Huntress on the Rise

I have been hunting since my older brother took me on a juvenile hunt when I was 10 years old just after I passed my hunter’s safety course and got my license. He was an avid outdoorsman and I looked up to him. I know it’s cliché but it’s true. He was always laughing about my sincerity towards Bambi saying, “When Bambi gets a rack we’re going to shoot him.” I didn’t find the humor in it then, but now I have the fever. I remember writing in my journal in the fifth grade about going to my grandmother’s farm and shooting for the first time. It was a 4-10 shotgun and I was so excited because I knew how to respect the power of guns and had overcome my nervousness. When my husband, Alfred, and I were wed in November of 2005, he was surprised to find out that I have quiet the gaming attitude. He had a good woman he said because I didn’t nag about his wanting to hunt which was instilled in him by his father. When his father died in a car accident when he was 12, hunting became more than a pastime to him and I wanted nothing more than to share and cherish that time with him and learn more about it. I had some experience but not a whole lot of practice under my belt. I participated in 4-H all through my primary and secondary school years and had gun shooting at the range to add to my experiences. But not having ever shot a deer myself and having married the best teacher and hunting partner who has had some 30 deer trophies, I became enthralled with acquiring my first. There used to be women only hunts, which encouraged huntresses across the country to grab their guns. Somehow, the tides turned and hunting is again primarily regarded as a male dominated sport. I intend to fulfill my duty as a huntress and teach my daughters and my sons the responsibility, respect and the excitement of being a hunter. Even if only one of our children becomes as enthused about hunting as Alfred and I are it will be worth it. I feel very confident about this next deer season as my husband and I have scouted and have several leads on bedding grounds and last years rubbings and scrapes to prove it a worthwhile trail. I will get my first deer, but more than that, I will get to spend time with my gentle Romeo in his element. And who doesn’t like a little deer jerky once in a while? My daughter has already asked about hunting and knows that Alfred and I enjoy it together. I tell her that in time she will be old enough to hunt with us but until then we can hike and teach her how to observe the land for tracks and other deer sign and shoot the range. She gets excited when we talk about hunting and I feel we have already planted the seeds for a future huntress. I caught her reading Alfred’s latest issue of F&S and she had a plethora of questions about hunting afterward. These things and more have given me the feeling that we have got a little huntress on the rise. Like mother, like daughter.