Archive for December, 2009
Niki Atcheson … from Missionary’s kid to big game outfitter to Próis Field-Staff…
Thursday, December 17th, 2009At Prois Hunting & Field Apparel for Women, we understand that it is the people on our team that make the business a success. With that, we are immensely pleased to announce the addition of Niki Atcheson to our Field-Staff team.
Niki Atcheson grew up as the daughter of medical missionary parents at Kibuye Hospital station in Burundi and Rwanda. It was 1960 and remote at the time. Outside communication happened just once a week on short wave radio. It was here that her passion for hunting began and now, in what some still consider the wild – Butte, Montana – her quest to hunt the world continues.
Out of Africa, Niki became a hunting guide for South Point Safaris on the big island of Hawaii. Remote Mauna Loa supported the world’s most pure strain of Mouflon sheep, as well as many other species. She described the experience: “Hunting from jungle to savannah to barren lava in this 
exotic location was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.”
Niki could not stay away from Africa, continuing to hunt there while using International Hunting Consultant Keith Atcheson, of Jack Atcheson & Sons, as her advisor. She concentrated on hunting dangerous game, including Cape buffalo. She said, “Zimbabwe is my favorite country to hunt, but I have also hunted in Namibia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa and the Cameroons.”
She married Keith and for the past nine years, they have hunted the world together. They also run an outfitting and guiding business, Hunters Montana, for elk, deer and antelope. The couple spends most of their time running Jack Atcheson and Sons International Hunting Agency. They often take their combined family of five children (four girls!) hunting with them.
An avid writer, Niki has contributed many articles encouraging other woman and kids to enjoy her passion of hunting and the outdoors. She firmly believes that the lifestyle of hunting fishing is an intricate part of our connection with to Earth.
She said, “What keeps me guiding through long hours, tremendous work and bad weather is the amazing people I meet. The honor of hunting with clients and seeing them achieve their goals is as much a fulfillment to me as a guide as my own hunting. Hunting has allowed me to meet some of the most giving, courageous and adventuresome woman in the world.”
When spending time back at home in Montana, Niki can be found gardening, watching birds or reading true-life adventure novels. We wonder if these stories can even begin to compare to her own life’s story? We’re thrilled to have this big game guide, American huntress on the team at Próis.
Prois’ Transatlantic Correspondent…Winter in the UK
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009Julie “Joolz” Caddick~
Winter has finally arrived here in the British Isles we have had the first ground frosts of the year and the winds are sweeping in from the north bringing hail and snow. I can’t complain though as we have had one of the mildest autumns that I can remember. As the seasons change and the leaves fall, you notice things that summer kept hidden. The woodland in which we practice archery is not very large and with less cover on the trees. It is possible to see across it in places. Two streams join together and flow southwards out of the wood, dividing it up and helping with the setting of shots by providing dead ground and interesting settings. We have seen footprints in the mud along the banks earlier in the year and now that the vegetation has thinned out, the culprit has been seen. It is a Mink. These animals are not native to the British Isles but have escaped from fur farms and have found our countryside very much to their liking. We share our woodland with a pheasant shooting syndicate who put down a good number of young birds for the shooting season and no doubt they will have lost some to the mink. I think the young birds will will already have a price on their heads. I think that I have found its den (not sure if this is the correct name for a minks home. Maybe somebody over in the USA knows?) under some tree roots about a foot above the normal water level of the stream there are two entrances with well trodden pathways leading to them. I spent a good twenty minutes struggling to get a good look inside but will have to go back with some waders as the only way would be to wade waist deep in the stream. This may seem a strange thing to want to do but I have always found the homes of animals interesting ever since I was five years old and looked into a foxes earth and saw three pairs of amber colored eyes staring back out of the darkness.
I feel privileged to see these things and rewarded for taking the time and making the effort to get out into the woodland. Far too many people over here never venture out of towns and city’s and have become detached from the natural world. They really do not know what they are missing. Field Archery has given me the opportunity to visit many places that are off the beaten track and to observe our wildlife in all its shapes and sizes from the Red Deer Stags of the Highlands to the tiny shrews that live among the fallen logs and moss. Of all the British Wildlife, foxes hold a special interest for me as they seem to have the ability to survive no matter what odds are against them. They have even found opportunities to survive in urban areas by scavenging on the things that we throw away… this is a testament to their will to survive. So as the weather gets more and more winter-like I will not sit in the warm comfort of my home. I will go out and experience all the conditions that our climate throws at us whether its doing Archery or simply walking my dogs, I will enjoy each day what ever it brings and look forward to the coming year.
So as the snow deepens and the temperatures drop remember… There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing! (See why we love her!?)
Best Wishes to you all and good luck in the new year.
Joolz