wait it out

September 13, 2013August 3, 2015Leave a comment

Happy weekend, friends! Anyone teal hunting tomorrow for the early season? I am still up in the air… It is so hot and buggy, the thought of waders seems a bit daunting. Could I just wear shorts underneath them? ~~What if~~ there is an alligator in the pond and what if he decides I look like a tasty breakfast? Is there such a thing as too much bug spray? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS. I will keep you posted though as to whether or not we venture into the ponds to take a whack at some early season teal. I could really go for one of these sandwiches, now that I am thinking about it…

Wow. I can get carried away, huh? Back to the story at hand. Wednesday’s hunt started off slow. Real slow. Like, “Dad what are we doing out here?””Bear, I have no idea it is so hot outside and WHERE ARE THE BIRDS?”

But… Like I said. Wait. It. Out. One minute I busying myself taking silly snapchats of myself literally melting into my dove stool while my dad was just laughing at me, and the next – boom. Literally, boom. That’s the sound the shotgun makes, right? We were getting bombed by doves and we were shooting back. The next hour or so was pretty busy, between shooting [at] doves and running to pick them up, and shooting another while we were out searching for the first one. Ok… I am sure I am making it sound like we both limited out in an hour. And I am making it sound like my dad didn’t go pick up my birds for me since we didn’t take Dixie. Not the case, unfortunately. But I did knock down 8 or so, and my dad makes a pretty good bird dog if I do say so myself! He bagged a few, himself as well. You’re the best, Otis!

What’s the moral of the story? Just when you think you should pack up your bag and call it a day, wait. Just a fewwwww more minutes. It was completely worth the wait, and mmm mmm mmm are those doves going to taste good.

Dad’s over/under is ah-ma-zing. So pretty. Guns can be pretty, right?

“Oooooooohhh boy. Ready for fall weather.” Isn’t that what I am saying?

Have a good weekend, friends!

venison {cheeseburger} bites

September 10, 2013August 6, 20152 Comments

These little nuggets of delight are perfect for entertaining a crowd of hunters – or in this case, football fans. That’s what I was doing when I served these a couple weeks ago. We had a group of friends over to watch the first Carolina game of the season, and these were a hit. I have always been a fan of making a handful of hearty appetizers when entertaining a crowd, rather than worry about making one big dish and hope it comes out as tasty as I had planned. Or, trying to coordinate pulling it out of the oven/off the grill during half time so as to not disturb the boys who can’t peel their eyes away from ESPN. Never fear! These bite-sized snacks are like little cheeseburgers, and are the perfect compliment to a few chilly beers and an evening of football, or post-hunt downtime.

Continue reading →

monkey

September 6, 2013August 3, 2015Leave a comment

That’s what I almost did on Wednesday’s hunt near Camden, SC. As hot as we thought it was on the coast on Monday’s hunt, it was balmy and breezy compared to inland. Even though it only reached the mid 90’s, the heat index was at least 135*. No? Is that too high? Well, maybe I exaggerate a tad, but damn it was a hot one!

But… I have to admit… I would rather be about to monkey in the dove field than be in cool a/c at work. Am I right? Like my dad always says, “You don’t know if you don’t go.” Agreed, dude. It was hot. I missed some easy-as-pie shots. I made some “Wow, did he really just go down?” shots. You know what kind of shots I am talking about? Sometimes, the dove flies by you in such a way that you know he must be asking for you knock him down. And then you miss. Twice, no less. Where’s my automatic with the 3rd shell when I need it?! Alas, I love my over/under too much to not use it every chance I get… Then you make a ridiculously difficult shot, based on instinct, and you realize you don’t actually need that 3rd shot. Completely worth the 4 gallons of water lost because you’re sweating so badly you can’t see out of your sunglasses or remember your own name.

There I go exaggerating again. I think it’s becoming a thing I do. Oh, well. We still had a great time despite the heat. Even though only 1 hunter got his limit, we had some fantastic shots and opportunities. I ended up bagging only 6 or 7, and completely forgot to snap a photo. Still, Dixie was one tough cookie, and never lost her excitement at every retrieve.

