Thanksgiving Week

This Thanksgiving Week has been a roller coaster ride for my family. 

The week started out nicely, spending some time with my family. I hunted with my brother, dad and husband for the first time. We had a full family photo done for my mother's birthday. Took her out to dinner. We picked our new addition to the family, our beagle puppy Sage.

Hubby and I did not get to go out small game hunting like we had wanted to. But we did have a nice Thanksgiving dinner out with his family at a local restaurant. Then we settled in for a movie at home and enjoyed the evening .

Black Friday, brought a whole new meaning to our family. Again we were not able to get out and do any hunting. Of course, with a new puppy we have to go outside first thing after we wake up. So I trotted out side with the puppy and our lab. After Sage did her business, we headed inside but our lab stayed outside. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door...our lab had been hit by a car. It was not a good way to start our day. That night was the most shaken up I have seen  my husband. He showed our 3 year old son where Remi was buried and told him that he would not be coming back. Our son has taken our pet loss well. I think it is due to the new puppy.

Remi was a good dog, even though he got on my nerves. He will be missed.

Hunting Buddy Found

Hunting Buddy Found

On our trip to New York, we found the Beagle pup we have been looking for.

We really lucked out. There were 8 pups, 3 male and 5 female. All puppies were tri-colored. We chose a female pup and we named her Sage. When it came down to picking a pup, there was only 1 male left and all the females. Hubby really wanted a female so that we can breed her. The name Sage was chosen because of the meaning that we found.  Sage - Meaning "wise, healthy" Sage is a great Beagle dog name for the wise canine you have at home, and one you can always go to for advice. Sage is just a little peanut at 13 weeks old. She was the runt of the liter. Both parents are 13 inch tall beagles. I think, Sage will have a lot of growing to do to get to that size. 

Sage

Dam OSO II

We will be registering her with AKC. She has excellent bloodlines. Her mother has won trophies at competitions. This Dam is from the Ninja and Warlock Bloodline.

We will be going out small game hunting this weekend. Hopefully there will be a few bunnies. We will use the bunnies for training with Sage over the next few days and weeks. I'll write more about training later.

Christmas List

 

My Christmas Wish List...

 

This is my wish list for things that I would like to see under my Christmas tree this year. These are things that I would like to have for next hunting season or things I would use right away.

 

 There will be another post for the things that I would love to see under my Christmas tree sometime.

 

So here it is...

 

 

These first two are what I told hubby that I wanted for Christmas.  I have wanted a bow sling all 3D season. I think these earings are just great! So hopefully these will be under our tree Christmas morning.

 

 I would like to add these two my hunting bag. I'm pretty sure they could be useful next hunting season. But I guess I would need to learn how & when to use these and my grunt call that I already have.

 

 

A girl always needs a new camo sweatshirt.... When my brother asked what I wanted for Christmas, I told him I wanted this sweatshirt.

 

Other gifts I have put on my wish list are: gift certificates to a few stores, beagle pup,

 

 

dutch oven for cooking all the wild game and

 

a fleece pea coat. Too keep me warm and stylish.

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and good luck hunting!

 

 

 



Hunting in NY

 

Our trip to Western New York is almost over. We have enjoyed spending time with my family. And they have enjoyed having us, especially seeing their grandson.
 

 

Hubby has been able to go hunting every day since we arrived. I did not go out until yesterday. I wanted to spend some time with my mother while we were here. So, before we arrived I had decided that I would only hunt 1 or 2 days. Maybe I will go out again for a few hours tomorrow before we head back home.

 

Yesterday's hunting started out really cold and slow. My brother and I were sitting in his blind. We didn't see anything in the early morning. The woods and fields were really quiet. Hubby saw a few doe and a buck from his stand. So he and my brother formulated a plan for a drive. After my brother finished the drive, we decided to go in for a bit so he could rest and we could get warmed up.

 

After getting warm and my dad getting back, we decided to go to the north end of the property. My brother and dad would put on another drive for hubby and I, hoping they would push some deer to us.  It worked, I saw 2 doe and 2 buck. I drew up on one buck, but he didn't stop where I could get a shot on him. The other buck was too far away. But I was happy that I finally saw some deer. With one last drive before we called it a day, we kicked out a small buck and a doe. No one got a deer.



