Back to back bucks

Dec 1& 2

First day of bow Season! So happy that the rifles are away until predators and that most people are out of the bush. We decided to go out for an afternoon  /evening hunt with the kids. The bush was alive with deer, we seen over 30, but we also didn't realize that the weather was taking a turn that night. 

While we were driving out we noticed a doe bedded down only 15 yards off the bush road. So We stopped and backed up to get a better Look at her. As we were backing Up She got up, and when we stopped she ran...taking her boyfriend (that we hadn't seen) with her. And he was big! Kyle tried following them but The snow Was horrible for stalking. Frozen, thin lcy snow. So we continued On. We found lots of does and fawns through out the day and even some spike and 2 point bucks. We came upon a doe that had no concerns or worries About us, I hummed and hawed whether I wanted to shoot another doe. Finally I decided. I Walked back to where She was and ranged her at 20 yards, pulled back and let my arrow fly. Missed. She had taken one step side ways and my arrow just missed her, scared her though. She jumped straight up in the air and walked off. I went down and found my arrow, not a spec of blood. I Walked back up to the jeep and we Continued On to where we had plans on going. We got to the clearings and parked. We sat and glassed for a little while. We soon found a group of about 5 or more does And fawns. The clearing has a lot of high brush and clusters of Christmas trees so we thought we Would walk down the road thru the clearing. We made it almost to the end of the Clearing when I seen movement out of the Corner of my eye, A buck. He was on the trail of a hot doe and didn't take notice to us. When l finally got Kyles attention he had moved into a patch of Christmas trees. I motioned to Kyle where he Was heading.  He tried as quietly as he could to get ahead of the buck. The buck beat him out of the trees and stopped at 60 yards, he now noticed he wasn't alone. Kyle pulled back and let an arrow fly. I heard the smack and he was down within 30 yards. Kyle was ecstatic.  It was his biggest buck with a bow. I ran back to get the jeep and brought it down, then helped him drag the deer over. 

The next morning Pheonix had school, so we decided to go out after we dropped her off. Well, we woke up to a blizzard. We drove all the bush roads trying to find some sign of life in the woods. Nothing. I was getting pretty frustrated and even more so after receiving 2 phone calls(one from city bylaw) that our one dog was barking non stop. So i was annoyed, frustrated and feeling defeated for the day. As we were heading out to go home, we turned down one of the side roads off the bush road just as a detour. Off in the distance Kyle sees a buck. The only living thing we had seen all day, and it was a buck. He was heading away from us so I jumped out and tried to cut him off. He was heading towards another spur road so I headed down that, thankfully the snow was soft and deep from the snow storm,  cushioning my footsteps.  I managed to catch up to him just after he crossed the spur and he stopped broadside 45 yards from me. I quickly pulled back and let my arrow go. I hit him perfect height but he took a small step forward so my arrow hit him a little further back then I wanted. I followed him a little bit and seen he was bleeding so I backed off and went to the jeep. It was getting close to having to pick up Pheonix do we decided to let him have a couple hours to die. Kyle took me home so I could get Easton some lunch and pick up Pheonix and he headed out to find my deer. It didn't take him long to find him, but he did go quite a distance.  He was a tough one. By the time I got back to the house with the kids he was on his way home with him. We loaded the kids up and went out so we could get pictures and clean him out. I was pretty happy, my day definitely turned around.  He is my first archery buck and my biggest overall. 

World full of hate

For the past few days my eyes have been opened to the kind of world we live in now. Social media and the internet is basically what the world runs On now and unfortunately it has shown many times the amount of horrible people that are out there that have no problems slandering and Threatening Others while being behind a Computer screen. I believe in animal rights, but activists take those rights to out of control proportions to the point where they have no problems Wishing death upon your children, giving death threats And Wishing it upon your entire family.  When did it become ok to threaten a child? I have found when dealing with these types of People that they go off pure emotion and are impossible to reason with. Even when presented with nothing but fact they still resort to name calling and threats.
I have been on the receiving end of this behaviour. It leaves you feeling very unsettled and in pure shock. But I have never seen it in the magnitude that it has been lately after Melissa Bachman posted a picture of a lion she took while on Safari in South Africa, legally. The thing is, she is not the only person to hunt a lion. There have been many people that have for many years. The issue is that she is a female hunter, and a pretty one at that. Women hunters seem to get it the worst from activists and antis. Is this an acceptable way to treat women? Or anyone? Absolutely Not!

I am also disgusted with the media on this issue. Instead of publishing facts and taking an Un-biased view, they feed off the hate and emotions to gain readers and Viewers making an already Crazy situation - cause it to spiral even more out of Control and making it seem that it's ok to slander and threaten someone. The Comments that spew out of these people is VIAL! If this is what is acceptable in society now for A conflict of interests, then I am extremely scared for my Children, especially my daughter. In a world where bullying has become an epidemic Amoung youth, there sure isn't a good Model to follow. Considering kids learn from example and not what they have been told, we are in for a violent generation if adults can't even handle conflict maturely.

