Sportsmen’s Outdoor Strategies

“If I inspire just one little girl, then it’s totally worth it for me.” Laura Kristi

Being a female new to hunting, I am always wishing for more women to be featured on the screen. Finally, a female with the passion so many of us share for hunting will be featured on one of the outdoor industry’s most popular hunting shows. Laura Kristi is a girl you are sure to want to follow co-hosting the hit show Sportsmens Outdoor Strategies. SOS TV is comprised of many greats. Hosting with two of the most well respected outdoorsmen in the industry today, Bob Walker and Paul Butski, adding Laura to the mix was nothing short of a brillant addition to the show.

So many female hunters are begging the industry to feature the women of the sport, and to have one represented on this show with such enthusiasm is something I cant wait to watch. Being a female hunter, I often flip through the shows wondering when the ladies will be featured to follow and learn from them. Finally a show has come along with the insight to give us someone with the excitement of a beginner and a passion we all share for the outdoors. This is not just a gentlemen’s sport anymore!

Laura is a beginner and is eager to tell the story that everyone has to start somewhere. The industry is comprised of so many hunters who seem to know everything inside and out, and have been there and done that. Laura is excited to show a different side to the hunt, one some of us have just begun…or one where we need some encouragement to keep going on those frustrating days. “I am very much a beginner, I’m learning along with alot of other people in this world how to hunt. Lucky for me I’m learning from the best, but I’m so many emotions. I’m anxious, I’m nervous, I’m so excited…but most of all I can’t wait to just get out there and show people, more or less women and children, that it’s something everyone can do. It’s not just for the guys anymore.”

Laura is no stranger to the screen, and with so much history and success in front of the camera, she is one to get excited about watching as she takes to the woods to learn the ins-and-outs of having that hunting passion we all know so much about. Being new to hunting, SOS TV  will be featuring Laura taking the Hunters Safety Course, learning the art of shooting guns, bows and everything else hunting encompasses. There is so much out there to learn, and to be able to follow some of the industry greats while watching Laura learn and grow as we all are, is sure to be something to set this show apart from the rest!

Laura grew up in Colorado, and along side her brother Jerry, spent days four-wheeling and fishing. Laura eventually turned down numerous volleyball schlorships to pursue her dream to be on television. Graduating from Colorado State University with a BA in Communications, it took Laura no time to land numerous jobs on air while balancing a modeling career. Many successful jobs later, Laura was contacted by non other than Bob Walker of SOS TV  and creator of Walker’s Game Ear ( www.walkersgameear.com .) With the support and encouragement of co-host and expert turkey caller Paul Butski, Laura was asked to co-host along side the men, and be given the once in a lifetime opportunity to learn to hunt, on air, with some of the most respected and talented hunters of our time.

Of course Laura immediately jumped on board and the rest is history! Wanting to encourage and promote the women and children of hunting and the outdoors, Laura is able to pursue many of her dreams all at once…and share them with us.

As said before, Laura is new to hunting like many women and children are. This is going to be a great opportunity for viewers to learn from the beginning how to enter into what we sometimes feel is an “overwhelming adventure.” Laura begins her time on SOS TV  with completing the Hunter Safety Course. We will be able to follow Laura through her moments of learning everything from weapons to calls, to studying wildlife and taking her first harvests. Isn’t this what it’s all about anyway, joining others in their excitement in the pursuit of a harvest?

In talking with Laura, it is easy to remember some of my first experiences in the outdoors…how breathtaking so many of the experiences have been and how precious time with family and friends have been over the years. It’s exciting to see a woman about to embark on a journey were I have recently been, and love to remember when stories are shared. This is something I can’t wait to see her experience on screen.

Laura is one of the most passionate women I have met, especially in this business. Not only is she thrilled to have this opportunity to hunt, she values and respects all the aspects of the hunt, and the help that is going to take her on her journey outdoors.

In the 2008 season Laura will be taking her Hunters Safety Course, training, and learning everything she can learn about the hunt, so by 2009 she will be out there for all of us to see and learn with. “By the ‘09 season I’ll actually be on the hunt with the guys,” something Laura can’t wait to begin. “Bob (Walker) already told me we are going to be going to every part of the country, we are going to be hunting every animal you can imagine.”