Since this is my first gun hunting season experience, I am learning that it is very different from bow hunting. I knew that the guys did some drives while gun hunting, but did not realize how much walking there actually was. I was a wimp. My legs were wore out. My hips were burning. I think it was the fact that I was wearing my Muck boots, multiple layers of clothing, mud caked on my boots and stepping over the cut field corn. All things I am not used to doing on a daily basis. (I work in an office where I where high heels or dress shoes everyday.) This walking worked muscles that I'm not sure I knew I had or obviously didn't use often.

Next week I will find out what PA rifle hunting will be like. I wonder if I will be just as much as of a wimp? The one thing I do know is that I will not be such a wimp next year. I am getting my butt back in the gym, to lose some weight and gain some more muscle. I will also get out and walk more in my Muck boots to help build the muscles that were hurting yesterday.

Stay tuned for my PA hunting stories.

 

Chick shirts & hunting

As I have begun my hunting career, I have discovered many websites for women that are hunters. They are inspirational and exciting. Most of them have their own line of clothing and accessories, that I can't live with out. My first purchases was from the The Crush website. I have several Crushvill shirts. My favorite is:

 

Then I discovered Just for Does. I love there scent free products and I have a few Just for Does shirts. I have a couple favorites from this line and wouldn't have my feelings hurt if there were some more under my Christmas tree this year.

My favorites:

 

 

 

I only have one shirt from Trophy Chick Apparel but I wear it all the time.

 



 

I love showing my excitement for the outdoors and hunting with my shirts from these great companies supporting women in the outdoors.

 

 

 

*** All pictures were taken from the company's websites.

Recipes to Try

Today, I am gathering recipes to try, since we will be deer hunting and small game hunting over the next few weeks. I use venison in many different ways already. But I am always up for a new recipe. I have never cooked a rabbit or pheasant so I need to find some recipes to cook then. Here are a couple that I think I will try after our next hunts.

Honey Roasted Pheasant

Ingredients:

2 1/2-3 lbs pheasants
honey
salt and pepper
granulated garlic powder
tarragon
thyme
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Place the pheasant into a baking dish.

Pour lemon juice over the pheasant.

Generously spread the honey over the entire bird.

Season the cavities of the pheasant generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, tarragon & thyme.

Lightly sprinkle the outside of the pheasant with salt, pepper, garlic powder, tarragon & thyme.

Place into the bottom third of the oven & roast until done, which will be when you puncture the bird & the juices run clear.

Be careful not to over cook the pheasant, as it is a very dry bird with very little fat.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Place the pheasant into a baking dish.

Pour lemon juice over the pheasant.

Generously spread the honey over the entire bird.

Season the cavities of the pheasant generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, tarragon & thyme.

Lightly sprinkle the outside of the pheasant with salt, pepper, garlic powder, tarragon & thyme.

Place into the bottom third of the oven & roast until done, which will be when you puncture the bird & the juices run clear.

Be careful not to over cook the pheasant, as it is a very dry bird with very little fat.

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This article was printed from: www.ultimatepheasanthunting.com

I am finding more recipes for pheasant that I would like to try, than I want to try for rabbits. Maybe it is just a mental block because I don't think I have actually had rabbit before and I already know that I like pheasant. So here is the recipe that I am going to try for rabbit.

BBQ Rabbit Sent in by Dave & Jessica Oller.

~ 3 rabbits, quartered ~ 1 large onion, chopped ~ 1 large can tomatoes ~ 1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar ~ 1 tbsp butter ~ 1/2 cup vinegar ~ 1/2 cup ketchup ~ 1 tbsp favorite bbq sauce ~ 1 tsp cinnamon ~ salt ~ pepper ~ dash chili powder

Place rabbits in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook 1 - 1 1/2 hours or until tender. Remove meat from pot and allow to cool. Debone. Place meat in a crockpot and add the rest of the ingredients adding the sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low all day. Serve on buns or on the side. I'll let you know how they turned out after I give them a try.  What are your favorite pheasant and rabbit recipes?

