the {unloaded} shotgun saves the day

What a tale to tell on this rainy Tuesday morning. Perusing Field & Stream this morning while enjoying my coffee, I came across this story and found it quite entertaining. A 71 year-old woman clubbed a bear- with an unloaded shotgun- that was attacking her husband in their yard, saving his life. Why was this 74 year old man in a throw-down with a 200 lb. black bear? As it turns out, the couple’s dog was in the yard barking as the bear approached, and the man ran outside to protect his dog, yelling and waving his arms to scare the bear away. Dogs are [wo]mans best friend, after all, and I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same for my Marmaduke! Successfully deterring the bear’s attention from the dog, the man himself was then chased, tackled, and bitten/clawed by the bear. Yikes.

That’s when the wife stepped in. She ran outside, shotgun in hand, to save her husband. Unfortunately, she did not know how to load the gun, so her plan of attack was to club the bear over the head, stunning it long enough for the couple and their dog to run back inside. Talk about a close call, am I right? Even though I clearly know how to load and use a shotgun, I admire this woman’s fearlessness to make do with the skills she has! I would more than likely blast away from the safety of the porch, if given a choice. I can only hope I am spry enough to club a bear at age 74 if the situation were to ever arise!

“I was so afraid the bear was going to get the dog,” he told WBAY.  ”I didn’t take time to go inside and get a gun so there I am unarmed and facing an insane bear.”
“If it hadn’t been for my wife coming out and clubbing the bear on the head, I probably wouldn’t be talking to you today.”

To read the full article or watch the news report, click here.

marlin magic and a day of firsts

Happy Thursday, friends! I wasn’t sure which story to choose for today’s #tbt until the main squeeze informed me earlier this morning that he will be going offshore this weekend to do some fishing before the tournaments get started. Well, geeze. Now I’m all jealous and whatnot. Who’s up for a Sunday Funday back on the mainland, where we can booze away being green with envy? Ahh, I digress. I can’t be too upset that I am being left behind, however. Why? Because the last time I was offshore with those guys, I did something. Something that totally makes up for occasionally being left behind. Something magical. I landed my first (and only) blue marlin. Ok, ok. So I definitely had help… I don’t claim to be able to hook, reel, wire, and land the dern thing all on my own. He weighed, like, a lot. And let’s be honest- I could never be that coordinated. Thanks guys :). But oh man was it fun bringing that big boy to the boat.

Alliteration aside, there were several other firsts on the boat that day. Both the captain and the first mate brought their sons aboard, and it was just as fun, if not more so, watching them reel in their fish. Two of them landed sails (one was a first), and the youngest landed his first dolphin. I kid you not, it was bigger than he is. The looks on their faces were priceless- it really made the whole day worth it. It was such a treat getting to fish with such a great group, and I can only hope we get to do it again this summer.

 Sunrise on the way out.
 Father and sons
 True anglers right there!
Just missed the jump.
Reeling in the big dolpin
 What did I tell you? Huge!
 Wiring my marlin
Could. Not. Stop. Smiling.
Per tradition for firsts- getting thrown in back at the docks.
Successful day, if I do say so myself!

grab and go breakfasts

Happy Tuesday all! Ever wake up to hunt or fish at, say, 4 am, and think “How can one function, much less think about eating this early in the morning?!” So then you throw on your camouflage or bathing suit, pour a quick cup of coffee, and walk out the door. And what do you know? Thirty minutes later, you are starving, but you’re already waist-deep in the pond or have just pulled away from the dock. Talk about s-o-l, right? Wrong!

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new site address!

Hellooo all! I just wanted to give a quick update that some changes have been made to the bright side of the road, from a slightly new look to a new site address! You can now find the blog at www.brightsideoutdoors.com. Don’t worry, the .blogspot URL will still direct you here, but I just love the new address. Also, there are now buttons to the right that allow you to follow me on Instagram and Twitter. I am always adding new photos and previews for upcoming posts.

Thanks for keeping up. Some great #tbt posts and plenty of new recipes are on their way!

venison empanadas with balsamic caramelized onions

So I know that is a mouthful to say, but these yummies are a mouthful of deliciousness to eat. They’re my take on traditional empanadas, and boy were they a hit. During the spring and summer I find myself anticipating a bountiful fall and winter when it comes to game, so I start to go through my freezer pretty quickly. With ample amounts of ground venison stored, this is an excellent way to use some in a non-traditional way, and to keep your palate guessing. And no, I did not fry them. But oh man would have have been fantastic, too. The boys were satisfied with full bellies, and we even have a few leftovers for the next day or so. Also- I am not a food photographer, or, apparently, a pastry chef. Just throwing that out there…

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cast & blast

I ran across this article from Field & Stream while I was pretending to fold laundry, and I was instantly hooked. No pun intended- You’ll see what I mean. Given the amount of fun and successful hunting my dad and I had while in Argentina, both in 2010 and 2013, it is safe to say that we will definitely be going back. Hopefully several more times (hint hint, Dad..!). Both previous trips were spent only dove hunting, and we know there is a lot more that Argentina has to offer. Between dove hunting, duck hunting, big game hunting, and fishing, the country is a world-class playground for the outdoorsmen/women. Dad and I have primarily talked about adding a few days of duck hunting to our adventure, despite my constant efforts at begging him to let me go after a monster red stag or axis deer. Those who have met me know that I have an itchy trigger finger. And let’s be honest- I would have to have that thing mounted. Immediately. But, back to the topic at hand… This article sparked a new interested that I previously hadn’t really thought about- adding a few days of fishing on the great Rio Grande to the mix- a Cast & Blast. Ummm WHERE DO I SIGN UP? In this particular instance, the anglers were after the sea run brown trout, but one can also catch rainbow and brown trout, freshwater dorado, pirá pita, and pacu, depending on the region you visit.

