Obsession Pasted On !

I started on this journey when I was about six years old, it all started with my dad, he was an avid hunter, always in the woods every chance he got. I remember it like it was yesterday dad was taking me hunting I was so excited i couldn’t sleep hardly that night. The next morning I here my dad’s voice telling me to get up it was time to go so I jump out of bed with dad telling me to be quiet and not wake up mom, see never bought into the whole hunting thing anyway. She even told me when I got my first shotgun for christmas that it kicked and I really didn’t want to shoot it hoping that would detour me from the whole thing I guess, she didn’t care if we hunted she was just trying to keep me from getting my priority’s out of order at a young age. But all I wanted to do was be like dad and kill a deer. At this time in dads life he was seeing a new hunting buddy and he hadn’t killed a deer with his bow and he was all about that let me tell ya. So we make our way to the woods get to our spot, beside this downed log just on the edge of a field. Dad gave me the orders sit still don’t move be quiet or we won’t see any deer. Well we all know how long that lasted, six year old in the woods with dad gonna see a deer. So I followed the rules for longer than dad thought I would. Then came the question’s dad be quiet son dad son be still and be quiet just for a little bit longer, dad has always been good about packing food to eat so it must have hit his mind, you hungry bud he said, I looked at him and smiled he pulled out the food and that kept me settled for a bit. I knew he was satisfied he looked at me and smiled. Then I remembered dad let me carry his hunting knife you know one of those you have in a sheath on your side. So as dad watched for the deer I pulled the knife out and started to cut on stix I found on the ground. Here we go again son be quiet, be still were not going to see anything. I sat as long as I could completely forgot what dad had just said and started to chop away at the log. The wind started to blow a bit dad had enough. Well bud you ready to go I said naw and kept chopping on the log. Dad said you like this don’t you boy, I shook my head yes and he rubbed me on my head like he always did. About that time he said listen, we were on alert I looked up just in time to see a doe run down from the field and stop for a Brief seconded, look behind her and take off again. My day was made dad took me hunting I saw my first deer. Dad was so proud he took me in the woods, on my first hunting trip and i got to see my first deer.

And that is how the Obsession Was Passed On! 

The Boss

Great Cause. Great Deer Down.

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Kids Hunting for a Cure Event Tennessee Style.

The Bone Obsession crew hit the road again to make it down to Fayetteville, Tennessee for another Kids Hunting for a Cure event. This time in hopes of helping to not only raise funds, but potentially set a new world record for number of kids hunting in one day.  With over 200+ signed up for the event we were jacked up to get down there and get out in the field. Upon arriving we met our little hunters and their families. I would  be hunting with Kamryn Hopper, her mom Kim would be going along with us. With her bright little smile and beaming eyes she explained to me how this would be her first hunt and if we got one, her first kill. Her goal was to get a buck since her sister only had gotten a doe for her first – have to love sibling rivalry.  Bennie had already met his little man Travis Martin, his poppa Randy would be hunting alongside him.

If you haven’t ever been. The country is beautiful that we were going to hunting. Rolling hills, the trees where just the right colors – those fall colors that make your soul feel at peace, and animals were out walking around. Only a 16 hour drive from SD, I was excited to see what the weekend would hold for my little hunter. We arrived at our camp for the evening and Momma Obsession asks if I recognize anything… let’s see, small lake, girl’s cabin with lots of bunks, green and white paint, and the small shower stalls with clear curtains… Have any of you seen Friday the 13th? Yep. We were on the set. Sleep should be good the first night. Bennie giggled and started to plot how he would go about making me pee my pants with fear. I climb into the top bunk, take a look around to plot an easy escape, and ‘WHAM’ an acorn the size of a pumpkin hits the metal roof. I scream. Bennie and Momma laugh. Knew right then that it would be a long weekend, but funny.

We got up early in the am, climbed in our trucks and took to town to pick up our hunters. I picked up the girls, we grabbed some coffee and snacks for the blind and off to our hunting spot. Our spot was back in the woods and upon walking in both Kim and I whispered how we hated walking into the woods when it was dark, keeping our little secret from Kam we put on our brave faces and snuck up to our blind. We climbed in, got situated and began the waiting game. What a trooper this girl was. We saw nothing. Kept asking her if she was okay – “My hands and feet are freezing.” She’d say. Want to get out and go have breakfast we would ask. “Just one more hour she would say.” I handed her some of my extra hot pockets to put in her gloves, we broke out the Chex Mix and granola’s and waited some more. A breeze was working up the hillside in our face, taking our scent out behind us – a deer blows from about 5 feet behind the blind. Busted.

We go back to town and Travis has killed his first buck! He is so excited! I snap a few shots and let him tell his story. I don’t know how many of our readers have witnessed a kid telling the story of his kill, but nothing compares to the true joy and self-accomplishment that a child expresses when they have an animal on the ground. It’s bigger than a smile on Christmas morning. More meaningful than conquering any video game. And becomes a building block to their character that helps form the foundation of a truly intriguing individual. The first morning had been beneficial for a lot of the little hunters. One in particular, Jason, who is currently going through treatment for Lukemia drew blood on his first buck and it was a brute! Still shaking from the experience Bennie and I hug on him and tell him how proud we all are of him. It was great morning!