Nikita

Trophy Hunting and Non

The words''Trophy hunting" get a very wide range of emotions associated with them. Envy, dislike, jealousy, indifference, even hate. It's not just non-hunters and anti's that get their hackles up at the words but also fellow hunters. Why?

When most people hear "Trophy Hunter" they automatically assume these people hunt these animals, kill them, lop off their heads and leave the meat. Or think they hunt high fenced animals (and yes there are Some that do). When people go to Africa to hunt the big game there it's called "trophy hunts" and because the hunters don't usually bring home the meat it's assumed that the animal is wasted. A lot of people don't realize how much these "trophy hunters" can help the tribes and towns in Africa, it brings in money, helps control populations of animals and the meat gets donated to those that need it. Another "Trophy hunt" that the anti's in particular like to target is the Grizzly hunting in BC. With this hunt You are not required to take the meat out with you. This hunt is for population control, is closely monitored and run on a limited entry (lottery) system.

Lets look at how trophy hunters work. Most work Very hard at finding and taking that specific animal. They put in a lot of time and effort in scouting these animals. Most of the animals are mature animals, So it's not like they are going into the bush and blasting the first animal they see. Many people say ''well you can't eat the horns"- true, but if you have the luxury of not having to worry about that or have the time to hunt that long/much and can wait for the trophy then you will end up getting more meat. A mature buck will have more meat then an immature One. By law you have to take the meat out, if someone doesn't then they are breaking the law And are a poacher- not a hunter.

Things go both ways though, its not just trophy hunters that get backlash from hunters and non-hunters. l have seen plenty of hunters put down and belittle those that shoot a Smaller animal than they think Is appropriate. Some people just need the meat or don't have the time and/or funds to get out a lot. A lot of these people are after the meat, and shooting the first legal animal they See ensures that they are putting food on their families table and not having the stress of an unfilled tag and buying meat.

In this world people are too busy ridiculing others instead of supporting them. If animals are taken LEGALLY and ETHICALLY then that is what should matter, not your own personal ethics because everyones personal ethics are different. AND remember there are different laws and regulations from state to state, province to province.

My rant is over, I hope those that read this will look at things a little differently -if you needed too.

Nikita

KJubinville Photography Photo Shoot

My friend Kristin owns KJubinville Photography and she did some photos up for me. They turned out amazing.

You can check out her site/blog at www.kjubinvillephotography.blogspot.com and she has a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kjubinvillephotography Go check out her work!!

Here are my photos from my shoot with her:

Hunting with the kids

September 16, 2013

Well our season here opened on the first with archery season. Kyle went on his sheep hunt for a couple days at the beginning of rifle (sept 10) and unfortunately we have found a lot this year is people not playing by the rules....aka driving in road closures. It has been unusually hot (high 20's -30C) and the animals have been harder to hunt. Most are staying by the rivers where it is very thick or is private property. But we still head out, hoping. The kids have gotten out tons and are having a blast.
We took them to a waterhole that gets lots of animal traffic. The waterhole is surrounded by a ridge that raps around from the north, east to the south end and the west end is timber. So we set up on the ridge laying down with the rifles about 30 yards apart. Girls vs. Boys. We had our phones on silent so we could communicate. After about 5 mins the kids were bored, Easton was fidgety and picking grass and Pheonix was rolling around whispering away. We didnt see anything. They lasted about 40 mins before we decided to pack up and the wind had changed and was blowing the wrong direction.
 They had fun and thats what counts.

Loba Outdoors

September 16, 2013

Back in July, I was asked by a new and upcoming womens outdoor site if I would be interested in writing them an article on my mountain goat hunt. I accepted and had to keep it a secret until the site launched...I felt like I was going to explode with excitment lol. The site launched in the beginning of August and since then I have written 2 more articles for them.
The site is called Loba Outdoors and it is a site directed towards women that love the outdoors. They have categories for hunting, fishing and cooking. They also have a spotlight where you can nominate a woman for "Loba of the week", and they have a write up about them and pictures.

• You can check out the Site here: www.lobaoutdoors.com
• The link to my mountain goat article: http://lobaoutdoors.com/how-i-learned-to-hunt-mountain-goats/
• The link to my bowhunting article: http://lobaoutdoors.com/bowhunting-strategy-archery-season-tips-success/
• The link to my article on Fitting the female hunter and gear to take: http://lobaoutdoors.com/outfit-what-to-take-hunting-fitting-the-female-hunter/
• The link to my How to introduce Kids to hunting article: http://lobaoutdoors.com/how-to-introduce-kids-to-hunting/
• The link to my scouting deer in a new area article: http://lobaoutdoors.com/hunting-new-area-find-deer/

Keep an eye on the site for more articles!

