 It’s 3:00 am, and the alarm goes off. The day begins with a quick shower and hot cup of coffee. The bows and packs are in the truck ready to go. The camo is on, and boots are tied. The last thing she needs to do is tie up her hair and throw on a hat. That’s right; mom is headed out hunting. A woman's place is no longer in the home; it's out in the woods enjoying the great outdoors and taking part in providing the best source of meat possible for her family.
Being a mom is so much more than carrying your growing baby and giving birth. It’s caring for a human that is completely dependent on you. It’s a constant worry, sleepless nights and ultimate joy. It’s taking on the hardest and most rewarding job you will ever have in this life. You have the task of teaching hard lessons and the pleasure of raising a human that will make a difference in this world. With that comes the responsibility and opportunity pass down this amazing hunting lifestyle we know and love. We are seeing more and more women take on hunting. Some are adopting this lifestyle to know where their food comes from while others simply want a little more time with their significant other. Regardless of the reason, we are seeing an upward trend in women hunters that is trickling down to our youth. Hunting is no longer an activity to enjoy with just dad, its very much a family affair and that's a good thing. Together, we are teaching our youth the importance of conservation and respect for the great outdoors and animals we harvest. Together, we are passing along a lifestyle that is challenged day in and out. Being a mother is a gift that is unexplainable. It's the ultimate blessing, a love that is always growing and a relationship that never ends. This Mother's Day we celebrate all of you, the hunting moms who are passing down the values we know and love to the next generation of hunters. It’s time to celebrate and thank the women who made us who we are today. Take advantage of our Mother's Day Package and celebrate the woman who gave you the confidence to accomplish your goals, nursed your scrapes and bruises, introduced you to the great outdoors and helped teach you to hunt.
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 It’s no secret why we created Nature’s Paint: for practicality, ease of use, and safety. We are hunters who are deeply passionate about the overall hunting experience. We are not models nor do we hit the woods to spend our day taking selfies. We hit the woods to get away from the daily clutter, to push ourselves physically and mentally, and to experience all that nature has to offer. We are practical hunters who demand practical products that allow us the most time doing what we love, hunting.
Two of the most precious commodities in this life are time and money, and it seems we are always trading one for the other and never have enough of either. When it comes to maximizing your time in the woods every second counts. This is where practical hunting gear comes into play. Nature’s Paint was carefully designed and packaged to conceal you quickly and with ease. You may have noticed our paint is like no other, you may have even mistaken it for lip balm a time or two. So what is this all about? Why didn’t we throw it in a compact like everyone else? The simple answer is time and practicality. However, the detailed answer is quite complex. So let’s dive in. Ease of Use A majority of hunting face paints come in a standard camo compact with three colors. To apply, you must vigorously rub your finger on a color until you have enough to wipe on your face. This is both time-consuming and messy. Nature’s Paint was carefully crafted with 100% natural ingredients and poured into lip balm tubes (Just like the tubes you use every day to keep your lips from being chapped). Our “lip balm” style packaging allows for a quick, mess-free application. Unlike common compacts, you can simply remove the lid and apply the paint directly to your face allowing an “easy on” application. Many of these standard camo paints 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. Nature’s Paint beneficial butter based formula allows your pores to breathe and removal with ease. This all natural hunting face paint includes safe, natural ingredients making it irritant free and easy off. Time We have all said it before, there is not enough time in the day, especially during our favorite hunting seasons. Many of us are trying to juggle full-time careers, family, and our passions. We don't have spare time to waste. Nature’s Paint perfectly sized tubes allow for just a few strokes of each color to achieve complete concealment. In fact, you can apply Nature’s Paint and be ready for your hunt in less than 30 seconds. We have eliminated the extra step of washing or wiping off your hands, saving you even more time. Not only do we need to save time before a hunt but we could all use a little extra time after a hunt, especially after a long day of packing out. Sticking with an all natural camo face paint eliminates the time and difficulty associated with removing the paint. Nature’s Paint hunting face paint can be removed in seconds with a towelette, face wipe, or baby wipe. Reflection It’s good to take a little time for reflection, in the mirror that is, and only to