#GetThemOutdoors

Our main goal here at Huntress View is to grow the number of women hunters and outdoors enthusiasts. It’s always fun getting new people involved in the great outdoors. This season we want all of you to join us as we challenge you to introduce someone new to the outdoors. We are calling this challenge ‪#‎GetThemOutdoors‬.

Throughout this season we want to see your experiences taking someone new out, male or female! This can be done by taking them on a hunt with you, guiding them on their first hunt, or teaching them how to shoot a bow, rifle, or shotgun, just to name a few.

There will be a women's portion during October, and a youth portion in November.
Share your photos and experiences with us on Facebook to be entered to win some great hunting products!

For our women's portion of our #GetThemOutdoorscontest, we are giving away 2 Huntress View hats and 2 packs of Scent Killer Gold For Her scent control products from Wildlife Research Center, inc. ! 

All you have to do to enter is share with us how you introduced a female to the outdoors this season! Comment on this post, or post it to our wall. We will pick a winner in October and will keep you updated on when the deadline is as we go, so keep checking in with us!

Hunter's Crate Product Review

By Andrea Haas

What is Hunter's Crate?

Hunter's Crate is the world's premiere and first ever monthly subscription box, specifically for hunters! It is a family owned business whose goal is to deliver the best hunting products and gear to hunters doorsteps all over the country, each month. 

How It Works

Purchase a subscription from Hunter's Crate to receive monthly care packages featuring high quality hunting gear and products from well-known companies, pro tips, snacks & seasonings! The value of every box is guaranteed to always exceed your monthly subscription cost.

 What's Inside

Each monthly crate has its own theme, depending on the time of year it is and what's in season! For example, in the spring you can expect turkey hunting themed boxes and in the fall deer hunting themed boxes, etc. And at the end of the year after your freezer is full of wild game, you can expect to see a variety of marinades and BBQ sauces!

Membership Perks

With a membership, you will also be entered into giveaways for prizes that may not even fit in your box, such as high-end hunting knives or even a guided hunting trip! Don't forget to share photos and/or videos on social media using #hunterscrate to earn points that can be used to receive promo codes! 

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Opening the Crate 

Let's take a look inside our September and October crates!

- September Crate -

September's Theme: Stealth

September's theme was "Stealth". Each box has the monthly theme stamped inside, along with an insert listing each product in the box and their value. 

Insert listing what's inside September's Crate

The products are packaged neatly inside the crate, along with packing material that gives it an overall "rustic" and "outdoorsy" feel. I arranged them here so you can get a good look at what's inside!

September's Crate

Some lucky members also found this inside their September crate! Included in mine was this Trekker Series Elk Hunter knife by Knives of Alaska, a $89.99 value!

Hunter's Crate camo ticket and Elk Hunter Knife by Knives of Alaska

- October Crate -

October's theme: Open Season

October's theme is "Open Season" and is a $60 value. Included in this crate:

Adventure Game Calls Grunt Tube - $20

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Robinson Outdoors Fleece-Lined Cap - $20

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Mossy Oak Shell Holder - $10

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Hunter's Crate 6oz Coffee - $7

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Assorted Samples Courtesy of Head Country BBQ & Robinson Outdoors

What's inside October's Crate

I was very impressed with the quality of the Hunter's Crate subscription boxes, from the variety of products and their value, to the overall design and "feel" of the box. It was clear that the crew at Hunter's Crate has worked hard to find a variety of high quality products to deliver to your doorstep each month.

You can purchase subscriptions for yourself or as a gift for a friend, family member, significant other, etc. As mentioned before, the value in each box will always exceed the monthly subscription cost! You can purchase a subscription for just one month at a time, or if you plan to continue your subscription you can save money by purchasing a 6 month or a 12 month subscription.

I recommend Hunter's Crate for any hunter, male or female. It's great for both the experienced hunter and for someone who is new to hunting and is needing to build up their supply of products and gear.

For more information on the Hunter's Crate or to become a member, go to www.hunterscrate.com 

Tips for Air Travel (Part 1) – Finding Flight Pitfalls – The Layover

By Lora Gene Young

A goodbye photo before leaving for New Zealand

Seasoned travelers and rookies alike, traveling to and from your destination dream hunt could be the most stressful part of your hunt. You do not want to start your trip with a missed flight or end your trip stuck in an airport on standby because the plane left without you.

