From Family Traditions to Mother’s Day Traditions

Posted on May 11, 2012 by admin

By Haley Heath, host of Family Traditions on Sportsman Channel.

Mother’s Day is such a special day to show your love and appreciation towards your mother. All around people will be celebrating the lives of their Moms on this special day, whether it is sending a card, calling, having dinner, or just spending the day together. This Mother’s Day, I will be celebrating being a mother…but in the woods with my children!

Haley, Husband G.O. and Children

I am a loving wife and proud mother of two young children, and I have been hunting since I was six years old. On Family Traditions on Sportsman Channel, I hunt with my family and friends across the globe, enjoying the outdoors and time together, as well as the passion of hunting. I travel with G.O., my husband, and at times, in kid friendly camps, we take our young children, Gunner and Dakota. At age 6, I shot my first deer with my daddy, and once G.O. and I got married, we built our house on that exact spot. And the deer? It’s mounted inside.

Throughout my childhood, my mother would often go with me in the woods. Watching her passion of the outdoors showed me it was okay for women to enjoy hunting, just as it was passed down to her. Now being a mother of two, I feel it is important to pass this tradition on to my children. Whether they grow to hunt as their passion or not, I want them to understand what I do and what has been a huge part of our family for generations. Quite frankly, it’s more than a hobby or job, it’s a lifestyle.

Being a woman in the outdoors shouldn’t have a stereotypical look as far as “outside” appearances go.  Most people that I meet are unaware of the show and would never guess my profession. I, like any woman, enjoy days at the spa, being a soccer mom, going to Atlanta to shop and getting my hair done and dressed up for events; however, I am most comfortable in my “cam,” with my family enjoying the wonderful outdoors. I truly believe I’ve achieved the balanced work, life and family trifecta successfully. It’s a challenge, of course, balancing being a professional, mother and wife, but it’s the most rewarding lifestyle. And being a mom takes the top spot.

Haley, daughter Dakota, Husband G.O. and son Gunner

This year, like so many in the past, I will be sitting with my children at the break of dawn waiting to hear a turkey gobble and hoping to get a shot at one. Regardless of the hunts outcome, this Mother’s Day will forever be etched in my memory, because we are doing exactly what we love and so many of our family members have loved and passed down throughout the years.

So, to all those reading this—whether you’re a mother yourself, a proud husband, or a thankful child—Happy Mother’s Day weekend!

Posted in Programming | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

How to Introduce Your Dog to Gunfire

Posted on May 8, 2012 by admin

Today’s Blog post comes from Cade Knotts – an experienced outdoorsman and dog breeder. When he’s not working for BladeOps or with his family, he’s constantly tinkering with guns and knives.

Trying to get your pup accustomed to the sounds of gunfire isn’t quite the same as training them to sit or flush quail or stay put. Gunfire is an artificial intrusion in the field, and if you try to rush their training, the pups could become gun shy or nervous and jittery around loud noises. And unlike those other behaviors, this isn’t something that you can easily correct.

The goal is to introduce the pup to the sounds of gunfire a little at a time and create positive associations. This can be a very involved process, and it goes beyond just firing a gun nearby and then giving the dog a little treat. Take the time to carefully acclimatize the pup to these sounds and avoid some of the common mistakes, and you will have a lot more success.

Things to Avoid

There are a number of common mistakes that can effectively ruin your efforts to train your pup. Remember that it’s all about going slow and working up to the loudest guns at close proximity. You should never, for example, just fire a gun around the dog to see if he is gun shy. Being gun shy is not a genetic predisposition – it’s something that is instilled from bad training.

Sadie - Dog of the Author

You should never take the dog to a shooting range. Some people believe that by “throwing them in the deep end” they will acclimatize faster, but in reality they will probably just traumatize faster. Do not take the dog out hunting prior to a proper introduction to gunfire and hope that the on-the-job training will be sufficient. And finally, never fire a gun close to the dog while feeding him. This will not create the right kind of associations.

 

The Most Effective Training Process

By taking a dog through the right training steps, slowly and deliberately, your pup will have a better chance of getting used to the sounds of gunfire without getting gun shy.

Step one: provide lots of live bird contacts. This initial phase doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with loud noises. Get them out into the field and see how they react to live animals. The important thing is to make sure they show enthusiasm about retrieving and chasing before you start to test their resolve. If they are having fun when they hear the artificial noise, they will be more likely to create positive associations.

Step two: start small and from a distance. While the pup is running around, fire something very small (perhaps a .22 crimp shell) while you are at least 75 to 100 meters away. Ideally, the dog should be chasing a bird when you first introduce him to the .22 shot to start building the right associations. If the pup has an adverse reaction of some kind, wait for at least a week and then try again. Once you are sure the pup is accustomed to the sound from this distance, you can start moving a little closer until you can fire a shot nearby without startling the dog.

