Hunting is over and fishing in our neck of the woods has yet to begin.  Well, unless you’re an ice fishing fanatic.  Which I’m not.

Because I eat cupcakes.

Crack crack crack … broken ice.

So our house has been quiet from all the hunting and fishing smack until our fishing trip in April.  Our dinner conversations now include; work, politics, local politics and work.  As far as work issues, it’s been one of those weeks.   I’ve had a few things I wanted to write but it just didn’t happen.

Our refrigerator is bare which means carryout. Sure I can pull something from the freezer downstairs like venison or maybe fish because that’s what fills your freezer when you’re married to the outdoors guy.  But I haven’t been in that freezer in about 2 weeks since one of our dinner conversations:

Me:  Did you hear so and so on the radio this morning?  I am so disappointed.

Mark: No.

Huffing and puffing me:  Well…&^&^%

Mark:  Oh before you finish there’s a coyote in the freezer downstairs.

Me: Huh?

Mark: There’s a coyote in the freezer.

Me:  A frozen coyote?  In our freezer?

Mark:  Yes.

Me:  The whole body?

Mark:  Yes.

Oh help me: There’s a whole body coyote in our freezer?  Standing on all fours … frozen? In our freezer? With head and all? In our freezer?

Mark: Jody

I’m still trying to figure out how it’s in there.  In a bag?  Laying across my meat?  Frozen stiff on all fours?

And I’m not about to go look.  I’m not.  I won’t.

And I think I read online once a duck hunter’s wife went to get a duck out of the freezer and it was still alive.

Oh what happen to you?  My husband had a coyote in the freezer and it jumped out and attacked me.

Oh heavens to coyote stiff mounts. That thing is not going in my living room.

Have a good day all … if that garage is good enough for my 6 pt deer well it’s good enough for stiffy in there.

See the original article at TheHuntersWife.net

The Magic Valley Fly Fishers are busy preparing for their annual fly fishing banquet to be held  February 20th.    It will be an honor and a special treat for area fly fishing enthusiasts to  hear from Trout Unlimited’s On the Rise host, Frank Smethurst.   The Turf Club  always prepares a delicious dinner with choice of prime rib or chicken teryaki.  The evening will be filled with the program, games, and prizes. Ticket holders will also be treated to a morning Fly Tying Seminar given by Frank Smethurst.  The registration form misstated the location for the seminar which will be held in the College of Southern Idaho (CSI)  Desert Building Room 119 at 9 AM on the 20th.
This event is just one of the many outdoor recreation related opportunities available to the Magic Valley area in Twin Falls.  Be sure to check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

See the original article at SilverSageRealty.com

High Country Archer ~ Mike “Hawk” Huston

A late winter wind cuts through the morning like an obsidian blade through new leather. Russian olive trees, chokecherry and alder fill this river bottom landscape and the smells of willow and sage fill my senses. Canadian geese and golden eye ducks float upon the clear cold waters of the river here beneath the majestic peaks of the Beartooth range. My wife Stacey and I are bow-hunting cottontail rabbits today and she is somewhere west of me stalking the heavy cover for the fleet footed long eared warriors. I see an antler tine sticking up out of the snow, for some people the finding of a shed whitetail antler would probably seem insignificant. For me it is like finding a rare treasure, the deer who carries this heavy rack all year has left his mark upon the smooth bony surface. Long gouges announce the fighting with other bucks during the rut, a broken tine tells the story of a possible battle with another warrior buck. a slight bend in the third tine tells me that this buck had an accident which left his right antler bent and mis-formed while still in the velvet. By days end eight cottontails have fallen to our arrows and we have found four sheds and one broken main beam from an obvious fight between two rivals. Eagles hawks and waterfowl have graced the skies this day. Deer, fox, bobcat, coyote, mink, rabbit, weasel, coon and skunk have left their tracks upon the trails we walked. pheasant and chuckar partridge have busted from the heavy cover and spawning rainbow and cutthroat trout are all along the icy riverbanks. Nature surely abounds here in the wild places, I feel fortunate to live here and even more fortunate to share this wild adventure with my wife today in this majestic place. The true bounty is not in the found sheds, or bunnies taken, nor in the wildlife seen. It is in the life we live, being included in the magic of it all, the circle of life all around us. As a great horned owl watches me from a nearby cottonwood branch, I am reminded by this nocturnal hunter that what I have witnessed in these few hours is only a fraction of what must go on here day and night.a whitetail buck busts from cover and races toward safety with raised tail and one lone antler still clinging to his head. I smile to myself and realize that as much as I would like to believe that I am one with this place , I am nothing but an invader of their homes. However I will return.. because my adventurous soul craves the wild places,my being would not be complete without natures Bounty surrounding me!

High Country Archer ~ Mike “Hawk” Huston

Posted: 06 Feb 2010 09:29 AM PST

Mike and Stacey Huston are Team Huntress Outdoor Ambassadors, Avid Outdoor Promotors and lovers of the High Country. To read more of Mike’s writings Click on High Country Archer.

See the original article at TeamHuntress.com

I’m taking this week off from my blog. I promise to be back in full swing next week.

I might pop up on a few social networking sites but I think for this week I’m unplugging.

Have a good week all!

See the original article at TheHuntersWife.net

My brother shot a coyote the other day (no, he didn’t invite me to come along) and took a picture of it with his cell phone. With no way to get the pics off his phone, he showed me and my cousin, Cody, the pictures off his phone. Over the weekend, Cody was cruising the forums over at Monster Muleys and looking over a thread when he noticed something familiar about a picture of a dead coyote. Yup – someone had stumbled onto Todd’s dead yote, took pics of it, and posted them to the forum below. Small world? Or am I the only one that finds these to be incredible odds?

http://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID18/4080.html

This article by: BaseCampLegends.com

Dress for Outdoor Success ~by Dave Olsen

My friend asked me, “How do you live up in South Dakota when it is so cold? Do you guys really go outside?” Then a terrifying thought hit him as he said,”I think I would die spending a day out in sub zero weather.”

