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Comprehensive turkey guide and slam sChool
womanhunter.com $2.99 uS
APRIL & MAY 2012
Spring cleaning: acceSSorieS to organize your ground blind
8Bow tuning
simplified
Bear Hunting Basics
Spot and Stalk, ambuSh, or Send in the dogS
f e A t u R e d w o M A n h u n t e R
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P R O D U C T S • f e a T U R e S [ J U S T F O R F U N ] I Y N WHproduct reviewSPRaY
womanhunter.comWomanHunter.com
She’s got gusto for the great outdoors,
guts for the hunt, and encouraging words for
the huntress in all of us… meet our featured
woman hunter, Kristy Titus.
Cover photo credit: Justin Moore of
DangerSoup.com
20 Featured
Woman Hunter
2012 ArcHery
TrAde SHoW HigHligHTS
27> By Jennifer Anne Brozek
Muley AdvenTure: 25
A tough-as-nails huntress won’t accept defeat> By Jennifer Anne Brozek
Turkey SlAM12
Learn your turkey species and score one of these slams.> By Jennifer Anne Brozek
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Submit the best caption for this cartoon and win a FREE Woman Hunter T-shirt.
Submit your BEST
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WomanHunter.com WomanHunter.com
l e T T e R f R O M T h e e D I T O R
www.womanhunter.comISSN: 1944-6756Vol. 5, No. 2
PUBLISHERLisa Snelling
EDITOR IN CHIEFJennifer Anne Brozek
MANAGING EDITORMandy Webb
STAFF WRITERSJennifer Anne Brozek Cassidy CaronMandy Webb
GUEST WRITERBarb Terry
Michelle Holden S.L. Merriman
DESIGNArt Director, Nancy KurnikIllustrator, Jason BallPhotographer, Cindy Sharrard
CONTRIBUTING IYN WRITERSAPR/MAY 2012Amanda EllisKacie Fisk
Woman Hunter , Vol. 5, No. (ISSN-1944-6756) is the official publication of Woman Hunter, LLC. Woman Hunter is published six times a year. February/March, April/May, June/July, August/September, October/November and December/January.The magazine accepts from its subscribers unreimbursed story content; all published submissions are considered for Editor’s Choice and Readers’ Choice awards. Woman Hunter members are encouraged to submit their true and legal hunting stories of 600 to 800 words online through the submissions page at www.womanhunter.com or by regular mail to its editorial offices at 4225 Miller Road B-9, #255, Flint, MI 48507. Woman Hunter reserves the right to edit all submissions for content, readability and length. Address Changes: To change your address for the magazine, send new address and old address to Woman Hunter, Attn: Subscription Management, 4225 Miller Road B-9, #255, Flint, MI 48507. You may also submit address changes online at www.womanhunter.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Woman Hunter, Attn: Subscription Management, 4225 Miller Rd. B-9, #255, Flint, MI. 48507.
JEnniFER AnnE BRozEk, EdiToR in CHiEF
Jennifer Anne Brozek
What is spring? It is the smell of gun powder from a spent three inch nitro turkey load and wet, loamy earth. It is a warm breeze sweeping over a cool freshwater lake teaming with walleye and trout. Spring is morel mushrooms sautéing in
butter and the aroma of lilacs after rain. Ladies, spring is upon us and so is the promise of new challenges and experiences in the outdoors. now is the time we write the next chapter in our book of adventures. So, grab your fishing rods and head out on the water, dust off your spring turkey gear and escape to the woods, or trek north for a magical spring black bear hunt. there is no better time than now to experience life to the fullest.
In keeping with the spring season, we have focused our attention on bear hunting and fishing with this issue. Plus, we didn’t forget turkey season and have included a comprehensive turkey feature, covering all the different species and subspecies of wild turkeys and the various types of slams. If you’ll be hunting from hub-style ground blinds while you’re on the turkey trail this spring, be sure to check out our product review. We have field tested hunting accessories by Galena outdoors Products that will turn your blind into a well-prepared fortress.
whether you’ll be celebrating spring on land or sea, we’ve covered it in this issue. our fishing feature offers tricks and tips in Trolling for Trout, and if you’ll be searching out some hungry black bears this spring, we have a feature that discusses the various methods of bear hunting.
we’ve got another heart-pumping adventure in store for you with our adventure Series by Cassidy Caron. Facing insurmountable difficulties and perilous conditions, Cassidy barely escapes death by the skin of her teeth while hunting mule deer alone in the mountainous canadian terrain.
our featured woman hunter this issue is Kristy titus, and we’re sure that you will appreciate her openness in sharing what she has learned in life, both in and out of the world of hunting. Kristy’s personality shines through the pages of our interview and gives you a real sense of her enthusiasm for encouraging and educating women in the outdoors. She also tells us about her role with the rocky mountain elk Foundation, where you can catch her on television this season, and how she stays fit for rugged outdoor challenges.
as Kristy shares with us, our time spent in the outdoors has the power to transform and mold us, even as children. as you step into the wilderness this spring, consider these words and enjoy the experience to the fullest.
“Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.
Do all that you do in a sacred manner and in celebration.
Pray and sing and dance and love. For these things do not consume and they
do not pollute.Indeed they nourish.”- The Hopi Elder
the huntInG maGaZIne For women
PRODUCTS • feaTUReS [ JUST FOR FUN ] IYN WHjust for fun
Illustration by Jason Ball
WOMANHUNTER.COM
It’s StILL better than a day at work!!!Beth DeForest Jun/Jul 2011 Winner
the DeDicateD fastener people...
Steel • Alloy Steel Stainless Steel Brass Bronze • Aluminum • Rivets
Nylon • Bolts • Nuts Screws Washers • Pins • Anchor Bolts
Main Warehouse4126 Somers Drive • Burton, Michigan 48529
Phone 810-744-0123 • Fax 810-744-3798
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Lansing3400 W. St. Joseph • Lansing, MI 48917Ph: 989-482-2200 • Fax: 989-482-2276
Gaylord1069 O’Rouke Blvd. • Gaylord, MI 49735 Ph: 989-732-3265 • Fax: 989-732-8097
niles1755 Mayflower Rd. • Niles, MI 49120 Ph: 269-695-0123 • Fax: 269-695-0125
Shelby twp50771 Design Lane • Shelby Twp
Ph: 586-254-0123 • Fax: 586-254-2326
mid-statesbolt & screw co.www.midstatesbolt.com
[ M A i l cA l l ] f ROM OUR Be l OV eD SUB S C R I Be R S
What was your favorite cartoon? Email your feedback to [email protected] cAll!
THANKS to everyone who facebooked, commented, emailed and wrote actual letters in response to our
last few issues. Here’s a look at what you had to say.
Woman Hunter Reserves the right to edit comments for
length and clarity. To make your voice heard, email us
at [email protected], or comment on an article on
our facebook page or send us a letter at
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Thank you, Woman hunTer. Love your magazine, The arTicLes and Tips. keep up The good Work.
sincereLy, kacie Fisk
pubLish a correcTion
Katie Vanduzen’s name should have been Katie Vandusen.
The Thrill of the Hunt was written by Cindy Beckly not Mary Ann McCoy
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU START PACKING > PAGE 10.
NEW: Scent-Free Hair and Skin Products for the Her
SKIN PRODUCTSand Skin Products
for the Her
Kristy Titus
UNdErSTaNd THEm oNcE aNd For all > PagE 26>
Rifle Calibers
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1. Firearms 2. Ballista 3. Armour 4. Military 5. Fourteen 6. Wood 7. Arbalist 8. Bolt 9. Sights 10. Hemp 11. China 12. Assassins 13. Prod 14. Recurve 15. Stirrup 16. Quiver
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Part I & II
What is your hunting dream?What is your hunting dream?What is your hunting dream?What is your hunting dream?What is your hunting dream?What is your hunting dream?
Subscribe to the Only Women’s Hunting Magazine
That’s Written by Women... Just For YOU!
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[ WH ] We hUNT FOR [FOOd]
BBQ Salmon Wraps
Salmon fillets
Thin sliced bacon strips
BBQ sauce
Cut bacon strips in half and cook until done but still flexible. Remove from pan and let cool slightly.
Cut salmon into 1” squares and cook on medium heat 1 ½ minutes each side, turning once. Remove from pan and let cool. wrap one piece of bacon around each piece of salmon and hold with a toothpick.
Place wraps back in the pan. Pour BBQ sauce over each piece until covered.
Simmer another couple minutes and they’re ready to eat.
WomanHunter.com
WHCrossbow Corner
BaRB TeRRYTeNPOINT
Advances in crossbow Safety
Today, I’m happy to report most crossbow manufacturers
are working hard to make
crossbows safer than ever.
Years ago, when I first ventured into the wonderful world of crossbows, safety wasn’t a high priority. At that time, there were only a few states that allowed the use of crossbows
and the number of reported injuries was relatively low. Topping the list of injuries was, and still is, damage or trauma to the thumb and fingers.
