Key to Long Rang Hunting - Leupold Range Finders! by Cristy Crawford

A Nebraska rifle hunt, chasing huge bodied whitetails was a check off the enormous list of life-long hunting adventures I consistently spend my spare minutes a day dreaming about. When I had the opportunity to drive up to Nebraska (equipped with a friends custom 7 short mag long range precision rifle) I jumped at the opportunity.  I had reached a stage in my hunting experience where I strived for the next biggest challenge. I had almost quit rifle hunting all together, when I became obsessed with the close encounters of bow hunting.  I had literally spent so much time bow hunting I was tucking a release out of the way that wasn’t there.  With long range rifles precision requires more skill than some inexperienced long range rifle shooters realize.  Similar to bow hunting, all the cards have to fall just right. Too much gusting wind or a small amount of shake due to nerves and you will miss your mark every time. 

Being a southern girl I haven’t had many opportunities to hunt in any extreme cold conditions.  I had left my warmer Texas November air for the breezy 40 mph wind gust of the first “small” snow of the season for Nebraska.  I did not have much experience with subzero wind chills, although I did have enough experience in the field to know I better pack enough quality layers for just about any weather situation mother nature could throw at me. 

I knew the odds were against me opening day of rifle season with snow blowing sideways at 40mph but I came to hunt and I was not about to stay at the hunting camp.  After passing on a few smaller bucks I headed back to camp to prepare for the next morning’s adventures.  However, this hunt was not filled with a renowned guide or luxurious lodge. I had a basic understanding of the ranch from some great guys that had hunted the land in previous years.  I had the opportunity to go out on my own with spot and stalk skills and great equipment. 

Earlier in the year I received a great product from Leupold Optics. The RX 1000 rangefinders equipped with archery angle compensation along with bullet ballistics and a pair of BX-2 Cascades 10x42 binoculars.  The one thing I didn’t know I was being equipped with was a rangefinder that would stand well above other rangefinders at camp, which were double and even triple the retail price of my Luepold.  The cold front pushed through and snow covered the beautiful sand hills. The wind subsided and sun shined bright and made an amazing glow off the distant snow filled hills.  I would soon find out the combination of two degree temps and sun reflecting off the snow made it impossible for other hunters to get a true yardage reading.  I never had a problem getting my Leupold rangefinders to get an accurate yardage. It helps to always range long range targets three times just to make sure you get an accurate reading.

Long range hunting is no place to skimp out on quality equipment. The terrain of the Nebraska Sand Hills makes every third step worthy of another view from the binoculars. What appears to be flat land is filled with hills and valleys perfect for big whitetails to travel undetected. Using the terrain to my advantage I worked my way about four miles from my vehicle.  Glassing every third step and taking my time, I had many close encounters with smaller bucks and does.  Unlike the 40mph winds I faced the day before this morning was perfect.  Minimal wind with the sun shining bright and reflecting off the snow covered hills. The fact that it was 2 degrees did not really matter. Deer were moving and it was only a matter of time and patience I would find the one. Finally I skirted around the back side of a hill and spotted a beautiful mature whitetail standing on the side of a hill.  Even without optics I could tell he was a large mature deer.  After confirming my excitement with my Leupold Cascades it was time to get in position for an ethical shot.   I decided to backtrack around the hill and get in position on the much flatter hillside to my left.  After what felt like thirty minutes of slow positioning I finally felt comfortable to set up for the long range shot.  I ranged without a problem and got three consistent numbers from my RX-1000’s. At 592 yards stood a mature 155 gross with 9inch split brow tined whitetail buck.  After a few minutes in the scope I was able to gain composure and squeeze off a quality kill shot. 