You can find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/LobaOutdoors
and Twitter: @LobaOutdoors

I hope you enjoy the site and write ups as much as I do! And maybe nominate a woman you know for Loba of the week :)

Nikita

Hips Archery Target Review

August 31, 2013

So I have just recently been accepted on to the Hips Prostaff Team, but I have been shooting their targets for a while now. I received my first one, a X2 series Whitetail, back in April and have been shooting it almost everyday since then. Now that I am on the team I have purchased their X2 Mule Deer target. I still shoot my whitetail more often just because it is more abused and I like to use it for close range.

Durability
I am very impressed with these targets. So far my whitetail (even though its the smallest out of the X2 series) is still taking a pounding. I have shot it just about everyday and that includes with broadheads. The broadheads have more penetration but the target is still stopping them.

Pulling Arrows are very nice with these targets. They pull with ease and don't take parts of the target with them.

These targets are extremely light! Easy to carry making it easy to take them anywhere. My 5 year old daughter can carry them and pull her own arrows out of these! With them being so light when your arrow hits the target they are designed to move to absorb the shock which helps with the life of the targets. Just be careful because you can damage arrows!

 I have found that when the target gets more and more abused that they still hold together. The first layer on the center of the whitetail is starting to peel off from the amount I have shot it but other then that it doesn't show a lot of signs of stress. Even with the top layer coming off it still stops my arrows. I love these targets!




I do recommend these targets and they have a few different types that go up in size. From smallest to largest: Whitetail, Mule deer, Elk, Grizzly and the Big game. The grizzly and big game targets are suggested for the speed bows, although Kyle shoots the mule deer target and it does stop his arrows.

I shoot a Bowtech Heartbreaker with arrows that weigh about 303gr, pulling 50#, 24 in draw and flying at an average of 240fps.
Kyle shoots a Bowtech Destroyer 340 at 70#, 32 in draw, arrows weighing about 460gr and flying at an average of 300fps

Hope this review helps with your target making decisions! You wont be disappointed with a Hips! Check out the targets at www.hipstargets.com and they are on facebook and twitter!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/hipsarcherytargets
Twitter: @hips_targets


Nikita

Take a drive...

July 17,13


There is something about the bush that cleanses the soul....

It doesn't need to be a hunt or a hike, maybe just a drive. Either way it seems to relax you, chase your worries and stress away. You live in that moment and are happy. You forget about the stress of work and bills for the moment; The cool air washes over you leaving you refreshed.

Take a drive, take a walk... relax and breathe

Nikita

Beaver Pond Bear Excursion

June 17, 2013


Kyle decided he wanted to go on a bear hunt. He was supposed to be taking it easy after having minor surgery that morning, but of course he didn't listen. He said we would go for a drive and then just for a nice, easy walk. Nothing strenuous. So, Kyles mom offered to take the kids for the evening and we would be back to pick up the kids just after dark.

We headed out to an area that I grew up in, trail riding horses. As we were driving down the back road we noticed a blue quad coming towards us. Kyle made a comment that if it were my dad he would laugh. I looked a little harder and noticed the person on the quad had no shirt on. I told Kyle that I guaranteed it was my dad. Sure enough, my dad pulled up beside us, shirtless. He told us he had just seen a massive black bear just up the road about a half hour ago. So we followed him up to the clearing he seen it. We decided to drive up to a spot above the clearing and walk down a grown in road. We walked for a bit and decided to try out the predator call in one of the next clearings. We set up the rabbit and went and settled in. After 30 seconds I was getting eaten alive. The area we were in is thick with rich, green vegetation and buzzing with mosquitoes. We only sat for about 10 minutes before we both couldn't stand it any longer. We drove up to the top of the mountain and scanned the lower valley, trying to hatch out a plan. Do we stay in this area hoping that bear was still around, or do we go try somewhere else? We decided to try a different area, a quieter area.

