Several WON contributors will also be working the convention floor, looking for new gear, great tips and techniques and interesting personalities. We won’t have to look far.

Here’s our little posse.

Tammy Ballew, aka Camo Mom, will be especially looking for new turkey hunting gear. This woman is a die-hard turkey hunting freakster!

Paige Eissinger, Associate Editor and Tekkie Chick, will be watching and learning. This woman just took to the woods a year ago in search of an elusive Eastern. You can bet she’ll be back again this spring.

Marti Davis, Gear Court reviewer and blogger (Marti Davis Afield), will be working one of her staff jobs, at Moultrie Products. Marti, also on the staff of Knight and Hale, knows how to call them in and get the job done.

Gretchen Steele, one of our contributing photographers and feature writers, and an avid waterfowler and mushroomer, will be behind the lens at the convention … and she will be joined by another of our fine contributors …

… Stacey Huston! Wyoming-based outdoor photographer and writer (and Shoot to Thrill contributor), joins us this year at her first NWTF convention! This woman can knock a squirrel out of a tree with one of her primitive bows and arrow combos, so we’re sure she’s going to be looking at the bowhunting gear.

And, we’re delighted that newcomer on the outdoor block, freelance writer Kristen Monroe, Gear Court reviewer, will be hooking up with us at the convention.

And, of course, I’ll be there. And I’m on a mission: to learn to call from a pro. Namely, Steve Hickoff, one of the best turkey writers and callers and hunters in the universe. And, I’m sure we’ll meet many others, too.

We’ll take you there, all right. Tweets, Pinterests, Blogs, Facebook posts … just you wait and see. And maybe next year, we’ll see you there, too! Look for us if you’re at the convention! We want to meet you.

~Warning: The following photos might be offensive to those who do not realize that animals come to harm naturally, too.

Fall 2011—I am sitting home with my husband enjoying a quiet day, when my phone rings.  On the other end of the line is a friend who is on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation in Alaska with his family. He is excited and a little frustrated as he explains to me the scene before him, that he is trying to capture on film (or digital, as the case may be). He wants to take a photo of the entire view with the flowers in the foreground and the snow-capped peaks in the distance. I ask him what kind of camera he is using and try to keep my instructions as simple as possible.

I tell him first to try the scene mode on his camera. (The one that looks like a mountain.) That doesn’t work. So, I tell him he needs to switch his settings to Aperture priority … and this, I believe, is where I lost him, because this is where my brain also used to shut down. I had myself convinced it was too complicated and I wasn’t going to understand.  So I would switch my settings back over to the tried-and-true, the comfort zone, and hope that I could capture the images I was after.

That works most of the time, the “comfort zone.” But, on that rare occasion – you know, those rare occasions – as the sun sets behind a snow-capped mountain, when flowers spread in a carpet of beauty on a mountainside you have never seen, and may never visit again.

When the groom kisses the bride.

When a grandparent sees her grandbaby for the first time.

When your child stops just before entering the school doors on his first day of school and turns to smile and wave at you.

When your son or daughter holds up the arrow from the first animal they harvested.

I think you get the point.

Moments like these you can’t recreate. These little moments, you only have one chance before it slips away.

We have all seen and laughed at the posts people are sharing of smart phone spell check disasters. Well your digital camera is just another tool and though it might get things right most of the time, it still is only an electronic device trying to guess what you are seeing. You have a digital camera, fully capable of capturing those moments. So why not learn how to use it for its full potential.

Look up “aperture priority” and if you are anything like me, your brain will shut down by the third line and all the words will start running together.  I made it past “mode dial,” but, got sidetracked trying to get a realistic grasp on what  the word “aperture” meant.

Aperture – the opening that light travels through in optics. This is where I was always lost. The larger the number, the smaller the opening (letting in less light) blah, blah, blah … Confusing? Yes!  So let me explain it to you the way I wish someone had explained it to me – simple and to-the-point.