be sure your concealment is on point. Nature’s Paint camo combo pack comes with a mirror cut to precise dimensions ensuring you able to apply your paint from anywhere and be confident you are concealed and ready to hunt. Keeping it all Together There is nothing worse than purchasing a face paint that is difficult to locate in your pack. The last thing you need to spend your time doing is digging around in your pack to try and find your paint. Nature’s Paint eliminates the time and hassle of finding your paint with a paracord lanyard. This paracord lanyard not only keeps your paint and mirror together but it also makes the paint simple to find. All you have to do is loop your finger through the paracord and pull the paint out of the clutter in your pack. Not a fan of lanyards? No problem. We have upgraded our packaging to a standard cap that fits into a "lanyard cap" allowing you to take individual tubes and place them in your pocket or carry around the whole set on a lanyard. The choice is yours. Conclusion From our ingredients to our packaging we crafted Nature’s Paint to be the best camo face paint. With carefully selected ingredients and packaging, our natural camo face paint eliminates the complaints often associated with hunting face paint. Interested in learning more about Nature’s Paint? Check out the benefits here.  You’ve spent countless hours tuning your bow, perfecting your shot and preparing to call in a nice tom this spring but have you thought about how you will get close enough for a shot? In just a few days you will be sitting at eye level with a creature that has telescopic vision and the ability to flee the scene in upwards of 25-55 mph. You will be in his territory where he has every advantage over you and without proper concealment your odds of harvesting a nice tom this season go down.
Your camo clothing will cover your body but what will you do to conceal your face? Many turkey hunters are turning to camo face paint for one simple reason, stealth. No one has time to deal with the fidgeting that comes with the bulk and discomfort of face masks. One small movement could be the difference between the perfect shot and a missed opportunity. You see, turkeys have telescopic vision and can detect motion over 100 yards away. They can see roughly 270 degrees wide and up to three times greater than a human’s 20/20 vision. You can see why concealment is a top priority when turkey hunting. When thinking about concealment and selecting your gear this season, you must have the eye of the turkey. So what will make the difference and help you disappear with nature this spring turkey season? Nature’s Paint 100% natural face paint. Concealment is the whole point of camo face paint. It is used to break up your face, darken your highlighted features and help you disappear with nature. To accomplish this, you need a minimum of three colors: black, green and brown. These three colors will provide coverage in every turkey hunting situation. You will want to use all three colors to create a break-up pattern on your face and hands (if you don't wear gloves). We are not talking about a cool design or the “perfect pattern” for your selfie; we are talking about a pattern that is a bit messy and a little sloppy, one that truly blends you with nature and gets you closer to your harvest. The beautiful thing about turkey hunting is it allows hunters to sneak off a couple of hours before or after work to get a quick hunt in. Selecting an all natural face paint that is easy on and easy off like Nature’s Paint keeps your comfortable while hunting, allows you to remove your paint on the way to work and breeze in the door on time. So where can you find such a paint? You can get your camo combo pack here! Nature’s Paint camo face paint is the best camo face paint for turkey hunting and just about any other type of hunting that requires camo face paint. This all-natural camo face paint includes safe, natural ingredients making it irritant free, easy on and easy off. The beneficial butter based formula allows pores to breathe while keeping the paint water resistant. Nature’s Paint comes in “lip balm” style tubes, it is mess free, unlike common compacts. This natural camo face paint is available in three dark colors: Ash Black, Buck Brown and Moss Green making it effective for almost any terrain and camo pattern. All factors considered, in our opinion Nature’s Paint is the best camo face paint for turkey hunting. Tags: natural camo face paint, natural camo paint, camo face paint, hunting face paint, easy off face paint, turkey hunting face paint  A year ago we launched Nature’s Paint with one of the industry’s first all-natural camo face paints. Prior to launching, we spent countless hours formulating, testing and retesting. Over this last year we took an already great product and made it even better and we have you, our loyal customers to thank for that! With help and feedback from customers like you, we made some very exciting changes and can say with confidence you are going to love the new Nature’s Paint. It's this simple, you spoke, we listened and took action. The best part is, we are finally ready to share the brand new face paint with you!  The new paint has all of the benefits you know and love with a few bonuses.
