I received this sleeping bag from Eureka Tents – one for a review and also one was offered as a giveaway:

Features:

• The 5.6 oz Rimfire poly/cotton shell fabric is tough, yet soft to the touch.
• The 3 free-floating compression straps are specifically designed not to tear out and to keep the sleeping bag neatly rolled.
• The Rimfire easily integrates with Eureka! sleeping bag carry duffle accessory (sold separately) via the three elastic loops at the head of the bag. (Sold Separately)
• Shell material: 5.6 oz. Rimfire 65/35 polycotton
• Lining material: 100% yarn-dyed cotton flannel
• Insulation: Eureka! ThermaShield
• Zipper: # 8
• 3 free floating compression straps
• Full length draft tube
• Anti-snag webbing
• Hang loops
• Hook & loop zipper closure
• Easy integration of carry duffle

Features important to me because I\’m very particular about my bedding:

• Thickness:  What is nice about the sleeping bag is the thickness.  Very nice quality.  I\’ve never seen a sleeping bag as thick as this.
• Length:  I am 5′7″ with very long legs and I had plenty of room.  No cold feet hanging out the bottom or curled up because you\’re too long.
• Warmth:  It was very warm cotton flannel.  I\’m sure if I had on more flannel, I could spark a good fire if I needed to.
• Soft:  Very soft and comfortable.  As you can see…

I spread out my sleeping bag to give it a try and look what critter took over…

Yes, my dog immediately found his way to curl up in a ball and took a nice long nap.

I eventually found my way in and took over.

‘Cause I\’m in charge around here.  No dog runs this household.

Have a great day all … I\’m off to bed … my dog has sounded the soft bark alarm to let me know it\’s 8:00 pm. Yes he does this.  And yes we sleep like this.  Yes he\’s spoiled.  Yes he\’s in charge. And yes I carry him on my hip like a 2 year old.  And yes he likes Mark best.

And yes I\’ll probably have to leave the sleeping bag out for a few days for my dog to enjoy his little campout.

If you\’re looking for a new sleeping bag for yourself or maybe a nice gift for someone … I would highly recommend the Eureka Sleeping Bags. Lots of different styles to choose from.

See the original article at TheHuntersWife.net

Tags: adventure, eureka-sleeping, eureka-tents, sleeping, sleeping-bag, the hunters wife, thickness

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

Tags: adventure, brother-shot, cousin, forum, forums, incredible-odds, monster-muleys, phone, pictures, someone-had, stumbled-onto, team wild outdoors, the-pictures, weekend

I just read about another wonderful state park that is in jeopardy of loosing its funding from the State of Idaho.  That park is Harriman State Park located in Island Park.  It is a wonderful park along the banks of the Henry\’s Fork of the Snake River, home of beautiful, elusive rainbow trout, wildlife, birds, history.  Over the years I\’ve visited it in the winter on cross country skis, and in the summer while fly fishing.  It would be a shame to see this park and others in our great state go by the wayside because of budget cuts.  Other parks that are threatened include Thousand Springs State Park Complex  in the Hagerman area.  Communicate with your legislators about these parks and their importance to our communities.  Read more about Hariman State Park, Thousand Springs State Park Complex

Legislative and governor contact information:

Governor

Representative Donna Pence
Representative Jim Patrick
Representative John "Bert" Stevenson
Representative Leon Smith
Representative Maxine Bell
Representative Scott Bedke
Representative Sharon Block	
Representative Stephen Hartgen
Representative Wendy Jacquet
Senator Bert Brackett
Senator Chuck Coiner
Senator Clint Stennett
Senator Dean Cameron
Senator Denton Darrington

See the original article at SilverSageRealty.com

Tags: adventure, along-the-banks, communities, hariman-state, idaho, politics, representative, senator-denton, wendy-jacquet

Stacey Huston says ‘look out your window\’

We all enjoy venturing out into nature, if for nothing more than to recharge our souls. Nature has a way, if you are willing to put aside the pettiness of life, of putting life into perspective. She shows us the simple little things in life and lays them all out for each to discover.