AV or A (Aperture Priority) is used when you want to control the depth of field or in simpler terms, how much of the photo is in focus. Do you want the whole WIDE BIG scene to be in focus from front to back? Then dial the number up (big#= more focus). Do you want something in the foreground to stand out and make what is behind it (strangers on the street – or other distracting objects) to blur and disappear (smaller #= less focus)? Yes there are a dozen other things to factor in here, like the time of day and lighting conditions, etc., and so forth (and once again I can hear your brains shutting down) so for now … we are not even going to worry about them.

But, I do want you to keep one more tip in mind. The more you want in focus, the steadier you will want your camera to be.  Remember, smaller aperture/ bigger# means the camera will automatically select a slower shutter speed and slower shutter speeds mean that any movement, either by you or the subject, will be caught in the photo as well. Simply, if you want something in focus, put your camera on a sturdy surface or invest in a tripod.

Looking at the words on paper is all fine and dandy, but when, exactly, do you actually take the chance to switch the camera off auto and try these modes?

Well, the answer is … today. You won’t see the changes in your view finder, but with a little practice, your confidence will grow and you will know when it is safe to be more creative with your photos, and capture some great images (aka, memories) in the process.

So, this today or this week – starting here and now … I challenge anyone with a digital camera  to “broaden your horizons” Put your camera on Aperture Priority  (“AV” on a Canon and “A” on a Nikon) for one week. Play with the aperture (f-number) and see what kind of results you get. What do you have to lose?  It’s a digital camera, with the ultra handy delete feature, after all.

And now … an example of payback

A walk on the river.  I took my camera to the river with me. I switched the dial over to AV, took a deep breath and went out looking for something to take a photo of that would show the difference between a small aperture (bigger # – more in focus) and a large aperture (smaller # – less focus, but drawing attention to the subject).

I saw ducks floating on the open water, then, photographed a lone feather caught in a piece of brush hanging over the edge of the bank. I was scolded by a pair of Kingfishers for intruding on their home and hunting grounds. I snuck past a bedded whitetail doe, and followed the tracks of numerous creatures along the river’s edge.

I listened to the ice talk as the temperature between the water below and the air above changed with the setting sun. I was searching for a photo, but I had also come here in search of shed antlers. As the sun began to sink, and the time before I needed to return home ran short, I spotted a lone antler sticking up from the ice in the middle of the river.

Excitement welled inside me as I hurried from boulder to boulder in an attempt to retrieve the fallen antler. I stepped out on a patch of ice and heard it crack below my boot. Stepping back to secure footing, I stopped for a moment to re-evaluate the situation and find a safer, more stable path to my intended treasure. It was only then that I recognized the remainder of the deer. I sat down on a large boulder at the edge of the thin ice and said a prayer for the fallen warrior, for our paths had crossed many times on the other side of this river during hunting season. For two months last fall, he and I had danced the silent dance of hunter and hunted. 

The ice along the river’s edge groans again and the geese upstream speak to each other, bringing me back to this place. I pick up the camera from my lap, deftly switch it on and double check that it is still set on AV. I turn the dial and watch the number get larger. I brace the camera on my knee and snap a few photos of this buck’s final resting place, encased in ice in the middle of this cold and rushing river.

Photo by Stacey Huston

I turn the dial on my camera in the other direction and watch as the f number gets smaller – around me the light fades – yet, I am still able to capture the moment, fading out the business of the river in the background and keeping what I hope is an almost peaceful scene. I cannot fathom the events that brought him here, but I am grateful that I did not have to witness them.

Photo by Stacey Huston

As I make the walk back to my truck, I think about the unfairness of nature. I ended my hunting season with an empty tag, but with confidence that this buck would live to pass his genes to future generations. Well, he survived the rut, and I am sure that in a few months I will be happily photographing his young along this same stretch of river. The circle of life once again completed.

But still, I am saddened by his death. He will not be easily forgotten, and he will not go to waste. This day I have witnessed several sets of coyote tracks, bobcat, and skunk as well as those of other meat-eating creatures. Yet, the circumstances of his death leave me feeling unsettled. I am not sure if it is because of the cold and the ice, or the fact that he was alone. Probably just because I am human. And, since no one knows where I am this day, I chose my steps a little more careful and avoided the thin ice as I hurried to return home to my family.