We drove for a while seeing nothing. Soon the land started to change into mountains surrounded by marsh. The marsh was full of beaver huts. Kyle started to get a little more optimistic about the area. As we continued on I seen a massive black figure across the marsh make its way up the clearing on the side of the mountain towards the trees. I said," Bear, Kyle bear! " He stopped and backed up so we could get a look at it. I got first glimpse and said he's a BIG bear. Kyle jumped out with the rifle and set up. I was watching the bear through my binos and talking to Kyle. Mainly reminding him that he is supposed to be keeping it easy and that he would not be an easy retrieval. Once he seen the bear he didn't care, this was the biggest bear he had ever seen. He was a brute of a bear. Kyle yelled to try to get him to stop climbing. He did. And he turned around towards us, sat down and started looking down toward the marsh. He didn't know we were there. This bear was so big, he had no neck or ears. He was just a tank. I kept an eye on him while Kyle was getting ready. Bang! He took a head on shot aiming for his chest. He hit him and the bear took off up the mountain and to the tree line. I watched until he disappeared amongst the trees. We quickly grabbed our packs and set off down the side of the hill. The hillside wasn't too bad, a little thick, but we soon discovered there was no fast way around the marsh. We came to a halt where the mud was separated by a patch of water running into the larger part of the marsh. Kyle took the first leap and didn't make it. The water swallowed in around him up to above his knees. It was apparently deeper then it looked also. Seeing how deep it was on him made me re-think this trip down. I leaped as far as the mud would let me and I hit the freezing, black, smelly water. It was up to my waist. We then had a hike straight up a mountain. Hiking with soaked boots sucks. My socks were making that gross smooshing sound in my boots. And yes, I ended up with hot spots on my feet! At least they weren't blisters. We managed to get up into the tree line he had disappeared into. Kyle wanted to get back to the spot he shot him and try tracking him from there. We scoured the area and found no sign besides the spot he was shot. As we were walking through, searching we heard a moan. Kyle looked at me, I said I think that was him. It sounded like a bear moan. So we started walking towards where we heard it. Nothing for the longest while. We then heard this weird sound, it sounded like a moan but I wasn't sure. Kyle thought it was the bear again. So we followed the new sound. As we were going along I was getting suspicious of this "moan". I was starting to think the birds were taking us on a run around. So I slowed down while Kyle was trying to cover as much ground as possible. He eventually caught on to the birds as well. By the time he had I was standing on one of the ridges scanning the clearings. And right below me was a calf Moose, watching me. I started talking to her as I walked and she started following me parallel to the ridge, then turned and started to jog straight towards me. Made me a little nervous since moose aren't known for being the nicest animals. But when she seen Kyle coming towards me she turned and took off to the treeline where the bear had gone. Kyle didn't even know she was there. It was starting to get to dark and I didn't want to have to cross the marsh in the pitch black so we decided to head back to the other side where the Jeep was parked. Thankfully we found a dam we could walk across. But we ended up having to fight our way up the other side of the mountain. It was steeper then where we came down and full of thick vegetation and blow down. I didn't care, as long as I didn't have to go swimming again. We decided to come back in the morning to see if we could find him.

The next morning we got the kids up and all our gear loaded. Kyle had been up during the night trying to see if there was an easier way to get to the mountain surrounded by marsh. He discovered using google earth that there was an old road that would get us across the marsh and then we could walk in. As we were heading in it was pouring rain. He figured we wouldn't see any bears at all. We did. A little black bear that was as blond as blond could be. Just a little guy, but he was sure beautiful. I managed to video him but the video is extremely shaky because the hand strap was set for Kyles hands and way to big for me. So we continued on. We soon discovered the road had been washed out before we got to the marsh. We parked and got the kids out with their rain gear on and started walking the road. Luckily it was more like a creek then a marsh where we had to cross. So nobody got their feet wet...from the creek anyway. By the time we got to the tree line where we lost sight of the bear Easton was done, he was soaked, tired and crying. So I stayed with him down in the clearing while Pheonix and Kyle walked up into the trees to look. He didn't find him, but he did find some large rocks that had been turned over that weren't like that before and that only a bear could have moved besides us. So he figured he must have hit him between the ribs and should. Unfortunately, that is the nature of the hunt and mistakes can be made. We will be making more trips up there in hopes to see the brute again.

Nikita

Bear videos- June 25 Hunt

June 26,2013



We seen 4 bears in total last night. 2 bears were alone and the other was a sow with this years cub. It was an overall great night even though Kyle didnt get to take a bear. We saved a Painted Turtle from getting run over on the road. Although he wasnt very happy with me picking him up and moving him to where he wanted to go. He was hissing and scratching me with his back feet. We seen lots of whitetail, including a few bucks, and 3 bull elk. One was a massive bull already. Below are the videos we got. The first one is of the 2nd bear of the evening (the first didnt give us the chance, he was gone) and the other is of the sow and her cub.

 

Nikita

 

 

Bear hunting

June 4, 2013

Today Kyle had the day off and because I already got my bear he decided he wanted to have an afternoon/evening out. His parents said they would take Pheonix and Easton for a sleep over. Our bear hunt turned into a date night, and it was a beautiful day for it. So we got the kids stuff packed up, got in our gear and headed out to drop them off for their sleepover with Oma and Papa. We drove up to an area that Kyle had hunted just a couple days earlier that he had seen tons of bear sign in, and parked. We geared up and started hiking. Not even 100 yrds from the jeep we found pile after pile of black bear scat. Within a 20 yard walk there was 7 piles. We were able to identify that there was at least one cub in the mix. So Kyle was very optimistic about seeing a bear. So we continued to hike. The farther and higher we got, the bear scat got less until we had a period of no sign at all. We pushed on anyways. Then as we were examining a puddle and mud we found a bear track. But it was the wrong kind of bear. After finding the track we started finding grizzly scat, and it got more and more in quantity. We decided that we would turn around and head back to the jeep and go to a different area.

