Prois Hunting & Field Apparel Announces Primal Adventures “Extreme Huntress” Contest Winner at SHOT Show…Congratulations REBECCA FRANCIS!

Field Care Tips for Wild Turkeys

Copyright © 2010 by Anne Vinnola

 So you are heading out for a gorgeous day of turkey hunting. Are you prepared for having your turkey mounted by a taxidermist? Many turkey hunters don’t go past the kill part of their planning, they assume they are just going for the meat and are not prepared when a trophy walks into shooting view.

Turkeys are impressive mounted in a home. Here are some tips to help you get your turkey to the taxidermist in the best shape for a beautiful showpiece for your home or office.

Hopefully you have checked out the taxidermists in your area months before hunting season. Not every taxidermist is good at birds. Birds and fish are some of the more difficult specimens to do well. Look carefully at the turkeys in the taxidermy shop you visit. Balance is very important in a turkey mount. Does the bird appear to be ready to fall over or stumble sideways or does it look right for the position it is in? You as a hunter have a pretty good idea of how a turkey should look.

When aiming at your bird, try to wait for a shot that will not damage the fan. This seems obvious but many hunters get busy watching the tail feathers and shoot holes right through their trophy; sort of like hunters watching the racks on large bucks. The head can be replaced if necessary, but the tail feathers are harder to match.

Get over to your bird right away after you have shot it. You will want to prevent any possible thrashing around that may get the turkey dirty or harm the feathers. 

 Carry the bird by the legs not the neck. Keep it out of the dirt and weeds and if it is still bleeding place cotton or paper towels into the mouth to stop the blood flow.

Cool your turkey completely.  NEVER place a warm bird in a plastic bag, cooler or other tightly sealed container. Put it into a cool shady place with a breeze, opening up the wings and legs a bit if possible until it s thoroughly cooled.  

Decide what you want to do with your bird. Do you want a full body mount or just a fan display?  Full body turkeys are very impressive and showy and one you are going to have mounted in a full body mount really should be kept intact until you get it to the taxidermist; but you can free the breast meat only to use it if you follow these steps.

1.  Weigh the bird, so the taxidermist will know what size body to place back into the bird.

2. Place the bird on its back on a clean surface and find the line on the breast just under the beard, where there aren’t any feathers and begin your incision; cutting just deep enough to cut through the skin.

3. Cut with your clean knife facing up downward toward the vent being careful not to cut feathers. Stop your incision just above the vent. 

4. With your fingers and gently work the skin away from the breast working your way toward the back.

5. With a sharp knife remove the breast meat only from the carcass and set aside.

6. Place damp paper towels into the bird and place into a bag, keeping it dry and cool.

7. Take it to the taxidermist immediately or freeze it.

 If you will need to ship your turkey or haul it far then take some cardboard to wrap around the tail feathers or to sandwich the tail feathers, to keep them from becoming bent or frayed.

Save the spurs and the beard of your turkey and if you like the shotgun shell or arrow used to kill the bird also. A fan mounted with the beard is beautiful and the spurs are also a fun bragging piece.

When looking for a place in your home to display your bird, be sure there is no direct heat source such as a fireplace or furnace vent close by or anyway for dogs to get at it.

 Wild Turkey and Rice Soup

 Two turkey breasts cut into bite sized pieces.

3-4 stocks of celery chopped,

1 small can water chestnuts chopped

One small onion chopped

1 box or 3 cans of chicken broth

1 tbs. parsley

½ tsp. sage or poultry seasoning

½ tsp. rosemary

1 tsp black pepper

Dash salt

1 cup wild rice or wild rice blend

Dried cranberries, sliced onion and chopped walnuts for garnish

________________________________________________________________

Saute’ turkey breast, celery and onion together until the celery and onion are transparent and the turkey slightly browned.

Add broth, parsley, sage or poultry seasoning,rosemary, pepper, salt and rice and simmer until rice is tender.

Just before serving add chopped water chestnuts. 

Serve in large bowls with dried cranberries, chopped walnuts and green onions as garnish.

Tell us what you think! Do you like the recipe and how can you use this field care info? 

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via News Releases.

Camp Chef ~ SHOT SHOW Goodies!

