By far the most memorable time I have had hunting would have to be my stay with DA OUTFITTERS ! Not only was every detail covered from the lodge to the hunt, an open minded plan to exclusively open the season up with an all girl hunt was taken into consideration! Women are quickly becoming more accepted in the hunting woods and outfitters lodges  more noticeably over the past year, but to have a group of girls only working the woods was not only fun and comfortable but a great way to learn from other ladies the tips and tricks of their past experiences. From the comfortable lodge, to the guides who went above and beyond, to the encouragement from the ladies – this hunt would definitely be a trip to be planned for my fellow women hunters for next year or a surprise gift for any occasion from the male hunters for his daughter, girlfriend, wife or even mother! DA OUTFITTERS will make this an annual hunt so ladies come and join all of us who are all returning next year for the first crack at the monster bucks of Kentucky! I recommend this outfitter to any woman just beginning to learn the hunt to the most seasoned huntress. I had reservations about traveling to an outfitter alone until the very moment I had everyone greet me from the driveway with open arms ! Not once did I feel unwelcome or not supported throughout my entire stay! Check back soon for a history on DAO,  future plans and what makes this outfitter better than all the rest! To visit the site and learn more about attending the ladies only hunt for October 2010 stop by www.daoutfitters.com or www.camospace.com/daoutfitters ! Also guys and gals alike – more hunts are available so be sure to stop by and begin planning for next year!

Going into the woods and carrying my bow, calls, gear and more I always seemed to be needing more and more space for all my hunting extras. Once I got up into my stand, even in my double stand, I always had trouble finding enough room to store all my extras, as well as have quick, quiet and easy access to all my calls, binos and everything else I needed… down to my contact solution!

The problem I began to notice, with even carrying my waist bag or shoulder bag, that once I was in the tree, I had to find a place to hook the bag, then fumble around inside quietly to find whatever I needed at the time.

I resorted to hanging numerous tree hooks, which eventually made the tree I was in look like a holiday Christmas tree, dangling all its ornamental decor… and that was not going to work!

With this product, you have a single or double blind for your stand built into the back of the bag PLUS the entire backpack full of pockets and space for all your hunting supplies…the blind DOES NOT take away from the backpack!

Once you quickly have the blind set, the bag(matching in camo)hangs upright for easy access to all your hunting gear�as well as an interior pocket for quick and quiet access to anything else you might need!

I love all the options this bag has to offer; space for all of my gear, organization, quiet and quick access to everything I could ever need, and a blind…all in one. This bag is well made, waterproof and comfortable to wear. I believe this is one of the best products on the market today to accompany me into the woods on each and every hunt!

Hit the above logo or go straight to WWW.BEYONDBACKPACKS.COM

 HER OUTDOORS  is headed to Garrison, Kentucky October 3-6 th for the hunt of a lifetime!

 Attending an all-female hunt, HER OUTDOORS will follow up with a full review

and information before and after the hunt.

 For current trail cam pics of DA Outfitter bucks, or for more info check out

www.daoutfitters.com  or www.camospace.com/daoutfitters !

 Be sure to stop by www.droptinedivas.com

for many new updates from the ladies and their families!

New video uploads are available,

 as well as store items, news and reviews!

 Also stop by the newsletter link,

  Diva Times

for more info on the girls and their families!

2009 Deerassic Classic scheduled for August 7 & 8th in Cambridge, Ohio

Tickets currently on sale now

Gander Mountain Main Stage will present Sammy Kershaw,Ruff Creek and Aaron Tippin

Visit website for more details and check back with HER OUTDOORS for more info to come!

www.deerassic.com

 in Columbus, Ohio with me March 20-22 2009 !

For more info on the Expo visit www.deerinfo.com and click on the Ohio link!

Hope to see you there!

