Post Thanksgiving 2012

Whew! What a holiday! This Thanksgiving, my parents and sister came down. Jason and I were really hoping both sides could make it, but it just wasn't possible this year. It was the first Thanksgiving at our house, and the first Thanksgiving that I had cooked the entire dinner (minus the cranberry sauce, because my mom's is the best!). At 5:00 AM, Jason and I woke up to throw the turkey in the smoker. The day before, I brined it using an Apple Spice Brine. The brine smelled like spiced wassail (an orange spiced beverage) and scented the entire house. We used apple wood chips for the smoke. Now, Jason had previously admitted that he was disappointed that we weren't doing a traditional roasted turkey, but as we were eating the turkey, he was thrilled by the result! It was our first smoked turkey, and took from 5 am-5:30 pm, which was about 2 hours longer than the site said it would take. Anyways, we rounded out the meal with garlic roasted sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, homemade rolls, my husband's family's salad, and of course, GRAVY! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. This dinner was followed by lemon meringue pie, pumpkin pie, and cheesecake. Wow! Talk about stuffing yourself.

Of course we went shopping on Black Friday, and unlike so many, we did wait until Friday morning to go. Things aren't worth leaving the men at home on Thanksgiving evening. Although we didn't go crazy, we sure found a few deals, and the time spent with my mom and sister was great! So thankful they were able to come down.

I think that is about all for now, but who knows what will come up between now and Christmas! Can't wait to see more family around that holiday!

2012 Elk Chronicles: Weekend 2

We got them! Yay! It took us a week of butchering after work to get the two of them processed, but it is such an amazing feeling knowing we did this on our own after all of the outdoors education we have gotten our whole lives! So, taking a moment to thank all of those in our lives who kindled this love and knowledge of the outdoors!

 

I really wanted to be "cute" in my first elk picture, because I always thought I looked dorky in my kill pictures. Turned out, I was layered up, freezing cold, and tired (like a real hunter, not some pretty girl who was only out for the morning or evening-HA!). So the cute thing really didn't work out for me. The most important thing is that I now have a lucky hat, and I'm sitting on my first dead elk!

 

 

Then there is my incredibly handsome husband on his elk (much bigger than mine, but contrary to what I said earlier, I was okay with it!). Geeze, I am one lucky girl!

2012 Elk Chronicles: Weekend 1

As much as my husband and I wish we could hunt for a living, we aren't one of the lucky ones. This being our situation, we can only hunt during the two weekends that fall within our 15 day season. Weekend one ended up being a bust, but it may have been one of the most fun hunts I have been on.

Day 1, Friday:
      Jason and I headed out on Friday morning after dropping the dogs off at the boarding kennel (this mama was a bit nervous, but turns out they were fine!) around 8:30 am. Three hours later, we were setting up camp. While Jason started with the tent, I decided to glass from the awesome vantage point that was our spot. This, of course, was not the same spot as before, you know, the one with the bathrooms...but it was a pretty great spot nonetheless. So, after looking around the flat areas, as in, not the hills that surrounded us, I go back and say I didn't see anything. Jason must not have believed me because he took the binoculars and started looking all around, including the hills. All of a sudden, he got very excited and, laughing, said, "You may want to look around more before you tell me there are no elk!" Turns out, there was a herd with two cows and three yearlings close by, then a little further out there was a herd with 3-4 bulls and the rest were cows. Hurriedly, we set up camp, the bare essentials that we knew we wouldn't want to set up after a long hike. In my excitement, I dropped my rifle right on the scope, and somehow, couldn't remember the whole time we were out there that I needed to sight it in again...ruined a few things for me over the weekend!

Fieldline Glenwood Canyon Pack

Since we first knew we drew this tag, I have been researching packs for women. Not day packs that won't be any use packing out meat, I mean a real hunting pack. I knew there was no way Jason and I would be able to drag a full grown elk very far on our own. A 4-wheeler would be wonderful, and we technically have one, but it is in Montana in his parents' garage! Lots of good there! So, instead of buying a trailer, spending money on a trip up there, and bringing it down, Jason started watching videos on how to quarter an elk. Yes, we are super old-fashioned like that. Once he let me know this plan, I started thinking; there was no way I could carry much, but I am determined not to be useless and let him do all of the work.

