SHE Apparel, SHE Expeditions & Tollie's African Safaris

Warning…long blog post. Photo blog will be available for lookie-loos shortly!

I sat anxiously in 42A on South African Airways flight 208. Our flight was taxiing the runway at Washington-Dulles airport. We were racing to get the heck out of dodge before hurricane Irene’s arrival. I wasn’t worried about Irene, I was more concerned about how I was going to occupy the next 16 hours of my life as well as how the next 10 days was going to pan out. I was more excited than nervous, as this was my first time going to South Africa. A dream was finally becoming a reality.

After a rather uneventful flight, I met up with a group of ladies in Johannesburg. This group was a diverse, yet accomplished group of women from the hunting and shooting industry. Sherry Crumley, the first lady of camo, was on my flight from IAD. Once through customs we met up with Karen Davis, industry veteran and editor of Turkey Country Magazine, along with Hilary Dyer, managing editor with Grand View Media Group.

After clearing our rifles and obtaining our South Africa gun permits we spent the night at the Afton Guest House. There we met up with our trip hostess Corinna Slaughter, President of SHE Expeditions and her friend Dawn Peeples. It was an early night as we all were flying to Port Elizabeth the next morning.

After re-checking all of our luggage and rifles (picture a group of women, toting firearms and large luggage going on safari, yes we got interesting looks), we met up with the 7^th member of our group, Brittany Boddington of Intermedia Outdoors.

Our short flight to Port Elizabeth was pleasant, it was nice to step off the plane and feel the cool refreshing ocean breeze. There, a tall and cheery man, Tollie Jordaan, owner of Tollie’s African Safaris, greeted us. We spent the day at Jeffreys Bay, collecting amazing seashells. In the evening, we went on a game drive at a local ranch. It was incredible to see so many different species as well as get up close with dangerous game. Hello momma rhino and baby at 15-yards!

We stayed the night in Jeffreys Bay at Tollie’s B&B right on the beach. The next day we toured Addo Elephant Park. The history behind the park and the elephants that inhabit it are very interesting. There, the land and the animals were very diverse. It was a lot of fun to spot the animals and discuss what our shot placement would be if we were hunting. We saw elephants, kudu, zebra, monkeys and so much more, too much to list!

Tollie’s lodge is about 125 miles north of Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. The terrain is mountainous and rocky, approximately 6,000 feet above sea level. It is a 5^th generation family operation; they know the land very well, and are passionate about keeping it pristine. Most of their properties are free-range, which is nearly unheard of in the region.

Our accommodations were excellent. We stayed at the guest lodge that had five bedrooms, kitchen, sitting room, den, living room, pool, cabana and full-service spa. We had our meals at the main homestead. Karen, Tollie’s wife prepared all of the meals. Oh boy, were they incredible! I could get used to Nyala and Kudu for dinner!

Speaking of Nyala, they have a couple of interesting pets at the lodge. There are four orphaned plains game that roam the property and are domesticated. We would hand feed Ears, the Nyala as well as Bonty, the Bontebuck. There also was a pair of Springbucks, Hansel and Gretel, but they were very shy.

Each person was allotted three plains game species to take during the week, with the exception of Brittany. She was after the highly elusive Bushbuck and Mountain Reedbuck. The hunting was absolutely incredible. Every animal was a different hunt, on different terrain and a different chase. I have a new respect for the people and the animals that call South Africa their home. It is tough out there and survival of the fittest is more than just a saying. It was exciting to stalk several animals and exhilarating once you were able to take a shot!

I was paired up with Karen and our PH was Beans. He has worked with Tollie for over 15 years and knows the land very well. Riding in the back of the truck was our tracker Kombutay (sp?) and Beans’ dog Rigby. We lovingly called our motley crew “Team Beans.” I am pretty sure this group was meant to be. There was never a dull moment hiking in the bush or driving around in the truck. We got to know each other very well. Karen was the ringleader of questions and quizzes. My favorite, if you were a cookie, what would you be and why?