If you are willing to look and listen, nature has the answer to most any problem. I hear people tell me all the time that if they had my camera, or my lens, or if they lived where I do, then they would be able to take good photos too. However, it honestly isn\’t the equipment you use; cameras and lenses are only tools, even though I am pretty proud and protective of my camera. It is all in how you choose to look at life. You do not have to have the most expensive camera, and I can tell you from experience, if you enjoy wildlife photography, you will NEVER have a camera with a good enough zoom. Nature still exists, and will always do the coolest things just outside of your “zoom” range – that is part of the beauty of nature and my draw to photography. There are so many cool and wonderful things, and the ones that I am allowed to capture and share with the world are each a special gift to me. As for where I live, well it is a pretty amazing place, but there is beauty everywhere – if you choose to look for it, you will find it.

People, for the most part, tend to get stuck in the rut of life and with the state of our economy, it may only get tougher for those who have forgotten how to look and see the beauty that is all around them.

Look out your window; look in your own back yard. I would say that nature is there with all her glory and wonder, just waiting for you to discover the little treasures that she has placed there. Just for you, to remind you of what is truly important. Don\’t overlook or take for granted what nature has to offer. In fact, my most valued gifts are the ones I almost took for granted, because I look out my window, or walk by them every day.

The mule deer cross through my yard everyday, morning and night. I know they are coming and will often find myself watching for them, but I very seldom stop to truly appreciate the beauty that they bring to my world each time they do. But on this evening, when I looked out my window, I saw things in a different light, as the sun\’s light drained from the world that surrounded me, and the cool evening turned the air blue and cast dark shadows over the landscape. I was reminded once again that beauty isn\’t only found by searching, going miles into the woods, or by spending thousands of dollars on expensive equipment and gas. Beauty is and has always been right in front of you … all you have to do is look.

To take a photo in low light it is important to eliminate camera shake as much as possible, and most photographers suggest using a tripod and remote shutter release to accomplish this task. With this shot, though, I did not have much time to think the shot through before the buck disappeared over the rise, or the light left completely, so I quickly grabbed my camera, slipped out on the deck and braced the camera in the corner, where our railing and porch post come together. I waited until the deer sky-lined, and took the photo, leaving the flash on for a faster shutter speed. Since he was walking away from me there was no eye shine. A little contrast adjustment and saturation removed more of the detail, leaving this silhouette photo. (Exposure 1/100 F6.3 at 400mm ISO400)

~Stacey Huston

Stacey Huston is an outdoorswoman to the core, and would much rather spend time in the high country than in the local shopping mall, and feels more at home in heavy timber than in a salon. She is an accomplished photographer and is the staff photographer for Journey With Red Hawk T.V. series. Stacey is also a licensed falconer and raptor rehabilitation volunteer, helping injured raptors to once again soar on open skies. She      resides with her husband of 18 years and their two boys in the mountains of western Wyoming. To see her photography, go to http://afocusinthewild.blogspot.com/

© 2010, womensoutdoornews.com. All rights reserved. January 10, 2010 by Women\’s Outdoor News

See the original article at TeamHuntress.com

Tags: adventure, beauty, camera, landscape, mountains, photo, photography, stacey-huston, time

It started as just a regular black bear hunt and it became an obsession.
I was guiding bear hunters in Idaho\’s Sawtooth Mountains and a group of hunters from Wisconsin had sent us some trail cameras. We had six well-established baits spread over our hunting area and they were already getting hit hard even though it was only late April. I was excited to get the cameras out and early the next morning I made the rounds to see if we had any pictures. I was hoping for three or four. We had eighty. Hmmm… Who woulda guessed? One of our bears looked like a monster. It wasn\’t a great picture and at first glance, isn\’t very impressive until the next day when we noticed that he had been about 20 yards beyond the barrel and the tracks…. oh the tracks.

Our first glimpse of Toad

As the weeks went on we got pictures of him visiting most of our baits and we confirmed it… he was huge. We called him “Toad” and he was the type of bear you dream about. Not only was he big, but he was a deep chocolate color to boot. Our Wisconsin hunters were ecstatic. Not only because of Toad, but we had a nice blonde bear spotted for them as well.

This is Blondie and he was on the hit list too

So, our hunters showed up in mid-May and for five days they passed up bear after bear in their quest for Toad and Blondie, neither of whom showed up for the party. Hunters came and left all season and our two stars never made a showing, although they did continue to pose for our cameras. On the last day of the season we didn\’t have any hunters so I hunted Toad\’s favorite bait and he did come in, but it was after shooting hours. I sat in the stand watching him in the moonlight for a long time… drooling. The next two seasons were more of the same and he began to become a legend. Our hunters all left with nice bears, but not THE bear.

