Mother/Daughter Dove Hunt

I didn’t grow up hunting, but when I got in my 20’s, I started deer hunting and turkey hunting. Now I’m an avid huntress for whatever is in season. I’m always telling my daughters about all the great aspects of hunting, but want them to decide for themselves if it’s something they want to participate in.

This past fall my daughter, Ashley, and I went dove hunting. She opted to take a camera instead of a gun. We had a great time and both got some good shots, hers with a Sony, mine with a Browning. What this little excursion did for her was ignite a spark. She decided she wanted to take her hunter’s safety course and go deer hunting in the upcoming season and she’s also looking forward to spring turkey season.

This is a great example of how living what you say can make a difference in other people’s lives, but until they get out there and feel it for themselves, it’s hard to totally explain. Ashley may not live to hunt and fish like I do, that’s not what’s important. What is important to me is that they get out and experience as much of life as they can grab a hold of.

We should all be igniters, who knows what spark you might light. In fact, it could put the spark back in your own light. One of my favorite sayings is, “The light that shines brightest at home shines the furthest.” I’ve found a lot of truth in that.

My Favorite Marine

My son, Travis, has been a great hunting partner for me throughout most of his life. His love of hunting and shooting and the outdoors is infectious and has filled many, many hours of his 22 years. After graduating from high school, he left home for college, but in December of the first semester, he came home with some news that grabbed a hold of my entire being; he was joining the Marines.

Now, throughout his life he had heard us preach about freedom doesn’t come free, but I never dreamed it would be our son volunteering. So I went through the whole gambit that millions of other mothers have gone through: pride, fear, joy, sadness, just to name a few. What I was most proud of were his convictions, and they are what calmed my fears and sadness.

He left for Boot Camp on a cold day in February. Not surprisingly, he had gone rabbit hunting earlier that same morning with our oldest son, Jared, and our grandson, Waylen.

We didn’t get to hear much from him once he left for Boot Camp. In fact, I hardly left the house for fear of missing a call from him. I had my cell phone strapped to me night and day, but didn’t know if he would be calling our home phone or my cell. After a couple weeks, we got a call from his Chaplain. He had had an opportunity to visit with Travis, and Travis was concerned we would be very anxious to get word from him, so his Chaplain wanted to let us know he was doing fine.

The time for his graduation from Boot Camp came not soon enough for me. It was heartwarming to see our family pull together and show such support of Travis. When it came time for his graduation ceremonies in San Diego, Calif., we all made whatever sacrifice necessary to be there for him. Upon arriving on the base, we strove for just a glimpse of our beloved Marine. There were hundreds of them and they all looked basically alike in their uniforms.

As they were marching down the parade deck, I spotted him. Well, I couldn’t be sure it was him for long, because tears filled my eyes and blurred my vision. He looked so thin, and where was that big smile that always melted my heart. We were all yelling and screaming as they marched sternly by. I caught the slightest movement of his eyes barely glancing in our direction. He had finally located us too. After they were released from duty for the afternoon, it was a tearful reunion for all of us.

He had many stories to tell us and it was wonderful spending the remainder of the day with him on base. It was especially thrilling to see the honor and respect his fellow Marines and drill instructors showed him and he them. What he hadn’t told us until that moment was that he was graduating at the top of his class as Company Honorman out of more than 400 Marines. That really shouldn’t have surprised me, because he has always been the type to give his all to something he believes in.

The next day at the graduation ceremonies, my husband and I were treated like royalty. We were seated near the highest ranking officers and got to personally meet and shake hands with many of them. The fanfare and patriotism I felt at this ceremony was incredible. It renewed my hope for America to stay a strong, successful, Godly nation, to see this group of young men and women that were willing to sacrifice their lives for our freedoms. I know this was just a small group in comparison to the hundreds of thousands of troops that are currently serving our country. I thank God every day for them and pray for their safety.

Wiley X Protective Eyewear

At first glance, they look like many other brands of sunglasses that are on the market today, but the Wiley X protective eyewear is much, much more. The Wiley X Lacey are fashionable, but most importantly, they exceed ANSI Z287.1-2003 high velocity impact safety and optical standards.

As a shooter, I use them for protective shooting glasses because they are shatterproof. Another special feature is the polarized lens technology adds 99.9 percent polarization to 100 percent UV protection. I have used them in many venues and have been very happy with not only their protection performance, but also the look and the fit. I found the fit to be perfect for my head and face size. They felt secure, yet not binding and sticking to my cheekbones.

Wiley X offers several different styles, colors and lens shades to choose from. I put the Wiley X Lacey to good use on my recent hunting trip to Utah. We were blessed with lots of snow and sunshine, so eye protection was a necessity. I wore them every day of the hunt.

I have several pairs of sunglasses, but I most generally reach for the Wiley X when I head outdoors for shooting and/or hunting. They offer the best protection, usability and versatility.

Me-Ma, I Got Me a Deer

Saturday morning of the Missouri Youth Deer Season, I was busy playing catch up on housework and Court transcripts when I checked my cell phone and I had a missed call and voicemail from my 10-year-old grandson, Waylen.