The peacefulness and serenity of the outdoors always brings me back for more.  Successful hunts aren’t always ones that end in kills. Enjoying the outdoors with others and the conversations about experiences are always some of the best times in the field.  It wasn’t until I got back to camp filled with excitement and the story of the hunt on the tip of my tongue just itching to get out of my mouth did I realize I was the only successful hunter in camp that morning.  Others had those amazing tails we as hunters have all listened to so many times about the one that got away.  Due to the strong glare of the sun and 2 degree temperatures my rangefinders were the only ones in camp to get a quality reading that morning and I was the only one with Leupold rangefinders in my pack.  It was at that moment that I realized just how lucky I was to have a great piece of equipment in my pack that morning.  I must send a big thank you to Leupold for making such quality equipment and for helping me with my largest whitetail to date.

Test Flight Comments

Here are some comments from our test flights ! 

Enjoyed the opportunity. Sadly I didn't understandenough about bows to really look them over. Now I am in the process of trying to purchase one and it is difficult.

3/14/2013 6:35 PM

I had so much fun. Karen Butler was amazing. She was very informative and easy to follow.. As far as purchasing a bow, I don't know what brand, but Karen gave me information on how to select one.

3/5/2013 11:09 AM

It was a great experience and the lady that helped me was a very good teacher. It definitely made me more interested in archery hunting and I may pursue that at a later date. I had a lot of fun!

3/4/2013 1:57 PM

Loved meeting Karen since I had just read an article about her prior to the RMEF Conference. Fist time attending the conference, didn't attend any classes so I don't know if there were any other classes that would have been helpful for someone first learning to bow hunt. Would also like more information on pros and cons of types of bows available and if any are better suited to women or body types/size.

3/4/2013 1:01 PM

The ladies were very knowledgable and made the experience lots of fun.

3/2/2013 3:22 PM

This has been my only opportunity to try a bow with a female instructor. Karen was so personable and helpful. She encouraged me to try and now I feel confident enough to buy one!

3/2/2013 12:34 AM

As far as buying a bow I would have to do some research but I can tell you it was fun and I would love to be on a range with more distance to get the true feel of what it is like.

3/2/2013 10:19

I think that is was a great idea. I have been thinking about getting a new bow and have seen several and this gave me the opportunity to try a few and see what i liked. Thanks

2/28/2013 11:22

Gave me confidence that I can shoot a bow!

2/20/2013 12:09 AM

I loved it the women was very helpful explained everything such as the difference between the several bows I shot over all it was great

2/12/2013 10:53 PM

I really enjoyed it I was the one that you did not have long enough for me as soon as I purchase one I will let you now the length

2/11/2013 1:32 PM

it was fun

2/11/2013 9:00 AM

It was awesome! They really gave good directions and didnt speak over my head like the guys like to do!

2/10/2013 4:04 PM

Karen was awesome! Very fun booth and nice made me end up going out to buy a bow ;-)

2/10/2013 12:06 AM

Karen really helped me with my form from pulling a bow back to my anchor point she was a professional...

A Successful 2012 Deer Season by Meg Grossman

            My family and I had an incredible year hunting whitetails in Pennsylvania. I drew first blood in the early archery season followed by a buck in rifle season!

I love hunting and especially enjoy bow hunting. That afternoon I was fortunate to spend it on an acorn infested hill side. My husband, Matt, was across the creek on the other hill side keeping watch on a food plot in a blind with our almost three year old daughter.

I was watching a flock of hen turkeys feeding as they pasted my tree stand. About eighty yards above me in a thick sapling area, something was harassing the few straggling hens. Even thou it wasn’t the coolest evening, deer just can’t resist acorns!

I started to piece together the movements of a doe moseying off the top of the hill for dinner. I decided she was a mature doe that would be a great harvest to start the season!

After about twenty minutes of analyzing her every move, drawing back and letting down once, I made the final range. Twenty-three yards. Perfect. Now if she just turned a little bit more.  She took one more step and started to feed.  I drew my bow back for the final time, settled in for a good clean shot. Thwack! And off she ran up the hill. I waited a little bit and heard a crash!