Please visit Stacey Huston’s website, A Focus in the Wild, to learn more, enjoy nature and get inspired.

The Acorn slipper — either enclosed Polar Mocs or in spa flip flop style. Cushy yet comfort your feet. This little number is on sale for $33.99 and is called Chocolate Dots.

Barbara Baird in Carhartt and Muck boots. Photo by Jason Baird.

Here’s the deal with this photo. I’m wearing Carhartt overalls, jacket and hat … and Muck boots from Hanks! Carhartt … when I’m not in camo, I want to be in it because that means I’m outside! Hanks Clothing describes its new line of Carhartt overalls:

Womens Carhartt overalls are brand new to Hanks Clothing!  If you love to be outdoors working on your flowers or your garden put on a pair of Carhartt overalls and get down in the dirt.  With such features as padded knees you could enjoy being outside feeling the sunshine all day without worrying about your knees.  If you think that your shutters on your home could use a little sprucing up jump into the womens Carhartt overalls and have a ball.  They are easy to move around in and have multiple utility pockets to help you have more hands if yours are full.

Yep, that about says it all. They are easy to move in and that’s why I love Carhartts … it’s like they meld with your body to create a working machine. They stay soft, yet are durable. And they are warm!

Gretchen Steele wore her Woody Bayou Muck boots out to the spillway with TeamWON's carp eradication unit: (L-R) Stacey Huston, Hawk Huston, Josiah Huston, Barb Baird and Gretchen Steele. Photo by Jason Baird.

We all wear Muck boots at The WON. I own three pairs. One of the main reasons we like, like, like Hanks Clothing, is because they offer free shipping! And even some of their items qualify for free shipping on returns. They make it simple to try and simple to buy.

My Mucks: Original pair in men's sizes (don't make these any more), Woody Max for women, SUV hiker.

Check out Hanks Clothing and see if your outdoor lifestyle can be enhanced in 2012, too!

Some may wonder why anyone would put themselves through this, but until you have slept on a mountain side under the dancing aspen leaves and sparkling stars, being serenaded by the call of bull elk in the rut, it would be hard to explain. It is something that must be experienced to truly be appreciated.

Autumn in the Rocky Mountains. A beautiful time, filled with golden leaves and bugling elk. But, also a wide range of temperature changes. Fall is in the air.  Warm, sunny t-shirt days, to ice covered creeks at daybreak. Yes, indeed, fall  … when the beautiful scenery around you changes and morphs into something even more brilliant and beautiful by the hour.

Morning dawns crisp and cold.  As Hawk fires up the propane grill to make a pot of coffee, I try to convince our younger son, Josiah, to leave his warm cocoon of sleeping bags.  No fire on this mountain as we are camped at the edge of an elk rutting ground. Open ridges of deep sage surrounded by aspen, deep canyons and scattered wallows hidden amongst stands of lodge pole pine, we try to keep our presence here unknown.

This is Josiah’s first elk hunt, and he has decided he wants to hunt with his long bow.  We down a cup of coffee to chase away the chill, grab a handful of breakfast bars and head out as the daylight slowly creeps across the land.

Across the canyon we can hear elk talking. Hawk takes us down a dark timbered ridge, around a large outcrop of rock, and up the other side, keeping the wind in our favor. The tripod from my camera is already biting in to my shoulder, as we move slowly up the draw through deep mountain grass and a stand of whispering aspen. Ahead of me Hawk drops to the ground, and behind him Josiah follows suit, moving almost as one. I too am now on my knees hiding in the tall grass – eyes scanning to locate what Hawk has already seen.

