Women's Javelina Hunting Camp 2015 - An Amazing Experience!

[CouesWhitetail]

2015 Women’s Javelina Camp

 

Well, another great camp is in the books! We held the 5^th annual Women’s Javelina Hunting Camp from Feb 12-15, 2015 and we camped at our same location on the Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge. The refuge personnel have been very accommodating for this event and it’s a beautiful location that works very well for us. The location allows us easy access to three hunt units (36A, B and C). We had about 70 people in camp this year so we need a place with a lot of room for everyone to camp.

 

As most of you know, the whole point of this camp is to recruit women into the hunting community by creating a safe environment where adult women can learn to hunt. We try to pair up each student with an experienced mentor and let me tell you, we have some very highly skilled mentors that assist with this camp! We couldn’t have such a successful camp without our mentors generously giving of their time and talents.

 

The weather was wonderful although a bit on the warm side. But it was nowhere near as hot as last year! Thursday afternoon there were some heavy winds but that died down by late afternoon. Saturday night and Sunday we had some rain but nothing heavy enough to interfere with the camp or hunting. It actually made for some very pleasant days with cloud cover keeping the temperatures down.

 

This year we had 29 student hunters (one student didn’t have a tag but wanted to come learn). We lined up 27 mentors to take these ladies out hunting for javelina. We have some amazing mentors with lots of hunting experience. We have several that are retired AGFD or are currently working for AGFD. And we also have many passionate, long-time hunters who are happy to share their knowledge with novice hunters. It really amazes when I think about the high-quality mentors we have for this camp! Unit managers Karen Klima and Mark Frieberg provided info on javelina herd locations. And Karen came out to help glass on Saturday too.

 

We had 10 ladies that had ZERO experience hunting and 14 ladies with one to three years hunting experience (which often meant they had hunted quail or doves once or twice). We also had 5 students with more than five years hunting experience.

 

We ended up harvesting 6 javelina as well as many jackrabbits. Several other ladies had opportunities at javelina but didn’t manage to get one.

 

In addition to the hunting during the day we had several events in the evenings. One night we had Tice Supplee (retired AGFD big game branch chief) give a powerpoint presentation all about javelina and how to hunt them. We also had Bill Deshaw give a demonstration of how to make sausage. We had a special free raffle for the ladies where they got to choose some great prizes. And of course we had a wonderful campfire every night for everyone to enjoy.

 

This camp has numerous sponsors that help make it such a big success! Our food, portojohns and insurance are paid for by a grant from the Arizona Game and Fish Department as part of their hunter recruitment and retention program. The Arizona Safari Club International lets us use their trailer which is full of all the cooking gear we need as well as things like the awnings, tables, chairs and lights. AZ SCI also arranged for the portojohns for the camp, thank you Bobby! Team Younggunz also provided extra tables and chairs. Flagstaff Archers provided money as well to be use for whatever we needed for the camp (thank you Ilene for arranging this extra funding!). The southern AZ chapter of the NWTF helped by providing mentors. CouesWhitetail.com donates money for the camp for food and prizes, as well as coordinating the entire event. And many of our mentors are longtime CouesWhitetail.com members! Eileen Cooper, one of our students, provided homemade apple dump cake. Michelle Crabb made some wonderful javelina-shaped cookies! As usual, I made some pistachio/cranberry dark and white chocolate bark for desert as well as some peppermint dark and white chocolate bark.

 

Mark and Kathi Nixon generously donated prizes for all the students and mentors! And Kathi coordinated the raffle for those items. This was a huge help!

 

Roger and Ilene, Peg and TJ, Mike Anderson and Kathi Nixon slaved away in the kitchen providing great food for our attendees! We received all kinds of compliments from students and mentors about the excellent food. Mike Miller of Miller’s Southwest Processing (a sponsor here on CouesWhitetail.com) donated smoked pork/beef, hamburgers and breakfast sausage! Kathy Greene of Arizona Outdoor Women helped us with shopping and managed to get discounts on food and donations through the restaurant where she works (KG’s restaurant located East of I-10 on Grant Road). Ilene and Roger also spent countless hours planning and shopping for this event.

 

In addition Mike Christensen of Pass it On Outdoor Mentors.org helped us secure insurance for the camp at about a third the rate it normally costs us by allowing onto his policy.

 

Here is a list of our outstanding mentors that make this camp such a success:

Gerald Perry

Mark Kuhn

Kelly and Diane Neal

Jerry Gollubier

Jack Wheat

Deb Wesch

Eric Podoll

Ted simpson

Mark Nixon

Chris and Kori Mosley

Michelle Crabb

John Dollar

Linda Dightmon

Jeremiah Rackoci

Tice Supplee

Ken Stirn

Christina Boggs-Krupinski

Chris McCotter

Mark Hullinger

Bill Deshaw

Darrell J Berno

Mike Pierce

Don Farmer

Amanda Moors

Tom Joiner

[CouesWhitetail]

Some photos

[Big Browns]

Pics!!!!!!