Toad standing in front of the bait barrel

A big bear will look long and short. That’s a big bear.

In 2007 we purchased a new hunting area in the Frank Church Wilderness and I knew that my chance to get this great bear was coming to an end, so I set our with a vengeance and hunted hard. I only put out one bait, but it was in a better area with thicker cover and much harder to get to. I figured that this would give him fewer choices and I hoped that he would feel more comfortable in the thicker cover and come in during the shooting hours. I hunted hard and I passed on a bunch of nice bears. Big ones, blonde ones, chocolate ones, red ones and even one that I called “frosted chocolate”.

I\’d like to say that it ended with a hero shot of me and my bow and a big bear named Toad… but it didn\’t. It did end with a BANG! though.

You\’re probably asking yourself, “I thought this was about Blazing Saddles“, well, here it comes: Our bear hunting truck was an old piece of crap Toyota and it was on it\’s last leg. On my final trip in to hunt Toad I was 20-some miles from the lodge when I smelled something burning. I was on an old logging road with overhanging brush, so I didn\’t want to stop and burn down the whole forest, so I pushed on hoping to get to a spring that crossed the “road” a few miles below. Before long, the cab was full of smoke, my head was out the window and there were flames coming out of the passenger side floorboard. I was flying, desperate to make the spring. As I skidded around the last corner I tried to slow down, but the brakes lines had burned through I guess… uh oh. The only option I had was to run into a big willow growing out of the spring. That put a stop to things real quick.

I bailed out and tried fruitlessly to put the fire out, but soon realized that it was just too big, so all I could do was salvage what I could, back off, take pictures and try to put out any forest fire that might start. The smoke was incredible, the flames were huge and the tires blowing (I think it was the tires) were surprisingly loud. It didn\’t take long for that old pickup to burn to the ground.

That old Toyota burned to the ground. It was impressive.

I’m surprised the firefighters didn’t show up

Once the fire was out, I put on my backpack and started a long walk back to the lodge. I didn\’t take the roads so it was only about 15 miles as the crow flies, but it still took most of the day. I flew out the next morning to start a new adventure. My quest for Toad the monster black bear was over.

Last spring a friend of mine who hunts the same area showed me a picture of a huge chocolate bear at one of his baits. The legend continues… and since I\’m not outfitting anymore, I just might re-kindle my obsession.

See the original article at GotHunts.com

Tags: adventure, baits, blazing-saddles, cameras, cory, fire, general outdoors, ground, hunting, linkedin, party, tires, tracks

Passions Found…

The sun slips silently lower in to the lush South Dakota Grasslands, casting a soft golden hue across the landscape, as we slow to take the turn onto the familiar gravel road that will lead us back to Pheasant Phun… The excitement builds as I look forward to once again seeing old friends and the prospect of meeting new. As the gravel crunches beneath the tires and the dust rises behind the truck I fondly think back to my last trip here for Team Huntress. Two Months ago I came along to Team Huntress with the intention of teaching. I was there to help with archery instruction and to see if I could get some photos of the event. I planned on staying back and observing… and stepping in to help out were needed. I am not the type of woman who ever thought she would do something like this. Throughout my life, I have always had more male friends than female. I was the girl in high school who hung out with the boys cuz they did all the cool stuff. I was never interested in cheerleading, or shopping. There were always better things to do, and all of them included being outdoors.

Moments after arriving at this beautiful place it was clear that there are no strangers here.. Jane Keller and her family welcomed us in with open arms and quickly made us feel comfortable and at home. A safe haven if you will. I spent an amazing weekend getting to know some beautiful and inspiring women – hosts, instructors, as well as guest. For me as a wife and mother who enjoys the outdoors, there was nothing so cool, as for me, to watch some of these girls grow and blossom before our eyes as they found a common passion., and realized their natural talents. To see how quickly they were drawn to and found enjoyment in new things that they never thought possible.

I fondly recall the huge grin that unfolded upon one woman\’s face as she put aside her uncertainties and shot a pistol for the first time. For reasons of her own, she had an inherent fear of handguns… With gentle instruction and thorough teaching of how to safely handle a handgun, she found herself standing at the shooting range and actually enjoying each hole that the pistol in her hand was punching in the paper plate before her.

