Iam Back...and WE HAVE ELK

OMG... I guess my wedding just took toooo much out of me!! I am so ashamed to say it has indeed been that long since my happy ass has done a post for all of you fellow hunting freaks.
First off... the wedding.. AMAZING..everything turned out perfect.(NOTICE MY VEIL HAS MY MOSSYOAK CAMO TRIM)
OKOK your thinking get to the good stuff.... Here it is:
Iam proud to say that this hunter chick has passed on her un-believable, remarkable love and ability for taking down some big game..YES... my son Gavin, got his first SPIKE BULL ELK.
Not only did Gavin get his first elk, he got it on opening morning....and the kicker...a 510 yard shot!!! (must be the genes)
I was so proud of him...you would think this kid won a gold medal..I have gushed, and gushed....this hunter chick is one proud mamma!!
Not to be forgotten is the new hubby. Eric drew a cow tag this year, and he too was able to fill his tag. Nice cow.. will make some delic dinner times!!!
And then their is me...I gave up my early elk season for my wedding day.(Their is a strategy in this....that being EVERY YEAR for my anniversary...I. GET. TO. GO. HUNTING!!!!!!!!!!sigh...this hunter chicks dream)
My late elk starts this next weekend...wish me luck!!
I promise Iam back to posting..you will BE hearing from me again!

It will continue to burn..untill they learn

I would like to sit here and go on and on ranting and raving about the numb sculls....knuckle heads, city slick'n folks that are leading me to this post.
I'm referring to the people other then one such as this hunter chick that use our woods....or shall I SAY MIS-USE our woods.
This is the time of year when the ground is dry, the grass turns brown, and every step you take through the mountains is so dry that an elk within a mile radius hears it crackling. One of my very favortie areas to hunt was burning this month..thanks to some careless individual(s).
I don't feel like i should have to say this but here it goes:

YOU CAN'T cut fire wood, when it's been 2 months since any kind of rainfall in the summer...
YOU CAN'T ride a dirt bike that lets off any kind of sparkage...
YOU CAN"T throw a cigarette butt out the window and think it won't cause a fire.
AND MOST OF ALL
YOU CAN'T burn a campfire in 105 degree dry-ass conditions.

I know this all seems like common knowledge for most, but sadly it isn't. Their is so many people out their that just don't respect our forests, and mountains. This carelessness is causing elk,deer bear and many other wildlife to lose their habitat.
So, at the risk of sounding like a bitch..please help spread the word this summer...use common sense, know your burning restrictions and help keep our forests standing, and mountains huntable as kill'n season is just around the corner!!!

A little early waterfowling..a band & a collar

This Year we had the opportunity to take our boys to help band and collar some groups of local geese.Us, along with 4 biologist from the Washington State Dept. of Fish & Wildlife were able to catch a total of 110 local geese. It was a great experience for our boys. The boys got to hold the geese as they moved from one station to another..first sexing(finding out how many males VS females their was) Then they were shown how to tell if it was an adult or juvenile (based upon tail feathers) Then they held them while the biologists collared and banded them. The adults received both collars and bands, while the Juveniles only got bands.
You would be amazed at how easy the process really was as we did this in the small window of time when the birds are moulting.(can't fly) If anyone hunts, or has kids that hunt, or even just enjoy geese and waterfowl.... I HIGHLY suggest you contact your local Dept.to see if they have a program, or need volunteer help. It was a unforgettable experience for our boys.You will even notice by the pic that this hunter chicks hubby to be was more then PLEASED to be holding his first "collared goose" (Should we tell him it's still alive, and it doesn't count if you didn't shoot it??????)
This is what the total count was for the local area:
Treetop Fruit Pond
43-Juveniles
4-Adults
0-Recaptures
47-Total

Sgt. Hubbard Park
25-Juveniles
10-Adults
0-Recaptures
35-Total

Lakeside Office Park
16-Juveniles
9-Adults
0-Recaptures
25-Total

2 months...and NO branched antler tag...