I radioed Matt that I shot a doe. Within a matter of minutes our daughter was with Grandma and Matt and my father-in-law were like hound dogs; head lamps on the ground sniffing out the next trace of blood. The doe went about seventy yards before she was expired. It was a great feeling to share the beginning of 2012 deer season with my family.

After the long awaited archery season was complete, rifle season was on and so was the snow!  I was really stoked for opening day.  I climbed my stand early that morning only to be greeted by the next door neighbor!  I don’t mind other hunters but when they make a ruckus all morning long, talk, cough, and push me over the edge, my blood boils. I was so disgusted by about 9 o’clock I was ready to get out of my little invaded piece of paradise. 

After noon we headed back out for a long evening sit where I knew the only florescent orange I would see would be my own. I chose the beloved double ladder stand where I had harvested a buck three years ago, when Taylor was born. I got comfortable and sat for a few hours without seeing much of anything. Then at about 200 yards I saw one doe, then another and another. The deer just kept walking out of the thicket right to me. I was pumped after my heartbreak from the morning hunt.

Doe after doe came by then young scruffy bucks.  They weren’t walking ten feet from the ladder of the stand!  I was looking for a certain few bucks but they weren’t playing fair.  Just when I thought all the deer were past me, I took one more look out front and I couldn’t believe there were two more bucks that walked around the roots of a fallen tree.  I turned up the magnification on my scope and counted the first one; a basket rack six point. Then I glassed the second buck. He was a nice eight point. They were about 100 yards out walking towards me.  I pushed the safety off and hunkered down.  I gave him a “mur” to grab his attention. When he stopped and looked up, I squeezed the trigger.  I heard the bullet hit something hard and the buck took off on a dead run.  He ran right under my stand and stopped not five feet behind my stand hidden by a huge maple tree. 

At this point I wasn’t sure if I even hit him, a million “what if’s” are running through me head.  I felt like I made a good solid hit on him but… I didn’t know. There was no doubt he was going to bolt out from behind this tree and would be gone.  I held the crosshairs on the other side of the tree and in a split second he ran. I touched one more off and he was into the dark pines where I could no longer see.

I gathered my shaken thoughts and shaking body and sat down.  At that time my husband calmly said on the radio “What are you blaz’n away at Meggy?”  I was a little nervous and super excited.

As I was waiting for the hounds to come, I saw blood on the snow where the buck had ran under my stand.  My nerves were slightly eased at that sight.  Finally the guys were here and we started tracking.  The “I’m not sure’s” were starting to come back because the blood trail wasn’t what I wanted to see. We kept walking thru the pines and then we saw his rack in the lights.  He was down!

It was a huge sigh of relief to see his big body piled up in the snow.  When we got him back to the house, Taylor was waiting to see the buck! 

Matt was the next one to harvest a great nine point later that week!  We are grateful for the time spent in the woods together and for the opportunity to harvest beautiful deer.

 

Women of Inspiration - Ginger Morehead

Shoot Like a Girl is running a series of articles about women who inspire us to participate in shooting sports.  These women have achieved, or are in the process of achieving, legacy status in the industry.  Our featured Women of Inspiration come from the Pro-Staff shooters for Hunter Safety System, a company dedicated to ensuring the safety of all of us tree stand hunters.  We were able to get together with Ginger Morehead of Stayin’ Safe w/Jessie and Ginger for our second featured Woman of Inspiration in this series.

Ginger Morehead is definitely another girl that we should look to for inspiration.  A lifelong hunter, she has turned her passion into a thriving lifestyle, a winning career as a competitive archer and a television celebrity.   I had seen Ginger at archery tournaments, and spoken with her briefly before, but never to the level of our interview.  It was exciting for me to see another woman who is unapologetic about her desire to win…and when I say win, it isn’t to beat everyone else that she strives for, but to do her personal best, to continue to improve her skills.  Although, with all the wins she has, it is a question as to what next?  She has been Shooter of the Year 6 Times, World Champion 7 Times, National Triple Crown Champion 8 Times and won the NFAA Championships 10 times!  That is a lot of wins, and a ton of practice! 