Above us on the ridge, not 50 yards away, I spot antler tips as a mature bull elk slowly climbs the other side of the hill. They sway and bob, moving toward us. He stops and screams out his presence on this mountain. Crouched behind my camera, I slowly switch it on and use the elk’s own noise to mask the noise made by the opening and closing of the shutter, all the while praying that he doesn’t hear. To our right another bull answers the challenge and I can hear nervous cow calls over the ridge just out of our sight. Hawk motions to me that he’s going to take Josiah around and try to move in closer to get a shot, and for me to stay put. As the larger bull comes into view, I switch the setting on my camera to video.  With my eye pressed to the viewfinder, I watch as the bull stops at the crest of the hill, tilts his head back and an ancient bugle accompanied by steam from his hot breath rises on the wind. As I press record, I see the low battery light start to blink … my heart skips a beat ….

And I jerk awake, only to find the sky above me black and lit with twinkling stars. Again, Hawk shifts and pulls me closer, he reaches down and wraps his warm hands around my icy toes.  “You OK?” he asks again. I snuggle closer.

“Yeah, I am OK.” But, I think to myself – what an understatement. (It is cold tonight; my toes are cold, my nose is cold, and my back aches.) It is uncomfortable sleeping in three shirts and two coats, pants, long underwear and socks. I am tired and I want a bath … and I am starting to wonder what in the world I am doing out here.

When, in the valley to our left a large bull elk screams out a challenge that echoes across the star light night. I hear the soft rustle of sleeping bags as Josiah shifts in his sleep, and I wonder if even in slumber he too heard the call.  In my right ear I can hear my husband’s soft breathing as he once again slips into a peaceful sleep.  As I myself drift off. I put my hand in my pocket and feel my camera battery. Yeah, I am OK … I am more than OK!

Hawk and Josiah Huston head out for another day of hunting elk with longbows. Photo by Stacey Huston, who might be cold, but her camera batteries are warm!

Beautiful scenery and once-in-a-lifetime moments on the hunt cannot be recreated.  You need your batteries to stay full charged. Nothing more disappointing than packing all your gear, making it to elk camp, only to wake in the morning to drained batteries miles and often, hours from the closest plug-in. Keeping you batteries warm will help them hold their charges longer. People usually keep an extra battery or two just for their cameras, but if those batteries get cold they will not work properly. Most professional photographers keep an extra pack of hand warmers in their camera bags just for this reason, but if you ever find yourself out in the cold you can just as easily eject the batteries from your camera and put them in your pocket close to your body.

Late one evening, while filming a high country mule deer, my battery started to die. I was able to put it in my pocket with my hand warmer for a few minutes and get a little more use out of it. Another great option available on the market is one of the off grid solar backpacks or roll up panels by Green Energy Solutions. Small, portable, convenient, dependable and much easier to carry in your pack than heavy extra batteries.

Visit Stacey Huston online at A Focus in the Wild.

Stacey Huston. Photo by Hawk Huston.

Facebook is a great tool for social marketing. It gets your words out to a world of people that you might other wise never meet. Without social media, I may never have sold my first cover photo. I would never have met some of the great people that I have been blessed to meet. There is a world of good on the Internet, but as with anything, there also is a world of bad sitting back waiting to capitalize on your hard work and to take credit for what you have done.

I remember years ago watching a video online. It was an exciting and unique video. Two rutting white tail bucks were locked in a fight to death and both animals were clearly exhausted. As the video proceeds, the cameraman and another gentleman speak about what to do to remedy the situation. One man walks out into the scene with a rifle, pulls up, takes aim and proceeds to shoot the antler off of one of the bucks releasing them both to run off and hide in the brush and recover from what would have otherwise been a very sad and slow death for them both. Life moves on, and throughout the years I forgot about this video. I never knew the name of the amazing marksman whom I saw in this video.

Last winter I logged on to Facebook and on my screen was a photograph captured on a trail cam. It was a gorgeous and unique photo of a bald eagle on a carcass. The girl that posted it was very proud of the photo she had taken, because where she lives they don’t see many bald eagles. Something compelled me to message her and I asked if the photo was hers. She told me it was and the story behind it. I wrote her back and told her that she really should watermark or put her name on the image some how so that people wouldn’t feel obliged to steal it. She thanked me for the advice and basically I forgot all about he image.