Step three: try again with something bigger. Now you can move from the .22 crimp stage on to a louder .22 blank. From there you might try a shotgun. Every time you graduate to a larger gauge or louder gunshot, start back at the 100-meter distance and work your way toward the dog.

If you are concerned that the pup has developed some gun shyness, or that you may have pushed things too fast, you could try some “group therapy.” Sometimes it can be effective to use a group of dogs that are already accustomed to the sounds of gunfire to help the pup learn by example and start rebuilding confidence.

Training is an ongoing experience because it’s always possible to learn something new and improve abilities. Take it slow in the early stages, stay consistent over time, and you and your new dog will have a much better time in the field.

 

Posted in Dog Training | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Paddle Faster, I Hear Banjos”

Posted on May 6, 2012 by admin

Today’s post comes to us from Scott Leysath, host of the all-new series Dead Meat.  You can watch Dead Meat on Sunday’s at 9:30 E/P, Monday’s at 12:30 AM and 6 PM ET, and Thursday at 10:30 AM ET.

Last November, on my way from the Tallahassee airport to the Florida Panhandle, also known as the “Redneck Riviera”, I caught that clever saying written across a convenience store T-shirt.  I get it, the “…Banjos” reference was to the “Deliverance” movie and we know what happened to those guys.  Funny.

I was headed to Apalachicola for my first Dead Meat TV shoot.  I’d spent some time with friends in the area in the past.  One year, we went upriver to check out the opening of squirrel season.  I recall camo-clad locals, young and old, drifting along feeder creeks looking for squirrels.  The air was alive with the smell of charcoal and the sound of gunfire.  It was like the movie “Apocalypse Now”, only the aroma wasn’t napalm, it was grilled gray squirrel.  “Deliverance” meets “Apocalypse Now”…

The Apalachicola squirrel opener is like no other.  I’d heard that kids leave school early so they can get a jump start on going upriver and into the forest where many of their families have camps, houseboats or they just pull up and claim a high spot on the water.  While planning the trip, I’d actually had a hard time finding someone willing to take me and the crew to join in the fun.  The local guides would rather shoot squirrels than babysit a bunch of Yankees and miss out on one of the biggest deals all year.  Now, I’m no stranger to the South.  My father was an Alabama farm boy, my mother hails from Florida and I grew up in Virginia (OK, not really the South).  It doesn’t matter to these guys, I’m still a Yankee.  Adding insult to injury, I’ve called California home for many years.

Bacon Wrapped Squirrel

Through a friend, I found Tommy, a local fishing guide, to take us to his family’s cluster of houseboats and do some squirrel hunting.  Tommy’s group is also legendary for putting on a big time opening weekend fish and game feed that’s open to anyone with a boat and a cold beer.  You can’t get to most of the camps by land and, if you don’t know your way around the meandering cypress swamps, you can get turned around easily and lost for days.  During the shoot, Tommy told me about the best way to hide a dead body in the forest, but his accent was so thick that I only caught about every third word.  I spend a lot of time in the South, but we’re going to need subtitles for Tommy.  Anyway, I got the message – don’t mess with Tommy.

Tommy’s wife, Melinda, knows her way around a camp kitchen as well as any I’ve met.  There was stuff wrapped in bacon, fried, grilled, stewed and skewered.  Best of all were the iced coolers loaded with briny, perfect-sized Apalachicola oysters – my favorite oyster in the Universe.   They had greens, beans and muscadine wine that was served in a jelly jar.  Of course, we were there to shoot squirrels so the food and drink gave us an incentive to get out, whack a few tree rats and come back to camp for the after-the-hunt chowdown.

Tommy

It’s easy to understand why the Apalachicola natives might want to keep a lid on the squirrel opener and not let too many people know about just how much fun they have with a boat, a gun, a campfire and a great group of friends.  At no time did I fear for my life or feel the need to “paddle faster…”  OK, maybe a couple of times with Tommy, but I’m sure it was just my imagination.

Click Here to Like Dead Meat on Facebook!

[fbshare]

 

Posted in Programming, Recipes and Food | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Son – a Hunting Partner Like No Other

Posted on May 1, 2012 by admin

Today’s post comes from Mary Biliter, a recent guest on Wyoming’s Call of the Wild.  You can tune in for Wyoming’s Call of the Wild on Mondays 8:30 AM ET, Wednesdays 7 PM ET and Saturdays at 12 PM ET.

It was life-altering in a way that is hard to define to anyone who wasn’t there. But as with most defining moments, it was the culmination of events that lead up to it that made it a truly, one-of-a-kind experience.

Last February, Kyle and I drove from our then Alpine-based home to Cheyenne for an audition. Kyle was successful and earned a spot to be one of the 13 participants chosen for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s “Call of the Wild: Generation Next in Wyoming” show. The reality-based program thought a mother-son elk hunt would be a great Wyoming adventure so they expanded the hunt to include me.

If my inclusion in the hunt ever upset Kyle, he has yet to show it.

