The Outdoor Scene

Oprah Winfrey would have had to announce she was ending her daytime talk show for the media to have noticed something other than Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue book tour last week.

Oh wait, Oprah did call it quits - just days after her show snagged its largest audience in two years. Who did she interview to draw the big ratings? Yep. Sarah Palin.

Palin also was interviewed by Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Barbara Walters and Rush Limbaugh last week. It appeared the media and blogosphere couldn’t get enough of this polarizing figure.

Like much of what Palin does, her book tour is unorthodox…a bus trip through medium-sized towns in the midwest and south, rather than the usual big city stops. Some bloggers and reporters have suggested the book tour is really a political campaign in disguise. Whether you hope she’s elected President of the United States someday or you wouldn’t vote for her if she was running for president of your hunt club, she’s doing something most celebrities don’t do – publicly admitting she hunts and fishes.

A few weeks before, tennis hottie Andre Agassi confessed during his book tour interviews that he wore a dude wig when he played and used crystal meth. That was nothing compared to the excerpt in Going Rogue about Palin hunting with her dad, an enthusiastic science teacher:

“I looked down to see the moose’s eyeballs lying in the palm — in his palm, still warm from the critter’s head, when he saw the wrinkle in my nose and the shake of my head slightly, he set them aside, he realized that even though he had raised me to be a hunting buddy I had my limits.”

During an interview with Palin, you could see big talker Sean Hannity shudder with revulsion at the mere thought of a body part from a dead animal. Palin went on to tell him that hunting with her dad and field dressing big game was part of her upbringing.  And on the hunt mentioned in the book, her dad had two goals: fill the family’s freezer and collect specimens so his students could see what animals were made of.

I know presidential candidates in recent times have used the hunting photo op to shore up their image with rural sportsmen and women. Remember the famous John Kerry goose hunting pics in 2004? Kerry was photographed, but NOT holding one of the four dead geese, presumably because he didn’t want to mess up that cool new camo coat he was sporting.

While others have posed for the cameras, Palin isn’t pretending. And hooray for her, talking about hunting with her father. Many of the women I’ve interviewed say their first memories of hunting and fishing were with their dad. It resonates.

I don’t pretend to know whether or not Palin is suited to lead our country, however, I do appreciate that she’s plain spoken. She doesn’t hide her opinions behind a veil of mumbo jumbo phrases many politicians and business leaders use. It’s no fun to play bullcrap bingo during one of her speeches because you won’t hear words such as “paradigm shift,” “budget-neutral legislation” or “value-added proposition.”

Perhaps her ability to speak directly is a result of being shaped by hunting, fishing and seeing life as it really is by spending time outdoors. If so, maybe more bureaucrats, mainstream reporters and corporate executives should hunt and fish, too.

Like thousands of other people, I will read Going Rogue. And I’m looking forward to it. However, because I’ve “right-sized” my budget (code for “I’m a cheapskate”) I’ll have to wait until I discover a “budget-neutral” opportunity to do so. Or I beg one of my friends to give me their “gently-used” copy.

I’d love to hear what you think about Sarah Palin, her book and her future. Look me up at Facebook.com/tammy.sapp2 and Twitter @TammyDianeSapp or post a comment here.

Growing up on a farm, Carina frequently had chores to do after the sun went down, and often felt creeped out in the dark. As an adult, Carina feels a “heightened awareness” that something is present and may jump out at her. Her sixth sense is more animal related versus ghosts, zombies or live, scary people.

Carina Port loves being outdoors during the day, but not so much at night.

“I know it’s completely illogical. I’m a wildlife biologist. But I feel sometimes that something is about to happen. I find myself listening for footsteps.”

After her sophomore year in college, Carina began conducting spotted owl research, which required driving out to the forest in the middle of the night. While the other students reveled in the darkness, Carina would keep her hand on the car, ready to open the door and leap in at a moment’s notice. Fortunately, the spotted owl research didn’t require her to stray too far, so she was allowed to keep her phobia a secret.

After graduation, she started working on a project tracking flying squirrels via radio telemetry, which required hiking up to a mile in the dark. Alone. As Carina put it, she “psyched herself out numerous times.” She experienced rapid breathing and admits she had never felt that kind of fear before. While this was uncommon for a wildlife biologist, Carina took a risk and approached her bosses and co-workers for advice. Their solution was perfect - allow a friend to accompany Carina on her rounds.

The first night they went out, the team was full of bravado - until they heard terrible moaning and yelling sounds coming from the woods. “We both went into super logical mode,” Carina said. “We talked about it. The first time we heard it, it was far away, so we convinced ourselves it was a bird.”