Another guest discovered a natural talent when it came to shooting and we all shared her excitement each time she shot the bow, pistol, and shotgun and hit the intended target. Some moving and some stationary! We all felt the pride as her mother watched on. How special for mother and her grown daughter to be able to share that moment of learning and discovery together. There is no ego at Team Huntress only companionship and gentle encouragement that only ladies know how to give. Team Huntress is not about hunting, Team Huntress is about educating yourself, taking the opportunity to explore, and maybe even discovering something new to enjoy, and giving yourself permission to just relax and have fun.

We pull into the yard and are once again greeted by old friends that have grown beyond friendship to hold a special place in my heart. I am nervous about the courses I have so eagerly agreed to instruct, but that nervousness is quickly replaced with excitement about connecting with the new girls and the new adventures that will be shared. I have spoken with many women about the Team Huntress events, and once in a while I hear someone say “Team Huntress is not for me. I would like to meet the people there, but I don\’t think I would fit in… I am not a hunter… I don\’t like guns… or spiders and dirt, I might cut myself with arrow… And… and…and” My answer to them is “Stop making excuses! No matter your outdoor skill level… Team Huntress IS for you.

This is not a camping trip… Or a survival course… You will be fed gourmet food and sleep on amazingly comfortable beds in an amazingly beautiful lodge…with indoor plumbing and a hot shower. You will have the opportunity to learn outdoor skills alongside other like-minded women; all while being pampered with massages, and foot rubs and facials. It is ok to give yourself permission to relax and have fun, and maybe even try something new. You might even surprise yourself.. You might actually have fun..lol”

Though I can tell you a story about every one of the girls that I have had the honor of meeting at Team Huntress.. I would like to recall a story about one particular woman that came along to Team Huntress, I think, just to humor her friend. She had no real desire to shoot a bow, let alone a gun. As the day progressed with food and pampering and gifts and skills the instructors made sure not to pressure her into anything she did not feel comfortable with, but after a few moments of watching the other women, and seeing how much they were enjoying archery, she found herself with a longbow in hand and that familiar spark in her eye when she popped a balloon…Success!

Later that evening while we relaxed around the lodge, enjoying conversations and sharing stories from our day… She confessed how easy and fun it actually was to shoot a bow, and that she was now afraid to tell her husband, because that would mean that for all these years “he had been right after all“. She said that she would like to get a recurve when she got back home just do some target shooting in the backyard.

A few months have passed since the last Team Huntress event and as I sit here at home writing this article … I smiled to myself as I read the message That I just received from her friend that drug her along to Team Huntress. This particular lady, who had no desire to shot, or go out hunting with her husband, had just returned from an evening in the woods.. recurve in hand…and her husband was there to share with her and video the whole thing!

Women from all over the U.S. come together for the Team Huntress Outdoor Adventure Clinic… each for their own reasons.

Some searching for something personal, some not really searching but thinking they have come along to support a friend or a relative, and some think they are there just to teach. However, one thing is for certain. After an enjoyable and unforgettable weekend, bonds will be made, and lifetime friendships forged. But most importantly, we will all have learned, in more ways than you could have ever imagined.

Team Huntress is more than just a women\’s outdoor clinic.

~Stacey Huston Team Huntress Outdoor Ambassador

Huston is an outdoors woman to the core. She would much rather spend time in the high country than in the local shopping mall, and feels more at home in heavy timber than in a salon. She is an accomplished photographer and is the staff photographer for Journey With Red Hawk T.V. series. Stacey is also a licensed falconer and raptor rehabilitation volunteer, helping injures raptors to once again soar on open skies. She resides with her husband of 18 years and their two boys in the mountains of western Wyoming.

www.staceyhuston.com http://afocusinthewild.blogspot.com

See the original article at TeamHuntress.com

Tags: adventure, boys, cool, family, family-welcomed, hunting, life, people, public relations, recurve bow

Guest Talk: No horsing around, Epona Rivers offers equine facilitated learning workshops

It\’s difficult to say “equine facilitated learning” three times fast, but after Holly Pollock, proprietor of Epona Rivers, explains the reasons for equine facilitated learning, it\’s not too hard to understand why a workshop at the Kingswood Stables in Malabar, Fla., would be a great way to learn coping skills and to recharge life\’s batteries. Here, Holly answers questions about her newly launched business that involves humans, horses and a bit of yoga thrown in for good measure.

The WON: What is equine facilitated learning all about? I mean, why would you want to practice coping skills with a 1,000-pound animal?