Camp Chef's Hot pot keeps hot water at your fingertips!

The Camp Chef Dutch Oven Dome turns your dutch oven into a convection oven.

 For anyone who hasn’t yet heard of Camp Chef, you need to look this company up right now! This is THE way to cook outdoors.

 Camp Chef started in 1990 when engineer Ty Measom realized that there was little available for outdoor cooking. He designed the DB-60D a powerful 2 burner stove with shelves and with the huge success of that item he began offering more products for outdoor cooking.

Fast forward several years to the Hot Pot, this is a great item for any outdoor kitchen.  Made of steel with an enamel coating both inside and out including a steel lid to retain heat, this pretty red pot heats 20 quarts of liquid easily, another great feature is the spigot on the side that dispenses water for hot chocolate, spiced cider, broth or washing dishes easily and quickly.

The Hot Pot is sturdy, attractive and retails for around $54.

The Dutch Oven Dome is an ingenious product that turns your cast iron dutch oven into a convection oven. I watched the video online at the CampChef.com website and the Dome makes dutch oven cooking SO easy! It comes in a kit with a “flame tamer” that spreads out the flame, along with the dome itself that is made of the same flame resistant material used by firefighters.

The Dutch Oven Dome retails for approximately $38.

Camp Chef is also releasing several exciting new products this year! Watch AnnieGotHerGun.com for more info!

Editorial by Don Bendell
 
WHAT WE  MUST DO ABOUT TERRORISM!
 