The second time they heard it, it was much closer, only about 50 yards off the road. This time they decided it must be a fox.

Just to be safe, though, the women piled into the truck and drove up and down the road with lights on and horn blaring. When they got back home, an internet search revealed they had heard a female mountain lion in heat. One of Carina’s co-workers had encountered a mountain lion a week earlier, and she, too, was feeling less brave about tracking flying squirrels in the dark. Thus, she joined Carina and her friend on the next mission, but this time they were armed with bear spray and Maglites.

As the trio conducted their first round of radio telemetry, Carina shined her light into what she said looked like a round face. Feeling instant fear, she covered it up by calmly asking “Did you see that? Maybe it was an owl.”

They took a break before making their second round. Carina’s co-worker headed off to one spot and Carina and her friend took off for another. Minutes later, her co-worker radioed, asking in a panicky voice for Carina to come back to her location.

Knowing instinctively what she would find, Carina pulled herself together on the walk back. And sure enough, a mountain lion was crouched behind a bush five feet off the road.

The women quickly agreed on a plan. They gathered in a circle with their backs to each other and puffed out their jackets to make themselves look big. Then they started making a lot of low-pitched noises. After doing this “pretending to be a monster in the forest” routine for several minutes, the big cat jumped up and disappeared.

While on the surface, it sounds like problem solved. In reality, all it meant was they didn’t know where the mountain lion was anymore. So they had to shuffle back to their truck, still in covey formation, like some goofy characters in a TV sitcom. When they finally got inside the vehicle, they burst out laughing. Once the tension was released, though, they rode back in silence, each woman contemplating what could have happened.

Today, Carina wouldn’t call herself 100 percent cured, though a stint living on an island off Sierra Leone in West Africa helped her come to terms with the dangers of that situation. She said she’ll probably never be able to go stargazing alone, though she does enjoy going backpacking ….with her friends.

A recent Top 10 phobia list on Livescience.com heralded slithering snakes as the number one irrational fear, which made me think, “well, duh, what could possibly be more scary?” Interestingly, the number six phobia was fear of the dark.

While some may think being afraid of the dark is the domain of children, in actuality, some adults harbor that dread as well. A 1998 Gallup poll indicated 8 percent of people admitted to being afraid of the dark while 13 percent ‘fessed up to panicking at the thought of being alone in a forest. For most Fraidy Cats, being in the dark makes them uncomfortable. At its most clinical, this fear is called nyctophobia [nik-tuh-foh-bee-uh].

I posted the topic on my Facebook page and heard a range of stories from women and men about the effects of being alone in the dark.

Laurie Lee Dovey, outdoor writer and executive director of the Professional Outdoor Media Association, said her fear of the dark began as a child when her brother teased her about alligators lurking under the bed. To this day when Laurie is alone in the woods, she still sometimes has episodes where her knees knock and she hyperventilates.

Outdoor writer and photographer Tes Jolly told me about the time a young college guy guided her on a ladies bowhunt. As they drove to the stand, he hinted around about not liking the dark, but she knew it was a little more than fear when he flipped the switch on a huge spotlight on the way to her stand. According to Tes, the guy did a 180 degree deer-clearing sweep of the woods checking for “haints, swamp boogers, and who knows, maybe Bigfoot.” That evening in camp the guide found out there really were wild hogs with long, sharp tusks roaming the woods. That was the last anyone saw of him. He left a note saying guide work just wasn’t for him.  

My Facebook friends also shared the zany precautionary measures people take to curb their anxiety. One hunter bails out of his treestand just as the hunting is getting good so he can beat a path to the truck before sundown.  An outdoor writer friend of mine knows a coon hunter who is afraid of the dark. While I have no idea how you solve that one, I do know hunters who refuse to watch scary movies before going afield and others who wouldn’t set foot in the woods without a mega-watt spotlight.

Hunters aren’t the only ones who are in the woods before sunrise and after sunset. Biologists often find themselves skulking around after dark, especially those studying nocturnal critters. Next week, we’ll hear from Carina Port, editor at California Waterfowl Association. She’s scared of the being alone in the woods at night, but after you read what she’s encountered in the shadows, you won’t blame her one bit.

