First I would like to say just how honored I am to be a part of this group of ladies.
 
For years I was one of the guys when it came to hunt camp and never knew how much fun it could be hunting with other women.  Several years ago a couple ladies from this site came out for an "all girl Mountain Lion hunt".  We may have been skunked by the lions as it was a little late in the year for them, but because we are girls and we can, we still had a blast finding sheds, "pretty" rocks, rusty stuff and arrowheads!  That was just what I needed!  I'm ready for more!
 
My family moved many times before I was 18, but I always considered southern Arizona as home.  Even though most of my family is in Texas now and the rest in Iowa or Colorado!  My Dad hunted when he was younger but didn't pass it on to his girls.  He has said many times that if he knew I would have taken to it like I did, he surely would have continued hunting.  But life took over and his 3 little princesses had him and my Mom running pretty steady.  The poor guy was so out numbered! 
 
I spent my childhood playing softball, soccer, and doing anything I could with horses (primarily showing).  Over the summers, I recall practically living at organized camps.  I was always the girl that taught even the boys how to really play outdoors.  I was never afraid to get dirty and never afraid to try new things.
 
I loved the outdoors, but I had no idea of the the world that I was missing until I met my now ex-husband.  In the first summer with him, I saw more wildlife then I had seen my entire life!  I even had a bull Elk start to charge me while i was riding my show horse through the mountains.  I was so amazed by the magnificent animal.  When I was asked how big he was, every one laughed when the only answer I could give was "BIG"!
 
My ex-husband had to start from the ground up with me.  Not only did he have a non-hunter on his hands, but I also was a self-proclaimed, with no reason at all, anti-hunter.  I couldn't believe that he would hunt these poor defenseless animals, but I was open minded enough to see what it was all about.  The first thing he did was slap me down in to the mud of Western Washington with a .22 rifle to teach me how to shoot. 
 
After a few challenges of hunting both sides of Washington State, we relocated to Elko, Nevada.  Years later I have switched from that .22, to a 30-30, on to a 7 mag and finally into an AR compound bow.  I'm not sure which reaction I enjoy more, the look on a man's face when he hears I shoot a 7 mag, or the look when I tell someone I hunt mountain lions with a bow and arrow!  I enjoyed hunting as a rifle hunter, but bow hunting has given me a passion for it!  I am even a successful licensed guide for Nevada.
 
I have 2 beautful kids, Madi and Austin, who both enjoy hunting, fishing and the outdoors as much as I do.  It is really funny when I look back to where I started and see where I am now, and wow!    God shows me daily what a miracle worker He really is and He has given me the drive and the strength to do all that is put before me.  Although I am now divorced from the man that introduced me to this wonderful world of hunting, I could not imagine letting go of the activities that have become such a huge part of my life and who I am today. 
 
Remember it is not only about the kill, but about the "what else" God sends you home with.
 
God Bless
Julie Hughes