Pioneer Woman 101

This weekend Mya and I successfully earned our Pioneer Treasure Hunt Merit Badge.

Let me tell you how...

To prepare for hunting season, Cody had put two motion censored cameras up on trees in the areas he had planned on hunting. The purpose being, to scope out the area and see if there were any animals worth going after.

Our Merit badge training began when we were given instructions to find the first, and easier to locate camera. These instructions were given verbally twice and once drawn in the dirt. Cody was very good to repeat as much as I wanted while I attempted to form a mental picture. We were instructed to drive into an area (which I had been to before) past the first valley, and past the 2nd valley. Then once I got to the ridge on the opposite side of the 2nd valley there was going to be a 'funnel'. (These are very technical terms) On one side of the funnel there was going to be a 'burn', meaning a bunch of dead trees, and on the other side there was going to be green pines.

After a little bit of searching in the completely wrong place and walking around a ridge full of only dead trees. I decided Mya and I should hop back in the truck and see if I could get past the fence (which was not mentioned in the instructions). This was the correct choice, because we found it! The funnel! (See in the above pic the dead and not so dead trees)

We were headed the right way!

So I got out of the car and climbed the fence and started walking toward the base of the funnel where we had been told we would find the camera.

(Just a side note: all of this happened with Mya strapped in her front pack and being fed a bottle since she was screaming for her dinner.)

TA DA! We found it! It was right where he said it was, strapped to it's little tree.

How did I find this needle in a haystack you ask... I will tell you, PRAYER! I said a very long prayer the entire time I was looking for this camera that I would be led to where it was and that I wouldn't be scared ('cause I tend to do that). I am very thankful for the assistance.

Me and Mya after we completed our search.
We got some funny looks from the bow hunters that we kept driving past while we were headed back out. Haven't they ever seen a woman and a baby out for a drive during hunting season, gosh. I think they were just freaked out because we weren't decked out in Camo from head to toe like they were.