Owen's first deer of the season

Owen finally got on the board with an 8 point. He hunted with dad this evening.

Good job Owen!

Momma Got her a Buck!

If you have read some of my other post then you already know that I hunt too. Yesterday, after a long day at school, I rushed home to gather all my hunting gear so I could get in the woods somewhere. In hast I gathered everything I needed, except I couldn't find my binoculars so I "borrowed" Owen's since he was staying with Gran Gran. I got in the truck said bye to the hubs, as he was rushing to get ready too.
Alone (yes all by myself, I know that is a rarity) I made it to my spot,parked, and walked into the most peaceful place with the  best sound, the quite woods. I made my way through the paths and into the blind. Usually this particular spot at 4:12 in the afternoon has many does and yearlings, but not today. Nothing, notta, zip, zilch, you get the point. So I fiddled around with my phone checking deer movement times, twitter, and facebook of course. As time ticked by I couldn't believe that nobody was coming out to play. Dang acorns. We have had an exceptionally large crop of acorns this year and they are all falling at the same time.
I checked the time while looking and searching, but nothing.Suddenly, out of no where, I saw a doe and her yearling. I thought well at least I get to watch something.
A little spike came in and stood on his hind legs getting acorns off of an oak limb. He began chasing the doe all over the field, I just laughed, You have no chance buddy.
At 5:10, ole Big Daddy came strolling in. He came in directly in front of me only presenting me with a chest shot.I watched for about 10 minutes before I would be able to shoot. The little yearling had meandered her way to the side of the blind about 10 yards away and saw me when I moved. She gave a little snort and he picked his head up and took one step directly towards me. She gave a snort again and finally he took a step sideways and I lowered the hammer on him. WOOOHOOO! BBD for momma!

Happy Birthday!

So Tuesday was my 36th  uumm 26th birthday!  My fellas decided they would take me out on the town, I said I would go where ever they wanted. We were also celebrating Owen's 8th birthday which will be on the 26th of November.

We headed to Mobile and our first stop was Felix's Fish Camp and Grill. The Camp sits on the Mobile Bay and I had never eaten there before and boy was I in for a surprise. The food was fantabulous. The service was just as fantabulous and we had one of the best waitresses, Amelia she was so cute and sweet.

We started off with 1 dozen oysters on the half shell and fried crab claws. These do not last long with my group.

They also have this great Crab soup that is rich and creamy and just divine.

 I ordered the "Crab Stack", on Amelia's recommendation.

This fabulous meal was literally a stack of crab.

It started out on the bottom was a crispy fried green tomato, topped with humongous crab cake.

On top of the crab cake was a fried oft shell crab,and then jumbo lump crab meat. To top it all of off was a rich delicious Hollandaise sauce.

Can you say

YYYYUUUUMMMMYYY!

And of course, two jalapeno hush puppies on the side.

My fellas and me outside Felix's

After we literally rolled out of the parking lot we headed back across the bay to a Dr.'s appointment for Owen and Holt.We went in to see Dr. Terry, who is an opthamologist.

Owen

Holt

After we finally left the doctor's office we headed to my kids all time favorite plac,e Bass Pro Shops.

The first thing we always do is head to the fish tank.

We were met with a first when we got to the tank.

One of the giant bass had eaten another fish and it's tail was sticking out of its mouth.

This was not a feeder fish either.

I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but that is a fish tail hanging out of its mouth.

One of the workers said that they had put 5 crappie in the tank and that this bass had eaten all but one. The lone surviving crappie was hiding in the corner fearing for his life.

We even made a picture with Santa before we left.

Great times spent with the family and celebrating birthdays.

2011 Illinois Trip

The hubs killed a huge buck in Illinois yesterday. He is broke up from fighting, but still a good buck.

BBD!

While Dad was in Illinois, Momma took one of the boys with her, Gage.

It turned out to be our lucky day...

BBD in South Alabama...

Congrats Gage on your first deer( 9 point knotty buck, 160 lbs) of the season! Killed with his 223.

This is a good size deer for our area.

Congrats Slick and Curly!

Congratulations to our friend Ronald "Slick" Sullivan!

He and Curly won their episode and now head on to compete in the finals!

The final will air  November 29 at 7 P.M.