Nothing but pure excitement comes continuously flying out of Laura as she tells of her future plans. Not only is she eager to get out there, I am just as eager to follow along with her as her future in the woods is about to be born and nurtured on screen. A perfect choice has been made for the women and children who have a love for the outdoors. Laura is going to be an amazing representation of the new hunters out there,  most importantly the women.

To learn more about SOS TV showtimes visit www.sostvonline.com . Also be sure to visit www.laurakristi.com for more news on Laura, as well as pictures, blogs and more!

 

” Country music is supposed to be real, thats what I am.” Colt Ford

If you have yet to hear of Colt Ford you will very soon. Fans say Colt is mixing a little bit of  “Kid Rock, meets Charlie Daniels over at Lynard Skynards house.” With his amazing rock and country combination, Colt Ford seems to be blowing up everywhere on the country music scene. From the intro to Country Music Televisions Mobile Home Disaster, to writing and performing the PBR Anthem, all the way to collaborations with John Michael Montgomery, Brantley Gilbert, and Montgomery Gentry, Colt Ford is paving his way through the more recent pop sound of country music, and putting a new spin on the lost country music of yesterday. Putting this new sound and “real country” spin back into country music, he only speaks in cold hard country facts, ones that only a country man can know about…the hunting, working and playing of the true country guys and gals out there on the farm.“Everything I talk about is real country stuff - God, family, friends, America, working hard. Thats what country folks are about.” Colt writes and speaks what he, his family and his friends are about. Colt knows country, he knows country people and he knows how to tell it like it is. Whether the industry thinks it will be successful or not, Colt is putting his music out there for his fans to decide. With Colts following, his hits, and his constant collaborations with some of the most successful top country artists of all time, it seems Colt has it right. “Country people are real honest and thats what I am. My music is that way.”

Writing and putting his voice behind the intro to Huntin’ the World Southern Style, the Outdoor Channels hit hunting show, Colt seems to have fans everywhere because of his “tell it like it is” approach to country music. If you think that this sound isnt for you, think again. Sit back and take a listen to his new cd and you will definitely have a new favorite to listen to in the truck on the way to the stand. Not only does Colt write from his experiences from living country, Colt keeps it real and even makes you laugh along the way. If you are country and dont think you will like this sound, you are mistaken.

Not only is Colt a hunter and fisherman looking to find the time to get to the boat or blind, many do not know that Colt was a professional golfer on the PGA Tour for 7 years. After he left the Tour, Colt remained golfing, teaching the pro’s until he decided to follow his other passion, music.

Upcoming in 2009, Colt is excited to launch a reality based show with a golf and music twist that everyone is sure to love. Partnering up with his good friend and fellow golfer, Adrain Young the drummer from rock band No Doubt, the pair will “punk” numerous celebrities on the golf course. “Me with a cowboy hat and 300 pounds, and Adrain, a skinny Southern California boy with a mohawk-its gonna be fun! We are kinda the odd couple.” If you have seen the show Rob & Big on MTV you are sure to get a laugh out of this pair upcoming in 2009!

With so much on his plate, it is amazing that any man can keep up this pace, especially with a wife and two children at home. Colt, as in numerous interviews I have read, never forgets to mention the love for his wife and children. He continues, as we talk, to tell me how important his wife and his children are and how fortunate he is to have such a supportive family.

To listen to a few songs off his new album Ride Through the Country,check out www.coltford.com or head over to his Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/coltford. Also be sure to stop by www.huntintheworld.com to check out showtimes on the Outdoor Channel and to catch a glimpse of Colts award-winning intro!

You do not have to be born into a hunting family to be a successful hunter these days. With the acceptance levels growing rapidly for women hunting and becoming more active in the outdoors, you can start out with ambition today and be harvesting your animal of choice tomorrow. With time spent dedicated to researching and learning your equipment, and time spent asking questions and learning from anyone around you who will help and encourage you, you can learn and grow just as Tiffany Lakosky has. Tiffany may look like she has been hunting since childhood with her confidence and natural ability to harvest numerous whitetail, but Tiffany did not grow up hunting.