So what’s so new and special? Functionality You can say goodbye to paint sticking in the tubes. The new paint rolls up and down like a champ. Scent With a few formula tweaks, we were able to eliminate the slight scent while using 100% natural ingredients. Crumbles We ran into some paint starting to crumble after time. It still worked just fine but did not provide the smooth finish we were after. The new formula starts smooth and stays smooth.  Shelf Life With our new, all natural preservative formula we are happy to announce Nature’s Paint has a two-year shelf life! Safety With all of these outstanding benefits and upgrades, we were not only able to keep Nature’s Paint 100% natural, but we have increased the organic ingredients to 60%. Versatility Lanyard or no lanyard, it's all a matter of preference which is why we have changed our packaging. We have upgraded to a standard cap that fits into a "lanyard cap" allowing you to take individual tubes and place them in your pocket or carry around the whole set on a lanyard. The choice is yours.  What’s more, we have accomplished all of this without increasing the price! We invite you to try the updated and improved Nature’s Paint camo face paint.
Available for Pre-Order NOW! Guaranteed delivery before archery season (August 26, 2017).   Our very own Team NP Brooke Smith killed it at her very first train to hunt competition on June 3rd in Gilchrist, Oregon. She will be competing amongst the best train to hunt athletes in the nation on July 8th and 9th in Grand Junction, CO. This is no easy feat for anyone. It takes months of preparation, a strong body, a strong mind and a tremendous amount of willpower. We took a moment to chat with Brooke about where she started, how she got where she is and how she is preparing for the competition of a lifetime. Here is what Brooke had to say: What inspired you to compete? I heard of Train to Hunt last summer, and don't really know why it lit a spark inside of me. I had never competed in anything like this before. I am new to archery, so really I am a complete rookie in every aspect. In the past, I have shown cattle and taken my rat rod to car shows, most anything that I have ever competed in I was judged. In a world where I think to many people are judged, I liked that I had control of the outcome. I was going to get out of Train to Hunt (TTH) what I put into it. There are no participation awards, if you work hard and want it bad enough then you will find your spot on the podium. This was also the case in the kid's division which I think is awesome! I thought if I can manage to pull this off, I can probably do anything! What is your fitness level now compared to when you first started? I am probably the strongest that I have ever been in my life. I have always been an active person, but not by definition of fitness. I grew up and spent most of my life logging and ranching, so my workouts were changing pipes, bucking hay bales and piling brush. I have never been to a gym or been involved in CrossFit. My workouts were just what was involved in a day's work. How did you prepare? October 2016 was when I truly decided that I was going to compete in TTH in 2017. My plan at that time was to train at home. I had a rough idea of what was going to be asked of me at the competition so I was going to use that information to train. I have a friend who competed last year and he gave me some tips on what he felt were important things to focus on. In November and December, I did a lot of running, leg work and shooting. Sometime in January, a friend added me to a Facebook group, the members were either training for TTH or trying to get into better shape for hunting season. I almost left the group because I was intimidated by what these guys were posting. I didn't understand what most of these exercises were, and it seemed like it was way over my head. I played along with the group and went ahead and introduced myself to everyone, explaining my goals and lack of experience in the fitness world. Soon I had a message from Steven Dahn who had seen my post and suggested that I get in touch with Courtney Levesque who had not only competed in 2016 but also won Nationals. I knew who Courtney was through social media and I had watched several of her videos, she is a total badass. We connected and she offered me some great advice on how to prepare and what to expect. It turned out that Steven and Courtney operate a business called Elevation Fitness Training (EFT), after several emails, and text messages I decided to do something I had never done and joined their fitness family. With a full-time job and my own business, I don't have a lot of extra time. The program fit perfectly with my schedule being that I could work out at home with things that I have. The app clearly explained and demonstrated the exercises that I didn't know so I could do them properly. In February I took what for me was a big step and joined EFT. My only regret was not joining sooner. Not only have both Courtney and Steven competed in TTH they are both hunters and fitness instructors. My workouts from day one were based upon my goals. At the beginning, my workouts were focused on building strength and stamina. Burpee's and more burpees I still don't like them but I am a lot better at them. My workouts range from an hour to an hour and a half four days a week, with a lot of shooting in between and hiking. A lot of my workouts include shooting with an elevated heart rate and from different positions. For example, I may perform 15 get up's, run 400 yards then draw back at a kneeling position stand and shoot. I gathered up enough items that I could simulate the challenge course in my backyard. I spent a lot of time running 45 lbs in my pack (I am currently running with 60lbs). I wore holes in a couple of sandbags. At times when I needed to add weight, I put a bag of sugar or a kettlebell in my pack. How are you training for Nationals? Currently as I prepare for Nationals I am doing a lot of high-intensity workouts. There is going to be quite a big change in elevation in Colorado and I am trying to prepare for that as best I can. I am trying to get to some high elevations around home to workout, I have also invested in an elevation training mask to use to get