Back then, we only had three options when it came to safety features on a crossbow:
a] No safety at all
B] A safety that had to be manually set after cocking the crossbow
c] An automatic safety that engaged as soon as the crossbow was cocked
Today, I’m happy to report most crossbow manufactur-ers are working hard to make crossbows safer than ever. Ad-ditional safety features are ei-ther automatically integrated into the crossbow, or purchas-able as add-on accessories.
Modern-day Integrated Safety featureS:
dry-fIre-InhIbItor – This safety feature was first introduced in 1996 by TenPoint Crossbow Technologies to prevent dry-firing the crossbow when no arrow is loaded on the flight deck. Several companies have followed suit, incorporating either the Dry-Fire-Inhibitor or other anti-dry-fire mechanism into their crossbows. The addition of this technology to crossbows has virtually eliminated the risk of damage and injury that can be caused by a dry-fire.
grIpSafety – This safety mechanism made its first appearance in mid-2003. Installed in the fore-grip of TenPoint models with aluminum barrels and thumbhole stocks, the GripSafety prevents pulling the trigger without first depressing and holding this secondary safety in place with your fore-grip thumb. This configuration helps prevent potentially severe injury by keeping thumbs and fingers in proper position on the fore-grip and below the barrel’s flight deck.
Safety-engIneered fore-grIpS – Crossbow fore-grip designs have also advanced in the last several years. Many manufacturers have now designed fore-grips that are vented, divided, multi-position, folding, or equipped with wings or flanges to keep the shooter’s hand position out of harm’s way while shooting the crossbow.
add-on Safety acceSSorIeS:
grIpguard – TenPoint designed this custom add-on accessory in 2011 to fit over its thumbhole-style, synthetic stock fore-grips with or without a GripSafety. The wings at the top prevent a shooter’s fore-grip fingers or thumb from dangerously migrating above the flight deck while shooting the crossbow.
VertIcal fore-grIp – These after-market fore-grips are available for various crossbows on the market. Depending on the style of fore-grip, they may attach directly to the crossbow’s stock or to a picatinny rail. Shooters choose this style of grip as a safety feature, for comfort, and for maneuverability.
Regardless of the crossbow you shoot, safety should always remain your top priority. It never hurts to read the crossbow owner’s manual, watch the manufacturer’s DVD, or take a refresher safety course before hunting season each year.
Shoot Safe!
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WH JeNNIfeR aNNe
BROzek
Bow Tuning and the School of Hard nocks
ArcHery Angle
Why do you need to tune your bow? A bow stores energy when it is drawn and that energy is transferred to the arrow when the string is released. A properly tuned bow maximizes that transfer of energy and increases shot accuracy. Since an improperly tuned bow can cause erratic arrow flight, the result can be inconsistent arrow groups. Tom Drake, bow technician at Hunters Den in Lapeer, Michigan explains that in the field, this may translate to poor shot placement and insufficient arrow pen-etration.
hat is bow tuning? Instead of giving you precise instructions and technical recom-mendations, I would like to explain the gen-eral concept, because this is the best starting
place for beginners. If you are entirely new to the process, it is more important for you to understand what bow tuning is, why it is necessary, and what factors can interfere with bow tuning success. These are the things I wish I had understood during my early years in archery. It was hard to ask questions, because with-out a basic foundation of knowledge, I couldn’t verbalize ques-tions, and if I did, often I did not understand the answer. While you are learning, an archery pro shop is the best place to help you with the bow-tuning process. Feel free to ask questions and take advantage of specialized knowledge that your local archery store has to offer. Personalized attention and archery education are what they are there for.
Bow tuning involves making adjustments to the equipment on your bow that affect the way your arrow flies. The orientation of the arrow to the string (such as a slight sideways, upward or downward skew) affects the way energy is transferred to the ar-row, the way the arrow leaves the string, and thus, the way the arrow flies through the air. Ideally, your nock point (where your arrow attaches to the string) should be set so that the arrow and the string form right angle. Furthermore, unless you shoot using only your fingers, your arrow should point straight ahead, not to the left or the right. Nock point and arrow rest position are two adjustments that can be made to achieve good arrow flight. Hence, the way your bow is initially set up affects to a large degree, how easily your bow tunes.
Fine adjustments to the rest or nock can be made to achieve the best arrow flight possible. This is where the more precise process of bow tuning usually begins. You can usually see poor arrow flight (like a tail kick), but due to the fact that the arrow is traveling approximately 250 to 300 feet per second, more de-tailed feedback on arrow performance is needed. Among these methods of flight feedback are paper tuning, walk-back tuning and French tuning. With paper tuning, you shoot through paper, analyze the tear (arrow hole), and adjust the equipment accord-ingly. The other forms of tuning can be grossly summarized by saying that they involve observing shot placement from arrows shot at different distances using the same pin.