“My dad did not hunt at all, I was not raised hunting. I started hunting when I started dating Lee. I used to fish with my dad all the time, but he did not hunt. So once I started dating Lee he was like,” you wanna learn how to shoot a bow?” and I was like,”ok.” So I started shooting a bow and it just really escalated from there…I just really took to it.”

It may seem overwhelming at first, but everyone has to start somewhere. Every woman has her own story on how she got hooked with the “hunting bug.”

Tiffany Lakosky is no different from any other woman who is out in the hunting woods. It may be hard to believe with the opportunities Tiffany has now, but just starting out this Minnesota gal never dreamed her life would surpass the hardworking days of being a flight attendant, to the early mornings and late evenings of hunting whitetail in the big buck state of Iowa and beyond.  And to film one of the most popular hunting shows the Outdoor Channel has to offer its viewers, Tiffany would be the last person around to believe that all this would happen in her life.

In talking with Tiffany, it is easy to hear in her voice how shocked she still is about how her life has turned upside down over the past few years. She remains as humble as anyone you would ever meet on the street, all while being one of the most widely recognized faces in todays hunting and outdoor industry. She repeats herself numerous times in pure astonishment about the lines of people who wait to see her at the expos and tradeshows she attends;

“for us its surreal, it’s still surreal…like when we go to the Deerassic and people wait in line to meet us. We are like, oh my gosh can you believe that somebody would wait in line to meet us? We still cannot believe that it has gotten to this. I mean in reality we are just regular, normal rednecks that freaking live in a pole barn in Salem, Iowa!”

As any hunter or huntress knows a confident and supportive hunting partner is essential to the growth and development of their new skills. Mistakes and nerves build up in all of us, and it is how one handles those feelings is what separates the successful hunter from the unsuccessful one.

Being introduced to hunting by Lee, Tiffany does not recall a time where she was ever alone in her stand. With Lee by her side and talking her through her early hunts and keeping her calm, Tiffany claims she still gets excited when the big bucks walk in, but with Lee’s support and encouragement and alot of practice,she has harnessed her nerves and continues to make successful kill shots.

In the past, if women were not introduced to hunting in their younger years by their fathers, they soon accompanied an eager boyfriend or husband out due to his encouragement.  Many times Tiffany is asked by the guys how to get their wives, children or girlfriends interested. Tiffany emphasizes that they should want to hunt in the first place, because sometimes the interest is just not there. Even some guys don’t want to hunt. But if they seem to be interested to head out into the woods for the first time, Tiffany says,

“the first thing I would say is to keep it fun and keep it real low pressure. Lee always was really good about that. The second most important thing is to make sure that you get them the right equipment. I don’t know how many times you hear, “well, I gave her my old bow,” and it’s like do you know the chances of her being able to pull back your bow? I mean, I couldn’t pull back Lee’s bow and I shoot all the time. And to have it the right draw length and everything else…you’re just setting them up for failure. You gotta give them their own stuff. First, keep it fun, secondly the right equipment makes a huge difference. And you know, start them out easy. Lee started me out in early season up in Minnesota where it was just pretty to sit out there whether I was hunting or not. It was just a pretty time of year…you just want to watch the look out at the wilderness and everything else. That made a huge difference. You never want to sit them out there when it’s pouring rain out. Of course I’ll sit out there in the rain now because I’ve shot some of my biggest bucks in the rain, but back then I’d be like this isn’t fun, why would anybody do this!”

Also being a turkey hunter, Tiffany thinks that spring turkey season is a wonderful time to introduce women or children into hunting if their interest is there.

“I think turkey season is a perfect time to really introduce somebody into hunting just because turkey season is so low impact. You don’t have to worry about scents, you don’t have to worry if you spook a turkey…you just get on to the next turkey. It’s not like if you spook a 170…that’s pretty heartbreaking. Turkey season is fun, its more active. Alot of people aren’t used to sitting still for that long a time so it’s nice during turkey hunting because you’re moving around, spot and stalking. So turkey season is always really a nice time to take kids and women out who have never hunted before.”