Until next time – Happy Hunting!

You can hardly tell, but Dixie is hiding in the shade back there.

Officially time to go – Dad gets the truck, we hope for one last shot/retrieve.

An ice cold beer never tasted so good 🙂

Saw this guy on the way home, not in the field. Still, very pretty!

What are we doing with the doves from Monday and Wednesday, you ask? Looking forward to little “tailgate” in the country for the Carolina/Georgia game this weekend, that’s what. Can’t wait!

opening day

September 4, 20132 Comments

Happy dove season, friends! If you hunted opening day, I hope your hunt was a success! We had a great day in Georgetown, full of riding 4-wheelers and shooting at doves.

John took Prine in the field for his first real dove hunt (he was just a little puppy during last season), and it was a lot of fun to watch his excitement as he was figuring everything out. Another friend had his new German Short-Hair, Maggie, out with us as well. She is still too little to really see beyond playing right now, but it was still great to watch. Boy, was it a hot day, too. There was a big storm on the coast that barely missed us, but the clouds and breeze from it was a nice reprieve. We ended up bagging around 70 birds in total – not too shabby for a group of friends hanging out having fun!

I am heading back out this afternoon to hunt with my dad, so stay tuned for another hunting update in the near future! Shoot straight!

Prine did not stop moving for nearly 4 hours.

Maggie

Scotch, the hunting machine

Having such a great time!

Just like these guys 🙂

happy National Dog Day!

August 26, 2013August 3, 2015Leave a comment

Hello, friends! In lieu of a “Happy Monday,” I wish you all a Happy National Dog Day! As I mentioned in a previous post, where would we be without our faithful companions? In life, where would we be without them? Now, my main man Marmaduke isn’t exactly a hunting dog (he is a 9 year old Lab/Great Dane mix I rescued a few years ago), but I love him more than words. So whether your pup chases down birds for you, sits on the bow of your boat with his tongue lolling out in the wind, or is simply there for you when you get home from work with a wagging tail and unmatched excitement, it is hard to beat the bond we have with [wo]man’s best friend. So give your four-legged friend an extra hug and treat today!

I will leave you with just a few of my favorite photos of the pups in our life 🙂

Marmaduke

Dixie the Hunting Dog

Prine – on his way to being an incredible hunting dog

Sweetest boy ever

Tipsi – definitely not a hunter. Definitely entertaining.

Hay gurl.

Too cute to stand it.

Dixie at her post.

Who can’t wait to see their pup?

how could i forget?

August 21, 2013August 3, 2015Leave a comment

Snakes. How could I forget about snakes this time of year? I am not a snake person, and I will gladly admit it. A tiny little green snake? Perfectly fine. I am talking about rattlesnakes and copperheads and lions and tigers and bears, oh my. Yesterday, my dad told me that one of his buddies was scouting deer at our property, and while he didn’t see any deer, noticed some movement out of the corner of his eye near his stand as he was climbing down. Ohh, hello 6 ft rattlesnake, how are you today? Thankfully he had a pistol with snake shot in it… Needless to say, the snake is no longer with us and probably feeding some alligator in the river. Hey, circle of life, right?

This morning, I stumbled across this video on Field & Stream, and it hit me that I didn’t even include snake boots on my lists of essentials – deer or dove. If a dead snake will bite his own body, you know your leg is an even tastier treat. They make a good point in the article below the video, too – if you kill a snake, make sure you’re not putting someone else in danger by leaving that venomous head just hanging around! I have these boots, pictured below, but there are plenty of options out there!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7C8UqgVK4EI?rel=0]

So I know the guy filming isn’t exactly going to win an Academy Award for filming/narration, but you get the idea. Snakes are no joke! While you may not always need to wear them, it is a good idea to rock them when you can. Talk about things that make you say “bbbbbbllllhhhh.” (No? You get what I mean…)

Get some!