[CouesWhitetail]

more photos

[Big Browns]

Sorry my phone didn't load fast enough:) Great job! I'm hoping my wife will go next year.

[CouesWhitetail]

more pics

[CouesWhitetail]

sausage making class

 

[PelaPapas]

Very cool! Everybody smiling, looks like you all had a great time!

[naturegirl]

copied from http://www.coueswhitetail.com/forums/topic/55836-what-its-like-to-be-a-mentor/

 

 

 

It has been quite a long time since I’ve volunteered my actual time and now I again remember why I volunteered. A couple years ago I inquired with Amanda about being a mentor for the Women’s Javelina Camp, but I honestly wasn’t quite sure if I fit the bill. I’m a hunter who hunts a lot, but doesn’t kill a lot and I understand many people measure your skills by kills. I’ve worked hard and gained some of both over the last couple years, and I knew it was now time for me to be a mentor.

 

These women hunters are AWESOME! Kayla, me & Angel

 

Amanda matched me up with two kick butt women Kayla and Angel. Because I didn’t know the unit I had to gather as much intel as I could by talking with other mentors, Game and Fish, and following along with another mentor the first day to get my feet wet. I also tagged along with 125Coues (Mark) and Hilary (another absolutely beautiful young woman I wish to remain friends with) the afternoon before to get a feel for the land. My honest to goodness biggest concern was the traffic from down south coming over the border because we were very close to Mexico. I’ve handled everything I’ve come across so far since I’ve started hunting solo, but I have yet to cross paths with a group of men smuggling drugs or humans so it was a concern for me. I did feel a bit better knowing I went through one border patrol checkpoint and saw no less than nine border patrol trucks between the interstate and my destination. I definitely felt their presence, I liked it, and wish there were more. Thank you border patrol and I know there are a few of you here on CWT.

 

My glassing girls

 

Morning number one we go to what was a honey hole in past years for pigs. We set up to glass and sure enough I have to go to the bathroom. I get my optics and tripod ready, sit Angel down with my glass, and I go do my business. When I was done, I wanted to walk over to the edge to look down into the ravine to make sure there weren’t pigs down low beside us that we couldn’t see. Now I’m creeping through knee-high noisy grass trying to peek over the edge. During this time I had no idea what was going on behind me, but I later found out Angel was apparently trying very hard to get my attention by going “Psssst.. PSSSST! PPPPPPSSSSTT!!!” When she received no response from me, she says “mountain lion” and still receives no response from me. So now she tries a little louder with “Mountain Lion!” and I’m sure she’s thinking her mentor is deaf at this point, but then she loudly yelled “MOUNTAIN LION!!!!” and I clearly heard her this time. I ran back to them as fast as I could, but by the time I got there the lion was gone.

 

Apparently while I was away doing my business Angel heard a doe barking (again I heard nothing) so she finds it in the glass and looks back to where the doe is looking (smart girl right for her first morning hunting?). She sees a tan animal with a little red on its back crouched down stalking “just like a cat.” Then she sees this “long HUGE bottle brush tail” and knows exactly what she is seeing. This is when she started the process of trying to get my attention. She was concerned because I was walking toward the lion who was about 400-500 yards in the saddle on the mountain in front of us, and I was 100% completely okay with her doing this. I do not mind at all being told in any way, shape, or form that there is a mountain lion in the vicinity. When I got back we watched the does literally take a stance against that cat and they won round number one! It was amazing watching the lead doe actually go back to retrieve two does and the other doe who took her stance toward the lion and froze for a good 20 minutes or so. Angel was given a gift with this lion sighting and I repeatedly told her how lucky she was as I have yet to see one in the wild. Like I’ve said many times before, I know they’ve seen me but I have yet to see them. Point in case, and I still have yet to see one.

 

On day #2 we were heading back to camp when I see a big ol jackrabbit so I ask “Do you want to shoot a rabbit?” Angel responds with a “YES!” So she gets set up on the rabbit, and she shoots but misses. She laid her gun down and said “I can’t shoot again.” Her ears weren’t working right because she had forgotten her hearing protection in the truck. I quickly said “Yes you are. I’ll cover your ears.” She tried arguing a little, but gave in. So she gets ready, I cover her ears from behind and then tuck my head down between my shoulders. The second she shoots I look up to find the rabbit. She hit it good on the second shot with her 357. I’m going to be honest here I have never hunted rabbits and never been with anyone who hunted rabbits for the right reasons, but it was a total blast. She got to experience the hunt, stalk, watching her prey after the shot, and the kill. It’s no different if it’s a javi or a rabbit. She got it!