Well folks, we do live in an extreme place. Oh granted there are many places much harsher to spend time in than South Dakota, we get a wide range of weather from 100F plus in the summer to -40F below zero. Due to these extreme climate changes South Dakota is a great place to test outdoor gear.

The answer to my friend was simple. We dress, prepare, and plan appropriately for the weather. The most important of these is dressing appropriately for the activity at hand. It is possible you can put on too many clothes on a sub-zero day. If you do, it causes you to sweat inside your layers; you don’t want this to happen because your clothes will become wet from the sweat. Then the cloth will freeze from the cold temps in turn causing your body temperature to drop.

To avoid that scenario you need to ask yourself the following questions.

#1 Plan: What am I doing to be doing outside today?

#2 Prepare: If my plans call for different activity levels – What do I need to take with me?

#3 Dress: Dress for the weather and for the day.

Today I spent most of the day outside with South Dakota temps around zero or less. I am going to mention some items I use. Please keep in mind I have no sponsors for this article; I just want to share what works for me.

Next to my skin I wear silk long underwear. I find silk to be my favorite for a light weight insulating layer, it moves well under any type of secondary layer, dries quickly, and wicks moisture away from your skin. Next layer of clothing I wear is fleece sweat pants and a sweat shirt. Yes I know, I am not going to win any fashion shows wearing sweats all day, and some days I wear jeans but no matter the winter weather I always wear layers. My outer layer today is Carhart Arctic bib overall bottoms and a Carhart arctic coat. For my feet I wear Wetland Muck boots with cotton socks, (I find the wetland boots work very well to minus ten or so) a bomber rabbit fur lined hat, Kinco insulated gloves and a silk wild rag around my neck. Of course eye protection from the bright sun glaring off of the snow. I spent over six hours in zero degree temps today and was not cold at all wearing the above items. For years our family has worked, hunted, and played outdoors year round. We have bought cheap gear, and some extremely expensive gear.  I will tell you GEAR makes all the difference in the world.

Thinsulate and other new fibers are awesome stuff. Know how many grams plus the temperature rating in the gear you are buying. Take time to read some reviews, You will spend more time enjoying the outdoors and less warming up or worse, suffering from exposure.

The Muck boots I wore today weigh about 5 lbs. I use them for hunting in the fall, all winter, and throughout the spring. The Wetland Muck Boot is an extreme boot for extreme field conditions. They are rugged, durable, comfy and very warm. These boots keep my feet warm and dry even in the most unpredictable temperatures of South Dakota. You can find them via http://www.hanksclothing.com/muck_boots_wetland_premium_field_boot_buy. html

Arctic Carhart clothing holds up to the rigors of ranch work as well as hunting. Mine are still in service after ten years of hard use. I have put in a few zippers and patched a spot or two where the fence has bitten me, but the quality is unbeatable. I give two thumbs up to the folks at Carhart, this stuff works. I have many of their products and love them all. I prefer Black; it soaks in the suns warmth giving that little extra on the days when you really need it. It also makes it easy to be spotted in the snow. Shop for these products via   http://www.hanksclothing.com/carhartt_arctic_wear.html

Silk wild rags can be purchased in many places, don’t think you’re going to stay warm by being cheap, 100% silk is the only way to go in this item. Here is a vendor I have not used, but I like the fact they guarantee the items they sell http://cowboywildrags.com/index.html

Silk wild rags are one of the coolest looking things you can wear to keep you warm.

Gloves, I should have mentioned two rules earlier, if your feet or fingers get cold, YOU ARE COLD! Buy the right gear for the activity you are taking part in. Here are a few of my favorite places to shop for gloves; yes I know I am a bit of a glove junkie. http://www.kinco.com/prods/L03.php http://geierglove.com/ http://www.sullivanglove.com/scripts/default.asp

Silk underwear is my choice, but some folks enjoy others; try them to find what works best for you and your body. Compare all kinds all prices and shop from a source you trust. Buy American made when possible. http://www.wintersilks.com/ three weights of silk http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/guide-gear-china-silk-clothing- .aspx?a=40252 china silk http://www.underarmour.com/ Under Armor http://thesocksite.com/100-cotton-midweight-waffle-knit-thermal- underwear-p-559.html Cotton

Heat escapes out of the top of your head so choosing a warm topper is a must. I prefer a rabbit fur lined bomber hat. I have several depending on the outing. The fur lining is soft and light weight, making this very comfortable as well as toasty warm. http://www.madbomber.com/store/

Over the years growing up watching my father, I learned to value good gear and how to take care of it so it can take care of you. Don’t be afraid to pay for quality; research, shop, and purchase wisely. Quality never goes out of style and chances are it will not wear out or fail when you need it most. If we can help you with any gear purchase please feel free to give a call. We are consumers just like you. The above mentioned sites are for reference and research only; we are not affiliated with them. Here at the ranch we don’t make any clothing or get paid to mention brands, we work hard and play hard putting our gear to the test every time we go out the door. When we find something we like, we not only use it, but try hard to share what we learn with others along the way so they might spend more time comfortably enjoying the great outdoors too.

Dave is a Team Huntress Outdoor Ambassador, South Dakota Hunt Safe Instructor, outfitter, certified concealed carry, competition hunter and President of Pheasant Phun Inc. As an avid outdoorsman he enjoys a wide variety of outdoor activities.

See the original article at TeamHuntress.com