Until then, feel free to share your “scared of the woods at night” stories with me at Facebook.com/tammy.sapp2 or Twitter @TammyDianeSapp or tammy@womensoutdoorwire.com

You’ll have to pardon me, this may have turned into a bit of an obsession…snooping into people’s luggage and now their hunting packs. I’ve expanded my search to look at what other items of convenience the industry’s most avid women hunters carry afield to keep them safe, warm, dry, comfortable, hydrated and happy. One thing I haven’t seen on anyone’s list is panty liners. Perhaps it’s modesty that prevents their mention, but they can be pretty handy if you’ve forgotten toilet paper, Kleenex or dressing for wounds. Medicines that cure the polar ailments associated with “going” didn’t make many lists either, yet the condition of not being able to go or maybe worse, going too much can both strike at hunt camp. However, if you endeavor to know how to discreetly pee in mixed company or innovative ways to stay warm and comfortable, you’ve come to the right place.

Lisa Cinquino
Founder of Whistle Communications
Before I leave for any day afield I pack these lightweight items as they are easily stowed away in the side pockets of any backpack.
- SureFire Outdoorsman Flashlight - ultra compact with pocket clip.
- Kleenex Pocket Pack/Handiwipes.
- Aearo Ear Pod Plugs - ear protection for shooting.
- SunBuster Shooting Glasses - Eye protection for shooting and from branches while walking through woods.
- Cell Phone - in case you break down to or from your destination.
- Gold Bond Powder - prevents chaffing & itching, keeps you dry.
- Water & Windproof Matches.
- Compact Binoculars.
- Leatherman Multi Tool-kit.
- GPS Unit.

Hilary Dyer
Editor, Waterfowl & Retriever
- Cell phone in a zip-top bag so I can text in the rain if I’m bored and not seeing anything. Worse, my cell phone is purple.
- Chemical heat packs, of course. I hate to shoot wearing gloves, so I tend to keep my hands in my pockets when I’m on stand — with two chemical heat packs in each pocket. My sister also wears those stick-on thermal warming patches you can buy in the drugstore to ease back pain or cramps. She puts them over her kidneys and swears they keep her core warm.
- TP. Self-explanatory.
- Bottle of Diet Coke, even when it’s 15 degrees outside. And a Snickers, because my diet won’t allow me to eat them in real life, but all bets are off in a deer stand, right?
- Facemask and/or a beanie-style hat if I’m shooting a rifle. I gave up wearing ball caps for rifle hunting because the brim of the cap always bumps against my scope.
- Ponytail holders — I often do a long braid with my hair when I’m wearing the beanie, because a regular old ponytail creates too much of a bump at my neck or the back of my head and restricts my movement.

Jill J. Easton
treblehookunlimited.com
- First and foremost a pillow - Sleeping on the ground is bearable, without the right pillow impossible. Mine has a bright red cover so it doesn’t get left behind.
- Dental floss - can serve as fishing line, double as thread, mark locations, tie everything together, build a shelter, suture wounds (not recommended).
- Baby powder - if fresh water isn’t available and it’s hot, it keeps parts from sticking together. Also helps with chafing, blisters and foot rot.
 
Tes Randle Jolly
Freelance outdoor writer/photographer
Jolly’s Outdoor Visions
- A pair of fold-up travel reading glasses (buy them at Walmart) dedicated to the toiletry bag. I found out early one morning on a hunt how important it is to be able to read the labels on travel size tubes of beauty and health products. Trust me, hydrocortisone cream does not give your mouth that fresh brushed feeling. But your tongue won’t itch for hours! Another pair lives in my fanny pack. I attach a safety pin or two to the case. Both are handy for a variety of needs in the field such as removing a thorn or filling in a trophy tag.
- A pair of latex gloves for the fanny pack. A “case” item. I like to have them along just in case the deer or turkey “gods” allow me to fill my tag. I don’t like getting blood under the fingernails. Handy for applying scent, etc.
- Hunter Specialties Scent Free Wipes. A must have in the toiletry bag. Use to remove makeup and freshen up, often a necessary follow-up to certain budget-priced camp toilet papers, no? Won’t leave camp without ‘em either. A small ziploc bag holds a supply in the fanny pack. Uses are only limited by your imagination. I use them to clean up after field dressing game. Handy to refresh hot, sweaty, tired feet during breaks in the field and any place sweat runs for that matter.
- Unscented Mitchum’s Anti-perspirant. I’ve used it for years. Absolutely the longest protection. I use it on my feet, too, when hunting in hot weather.
- Hunter’s Specialties bath and shampoo. It goes hand-in-hand with the complete scent control regimen.
- Vaseline. I carry a small tube in my pack. It’s like Duct Tape, a million uses. I have used it to quiet a squeaky tree stand, silence an arrow rest and on my cheeks against windburn.
- ThermaCELL P-Pak. A full bladder during long hunts from a tree stand is inevitable. In the “old days” it took a combination of athletic skill, zero modesty, a secure safety harness, a heavy duty freezer ziploc bag, and luck to accomplish an aerial nature break. Thank God there was no YouTube! Then along came the ThermaCELL P-Pak, a urine-absorbent pouch (in forest green, I swear!) that’s compact, disposable, odor free, and features a uni-sex spill guard. It’s quick and simple to use with a minimum of movement. So ladies, no worries, have that second cup of coffee before heading to the stand!
- Hunt Comfort Climb-On cushion is snapped to my pack, and goes everywhere with me. A hunter with a happy backside can concentrate on spotting game. If I’m not comfortable in a stand, it just isn’t fun. Circulation, back issues, and numbness from long hours on stand are aggravating and make me squirm like a worm. The cushion is worth its weight in gold.
- Tinted lip balm with sunscreen, foundation with sunscreen, (Estee Lauder Double Wear) and basic makeup items. Applying “war paint” is a daily ritual (must be the Native American roots) and at my age a darn necessity! The extra 10 minutes it takes in the morning is worth it when it’s time to take photos. I use an unscented body powder during hot weather hunts.
- First Aid items and meds. I enter the woods armed with a small Ziploc containing Tylenol, Carmex, a couple of band-aids, Tums, Benadryl, and prescription medication. May not need them but a Girl Scout master taught us long ago to “Be Prepared”. Tech-NU Extreme Poison Ivy Scrub for washing away irritants from exposure to poison oak/ivy/sumac. Lucky you if you’re not allergic. Never get through a bow season without an encounter or two.