 We drove for a bit and noticed the temperature was dropping rapidly so we decided to stay in the jeep from  a bit and follow some of the old abandoned roads. Again we found lots of bear scat all over the roads, side roads and main. Kyle "tagged" one pile that was on the main road and it was so fresh it splattered up the jeep after being run over. The farther we drove the higher up we got into the alpine and into the snow. We stopped to glass one large clearing and Kyle announces that there was a bear in it. I immediately asks if it was a black or grizzly. Too be honest, i figured we would have ran into a grizz before a black up that high. He said it was jet black, so I started searching the part of the clearing he was watching and I finally found him after he moved his head. He was about 350yrds away from us and didn't have a clue we were there. Kyle grabbed his rifle and decided to try to get a better look at him. By the time he got up to the top of the clearing the bear had disappeared. I was Kyles eyes from the road and it was like he laid down and vanished. After a few minutes Kyle did the same thing to me. So I waited. I strained to hear anything but with the creek roaring behind me it was next to impossible. I waited and waited. Finally Kyle came walking down the road from way back and around the corner. He had gone behind a roll in the clearing that I couldn't make out from the road and found the bear heading that way as well. He had followed him until he could stop and get a really good look at him and decided it was about a 4 foot bear. Not what he wanted. So once the little guy was out of sight Kyle came back to me and the jeep. In the mean time the temperature had dropped down to 3C and I had all my layers on. It was too dark by the time he got back to the jeep so we headed home, happy that we at least go to see a bear.

Nikita

Nikita's 2013 Spring Bear & Archery Shoot

May 28, 2013

We had no intentions of hunting over the weekend, we had a busy weekend helping out with the local 3D archery shoot and shooting in it as well. It made for long days and the kids were bagged by the time we would get home. Saturday was the first day of the shoot. We did 2 rounds where Kyle, Pheonix and I shot and Easton trucked along. This was Pheonixs first full weekend shooting and she did really well. Saturday was her best day. She hardly missed a target and only lost one arrow. Kyle of course had a good day and I did not lol. I busted up 2 arrows...just wasn't my day. We were proud of Easton too. It was his first shoot walking the entire thing. He never complained once and had a lot of fun. Sunday was a good day for me shooting. Kyle decided not to shoot and just walk with Easton so the girls could shoot. After our round Pheonix spent the rest of the day shooting in the Kiddies Corner. Pheonix was a little more tired and was having a harder time on Sunday, but she still did very good and had a lot of fun.

After shooting all day on Saturday we went home to have a late lunch/early dinner and Kyle threw out the idea to go for an evening bear hunt. Just somewhere close to home. So we packed up the kids and rifles into the jeep after our meal and took off. Once we got up to the area we decided on we just slowly trucked along. No one had been up the road in the last few days which made it nice to know we were the first up there. As we came around a corner Kyle slammed on the breaks and there was a massive bear. At first Kyle thought it was a color phase black bear, but when he stopped and turned you couldn't miss that he was a grizzly bear. He jumped off the road only 20 yrds off the road and stopped to watch us. We sat and watched him as he slowly made his way up the hill away from us. He was a very healthy bear. Nice color, glossy coat and good weight. Once he was out of sight we continued on. Only about a km away we seen a big health cow moose. She didn't give us a chance to get a look at her, she ran and didn't stop. We continued on. After seeing the grizzly I wasn't feeling very optimistic in seeing a black bear.We went for about another hour and we seen a young bull moose. Then around the next bend in the next clearing Kyle stops and tells me to get out. Confused i grab my rifle and jump out. He points down the hill in the clearing and leaves with to park the jeep. I look down and at the bottom of the clearing is a black bear.  Lounging in the green grass, munching away. While I was trying to decide how to rest my gun, Kyle already had his rifle down with the bipod. So I asked to use his since it was already set up. I laid down with his 7mag and got lined up. Squeezed the trigger and it rolled down the hill. I was so excited and so was Pheonix and Easton. Kyle went down to make sure it was ok to take the kids to see it. It was a very steep climb. I had to carry Easton down and help Pheonix. After we started to skin it we remembered there was a grizzly in the area. So Kyle told me to take Easton back up to the jeep and keep and eye out for any more bears and Pheonix wanted to stay and help. I packed Easton back up the hill because it was too steep for him to climb. Once Kyle and Pheonix started making their way up I buckled Easton up in the jeep with the heat on (he was cold) I walked over to help Pheonix. She did really good climbing the steep hill all on hands and feet. As I was walking over to them I heard a loud crashing in the bush above us. We all stopped and watched. I didn't see anything but Kyle seen two figures take off, wolves. So we quickly got Pheonix and my bear loaded in the jeep and speed off towards home.

It was a fun filled, busy day and I was so happy the kids got to enjoy every bit of it with us. Pheonix was so excited she got to be there for this bear because last year she and Easton stayed with Oma and Papa. She was vibrating. My bear turned out to be 5 feet, the same size as my bear last year. I am very happy with it!

Nikita 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Fishing with the kids

May 11, 2013

Pheonix has asked to do a lot more fishing this year. So we bought her a new fishing rod and have been out every weekend. We also picked up a Diego casting rod for Easton so he could join in. She has reeled in her first fish on Kyles rod, reeled her first fish on her rod with daddy casting and caught her first fish completely on her own without help from me or Kyle. Easton is also getting a chance to do some reeling on my rod. He has some troubles because I fish left handed and he is right handed.