So when we left last week for our four-day hunt in Douglas, the directions were what directions are like for most rural areas in Wyoming: spotty. I could get lost in my backyard so imagine my difficulty finding a remote Douglas ranch in the dark. Add to it heavy fog, roaming cattle and horses and it was a navigational nightmare. That’s when Kyle’s optimism shone through the darkness.

“This is going to be so much fun.”

I almost hit something when I looked over at him. Kyle can’t lie. He doesn’t have a poker face and his voice isn’t capable of dishonesty.

“Mom, I’m so glad we’re doing this together. Thanks for being here with me.”

He leaves me speechless. What teenager thanks their mom for practically crashing their elk hunt? I wouldn’t. But I’m selfish and Kyle isn’t.

Kyle is also very gracious, I wasn’t just a hunter’s worst fear, I was a teenage son’s relative nightmare who undoubtedly hopes that my genes are recessive.

Apparently “Oops” is not something people like to hear when you’re hunting with a rifle slung over your shoulder.

And when a hunting guide quietly points toward a herd of elk, it’s really frowned upon to loudly exclaim, “I see one!”

Kyle and his cow elk

The first response makes everyone in the hunting party take cover or take away your rifle. And the second reaction causes the herd to quickly disseminate.

Still despite my repeated blunders, and there were many, Kyle stayed the course with me. And when a hunting party of eight is tracking your every move with video, cameras and microphones across miles of thick snow-covered terrain, Kyle is who you want in your camp.

After hiking in the neighborhood of 12 miles within two days, rocks began to look like elk and elk looked like rocks. When I did actually spot an elk and not a rock, the herd appeared on the skyline of a mountain, where they can’t be targeted. At every turn the elk seemed to taunt me.

There was a moment when I completely lost my composure and started to cry. I was physically spent, emotionally tapped and spiritually wrecked.

Kyle came up behind me and placed his hand on my shoulder. He didn’t say anything. He leaned his forehead on the back of my head and I felt the presence of God between us. I wiped my eyes and resumed the hunt.

The best gift of 2011 was spending four days this December with Kyle. Wyoming’s “Call of the Wild” will make its premiere on the Sportsman Channel in 2012. I hope you’ll tune in to see Kyle’s big game debut. And get a good laugh at how his mom fared in the wilds of Wyoming.

Read more: http://trib.com/opinion/columns/my-son—-a-hunting-partner-like-no/article_eb3a960a-639d-5533-b26b-86e5fd3888d6.html?mode=story#ixzz1kWAU30jj

Guest post by Mary Biliter – mother of Wyoming’s Call of the Wild hunter, Kyle Thomas.

The full version of this column first appeared in the Casper Star-Tribune.

 

Posted in Big Game Hunting, Programming | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Recipe for Nutria? Yep, From the New Series: Dead Meat

Posted on May 1, 2012 by admin

Guest post from Scott Leysath, host of Sportsman Channel’s newest series: Dead Meat.  Today’s post is from the first episode where Scott learned how to cook Nutria and experimented with seasoning hog backstrap. Watch Dead Meat Sundays at 9:30 pm E/P.

A big “thank you” to everyone for tuning in for the first episode of Dead Meat!  We received several viewer comments asking for the recipes from the show.  We had a great time in Louisiana and, believe it or not, the nutria did taste good!

The nutria and hog backstrap that I prepared in camp was pretty simple.  I suggest rubbing it with your favorite seasoning, soaking it in red wine vinegar and olive oil for several hours and then slap it on the grill until it’s done; about 165 degree at the center.  Then, wrap it up in some heavy foil with a cup or so of barbecue sauce and place it back on the grill until the meat pulls apart easily.

Scott Leysath - Man on a Mission for Dead Meat!

The hog cooked by Foster Creppel at Woodland Plantation was also simple, but time consuming.

  • Give the meat a good rub (Foster had his own blend) and refrigerate overnight.
  • Brown it either over a hot grill or in an oven.
  • Spread honey over the browned meat and place in a roasting pan.
  • Add wine and beef broth, about 1 – 2 inches depth.
  • Add chopped celery, carrots, onions and cover with heavy foil.
  • Place in a 375 degree oven for 5 – 6 hours or until the meat pulls easily away from the bone.  If you check it and it’s not tender, keep cooking.  It’ll get there.  Do make sure there’s always an inch or so of liquid in the pan.  It helps break down and tenderize the meat.

Bernie Young’s pan-fried nutria from Delta Marina in Empire, LA was a bit more complicated and he kept the exact recipe close. But here’s my estimation: The hindquarter is boned, pounded, seasoned, floured, egg washed and then coated with breadcrumbs.  Then, it’s fried in a few tablespoons each of butter and olive oil until golden brown.  Bernie topped it with fried oysters and a hollandaise sauce that also contained cooked and diced andouille sausage.

I hope these above recipes get your mouth watering! And I’ll see you next week!

Posted in Programming, Recipes and Food | Tagged , | Leave a comment