Hayley Lynch
Writer, Kentucky Afield magazine
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
- Ziploc bags: I am the Ziploc queen. They’re waterproof and come in different sizes for your gear. Most everything in my pack is inside a Ziploc. When the rain starts, I stay put.
- Tagging kit: I take my deer heads back to Fish and Wildlife for CWD testing, so I have to tag them. I carry business cards, zip ties and a pen in a Ziploc. No need to write my information out on an index card. I add my Telecheck confirmation number, poke the zip tie through and zip it around the base of the deer’s ear. Easy!
- Dishwashing gloves: Mine are black and white zebra print and go all the way up to the elbow for field dressing. I love them! My sleeves, hands and arms stay clean and I peel the gloves off inside out when I’m done; my closed knife is in my hand so that gets tucked inside, too. I put it all in a Ziploc to clean up later.
- Hand and foot warmers: My feet used to get very cold in the tree stand and it was the one thing that would make me go home before I was ready. I buy cases of these disposable warmers at the end of the season when everything is on sale. One under my toes, one under my arch and one in each glove, and I’m comfortable for as long as I want to hunt.
- Cappuccino: If I’m going to hunt, I’m going to hunt in style and comfort. I hunted with a couple of guys last year who thought my thermos full of cappuccino was hilarious. They swore the deer would scent me from a mile away. We split up into different tree stands and I was the only one who brought back a deer that day. A good thermos locks in the scent until you need that fix - and if the wind is right, the French vanilla doesn’t matter!
- Alcohol-free ChapStick: If it has alcohol as an ingredient, it makes things worse in the long run.
- Baby wipes and toilet paper: ’nuff said. In a Ziploc, of course!
- Snacks and water: Granola bars, trail mix, jerky, Gatorade mix to put in the water bottle. Again, it’s all about staying comfortable and in the field as long as possible. I do limit my water (and cappuccino) intake because of the need for bathroom breaks. But I still need to be hydrated - and awake!
- Small makeup bag: Unfortunately it isn’t always easy to find photos of women in the field, so we sometimes use photos of me for our publications. If there’s someone around with a camera I usually put a little makeup on.
- Compact camera: Never leave home without it. Did I mention Ziplocs?

Luann Waters
Conservation and environmental educator
- Stormproof  Matches from REI—the only matches to have with you. Works under windy, wet conditions and they come with extra strikers.
- Metal match–the backup firestarter…that doesn’t wear out or use up.
- Cotton balls ‘filled’ with petroleum jelly—these with either of the above, and you can always get a fire going when you need it.
- Therma Care patches–the ’shoulder’ size.  Keep you from getting stiff sitting in a deer stand and in cold weather, help keep you warm.
- Feminine ‘funnel’—the answer to potty call when you’re in a mixed group.
- Wet ones singles - too many uses to mention.
- Mints or cough drops.
- Roll of survey marking tape. I use it for a variety of things. One of the handiest is while following a blood  trail, you can tie it to bushes occasionally to keep track of the direction  in case you have to double back to pick up the trail again.
- Nylon cord. Never know when you might need some.
 -Bandana. Multiple-use item.
-Knife. I usually carry a couple, but have a favorite with an antler handle.