PS – do you like the little update to the site? I decided I wanted something a little more exciting, and that pond is one of my favorite places to duck hunt. Where, you ask? It’s a secret. 😉 Happy {and safe} hunting!

the essentials: deer season {still-hunting}

August 15, 2013August 17, 20152 Comments

I hope everyone is staying dry on this rainy, rainy Thursday… What a way to open deer season! If you’re lucky enough to be a bow hunter, or a gun hunter in a Game Zone that allows it, today is officially the day! In honor, I decided to do a little combo with the essentials of deer hunting and a photo or two as a little still-hunting throwback for #tbt. I don’t typically take a lot of action shots when still hunting, but I guess that is pretty self-explanatory. “Hey! There’s an 8 pt. I am going to take him. Here, hold my phone/camera and take a picture of me while I… Ohh.. Nevermind… He ran off.”

Exactly.

Continue reading →

the essentials: dove season

August 12, 2013August 3, 20151 Comment

Question- Have any of these posts made you just think “Gahh I want to {dove hunt, duck hunt, fish, travel} like right now?” Girls (and non-hunting guys), has the bright side of the road inspired you to get into hunting? For some, it may mean just grabbing a camouflage shirt, throwing on some boots, and walking out of the door straight to the stand. You lucky ducks. For others, it takes a bit more planning and preparation. And as far as planning and preparation go, have any of these posts made you realize something you typically forget, or would like to have, when heading out for your adventures? Anyone who knows me knows that I have an obsession with enjoy making lists… Lots and lots of lists. Sometimes, they’re even color coded. But that is beside the point.

With dove season just around the corner, it’s my dove hunting essentials in a convenient list. Hope it helps!

Continue reading →

venison cube steak parmesan

August 5, 2013August 6, 20154 Comments

I know, I know. The name is a real doozy. But this was such a delicious meal, I am not even worried about it. Last weekend was a “clean out our freezer” weekend, and the plethora of cube steak we discovered made for an exciting attempt at a new recipe. A few Google searches later, we had enough inspiration to make a trip to the store and get what we needed. It’s a hunter’s take on an old classic with more than a few alterations, and definitely worth a try!

Continue reading →

Scotland – part IV {going out with a bang}

July 25, 2013Leave a comment

Happy Thursday, friends! Today’s post is our #tbt for the week, since Scotland feels like ages ago. Can I go back already? Like, yesterday? Our last two days were filled with travel, incredible sights, great food/wine, and guns. Yes, guns. At last! We spent an entire morning shooting skeet, and really enjoyed it.

But first, we left Culloden and headed south down Loch Ness to visit the ruins of Urquhart Castle and dip our toes in Loch Ness. The castle dates back to the 13th century and, despite its state of disrepair, did not disappoint. Situated right on Loch Ness, it was blustery and beautiful. Loch Ness was pretty chilly too! And sadly, no, I did not spy Nessie…. Until next time, Nessie…

Nessie? Are you out there?

After warming my toes back up, it was back in the car- this time driving west towards Isle of Skye to Dornie for a tour of Eilean Donan Castle. It was a long, windy, narrow, long road getting there, but worth the travel time. The castle is in great shape, having been rebuilt several times since the 6th century. It has been featured in quite a few films, including James Bond: The World Is Not Enough in 1999, and is really a pretty sight.

Heading south again towards Fort William, we arrived a few hours later at Inverlochy Castle, our digs for the night. And OH MAN LET ME TELL YOU. This place is awesome. I could have stayed here forever. Like, lived there. With an incredible game room, ridiculously good food and wine – and scotch, of course – and more activities than you know what to do with, this is the place to go. {Charlie- this is where I tried haggis!} Despite trying to schedule a fly fishing excursion, we only had time to shoot skeet before it was time for me to fly home. I must say, though, it was so much fun, and the perfect way to end the trip. Alex MacDonald with Achnacarry Sporting & Country Pursuits is the go-to guy at Inverlochy for outdoor fun. He was so nice, and I think he really enjoyed having a group of shooters who knew what they were doing! After a few practice shots, Mom sat back with the camera and got some really good shots of us shooting. I am so grateful to have photos of such a fun day.