Britt Lamotte

Panoramic Living

Next week I graduate from the University of Idaho. It makes me laugh to imagine opening up the mail after they send out my diploma this summer, how small it’s going to seem compared to what I actually learned during my years at school. It also makes me laugh because I’m job hunting and have no idea where the envelope holding my diploma should be addressed.

Oh, well. Idaho requires an appreciation for the unexpected from its residents. We expect the weather to surprise us as often as the pot holes in the roads do, and with cardigans and four-wheel drive we try to handle it gracefully. It’s only natural in a state famous for ski hills, sand dunes, whitewater and big open spaces; the northern and southern halves connected only by a two-lane scenic highway...

Women often cite spending quality time with friends and family as the number one reason they get outdoors. Mother’s Day is coming up (Sunday, May 11 for those of you who need a little reminder) so this is a great opportunity to ditch the flowers and get mom something that will build memories. Here are some ideas for you:

1. This Mango Wood Bowl brings nature to the table | 2. The Ladies Ugly Stik was just named one of the top fishing rods and Mom definitely deserves the best | 3. The Badlands Kali Day Pack was designed specifically for a woman | 4. Prois Ultra Backcountry Shirt will keep you in camo but fit like it was actually made for a lady (because it was) | 5. A customized cutting board will remind Mom of all of your fun times outdoors

Whether you call them rockfish or striped bass, this time of year on the Chesapeake Bay is when to get your trophies.  These fish are BIG – averaging from 20 to 40 pounds! And it’s only an hour drive for city dwellers of D.C. 

Rockfish trophy season runs from April 19 to May 15th for 2014.  Fish must be above 28 inches to keep and only one fish is per fisher – so good luck!  After May 16th, the rockfish size and limit changes to 18 inches or above and each fisher is able to keep two fish.

We look forward to another great 2014 fishing season on the Chesapeake Bay! Check out Whitney’s honker from last week (40 inches, 30 pounds!)  Now that’s a nice fish!

What to bring

-Tennis shoes (the boat can get slippery and you need to protect your toes!)
-Rain jacket
-Layers (the temperature can c...

In the late 1970s, two Wisconsin professors conducted a series of surveys from more than 1,000 hunters. The results showed that there are five stages of hunter behavior and development. HuntingBoots.com visualized these stages and wants to know—do they ring true for the hunters you know?

Megan Shuler

College student tags first Gobbler

Megan Shuler is the latest inductee into the spring madness known as turkey hunting. On her first ever turkey hunt, she allowed her boyfriend to coax a longbeard into shotgun range, and the rest as they say is history. Amazingly, they went back to the woods the very next morning and she made it a two-fer on turkey harvests.

Shuler is a blonde-haired veteran of the beauty pageant system and was the 2012 Teen Miss South Carolina. Her philanthropic work during that year benefited the Palmetto Children’s Hospital, raising awareness for those in need of medial care. Today she is a student and a Teacher’s Assistant for Shotgun and Riflery at Clemson University and she shoots a Benelli 12-gauge shotgun.

The setting for her fateful first turkey h...