We are very excited to officially announce Ryan Hay as Nature's Paint's own elite prostaff! Ryan is an awesome hunter and we feel extremely blessed to have him officially apart of our family!
Bio: Hello, my name is Ryan Hay and I reside in the Willamette Valley near Harrisburg, OR where I was born and raised. I am married to my lovely wife Shannon and have two awesome little boys, Owen and Brayden! I have been a Firefighter/Paramedic for the Eugene/Springfield Fire Department for 12 years. My passion for the outdoors began at a very young age as my Dad, Uncle and Grandpa took every chance they could to get us out looking for deer, hunting, fishing and many other activities while growing up! I have hunted ever since I was old enough to carry a rifle and for the past 15 years have found a strong passion for archery. I enjoy hunting Mule deer, Blacktail deer, turkey, bear, antelope and my absolute favorite being the Rocky Mountain Elk. Every September you will find me deep in the back country with my best friends and family as we chase bugling bulls! I am so thankful and excited to be part of the Nature’s Paint team. Hunt Happy, Ryan
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Last Saturday I took sometime away from cleaning house and headed to the indoor bow range. When I arrived there was a grandfather and his grandson, one on each side of the range. As I was getting my bow out I could tell they were having a friendly competition. I set up in the middle of the range in between of the two of them. We were making small talk, and having the grandson there was great practice dealing with distractions while concentrating on my shots. He told me that his grandma had dropped him and his Papa off three hours ago, and she went on shopping. He had hoped his Papa hadn’t given her his credit card or she may not be coming back for them. The competition went on for about another half hour, when “Papa” had lost the competition and his arms were sore. I continued to shoot with the grandson for a while longer. While we're shooting I asked him some questions to get to know him better. Come to find out he is 12 years old and has been shooting since he was three. His first bow came from Walmart and now he shoots a Diamond. He is active in 4-H archery and has a competition coming up next weekend. He and his Papa shoot together a lot, and they never cheat. I thought that was an interesting statement. He continued to tell me that the only person who ever really loses when cheating is the person who cheats. I totally agreed, I just wasn't expecting that statement coming from a 12 year old. As we finished up we congratulated each other on good shooting and went to put our stuff away. He noticed that as I was putting my arrows away that I was checking the tips, he asked me if I have trouble with the tips loosening up, I said sometimes. He offered me his trick which is green locktite. This kid is 12 going on 30. Papa soon came back into the range and introduced himself to me, followed closely with his grandson who apologize for not introducing himself earlier as he shook my hand. They asked me if I hunted, I explained how I have always rifle hunted and am new to archery. Papa and I exchanged some of our views back and forth for a few minutes when the grandson heard something that ignited a spark in him. All of the sudden I felt like I was at hunting camp with him and his Papa. Last elk season was his first hunting trip with his Papa. I could tell from the beginning of this story that he has a bright future in hunting, he was very careful to not disclose the location of their hunt, he would only tell me that they were hunting on earth. Listening to him explain how close the elk were to them and how the bulls were reacting was priceless. He was cow calling for his Papa at his Papa’s command, but they just never could get the bulls to come out in the open. Each day they had walked in 4 miles to there spot, making sure to say hello at any trail cameras that they passed. They had came upon some tree stands but they were not there’s so they would not use them, he did however climb up a couple of ladder stands just to see the lay of the land. I don’t think that there were any details that he left out, but I was fine with that, seeing the excitement in his eyes warmed my heart. Once he finished his story he told me that he was going to hunt elk next year and was going to kill his first one. Papa interrupted, he said remember that is not what hunting is about, if you are only doing it for the kill then you will get tired of it when you are not successful. It is about the entire experience. What the grandson told me next left me speechless. He told me that as hunters we need to be respectful of the animals that we hunt. We need to make responsible shots, and if for some reason the shot placement is off, for example if we hit the animal in the leg, we owe that animal the respect of tracking it and putting it out of it’s misery. The words that this young man was speaking were those that I and all hunters should live by. Hearing them come out of the mouth of a 12 year old was unexpected for me, but encouraging too. It is obvious that this young man’s Papa is playing a huge roll in his life, and I am sure that being a part of 4-H archery is helping too. As hunters I feel like we are all responsible to teach our youth how to be respectful of animals and people and responsible for their actions. It is never to early or to late to teach these lessons.
Brooke Smith, Nature’s Paint Pro Staff We are very excited to officially announce Krissy Hay Knox as Nature's Paint's own elite prostaff! Krissy is an amazing hunter and we feel extremely blessed to have her officially apart of our family! Bio: Hey, everybody! My name is Krissy Hay Knox, and I am so excited to join the Nature’s Paint team! I was born, raised and still live near Harrisburg, Oregon. My passion has always been the outdoors, having started hunting at a very young age with my family. I picked up a bow for the first time in 2002, and have been addicted ever since. I enjoy hunting Blacktail, Mule Deer, Whitetail, Bear, and Turkey, but my favorite is Rocky Mountain Elk. Nothing gets my blood pumping like the sound of a bugle cutting through a September morning in the backcountry of Eastern Oregon! I am Mommy to a beautiful little boy, Jesse, who is showing signs of sharing my passion for hunting, makes my heart melt! My goal in the outdoor industry is to always be a friendly, approachable face for those looking to ask questions and learn more about hunting and the lifestyle it provides. There’s nothing else like it, and until my dying day, I will Hunt Happy!! Lord Bless! The alarm clock goes off but this time its different. It's 2:30 am and you can't wait to get out of bed. You have a big day ahead of you. You have decoys to set up just perfectly which is no easy task, an excited retriever to provide direction to, and if all goes well, ducks and geese to clean. Needless to say, you have a challenging day ahead of you both mentally and physically. You’ve done your homework and believe you found the perfect location. You arrive and the work begins. You set up your decoys, apply your all natural hunting camo face paint, settle in your ground blind and wait. There's a certain calm to the sunrise, different than the peaceful solitude of the deer stand. The rest is yet to be told. So how can you best prepare for your waterfowl hunt to get the most out of it?