There are so many things to consider I am going to break these tips up into parts. 

Part 1, the LAYOVER…

1 Layovers – No one likes a long layover, but too short is more detrimental to your travel than long.

a.  Remember, when you change from a domestic flight to an international flight, even though you are still in the US, you will have to change from domestic to international terminal. This takes longer than your usual flight change. Also, you will possibly be changing airlines; this could add time needed to find your correct terminal and gate. I always go for a minimum of two hours for a layover if I am changing between terminals, especially if I do not know the airport.

b.  Next, when you enter your destination country, you might have to make a connecting flight to another part of the country. You will go through customs at your first airport of call. Customs always takes time, especially when you are the foreigner. Make sure your layover in this airport takes that into account. Once again, allow at least two hours. This also applies when returning home. You will have to go through customs. If your port of entry is a large airport, such as LAX, there could be three or four additional planes landing at the same time. This means a VERY long line to go through customs. Then the terminal change. Possibly re-checking baggage. Make sure you know what you will need to do. Once again, I suggest a minimum of two hours, more if you are in LAX or re-checking luggage.

c.  One time when too long is really too long. With a layover over 12 hours your luggage will not be checked through to your final destination. You must retrieve your luggage, and then re-check it. Many times you cannot check-in until two to three hours before your flight. This means you are stuck with your luggage, limiting your site-seeing ability during this long flight. You also cannot proceed through security to your gate; you are stuck in the check-in area with very few amenities.

Bring some reading to keep you occupied in-flight or when waiting during long layovers!

d.  When it comes to layovers on a hunting trip, the last thing, and possibly the most important, your guns. If you are bringing guns into the destination country this will make your layover longer. Some countries require police to review your guns in person in order to approve your importation paperwork. Many times these officials have specific office hours. If your flight arrives at 6 am and the customs officials or police are not there to examine your guns until 8 am and you only have a two hour layover, you will miss your connecting flight. This is no way to start your hunting trip. Make sure this does not happen to you. Ask your outfitter about this or research the airport of entry.

Flying does not have to be stressful. You do not have to arrive for your dream hunting experience frazzled and on edge. Plan ahead, check the little things, ask questions, and most of all, just relax, you will get there, even with a few bumps in the road. Even if there are hiccups, one day, you will laugh about the whole experience.

Scent Control Tips

By Andrea Haas

We all have different views and opinions on scent control while hunting. Some feel scent control is just a way for companies to get you to buy their products and make more money. Others may not use any scent control products at all and still see deer while out hunting, feeling they don't need to follow a scent control regimen in order to harvest deer. 

Personally, I disagree with both of the above. Yes, the hunting industry is just that, an "industry". And yes I'm sure you can go hunting, using no scent control at all, and still see deer. But, there's no denying that deer use their amazing sense of smell as one of their defense mechanisms.That alone is reason enough to at least experiment with different scent control products & find something that you feel works to your advantage. 

I think that a good scent control regimen should be at the top of your list when planning out your hunting strategy, along with hunting stands only when the wind is in your favor for that specific spot. Here's a few tips & products that have worked well for me in the past!

• Wash your clothes using scent control laundry detergent. We always wash a load of our every day clothes first using the scent control detergent to help rid the washer of the smell of our everyday detergent. Make sure the detergent does not contain UV brighteners as they can make your camo appear to "glow" to a deer in low light situations. Scent Killer Gold Laundry Detergent is a great option. 
  

• Air drying your clothes outside is ideal but you aren't always able to do that. When drying our clothes in the dryer we like to use dryer sheets to help prevent static build up. I like Scent Killer Autumn Formula Dryer Sheets. 
  

• Keeping your clothes scent free until ready to wear is crucial. I store mine in a Watson Airlock Bag. The "Bottomless 26" bag has 7,000 cubic inches of water resistant storage. A 4680 cubic inch scent free storage compartment gives you plenty of room to store your clothing, plus there is a separate compartment just for your hunting boots! 
  