Team Beans did exceptionally well in the field. Karen and I each took an Impala and Springbuck. Karen took a great Blue Wildebeest and I got a Black Wildebeest. I really feel like I got to experience so much of the hunting because I was there for most of Karen’s. Beans did an amazing job finding us the best, most mature animals for our hunt.

I could go on and write for days about this trip. The people I’ve met, the places I have seen and experienced, I really feel like I have accomplished something. I am a much better hunter. I experienced things outside of my comfort zone and as cheesy as it sounds, I really do feel like I bring more to the table of life with my experiences in South Africa.

Bowcast at the Bird 2011

For those who know me well, know that I love archery (thanks CJ for getting me hooked). One of my favorite Nikon-sponsored event is Bowcast at the Bird. This extreme 3D shoot is unlike any other in the country. This high elevation, high-octane shoot is not for the leisure shooter. Targets are difficult, 50-yards is considered a close shot and angles are realistic to a backcountry hunt.

What makes it even more fun is the people and the overall laid back atmosphere. You don’t have to keep score. In fact, my score was either the "thunk" sound of foam, or me mumbling expletives because lost my arrow over a cliff. This shoot also pushes you and your gear to the limits.

The first day I tackled the FMP and Elite courses with my friend Kelly and Rick Hanson (Bowcast & Bowhunting.net contributor). The target average was 70-yards on these courses and required a gondola ride to the top of the mountain at 11,000 feet.

Shooting that high up, in the snow and in July was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had. It took us four hours to navigate through deep snow, incredible canyons and shoot 20 extremely difficult targets.

I never really knew the importance of an angle compensating rangefinder until I shot these courses. I had guessed an uphill mule deer target to be about 60-yards. When I ranged it with my Nikon RifleHunter 1000, it read 40-yards exactly. I didn’t want to believe it, but I trusted my gear and placed my 40-yard pin on the deer’s vitals and watched as my arrow went exactly where I wanted it.

The next day was the ladies social shoot hosted by Carrie Z. Women from all over the country took over one of the many courses for an afternoon. I had the pleasure of shooting with Michelle Brantley from Realtree.com, my friend Kelly and Katy from California. It was really neat to see all of the enthusiastic women conquer one of the toughest 3D courses in the country.

I may have lost and broken more arrows than I wanted, but my shooting confidence is at an all-time high and I can’t wait for fall to get here!

Turkey Hunting with The Admiral

I’m a die hard, ultra competitive, super sleepless, ridiculously relentless,

gobbler getting turkey hunter. Spring is my thing. Period. When I go turkey hunting and come home empty-handed, I’m usually really disappointed. And grouchy. And irritable. And down right unpleasant.

So when I got skunked on my recent turkey hunting trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota, I was disappointed, but I was also thankful. I had the privilege of spending five days introducing a person I admire to my favorite thing in the world. I took the United States Navy’s recently retired Vice-Adm. Carl V. Mauney, or “Uncle Van” as I know him, on his first turkey hunt.

I can make a long story short when it comes to the hunting: for five days, it rained for 70% of daylight hours (even snowed one day), we got soaking wet and cold more than a few times and the few Merriam’s gobblers we found were unresponsive to calling. We didn’t even come close to getting a turkey.

Even so, Uncle Van (in his late 50s and in great shape) trudged up and down the Black Hills listening intently as I tried to teach him everything he had to suppose I’ve learned about turkey hunting over the last 13 years. I had to admire him for his effort and dedication to the hunt. Here’s a guy who’s led thousands of men on missions and assignments for the last 30 years, and he’s willing to listen to his nephew, who’s half his age, tell him where to sit in the pre-dawn minutes before gobbling time.

As hard as Uncle Van listened during the hunting, learning as much as he could, I felt like I did the same when we were lucky enough to have him to recount stories from his brilliant career.

Naval assignments forced Uncle Van, my aunt Debby and their three daughters to move often as I grew up, and in turn, they were in and out of my life. The hunting trip allowed us to catch up on years gone by.