Ginger started shooting when she was four or five.  She grew up on a ranch, where hunting was part of the lifestyle, her family hunted, including her mom and her sister.  She hunted with a bow when she was nine years old.  She had a Bear recurve bow, and took her fist doe.  In case you were wondering, her first harvest was with a gun at six years old!  During college Ginger was not that involved in shooting sports, but thanks to her sister, Madeline (who is a retired police officer and competed in the Police Olympics) a Christmas present of a bow, turned out to be the contributing factor to her success today.

Talking to Ginger about hunting was definitely inspiring too.  Like many of the ladies we have talked to, Ginger’s best hunting memories involve her family.  Her favorite adventures have been over the last several years while hunting and filming with her husband Jesse.  She likes to film him on camera.  She also isn’t afraid to say she likes the harvest.  She thinks hunting bear is a great time, and she killed a 150 inch buck - watching him come across the field and getting to share that experience with Jessie, well, when pressed that is the favorite experience so far.  I must say, her explanation of hunting summed it up, “It is a combination of both, sunrise, sunset, nature at its best, but the harvest is the icing on the cake.”  Returning to her very competitive side, she wants to get something.

Focusing on Hunter Safety System, she stresses the importance of wearing harness.  She says, “Every year more and more people that we know and more that we don’t know get hurt, and it is so sad because the equipment is there and people don’t take advantage of it.”  She adds, “Most important is the life line, it keeps you attached from time you leave the ground to when you get back to the ground.”   Ginger, a lifelong hunter, has luckily never fallen without her vest on.  She talked about two stories that could have resulted in injuries, but for the Hunter Safety Vest. 

Ginger’s recommended equipment list is quite long (you will see some of Shoot Like a Girl’s Sponsors here too)  Straight from Ginger:  “Hunter Safety System (I love the new Lady Pro Series!!); Mathews (The Jewel is the best lady's hunting bow ever!!); Muzzy (I use the 75 grain 3 blade Muzzy...love them!); Realtree (They have so many cute items for ladies!!); Easton (I hunt with the Axis 500...light and durable...great for low-poundage bows!!  I shoot 3D with the Lightspeed 500 for same reason!!); Bohning (They have small vanes for small arrows and in every color you can imagine!!); Viper (The best hunting sight and target scope on the market!!); and Millennium Treestands (the most comfortable stand you'll ever use!!)”

Ginger Morehead talked about the benefits to women who get involved in shooting sports.  She reminds us that shooting sports are a lifetime activity that can start real young and go into old age.  Shooting sports are an outstanding family activity that will give the entire family something they can do together.  More often than not, women are the most lacking of the family to participate, she disagrees that there is a stigma that it isn’t feminine, because nothing looks better than an armed woman.  Once women get into it they can teach their children.  When dad isn’t part of the family due to divorce or death, it is up to the moms to carry on traditions with their children.

If ladies are interested in getting involved, she recommends the need to go to a good reputable pro shop, especially with archery.  Visit with people who are educated to fit them to the right equipment.  Specialty Pro Shops will have someone to help ladies shoot, and give them good instructions.

When Ginger isn’t filming, competing or practicing she enjoys spending time with her family, fishing and watching their 11 year old son, Jacob wrestle and play football.  I asked Ginger if she has anything else she wanted to add to this article.  Her statement when I look back at my notes is so true.  She stated that there is an entire world out there that most women don’t know about (shooting sports).  She was blessed to get involved with Jesse and Susan Thomas Davis to get into the competition side in archery, rifle and pistol.  She states that the shooting sports world is waiting for us to enter and enjoy the rights the we’ve been given through our constitution; that the more we can get involved, the more we can stand up for our rights and protect them from being taken from us.  She stressed that competitive archery isn’t just for professionals, that there is a place for everyone, amateurs and beginners are welcome.  And even though she likes to compete to do her best, she ended that it really is not only about the competition, but the biggest part of it are the people and friends you make.  So get out there and have fun!   