Most of us have seen how certain images can spread overnight across the globe, and how the stories change and morph. I am going to bet that most of you have seen the photos of the golden eagle fighting with a fox over a deer carcass and most of us in the West saw the images taken in Yellowstone of a very wounded bison being chased down the highway by a  grizzly bear. But how many of you know who took the photos? Or better yet – the real stories behind them, not what someone online made up?

I have watched more time than I can stomach people online take my husband’s words and repost them as their own; most people actually didn’t mean harm, they just thought the quotes were cool. But there is always that handful of people out there who have convinced themselves that they actually came up with the wording and ideas.

This photo illustrates the importance of "branding" your photography. Photo by Stacey Huston.

In 2010 my husband spent some time at a ranch in Texas and met a very interesting and entertaining man named Rattlin Randy. Randy has a collection of videos that he and his wife have put together over the years on the ranch he manages. Most are comedy videos – but as I sat in my living room watching the videos he had sent home with Hawk, one of them really caught my attention. It was the video I had seen online so many years ago of the two white tail locked together.That is when I got to thinking about the importance of watermarking, aka copy writing, your intellectual property, and when you share something of someone else’s – give credit where credit is due.

I logged in to Facebook one morning and noticed friend requests from a list of people, and as I always do, I went directly to their photos to get a feel of what kind of persons they are. One man in particular had a pretty impressive collection of wildlife photos. The falconer in me was drawn to the album named Raptors and I clicked on it and was amazed at the beautiful photos he had captured, and then the next image opened; one I had seen before, a beautiful and unique image of a bald eagle standing on a deer carcass. I scrolled down to the comment section and saw where people were telling him what a great photo it was. His reply was ‘thank you.” One person asked how he got so many amazing pictures, and he said it took lots of time spent out in the field. 
 I immediately messaged the girl who had originally posted the photos and gave her his name. She called him on it and as far as I know, he never removed the photos or confessed that they weren’t his; he just blocked her and is still out there to steal others’ work and use it as his own.

I am a wildlife photographer. I love sharing my work with others, but I also love looking at other people’s photos. I would never feel compelled to post or share something that didn’t belong to me without giving proper credit. I have more than one photographer friend online who has work stolen and published without permission. I have found my work at odd places online, but lucky for me, anymore I watermark anything I post online that I don’t want used without permission. I have seen a few of my photos cropped to remove the watermark and I have even had people message me asking me if I could remove the mark, because it is “distracting!”  I have seen pictures of my friends’ children stolen and used as profile photos for fake anti-hunting sites, and wonder if they would have bothered to take the images if they had been watermarked.

There are several inexpensive and easy ways to mark your images as your own. Most people already have a program or two on their computer that will work.

Paint

Open your image in Paint. Resize to a reasonable size that will post easily online without destroying the quality of the image.

Or  …

Open a text box on your photo and put (c) with your name. Quick and simple. I personally use Photoshop Elements – a fairly inexpensive program that gives me the ability to be creative and create logos, layer them over the image and adjust the color and opacity.

To see more of Stacey Huston’s photography or to read her blog, visit A Focus in the Wild.

Stacey Huston is an outdoorswoman to the core, and would much rather spend time in the high country than in the local shopping mall, and feels more at home in heavy timber than in a salon. She is an accomplished photographer. Stacey also is a licensed falconer and raptor rehabilitation volunteer, helping injured raptors to once again soar on open skies. She resides with her husband of 18 years and their two boys in the mountains of western Wyoming.

Stacey contributes to Shoot to Thrill. To see her photography, visit A Focus in the Wild.

As many of you know, my husband, aka Dr. Bomb, not only is an explosives expert, but also a photographer with credits in some of this country’s finest outdoor and shooting magazines, including a cover shot at America’s 1^st Freedom. He came onboard as my personal photographer a few years ago, when I had an assignment for JAKES magazine that featured teenage bowfishers in Illinois. I am not a photographer. I do not have the patience or mindset to figure out shutter speeds and F-stops and all that. (An F-stop to me is when I need to stop and take a break before I say a naughty word.)

So, here’s my wrap up of the Great Carp Caper Part Un, billed as a photo feature. Part Deaux is in the works. Where? We don’t know … maybe a river near you?