Growing my hunting Closet

 The 2012 hunting season is quickly coming to a close. It has been quite an adventure for me. I tried turkey hunting, bow hunting for deer and small game hunting. Before the year is over, I will also have tried my hand at hunting with a rifle and a muzzleloader.

As my year and experience has progressed, I’ve found myself in need of more hunting apparel and accessories. I started the year out with a water proof suit that is light weight, that my hubby bought me along with Coldgear Under Armour for Christmas last year. My FIL also bought me a pair of quilted pants at Christmas. The water proof suit was a perfect hunting outfit to start out with because it worked for spring turkey season and early bow season.  

Now that I have tried small game hunting, I find myself needing a good pair of brush pants. I ordered this pair from LL Bean. 

I have not had a chance to go small game hunting since the brush pants arrived in the mail. But hopefully I will get to go a couple of times over Thanksgiving. I could also use a hunting vest to wear while small game hunting. However, I haven’t killed anything while small game hunting so it hasn’t been a problem. J

Since the rut has started and gun season is approaching along with the cooler temps, I have been looking for a warmer hunting jacket. I have been considering a women’s Redhead jacket from Basspro. 

But I am going to go shopping this week to see if I can find something else that I like.

Someday I think I would like to get Scent Blocker’s Sola outfit or Under Armour’s Grim Reaper.

Now that I know that I like hunting. I did not want to buy a more expensive suit at first, in case I did not like hunting.

What hunting suit do you wear the most?

 Do you layer with Under Armour or do you like something else better?

Rabbit Hunting Dog

Do you have hunting dogs? What kind?

When we went small game hunting a couple weekends ago, we had a beagle hunting with us.  While we were hunting hubby said that he wished we had at least one more dog with us. He says, beagles work better in a pack. Later that day, after we were done hunting, he asked me how I felt about getting a beagle to hunt with. I'm not sure. He said it would be an outside dog. He believes that beagles that are outside dogs are better hunters.

This week after our hunting adventure, we have been talking about hunting dogs. But there are so many hunting dogs. How do you know which one to get. I used to have 2 german shorthaired pointers, male & female. The male took 2nd level at a field test. He was was a good bird dog, but his talent was not utilized.

As we have continued to talk, we have decided that we will get a puppy, a beagle. Now the question is do we get a male or female. Hubby grew up with beagles and had good luck with males. I have always favored females. Hubby is also interested in getting a female and breeding her at some point with his father's beagle.   I'm just not sure what I want to get this time. Hubby keeps going back and forth on it also. I guess we will just have to see what there is when we get to a breeder. However, we have decided that if we get a female her name will be Sage. We have not picked a name for a male.

I would like to wait until after the new year. 1. So I don't have to do deal with a puppy and the Christmas tree. 2. Hopefully then the ground will be frozen and we can get the puppy housebroken by the time the ground gets muddy again in the spring. My FIL knows we have been talking about getting a puppy and he has mentioned getting us one for Christmas, so I may not have a choice when we get the puppy.




So I will keep you posted on the puppy topic.

 

New Adventure

Yesterday, we ventured out to the woods and brush in search of small critters. This was my first time small game hunting. My husband has always said how he actually loves small game hunting even more than deer hunting. I couldn't understand it....

Hubby, FIL, Miller (FIL's beagle) and I started hunting on this cool November morning. We were not 10 minutes into our hunt and  hubby shot a pheasant.

He was shocked. According to hubby and FIL, that have not seen pheasants in the area in many years.

We walked on in search of rabbits and more pheasants. Miller started hunting and we started seeing rabbits. Both FIL and hubby were not shooting at them because they wanted to give me all the opportunities to shoot  one. However, I quickly discovered that I do not have the fast reflexes to shoot a rabbit or pheasant. (no pun intended) :(

I had opportunities to shoot at 4 or 5 rabbits and one pheasant. I just could not get my gun up in position and the safety off fast enough. I was bummed out. But every time I saw a rabbit or a pheasant, I got the adrenalin rush that hubby was trying to explain to me. It was not the same adrenalin rush for me as seeing deer, but enough to give me the itch to try it again, but not with out some practice pulling my gun up faster.

I'll keep you posted on my practice and my next small game hunt.