When you are ready to make your own adjustments to your bow, experiment and find the method that gives you the best results and is easiest for you to use. But, ending my discussion of bow tuning here would be incomplete. Many archers have started the bow tuning process with nock and rest adjustments, only to back track and find other underlying causes of erratic arrow flight.
You can avoid the school of hard nocks when it comes to bow tuning by being aware of some of the underlying issues that can interfere with this process.
1]STringS: Wait until you’ve shot a few hundred arrows from a newly installed string before beginning the tuning process. Despite the pre-stretching efforts of string manufacturers, I still think bow strings stretch slightly after they are installed.
W 2]TiMing: Check your bow’s timing. When you draw a bow back, the cams (at the top and bottom of the bow) roll over and load energy into the bow. Ideally, on a two cam bow, the cams should ro-tate synchronously. If not, they will release asynchronously and cause poor arrow flight. Consult your bow owner’s manual for instructions on checking your timing, or, consult your local archery pro shop.
3]drAW lengTH: Correct draw length in archery is critical. Loren Lohr, Quality Control for G5 Outdoors explains that shooting a draw length that is too long or too short can also cause erratic arrow flight.
4]ArroWS: Use the right arrows. Arrow manufacturers have taken the mystery out of arrow selection. Just look up your draw weight and arrow length on their shaft selection charts. Proper spine (arrow stiffness) will enhance arrow flight stabilization down-range.
5]Worn ouT eQuiPMenT: Over a long time, carbon arrows can breakdown, or get weaker. This deterioration can affect their performance and can complicate bow tuning, Lohr explains.
6]griP: Use the same grip when tuning that you will use when hunting or shooting, and use that grip consistently. Inconsis-tent or improper grip (called bow-hand torque) can also contribute to funky arrow flight.
7]ArroW cleArAnce: Make sure your arrow and vanes clear the cables, the bottom of your sight housing and your rest without touching any of these objects as it exits your bow. If a vane skims against any other part of your bow as it is launched, it will lose velocity and fly irregularly.
Most bows tune without much difficulty, but I have experienced quite the opposite at times. You could try a new type of arrow if you wanted to go through the process all over. However, I would say that the im-portant factor is tight arrow groups. If your arrows are consistently hit-ting the mark, despite what your bow tuning feedback is telling you, then just go forward with confidence. It is what it is. Keep your eyes on the big picture and don’t sweat the small stuff.
/// B y S . l . M e r r i A M
TheRe’S
More ThAN ONe WAY TO
kill A BeAR
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P R O D U C T S [ f e a T U R e S ] J U S T F O R F U N • I Y N
WomanHunter.comWomanHunter.comWomanHunter.com
Perhaps it is the mystique of the an-imal, or the lure of a bear skin rug, but many hunters and huntresses
either love to hunt bears, or have this ani-mal in mind for a dream hunt. Bear hunt-ing offers the ultimate adventure and is easily obtainable as a do-it-yourself or guided hunt in the United States or Can-ada. You can choose from three methods of bear hunting: spot and stalk, baiting, and hunting with hounds. Regardless of hunting method, the excitement of put-ting your tag on a big bear is a hunting adventure you’ll remember forever.To enjoy this adventure to the fullest, familiarize yourself with the le-gal requirements in the area you intend to hunt. Bears are found in all of the lower 48, but hunting laws are unique to each area. There is, however, one aspect that is universal to all bear hunts and that aspect pertains to the nature of the beast. Bears have an avoidant nature, which makes for a very challenging hunt, no matter the method that you use to hunt them. Be sure to do your research and the required preparation for whichever hunt you chose. When you are prepared you will have an enjoyable experience.
Buy it now atdeerBackie.com
Deer Backie is the favored choice
among women hunters for attracting deer. It’s convenient, not
messy and comes in portable pouches.
looking for a new
attractant this year?
/// SPoT And STAlkSpot and stalk hunting in the spring means glassing meadows where bears feed and travel. Open, grassy areas provide a wake-up food source and spring is the time of year you are most likely to see bears in open areas. In the fall, during the final preparation before hibernation, bears stay in thick brush, gorging themselves on sticks and pine boughs, which provide rough-age and absorb strong stomach acids through the winter.