 

Angel and her rabbit

 

Well, here's a skill I'm still lacking because I have yet to personally field dress any of my kills except my recent attempts on a yote. So we head back to camp with the rabbit, ask around for help, and get none because all the hunters were still out. I’m not confident enough to teach this part, but the night before another hunter got a rabbit. Her mentor was the most patient man teaching her how to care for the rabbit so me and my hunters all watched their demonstration. Now it was time to use some of this newly acquired information. What can I say except Kayla is a skinning beast? She reminded me of Edward Scissorhands as she whipped through that rabbit in no time flat. Angel and Kayla are good friends and I believe they have a dang good hunting partnership in the works. Angel killed the rabbit and Kayla did the “dirty” work which was fine by me. One of my new hunting goals is I’m going to go kill a rabbit and make me and my daughter some rabbit stew.

 

Kayla Scissor Hands at work on the backstrap

 

I spent 3 days with these two amazing women and I took this time to not only teach them how to glass for javelina, but I also took them out and showed them where they were feeding, sleeping, their trails, tracks, and scat. At every available opportunity I’m explaining as much as I can about the outdoors, hunting, etc. I didn’t want to just set them up in front of glass all day and not get to actually see what pigs do, their behaviors, areas they like, etc. I also wanted them to have a say in what we did because this was their hunt. During a hike I found a Coues shed and Angel found the match close by so now she has the set. They also saw an old lion kill, deer rubs, and of course we all witnessed the ridiculous amount of trash left behind by the people crossing over (YUCK!!!!). I seriously wanted to carry a trash bag with me everywhere. Both of my hunters are big time campers and like the outdoors so that was a HUGE plus for me!

 

Angel and Kayla did not tag javelinas, but I do believe they can spot deer a mile away now and I am 100% confident these women gained a good amount of skills to move forward with as they continue on as hunters! I’ve also made a couple good friends who I’ll be camping or hunting with again in the future.

 

Did I forget to say we had a total blast? Get three strong women together for a few days and a good time will be had by all, and that’s a fact! I do believe I almost peed my pants a time or two. I haven’t laughed so hard so much in a VERY long time, and it sure did feel good. Thank you ladies for giving me that special gift!

 

Without a doubt I’m going back next year. I really enjoyed sharing what I know and of course I’m a sponge who is always soaking up knowledge. We were all treated like queens and fed the best fare ever! There are so many hard-working people who donate their time and money to make events like this happen, and I know I appreciated it as did every new woman hunter I talked to. You all did a wonderful job bringing 30 new hunting women into our world.

 

 

Angel is the photographer of the bunch and took way more photos than I did because my job was to find javelina and teach, but I did manage to snap a couple quick ones. Southern Arizona has it’s own diverse beauty. I haven’t spent much time down south, but I’m hoping to make it back very soon to the canyon that held the lion. Two days later another hunter watched two bobcats fight in that canyon and then walk about 30 yards or so in front of them. I really want to go predator hunting! I had my 270 in the truck the entire time, but it was the ladies hunt and not mine. I had full intentions on staying an extra day in that canyon with my rifle, but the rain pushed me out. After my last hunt, I wasn’t willing to sit in a tent while it rained so I headed on home and hit a tourist stop on my way.

 

Thank you Amanda and everyone who made the camp happen! It was a great success!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[naturegirl]

So cool! I hadn't seen Alex (picture #1) with her pig yet. So glad she got one She is also the hunter who got to see the two bobcats fighting so she definitely had a good weekend!

 

Guess I was really doing a bit of intel. It looks like Angel caught me with her camera getting information from multiple sources. I also didn't realize someone was behind me taking photos the entire time when we were in the field. That's funny

 

I love the picture of Angel in the window of the abandoned house. This was our "photo op" where we were schooled on how to pose for pictures. That's something else I learned at camp! This was one of the moments where you guys had me laughing so hard that I absolutely couldn't stop laughing.

 

If you know a woman who is thinking about hunting, I would HIGHLY recommend a camp such as this for her. This is an ideal way to get a touch of what it's all about.

[CouesWhitetail]

I don't have pics yet of three of the pigs taken (by Hope, Corinna, and Rene). Hopefully someone will email them to me or post them soon.

[CouesWhitetail]

My friend Bonnie with her crossbow. She used it to take a jackrabbit.

 

 

 

 

more pics of scenery, glassing and stalking javelina

 

 

[CouesWhitetail]

Hope and Rene with their javelinas

 

 

[Tucson John]

I love all the BIG smiles! Glad you all had a great time.....as that IS the definition of a successful hunt!

[Jlowe]

I attended this camp for the first time this year and had an incredible experience! Everyone was very friendly and welcoming from the start. Dozens of volunteers gave countless hours to ensure we had the best experience possible, and I did! I learned more about hunting in 3 days than I would have learned by myself in ten years. This was the first time in my life I have ever hunted and definitely will not be the last. The food was SO good, made some new friends, and now I can't drive by a grassy hill without wanting to glass it for javelina! Thank you to all of the volunteers and mentors and Amanda for organizing this great event!