Bring the Outdoors In

"Hunter's enjoy going out in their camo - now they can come home to it!"

Wilderness Dreams, our newest line of camouflage lingerie and swimwear, will leave you and your outdoorsman wanting to stay indoors just a little longer.

Each garment is a soft, silky, 100% polyester material to leave you feeling nothing less than sexy, confident and comfortable. With three camo color patterns and eight different styles to choose from, you'll be fully satisfied.

The Naked North is a "good looking" Pink camo we offer in the classic pantie or thong lined with black trim and a coordinating bra, or an attractive cami trimmed with black lace and matching boy shorts. You are able to select the same options in the Pretty in Pink pattern, a great Mossy Oak Camo with pink accents.

Wanting to keep things original? Bring home your hunting tradition with the Mossy Oak baby doll set or the boy shorts trimmed with black lace. For a more relaxed evening, be sure to have the Mossy Oak nightgown in your collection or the long-sleeve night shirt for cooler temps.

Wilderness Dreams - "Find out what happens when you get your girl some camo!"

The Message

As a business owner or employee, I think it's important to ask yourself what type of message you're wanting to send to your customers.

On my way to the office today, I passed a business that I often want to stop at but rarely get the chance. Because I even had a list of things to purchase that I can only find there specifically, I turned around to shop.

Upon pulling into the parking lot, I said to myself, "Wow, maybe they're no longer open." The lot was empty, not a single car in sight. The sign by the road no longer displayed postings of specials or hours and as I got to the front door, there was nothing stating if the store was open, closed or out of business. A business name wasn't on the door nor did I see any hours listed - let alone a phone number. After peeking inside the window, a gal hollered through the glass asking me what I wanted.

Often ask yourself what type of message you're sending. As an owner or employee, you want to send the same message you'd like to receive when you step foot into someone else's establishment. Are you greeted with a friendly smile, a helping hand and a kind heart? Is anyone making themselves available to you? Do you know when you're able to patronize the business? Are you being inconvenienced? You are the customer and you have a choice just as you are the owner or the employee - the choice to treat others like they're important and appreciated!

The 5 W's of Indian Lake Outfitters

When: When to bring Indian Lake Outfitters into the conversation...
At any opportunity that you hear these key words - fishing, hunting, boating, skiing, wake boarding, muzzle loaders, bucks, big racks, shooting, camping, hiking, biking, kayaking, canoeing, archery, whitetails, pheasant, NRA, ducks unlimited, guns and or ammunition - please mention Indian Lake Outfitters.

Where: Where is Indian Lake Outfitters...
Networking and getting noticed. We're on the web, fanning on facebook, tweeting, blogging, filming You Tube, four squaring, geocaching, mingling with the Logan County Convention & Tourism Bureau and heavily involved with the Indian Lake Chamber Board.

Our friends and foes... Dunham's, Cabela's, Gander Mountain and Bass Pro are our biggest competitors but don't let that scare you...our prices are comparable to the big box stores and we carry many of the same brands. State Parks, marinas, bait shacks, hunting clubs, private lakes/ponds and campgrounds have the potential to be our biggest partners. We don't specialize in just one area; we focus on several, making Indian Lake Outfitters, the perfect compliment for our partners.

Why: Why recommend Indian Lake Outfitters...
We're fun - who wouldn't want to work with us? Seriously though, for the service and experience. You'll always be greeted with a friendly smile and familiar face. We offer unique items to the area, like guns and ammo, with an outdoor look and feel, keeping you close to home and shopping locally. We have a fantastic network of business partners and knowledge that we're not afraid to tap into or share with others. Bottom line, "MORE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK"!

What: What does Indian Lake Outfitters do/sell...
In a nutshell, Indian Lake Outfitters sells outdoor gear and accessories for hunting, fishing, camping, archery and marine sports/entertainment. That breaks out to a lot of different products.

Hunting - camouflage clothing, graphic logo tees, blinds, calls, decoys, pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, slingshots, air guns, ammunition, game calls, training DVD's, binoculars, dog leashes, collars, barking devices, under-ground fencing, tracking systems, hand-held GPS units, scents, mace, cases, holsters, muzzle loaders and reloading.

Fishing - combo poles, tackle boxes, rain gear, lines, hooks, sinkers, lures, flys, nets, bobbers, bait and buckets.

Camping - tents, sleeping bags, lanterns, stoves, flashlights, tri-pods, griddles, mess kits, frying pans, cookers, marinades, mixes, sauces, knives, survival kits, hammocks, canopies and tarps.

Archery - compound bows, crossbows, re-curve bows, arrows, nocks, arm guards, slings, targets, decoys, broadheads, bow strings, quivers, whisker biscuits, scopes, peeps, string wax, stabilizers and vanes.

Marine - anchors, line, shackles, skis, tubes, fenders, fuel tanks, air horns, throw cushions, distress flags, life vests, trolling motors, battery chargers, paddles, stern lights, bow lights, fish finders, depth finders, chart plotters, trailer jacks, winches, mildew cleaner, seats, air pumps, pool floats, water guns, bilge pumps and radios.

Who: Who is Indian Lake Outfitters...
A family owned business with a personal story that started with Brenda and Bryan Moots. A high-energy, easy-going, fun loving couple that enjoys holy jeans, hoodies, ball caps, football and beer. An outdoorsman's dream, right? We give genuine, honest answers - if we don't know, we'll tell you that up-front and work to get you correct and accurate information. We're had working, goal oriented individuals wanting to grow and support the community we were born and raised in; remembering that life comes full-circle.