            Without being seen by our seemingly half-asleep national security forces, eight members of al-Qaida, trained in both Pakistan and Yemen, took over the midwest American high school armed with AK-47s, pistols, rocket propelled grenades, two machine guns, and remote-controlled Claymore mines. Within minutes of the school take-over, even before the local police and sheriff’s deputies arrived in force, the radical jihadists started screaming “Alluyah Ahkbar!” over and over while mowing down dozens of screaming innocent students and teachers. Firing their automatic weapons, they also tossed hand grenades down hallways and into some rooms filled with hiding children. Hundreds of children and teachers were executed even before the first SWAT team was in place.
            This is horrible and inexcusable, isn’t it? It is fictional but similar happened in Russia. Alarmingly, it is the exact scenario which has been practiced in al-Qaida training camps over and over, just waiting to launch such attacks in America. Shall we wait for our children to die to then act decisively?
            In life or death confrontations, second place never works. Many people are yelling and complaining about stopping terrorists, but very few  offer solutions. I do. If there is one thing in this world that I know as an expert and understand very well: That is fighting, protecting your loved ones, and winning. How must we stay ahead of the terrorists and stay alive?
            We must first, overcome denial, now. We have tried our nice feel-good tactics to suck up to the fanatical jihadists, such as electing a President with a Muslin name, adding a few Muslims to Hollywood and Beltway A-Party lists, and other stratagems to prove we are not prejudiced. It did not work with bullies on the playground taking our lunch money, and it will not work now. The al-Qaida, a fanatical well-organized, well-equipped, and well-trained guerilla army; secretly backed by both Iran and China, has one mindset, Dar el Islam, the Nation of Islam,” meaning world domination by Islam under Sharia law, where women wear burqas, are beaten regularly, and have zero rights, and all human rights are a joke. They want to convert or kill all Christians and kill all Jews, period. The only thing that will deter that is winning the supposedly non-existent Global War On Terrorism.          Usama bin Laden has stated many times that his number one goal is to detonate nuclear devices in two major American cities simultaneously with large Jewish populations during daylight hours for maximum terror affect. This is well-documented. He was behind 9-11, eight years after the first World Trade Center attack that was not quite as successful. Another eight years has passed and Flight 253 was a protected blessing from God and a warning for us, a divinely-inspired two by four across our head to get our attention. We must think post-9-11 not pre-9-11 for our survival.
            To that end, write to the White House and your congressman and insist that the President fires Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and replace her with someone who is not in over their head, such as House Armed Services Committee Chair Duncan Hunter or Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, and then let them do their job. By the same regard, insist that the President allow his generals and admirals to do their job without any interference by him or other politicians, as it was done in World War II where we won with unconditional surrender. In like manner, those same generals and admirals are to be ordered to allow their field commanders, who have been trained at a high cost, and with “boots on the ground” to be allowed to command their battles and combat situations without micromanagement from air-conditioned staff and command offices.
            Next, we MUST take the handcuffs and shackles off of our troops. According to the NY Times, the rules of engagement in Afghanistan state the following:
   “1. No night or surprise searches.
    2. Villagers have to be warned prior to searches.
    3. ANA or ANP must accompany U.S. units on searches.
    4. U.S. soldiers may not fire at the enemy unless the enemy is
    preparing to fire first.
    5. U.S. forces cannot engage the enemy if civilians are present.
    6. Only women can search women.
    7. Troops can fire at an insurgent if they catch him placing an IED
    but not if insurgents are walking away from an area where explosives
    have been laid.”
            This is insane! It is absolutely ludicrous and our troops will certainly be killed and can never win operating under such rules. Further, several Navy SEALs are charged and being court-martialed because a prisoner accused them of abuse with only a bloody lip to show for it. In POW training as a young Special Forces officer, I was water-boarded, given a black eye, split lip, broken rib, numerous cuts, tortured; and it probably made me a much safer and more effective officer in Vietnam. Guess what? I am still alive and in my sixties now and would go through the training again for my nation, gladly. The Commander in Chief should court-martial any senior officers who would even bring up such ludicrous charges against these fine brave warriors or any in similar circumstance. Why would any brave young American desire to go into specops or into combat if their commanders will not back them up? This thinking lends itself to the governmental mindset which has filtered down through every over-crowded branch of our giant bureaucracy.   
            Since Barack Obama took office, the Beltway mindset has been to cover you’re a*#, and not protect our homeland or our military. The President made it clear, we would become a kinder, gentler nation, so everybody in government positions are unwilling to stick their necks out to issue warnings, protect our citizenry, or speak out against possible terrorists for fear of being labeled a racist, intolerant, or too aggressive. Our Commander-In-Chief stated that the war does not exist, even though the al-Qaida declared jihad (Holy War) and started waging it when Jimmy Carter was President. Afraid of losing their lucrative bureaucratic jobs in a bad economy, many Beltway staffers have become Obamaphobes.
            Finally, regarding our airways. Muslims are not often terrorists but terrorists are always Muslims. Target mideasterners between 18 and 40 years of age in airport security. Search them thoroughly and not white-haired, white-skinned grandmothers. In other words, protect us, use common sense, and STOP the social experimentation crap and political correctness in airport security. Any pilot, co-pilot, or navigator riding in a locked cockpit and responsible for propelling hundreds safely through the atmosphere at 30,000 feet in a machine, should have enough common sense to be taught gun safety and proper gun handling and should be allowed to carry concealed weapons in the cockpit, in accepted calibers and nomenclature that will not penetrate the aircraft skin if fired.  
            Anybody in national security, law enforcement, airline security, and border and port security in supervisory positions needs to be able to communicate with each other with no concern about jurisdictional dispute, and also must be held totally accountable for any and all lapses.
            You will never win any fight, war, or self defense situation by acting wimpy, indecisive, or bowing down to your enemy. This only empowers them. They see it as weakness, and our nation is now viewed that way by other nations. They see us as naïve, weak, and easily-manipulated. We are not. We are Americans, but that is how our leaders have been presenting us to the world. It must first start with overcoming denial.
 
Don Bendell is the author of 27 books, including his newest novel, DETACHMENT DELTA, about modern day Delta Force(Jan, 2009, Berkley Books), with over 2,000,000 copies of his books in print worldwide and the new western novel STRONGHEART, (Berkley Books, 2010) which will be released this year. Don is a popular editorialist who has appeared on FOX NEWS LIVE, and many national radio shows. A 70% disabled vet, Don served as an officer in 4 Special Forces (Green Beret) Groups, including a 1968-1969 tour on an A-team in Vietnam, as well as the Top Secret Phoenix Program and has two sons in Special Forces.  A 1995 inductee into the International Karate Hall of Fame and a Grandmaster in 5 martial arts, he and his Master wife, Shirley, also own karate schools in southern Colorado and are the first couple in history BOTH inducted into the Hall of Fame. Don is “a real cowboy with a real horse and real ranch” and lives outside Florence, Colorado. Write him at don@donbendell.com.
 