used to the thinner air. With nationals, I don't know what to expect, which makes training challenging. There will be three events July 8-9th 2017 but we don't find out what they are until the morning of the 8th for that day and then the evening of the 8th we find out what we have to do on the 9th. So I will just continue to train as hard as I can and not let the unknown get in my head. How many have you competed in? Oregon 2017 was my first Train to Hunt, however, it won't be my last one, I am hooked. My husband has also caught the bug and plans to compete next year. What was your favorite part of the competition? The comradery has to be at the top of my list. So many like-minded people together to support and cheer each other on. We all have a passion for the outdoors and a love for hunting. At one point someone's release failed during the event and someone else was there to loan him a release so that he could get through. We are all competing, but we are all there for one another. I heard stories of how Train to Hunt saved marriages and even lives. It is hard to explain what an amazing thing this is and how it impacts each person in its own special way. What was your least favorite part of the competition? There was nothing about the competition that I didn't like, but one thing I learned at Oregon was that I need to work on my mental game. A couple of times I let things get into my head and it affected my shooting. This competition is just as much mental as physical and you need to be strong in both areas to succeed. What have you learned about hunting during this process? I have learned a lot about myself during this process. Mostly that I can do anything and that 40 isn't too old to try new things. If you don't try you will never know if you can be successful. I have never been an overly confident person or outgoing. Maybe that is why I enjoy hunting so much, it is just you and the animal, no one judging you or pointing out faults. Train to Hunt has brought me out of my shell and I want to share that with everyone. How do you think this competition will impact your 2017 hunting season? I look forward to hunting season this year. I am so much stronger than I was last hunting season. My stamina is much greater than it has ever been. I feel like a can do anything. I am a lot more confident in my shooting. I have only been shooting archery for a year, so last year I was still pretty insecure about it. Bring on September and the mountains, I am looking forward to it. What advice would you give those who are interested in competing for the first time? Do It! I don't care what kind of shape that you are in or how much experience that you have shooting a bow, you need to do it. There was a woman at the Oregon TTH who picked up a bow for the very first time the day before the competition, she got frustrated a few times, but she never gave up and she finished the day with her head held high and a huge amount of respect from every single person who was there. If you are interested feel free to contact me, I would love to talk to you. The feeling that you get when you cross the finish line is like no other. The friends that you meet will be ones that you will have for a lifetime and I think it is safe to say that if you do it once you are going to do it a second time. It is empowering, motivating and for some a life changing experience. There are not a lot of women who compete in Train to Hunt and I would love to see that change next year. I think it would be awesome to have a large group of women show up and just do it! You can compete in women's or co-ed team or as an individual. Don't be scared of the unknown or that you won't measure up. You just have to go and do it for yourself. Set a goal for you and only focus on you. Can you give a little recap of the course and the types of activities you completed? What did the competition consist of? At Oregon TTH the day started out with a 20 target 3D shoot. We were grouped with the other people that we would be competing against the rest of the day. There were 100 pts possible from the shoot and for every point there would be time added to your run at the end of the day, so the better you shot the better your time would be. Rangefinders were allowed on some targets, but not others. Some of the tricky shots were two shots in 10 seconds, draw back and hold for 30 seconds and shooting from a kneeling position. Once the shoot was over then we broke into heats for the challenge course and mountain course. On average there were four people in each heat. We loaded our packs before the event started, for me and my class I had a 30 lbs sandbag in my pack and then I had a 30 lb bag to use for my challenges. Here is how the course played out: 100-foot tire drag Run 600 yards Shoot a target @ 30 yards 10-box overs with sandbag Run 600 yards Shoot a target @ 30 yards 10-get ups with sandbag Run 600 yards Shoot a target @ 30 yards 10-sandbag over the Shoulder Run 600 yards Shoot a target @ 30 yards 10-burpees Put on weighted pack and run 1.2 miles with bow and shoot the two targets along the course. If at any point during the course a shot was missed you had to do burpees before you could continue on. My husband was waiting for me at the last target, and when I could see the finish line there were people cheering me on, yelling my name and telling me that I could do it. As I crossed the line strangers were there to take my pack off and take my bow, they handed me a cold bottle of water and congratulated me. I wanted to cry, I was a bundle of emotions, my best friends made it there to watch me, my family was there cheering me on, my trainers changed their schedule to stay and took turns running with me and giving me pep talks. My husband who put up with my workouts and scheduling things around them was right there by my side before, during and as I finished the race. As soon as I caught my breath, we spent the rest of the day cheering for everyone else who crossed the finish line, as they did for me. I showed up that morning only knowing a couple of people, and by the end of the day, I felt like I had a huge loving Train to Hunt family.  We are proud to have Brooke as part of our TeamNP family and wish her the best of luck at Nationals! Way to go, Brooke!
