She Boots for Me

28 02 2013

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Recently I was hunting in Missouri in a downpour.  My eight year old pair of boots finally let me down and my feet were soaked.  On the way home from that hunt I hit a couple (OK maybe 3) Bass Pro Shops.  To justify that, they were on my way!  Anyhow, I was looking for new boots when I noticed the new SHE Boots were on the shelf.  What the heck, I love the clothes, let’s try the boots.

I bought the SHE™ Avila 10″ Mid Waterproof Rubber Hunting Boots for Ladies – Realtree AP™ for $69.99 and also the SHE™ Cami 9″ High Insulated Waterproof Hunting Hikers for Ladies – Realtree Hardwoods HD® for $119.99.  They also had the SHE™ Avila 16″ High Waterproof Rubber Hunting Boots for Ladies – Realtree AP™ for $89.99, SHE™ Cami 6” Mid Insulated Waterproof Hunting Hikers for Ladies – Realtree Hardwoods HD® for $99.99 and the SHE™ Falconn 8″ Non-Insulated Waterproof Hunting Boots for Ladies – Brown for $99.99.

I just returned from hunting in Georgia, where I had the opportunity to try the boots out, and so far I am impressed!  I wore the Avila 10″ Mid Waterproof Rubber Hunting Boots for most of my trip.  Not only were they the most comfortable rubber boots I have ever owned, my feet stayed dry.  They are not bulky and heavy like some of the other brands.  I have always hated when it looks like clown shoes on you.  These boots have accomplished the comfort, dry and warmth without the bulk.  They are lined with 5 mm neoprene, so I know come cold weather my feet will still be warm.  The self-cleaning cleated, aggressive rubber outer sole seemed to live up to their description.  While I had some mud, it did not build up thick like my other boots, and traction was not a problem, whether climbing into the tree-stand or just climbing the banks to get to it.  Another nice outcome, was that the boots are normal sized, so when you are climbing down from your tree stand both feet will fit on 1 step.  I have had “clown boots” that are too big to fit both onto the same step.  Normally I wear lace up boots for most of the hunt, because I need the support when hiking.  That was not the case on this trip, these rubber boots were my “go to” boots for everything!

I would definitely give the SHE boot line a look.  I am already planning to head back to a Bass Pro Shop to get the Avila 16″ High Waterproof Rubber Hunting Boots.  I will come back to this review in the future to update the longevity of the boots.  But for $69.99 I am beyond impressed!

http://www.shesafari.com/v2/she-boots.php

http://www.basspro.com/Brand-SHE/Shoes-Boots-Rubber-Boots/_/N-1z0v871Z1z0wepq#Brand

 

This post originally was published on Ladies in Camo’s website at http://ladiesincamo.com/licpr/2012/12/14/she-boots-for-me-diane/

Recently this post was republished on bowhunting.net at http://bowhunting.net/2013/10/gear-review-she-boots-2/





Pocket Guides

28 02 2013

Original Post was published on Ladiesincamo.com  2013

I spent a week deer and hog hunting in Alabama, and due to the non-movement of the deer, I spent a lot of time looking at tracks.  While I have an app on my Iphone that helps identify animal tracks, my phone battery kept dying due to poor signal, and unfortunately this app must be connected to the internet to work.

bobcat in mud

This could have been a problem, but it wasn’t!  I had with me the Pocket Guide to Animals/Tracks.  I had located some tracks that I thought to be cat tracks, and with the simple to use guide, I determined them to be that of a Bobcat.  The book is laser printed on tough, yet flexible, bright white plastic pages and spiral bound so that you can lay the book flat while using the information found inside, perfect for use in the field.  At a small 3 3/8” wide by 4 1/2” tall by ¼” thick, these guides pack a lot of straight forward information into a convenient packable size.  Mine was tucked into my back pack, and didn’t add any bulk or weight to my pack.  I also didn’t have to worry about water damage or the wind blowing the pages closed, which is a bonus when spending time outdoors.