Gretchen Steele attaches the Great Carp Caper banner at Smitty's Marina, before we went out for the morning. Supervised by Jason Schlesinger (Coulterville, Ill., Chief of Police and on Field Staff of Buck Gardner Game Calls and Dakota Decoys) and Mayor of Coulterville, Scott Rust.

Jody Narantic (The Hunter's Wife), Stacey Huston (A Focus in the Wild), Babbs in the Woods (dirt bike helmet for protection from flying carp) and Paige Eissinger (Flying the Coop). Bloggers about to go on Carp Caper Un. Photo by Jason Baird.

Strategy session. Gretchen giving orders and Babbs and Christine Appleberg listening intently. Photo by Jason Baird.

Hawk Huston. Ready for flying carp. Missing his cape. Photo by Jason Baird.

The Huston family on the river. With primitive bows and state-of-the-art camera equipment, of course. Photo by Jason Baird.

Christine Appleberg, an accomplished bowfisher, schools Babbs in the Woods on how to shoot from her Phantoon. Photo by Jason Baird.

Christine Appleberg, former president of Illinois Bowfishers, displays yet another score for the tournament. Photo by Jason Baird.

Queen of the Barge and Prince Escort: Jody and Mark Narantic. Photo by Jason Baird.

Kendall Carrigan, the Captain of the Phantoon, also scores. Photo by Jason Baird.

Meanwhile, over on the party barge, Gretchen Steele and the pirate (aka the Mayor of Coulterville) relax between arrows flying. Photo by Jason Baird.

Rickee Reecardo. Our resident musician and arteest and his new little friend. Photo by Jason Baird.

The aforementioned party barge, where The Hunter's Wife rode in elegance, accompanied by Deb West, aka Super Woman, in a pink cape and piloted by a pirate. Photo by Jason Baird.

L-R: Barb Baird, Stacey Huston, Gretchen Steele, Paige Eissinger. Photo by Jason Baird.

Thanks to our sponsors:
Chocolate Ammo – Nummy shotgun shells of peanut butter and chocolate and gummy worms in groovy tins!
Prois – cool Basketball Jones’ shirts and tactical black caps
Spairz – I got two pair(z) in my purse.
House of Jerky – Nummy and we liked the buffalo version
My Nature Apps
Hot Caliber – Too generous with beautiful finely crafted necklaces for all
Hanks Clothing – Our favorite slippers now! Acorn spa slippers
The Sportsman Channel – Thanks for the gift card from Cabela’s. So sweet for our winner, Barb Montgomery!
Big Time Bowfishing
Cajun Archery – Cool caps and shirts!
Casey’s General Stores – Pizza and donut coupons!
J and J Guns and Knives, Sparta, Ill.
Buck Gardner Game Calls
Southern illinois Outdoors
Illinois Bowfishers
The Hunter’s Wife – Sorry you had to go home early, Jody, with an attack of some sort of poison ivy or whatever!
Steele Photo Services – Thanks for being the concierge for the Carp Caper, Gretchen!
A Focus in the Wild – Thank you for bringing the family and our favorite kid!

And, a special thanks to Nick Thomas, of Diezelfitter, aka Rickee Reecardo, who brought his geetar and sang for us at supper.

Gretchen Steele wore her Woody Bayou Muck boots out to the spillway at Rend Resort area in Southern Illinois with TeamWON's carp eradication unit: (L-R) Stacey Huston, Hawk Huston, Josiah Huston, Barb Baird and Gretchen Steele. Photo by Jason Baird.

My only complaint with my original Mucks was that I was frequently wading off into areas that topped them, resulting in a boot full of water. Seriously, after five plus years, that is my only complaint.

That complaint has been addressed beautifully with the Woody Bayou. The Muck Woody Bayou has a unique system that allows the wearer to roll down and snap the upper portion or quickly unsnap and pull up and cinch – poof!  Instant waders!

I no longer have to pack a set of icky rubber hip waders that were hot in the summer  and cold  in the winter.  The Muck Woody Bayou boots fill the bill for both a regular knee-high boot and a thigh-high hip wader quite well.