 We are pleased to announce that our very own Sereena Thompson has made it to the top 14! Nature’s Paint Co-Founder, Sereena Thompson, has made it to the top 14 of the worldwide Extreme Huntress competition for the second year in a row. Finishing in 9th place last year, Sereena is determined to come out on top this year and hopes to earn your vote along the way. Sereena can be summed up in three simple words, “all things hunting.” She found her passion for hunting as a child growing up on a ranch in Southern Oregon and hunting with her parents before she could legally hunt herself. “I vividly remember riding around in our single cab gold Chevy looking for bucks and enjoying life. I knew from the very beginning that I would hunt for the rest of my life,” Said Sereena. Today, Sereena is much more than an Extreme Huntress, along with being the Co-Founder of Nature’s Paint she is an executive board member and event chair for the Oregon Outdoor Council, Oregon’s only 100% political advocacy organization for the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, she is an instructor at the Northwest Women’s Hunting Camp where she teaches women shooting and hunting skills, and most importantly, she is an inspiration to women hunters. She truly carries her passion for hunting through all aspects of her life and does everything she can to inspire and help others. “I’m excited to continue inspiring other hunters, especially kids and woman. As a huntress, I am dedicated to uplifting and helping other ladies get into hunting through the multiple non-profits and organizations that I am involved with,” Said Sereena. Hunting isn’t just a way of life for me, it’s a big part of who I am and what I was born to do,” she added. If you haven't already, we invite you to learn more about and vote for Sereena at http://www.extremehuntress.com/main/2017-voting/.  Nicole Morgan, Nature's Paint Co-Founder  As hunters hit the woods this spring in hopes of harvesting a nice tom, concealment will be top of mind. Sitting at eye level with a creature that has telescopic vision and the ability to flee the scene in upwards of 25-55 mph requires absolute stealth. Hunters will want their concealment on point from head to toe and ultimate comfort as they pursue the wild turkey. Selecting the right face coverage can make all the difference this season.
