For hundreds of years, men have assumed the role of hunters. Women traditionally tended to the children and did the cleaning, mending, and prepared meals. Then, as years progressed, women became more independent and began holding jobs outside the home. Many women now hold positions making more money than their husbands. There are more husbands staying home with the children. But even with all of these progressions over the years, there is a large number of men and women that feel hunting should be a “man’s sport.”
Just to give you a brief history, I was born and raised in a small town in South Central Kentucky. Although, nearly everyone in my family was in law enforcement and had firearm training, it was basically unheard of in the community and in my family for a woman to hunt.
Fast forward to December of 1995, when I met my future husband. He was the most hard-core human being about hunting that I had ever met. He lived and breathed hunting. I was invited to go on some of his hunts and although, tagging along wasn’t always my first choice, I went anyway. What could it hurt, right? I might even learn a thing or two.
To my surprise and to the joy of my grandfather, uncles and my future husband, I found a new love…two, actually. There were definitely things about the whole ordeal that I didn’t care for. I am not, by nature, an early riser and the thought of getting out of my warm and comfy bed to go out in 20 degrees or less before daylight to just sit and wait wasn’t that appealing at first. And, to be perfectly honest, I am still not a big “get-up-and-head-out-before-daybreak” kinda gal, although I do understand the advantages of doing so. I’m also not fond of walking to my stand… alone… in the dark… with the nocturnal creatures lurking and peering behind trees. And the thought of having a temporary inhabitant in my stand when I arrive doesn’t really make me want to get in that tree any sooner.
But, over the last 10 years, I have genuinely became a lover of the sport. I love when the daylight starts creeping over the fields and experiencing another world literally wake-up right before your eyes. Hearing the wings of the turkeys flying down from the roost, listening to the squirrels and the birds before you can actually see them, then seeing the breath of the deer as it nibbles at the clover makes you suddenly forget that you wouldn’t normally even be out of bed yet. Just when it seems that nothing could top that feeling, you spot, what appears to be a rack through the trees. As your eyes are adjusting to the magnification of your binoculars, the image becomes clear. Standing 100-yards, a magnificent buck is slowly coming your way. As you slowly get ready to take the shot, you realize you must take a deep breath so you can make a steady shot. You are trembling so bad that if you attempted to make the shot, to a by-standard it would seem you were bird hunting. Your firearm has recoil that is no joke, but that never crosses your mind. All you can concentrate on is the cross-hairs remaining perfectly steady on your target. As you take a deep breath, you say a quick prayer. As you exhale, you squeeze the trigger and your shot is good. Your heart is beating so hard and so fast that if any deer are remaining in the field, you are sure they can hear it. Then, the smile creeps across your face.
None of my friends hunt and they have no desire to. They don’t understand what is so appealing about it and the truth of the matter is they have no intentions of trying to understand. I have offered to take them up in the stand with me but none are interested. I can sort of see where they are coming from (remember where I came from) but from where I am standing now, it seems such a waste. Have you ever stumbled upon something that completely took you by surprise? How many times have you ever been dragged to somewhere that you really didn’t want to go to and then ended up having the best time?
I have seen more than my fair share of hunting shows and I have spent countless hours wandering around stores while my husband looks for the “perfect” set of binoculars, the “perfect” stand, the newest innovative game call, the “perfect” pattern of camo, and the most comfortable pair of boots. I have read so many hunting articles that describe the thrill when that once-in-a-lifetime monster buck stops broadside at 25-yards leaving you a an open shot… but, 95% of the time, that article was written by a man. I know there are women hunters. And, in years past, a woman have appeared on the B&C or P&Y lists. I know that there are associations designed specifically for women that hunt but is that really enough?
If you are like most men, you have a dream of traveling to Canada, Montana, Nova Scotia, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, or wherever to hunt elk, whitetail, mule deer, bear, buffalo, mountain lion, turkey, etc. How many times have you looked over the ads in the backs of the magazine and fantasized about going on that hunt and just when you think you have everything worked out, your wife crushes your dream and says you can’t afford it. Probably more times than most of you will ever admit. Whether your financial situation is the reason or not, If more women would discover the thrill of hunting and get involved, then these hunts could be something that you both could enjoy. I never thought that I would associate a vacation with a week long hunt, but this year, my husband and I plan on going on our first hunt together in Texas. When I say together, I don’t really mean “together.” We will be traveling together and staying together but we cannot hunt together. It is so weird because we get so excited and are so proud of each other whenever we do take an animal and even though, he taught me everything I know about hunting I have developed my own method of doing things and sometimes he doesn’t understand them or agree with them. But because of him, I am confident enough to do it without him. I know that I don’t need him sitting behind me coaching me or telling me if I can make the shot or not. I am not a professional hunter, by any means, but I am learning. Over the years, I have learned to be patient. I have learned that I don’t need to shoot any buck that comes within range. I have learned how to recognize a scrap or a rub, a deer path, and the best places to put a food plot or hang a stand. I have learned to importance of wind direction and the importance of remaining perfectly still and quiet. I have also learned how to take my time, be 100% certain of my abilities and make a good shot and not to just shoot and hope for the best. Most of all, I have learned that tomorrow is a new day and although I may not have seen the trophy that I was looking for, there will always be another chance.
I said earlier that I found two loves… I fell in love with my husband not only for the person he is but for also introducing me to his first love. Looking through his eyes, I was able to find my second love and because of that, we share something that is so amazing. We both have a passion and drive to be the best hunters we can possibly be. We are always learning. We are both so thankful that we share the love of this sport. It has enabled us to experience each other’s success and, unfortunately, each other’s disappointments as our own.
I hope that more women find an interest in hunting. It is great to see a woman hunter take a huge trophy buck on TV or read about it in a magazine or newspaper and not too many years ago, that would have been unheard of. So many things have changed over the years and, although the number of woman hunters is on the rise, it is no where near what it could be. Woman are just as capable of putting up a stand and taking a huge 10-point buck, recovering it and field dressing it and I’m sure there are many of you that don’t agree. But don’t underestimate the will power and determination of a woman. We are doing things now that men years ago would never think possible. You never know, the number one spot on the Boone & Crockett or Pope & Young lists could be a woman in the very near future…