You can follow this week to watch the episodes 

http://www.actha.tv/afth/12

Deer Balls! Wrapped in Bacon


Ingredients:

• deer meat - deer steak cut into small pieces and pounded to tenderize (about 2 in. x 2 in. can be larger or smaller. )
• cream cheese
• jalapeno peppers diced or sliced( fresh or out of a jar)
• toothpicks(wooden)
• bacon- thin sliced bacon
• Italian dressing

First, you must tenderize your deer meat. It can be done several different ways. I use a meat pounder and tenderize it to oblivion on both sides.
Once tenderized place the pieces into Italian dressing to marinate, usually an hour or two.

Take a piece at a time and place cream cheese and jalapeno peppers in the center of the meat.

As you can see from the picture you only need a small amount of cream cheese.

Once this is done roll the meat onto itself creating a roll or ball.

Take a slice of bacon and wrap around the meat and secure with a toothpick.

You may be able to slice the bacon in half and only use a half piece depending on the quality of the bacon. I usually use the cheaper bacon for this because it has more fat and can stretch easier.

As you can see it is not rocket science and does not need to be extremely neat.

Once you have all of your deer balls wrapped place on the grill. Cook until the bacon is done. You want the bacon to be crispy when done.

Take off the grill and let rest.

ENJOY!!

 I was going to take a picture of it when it was time to eat, well, 3 boys and 1 husband later they were gone before I could get there.

Game On! @ Great Vension Cooking



TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT

Tonight is the night to watch Ronald Sullivan and his horse AQHA Curly McCue compete in the ACHTA  America's Favorite Trail Horse Competition at 7 p.m. on DISH NETWORK channel 404.  They are number 361. I have posted a link for you to follow to cast your vote, as well as, watch online.

Please help this awesome team win with your vote.

Good Luck Slick and Curly!!!

     http://www.actha.tv/afth/10

THANKS EVERYONE!!

Youth Season 2011

As 11-11-11 rolled around the boys began to get excited for it was the beginning of youth season in Alabama.  We had to get their rifles sited in, so we headed to the back 40.

 

Gage sighting in his rifle

Owen sighting in his rifle

 

 Checking the target

 Had to practice a little, but after a little sharp shooting competition they argued discussed who got the closetest and decided that they "tied."

This is what I did while they competed:

Our Boykin Spaniel Roux

She loves to run with 4 wheeler.



Ronald and Curly

AQHA Curly Man McCue (America's Favorite ACTHA Trail Horse Competitor)

A friend of mine, Ronald "Slick" Sullivan, is competing in

America's Favorite ACTHA Trail Horse Competitor.

The voting is coming soon, November 15th to be exact.

Ronald is a great guy and has been working extremely hard at achieving this goal

 He and Curly has been traveling around the country competing in this competition.

This is  from his facebook page:

Please go and like Curly's page it will help them out in the competiton.

Ronald and Curly's Facebook page

                    VOTE for me! #361 Nov. 15,2011 on HRTV's America's Favorite Trail Horse!

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I am competing for ACTHA's Favorite Trail Horse that will be aired on HRTV! November 15,2011 Episode #10! REMEMBER #361! I am currently the National Point Leader too! Thank you to Alabama Quarter Horse,Emily Peak Photography,Montgomery Serum Company,Twisted Spur and Coosa Valley Equine Services for all the SUPPORT!

Ronald "Slick" Sullivan is a 42 yr. old single father and farrier from Millry,Alabama. Empty Nest Syndrome lead him to equine activities that fed his soul and enlightened his spirit such as competing in stock horse events and competitive trail competitions (CTC's) with the American Competitive Trail Horse Association (ACTHA). His competitive nature was challenged with their 6 miles of trail,6 judged obstacle format. His congenial side met it's needs with several new friends he now couldn't wait to meet up with at the hosted rides. He and his horse,2003 AQHA Sorrel Gelding Curly Man McCue, did so well at these CTC's that they were soon leading the region in points! His Empty Nest Syndrome was replaced with the dilemma and stress of which trophy buckle to wear! In January, when ACTHA announced they were sponsoring a reality TV show in search of "America's Favorite Trail Horse", Slick knew he and Curly had to audition at the chance to win $100,000 in prizes and money! Of 1000 horse and rider teams, Slick and Curly made the cut of 100 that were invited to come to the finals and taping of AFTH in Blanco,Texas. We need you and all your friends and family to VOTE for ALQHA's FAVORITE Quarter Horse of the series!   GOOD LUCK RONALD AND CURLY!!!!