Pocket Guide 010

There are 29 topics immortalized into this handy guides;  Pocket Guide To Fly Fishing, Pocket Guide To Fly Fishing, Pocket Guide To Basic Fly Tying Techniques, Pocket Guide To Fly Casting, Pocket Guide To Fly Fishing the Lakes, Pocket Guide To Dry Fly Fishing, Pocket Guide To Nymph Fishing, Pocket Guide To Fly Fishing For Largemouth Bass, Pocket Guide To Fly Fishing for Steelhead, Pocket Guide To Saltwater Fly Fishing, Pocket Guide To Walleye Fishing In Lakes, Pocket Guide To Lure Fishing For Trout In A Stream, Pocket Guide To The Food Organisms Of Trout & Their Imitation, Pocket Guide to Basic Canoeing, Pocket Guide To Golf, Pocket Guide To Cross Country Skiing, Pocket Guide To Hiking / Backpacking, Pocket Guide To Target/Field Archery, Pocket Guide To Animals / Tracks, Pocket Guide To Field Dressing Game, Pocket Guide To Outdoor Survival, Pocket Guide to Emergency First Aid, Pocket Guide To Outdoor Photography, Pocket Guide To Weather Forecasting, Pocket Guide To Travel, DAN Pocket Guide To First Aid for Scuba Diving, Pocket Guides for Emergency / Safety, Pocket Guide To Safe Babysitting, Pocket Guide To Auto Maintenance & Emergency Repair, Pocket Guide To Emergency Bicycle Repair.  These cover a lot of situations that could possibly arise.

animaltracks

I have picked out a couple more that I plan to add to my “Pocket” library, including the Pocket Guide to Emergency First Aid, which I plan to put in my first aid kit and the DAN Pocket Guide To First Aid for Scuba Diving which will be kept right inside my scuba diving bag.

These guide books are available, among other places, www.Amazon.com and www.Basspro.com.  They sell for the “easy on the pocket” price of $12.95.

Pocket Guides Publishing, Inc.

2031 San Antonio Place

Santa Rosa, CA 95405-8149

Toll-Free Information:  (866)PGUIDES   or   (866) 748-4337

Photo Credit:  Diane Hassinger, Pocketguide.net





Bruzer Gear Field Pack

28 02 2013

Original Post was published on Ladiesincamo.com  2013

I have been packing for the day, or the trip,  in the Bruzer Gear Field Pack.  This gives me a huge 1700 cubic inches to fill with everything I need to make my trip successful and comfortable.

Recently I used my pack while flying to a deer camp.  I carried all of my electronics onto the plane in my Field Pack.  My lap top, Ipad, camera and video camera all fit in the main compartment, while I kept my tickets, wallet and a couple of puzzle books and pens all neat in the front.  This pack could also double as an everyday computer bag, with all of the organizational pockets.  Plus the bag fit neatly under the seat in front of me, and protected all of my expensive electronics.

Once I got to the hunting camp, my Bruzer Gear handled the change to hunting back pack with ease.  The Gray Wolf Concealment Camouflage fabric manages to stay waterproof as well as quiet.  The large heavy zippers are easy to maneuver with gloved hands.  There are many pockets and loops inside for organizing all of my calls, licenses, flashlights and scents.  The roomy main compartment holds my larger items and also a hydration bladder pocket.  There are many straps and compression straps to keep antlers, camera arms or shooting sticks securely attached.  The nicely padded shoulder straps make carrying this back to your stand a pleasure!  There is also a waist strap that when left in, keeps the pack from moving around, or you can remove it either for a more space conscious design or simply to be a little bit lighter.  While in the tree stand the many straps easily attach to the stand or around the tree, for quick access.  Also when you are in a shooting house, this bag manages to stand upright while you rummage through it!

Unintentionally, I got to test the waterproofness of this bag.  We had a storm front moving in, pushing tornadoes along with it.  The rain was to begin at 2:00 in the afternoon.  I figured I could get through the morning hunt before donning my rain gear.  Wrong!  As it started to rain, I packed my Canon video camera and Nikon digital camera into the back pack. As the rain got heavier, I started to get wet, and, of course, no raincoat.  So there I sit, my Bruzer Gear bag sitting on my head.  While I wouldn’t recommend you having to try this, it does work!  It kept me in the stand that day!

Add any of the many accessories, and get even more organized and productive!  They have a water bottle case, sitting pad, spotting scope case, chest organizer, hydration bladder pouch, range finder case, accessory case, binocular case and bow rifle holder.  With these additions, you can truly personalize your bag exactly how you want it! This bag can evolve with all of the seasons or types of hunting you do!  I plan a few additions to mine.  You can bet I will have this bag for years to come!  This bag can do it all!