 
 
Don Bendell
Visit Don’s new site: www.donbendell.com
Buy Don’s military thriller DETACHMENT DELTA now, and watch for his new western STRONGHEART, 2010.
 

Niki Atcheson -from Missionary’s kid to big game outfitter to Próis Field-Staff
At Prois Hunting & Field Apparel for Women, we understand that it is the people on our team that make the business a success.  With that, we are immensely pleased to announce the addition of Niki Atcheson to our Field-Staff team. 
Niki Atcheson grew up as the daughter of medical missionary parents at Kibuye Hospital station in Burundi and Rwanda. It was 1960 and remote at the time. Outside communication happened just once a week on short wave radio. It was here that her passion for hunting began and now, in what some still consider the wild – Butte, Montana – her quest to hunt the world continues.
Out of Africa, Niki became a hunting guide for South Point Safaris on the big island of Hawaii. Remote Mauna Loa supported the world’s most pure strain of Mouflon sheep, as well as many other species. She described the experience: “Hunting from jungle to savannah to barren lava in this exotic location was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.”
Niki could not stay away from Africa, continuing to hunt there while using International Hunting Consultant Keith Atcheson, of Jack Atcheson & Sons, as her advisor. She concentrated on hunting dangerous game, including Cape buffalo. She said, “Zimbabwe is my favorite country to hunt, but I have also hunted in Namibia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa and the Cameroons.”
She married Keith and for the past nine years, they have hunted the world together. They also run an outfitting and guiding business, Hunters Montana, for elk, deer and antelope. The couple spends most of their time running Jack Atcheson and Sons International Hunting Agency. They often take their combined family of five children (four girls!) hunting with them.
An avid writer, Niki has contributed many articles encouraging other woman and kids to enjoy her passion of hunting and the outdoors. She firmly believes that the lifestyle of hunting fishing is an intricate part of our connection with to Earth.
She said, “What keeps me guiding through long hours, tremendous work and bad weather is the amazing people I meet. The honor of hunting with clients and seeing them achieve their goals is as much a fulfillment to me as a guide as my own hunting. Hunting has allowed me to meet some of the most giving, courageous and adventuresome woman in the world.”
When spending time back at home in Montana, Niki can be found gardening, watching birds or reading true-life adventure novels. We wonder if these stories can even begin to compare to her own life’s story? We’re thrilled to have this big game guide, American huntress on the team at Próis.

 
Kirstie Pike- Owner/CEO
Prois Hunting and Field Apparel
SERIOUS HUNTWEAR FOR REAL WOMEN
www.proishunting.com
28001-B West Highway 50
Gunnison, CO   81230
Phone: (970) 641-3355
Fax:  (970) 641-4400

HUSBAND-WIFE FIRST COUPLE EVER IN HALL OF FAME!
 
            SOUTHERN COLORADO: 5th degree black belt Master Shirley Bendell of Florence, Colorado was shocked and surprised at a banquet at the Pueblo Shrine Club Hall at Pueblo West, Colorado when she was inducted into the International Karate and Kickboxing Hall of Fame, joining her husband Grandmaster Don Bendell, a 1995 inductee, to become the first husband and wife ever to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Former World Champion and 1988 inductee Grandmaster Bob Chaney flew in from Temecula, California to make the surprise induction. Public about being a former victim of gang and acquaintance rape, Master Bendell was cited for her renowned Sexual Assault Prevention clinics for women and girls which have saved many females from rape and domestic assault; her innovative Mini-Ninja program for 3, 4, and 5 year olds which was the first of its kind in southern Colorado and is now copied by every major school in the state; and it was brought out that Master Shirley Bendell when competing in tournament competition not only won first place every time she fought, she has never had one single point scored against her by another woman in sparring competition.
            With tears flowing before the audience of several hundred, Master Bendell was first surprised with a “This is Your Life- Shirley Bendell” ceremony with one of her 2 Green Beret sons on his way to Afghanistan walking out in his dress greens, as well as her oldest son and his family, her 2 best friends from high school in Youngstown, Ohio in the late sixties, and other family members and friends who flew in from all over the country. Messages of congratulations were read from friends Bo Derek, H. Ross Perot, and other celebrities.
            A grandmother of 7, mother of 3, and step-mother of 3; Master Bendell owns and operates Bendell Karate in Pueblo West and Canon City with her husband and is a 5th degree black belt master instructor in Song Moo Kwan Tae Kwon Do, Freestyle Karate, Shita Jujitsu, and Judo. Shirley has a Bachelors degree in film and television from Colorado State University-Pueblo and is working on her Masters degree in Business Leadership at Grand Canyon University along with Don. Don is an author, editorialist, and public speaker.

