Being a women hunter is something I have come to cherish, it is something that defines who I am, it is something that I will enjoy for the rest of my life. I am very proud of my accomplishments as a women hunter, especially the ones that prove to men that women belong in the woods. I have put allot of effort into earning the respect of men in the woods, and it is becoming easier. Recent organizations have banded women hunters together and given them the encouragement they need to keep working toward their goal of equality in the outdoors. It is becoming easier, but it is still hard.

I grew up in the woods, my father took me hunting with him every chance he got. I also traveled with him to outdoor trade shows, learning hunting tactics and calling from the best. I loved the sport of hunting and so did every one around me. My mother ran the local National Wild Turkey Federation chapter which was odd because at the time, women were not allowed into the national banquet. We began a JAKES program full of boys and girls who actively participated in the monthly meetings and activities. These kids were my friends. Unfortunately as we grew older the interest in the JAKES went away and I realized that it wasn't "cool" for girls to hunt.

Jr. High began and I was ridiculed, called a boy and a lesbian. The kids were mean, and soon I wasn't proud of my hunting accomplishments, I was a embarrassed. Living in a city few kids hunted at my school, and no girls did. It was mainly the boys who did the picking, some of the girls would actually seem interested when they came to my house and saw all the pictures and mounts, I even took some of them frog gigging. It was still hard. The harassment lessened as high school began, but I still felt slightly embarrassed. I was still the only girl who hunted.

It wasn't until my freshman year of college that I began to realize that hunting was a part of who I was, and not to care about what others thought. I got a job at Bass Pro Shops and that helped allot. Although everyone else there was guys, they all hunted and thought it was cool that I did. Having people who supported me gave me encouragement. I became proud of myself and who I was.

Having people to talk with that share your interests is so important. I am so happy that there are now womens hunting groups where girls like me can associate with others like them. Groups such as Womenhunters.com, WHO, BOW, and women's shooting organizations, are vital to women's hunting, because of there efforts it is becoming acceptable for women of all ages to go out and enjoy the outdoor sports. They give an opportunity for women to learn more, teach others, and introduce more women to the wonders of the outdoors.

Men will always be men, there will always be those who think that women don't belong. I get men into Bass Pro every day who would rather wait for a guy to answer their question than to ask me, I love seeing the look on their faces when the guy employee sends them back to me because I know more about the topic. We women just have to stick together, and know that it doesn't matter what anyone thinks especially men. Together we can accomplish anything.