It's been a lot of fun and the kids are both loving it. We've been on the ice, boat and shore casting.

Kyles first Cougar Hunt

December 31, 2009

WELL WORTH THE WAIT

 *Published in Eastmans Bowhunting Journal*

 

Have you ever had that one animal that you absolutely loved and admired? The cougar is that animal for me and I have always wanted to harvest one.

            This year I had my chance to fulfill my dream. My friends Mike and Frank, who live to hunt these beautiful animals, gave me a chance to come along and do it with my bow. Mike was a little nervous about the bow because he hasn’t seen a good hunt with one; but I reassured him of my shooting ability and of how often I shoot my bow. So the pressure was on, but I had faith.

            It was finally time to go! We all had a week off work and homely chores to find  some cats. A couple of mikes family members came in from Vancouver to hunt with us so the odds were in our favor. On the first day we spent the day driving the main roads looking for sign of how many cats were in the area and how big they were. It was long, but educational.

The next morning was an early one. So we hit Tim Hortons for some XL coffees and we were on the road again. The weather was cold reaching -24 C and no new snow, which meant it would be hard to see how fresh the tracks are. For a while we found nothing fresh enough to let the dogs out on, but finally some promise!  The third set of tracks we came upon, a decent cougar had crossed the road sometime during the night. So we let the dogs out to do what they do best ‘track’. The dogs followed the cat to the river and then stopped, so we went in to see what was up. The cougar had come to a canyon that was 100 to150 feet deep and crossed the only tree that had fallen across it. You wouldn’t catch me doing that! So we leashed the dogs and went around to the other side and found the track. We were at it again, but this time I learnt something that involved us going three quarters the way straight up the mountain: a cougar can loss the dogs by cutting through rock bluffs. So we ended up losing the track and headed back to the trucks.

            Now by the next morning I was excited. I had a feeling things were going to change thanks to a light snowfall that occurred overnight. But all we found were wolf tracks. At 3:00 pm the other truck found a smoking hot track. Everyone figured it would be good for pictures so we let the dogs go. This is where I learn lesson two: never let the dogs go that late in the day unless you want to come home late that night. That cat gave those dogs a run for their money, every time that cougar treed it would jump and jump and jump. Needless to say we didn’t get any pictures.

By the fifth day I had lost all thought that hunting with dogs would be easy. But today would be my day. At 9:30 am, the other truck had found a track that had promise, so we came in to investigate. It looked good so this time we walked the track out to the river then made a plan. Because of the wolves in the area the truck I was in took the long 45 minute drive around to the other side so we were closer to the dogs in case something went wrong. As soon as we were there the guys let the dogs go, they were gone and running hard. I was thinking maybe the third chase was the charm. Mike being in better shape then the rest of us, ran after the dogs while we waited for the other truck to catch

up. Finally a visual, but the cat was up a thick fur tree and looked to be around 140lbs which I would have been more then happy with. When the guys caught up, everyone started heading to where the cat was. That cat ran down and back up a small drainage that most people would walk around, STEEP! So down we went and I was glad I had my Eberlestock pack because it held my bow and protected it so I could have two hands free. Coming back up the other side, Frank was the first up and was looking at the cat. Just then it had enough and shot down the tree and took off, but those dogs were hot on his tail. All I could hear was Frank yelling, “140lbs his butt, more like 160lbs”. As soon as he said that my second wind kicked in and I was up that hill and ready to go. The cougar only made it 200 yards before it was treed again and we were right behind it. When I came into view of the cougar all I could do was stare at its size and beauty. Then it was time to focus on the shot and the shot placement. After 10 to 15 minutes the dogs were tied up, Frank and I found a good spot and it was time. Frank and one of the other guys were off to the side with 30/30’s in case something went wrong, but I wasn’t worried I had been practicing steep shots for awhile and knew I could do it. So I drew back and anchored my pin right behind the brisket for the quartering away shot. Wham! My arrow was a complete pass through and the cougar didn’t like what just happened, he spun right around and was now looking right at me. So I nocked another arrow and shot him again, but this one didn’t go throw him. He managed to grab the back of the arrow, bite it off and spit it back; but it did no good, he was done and the blood was coming out strong and he died in a matter of seconds.

            I was ecstatic! I had finally harvested the biggest trophy of my life with my bow and only by bow. After getting back home and putting the cougar on a scale we then realized just how big it was. It weighed 180lbs with an empty stomach and measured 7 foot 9 1/4 inches on the body. I will always remember and cherish this one animal. Not bad for my first cat and the end of my season!  

 

Kyle         



Magazine/calendar entries

March 20/13

I am very excited to say that my goat story was published in the March/April issue of Horns and Hooks Magazine!

You can subscribe to Horns & Hooks here: www.hornsandhooks.com

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I also won a contest to be in a calendar through Hardcore Huntresses. They have a new website up where you can pre-order the 2013-2014 calendars here www.hardcorehuntresses.wix.com

What's the problem?

March 18,2013

What is it with predators that gets everyone panties in a knot?!