• As soon as possible before going hunting shower using scent control body care products. For women the Scent Killer Gold for her Value Pack from Wildlife Research Center works great! The shampoo has all the great scent killing abilities as the original, but this one is formulated just for women. It's safe to use on color treated hair and is a lot more moisturizing. The Value Pack contains Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash, Scent Killer Spray and a bath pouf. 
  

• Brush your teeth with scent control toothpaste right before heading out to hunt. I like the e2 Scent Prevent Toothpaste from Dead Down Wind. 
  

• Don't wear the same clothes you will be hunting in while driving to your hunting property, otherwise you will just be wasting your time with the above steps. I pick out an outfit to wear while driving to the property, wash it in scent control detergent with my camo and store it in my airtight bag until ready to head out. Keep your hunting clothes in their scent free bag or container and bring them with you but don't change into them until you are at your property & out of the vehicle. 

• Finally, I spray myself head-to-toe with scent eliminating spray after getting dressed before heading to my treestand. These sprays help kill bacteria & limit the amount of human scent detectable to a whitetail. I use the Scent Killer Gold Spray mentioned above that is included in the Value Pack for women.

Good luck to everyone this season and I hope these tips will help you! Do you have any tips of your own that I didn't mention here? Let us know by leaving a comment!

Tips For Using Deer Scent

By ProStaff Kinsey Edmunds

If you're new to bow hunting, at first it can be a little intimidating. But think about it, it’s no different than learning to ride a bike, or learning to play guitar for example. These are all things that take practice. The more practice you allow yourself, the better you're going to be! You're going to make mistakes and mess up from time to time, but that’s how you learn! Some of the most valuable hunts I’ve been on was when I had made a mistake. Those mess ups in the field helped me to be a better hunter in the future. One of the things I love most about hunting is that there are always opportunities to learn more about the outdoors. No hunting experience will ever be the exact same. The more you get out there, the more you will experience and learn!

I would like to share a tip with you that I learned that helped me in killing my first archery buck. Last year, October 23, I was out bow hunting. I won’t ever forget it because it was the day before my birthday! Bucks were starting to chase after the does as the pre-rut was beginning, and soon the rut would be in full force. The rut really picks up in Missouri around October 31 into the first few weeks of November. Prime time :) My friend had told me that using Wildlife Research Center Golden Estrus was a great way to attract those bucks running hard in the rut. I decided to try it out. 

I started at the base of my tree stand and drug the scent wick I had dipped in golden estrus out about 30 yards in the field. I did this directly in front of my stand and then to the right of my stand as well. An important thing to remember when doing this is to start out dragging the scent at the base of your tree and then drag from there. The scent will be stronger when you first put it on the ground, than when you get done dragging it out. You want to lure the buck in closer to your stand. Which is exactly what happened with my buck! 

I was sitting over a clover and cow pea food plot which is surrounded by timber. He came out one side of the timber and crossed the field to the other side. He began marking his scent while rubbing his antlers on some trees and then proceeded into the edge of the woods that he had crossed over to. Not going to lie, I was a little bummed, but knew anything could happen. I sat eagerly in my stand hoping he might come out again. I’m pretty sure he caught wind of that estrus and went down into the timber he crossed over to. He made a circle back around putting him now directly in front of my stand where I had drug out the estrus to. He slowly walked closer towards that estrus as my heart was beating harder and harder. I couldn’t have planned it any better! He ventured in closer because the estrus lured him closer to my stand, and continued to stay on that scent. He got to around 18 yards and I shot! This was my first time using the golden estrus and I was highly impressed as it helped me shoot my first archery buck! 

Another thing you can do is dip a scent wick in the golden estrus and leave it hanging from or near your stand. There are many products out there that are the same thing, but I have only used Wildlife Research Center, and it definitely worked for me. Like I said, I killed this buck in the pre-rut and I had sat in that same stand the night before and watched that same buck I killed run those does. It was one of the coolest hunts I’ve been on. There were multiple does that night in that food plot, and he was having a hay day chasing them around! The next night he was the only deer I saw and was in search of those does to chase again. 

I hope this has been a helpful tip and got you excited to get out there and try something new! Remember, just because you didn't kill on a hunt doesn't mean it wasn't a successful hunt. Each time in the stand is a chance to observe nature. Watch and learn! That is the best way to become a better hunter, by learning first hand from personal experience. I wish you all the best this hunting season!

