Woman Midwest-style

       I wanted to teach my daughter to deer hunt after years of yummy venison steak and deer burgers.  Eager to learn, on the last day of rifle season two years ago, she got her first lesson. B efore we stepped foot in the timber, she and I came across a dead 11 pt buck lying in tall icy grass. This buck was frozen solid. F reshly preserved. There was nobody to call to find out about it. I had to explain the morals of hunting she'd never experienced. Deer run off all the time and this one hadn't escaped the bullet, the hunter lost track, maybe too dark to see it, frustrated and tired, gone home. It’s only speculation. Being frozen now, the meat would still be good. We left it overnight, returning at daybreak, put my husband's strong arm to use. I tagged it, checked it IN via my phone app. Ed and I cut it and carried it 1/4 mile to the truck in sections. 'My' buck would not go to waste to feed coyotes or a big kitty.     In following years, Ed...

Here he is! My first 10 pt'r on the wall 😀 This is a big recovery from breast cancer 'foob' reconstruction to shooting a 10 pointer. Paul, the ranch owner loaned me his 270, and my husband prepared the European mount. He's so proud I'm back in the game! after breast cancer...💪😊

First the cat brought its prize inside unharmed. Rather than keep the baby bluejay as a pet I helped my granddaughter coax the fledgling onto the stick to try to fly. It hopped onto her hand unafraid. Eyes shut for a second, then flew-hopped into the redbud tree with my granddaughter's persistent finger pushing it. A bit of assistance and it was hopping from branch to branch, calling for its mamma.  I saw Ms. Jay in the big tree watching her baby so we stepped back and sure enough, Mamma Bluejay flew in, fed her baby a bug. I was sure surprised we weren't dive bombed. The fledgling had a garbled caw sound as she fed it. Then she flew away and the youngin' shut its eyes, dozed off till Mamma returned to feed it again and again.  That's how baby birds grow so FAST. I couldn't resist this of it all. Mamma Bluejay eventually ignored us and got her youngin' to fly away with her! 😀

I am not a gun lobbyist.  I am just another grassroots, staunch believer in our constitutional Right to Bear Arms.   There are thousands of everyday law-abiding  folks who seek  intelligent and responsible helpful tips, info  or services. This post is not  to be politically correct, having nothing to gain except sharing stuff-to-know.  This is my own perspective about self defense, women's guns and our choices. I do not claim expertise about weapons, ballistics, and shooting methods except for my own hunting and personal recreation. The first tragedy that occurred inspiring  this  post was the devastating massacre at Sandy Hook... Many tragic events have taken place since, and worldwide anyone who pays attention to news is aware of and most surely has an opinion. I truly respect all opinions. This is mine.  HANDGUN CHOICES Years ago, my husband and I were shopping at BassPro sporting goods store.  He was making a...

      It’s turkey season! Sorry I’m running a bit behind, been scouting, fishing twice — this season is later than usual. Good thing too, we had three nights it froze. I can't think of a better, more relaxing way to spend a spring morning to escape the Coronavirus yahoo. The trees have new, bright green. Pastel flowers have burst out, springing from the dead. Bushes looks like light watercolor throughout the woods. A light scent is in the air with spring rains that bring new life to the countryside. Winter browns are changing magically to chartreuse and yellow on Forsythia and fuschia Redbud trees. Song birds have all returned, busily gathering tiny twigs and scraps to build new nests. The restlessness that ached in me for a tortuous national shut-down throughout winter can finally be appeased. The fields and timber without snow. No longer cooped indoors, feeling excitement with images of gobblers in that field that you call your honey-hole.  Started plann...

Nothing else ya can add. Just common sense.

IShot this 10 pt bruiser yesterday. View from our land owner's mile high stand and he loaned me his 270. One shot in lungs. Two kickers behind the brow base makes 10 points! He said he knew the second I was gonna shoot, I got the most determined look on my face... ZOOM in onto the red maple on the bottom left of pic, I shot THRU that - couldn't center the scope to see it clearly. But I heard him, Paul saw antlers, tapped my shoulder said, "buck". Its head was lowered down, sniffing for the doe he was following, I couldn't see -- damn near stood up. Just that second, I got his antlers in the scope. Paul whispered, "if u want him... " flipped the safety off as I pulled my glove off with my teeth. I slid the scope onto his shoulder below and squeezed the trigger.He FLOPPED. No jump, no run, no tracking. I got 'im! We waited forty minutes in case the doe it was following would come in. We climbed down. Paul cut, I pulled out the guts. W...

Sometimes trail cams capture more than deer or squirrels! My husband sent the thumbnail to me asking me if the pic was a bobcat or cougar. I uploaded and zoomed in to plainly see this was no little bobcat. Not all big cats are strictly nocturnal - this was at 8:34 a.m. Makes a hunter real wary, not to become their prey. Even with a rifle in hand, seeing a cougar would sure make my heart pound! 

I found this skeleton last spring while turkey hunting. Possums, squirrels and other rodents scattered the rest of the deer's bones in the leaves.  Such is the cycle of life, back to Mother Nature.

Kinda hard to keep from laughing.. .😊

O pening day 2013.  After ten hours, f inally, I had a deer in sight. I tracked the doe through silver maples, too skinny for a tree stand or to shield me from view. That same second, she caught scent of me just as I raised my 243 ... I hadn't meant to be in close range, but there she was. I heard her and she knew I was too close, in the same thicket as she stood, silent, barely visible, save those ears twitching. I stopped breathing.  She flipped her fluffy white flag up, in five bounds s he disappeared beyond the ripe soybean field, into private timber. Had she seen me jerk my rifle to shoot? Or caught a whiff of human? Maybe her radar heard the tiny twig snap under my boot?      An island of a dozen sparsely leafed trees shielded me from view, where I sat for two hours on a huge flat oak stump. I watched the tree line for the doe to come back out to feed. I was in no hurry, very comfortable in my short sleeves. The light breeze in my hair, the bl...

I put off buying a Missouri Conceal Carry license to avoid paying the legal fees for the CCW just because what KS does, MO generally follows suit. Since Kansas City city is both states.  Most everyone is aware as of January 01, 2017...NOW we're a "SHALL ISSUE" state.   THIS finally made sense.  Pro-Gun Celebrities: FINGERS X'd to ... on the trigger just please as they say, 'don't be this guy' be safe

Spring turkey hunting is that awesome fan display, the excitement of toms gobbling and fighting, then tagging those gobblers. Zach and Ed's toms                                             For those of you who pack everything but the kitchen sink, you may add  rocks and a sense of humor  to your arsenal.  A turkey hunter for many years, I have a few  successes  and  failures . And as much as we may grumble, it's very true what my husband says about the  failures , "that's why it's called hunting". He also laughed, asking me if I offered advice that you throw rocks at uncooperative birds as a last ditch effort to kill one! That's his sense of humor.. When you're turkey hunting, you best leave your ego at home. Because after a week of not bagging a bird, saying 'we hunted hard' really makes  no  sense. I ha...

I rescued this little guy off the road last year.  Sure didn't take him long to scoot up the bank (as fast as a turtle can scoot).

I am a flower addict... Echinacea pallida Gooseneck Loosestrife Prickly pear cactus flower