Everywhere you go there is someone that has an issue with a picture of somebody with a predator kill photo. Sadly, it's not just Anti hunters that have the issues...but fellow hunters. As hunters we should all be supportive of each other and I am finding more and more that that is not the case. As long as the animal was taken legally there should not be a problem...so what is the problem??

There is no denying the beauty of predators and exotic animals. I believe that is the issue. Many people don't get to see these animals and automatically assume these animals are for trophy..or should not be part of hunting. Zebras are a good example. In North America we don't see these beautiful creatures or it reminds us of horses too much. Personally I would not shoot one, but i would never put someone down for doing it. Kyle's cougar photo is another example of having anti comments and fellow hunter comments about how its "disgusting" and wrong. Different people have different dreams, and it's not our place to tell each other that our dreams are wrong.

Around where we live there are a high number of predators. We have coyote, bobcat, lynx, cougars, wolves, black bears and grizzly bears. The main ones that get people going are the cougar, wolf, and both bears..but mainly grizzly. We have high numbers of each. To be able to hunt Grizzly bears here you have to draw a tag from a lottery system. They have it labelled as a "Trophy tag" because you are not required to take the meat out (the ONLY animal here that is allowed this). The reason people don't eat most predators is because they carry many diseases and bugs. When you eat them you take a gamble. We eat black bear and cougar, lots of people eat the bear but most won't eat cougar. The main purpose for hunting predators is to keep their numbers manageable. If the numbers get too high you can say goodbye to the deer and elk and other ungulates. Take a look at the issues in Yellowstone, their elk are disappearing.

One argument I here a lot is the Anti's saying is "leave the animals alone. They managed themselves before, let nature do its thing." The fact of this is humans have been interfering for too long now. If we were to leave it up to nature then it would turn out badly for us and the animals. The states that have little to no predators will be over run with deer and then end up with major diseases that hit and possibly wipe out the deer. Some states are already having issues with disease. The areas that are high in predators, the ungulates will disappear and then where do you think the predators will end up? In town looking for food. Predators don't have to worry because they have no real natural enemies, besides humans. It's important to help keep numbers stable and undercontrol. As hunters we should ALL understand that management is important with ALL species. Whether it's protecting low numbers or taking care of high numbers.

So the next time you are going around and see a picture of someone with an animal you don't agree with, stop and think. Keep nasty comments to yourself, you dont know the circumstances of the hunt.

Nikita

MEC Womens Persea -12 Sleeping Bag Review

March 1/13

After searching for a while for a sleeping bag, this was the one I chose. It is built specifically for women, having extra padding around the feet and chest. Is wider around the hips and narrower around the shoulders This bag is very comfortable and very warm. It is made of a quick drying Hyperloft filling that is 50% recycled polyester. The outer shell is DWR treated. It is a relaxed mummy shape. I am terrible for being cold all the time and I use it through the spring-summer-fall. It is rated down to -12C. It only comes in small and regular lengths. I tried both lengths in MEC before I decided which I was going to buy. I am only 5'1''. The small is rated up to 5'4''. I bought the regular. The small did fit perfectly, but I like to burrow down into my sleeping bag so that my head/face isn't sticking out. For me the only downfall to this bag is the compressibility. It does not compress down small. At all. The reason I bought a sleeping bag is for when we go on our backpacks up into the mountains. But I had to make a sacrifice on comfort/warmth and compression...guess comfort won out. But the nice feature of buying from MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-op) is their warranty. You can trade it in at any time or return it at any time.

Warmth: *****
Comfort: *****
Packable: ***
Compression: *
Warranty: *****


MEC: http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/SleepingBags/SyntheticMummyBags/PRD~5025-639/mec-persea-sleeping-bag-12c-womens.jsp


Nikita

Scott Archery FOX Release Review

February 14/13

Kyle bought me this release for Mothers Day last year (2012). I instantly fell in love with its looks. I had an old Cobra release in small. I liked the thick strap, it was very cushioned but in velcro. It was noisy. So Kyle got me this.

 

Its lighter then my old one, has a buckle and a leather strap. It took me a bit of time to get used to the leather over the thick cushioned strap but I'm good now. It is smaller and fits my hand better. It has multiple notches to lengthen the end. I find it easier to get on and off then the velcro. The trigger is more sensitive as well. The leather is a good thickness and doesn't feel like its going to fall apart on me. The leather holding the end on to the strap feels sturdy. I had to adjust my draw length because this was shorter then my old one. Luckily it didn't change my anchor points.

 

Scott Archery:

http://www.scottarchery.com/archery-releases/single-caliper-releases-fox.php

 

FOX

For women/youth!

The Fox is designed specifically for a woman's smaller hand and wrist size and for the compact bows women typically shoot. She'll love the Hot Pink anodized finish!