Confessions Of A New Archer

Our newest prostaff member Lora Gene Young is no stranger to the world of hunting, as you can see in her blogs about hunting internationally. But archery is something totally new to her. I was so excited when she told me that she was going to give archery a try this year and I'm excited to share with everyone what she learns along the way. Here's what she has to say about her first 2 days of shooting:

"OMG am I loving this! I was a bit apprehensive to start. Felt like I had waited too long to start a new discipline. That feeling is all craziness, never too late to start a new hobby. Sure, I won't be ready to use archery in hunting season this year, but I hope improving my archery skills will lead to improvement in other areas as well. In the future, I look forward to longer hunting seasons and more opportunity to finally get that big buck. 

Tips for first timers, don't overdo it. Start slow, just a few arrows at a time. You don't want to tire yourself out the first day, it will deter you from continuing the next day. 

Go for good grouping. Don't worry about where the first shot hits, maintain the same aim and evaluate your grouping.

Have fun! Archery should be something you enjoy, don't stress."

Preparing Your Dog for Hunting Season

Photo by Wildside Images

Hunting season is almost upon us and one of the most common questions Scott and Beth Ward of Over the Top Retrievers are asked is “what should I do to get my dog ready to go for the season? “I recently had the privilege of training with them and got to pick their brains for few tips for your four legged hunting buddy. 

Conditioning. Humans don’t run a marathon without training so ease your dog into activity. Starting with a walk, jog, run get that heart rate up.  Throwing a bumper, a ball.  Swimming is always a great cardio exercise for dogs making sure you are watching your dog and realizing they have limits, a dog can get hot fast once they get out there doing what they love to do.  Avoid high jumping, and sharp sudden turns because out of shape joints, muscles and ligaments do not need additional stress. Short reps with bumpers or Avery® birds still gets them excited but hopefully prevents injury prior to the opener. 

Remember to keep your dog wanting more, stop retrieves on the upswing where you know they are crazy to get that bird again!  Water retrieves are always good but be mindful, dogs can over heat in water, in late summer water temperatures can be high mixed with the muscle fatigue your dog could get into trouble.

Photo by Wildside Images

If you are lucky to have some property to get out on a run with a 4 wheeler or a long horse ride gets the heart pumping.  Planting birds/bummers and working on hunt it up drills helps reintroduce the dog to the mindset of the hunt.  

General health must always be a priority. Short nails, healthy pads and checking eyes, ears and nose to make sure they are clear of debris and signs of infection.  Proper gear for your dog, I know I may have packed on some pounds since last hunting season, has your dog? Ill-fitting skid plates or vests can lead to nasty skin issues from chaffing/rubbing.

Diet. Proper nutrition can build the energy and fuel your dog needs to plow through icy waters or keep quartering to get the rush of the flush.  Sometimes a decrease in calorie intake is needed to get some extra pounds off prior to hitting the fields. Keep in mind that you couldn't run a marathon after big plate of grandma's chicken Alfredo, you shouldn’t ask your dog to do this.  Get them on a healthy diet with appropriate servings. 

Photo by Wildside Images

Stand Alone marks (drills). Put your dog on a sit, walk away a good distance 30-50 yards, (farther than you could throw a dummy/bird/bumper while standing next to your dog).  Once the mark is thrown, release your dog to retrieve.  Although this is a hand thrown mark, you are working on your dog sitting, waiting/honoring the mark, the dog should not be sitting in the heal position next to you, you need distance between you and the dog.

Must haves for your dog hunting first aid kit:
Nail trimmer: cuts nails, barb wire, small sticks

Leash: restrains dog, helps with trap removal, works as a tourniquet or muzzle

Saline: to flush eyes, nose, ears, wounds

Water: Don’t forget to hydrate!

If you have more questions or concerns about getting your dog ready for the hunt feel free to contact us at Over the Top Retriever,763-244-0819.

Check out Over the Top Retrievers at www.overthetopretrievers.com. We offer all breed obedience, pre-season/refresher hunting course, gun dog, and hunt test training.  Private lessons available upon request.

Because if you are going to go...Go Over The Top!

-Samantha Andrews-