My Job … My Outdoors: Hilary Kelly moves fast on the river of life and enjoys the ride

A former Marine who now competes in the world’s longest non-stop river race when she’s not training, or attending grad school for degrees in Environmental Engineering and Dance, or working as a researcher at the Kansas Geological Survey – that’s Hilary Kelly’s life these days and she shares her passion for finding solitude in the outdoors with us. Whether in the woods or on the water, this woman finds the beauty in nature and relishes it. Read more

Gear Review: All my bags are packed … thanks, H.S.

All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go … hunting, that is, and especially Hunter’s Specialties style. I’ve started using the H.S. Scent-Safe Deluxe Travel Bag and the Scent-Safe Boot Bag for not just traveling with my hunting gear, but also for storing it during season. Everything I need to gear up is always all together, easily located. No more running around trying to find my hat or gloves or anything else at the last minute. Most importantly, it remains Scent-Safe while stored between uses.

Both bags are designed with a tri-layered Scent-Safe barrier. The inner foil layer is specially formulated to lock unwanted odors out and keep desirable scents inside. The bags also have inner and out barriers of durable polyester to withstand rugged use on your hunting excursions. A few of the other great features of the bags are they are waterproof, they have a large capacity and they are designed with heavy-duty carry straps. Read more

OSA hosts ‘Women’s Day’

Apparently, Mother Nature loves women who shoot! We had one of the finest fall days we could wish for on Saturday, 17 October, the OSA Women’s Day 2009.

The members of the Operational Shooting Association were very generous in supplying an excellent variety of pistols in .22 cal and 9mm, as well as electronic ear defenders and safety glasses. OSA provided the ammunition and targets.

The RSOs (Range Safety Officers), from as far away as Ottawa and Kingston, volunteered their time and provided very professional support on the range. Pyper Unitt from the Canadian Firearms Institute provided excellent support and both CFI and CSSA (as well as MilCun) put some nice little items in the “swag bag”. The attendees were a mix of club members’ wives and daughters as well as women who are local to the MilCun facility (where the event was held). Most of them had no pistol experience, many had no firearms experience.

We started the day with RSO training on the variety of pistols that they would be supervising. The participants were then registered and we did a little classroom training on safety, then we went out to the yard area for some handling experience.

When everyone appeared to have developed some confidence that they knew how to dry fire and show clear, we went back into the classroom for some basic pistol marksmanship training. We practiced things like stance and balance and found out which eye is dominant.

Then we went out to the live fire range and after a few dry fires, we fired some outstanding little groups with the .22s.

Once everyone had shot a bit, and were comfortable with the pistols, we broke for lunch… great quantities of pizza, cookies and brownies from the Slice of the North in Kinmount.

Back on the range after lunch, we broke out the 9mms and the women had their first experience with a major caliber. When they were comfortable with that, we had them driven over to the steel range (in small groups with one of our RSOs) where the men had set up a steel challenge and Keith talked them through doing that. Finally our RSOs got to shoot a little!

The women enjoyed the day, had a positive experience on the range with pistols, made some great new friends, and built new memories! I did, too!

Thanks to all who provided support to this event. It has made a difference. As one of the women said, “Now I know what I want for Christmas!”

The Operational Shooting Association is an association of civilians, law enforcement (including police, security and conservation officers) and military personnel that encourages the operational style of training and competition, utilizing modern equipment and techniques. We focus on:

➢ Duty/service pistol

➢ Tactical/service rifle

➢ Sniper/precision rifle

We provide both entry-level and advanced training clinics in these firearms. For each type of firearm, we have designed a progressive course of fire that will develop operational skills for those on active duty and develop marksmanship skills leading to national and international competition for recreational shooters. For more information about OSA, visit our website at www.osacanada.ca.

MilCun Training Center (also operating as MilCun Marksmanship Complex) was founded by Capt. Keith A Cunningham and Linda K Miller in 1996. The purpose of our business is to promote competitive marksmanship and to train both recreational and professional marksmen. Our corporate motto is “focusing on performance.” For more information about MilCun, visit our website at www.milcun.com.

~Linda Miller

Glenn Wheeler’s ‘Christmas (card) Story’

Although I had been driving past this church for many years, I once drove by and saw a scene that inspired me. I was on my way to deer camp late one night and saw, for the first time, the candles in the window, the wreath above the door and snow on the ground. It looked like an idyllic scene from Currier and Ives. Of course, I didn’t have a camera with me.

We don’t always have snow at Christmastime, when the church is decorated, but I remained hopeful. For several years following that night I would drive the 45 minutes each time it snowed in hopes that the candles were once again shining from the windows, but all the elements just never came together.

Then one afternoon, a few days before Christmas, I was at my publisher’s house and it began to snow. We had been talking business and laying forth some new plans and the church scene had not even entered my mind. I headed home a little before dark as the snow continued to fall.