Family Fun

Here's the scenario...you recently had the opportunity to feature your business on a television segment that aired in your local community. You were extremely nervous that you were going to screw up or look completely silly so you asked your sister to go with you.

Having your family beside you made no difference as to what you were going to do or say, but it came full-circle that having family with you no matter what you're doing makes things more enjoyable.

Being outdoors in the woods or on the water is no different. At Indian Lake Outfitters, we want you to release your inner outdoors, relax and enjoy yourself and your family. Outdoor recreation is a memorable experience for all ages and can be very affordable, making it the perfect fit for your family.

When was the last time you pitched a tent and made a bed on the ground? Went hiking or trail walking at your local nature park? How about the last time you dropped a line in the lake or pond? Took a nice bicycle ride or played ball in the yard?

These are all events that can be the highlight of your day if you take the time to relax and do them AND remember the important thing is to enjoy them with your family.

Venison Recipe

Meal preparation around our house is usually a pretty simple 3-step process...1)Pre-heat, 2) Cook and 3) Serve, so when it came time to enjoy our harvest we were a little lost.

Bryan began to surf the web for many recipes only to find that after reading a dozen or so, all of them contained ingredients that he absolutely dislikes, namely vinegar. He came up with his own concoction having no idea how it would turn out. Surprisingly enough, the consensus was better than expected. I took a bite and said "HOLY COW! This is really great!" I should have known that all he did was go to the cupboard and take a look at what was available while asking himself, "Hmmm, what makes venison taste even better?"

So he tells me here's how it went down...in a marinade container he layed out the meat with equal spacing, sprinkled parmesan garlic seasoning on one side and ginger on the other. He then poured milk into the container about halfway up the side of the steaks. He let the mixture set for 8 hours before flipping the meat over for another 8 hours. Once the marinading was complete, he gave the container a couple good shakes, opened then lid and tossed the meat in the skillet to cook to our preference.

It truly was, "Aaahhhh, delish!"

FFA in SAE at ILHS

Students in the Future Farmers of America class at Indian Lake High School recently participated in a Supervised Agricultural Experience.

Quoted from the National FFA Organization, "A Supervised Agricultural Experience program (SAE) is a key component of the agricultural education. While working on an SAE project, students learn to apply the concepts and principles taught in their agriculture classes to real-world problems and scenarios." The organization goes on to explain that a student selects a project based on interest in one of the following four areas - exploratory, research/experimentation, ownership/entrepreneurship or placement.

The exploratory/placement project encouraged the students of ILHS to harvest deer during gun and bow season and attend the local Hunter Safety Course. The course educated the students about Ohio's wildlife and the ever increasing deer population.

Natasha Ruble

Ok, it's my first year ever hunting. My husband has done this his entire life and time and time again, tried to get me to go out with him. Yes, I'll cook the game, yes, I'll eat the game, but you have got to be CRAZY if you think I am getting up at 4am to sit in a tree and not talk the entire day to hunt the game for three simple reasons...

1. IT IS 4am and still dark out
2. IT IS freezing and
3. If you know me, you know that I LOVE to talk.

Because I decided to marry this CRAZY hunting guy a few months ago , I found it only natural to fulfill the "adventurous" wife roll so I went hunting with him. As I expected, it was colder than I ever thought up 20 yards in a tree stand and to my surprise, I couldn't stay awake! I even had to put my arm around a branch to keep me up there, otherwise I would have awoke to a dangling safety harness below the stand...not my idea of fun!

After going out with Brad a few times, I hadn't seen anything and started to get a little burnt out. I was about to throw in the towel last Sunday after an hour and a half in and the extremely cold weather. As I climbed down the stand, Brad followed but not with out giving up or giving in. He offered to drive the deer if I would stay just a little longer.

Leaving me near the stand, Brad takes off to push the deer my direction. Within fifteen minutes, four does go sprinting by all too fast to take a shot! After I watched them go into the woods, I turn around to see a lonely doe, standing completely still only about 60 yards in front of me! I remember saying, "Okay - breathe, here's your chance. You can do this!" I got myself so excited that I hadn't noticed how far away from the "steadying" tree I had been.

Another pep-talk, "That's alright, you can still do this!" Once I steady myself, I take a shoot and just barely miss her! "Yes! A second chance!" The doe stood strong with out a move looking as to see where the shot came from. As I rear back and shoot again, I come up with what I thought was only another miss. "Bummer", I said.

Right then, Brad appears out the woods excited to see what I got. "Nope, sorry honey - no deer" I reported. I took him over to show him where she was standing and low and behold, we found a blood trail! "WOO HOO! I got her!" I screamed. When I shot, she jumped and ran off so quickly I assumed I missed her.

For the next two hours we tracked her through a couple different fields and a woods until we came up short. She had jumped onto property we didn't have permission to hunt but, man - what an experience! Although we didn't find her, my heart was pumping the entire time, from the moment I took my first shot until the end of the trail.

I said to myself, "I finally get it - I love this sport and if my husband is CRAZY, then I guess I'm CRAZY right along with him because I can't wait to bag one for home!"

I thank Brad for having the patience to stick with me and continue to push me and hopefully next time I'll come out with a deer and some great pics. Until then, I'll keep practicing.