We recommend using the waterfowl blackout pattern (pictured above). You want to be sure to cover your most highlighted features: your nose and cheekbones. Nature’s Paint ash black works perfect for this. Check out Women’s Outdoor News: Four Ways to Wear Face Paint When Hunting for details on how to apply this pattern. The day comes to an end. You are exhausted and full of life at the same time. Lessons were learned and memories were made. When it comes down to it, waterfowl hunting is about the experience. As our friends at Mountain Lodge Outdoors say, “At the end of the day it doesn't really matter if you made the shot or how many dropped. The only thing that matters is that you were all there when it happened.” Tags: Waterfowl, Waterfowl Hunting, Mountain Lodge Outdoors, Waterfowl Hunting Face Paint, Natural Hunting Face Paint
There is a great debate among hunters. No matter the hunting season you will find a divide in opinions. This debate does not concern weapons or ammunition, it is far more fundamental than that. It concerns the most important element when hunting, the ability to blend in with nature. We are not talking about which camo pattern is best or which brand is superior, we are talking about the great debate of a facemask versus hunting face paint. This applies to duck hunting face paint, deer hunting face paint, elk hunting face paint, you get the idea. While there are still hunters who prefer a face mask, many hunters: waterfowl hunters, big game hunters, upland bird hunters and so on are turning to camo face paint. You see, the benefits of hunting face paint far outweigh the benefits of a face mask. It’s about your senses. Hunting can be both physically and mentally demanding, especially when chasing elk over peaks and through valleys or overcoming the harsh weather conditions that waterfowl hunting brings. These types of conditions require hunting equipment and accessories that allow you to perform at your highest level. Hunting masks impair two of your most important senses: your sense of sight and your sense of hearing. When entering the field you are entering the animal's home, their natural habitat. They are built and designed for that terrain, that weather and that habitat. They know the lay of the land and they are constantly on alert for predators. You have to be on our “A” game, free of distraction when you enter the field, forest or wherever you are hunting. The hunting mask interferes with your peripheral vision which can prevent you from seeing even the slightest movement that could be the difference between a harvest and busting a herd of elk. Most hunting masks cover your ears which stifles your sense of hearing. When big game hunting the animals are heard only when they want to be. It is amazing how quietly an elk can walk through the forest. It is imperative that you have the ability to hear every twig snap and branch break. With cloth over your ears you are likely to miss many of nature’s key sounds. Let’s talk about comfort. The only way for you to be on your “A” game and performing at your highest level when on the pursuit is to be as comfortable as possible. You have to be able to scale mountains and sit quietly with minimal movement for hours at a time all in one day. Wearing an uncomfortable face mask can often cause fidgeting and more movement than necessary. The slightest movement at the wrong time can jeopardize a chance at a shot. Face masks have a reputation of getting duey from breath which causes a great deal of discomfort on ones face. They tend to shift around and get caught on things like hair and debris. Imagine rising to take a shot when your face mask gets caught on a branch ruining your shot. This type of thing happens and can be extremely frustrating. Utilizing an all natural hunting face paint like Nature’s Paint can provide you ultimate comfort while keeping you free of distraction. You don't have to worry about impaired vision or hearing. You don't have to worry about unnecessary cloth around your face that needs constant adjusting. All of these factors can make the difference in your hunting experience. So what about concealment? After all, it is the whole point, right? When it comes to hunting it's about bringing the animal up close and personal, getting the most ethical shot and best chance at a harvest. Regardless of where or what you are hunting, to be successful, you need to stay hidden and disappear with nature. It’s true, you can certainly count on a face mask to keep you blended with the nature that surrounds you, that is if you want to deal with discomfort and impaired senses. By utilizing an all natural camo face paint you can avoid the discomfort and unnecessary fidgeting, and take advantage of all of your senses. Face paint is versatile, allowing you to hunt any environment and stay hidden. You can switch up your pattern and colors depending on the nature that surrounds you and the game you are hunting. If paint is so great why is there a debate? This is a normal and very logical question. If hunting face paint is obviously superior then why would hunters have this great debate? The answer comes down to one word, quality. Many paints on the market are made with low quality, synthetic and harmful ingredients. These ingredients are known to cause skin irritations and breakouts. To top it off, many of these paints are next to impossible to remove from the skin leaving you with remnants of black, green and brown in your pores after hours of scrubbing. When you switch to an all natural camo face paint you will notice those skin irritations simply don't exist and you can focus on your hunt, and only your hunt. Sticking with an all natural camo face paint will eliminate the time and difficulty associated with removing the paint. An all natural hunting face paint like Nature’s Paint can be removed in seconds with a towelette, face wipe or baby wipe. Lets sum it up. While hunting face masks are effective when it comes to concealment, they have many drawbacks as far as comfort and senses go. They tend to cause extra fidgeting and impair your sense of sight and sense of hearing. The market is filled with camo face paints made from synthetic and harmful ingredients. These hunting face paints are known for causing skin irritation and breakouts. They are also a mess to apply and very difficult to remove. All natural camo face paints are versatile with the ability to blend you with nature in almost any environment. Hunting face paint like Nature’s Paint is easy on, easy off, irritant free and convenient. With 100% natural ingredients it will keep you comfortable and concealed in the most extreme environments. Tags: natural camo face paint, camo face paint, hunting face paint, hunting mask, camo hunting mask, camo make-up
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