You can purchase the Bruzer Gear Field Pack, accessories and more at www.bruzergear.com.  The price of the pack is $189.99 and accessories range from $19.99 to $44.99.  They accept PayPal and credit card payments.

bruzer gear

LIFETIME WARRANTY

www.bruzergear.com

775-741-7954

 

Photo Credit:  Diane Hassinger





Big Bear Scents

28 02 2013

Original Post was published on Ladiesincamo.com  2013

It comes as no surprise to anyone, I love to bear hunt.  Therefore when I had the opportunity to review Big Bear Scents products I couldn’t wait to try them out.  Our hunting lease has some bear on it, so I thought I would try it out there.

big bear scents

I received the Gel Formula in the Star Anise flavor, and the trigger spray in both the Cinnamon Roll and the Star Anise flavors.  The Gel is used to start up a bait site; it can be squeezed onto trees, brush or anywhere else for a long lasting scent source.  Plus it holds up to the weather!  The Gel comes in 4 flavors; Star Anise, Blueberry, Caramel and Cookie Dough.  The spray can be used at the start or to refresh the site when you are hunting.  It comes in 14 delicious sounding scents, such as:  Star Anise, Bacon, Blueberry Muffin, Butterscotch, Caramel, Cinnamon Roll, Cookie Dough, Fruity Loop, Honey, Maple Syrup, Peanut Butter Cup, Raspberry, Toasted Marshmallow, and Wild Cherry Bomb, and 1 scent that only a bear could love, and I am pretty sure they do; Beaver Castor.

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The day that I started using the gel, there were several bears and many hogs that came into the site.  When I was able to hunt the lease, I sprayed the Cinnamon Roll spray on the tree trunks, low brush and even a few rocks.  The last was to determine if the bears were truly attracted to the spray or if there was something else in the tree attracting them to that place.  I was pleasantly surprised to have the game camera getting pictures of the bear and hogs licking and otherwise working over the rock!!

I was able to hunt the lease for 6 days during the season.  Unfortunately the temperature was in the 80’s and 90’s and I was also dealing with a full moon.  The animals were all nocturnal.  While the Gel and Spray did not bring the bear into my stand during legal hunting hours, I did have nightly pictures of several nice bear.  The Big Bear Scents can bring them in, but it cannot make them come out during the day.

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One word of warning though:  DO NOT use these scents when you might be hungry.  The cinnamon roll scent is so authentic, that my stomach growled with hunger the whole time I was in the tree.  I kept having images of the local doughnut shop and a hot cup of coffee going thru my mind!  Yes, I stopped on my way back to the hotel for a cinnamon roll!  I just couldn’t help myself!

An added bonus to bringing in the bear was the amount of feral hogs that were attracted to the scents.  In one area that I had drizzled the Gel, the hogs worked the area over so much, that it truly looked rototilled.  Of course, this will only work in places that already have hogs in the area.

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I have many days of bear hunting to look forward to this season, and I will definitely be using the Big Bear Scents.  They have created an easy and effective method of drawing in bears.  I also will be trying the scents out on more feral hog hunts in the future.  Even though they are not designed for that, I am not against using anything that works!  Check your local hunting regulations for the legality of using these scents.

Big Bear Scents can be purchased online at http://bigbearscents.com/.

32 ounce Trigger Spray $17.99 comes in the 15 flavors;  Star Anise, Bacon, Beaver Castor, Blueberry Muffin, Butterscotch, Caramel, Cinnamon Roll, Cookie Dough, Fruity Loop, Honey, Maple Syrup, Peanut Butter Cup, Raspberry, Toasted Marshmallow, and Wild Cherry Bomb.

Super Concentrate  $29.99 comes in the 15 flavors;  Star Anise, Bacon, Beaver Castor, Blueberry Muffin, Butterscotch, Caramel, Cinnamon Roll, Cookie Dough, Fruity Loop, Honey, Maple Syrup, Peanut Butter Cup, Raspberry, Toasted Marshmallow, and Wild Cherry Bomb.

18 ounce Gel Formula  $12.95  comes in 4 flavors;  Star Anise, Blueberry, Caramel and Cookie Dough

While you are at their website, they have an excellent section on bear facts.  Any bear hunter; novice or seasoned, will be able to find some information that is bound to be helpful.

I was so impressed with the Big Bear Scent’s products that I have decided to join their Pro Staff team!  Look for lots of good things to come!

Photo Credit:  Diane Hassinger, Floyd Gasser