With her experience in the stand, and with her ability to field test any product she can get her hands on, Tiffany is the first to admit she loves testing out any new product that comes out on the market. When asked about what her essentials are she is eager to share her simple secrets such as the Scent-Lok ladies pants that have pockets on the legs to hold a few extra items, down to her must have Hunters Safety vest. When asked what is a definite for the trip to the stand Tiffany replies with;

“I always have my grunt call, I always have my rangefinder…my grunt call, my rangefinder, my binoc’s and my rattling horns. Anything else I could probably live without.”

With that I was quick to ask Tiffany of her opinion of a rattle bag versus rattling horns, and she replied;

“I feel that there is a difference. The deer that we are looking for, which I don’t even care about antler size, we are looking for mature deer. A rattle bag does not sound the same as rattling antlers. Thats just what we think, everybody always has their opinion, but I think they just sound better.”

Without being able to hunt until October 1st, Tiffany was packing to head out for their annual 40-day hunting trip. She said,

“we start out West, where you can hunt earlier, we head to Colorado then we go to Alberta…which is one of our favorite spots to hunt. Then we go up to New Mexico.”

Knowing I had to let Tiffany go to finish packing, I wanted to ask her one more question about being out in the woods. We have all spent so many hours in our stands and blinds that we often experience strange occurences in the woods, either from the surrounding wildlife or by people not knowing we are there. With Lee and Tiffany having the chance to be out more than the average hunter, I was quick to ask what the most unusual thing they had ever witnessed, human or animal.

”We really haven’t seen anything…but I have a Gary LaVox story that was kinda funny. He was hunting in Ohio and he all of the sudden looked up and he saw this naked man out there. He was in his treestand and he was like “oh my gosh, what in the world is going on?” Well it turns out the guy was an amish kid and he actually had just crossed the creek and he just didn’t want to get his clothes wet so he took all of his clothes off! He then put them back on once he got over it!”

To catch showtimes for “Scent-Lok’s Gettin’Close” visit WWW.GETTINCLOSE.COM , and for “Whitetail Freaks” stop by WWW.WHITETAILFREAKS.COM . You can also stop by the Outdoor Channel at WWW.OUTDOORCHANNEL.COM  for more show information.

 

Special thanks to Tiffany’s mother, Linda Profant, whom I met at the Deerassic Classic in Cambridge, Ohio. I never would have dreamed that Tiffany or her mother would be as humble and as friendly as the day I introduced myself, as everyone else has so many times, in line. They are both a joy to talk with and I wish  their family all the best in the years to come. Thank you Tiffany for taking the time to talk with me, it was nice to finally get alittle girl time in. Happy hunting ladies and I hope to see you again soon!

With 40 years of experience deer hunting all over the United States and Canada, Greg Miller of In Pursuit With Greg Miller airing on the Outdoor Channel, has agreed to review questions from Her Outdoors readers and choose a handful to answer.

Greg Miller has co-hosted and appeared on such shows and DVDs as; Prime Time Bucks, Realtree’s Monster Bucks,Thompson Centers Game Trails, H.S Outdoors, and North American Whitetail Television. Greg has had over 1000 hunting articles published over the years and has authored five books.

Take a minute and submit your question above under “comments” and have a once in a lifetime chance of Greg Miller answering your deer and deer hunting question personally.

To learn more about Greg Miller and catch In Pursuit With Greg Miller times, visit www.inpursuittv.com

I just had to ask, and Tiffany laughed as she began to tell the story of how her and her husband Lee ended up living in a pole barn/house.

“Lee drew it, to be honest. We were out at a bar one evening and he drew it on a napkin. Its so funny because we were never going to live here, we never started out doing this. We lived up in Minnesota and we had a very nice life up there. Lee had a very good job up there, and I had a good job up there. This wasn’t something we were actually going to do.Our house that we live in now was just going to be a hunting shack where we would come down on the weekends and when we had time off. So once Lee had quit his job, we were like wow, we better make this alittle nicer so we just made it alittle nicer inside. Still as a whole, we dont have a basement and everybody has basements where we come from! We only have two bedrooms, our closets are small - its nothing we would’ve necessarily designed if we were ever going to live here like this. So yes, we were just at a bar one day having a cocktail, and Lee drew it on a napkin! “

For more of my interview with Tiffany keep checking back for the full article to be posted very soon!