“Hey, Me-Ma, it’s just Waylen here. I got me a deer! It was pretty hard, 100 yards, in the woods. A pretty good shot. My dad saw it and so I shot it, and it just went ten yards. All right. Bye.” I hope I never lose this voicemail. The enthusiasm in his voice brought tears to my eyes. He was so excited.

Before I got through the entire message, the house phone started ringing and my son’s cell phone number appeared on Caller ID. I knew it was Waylen, he couldn’t wait to let us know he had gotten a deer. Waylen is very explicit to detail and he gave me a play-by-play of everything that happened, repeating much of what he had left in the message.

It doesn't seem like that many years ago that my oldest son, Jared, got his first deer. I'm not sure where the time flew by to, but it is inspiring to see my children taking their children hunting.

This phone call instilled in me, once again, the importance of passing our beloved traditions on to future generations. The knowledge and understanding he gains from hunting and the confidence in his accomplished shooting ability will travel with him throughout his lifetime.

Braving the Storm

A winter storm warning was issued for the day I was to leave on a much-anticipated hunting trip to Utah. Several times this winter, bad weather had been predicted, but had dissipated before getting to our area. But this time, of course, the weather man hit dead-on. Snow up to six inches accumulation, temperatures in the one-digits with below zero wind-chill, blizzard conditions with winds up to 35 miles per hour. And I was loving it. It was so beautiful.

Everyone knew how excited I was for this trip, so they were calling, “Do you think you can make it to the airport?”Hope your flight doesn’t cancel.” My husband, Bart, even suggested we drive into Kansas City the night before to ensure we make it to the airport. I’m a strong believer that if something is meant to be, it will happen regardless. If my flight canceled, there must be a reason. So I told my husband I would just wait to see what the next day held. And, yes, it held all they called for and then some. But like I told Bart on the way to the airport shuttle, it just added to the moment. It’s exciting and adventuresome and very gorgeous.

Many Firsts this Deer Season

This year is by far the best deer season ever for me. There were so many “firsts” this season. Throughout opening weekend, I’d either get a call or receive a text, “I got a deer.” For many it was their first deer, for some their first buck, others their first big buck and some their first time deer hunting.

Opening morning I took my daughter, Ashley, hunting for her first deer hunting experience. It was incredible. She was excited about participating in a family tradition that for so many years she had just sat on the sidelines. I had enjoyed going with her to the Hunter’s Education classes and helping her get her gun sighted in. We decided on a .30 caliber carbine with open sights. The gun didn’t kick, and she wouldn’t have to deal with learning to use a scope until she got more experience.

For several years I had told her about all the great things you can see when you’re out hunting, but until you experience it firsthand, it’s hard to explain to someone else. We were sitting in the deer stand together, and as it was becoming more and more daylight, I noticed a dark spot that I hadn’t seen earlier in the same location. She spotted it right off too, and she watched intently as it continued to move in closer. It was still far enough out that we weren’t sure if it was a buck or a doe. Even before I could be sure, she whispered, “It’s a buck!”

I watched her as she got her gun up and got a rest, and could tell she was getting pretty excited. I whispered to her to try to relax, although my heart was beating so hard, I was sure the deer could hear it. The buck continued coming in our direction, but was moving along at a pretty good pace. Just as he got out in front of her, about 150 yards out, I gave a grunt call to stop him. Sure enough, he stopped in his tracks, presenting a shot. She shot and missed the deer, and he turned and bounded off into a nearby patch of woods.

“Man, I missed him.” I explained to her that we’ve all done that at some time or another and not to be too hard on herself, at least she got to see the buck. That was the only deer we saw the rest of the season on the days she hunted. I know she relived the moment a thousand times, trying to figure out what she should have done differently. It was also fun listening to her tell the story to the rest of our family and friends. The excitement in her voice and sparkle in her eye told me that she was elated with the whole experience. That’s a lot of the enjoyment of it, remembering the details; the sights, the smells and the sounds.

I’m sure she’ll have many, many more hunting excursions in her lifetime. It only took this one time to get her hooked on the feeling. She’s already talking about going rabbit hunting this winter and turkey hunting this spring, and the list goes on and on.

It's Chili Time in Central Missouri

It's that time of year again when I love making chili for those cold evenings for coming in from hunting or work. This is the recipe I follow. There are many variations, so you can just start adding the extras to suit your taste.

Venison Chili

4 cans chili beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can Great Northern beans
1 can butter beans
2 pounds ground venison
1 medium onion, chopped (optional)
McCormick’s Chili Seasoning Mix
1 large can tomato sauce
1 can Rotel (optional)

Brown venison in a large skillet and drain. Add
onion if desired. Then add the chili seasoning mix
and ¼ cup water. You can use your own chili
seasonings to taste. Stir in the tomato sauce and/or
the Rotel. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Place all the beans in a large Dutch oven or Crock Pot,
then add skillet mixture and stir together. Simmer for
at least 30 minutes, or heat in Crock Pot for four to
six hours.

You can top the chili with shredded cheddar cheese,
sour cream, and jalapenos if desired.