With 10 tips and tricks for fishing, along with 5 more for the hunting portion of your trip, the authors provide really good insight as to what you can expect when you are fishing and wingshooting in Argentina.

Click HERE to read the entire article. Enjoy today’s in the news!

snacks for the stand

Yes, I am one of those. Nearly every time I go dove hunting, at least half of the times that I duck hunt, and definitely every single time I go deer hunting, I like to bring a little snack. The reason? My excuse is that sometimes I am just not quite sure how long exactly I will be out there. What if I sit for 3+ hours and see nothing, and then a monster buck walks out and I take a shot and he runs for a mile before going down and I have to spend an hour finding him, and then drag his heavy self out of there? Hmm? That could totally happen. In which case, I would need to boost my strength and energy in a caloric way beforehand. While that may seem more improbable than not, it helps ease my mind. Mostly, it’s because I can get a little bored when things are quite in the woods. My dad and I like to stop somewhere before we get to the property to grab some bottled water, perhaps a diet coke, and definitely a snack. Fortunately for him, dear Dad still has the metabolism of a high school kid who runs track, and often purchases a candy bar or Moon Pie. I am somewhat less fortunate. While I do my fair share of exercise and running, if I ate a Twix every time I hunted, my bikini-clad self during the summer would not be happy with my camo-clad self from hunting season. The best way to make sure that doesn’t happen? Whip up some easy, homemade snacks to bring along! It’s a great way to control what you’re eating, and definitely makes it easier on the wallet.

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poor timing in the news…

Just when I was getting excited for warm weather, and was considering trying out a little kayak fishing this summer…

Courtesy of Field and Stream

I mean, I know it’s Hawaii. A long way from here. But come on man! You. Must. Be. Joking. Even the War Eagle is looking a little small for deeper water…

Its like I already knew something like this would happen… My expressions clearly already says “Now let’s just wait a minute….”

Costa Rica 2011

I can’t believe it’s already Thursday again… And now that we have moved into April, I find myself longing for warm weather, sunshine, and some fishing action on the boat. Today’s chilly, rainy weather has inspired me to make today’s #tbt the first fishing post- Costa Rica 2011! This time two years ago, I was on my first trip to Costa Rica, and my travel buddies were my parents and the main squeeze. It was such an unbelievable trip that he and I planned one for the following year to go with a group of friends (more on that in another #tbt!).

We stayed in an amazing house owned by some family friends, called Casa Carolina, and I could not recommend it more. The house is located on the side of a cliff, overlooking the harbor- talk about some incredible sunsets! We watched the sun go down each day from the pool with a cold beverage in hand :). The staff there are so friendly, and I know it is only a matter of time before we can see them again!

The main purpose of the Costa Rican adventure, of course, was to fish- offshore sailfishing and an attempt at some rooster fish inshore. The boat we fished from is called Frenzy, a 43′ custom, and boy did we have fun on that boat. In addition to the Frenzy, we spent a day aboard Frenzy II (35′, used more for inshore fishing), leaving from the Marina Pez Vela on both. Recently, they have added the Front Row to the fishing fleet, a 28′ vessel, and I am pretty sure that means we need to head back down there soon to give it a try! We had success every day while sailfishing- the ones down there are massive compared to those off the shores of South Carolina. Although the rooster fishing proved to be a futile effort, we never failed to have a fantastic time on the boat. The crew on board could not have been nicer, and they really know what they are doing when it comes to raising fish. Rather than bore you with words, I will leave you with a photo recap of the trip- Enjoy!

Amazing sunset the first night.

 The boat crew… Love them.
First sailfish fight!
Caught fish!
Wuan’s turn 🙂
Annnd another caught fish!
Spinner dolphins that would play with the boats.
Snacking on some freshly caught tuna… Literally swimming just minutes before we ate it.
This fight really kicked my ass.
After 45 minutes, we finally see his face.
Madre!
Padre!
The whole group 🙂
I hope to see you soon, Costa Rica!

“Got your turkey!”

Happy Thursday, friends! So, I know I said last week that I would hopefully have a good turkey hunting story for you from this past weekend. It is, with a heavy heart (and an itchy trigger finger), that I must tell you I do not have such a story. As anyone who lives around here knows, it literally monsooned. All. Weekend. Long. Like couldn’t even leave my house, monsooned. Downtown Charleston flooded so badly, there were cars floating down the streets. Anyways, long story short, it was far too rainy to be able to do any decent hunting. Between missing out on the hunts opening weekend, and being rained out this time, I was reminded of yet another hunt missed last year. Which brings us to our #tbt for the week!

For two weekends, my dad and I, along with a handful of friends, tried our hardest to bring down a gobbler at a fantastic place near Georgetown. After many hours spent stalking, sitting, listening, calling, stalking some more, and seeing plenty of birds without ever getting a shot, it was time for me to head back to Charleston and work. Now, as you turkey hunters know, seeing them does not always mean bringing one down. As luck (fate? karma? did I make the hunting gods angry?!) would have it, John went to the same spot my dad and I had last been for his last hunt of the weekend. As I was getting back in my car to return to Georgetown, I got a text message I will never forget. “Uhoh… Got your turkey!” was all it said. Wwwwhhaaaat?! You mean to tell me, that after hours and hours of failed attempts, you went right out there, hit the call, sneaked closer to the gobbler, and brought that thunder chicken to the ground?! Right where I was?! I couldn’t believe it. It was his first turkey, so I was incredibly torn between being all uppity that he got my the turkey, and super happy that he did. Ahh well… C’est la vie.

Happy hunting!

 

 “It was great doing business with you, sir!