 

 

 

 

 

Corey Codgell of Eagle River, Alaska proudly took home the Bronze Medal in this years’ Womens Trapshooting competition in Beijing, China. She is the only Alaskan to ever bring home a medal in the Olympics.

Only being introduced to International style trapshooting at age 16, and moving to Texas with her sister at 19 to begin training, Corey has accomplished some amazing feats in just a few short years of competitive style shooting.

For those who are not familiar with an International style trapshooting competition, Corey explains trapshooting as a “a flushing type target with the presentation of a pheasant type hunt, where skeet shooting is a crossing target presenting as a duck or dove style hunt.”Corey says that in International trapshooting competitions, she has the random possibility that her target can come from one of 15 machines as she waits at the shooting line. Instead of the normal target coming out of one known machine for the shooter in most clay target sports, in International trapshooting, the shooter must be prepared for the target to come out of any one of 15 machines along a 60 foot long in-ground bunker. Also, in International trap, the targets are twice as fast coming out of the machines and at harder angles than in your more regular shooting situations.

So now you might ask, where or how in the world does a homeschooled girl from Alaska learn she has medal winning talent in trapshooting? It only takes a few minutes of talking with Corey, and a couple views to her photo album to see that Corey was born to shoot.

Corey began shooting tin cans with her sister Tanis, around the young age of 3. Being homeschooled did not stop Corey from being active in 4-H, traveling to Italy to study cooking to become an assistant chef, and following her passion for shooting into the woods to hunt with her family. After 3 years of patiently waiting for her first moose harvest, Corey says, “one of my most memorable hunting moments was my first moose that I shot. It was just really special because I had gone out for 3 years trying to get a moose with my dad, and I was really lucky because my dad was right there with me when I shot it. I can remember him telling me, “shoot it baby, shoot it!” and to just be able to share that with my dad was so memorable.”

Not only does Corey have incredible talent as a trapshooter, hunter, fisherman and mechanic, this girl even rides motorcycles and can not wait to purchase her first bike in the near future! Corey is quick to encourage women who have a passion like hers for hunting and the outdoors to remain confident and proud that you are a women in the sport, and you can be just as talented and successful as any of the men. “I am a pretty strong believer that girls can be really involved in the outdoors and still love all the feminine things in life - I am such a girlie girl! I love shoes, I love to shop and I love to cook, and that doesn’t have to take away from my love of the outdoors and hunting and fishing.”

Is there anything this girl does not do? Trapshooting to bowhunting, four wheeling to fishing, Corey Cogdell is one inspirational outdoor woman.

If you want to learn more about Corey, send her an email, or check out more of her Olympic or hunting pictures, visit her Camospace site at www.camospace.com/CoreyCogdell. Also be sure to check your local listings to catch a glimpse of Corey on The Oprah Winfrey Show at the “Welcome Home Team USA” celebration this Monday, September 8, 2008.

 

TRADITION. Merriam-Webster defines a tradition as “the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction.”

With the increase in the competitive nature of the hunters in the woods these days, where the motto seems to be “bigger is better”, the ladies of the Droptine Divas and the men of Team Droptine are bringing you a second series DVD where the tradition of the hunt is the main focus.

What or who originally drew you to the woods? Was it merely the thrill of the harvest of a huge buck or the beauty of nature? Or was it a loved one who took the time to show you the way ? Today, with the hunting industry full of new innovative gadgets and gear, and video after video comprised of monster buck after monster buck, somewhere the traditional aspect of the hunt seems to have fallen into the shadows of the mainstream hunting industry. Highlighted in a few segments on each show, the guys seem to only occasionally take the time to explain why they are out in the wilderness. With the viewer demand so high for big buck footage, to take this time out to teach must be truely important to the editor of the show. However we must remember that each man and woman has her own sacred history on why they are out in attempts of harvesting one of natures most beautiful creatures, so why are we not taking the time to tell our stories and share our experiences with others and our children?