Solo bow trip #1

October 28 was the beginning of a new addiction.
After a long day at school, which included the annual Fall Festival, we decided to go hunting again.  The weather shifted from hot as Hades with no wind or  rain to wind blowing, overcast,lite drizzle, and cool.
We decided to split up and for me to attempt a solo bow hunt.  As I got home and rushed to change clothes and gather all of my things I began to doubt if I would be any good at this. We drove to Gran Gran and Pawpaw's to drop the kids off. We made our way to the woods trying to decide where to go. I chose the Fork Field( pronounced faulk).
Due to the location of the stand  I had to make my way through the field.  As I eased up to the field, I checked to see if any deer were already there. Thank goodness, no deer. I quickly made it to the other end found my stand, and ascended into the tree stand.
To my relief, getting in the stand and getting settled was much easier than I had expected. I even got Pinkie( my bow) up with out any problems.
As I got settled I had several deer come in a begin to graze. The wind was blowing and swirling and the trees were swaying. The deer seemed to wind me but then they would come right back in.  I tried to read a book on my phone to pass time and the as I read I began to get a little sick.

 Note to self:
Do not read a book in a tree that is swaying.....

I watched several gobblers feed and dust. As the light began to fade, I resigned myself to the fact that once again I would not get to shoot.  Finally, I had a small deer come out, which turned out to be a maiden doe, but I wasn't sure about shooting her so I let her slide.  A few minutes later a small knot head came out and immediately starting acting submissive and walking towards my tree. I turned to see exactly what he was doing and I saw a set horns through the trees. I got my bow and went ahead a stood up. I waited to make sure what I had. When the buck stepped out I couldn't believe what I was seeing. A 10 pointer at what I now know to be 27 steps.  I began to get weak in my knees, my heart was racing and I was breathing hard and shaking. As he stepped out I took aim and let my arrow fly and fly it did, right under him and landed by his front foot! YES I MISSED! I knew as soon as I saw the arrow fly that I had missed. I was sick, literally. He ran off, but some of the other deer stayed around. I waited but to no avail he never came back. So once again he lives to see another day...Maybe next time.
Deer 2 Hunter 0

ScoutLook

Check the weather and solunar times forecast for your area at ScoutLookWeather.com. This also has times for major and minor movement of deer. I have used it a couple of times and it seems to ring true for my area. Click on detailed forecast for up to a 7 day forecast. Also check out the scent cone area.

 

They also have forecast for fishing, golf, outdoor adventures, as well as hunting. They also have it in the form of apps for you android or iOS phone. Hope you find it useful.
Happy Hunting!!

First Bow Hunting Trip

 Last November I bought a bow for myself for my birthday. It is a pink,yes I know "pink", Diamond Bowtech. I knew if I got a pink one my boys wouldn't even think about touching it. Mentioning pink to them is like giving Superman a bag of kryptonite. I always thought that bow hunting was too hard and didn't think I would enjoy it. After shooting a bow that belonged to a friend of mine, I thought I would enjoy it. It was really more fun than I thought it would be. So none the less I purchased an "entry level" bow.
We have really had fun shooting bows as a family and with friends. My brother in law, our resident bow hunting expert ( I use the term expert loosely), built a platform to practice shooting. We have used it several times. I was really better at bow shooting than I thought I would be. Although, extremely far from an expert I can assure you!
So after practicing my husband convinced me to give it a go. We went around to several stands one afternoon and tried to decide where we would go. I did not want to go by myself the first time, as I am not a very good judge of distance.
 Our first trip was together to a ground blind in the Tree house patch.  We had a couple of knot heads come out less than 5 yards from the blind. The wind wasn't steady and was swirling around. They winded us a bit and hopped off a a little ways, but never left the field. They seemed to calm down and a few more deer came out in the upper end of the field. It was hard for me to see the upper end due to some branches. As time slipped by I figured we were here to just watch the scenery. Shane began looking at the upper end because he said that the deer were acting like  they were seeing something. All of a sudden he says, "Yep, there's a buck. Oh my God! There is a huge buck!"
"Stop lying! You're full of it! I am not even going to look because you are just saying that" I replied.
Laughingly he says,"No seriously, I swear there is a huge buck in the upper end of the field."
So I lean up almost hanging out of the blind and sure enough there he stands looking all majestic, velvet freshly shed, and 11 points pointig skyward, but oh so far to even think about shooting. He was accompanied by another smaller buck. All of a sudden the wind swirls again and they are gone, bouncing and running of into the thick woods.
  We sat there watching and in a few minutes they return, but ever so cautiously. We could see the big buck and his little companion in the tree line. In fact all I could see was his antlers. As they eased back into the field I began to think maybe just maybe he would wander over far enough and find himself an the pointy end of one of my arrows. However, as luck would have it that was not the case. They did ease back into the field, but as they inched closer and closer towards our ground blind they winded us again.
So Shane and I decided to go ahead and leave because it was getting late and we could avoid scaring any deer by waiting. So he lives to see another day!
Maybe next time....