A short while later, as I drove by the church, I happened to glance over to see the scene I had waited on for years. There it was, as gorgeous as before, but night was quickly falling. I made a quick turn around and jumped out to shoot the church in the rapidly fading light.

I shot for a little over 20 minutes in the cold and snow until it was simply too dark for me to work without a flashlight. As I packed my camera gear, I began to feel a chill. In the excitement I had jumped out and shot the scene for nearly a half hour in jeans and a T-shirt. I didn’t even grab a jacket as I left the Jeep. I was oblivious to the cold, warmed from within by the excitement of the culmination of years of waiting. As I climbed back into the Jeep and drove away, I glanced up at the on-board thermometer and saw the reason for my chill – 12 degrees!

As it turns out, this has been the most popular image I have ever taken. It has appeared on magazine covers, in calendars and books, is our most popular Christmas card and prints of it hang all over the U.S. Regardless of its success, it is also simply one of my favorite images I have ever taken.

~Glenn Wheeler

Glenn Wheeler is an award-winning professional photographer, writer, PR consultant, lecturer and workshop teacher from Harrison, Ark.. Glenn’s work has appeared on the covers and pages of numerous magazines from Arkansas Wildlife and The Ozarks Mountaineer to Log Home Design, Bugle and Turkey Call. His work has also been featured in books, calendars, postcards, websites, newspapers, national ad campaigns, DVD covers, brochures, posters and more. His fine art prints grace the walls of homes and offices in many states and on two continents. See www.GlennWheeler.com

The Fishing Line: ‘The Fly Girl’ is back with a (fly) recipe for Calcasieu Pig Boat

Thinking of a friend who has been traveling recently in Louisiana, I thought it might be fun to tie up the Calcasieu Pig Boat (CPB). And I couldn’t resist that wonderful name. Author and Southern bass-fishing guru Tom Nixon of Lake Charles, Louisiana invented the CPB in 1951 to fish for largemouth bass on the Calcasieu River. It’s highly effective for bass, trout and other gamefish, and it’s fun to tie, as all flies should be.

For lots of bass-enticing movement in the water, it’s hard to beat rubber legs, which are found on most bass spinnerbaits. The Calcasieu Pig Boat has a “wing” that is actually a collar of rubber hackle. The Calcasieu Pig Boat has a “wing” of rubber hackle. I make the head fairly large and coat it with clear Sally Hansen Hard As Nails. I like to apply a coat of polish to the thread head after whip-finishing, let it dry, stick on the eyes, and then give everything another coat or two. Read more

Babbs in the Woods: ‘First Lady of Hunting’ gets her own song

“She’s the ‘First Lady of Huntin’’ / Ain’t nobody take her place.

She’s the first woman / To put ladies in the huntin’ race.”

You know you’ve made it when you get a song written about you or a sculpture made of your likeness. With the popularity of the Internet, it’s probably a better bet that more folks will hear a song than see a sculpture. Read more

The Food Plot: The Sporting Chef’s Elk with Barley Soup

It’s that time of year again. “Soup’s on” resounds throughout kitchens and hunting camps across the country. Here’s The Sporting Chef’s Elk with Barley Soup recipe, courtesy of Scott Leysath and his popular website. See http://www.huntfishcook.com/index.php?option=com_ricettario&func=detail&Itemid=34&id=24

DoeVille baby tee for $5

While supplies last, get a DoeVille baby tee in assorted colors for just $5. Ladies sized fine jersey camo shirt. Topstitched ribbed collar. Taped neck, double needle hem sleeves and bottom.

* Available in 4 fashionable colors: Zebra with pink logo

* Wild Flower with white logo

* Desert Sand with white logo

* In the Woods with tan logo

Kim gets her new wheels from Toyota

Aside from making history as the first woman to qualify for a Bassmaster Classic, another reason Kim Bain-Moore was so happy last year to win the 2008 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Women’s Tour Angler of the Year title was because of the prize of a new Toyota Tundra.

She recently took delivery, a welcome replacement to her aging tow vehicle.

“It’s been so exciting,” she said. “I think the first week after I got it, I volunteered to do any errand for anyone, as a chance to drive the truck. I love the whole package.”

It’s snow white with leather interior and a long list of extras, including DVD players on the backs of the front seat headrests, big rims, and a backup camera that makes hitching a boat a snap.

~BASS Reporter’s Notebook

‘Shoot like a Girl!’ thanks to the NRA’s special programs

Thanks to this video from NRA’s Education & Training Division, the phrase “Shoot Like a Girl” really does have a whole new meaning. NRA has programs for women of any age or experience level including postal matches, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, hunts for women, and the ever-popular Women’s Wilderness Escape.

Young women have the chance to participate in a bevy of shooting activities, from the Youth Hunter Education Challenge, to NRA Day events, or the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program.

Ladies also take part in our numerous competitive shooting disciplines, training courses, and law enforcement activities. No matter what your age, level of experience, or area of interest, NRA has programs to get anyone shooting like a girl!

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