Many turkey hunters are turning to camo face paint for one simple reason, stealth. Hunting face masks tend to be bulky and restrictive which causes a lot of fidgeting and movement, not so stealthy. You see, turkeys have telescopic vision and are able to detect motion over 100 yards away. They are able to see roughly 270 degrees wide and up to three times greater than a human’s 20/20 vision. You can see why fidgeting and discomfort have no place in turkey hunting. So let's get down to business and talk about what you are looking for in the best camo face paint for turkey hunting. Safety and Ingredients Let’s get this requirement out of the way first. When selecting turkey hunting camo face paint check the label to ensure the product contains safe, natural ingredients. The sad truth is many of products on the market today are filled with harmful chemicals, chemicals that are known to cause disease, cancer and health complications. Not to mention, many of these harmful chemicals are the culprits of skin irritation, breakouts, and redness. By reading the label and choosing a turkey hunting camo face paint that contains natural ingredients you will eliminate the discomfort and itching that comes with many camo face paints on the market today. Concealment This one is obvious, but concealment is the whole point of face paint. It is used to break up your face, darken your highlighted features and help you disappear with nature. To accomplish this you need a minimum of three colors: black, green and brown. These three colors will provide coverage in every turkey hunting situation. You will want to use all three colors to create a break-up pattern on your face and hands (if you don't wear gloves). If you hunt out of a ground blind, dark black natural face paint is your friend. In this case, you want to wear black clothing and cover your face in black paint to help you disappear in your blind. Ease of Use There is nothing worse than purchasing a turkey hunting face paint that is difficult: to locate in your pack, to apply or to remove. When selecting the best camo face paint for turkey hunting make sure the paint is packaged in a way that makes it easy to find when digging in your pack or the center console of your truck. One with a lanyard will allow you to loop your finger and pull it out of the clutter. Most importantly, look for a paint that is easy to apply and remove. The beautiful thing about turkey hunting is it allows hunters to sneak off a couple hours before or after work to get a quick hunt in. That allows plenty of time to enjoy the great outdoors, harvest a turkey and get to work. That is if your camo face paint is both easy to apply and remove. Many standard camo compacts require vigorously rubbing your finger on a color in order to apply the paint to your face. You can save time and hassle selecting a tubed paint, one you can simply remove the top from and apply directly to your face. For a camo face paint to be absolutely the best for turkey hunting, it needs to be easy to take off. Needless to say, the morning turkey hunter doesn't have extra time to scrub paint off their face, especially if they are trying to sneak a hunt in before work. Look for one that can be removed with a towelette, face wipe or baby wipe. Resistance Yes, it's true, to be the best turkey hunting face paint it must be both easy off and have the ability to resist the elements. The weather is unpredictable, you can go from sweating to pouring rain while turkey hunting. Your paint will need to be sweat and water resistant. It will need to stay intact while hunting but easy to remove at the end of the hunt. All in all, you are looking for an all natural face paint that is hassle free, easy on, easy off and sweat and water resistant. These ideal face paint characteristics make for a perfect camo face paint no matter what you are hunting. So where can you find such a paint? Nature’s Paint. This face paint is the best camo face paint for turkey hunting and just about any other type of hunting that requires camo face paint. This all natural camo face paint includes safe, natural ingredients making it irritant free, easy on and easy off. The beneficial butter based formula allows pores to breathe while keeping the paint water resistant. Nature’s Paint comes in “lip balm” style tubes, it is mess free, unlike common compacts. This natural camo face paint is available in three dark colors: Ash Black, Buck Brown and Moss Green making it effective for almost any terrain and camo pattern. All factors considered, in our opinion Nature’s Paint is the best camo face paint for turkey hunting. Tags: natural camo face paint, natural camo paint, camo face paint, hunting face paint, easy off face paint, turkey hunting face paint  Klamath Falls, OR— Natural camo face paint brand, Nature’s Paint is pleased to announce that Nature’s Paint is now available at Eugene, Oregon-based, Bowtech.
“We are beyond excited to be partnering with a company of this caliber,” said Nicole Morgan Nature’s Paint Co-Founder. “BowTech manufactures and carries nothing but premium quality bows and accessories. Not to mention, the amazing customer service you will get from both Josh and Jeremiah in the pro shop!” Added Sereena Thompson, Nature’s Paint Co-Founder. Being an Oregon-based company, Bowtech has proven to be a natural fit for Nature’s Paint. “Our company's values and visions for the hunting industry align. It really is a natural partnership,” added Sereena. BowTech is a leader in the world of archery and compound bows, manufacturing and distributing top-notch compound bows and archery equipment. Learn more about BowTech at bowtecharchery.com. “We here at Bowtech love local, Oregon established products and are very excited to have Nature’s Paint as part of our pro shop, said Josh Carr, Bowtech Pro Shop Manager.” Nature’s Paint specializes in all-natural camouflage face paint that’s formulated for ultimate comfort. It’s free of harmful chemicals and parabens that promise easy on/easy off application, no scrubbing and no irritation. It was founded by two women: Nicole Morgan and Sereena Thompson. Learn more about Nature’s Paint at naturespaint.org. Krissy Hay Knox, pro staff for both Bowtech and Nature’s Paint added, "It always feels good to represent a product you use and believe in wholeheartedly, it makes my job easy and honest! And now, Nature's Paint has partnered up with the BowTech Factory Pro Shop to offer two awesome hunting products in one stop. Well done!"  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  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  |
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