The Droptine Divas are here to do just that! As Shelly, Co-Host of Droptine Divas said it so well,” to be out in the wild, to see the colors on the trees, to watch the squirrels play, to notice the little things you normally dont get to notice….the stillness and quietness of nature, is that not why we are out there?”

Shelly, Co-Host of the Droptine Divas, grew up in the big buck state of Wisconsin and knows a thing or two about family farming, and the traditional family hunt. Rifle hunting with her family all her life, Shelly took up bowhunting in the past two years and is very proud to share her story of the harvest of her first doe with her bow. “Everything has to come together bowhunting. The yardage, the angles, and the shot placements. When all this comes together it is the best feeling.” Shelly could not stop the hunting bug if she tried to in her household. Shelly was excited to take her 7 year old daughter Halie out for her first time shed hunting, this year. For a young girl to already have a pink .22 and beg her mama to shed hunt, Shelly must be one proud hunting mom.

Tara, fellow Co-Host of the Divas, also lives in Wisconsin. Farming most of her life, Tara had many female influences that passed the hunting tradition down to her. Her dad had her in the stand by age two, and she laughs as she remembers her mother in her stand with her magazines….if the deer weren’t cooperating for the day. Raised in a family of “hardcore gun hunters”, Tara also was a successful rifle hunter. Obtaining her hunters safety license at age 12, Tara has harvested numerous deer over the years with her rifle. Tara, like Shelly is new to bowhunting. She received a bow for her birthday a few years ago and cant wait to get back out and harvest another deer with it. Not only is Tara one of the most driven whitetail hunters, she is also a mother, like many of the Droptine Diva girls. Tara glows as she laughs about her 20 month old daughter Jackie, who toddles around grunting like a buck, or wants to see mama holding her bow and arrows.

Between the families and close friends represented by the Divas and Team Droptine, there is no shortage of children to instill this family type tradition into. The girls have already began to incorporate the tradition of the hunt into their children. Shelly with her daughter out this year shed hunting, and Tara with her 3 year old son Brady shooting his little bow in the backyard, these hunting moms cannot wait to get the kids out into the blinds and show them what life is like for a close-knit family full of hunters. The girls not only wish to teach the children about big bucks, but want to show the kids what being out and appreciating nature can reward you with, if you take the time to step back and take it all in.

With such a focus on big buck competition, the gals cannot wait to shed more light on the real reasons we head out to the woods…what pulls us in for the hunt. The ladies are excited to show how each of us should enjoy the colors of nature as they begin to change with the seasons…this is as much of the hunt as harvesting a nice deer.

With the traditional theme for the second dvd season gaining excited reviews from the Diva fans, the ladies are still excited to show some of the most beautiful animals some of us are unable to experience in our local areas…I mean this is Wisconsin we are talking about! Tara and Shelly giggle as they say, “we are so excited to bring back the traditions of the hunt, but still cant wait to show the viewers some nice bucks!”

The families and friends of the Droptine Divas have one of the most inspiring and traditional outlooks about whitetail and turkey hunting that I have found in all of my research. With their full circle view on the appreciation of nature, and the appreciation and respect for the whitetail, I cannot wait to watch these girls, their families and friends harvest whatever animal they choose to take for this upcoming season. Whether they come across a nice mature buck, harvest a doe or show footage of the kids learning this amazing craft, I am empowered by this team to get out into my stand and instill these traditional characteristics into my own experience and hopefully teach my children what I have learned someday in the future.

To learn more about the ladies and watch some of the footage from their first DVD check out www.droptinedivas.com ! With their new shop available on their site with tons of shirts and DVD packages to purchase, these gals have everything covered if you are a true whitetail huntress! Also be sure to stop by the Divas at www.youtube.com and enter “Droptine Diva” in the search and check out their monster droptine buck they have captured in this amazing preseason footage! You are not going to want to miss this season with a buck like this walking around the property! Go get em’ girls!

STOP BY AND MEET THE LADIES OF THE DROPTINE DIVAS TODAY AT WWW.DROPTINEDIVAS.COM!