Life Happens

I promise I have not abandoned this blog! Life just happens, and when it does, it's quick! Okay, that is pretty dramatic. The only thing that happened is that I started working again. Nothing too exciting, I'm still subbing, but I am trying to keep my head up and convince myself that MY teaching job just hasn't come up yet.

So since I last blogged, we went scouting. Yes, I've neglected this quite a bit, I know. We stayed in a campground (with bathrooms!! Yay! I may be an outdoorsy girl, but I still rejoice when there are bathrooms.) outside of Lander, WY. It's called Sweetwater Campground and about the only thing I could find online about it were the coordinates! And no, I'm not sharing them yet. But here are some pictures from our adventure.

Playing Catch-Up

It has been a while...oops! Well here's the scoop-I'm still "just a sub." Bummer, right? Oh well, I'll just keep on keepin' on! Since I last blogged, not a whole lot has been happening.

We went night fishing, but didn't catch a darn thing! Jason had a tip that the walleye were plentiful in Pathfinder Reservoir after sunset. The attempt left us tired and empty handed. Hopefully that luck doesn't permiate into our hunt! Fingers crossed.

See that middle word in the blog title?

I've been trying my best to get a teaching job for this year. It's been rough, 3 interviews, 3 rejections. I just had an interview for a 9th OR 10/11 Language Arts classroom at Natrona County High School. That's right, one interview, two positions. Really crossing my fingers here. Yikes! It's been a frustrating summer as far as interviewing goes. Very difficult to have so much rejection when I know I'm amazing in front of a classroom, but it is SO difficult to show that in an interview.

While perusing Pinterest today, yes I am a Pinner..., I came accross a fabulous site that a friend of mine had pinned. Teachers Pay Teachers is a site that has a ton of lesson plans and activities, and teachers work together to share and collaborate! Yay! I love sharing plans. Some day, I will be extremely motivated and might share some with you here. Maybe....

2012 Red Desert Elk Hunt

A short update on our elk hunt

Yesterday, I finally got ahold of our area's warden. I had never even heard of calling a warden (or BLM office) for tips on an upcoming hunt, apparently, this is a common practice! How had I not known? Besides the fact that my side of the family never asks for help...! While talking to the warden, I got answers to several questions.

1. Where to camp and how to get there (yes, we rough it when hunting, Montana Canvas tent, Mr. Heater attached to a propane tank...let me tell ya. The first year I did this was interesting. Dad and I used to just do day hunts, as our areas were 40 miles away at most!).

2. Bull to cow ratio, I can tell you his answer to this one, since it won't really give anything away. This particular area's herd is jokingly called the "Brokeback Herd"...yes, that's right. Not that the elk are homosexual...there are 70 bulls to every 100 cows. Ridiculous, right?!

Ruger LC9

Thought I would give some insight and a short review of my new Ruger LC9. In all honesty, I was very unsure of whether I would like it. The last 9mm I shot, I wasn't thrilled with, but it was one of my friend's that I was shooting while we went to the range. Not sure of what kind it was, definitely was a while ago!

Turns out, I am BEYOND thrilled with my LC9, I do wish I had jumped on it when they were putting out pink ones, though. The one thing I had trouble with was the long trigger pull. I had been shooting my husband's Springfield .45, and the recoil from that was what I had on my brain. With the long trigger pull, I was anticipating the recoil way too soon, and was shooting WAY too low. I never claimed to be an expert with these things, but once I get the hang of a weapon, WATCH OUT! Once

First Post!

Woohoo! First post for this blog. Right here is my first "fun" blog, every other one I have ever done was for a class during college. Bout darn time I jumped on this wagon, I suppose. Although I want to make this a fun thing to keep me occupied, I have an alterior motive for starting this. I know, I am not just doing this so that every little thing I have in my head goes all over the internet...crazy, huh? Anywho, the reason I decided to start this is because Just for Does is looking for a prostaffer from each state in our wonderful country! I'm a pretty humble human being, and probably wouldn't have tried, except my husband thinks I have a chance. We shall see! I would really like this blog to evolve from being just about hunting to having a little bit of everything about me on it somewhere. Hopefully that works out for me!

As big news in my first post, I would like to announce that I finally have a good chance at a big bull elk! Heck yes! In the past, I haven't been drawn, or just didn't enter drawings for the really cool hunts, and usually just went out for deer with my dad. Thankfully, Jason (the husband) is super ambitious; one only has to look at the bighorn sheep head on our wall to figure that one out! I'm still super jealous about that hunt. He shot it without me being there! How dare he...