The decision to have an organized cargo trailer specifically for all of our hunting gear was easily one of the best we’ve ever made. I didn’t go out of my way to clean it up, mainly because there’s a high demand for a walk through and I like to have a quick turnaround for special requests, but also because this is real life. We hunt a lot and it’s a mess more than it’s clean.
I sat there 20’ high, shaking uncontrollably after releasing my arrow, and thought to myself, “what if I did it again?”
Five years ago that question would be in a celebratory manner, as in, what if I’m still on my hot streak and just had another successful hunt. My first few seasons as a bowhunter were incredible; literally nothing could pass me! Not this year though. 2018 has been rough. The hesitation and shakiness from within was stemming from uncertainty after so much heartbreak during early season, from missing to wounding multiple animals.
I recently returned home from one of the most incredible hunts of my life. While I didn’t punch a tag, I was able to celebrate my two favorite men punching theirs. My husband arrowed a mature mule deer with 3 Rivers Adventures and my pops arrowed a once in a lifetime bull moose. My husband rarely gets to hunt because he’s usually behind the camera filming me, or he can’t get off work to travel on these incredible adventures with me. My pops, on the other hand, has been elk hunting with me the last 3 years in a row and came home empty-handed each time. Instead of chasing elk again this season, he flew to Alberta with us to pursue his absolute favorite game. It was a dream come true to put one on the ground on the last day of his hunt. His raw emotion had me choked up.
Over the years I’ve hunted with some absolute savages that have given me great advice! There are some people that can just go out and get it done - they’re naturals. I’ve been very fortunate to learn from them, as well as a few that I haven’t met (yet!). Below is a list of tips that I have accumulated over the years from those I look up to. There are many things that will come across as common sense, yet people continue to ignore whether it’s from overthinking the situation or being impatient. Sometimes it’s nice to have a reminder, a quick refresher course, if you will.
Over the years I’ve hunted with some absolute savages that have given me great advice! There are some people that can just go out and get it done - they’re naturals. I’ve been very fortunate to learn from them, as well as a few that I haven’t met (yet!). Below is a list of tips that I have accumulated over the years from those I look up to. There are many things that will come across as common sense, yet people continue to ignore whether it’s from overthinking the situation or being impatient. Sometimes it’s nice to have a reminder, a quick refresher course, if you will.
I can take a lot of things lightly on my hunts, but I’ll be the first to admit that food isn’t one of them. I will not go hungry. Maybe I’m just not tough enough to rely on the hunt alone and I’m quite alright with that. I can slack in terms of hygiene, but I don’t slack on calories. Of course there have to be boundaries for the sake of weight, but numbers don’t lie and neither do my clothes when I’ve returned home and lost too much weight from lack of nutrition.
I've been using the same gear for several seasons which makes my product highlight blogs seem redundant at times. I don’t need to reiterate the obvious items that you would never go without. I'd rather focus on a few items that were first-timers for me that may be overlooked or deemed unnecessary and therefore left behind. The following list made a huge difference and I couldn’t imagine not having every one with me. They're kind of like little nuggets of gold for your backcountry hunt.
Ever since Braxton lost his dream job we’ve been putting the pieces back together. It wasn’t just about getting another job, that part was easy; he had offers coming from all over, including another ranch manager position that he accepted then quickly realized wasn’t right for us. When you’re a ranch manager, they provide a home and cover the bills, and often times give you a ranch truck and insurance. It’s a sweet deal unless things change - then you’re not just looking for a job. It was finding a new home and deciding where we wanted to live. More specifically, HOW did we want to live.
I tuned in to Joe Rogan's podcast with Jordan Petersen on my short run and just had to share a stream of thoughts. Honestly I had never heard of Jordan, but his perspective on several topics is really interesting. Simply put, he intrigues me. There's one line that stuck out more than any other: "The best predictors for success in Western hierarchies are intelligence and consciousness." I seriously hit the rewind button a dozen times. I was drawn to such a simple statement and couldn't help but let it simmer on my mind for hours later. I researched Jordan further when I returned home from my run, which brought me to the videos below, where he continues to share some incredibly honest, inspiring words.
On January 22, 2013 I received my first bow from my husband. We never visited a shop to look at bows together, but he knew I was RH (right-handed) so picking up that RH bow on my birthday felt natural. P.S. It was the best gift ever, in case you need an idea! I've been RH my whole life, so why would I shoot a bow any other way? Well here I am, 5.5 years later, and my first hunting season as a left-handed archer is quickly approaching. This has raised a LOT of question across my platforms.
Instant gratification: the desire to experience pleasure or fulfillment without delay or deferment. We are all guilty of this in some way and I personally find it exceptionally difficult because I have perfectionist tendencies. This is my biggest concern when introducing others to a hunter's way of life. They imagine getting a bow, taking a few practice shots at the target, then going out to try their newfound skill on an animal. It's not fair - to yourself or the animal. It creates a lot of risk, and if I can give any advice, it's to enjoy the process of becoming an ethical bowhunter.
We were already a quarter of the way up the mountain when a text came through on our Garmin inReach from Tekapo Helicopter - "Forecast isn't too good! Best to plan for today as tomorrow is looking pretty bad. Could you be ready to go by 2pm?" Rihana and I were heading up the mountain with TJ and Grant of Metanoia Ventures to potentially recover my first bull tahr. It was easily a 3 hour hike, plus recovery time, then packing him back out. We were racing the clock.