Duck Hunting Summary by Brandi Butler

When I awoke on December 12, 2012, I was as excited as a child on Christmas morning!  That day was the day I was going to take my sister Tara on her first duck hunt.  She had been deer hunting for many years, but had never been on any kind of bird hunt.  It was approximately a 4 hour drive for us to reach Gregory, Arkansas…just 20 miles from Stuttgart, the world-famous duck capital.  As we were driving down the last rural county road to the lodge, we began to see the bean fields covered with feeding flocks of ducks. This got us excited for what would lie ahead! 

            When we arrived at the beautiful lodge for Bust-A-Duck guide service, we took a few minutes to play fetch with the owners dog while awaiting the arrival of the other ladies who would join our hunt. As everyone made their way in, we introduced ourselves and visited near the bonfire that had been prepared.  We discussed our expectations and excitement for the days that lay ahead. Tara and I gravitated to a  lady hunter named Amy, from Georgia, as this would also be her first time duck hunting. This of course helped my sister Tara not feel alone in her inexperience.

            We awoke that next morning at 4:30am, ate a small snack for breakfast, then began the long process of layering our hunting clothing and struggling into our neoprene waders.  As anyone knows who has done this, it can be quite a task! Finally everyone was dressed and ready. We loaded up the big, camo, 1980-something suburban (which we called the mud chariot) with our blind bags, snacks, and guns.  Just the idea of riding in that beast made us all smile!

            As we drove the fields through water and huge mud holes, the excitement was evident on everyone’s face. Upon reaching the blind, we exited the doors into knee deep water, grabbed our blind bags, removed our guns from the cases, and headed towards the blind through the mud.  What a perfect experience for first time duck hunters!  

            As we were getting situated in the blind, we watched our guide Matt place the decoys strategically in the water.  Waiting for shooting light, we told stories and educated each other on the sport of duck hunting.  At dawn, we could barely see the silhouettes of the ducks flying in the morning light. We were all very anxiously awaiting for our Matt to say “Ok ladies, load your guns”.  When he finally uttered those words, it was the best noise we could imagine. The clink of shells being loaded into 12 gauges…that makes a woman smile!

            Finally the time came, and we had a good group of 5 or 6 ducks flying in.  They committed to land and the guide Matt says, “Shoot, Shoot!” .  The blast of shotguns and smell of gunpowder filled the heavy air.  As the flock flew off, it became apparent no ducks were hit!  Tara, my sister,  decided she’d shoot at a straggler duck that was flying away from her at approx 40 yards.  One last 12 gauge blast, and our guide Matt exclaimed “Who shot that duck? That was awesome!“. Tara quickly confessed to shooting the duck through big smile on her face. I knew at that moment she would be hooked for life! 

            Our day only got better…  By 11:00am we five ladies had shot our limit of 30 ducks.  We had such a great success rate and excellent team work that day.  Smiles spread across everyone’s face as we arrived back at the lodge with our trophies from the day to warm food, great memories, and conversation for hours.

       As we loaded up on the last day  and said our goodbyes to the great women we had met and made friends with, I knew this would not be our last trip duck hunting. All Tara talked about on the ride home was duck hunting and what a great time she had.  I could not help but smile knowing that she had such a great experience and that I got to share that moment with her. I know one thing for certain, Tara and Amy will be members of the duck hunting community for the rest of their lives.  There is no greater feeling than seeing the joy and excitement on a new hunter’s face as ducks descend through golden morning light into gun range! 

 

NOTE:  Shoot Like A Girl teamed up with Babes Bullets and Broadheads to put on this duck hunt!

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.