Holly Pollock: To start off, horses are hyper-aware of their environment and the energy around them, and they are very sensitive. This enables them to be reflective for you, a “mirror” to develop self-awareness. The brain only processes about 20 percent of what it takes in. We lose some very valuable information there, about yourself and your surroundings, and how you really are with other people. A horse can show you in a second if you are being “heard”, (whether that be in a company, serving on a board, with hunting friends, or in any relationship) or if you allow people to walk all over you.  When you develop the ability and feel for to stopping a 1000-pound animal from getting in your space, it makes it easier to bring to your relationships with people. Also, if you can “see” things as you really are, you can then be more congruent. And when you\’re congruent, meaning your feelings are in harmony and you are not wearing a “mask” for others, you have much more energy and more authentic happiness. People always want to be, and feel positive, but without the tools needed it can be very difficult when life gets messy.

The WON: What is the appeal of this type of workshop to women who love the outdoors?

Holly Pollock: It seems to me that women who are attracted to being outdoors are “hands on” type of women. They like to take in life by putting their hands, eyes, ears and heart into things.  That is what Epona Rivers is all about. You get an opportunity to connect not only to yourself, but also to nature, and to be outside with horses.

The WON:  You correlate yoga moves and shooting skills. How do they relate? What can we learn from yoga to take to shooting and vice versa?

Holly Pollock: In yoga we practice standing still, using your breath, and quieting your mind. All of this applies to shooting, whether you shoot a bow, pistol, rifle or shotgun. Going within your “heartspace” with a still body, and a quiet mind, you will make your best shot. In the EFL work, we distinguish some of the negative patterns we play on our head that can sabotage our calm and “feeling good” state.  We work on suspending judgment of yourself, and others for that matter, so you can let tension go and reach for calm and equanimity, feeling out what works best for you in whatever situation your hunting trip takes you.

The WON: What have you learned from equine facilitated learning workshops?

Holly Pollock: This is hard for me to sum up in just a few words!  It has had such a profound effect in my life and in those around me, but very simply put, life stopped being so hard. Your emotions are there to serve a purpose to help and guide you, not to overwhelm or stuff, so now I can more fluidly “process” what goes on in, and around me, and with others.  I learned to stop being my own worst enemy – for real this time!  When I first started with this work I talked the talk, but did not walk the walk, now I can say truly there is joy with myself and all the relationships in my life are better tenfold!

I believe we are here to have a happy fulfilling life, pursuing hobbies and things that make us buzz with delight. It is so refreshing to not buy into the ebb and flow of the drama in life, to practice staying in a feel good state even when the world is throwing me fast pitch after fast pitch and all I have is a fly swatter!  I have learned that this is a skill and discipline we all need in life, and the people who attend my workshops want to learn the skills to do this effectively.

The WON: What are your plans for future workshops?

Holly Pollock: Starting a business in this economy has been interesting!  I believe this work helps everyone, and it\’s a big world out there to spread the news!  So I am concentrating on doing my “core” Epona Rivers methods which focuses mainly on teaches participants to recognize negative thought patterns, use breathing techniques to tap into their calm and learn the messages behind their authentic emotions.  Educating people that this is another vehicle out there to help you grow, and learn about yourself. I want to develop more yoga into the workshops, to show people it\’s all about the practice of staying calm and letting go of tension. There is no goal in the yoga I teach, it\’s all about the inner work of relaxation and tension release, it\’s about the practice of staying clam while you\’re in the challenges of a pose. I\’m also working on bringing some archery into the program with Kimberly Pezzeminti from DoeVille, as well as a farewell fireside dinner. I can go on and on with the things I would like to do, and I hope people out there will share with me what it is they want!

The next Heart of Epona Workshop will take place on Nov. 13-15, 2009. This Epona workshop is at Kingswood Stables in Malabar, including horse work, snacks, beverages, lunch and instructional materials. All horse work is done from the ground, please wear whole shoes when out with the horses.  We will be working in the air-conditioned workshop room, where slippers or sandals are fine to wear.  Please bring items to protect yourself when we do horse work outside, such as sunscreen, hats, sunglasses.  The cost of this workshop is $495. Once your payment has been received through PAYPAL we will contact you within 1 business day. See http://www.eponarivers.com/retreatsandworkshops.htm.

© 2009, womensoutdoornews.com. All rights reserved. Please provide a link to The Women\’s Outdoor News if you republish this post.

See the original article at TeamHuntress.com

Tags: adventure, environment, hunting, malabar florida, outdoor-news, payment, relationships, tools, yoga