All Muck boots are 100 percent waterproof, keeping feet warm, dry and protected in harsh weather and messy working conditions. The secret?  Their exclusive, self-insulating, waterproof CR-foam shell construction. The CR-foam bootie material acts as a “neutral medium” between inside and outside temperatures. It’s very light-weight material keeps feet cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather. Natural rubber overlays act as a protective skin for the upper bootie. The upper has a triple-reinforced toe area and quadruple-reinforced heel area. The outsole is made of high abrasion natural rubber. The rubber in the boots will stay flexible for years.

I’ve been putting my original Mucks through many difficult situations over the past many years. With one quick scrubbing, not only do they look as good as brand new, they continue to perform as well as a new pair out of the box.

One of my favorite parts of Muck boots is the structured, breathable air-mesh lining used in all of Muck’s products. Air-mesh is made up of thousands of tiny vertical fibers that allow air to circulate throughout the interior lining surfaces. Excess humidity and perspiration that might build up in the boot are quickly wicked away. This creates a comfortable environment for your feet that lasts for extended periods of use. NO more sweaty hot or cold feet.

Comfort is another reason I always choose Mucks.  Because my Multiple Sclerosis causes me to fatigue quickly, especially when walking for extended periods, a heavy insulated rubber boot just seemed to cause more problems than it was worth.  The Muck boots solved all of that and I can walk farther and stay on my feet longer, thanks to the light-weight technology of the Muck boots.

My new Woody Bayous come with all of the standard features we’ve come to expect from Muck’s high quality line of footwear, along with these specific to the Woody Bayous :

• Hidden, extendable skirt with snap closure for multifunction use
• Stretch-fit topline binding snugs calf to keep warmth in and cold out
• 5mm CR flex-foam bootie with four-way stretch nylon, 100% waterproof (to skirt only), lightweight and flexible
• Advantage Max4® camo
• Molded rubber Speed-Tracker outsole with molded EVA midsole
• Additional Achilles reinforcement for added protection
• Added toe protection with a wrap-up toe bumper
• Reinforced toe
• Comfort range of -20ºF to 70ºF

Muck doesn’t claim  that the skirt is 100% waterproof, however I have been out in the water with mine chasing dogs and have stayed dry with no leaking or dampness.  The  skirts, as Muck calls them, are easy to unsnap, pull and cinch to fit your own particular thigh size for a snug fit at the top. They are great not only slogging through the swamps and marshes, but also working through the briars and tall grasses when doing upland hunting or work.

I give these new Woody Bayous from Muck Boot Company five full stars, and expect that they will be my go-to boots for most any outdoor adventure from bowfishing to waterfowl hunting to retriever hunt tests and on to mushroom hunting. There’s no outdoor activity these boots can’t tackle!

It’s Muck for me! Check out Hanks Clothing’s line of Muck Boots. Free shipping. Free returns. The Woody Bayou costs $201.95.

Visit Gretchen Steele’s photography website.

L-R: Barb Baird, Stacey Huston, Gretchen Steele, Paige Eissinger. Photo by Jason Baird.

The finalists from The WON are … envelope please:

Flying the Coop: Barb Montgomery — “I would be wearing my full hockey gear; that is full faced helmet, chest protection, shin guards, pants & cant forget the stick for swating the darn things and pucks for throwing @ em.b-safe and go get em ladies.”

Babbs in the Woods: Savannah Story — “I’d bring along the trusty Louisville Slugger and get some batting practice in. It’s the perfect combination of softball and fishing… doesn’t get much better than that!”

We will announce the overall grand prize winner by the end of this week, Aug. 19. The finalist will come from a pool, not filled with slimy carp or gar, but from a pool of five finalists from these blogs:
Flying the Coop — Paige Eissinger
Walkin’ with the Wild Woman — Gretchen Steele
A Focus in the Wild — Stacey Huston
The Hunter’s Wife – Jody Narantic
And, of course, Babbs in the Woods — me

And now, the other half of the equation. Photo by Jason Baird.