By  Jacob Barnett

Well here it is! The time of year all of you hardcore whitetail fanatics have been waiting for since the 2008-2009 season has came to a close back on the 15th of January. Today is February 5th, and the deer are starting to shed there antlers here in the Midwest. The passion and drive too find a monster set of sheds in this area is an addiction all hardcore hunters have this time of year!
Everyone of us has a drive to pick up antlers this time of year, some more than others ! My brother, Scott, and I have been shed hunting for quite some time know and we cover a lot of ground this time of year. Some of the bucks in the area are holding there wonderful headgear, but yet some are letting it hit the ground so shed fanatics like us can go around and try to pick them up before the squirrels do some damage too them. Scott and I were picking sheds up in Pike County on January 24th . The bucks over there seem to drop a little earlier than they do in the other parts of Illinois.
How do you find Antler Sheds? This is a question that I am asked over and over. There are guys and gals out there that ask me how I pick up so much bone (antlers) every Spring. They can walk there boots off and not pick anything up all year or maybe pick one or two up in a year. My theory is, you have to know your areas and the deer that use it. Eyesight is another major key to finding these magnificent pieces of antler laying in the grass or in a standing stalk field. For instance, my brother and I will train our eyes at the beginning of the year with some sheds we have picked up in the past . We will go to the woods or a grass patch and one of us will go hide the sheds in the area using the same scenario as it would be us out there looking along trails and bedding areas. This gets our eyes trained and ready to go out and look for the real thing. Shed antler eyes are like your morel mushroom eyes. You develop the same thing in your mind.
Walking Food Sources.
Another Key to our success is late season food sources. If you can drive around food sources, such as food plots, standing cornstalk fields, bean stubble fields, or even some hay fields. Go take a drive around those areas and see what is out there in the evenings feeding. A lot of bucks are rebounding from the rut and need to replenish there body weight. We walk a lot of trails from the food source to back to the bedding areas also. The trails that skirt the edge of the fields are also hot spots for picking up bone (antlers).  Another spot we try and concentrate on are south facing hillsides with food somewhere close around. The deer seem to like these spots because they are out of the bone chilling north or northwest winds we tend to have this time of year and the southern sun can keep them warm. Concentrate on major trails that have fence jumps on them. Creek crossings are also good areas to pick up bone(antlers). We also spend a lot of time in waterways which are the low spots in the fields. The deer tend too like these spots because they are out of the wind and out of sight from us hunters.
Carrying a good pair of binoculars is also a key to our success in the field for picking up shed antlers. A good pair of binoculars saves you a lot of walking. I have done it many of times even with binoculars around my neck walking and glassing a stick , but still having to walk over too it just to make sure I was seeing it right. We like to use our binoculars glassing down cornstalk rows also. You will notice they will save you a lot of walking around in the cornfields.
I hope that I can help you put a little more bone on your fireplace with this article. Maybe even find the biggest shed antlers of you hunting career. Remember to pack a lunch and some water, and get you a good comfortable pair of boots. Memories in the field will last a lifetime. Good luck this year, and Happy Hunting!
 
Jacob Barnett
Midwest Monsters Outdoors

The PCBA annual fundraising dinner will be held Feb 14 in Loudenville, Ohio to benefit the disabled hunters of the PCBA . Funds raised will enable hunters unable to hunt without assistance for October 14-17 2009.  For more info visit www.pcba-inc.org  or contact HER OUTDOORS ASAP for more info. Any donation is greatly appreciated! Help out today!

My First Ohio Hunt
By Mark Preston

  “Wow, I’m not sure I know where to start or if I can even find words that describe what an awesome experience this was for me.

    First of all, I would like to offer many, many thanks to all the people who are responsible for this hunt to take place. Starting with the landowners who so graciously opened their  land and hearts for giving us a place to hunt, thank you!! Next, a special thanks to PCBA and their staff who work so hard all year long with planning, fundraising and for the genuine care and details these folks put into this hunt and for that matter their whole organization. Now, a great applause for the hunt organizers and guides, you guys do a great job planning, setting up and putting the hunters on deer, wow!! To all the kitchen staff, what can I say?  I bet I gained 10 pounds, the food and meals were fabulous, not to mention the hospitality!! Thank you so much!! OK, now for all the rest of the volunteers, and I know there are many, I for one very much appreciate all you do, thanks.

   As I briefly mentioned to Karen at the hunt, the timing of this hunt couldn’t have come at a better time for me. Just a little over two months ago, on August 4^th, 2008 my girlfriend Dawn unexpectedly passed away in my arms. This by far has been one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to deal with. I know that in time all things heal, but I must say that being on the hunt helped me to take a break from all the grieving from this tremendous loss in my life. Just being around a hunting camp provided camaraderie, stories, goodness and most of all laughter that again showed me this is one of the most enjoyable activities I ever had the pleasure of being part of. Being in a hunting blind, outside, enjoying nature is also very healing and for me, very spiritual indeed.

    The six point buck I harvested on the first morning was the first buck I ever shot with my bow. This actually was just about a half hour after shooting right over top of a nice doe, but I know, you shouldn’t talk about the ones you miss, HaHa. I’m not sure who was more excited, me or the guides (Lonnie, Ben & Jack) who helped me out. All I know is there were a lot of high fives, these guys were pumped!! This was just the beginning of what turned out to be one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve ever had. I was fortunate enough to also shoot a real nice doe the next day, not to mention the one I hit with my van driving into the hunt that day. All together the fifteen hunters harvested 19 deer!! It was great to hear all the stories during meals and down time. I’m not sure it gets any better!!

    So again, thanks to PCBA and all wonderful people involved for making such a great event possible for those of us who otherwise might not ever get to experience it. Good luck to everybody in this year’s hunting season and most of all God Bless!!”

 all available on Season 2 of the Droptine Divas!

Shelly and Tara are back hosting the 2008 season of the Droptine Divas in Droptine Divas Season 2.

2008 has been nothing short of an amazing year for the ladies, their families, and their friends. The family aspect of the hunt shines throughout this DVD and while encouraging, teaching, and bringing along the children, the Droptine Divas and the men of Team Droptine get some monster bucks down on the ground. 

Featuring Tara Seilers amazing whitetail hunt of the 4th biggest buck harvested by a woman on film with a bow, the dvd includes many other amazing firsts for the ladies as well as many proud moments.

Visit www.droptinedivas.com to go straight to their site and purchase a dvd!