That evening we would be moving spots, Travis volunteered us his spot since Kam hadn’t seen anything. What a little gentleman. Then we saw the climb. Kim and I looked at each other with a small grin and a lot of ‘oh boy!’ in our eyes. As we started our assent up the mountain we took it slow for Kam and she just trudged right up that hill, like we were walking to a candy store. What a hunter that girl is! I can’t wait for our next hunt together. Sitting in the blind we sat, listened and shared some Lifesavers. Saw nothing, laughed a lot and let Kam work the calls again. [Flextone BC call is a great one to let the kids learn on. It has a great sound, instruction card and is one of the easiest on the market to call with.] We headed back to town to see what was being brought in from the night’s hunt.

The next morning hunt was successful for little Kam! She got her first doe. Got all tore up, but made the shot and dropped her in her tracks. The Bone Obsession crew is looking forward to our next event with the Kids Hunting for a Cure organization. We want to thank Super Dave and everyone for everything they do. And please all of you send prayers, hope and encouragement to all these kids and their families that are going through the hardest experience of their lives. Any help you can give to St. Jude’s or a kid with cancer you will never regret.

Obsessed Thought to Leave You With: When staying in a scarey place – stay with a room full of friends. By the time the ax murder gets to you he may be all tucker out.

Obsessed Fact: Alarms need to be set to work.

Obsessed One to Keep an Eye On: Darren Warren. Cancer survivor and Country Music singer. Keep an eye on this up and rising star. His heart is as pure as his music, his music as soulfull as the life he has lived and his life is lived to spread the word of how you can make a difference by supporting St. Jude’s and keeping the Lord in your heart.

The Whole Obsessed Family!

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Kids Hunting for a Cure Event.

This past weekend the Bone Obsession crew met up in Princeton, Indiana for an amazing event that not only raises cash funds to find a cure for cancer [check them out at KHFAC.org], but this event gets kids out in the woods with loved ones, hunting celebs and other cancer survivors. Over 35 children participated as hunters in the event and over 200 people where in attendance. I [Arika Sanders, Host of Bone Obsession TV] arrived from South Dakota; a Monster Energy drink and Wasabee nut jammed packed 12 hour trip. See more photos at our facebook [Bone Obsession] or my twitter [undicci].

The arrival night they had food, fun, live music and the promise of steak dinner. Oops, Bennie messed up the memo. Spaghetti and Lasagna dinner and the promise of the steak dinner for the next night after hunting. The festivites and a live performance by a cancer survivor made me bawl my eyes out, but totally worth it. His story is inspiring, but even more so was the story he told of a little girl that lost hers. She touched his heart so that he has written a song for her [enter the crying of my eyes out here.] He is going to send me his cd, so as soon as I get that I will post more information on him.

After the music had faded we got the rules of the event. No smoking or drinking on the hunt. Oh, thank goodness they told me, I put the booze and my cigs back in the car. Bennie put in a chew and we walked over to meet our guides. Vern, Scott and Tim. Scott’s son Jayden would be hunting with us. Here is a pic of the boys. They look like a bunch of pro-hunters don’t they… cause they are! We set out early am, jammed out to Bennie’s master mix on the way to the stand – which of course included Thunderstruck and Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On. [which maybe my new favorite song.] Seeing deer to the right of us and deer to the left us. Mackey told his poppa, “That’s good sign.” Sign? Heck, that’s deer! I will stab you with this fork! The blunt end. We got in the blinds, cameras set and all three boys, in all three different blinds, SLEEP. Kids are really quiet when they sleep.

Hunting Tip: When hunting with children, if they won’t sleep just choke them out. Ah, sweet dreams pun’kin. Sweet dreams. And to the PETA rats that think I am serious. Serious? Lick my whisker biscuit.

We didn’t see anything the first day. A lunch at Hogg Heaven [picked by momma obsession] have to love a woman that just wants to eat pig! As the morning set in on the second day of the hunt we heard a ‘Bang’ from behind us and to the right. Mackey’s blind. The air was electric, some thoughts passed if he had misfired, had he missed or did he drop that ‘b’ in it’s tracks. We prayed for the later. Our prayers where answered in a text from his daddy. Mackey had smacked down his first ever deer and not only that it was a buck! We come back to camp with nothing on our backs, but Remi just wanted to see his brother’s buck. “Look at it’s balls.” Man, kids always say thing’s that their parents never want them to. Things they have been told not to say, just because its not nice. That’s why you go into the woods with them, cause you just never know what they are going to say about a deer or anything else for that matter and you just hope the camera is rolling when they do – unfortunately for Bone Obsession TV it wasn’t.

Mackey’s hunt will be part of our first webisode coming soon to BoneObsession.com.

Obsessed Thought to Leave You With: After you drink one Monster drink – you get jacked up and a little shakey, after 2 Monster drinks you kind of start to see things, the 3rd Monster cancels out the first ones and then after Monster drink 4 – Well, your arms leave your body, you start to see wolves, coyotes and I think that was a real deer. But hey, at least you make it to your landing spot safe and sound… Unable to close your eyes, but safe and sound.

Obsessed Fact: Steak Dinner in the Bone Obsession world means you will be eating McDonald’s.