 2010 it was finally time to introduce my two year old daughter to the beautiful spring sounds of a distant gobbler.

My daughter has always made constant trips to the woods with my husband and me to check the occasional trail camera and explore new hunting territory. Her first television viewing was filled with outdoor hunting shows. So the up and coming season was nothing new for her. Teaching and answering questions about different wildlife was just a common game we both loved to play. These trips were quickly becoming different.

After a few blown attempts at locating the old tom turkey. I kept answering the repeated question of “momma why do you keep making that loud crow sound.” Finally in the distance one finally sounded off.

Every turkey hunter understands the excitement of the first sounds of the season. Hairs trickle up on the back of your neck as an instant burst of adrenalin rushes through your body.

This one was different. This one was double the excitement for the entire family. Watching my daughters face light up along with dad’s expressions of excitement while watching his daughters face was priceless. She immediately toughs on my jeans looks and the two of us with a half way excited and half way concerned expression saying “what was that.”

Dad fires back with the same excitement as before and say “ITS A TURKEY!” By this time my daughter is jumping up and down in the leaves yelling “A TURKEY” “WOW.”

My wheels were turning faster than ever before as we slowly paced our way back to the truck while my daughter enjoyed the traditional piggy back ride out of the woods. I remembered the tent she had grown so found of playing in. Many hours had been spent playing in the purple and pink tent Santa had brought for Christmas. I had put it all together.

My next strategic line of questions went something like this. Remember I’m talking to a two year old. “That was really fun, right?” “Do you think you would like to play in momma’s camouflage tent in the woods?” After those questions were answered in my favor the next few weeks were filled with fun in the yard, new rules for momma’s tent, and the occasional weird looks as people drove by our house.

The most important of all rules was the hardest and most obvious to all hunters, you have to be quite. So after weeks of fun turkey hunting training it was time to go “play” in the woods in our camouflage tent.

My husband had been out all morning chasing turkeys and had not returned home from his adventures. It was mid-day and the sun was up and shining bright. It was time for a girl’s adventure in the woods.

Equipped with my bow, turkey calls, tent, stool, decoy, bug repellant, small cooler filled with snacks and water, baby doll, teddy bear, some more random quiet toys and a quilt to lay on the and ground we were finally set. In our world this was hunting at its best. I realized that day why there is always so many random pockets in good quality hunting apparel. Not expecting anything more than the experience we were finally all set up.

As we drove in I noticed a few turkeys strutting their stuff in a distant cow pasture about 300 yards from where we set up. After about thirty minutes of nothing but quiet whispers in the tent . I began thinking this might actually work out. This pop up tent was the perfect set up. All but two windows were open. My daughter was just tall enough only her head would be exposed from the windows. I had a patch of really tall grass about 30 yards from where the birds would hopefully come from. The quilt I brought was eliminating all the commotion as she shuffled around my stool playing with her toys. Even if I didn't’t call up a bird this was good stuff.

Cristy and her daughter

As my girl sat their making quick work of a sucker I let out a few clucks and purrs out of my trusty glass call. Right away a gobble sounded off in the distance. Excitement filled the blind as I had to remind her if she wanted to see a turkey she had to whisper quietly.

I continued to call as the gobbles continued to get closer. A young jake was quickly approaching. This was soon to be my daughters first close encounter with a wild turkey. As I picked up my bow I explained to her after he gets past the tall grass I’m going to shoot. She quietly whispers “ok momma.” I knew it was fixing to be game on.

I’ve passed up on many young birds in the past at much closer distances, but this bird was different. As the jake worked his way to the tall clump of grass my daughter noticed my intense stare. She then saw the bird and somehow got her arms and head completely out of the one fully open window and yelled out “Look momma a turkey!” As the bird ran out of sight I couldn't help but bust out laughing and shared the excitement with my daughter.

This will forever be one of my most favorite blown attempts at bagging a turkey. The excitement that rushed through the blind from my daughter made caring all that extra gear worth every grueling step. With the 2011 season only a month away and as my house is filled with turkey calling practice I can’t help but have that same full faced smile when my daughter ask “momma can I go turkey hunting with you?”

The Value of a Coach by Karen Butler

Are you a new shooter or an experienced shooter who has reached a plateau?  If so, then you probably need a coach…one coach.  Beginner shooters definitely need a coach to teach them the basics up front.  You will save yourself time and money (if you’re like me and think if you throw more money into your equipment you will get better) to invest up front to learn proper form.  I met a lady at our Test Flight in Vegas who was teaching herself to shoot, I was very proud of her, but she could not get any better, and it was because she had not learned any basics.  I spent a few minutes with her, she was so eager to learn and had a very natural ability, but she needs a coach to reinforce those basics at least until she has some muscle memory of her shot.  Shooters that have reached a plateau have one of two or a combination of both problems:  Form and/or Mental Attitude.  Adding a coach to your routine will combat both these challenges.

So why a coach?  The great thing about shooting sports is everyone wants help, if you shoot in a league or at a group event, I’m sure you have experienced multiple people telling you to change your grip, your stance, the way you pull your trigger, etc…I know I have.  These helpful souls may be doing more harm to our shot than good, because they cause us to focus on the item they are trying to correct and piece meal our shot sequence together – plus, we don’t know the qualifications of their “expert” advice.  A coach will focus our attention where it is needed and improve our shot.

Many times you can hire a coach or recruit someone in your league/group who has a strong shot and is willing to share their expertise with you.  You’ll notice I recommend one coach.  This is where our helpful neighbors try to sneak into play.  Trust me, as your shot improves, everyone will want to be connected with you to share in the thrill of higher scores!   The hardest thing I have ever had to do was to tell my friends, “Thanks for trying to help, but I have a coach and he has me working on something else this week.”  That answer became my standard answer to everyone who was not my coach, but wanted to help.  Now, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t on to something about your shot you could improve, so you need to take note of what they said and inform your coach.  Your coach can take a look at it and act accordingly. 

Not only does a coach help us with our form, a coach also helps us with our mental attitude.  Many of our shooting problems wind up being as much or more mental than physical; however, when we focus on improving our physical shot our mental game is improved because we have more confidence in our abilities.   At Shoot Like A Girl, that is our primary goal, to empower women to participate in shooting sports with confidence.  So if you’re a new shooter or an experienced shooter who has hit a wall, get a coach, continue to practice and let us know how your shot improves!