Say Cheese!

We decided to go and check game cameras this afternoon. We had several set out in a couple of different places. The most exciting thing is we captured the big fella from our joint bow hunting trip at the Tree house. He was in a different field though. We also captured a couple of other bucks as well!!!!

We have several game cameras set out and they are made by several different brands. By far the best camera is the one we captured these images with. This camera belongs to our son, Owen. It has worked fantastically from the begining and captures great pictures day or night. We try to go and set out and check cameras together so that everyone can be involved.

2 Deer One Evening

 –This is my submission for the Sportsman Channel Writing Contest for Hunters hosted by the Outdoor Blogger Network.–

A Two Deer Tale:

   The first of the two deer to fall was my 7 year old, Owen's. He was hunting with his dad, my husband, Shane. My oldest son, Gage, and I were hunting together this  particular afternoon. They were hunting at a patch we refer to as the Treehouse. This is the same place where I had killed a 11 point many years earlier (1999). Back before I stopped hunting because I was busy having and raising babies. This was my first year to get back into hunting since the boys were either big enough to go or stay with one of the grandparents. We were hunting in The Fork Field, however we pronounce it "Faulk", an ode to my husband's great grandfather who pronounced fork "faulk".

 Gage and I thought it would be another day skunked by the deer. As we resided ourselves to again leave the patch empty handed we heard a loud BOOOMMM! Simultaneously,y we looked at one another and we both said "Well, Owen got him one!" It was 5 P.M. on the dot. As the light began to fade every so quickly, we were getting ready to leave. I kept saying " In a minute.", to  his questions of, "When are we leaving?"

 As I took one last look through my binoculars, panning and searching the field, hoping for a nice buck to walk I think I see something in the edge of the woods. As I stare through the binoculars I think I see something then I think I don't then I think I do and this cycle continues for about a minute. I tell Gage that there is a buck and I need him to keep an eye on it. Well it was just about too dark for him to see. I eased my gun out the window and try to take aim, I find the deer, I'm shaking, breathing hard, my hart is racing and beating in my ears, I can't hardly think, and squeeze the trigger. BBBOOOOOOOMMMM!  

Low and behold just when we thought we were leaving this nice fella stepped out across the patch just in time for Momma to get her one and only deer of the season. Owen and Shane show up to help get our deer and we begin to tell our tales. to one another. It has been a great memory for all of us. We love to talk about it. It was also a great return to hunting for me after a 10 year break. We will continue to reminisce about this for years to come. We will always be able to say "Remember when we killed those bucks on the same day?"

This is why we hunt with our children. Making memories for a lifetime.

Weather 2 Hunt

 I have an awesome new site for everyone to check out: weather2hunt.com
This site gives you a local forecast of different conditions that may effect your hunt. It also gives you a 5-day forecast as well as graphs of weather patterns. It includes wind conditions, temperature, etc. It is completely FREE!!!!

Hunting with the Boys

Outtakes from hunting with the boys 2010-2011...OH YEAH!! WE ARE PROFESSIONALS!!!