• Designed for women's smaller hands and compact short-draw bows
• Slimline Solid Swivel Connector with patented 5-hole swivel adjustment
• Forward-positioned knurled-trigger maximizes draw length

Available:

• Small buckle - Hot Pink
• Youth buckle - Hot Pink

If you are small or have small hands I do recommend this release. 
If you are switching from an old one to this one (or any other release) and find you're not shooting as good as you were make sure to check your anchoring points and length. Happy Shooting :)

Nikita

Bowtech Heartbreaker (50# limbs) Review

February 13/13

If you are looking at a new bow, look no further! After starting out 6 years ago in archery with The Edge by Diamond I decided to upgrade my bow last year (Jan 2012). Now, I didn't just walk into a shop and buy the first one I tried (was tempting...but I kept myself under control). I tried multiple different bows from Mathews, to APA, to PSE and it took me about a year to actually find the perfect one for me.

I found with my Diamond that my shoulder was constantly sore and that I could not hold it for long. It was also quite slow, Chronographed at 202fps. So while choosing a new bow I was looking for something that was comfortable, smooth, fit me and was FAST. Now I am tiny. 5'1'' 100lbs, pull 50lbs and I have a 24in draw length...not easy to find that draw in bows that are not labelled youth. I didn't want a youth bow, I wanted a women's bow! So finally I heard Bowtech had released the new Heartbreaker. So I decided to give it a try (and the APA that I liked from before) and the Heartbreaker was the one for me. It was smooth to draw and I could hold it. It fit me good, was light and fast. This past summer I sent it through the chronograph. I was getting speeds between 239fps - 242fps. I was doing my happy dance! I noticed my accuracy went way up as well. I competed in 3D with it after I got it, before hunting season and placed in all of the events and even taking first in my first one of the year. Hunting season I was able to take my first archery deer with it, a big mature doe at 40yrds. My arrow passed right through without any issues and she only went 20 yrds.

The arrows I use are the Radial X Weave STL Hunters 100, cut to 24.5" and a 100gr tip.

I will recommend this bow over and over again to any women wanting to shoot. I am in love with my bow!

Bowtech Specs (http://www.bowtecharchery.com/#/productBreakdown?r=products_products&i=15):
*From day one, we engineered the HeartBreaker specifically for the female archer. This bow is sure to catch your eye, but our primary focus was on undeniable performance, with the Binary® Cam System, rotating modules, and Octane Factory Strings. We have armed women with a bow that flat out dominates any other bow in its class. This bow is built to be as strong as the archers who shoot it. The HeartBreaker comes R.A.K.™ equipped*, so it is Ready Aim Kill right out of the box. This bow is out to prove that She’s A HeartBreaker in a class all her own.
*Draw Weight: 40, 50, 60
*Mass Weight: 3.7lbs
*MSRP: $699
*Effective let-off: 65%-80%
*Draw Length: 22.5''-27''
*Kinetic Energy: 61.98 ft-lbs
*Axle to Axle: 30 1/4"
*IBO Speed: 305 fps
*Brace Height: 7"

Comes in Mossy Oak Treestand, Black ops, Razzberry (Pink)

Nikita

Pro-staff for Huntress Wear

I am very excited to say that I got chosen to represent Huntress Wear as their Canada Pro-Staff!
You can visit their web page and check out all the great shirts they have by going to : http://purearrowgunz.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index
They have items for men and women. Pure Arrowgunz is their men's line.
They are also on Twitter @HuntressWear
And Facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/HuntressWear?fref=ts

Here is my Pro-staff shirt. You can get lots of different designs with a wide range of colors and personalization!

Predator hunting

February 7, 2013


So since I tagged out by the end of November, my season has been pretty quiet. Kyle got a doe on the last day of bow season, Dec 20, during the last few moments of last light. Since then we have been trying our hand at some predator control. Kyle has been out more then I have just for the simple fact of limited babysitters. Kyle has taken our daughter, Pheonix out for some coyotes and she fell in love with it, even though they didn't get anything. Ive had a couple days out for coyotes and a day for wolves but never see anything. Kyle has seen a few coyotes, found some wolves and managed to get a cougar. We don't hunt with dogs when it comes to predators, we do it all by calls and decoys. We have a wolf howler, a couple distress mouth calls and an electronic rabbit decoy that calls as well (in the picture). Unfortunately the weather hasn't been cooperating for good predator hunting. They seem to move more when its really cold and lately its been hovering around 0C. Sometimes a little bit colder but mostly warmer. It has been nice for shooting the rifles though! We painted our guns and have been shooting whenever we get the chance to.

When Kyle got his cougar he was actually out trying to get a coyote. He did have a cougar tag. We didn't have a sitter so just he went. He got all set up with the rabbit caller and he was only about 20 yards off the rabbit, this was only the second time we had used it. He sat for about 20 minutes and noticed something rustling in the tall grass just behind the decoy. He looked through his binos and seen the cougar getting ready to pounce on the rabbit. So he put the .243 up to his shoulder and the cat seen him move so it laid down lower in the grass trying to hide. It's a beautiful cat and we took the meat to the butcher and had some sausage made. Very good, better then pork any day :)

~Nikita & Kyle