Extreme Huntress- The End

So back in July many of you know I went to Hondo Texas to compete head to head against 5 other ladies from all over the world in a hunting skills and skills competition. Then starting in October there were 13 episodes that aired online over 13 weeks on www.extremehuntress.com and on www.carbontv.com. I wasn't allowed to give the details on anyones hunts and skill scores until they had all aired. All the ladies were successful in taking animals on the 777 Ranch. Each of us taking 2 animals each except for Erika, who was able to take 1. Kasi was from Texas and was able to

takedown a management animal- Fallow deer and a trophy animal- Axis deer. Christie is from Australia and was able to take a management Impala and a trophy Black buck antelope. Amanda from Montana took a management Barasinga and Arabian Oryx. Erika from Sweden took a Jacobs sheep or 4-horned sheep. Margaret from South Africa took a management Red sheep and a trophy Black buck antelope. Myself, I was able to take a management Hawaiian Black sheep and a trophy Aoudad.

After the online shows were up and online voting was over we had to head back to Texas for the Dallas Safari Club convention in Dallas. It was an interesting experience- I had never been to a show that size before. This time Kyle was able to come with me so we made a vacation from it. We stayed in Texas for 9 days, spending 4 days at the convention and 3 days at the Geracis home hunting hogs and visiting. It was nice getting to see the girls again and Jim and Larry, unfortunately Christie wasnt able to come and we all missed her. Friday we had to do a public event, answering questions. Saturday was the dinner and when the winner would be

announced. The dinner was a different experience for me, it was a formal gathering which ment fancy dresses, make up and high heels. The dinner wasnt very long, they did all the awards while everyone ate which made the evening go quickly. Erika from Sweden ended up taking the Sculpture home as the winner of the Extreme Huntress contest. The auctions however were very long as there were many items up for auction. After dinner and the awards I couldnt handle being in my dress any longer and ended up changing back into my jeans. But I got to meet lots of people and it was an interesting experience.

There are a few things I took away from doing this contest, one is some amazing friends. These ladies, the judges and camermen, and Steve and Tommy from the ranch. They all hold a dear spot in my life and am so happy I got to meet them all. Getting to see what hunting on a ranch is truly like and learning all the amazing things they do for wildlife, and getting to see all the different species of animals-some that are extinct in their home lands! Animals I would have otherwise, never would see in my life. It gave me some insight into what the hunting industry is like. And it gave me confidence in myself, I went into this contest never expecting to make it the finals and when I got the email saying I was a finalist - I was scared to death. I thought I was in over my head and I was plagued with anxiety the entire month before heading to Hondo. Its intimidating, reading all these ladies essays and seeing their photos online and on social media. But once I got there and we got to work on the skills tests, I realized I was in my element and comfortable. It was a major boost for me and it changed me for the better. I know longer second guess myself or my instincts and learned a lot about myself as a hunter.

** Im trying to add pictures from DSC but having issues. I will keep trying to upload some**

Extreme Huntress Episode 3 overview

What a great day it was, I was hunting with Amanda again for the evening after I had taken my Hawaiian Black sheep in the morning and we were looking for one specific Arabian Oryx. We had found them quite early in the hunt and the broken horned oryx was with them but they had spooked and scattered into the thick brush. So Amanda decided to try a different tactic. We walked around to where the lake was and it was elevated above the thick brush the oryx were hiding in. As soon as Amanda and Olivia started to head down to the thick brush the oryx started to pop out so we all hunkered down, Tommy, the cameraman and I were still up on the flat and Amanda and Olivia were on the side of the hill going down into the brush. We sat frozen for quite a while but unfortunately it was to thick in there and they were constantly moving. Then they started popping up the bank only 50 yards from me into the open. I sat as still as I could praying they don't spook. I managed to get Amandas attention and motioned that they were up by me so she could change positions. I had to slowly move though so I wasn't ahead of her gun because she couldn't move much more and all I could think was "please don't spook".  Thankfully they didn't take off and we were surrounded on all sides by oryx. Amanda got a great shot off and he didn't get far. Afterwards Tommy (the game manager) tells me that they can be quite aggressive! Nonetheless it was a great hunt and a great day!
With the backpacks, we didn't know that they were going to ask to see what we had. I usually carry a lot more gear with me at home so I just packed the basic items because I knew we were going to be hunting on a ranch with lots of people, so I didn't bring any of my survival gear. And with flying international I didn't have a clue what I could bring.
The anti hunting interrogation was interesting to say the least!  We weren't told what was going on and we were taken one by one into a dark room where the 3 judges were lined up in the shadows and you were out in front, alone. All they say after you sit down is that it's an anti hunter challenge and they were going to make some comments and then you were to respond. I was not expecting them to actually same them to you like an anti would, I was expecting more of a read a comment then explain how you respond. So I was caught totally off guard when they started swearing and yelling at me, but I recovered. All 3 judges had a chance to say something and for you to respond.
In the next episode expect more anti hunting interrogations from the other judges, traditional archery challenge and more hunting!