The Emerald Hotel

 M.A. Starner

The Emerald Hotel is a fast paced intriguing tale that takes you into a small Rhodesian village in 1901 where you are introduced to young Musi as her family and friends and peaceful way of life are brutally stolen from her and follow her courageous struggle for survival.

 Musi is taken captive by Kahlid  an emerald mine owner and evil slave master and our intelligent and determined heroine eventually kills her captor and is left fending for herself in the wild African wilderness. Emeralds scattered around her in the sand are a grim reminder of her situation but Musi is smart enough to know that they are also the key to her future.

This carefully woven story takes the reader on a exciting and often brutal trip into the emerald trade of Africa and through several decades until Americans Tom Dugan and Gabe Adams are running for their lives carrying thirty pounds of precious emeralds with Colonel Zima using his best trackers making sure they do not leave Africa alive!

I highly recommend this engaging and fast paced book for adults as there are a few scenes that may be a bit harsh for kids to read.

 M. A. Starner wrote The Emerald Hotel after a gem hunting adventure in Zambia where an article about the trip also appeared in Rock and Gem Magazine. Al Starner is a lifelong gem and mineral collector, big game hunter, pilot and skydiver. His work has been published in Soldier of Fortune and Flying Magazine and many others. He lives in Southern Colorado with his wife Janet and is currently working on his next novel. Oh did I mention he is my dad!

Get your copy on Amazon.com

Kirstie Pike~ CEO~ Prois Hunting Apparel

 

Having grown up in the outdoors where she developed a love of nature while boating, camping, horseback riding and fishing; Kirstie was also excited to learn to hunt from her husband Steve and has passed her love of hunting to her two daughters Hanna and Haydyn.

 While gearing up to hunt each year, Kirstie was frustrated as many lady hunters are with the poor selection of hunting clothing for women. So with the support of her family she took it upon herself to change things. Prois Women’s Hunting Apparel (pronounced pro-iss) was born with strict attention to functionality and fit. “Women were tired of wearing their husband’s hand-me-downs or trudging through the woods in bulky ill fitting clothing that didn’t keep them warm.”

Having worn athletic clothing throughout her life as an avid participant in running, downhill skiing and cross country skiing, Kirstie took great ideas from the athletic clothing lines she liked best and went to the drawing board; coming up with designs that fit well, look great and function for the hunter.

One of my favorite features of her jackets and vests is the ingenious scapular drop pocket where you can place a hand warmer and keep your core temperature steady. I also love that I can wash and wear all pieces and they are very durable, keeping their shape and good looks wash after wash.

Elk and mule deer are her favorite animals to hunt since they offer a rugged challenge and she has been known to bring down her fair share of pheasants on our trips to Pheasant Phun in South Dakota!

The memberships Kirstie loves to promote in the outdoor industry are the National Rifle Association and National Shooting Sports Foundation since they do so much to monitor and protect our rights but they have also been proactive in promoting women in the field.  She also is a big fan of the Rocky Mountain elk Foundation and the National Wild Turkey Federation for all of their conservation and management efforts.

I asked Kirstie what she sees as the biggest challenge hunters and sportsmen face. She replied “One is the constant battle against the anti-hunters and their misconception of the sport and the other is to ensure we continue to work hard to pass the love of hunting on to our kids and future generations. “ She went on “This starts not only at home but also takes a lot of initiatives to ensure gun rights, land/animal management and conservation.”

I know Kirstie will always be a mentor to other women in the sport and will bring up her daughters to do the same. That is why Kirstie Pike is an OUTSTANDING SPORTSWOMAN!

Contact Kirstie at www.proishunting.com or call 1-970-641-3355 to order your hunting gear in time for Christmas!