Holy crap! would u believe it's been over two months since I have blogged with you cool people???
Well, my life has been dedicated to baseball, baseball....and oh yeah..more baseball! My boys ...are keeping me busy.
All this aside..we are starting to think about that cool crisp morning..the one day during the year that it's impossible to sleep the night before.... ya know, the one that comes in September??????????????????? That would be Washington deer and elk season!!!!!!!!
Iam so excited..big game season is just around the corner!
I wish I could say I'll be lacing up my boots and going after the elusive branched antler bull elk. BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO............
I couldn't draw that golden ticket again!
The day the drawing results were out I was jacked! I scurried my happy ass over to the computer..put in my wild ID number ..... the little hour glass ran and what did I see...
NOt DRAWN
NOT DRAWN
NOT DRAWN
I couldn't believe it..all the points and no tag! So then the great hubby to be puts his number in..........
"Cool" I got drawn for the area I wanted!
Sheeeeeeez.
Oh well....maybe next year! Even though i didn't get my bull tag, since i shoot archery I still have a general season cow tag. With any luck..Il have one of these in my spot-Hogg site this season.......................

IT TOOK THE BIG GAME REGS....

OMG Have I been busy!!!
It's so not like me to not post on my hunting blog or my family blog.... Did it seem like I fell off the radar? Left the planet???? Decided to take a one month hunt in another country?????
Well...I guess I have been just busy being a mom, trying to have two blogs, plan a wedding and have time for myself...obviously my blogs got neglected a bit!!
Well, I'm back... it took the launch of 2009 Hunting Regs. to rope me back into reality....Awwwwwwww Hunting Season.
I was so excited when my hubby to be called me and said "Honey, the regs are out"
As busy as I was...buzzing here their and everywhere.. to boxing practice, to baseball games, to cub scout meetings, I could hardly wait to sit down and read the regulations. These are held in high stature at our house and is much like "The bible".
After finally unwinding yesterday afternoon.... so excited to have them in my hand at last..I felt like running through the house shouting "I got it....I got the Golden Ticket"!!!! (At the risk of looking like a fool, i slinetly picked them up from my Future Hubbies special spot) In my head I eeeewd and awwwwd about the beautiful BIG buck pictured on the front, and plopped down on the couch to read.
I could hardly wait to highlight which special drawings I would put in for....
To be totally let down by the great state of Washington... I couldn't believe my eyes....they cut out part of our Archery elk season!! How devastating. Just cut off my legs, poke my eyes out, what a tragedy..... they took away part of my general season and gave it to the modern firearm hunters....ohhhh the misery....the pain....I CANT BELIEVE IT!!!!!
All that aside... the sight of the Big game Regs being released means one thing.....less then 5 months till deer and elk season.. . this hunter chicks favorite time of year!!!
Here's to crossing my fingers I finally get drawn for my branched antler tag this year!!!

P.E.T.A............My VENISON....oooops I MENT MY VERSION

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE....MY OLDEST SON PROCESSING HIS OWN DEER THIS YEAR!!! WE HAVE TO EAT TOO!!