Watch on www.carbontv.com and vote at www.extremehuntress.com

Extreme Huntress Episode 2 Overview

What an amazing day this was for me! After that morning hunt I was on cloud 9. The morning started bright and early, 4 am and out on the jeeps by 5:30. Amanda was my partner as secondary shooter, Olivia was my judge and I had chosen to go after a broken horned Hawaiian Black Sheep as my management animal. When we got to the area that they were in Olivia gave me a quick overview of the shape/terrain of the area and where the food and water sources were, then it was up to me to figure out where the sheep were. I decided to check the watering hole first then make our way to the more forested part. When we got to the pond we were stopped by a very nice whitetail buck so we sat a little bit in the brush so he didn't give us away, after he moved on a big herd of sheep came up out of the pond and started to head for the forest. There were corsican sheep, four horned sheep and Hawaiian black sheep in the herd. Because the forest area was so thick I decided to head down and around to cut them off then come up slowly towards them. Luckly we didn't have to go far into the thick forest before we came upon them feeding. We quickly pointed out the "broken horned" black sheep so I got set up and just waited. Thankfully they had no clue we were even there so they never bunched up together like they do when they are nervous, and the old sheep wandered away from the herd right to a small pocket I had through the trees and brush. I just had to wait for him to take one more small step forward and I had the perfect shot. He only went about 20 yards before he dropped and I could see him from where I was sitting. I was so excited and he had so much character- He was heavily broomed off, his horns had chips out of them and he was so white on his face. He also had a big tumor on his neck! Truly an old ram! And even though he was labeled as a management animal, he is a trophy to me.
Next Sunday you will get to see the other 3 ladies hunt from that evening and Kasi, Margaret and my anti-hunter challenge.

Watch at www.carbontv.com and vote at www.extremehuntress.com

Extreme Huntress Episode 1 Overview

The first day was an amazing day! We got to the ranch in the afternoon and we were able to meet everyone and dig into the awesome gifts that we recieved. For picking our roommate they decided to break up the 3 ladies from North America- Kasi,  Amanda and myself, and pair each of us up with one international lady. I got to bunk with Margaret from South Africa in our own cabin- which was breath taking! Kasi and Christie bunked in a cabin and Amanda and Erika were in another. After we dropped off our suitcases and changed into our Extreme Huntress gear, it was time to sight in the rifles.
The shooting range at the 777 ranch is a little far from the lodge so we got to ride on the back of a jeep where you could see over it. We drove through a couple pastures seeing so many different species of animals. I felt like I was going to get whiplash trying to see everything! Lucky I was riding with Margaret and there were quite a few animals she could name that were from Africa. Over the 6 days I definitely learned a lot about all the different animals.
Once we got to the gun range it was a relaxed atmosphere of shooting and chatting. Each of us got to sight in to what we wanted, I sighted in for 100 yards.  After the sight in and equipment checks were done it was time to compete. The first round I felt relaxed, it was just like shooting at home, the second round is where you felt the pressure. We had one minute to sit down and get set up, then shoot 5 rounds and try to get the closest grouping as close to the bullseye you could. It's amazing how just adding that small factor of time can make your heart pound.
After the skills competition we got to relax and get to know each other and try to get a good rest because the hard work and early morning was coming.
Get ready for next Sunday for episode 2! You will get to join us for our first hunts and you're not going to want to miss it!

Watch the show at www.carbontv.com and vote on www.extremehuntress.com

Extreme Huntress Episode is UP!

OK everyone the very first episode for the Extreme Huntress contest is up and running. You can watch it on the App,  the website or on Carbon TV.  After you have watched it make sure to cast your vote either on the App or the website for your favorite lady!
How it works is every Sunday for the next 13 weeks there will be a new episode posted- you have the week to vote for a lady and once a new episode is posted you start a new round of voting, giving you 13 chances to vote. But if you miss a week you lose the chance to vote. So make sure you cast a vote every week!

Extreme Huntress Website: www.extremehuntress.com
Carbon Tv: www.carbontv.com

Extreme Huntress Trip to Texas

So in July I took my trip to Hondo Texas for the Extreme Huntress Finals. It was so much fun. I flew down a day early so I could get used to the different climate and to relax and rest. It was very different then what I am used to. The cities are huge (I landed in San Antonio and stayed my first night there), and it is hot and humid. You felt like you had a constant sheen of sweat on your skin...i never had dry skin the whole time I was there! The next morning I was picked up with a bunch of cameras rolling...it was a little intimidating lol. I got to meet the rest of the ladies and we headed for the 777 Ranch where the competition was to take place. We spent 6 days total at the ranch, flying home on day 7. The first day was pretty relaxed, just sighting in our rifles, doing our first skills test and getting used to the ranch and each other. We were assigned cabins and I bunked with Margaret from South Africa. Every day we hunted in the morning and evening, in the afternoon we had skills tests and interviews. We spent close to 16 hours on our feet everyday. We had Larry Weishuhn, Jim Zumbo and Olivia Opre as our judges and Scott O'Grady as a guest. I got to see some amazing animals- Pierres david deer, Water buffalo, Arabian Oryx, Zebra, Hawaiian Black Sheep, Blackbuck antelope, Aoudad, Centaur Oryx just to name a couple.  I cant tell you too much more then that until the episodes start airing in October but ill share some photos.

Met Scott O'Grady

Eating Grants Gazelle