Upon emerging from their dens in the spring, bears can be found in green meadows, grazing like cows, seeking out all the green matter they can find to digest the remaining woody material in their stomachs. Next, they search for young plants and meat. Note that these are not teddy bears. On the contrary, bears are efficient predators. Fawns, elk calves, and other young animals make up a good portion of the black bear’s spring diet. Take all of this into account when selecting a prospective bear hunting area for a spot and stalk hunt.
/// HunTing WiTH dogSProbably the most efficient, but physically demanding method of bear hunt-ing involves the use of hounds. Bear hounds can be breeds such as black and tans, walkers, blue tics, and plots. Hunters drive back roads looking for scent where a bear crossed the road. A cold-nosed strike dog is placed atop the dog box and will open up with a bawling howl once bear scent is detected. This is when the houndsman releases the dogs, and the chase is on.
The bear may try to lose the dogs by climbing a tree for safety, but the dogs’ job is to keep the bear at bay in the tree. Big bears tend to be aggressive,
and will try to fight the dogs on the ground. The bear could easily kill one, but a dog’s instinct is to stay just out of the bear’s reach. The hunter must reach a treed bear before a dog is injured. Sometimes this means a lung-busting chase uphill, moving as quickly as possi-ble. After the shot, the dogs charge in blindly to chew hair. Chew hair is a term houndsmen have for the dogs’ reward for the hunt; it is when the dogs get to bite and chew on the bear’s hide. It is what they live for.
/// BAiTing Hunting bears over a bait site is a productive method, but it means hard work for the per-son toting the bait to keep the spot active. This technique involves plac-ing bait stations in areas a bear is likely to use for travel. Since bears will find more to eat in val-leys than on a ridgeline site, location is crucial. Options for bait include molasses covered grain, sweets, pastries, honey and meat scraps. The sweeter and more aro-matic the bait, the more it will attract and hold bears.
An aromatic “honey burn” can be accomplished with a small can of honey heated by a propane torch to the point where honey smoke rises and sticks to the trees. This produces a pungent aroma that will cover a large area and attract bears like a magnet. During and after the burn, the hunter sits in a treestand to watch the bait and wait for the bear. This is an effective method for an archery hunter to use to draw a bear in close.
For my last bear hunting adventure, I used the bait-ing method. That adven-ture began one afternoon in Saskatchewan, Canada,
during the last week of May, when both the bears and the vegetation were waking up after a long, cold win-ter. I wanted a big bear, so I focused on a wide penin-sula. Knowing a bear would come from the land end, I used a boat to carry my bait to the peninsula. This strat-egy left less human scent and it also put me in an area that I don’t believe anyone had ever thought about hunting before—a hidden pocket or honey hole, par-don the term.
I had selected an elevated blind with a bait barrel to lure a bear into bow range. The bears were more ac-tive in the afternoon, so I relaxed and made it to my blind around 4 pm. As I climbed into my blind, I was greeted by a swarm of mosquitoes and gnats. Luckily, I had a Therma-Cell unit strapped to my leg, which soon cleared the air. I quickly became comfort-able while awaiting an af-ternoon visitor.
Not long after getting com-fortable, I heard footsteps behind me in the soft ferns and moist leaves. I froze as a dark image passed my tree and swaggered to the bait station, showing alert-
ness with short stubby ears catching every sound and a nose searching for some-thing out of place. I sat qui-etly, high in the tree, evad-ing both senses.
Once the big bear was sat-isfied with his safety, he reached into the bait bar-rel to remove the sweet mixture of bread and fryer grease. I was told not to move until he had eaten some of the bait, so I waited. I slowly and quietly reached for my Bowtech Destroyer 350, and without looking,
nocked an arrow.
Cautious not to hit the limbs on the side of the blind, I slowly and qui-etly drew and stood for a better shooting position. My 30-yard pin rested high on the bear’s side and my height from the stand would put the ar-row through both lungs. I took a deep breath and had to be certain to hit the vitals in the oversized hide, as the bear had lost weight during hiberna-tion.
I released the arrow and watched as it sped downward and disap-
peared in the heavy black coat. The thump resonated as a familiar noise, a pleas-ing sound of reward for a shot that hit the mark. The bear sprang into the air and disappeared into the cover as if stung by a wasp.
Adrenaline pumping and hands shaking, I listened intently for any possible noise that could advise me in what direction and how far the big boar went. Then I heard it, the sound that sends chills up your spine. It is a signal of the end, the last exhale or death-moan. Because I made a good shot, I was rewarded with a loud good-bye from a tro-phy I will remember for the rest of my life.
I released the arrow
and watched as it sped
downward and disappeared in the heavy black coat.
