I’m rolling my eyes right now. If you knew how many times I’ve received the shocked and dismayed look from people when I tell them I hunt, you’d roll your eyes, too.
Can people really be that surprised when they hear that a woman hunts?
We are definitely living in a man’s world, but that doesn’t mean we women can’t hunt just as well (or better!) than men. Let me also say, this isn’t a feminist, girl power, pink camo post either. I’m not into all that crap, but I do know there are some differences between women and men hunting.
I’m assuming you are already a hunter or are interested in learning more about it as a hobby. As I Googled and browsed the internet, I was a little surprised there wasn’t more information out there for women hunters. Everything is written by a man and for a man. Let’s be honest. Men are hunters; women are (supposed to be) gatherers. They’ve been the hunters since the beginning of time. You can’t ignore the fact the biology of men is different than women. There are lots of women who hunt, but it is a male-dominated sport. And that’s okay. We can all acknowledge that.
I’m not an expert hunter by any means. There are some seriously badass women who hunt and I’m not claiming to be one. I’ve just learned a few things over the years that I want to share with my fellow ladies.
Here’s how to hunt like a real woman:
- You kill it; you clean it. Don’t be a sissy girl hunter who won’t get in there and get your hands dirty.
- Learn the lingo. A deer doesn’t have horns. You didn’t catch anything this week; you killed/harvested/shot it.
- Listen to the men. You’ll learn so much by listening to their stories, the decisions on where they’re hunting that morning, and while they chat about “horn porn.” It’s my dirty little secret to knowing so much!
- Fake it ‘till you make it. Don’t act like a know-it-all, but it’s okay to chime in and ask questions.