P.E.T.A........
In our House this means People Eating Tasty Animals.
Yesterday we ( this hunter chick, my hubby to be and my two boys) were on our drive home from the other side of state. Hunting is a way of life for me and my family. right now we have 4 deer and one elk in our freezer.
Anyhow, on our way home on the highway we came up on a huge Van....one of those utility type vans. This thing looked like someone sat around, smoked some weed and began painting their van. It read "P.E.T.A" on the back...had pictures on it and one of an elephant in shackles.(which I think is sad :( (I love elephants). We followed behind it for a brief time, then my huny passed them in the passing lane. This caused quite the conversation in the truck about P.E.T.A..who they are...what it stands for...and so on...(you can imagine with a 9 and 11 year old...the wheels were-a-turning)Our boys dont know anything else, and couldn't figure out why people would be so against hunting. I tried to explain to them that they were against more then just hunting...but lets face it...they hate HUNTERS.
I have been flipped off, honked at and yelled at by these so called non-hunters, on more then one occasion here in town. The minute they see a bumper sticker that says Hunter Chick, N.R.A,, Ducks Unlimited..and my favorite "I love animals they are tasty" they are off on their tangent.
I don't have a problem with people and their beliefs as for the good of animals, but in my opinion.. some of them are soooo over the top that its ridiculous. I love animals, and believe in the proper treatment of them, IAM A HUGE ANIMAL LOVER, but in my opinion sometimes their whole goal and meaning of what they stand for gets lost and forgotten and it turns into an attack on anyone and everyone that has hunted or is not a vegetarian. I would never tie one of my kills down to my vehicle and parade it through town for all to see, but I don't have a problem speaking up for what i believe in.
As we passed the vehicle, Eric had to refrain me from showing them my newest cabelas purchase I got this weekend through the passenger side window......"900 Tasty Venison recipes" . Instead we just passed the colorful hippie-van and SMILED and Waived...and let them enjoy our stickers on the back of our truck!
I have nothing against anyone who is all about PETA.... however the minute they attack me for what I believe in, you can bet I will fire back! They have left a bad taste in my mouth in the past...so I thouhgt a little retaliation was in order.......but thanks to Eric he helped me to be the bigger person.

R.I.P. SPORTSMANS WAREHOUSE

HERE IS IN MY OPINION...SOME VERRRRRY SAD NEWS.
IT SEEMS THIS STRUGGLING ECONOMY IS HITTING EVERYONE....INCLUDING MY FAVORITE STORE NEXT TO CABELAS........"SPORTSMANS WAREHOUSE"
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE HAD THE LUXURY OF GOING INTO A SPORTSMANS, YOU KNOW JUST WHAT IAM TALKING ABOUT. THE AWESOME CUSTOMER SERVICE, THE BEAUTIFUL MOUNTS THEY HAVE SPREAD OUT ADORNING THE WALLS IN THE STORE.... AND THE THOUGHT THAT IF YOU CANT FIND IT AT CABELAS..SPORTSMANS IS SURE TO HAVE IT. OUR SPORTSMANS IS ON THE LIST OF ONES THAT WERE SOLD TO A CANADIAN COMPANY. I HOPE THEY DO US ALL A SERVICE AND KEEP THE HIGH QUALITY OF MERCHANDISE AND CUSTOMER SERVICE THEY OFFER.
ALSO, I SHOULD ADD..I WAS TOLD IF YOU HAVE A GIFT CARD...YOU BETTER USE IT IN THE NEXT MONTH.
IF YOU WANT MORE INFO. CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE...
http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/company.cfm


HERE IS THE LISTS:


NEWS
March 10, 2009

Stuart Utgaard, the Chairman and CEO of Sportsman's Warehouse Holdings, today announced that the company is taking two major actions to improve liquidity.

It is hoped that these actions will enable the firm to go forward as a viable entity with approximately 2,300 employees. Sportsman's Warehouse is a leading outdoor retailer of sporting goods headquartered in Midvale, Utah.


1.)
23 stores are being liquidated to reduce bank debt.

• Aurora, CO
• Coon Rapids, MN
• DePere, WI
• Henderson, NV
• Lafayette, IN
• Las Cruces, NM
• Las Vegas, NV
• Legacy, TX
• Memphis, TN
• Nampa, ID
• New Berlin, WI
• Oklahoma City, OK
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Pocatello, ID
• Roanoke, VA
• Rogers, AR
• Round Rock, TX
• St. Cloud, MN
• Sioux Falls, SD
• Southaven, MS
• Visalia, CA
• Wichita, KS
• Woodbury, MN


2.)
15 stores are being sold to UFA Co-op.

• Bend, OR
• Bozeman, MT
• Burlington, WA
• Coeur d’Alene, ID
• Fargo, ND
• Federal Way, WA
• Helena, MT
• Kennewick, WA
• Lacey, WA
• Missoula, MT
• Portland, OR
• Salem, OR
• Silverdale, WA
• Spokane, WA
• Vancouver, WA