I heard how he helped lead the investigation in the aftermath of the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole in 2000, which was one of the first pre-9/11 attacks on the United States by al-Qaeda terrorists. Then, when Army Gen. Tommy Franks led U.S. forces into Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 attacks, Uncle Van was at his side as his Executive Assistant. Sitting in the lodge during our hunt, as Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff spoke on FOX news, Uncle Van commented, “he’s one of the finest men I’ve ever had the privilege of working with.”

Pretty cool stuff if you ask me.

I was surprised that Uncle Van kept smiling and enjoying himself even though the hunting was miserable. I spent months telling him how awesome the trip was going to be. I should have known better than do doubt his vigor though. It was almost as if he had a little experience with things not always going according to the plan. Thanks U.S. Navy for preparing my uncle to be a turkey hunter!

On most turkey hunting trips, a 20-pound, loud gobbling longbeard is normally the star of the show, but that wasn’t the case on our trip. Uncle Van, and his tales from oceans and command posts around the world, stole the spotlight – and I’m so thankful I was there to listen.

Big thanks to Winchester Ammunition and the National Wild Turkey Federation for teaming up to introduce my uncle to the sport of turkey hunting and for always supporting veterans and the U.S. Armed Forces. Uncle Van can’t wait to get back into the turkey woods, so I consider the hunt a huge success!

Visit to Cannon Safe & GunVault

Last week I visited Cannon Safe and GunVault headquarters and manufacturing facility in San Bernardino, CA. A really cool aspect of my job is being able to go behind-the-scenes and see how everything is made.

I settled on one of the oversized couches in the Cannon Safe show room floor, which would put many Cabela’s trophy rooms to shame. I heard the hustle and bustle of the manufacturing facility behind two over-sized fully functioning safe doors, curious as to what was behind them.

Sure enough, welders were sparking, forklifts were racing around and painters were meticulously painting safes, all signs of a healthy company. I then got to see a variety of safes being built from start to finish.

Every employee on the floor has a specific task, and boy are they efficient! Not one step was wasted, cuts were precise and safes were moving along the assembly line in a fluid motion. It was neat to learn that a lot of the employees at this family run business have been on the job 8-25 years! It sure did show too, every safe was inspected for perfection.

It is the attention to detail that has made Cannon a leader in the safe industry. They also stand behind what they make. To them, it is important that they take care of the customer after the sale. They offer free parts, free labor and free freight for repair of a safe after burglary, natural flood or fire for the LIFETIME of the safe.

It was neat to see the safes being made. I am proud to be representing a company that has been in the Baker family for generations as well as a company that produces a quality product that is customer-focused.

I also have to admit, being a Southern California native, it was nice to visit the sun and enjoy a double-double from In-N-Out!

Hi - I'm the new guy

Hey everybody, my name is Michael Turbyfill, but lately everyone is calling me “the new guy.” I’m a new public relations specialist for Chevalier. My situation gives me the new guy label with both my coworkers at Chevalier and our client, Winchester Ammunition. Unlike high school, when it was cool to be new, now I’m just the guy who needs to know where the bathroom is located and how to use the copier.

New guy or not, I’m extremely excited and blessed to support the PR efforts of one of America’s most recognizable and respected brands. In Winchester’s office lobby, a giant, bronze statue of American icon John Wayne holding a Winchester rifle reminds me each morning that the Winchester name is truly timeless.

Heading into my recent job change, the only negative part of the switch was I’d have to move smack dab in the middle of my favorite time of year – spring turkey season. Lucky for me (not so lucky for a couple gobblers), I was able to get in a few last-minute hunts in the Carolinas.

On April 8, I was fortunate enough to harvest a testy gobbler on public land in South Carolina. Less than 72 hours later, in the mountains of western North Carolina where I grew up, I smoked an old, mountain gobbler in the same hardwoods where I first learned to hunt. Ironically, both longbeards met their demise with a face full of Winchester Xtended Range #6s. Check out the photo of my S.C. bird and I'll look forward to sharing more of my adventures in the future.