This Female Hunter Feature is for Lindsey Randles. Here we go!
Lindsey Randles is a hunter, angler, and outdoor photographer from North Texas. She is passionate in the pursuit of wild spaces and outdoor adventures. You can usually find her near a river or amongst the trees, usually with her two bird dogs by her side.
Why do you hunt, fish, and spend time outdoors?
There’s never been a memory I’ve had outdoors that I don’t look back on fondly, enjoying time hunting, fishing, or taking pictures of wildlife and landscape. Our ability to travel has only heightened my keen sense of awareness of how small we actually are, and how important it is for us to explore as much as we can. Being outdoors in all realms elevates my senses, renews my spirit, and humbles me to no end.
When was your first outdoors memory, and how old were you?
I grew up in a hunting and fishing family. My Dad, Pawpaw, Nana, Aunt, and Uncle were all avid outdoorsmen & women. I have so many early childhood memories of rambling around outdoors, many times with a fishing pole and others with a good dog and gun. My Dad and Pawpaw were serious feral hog hunters which provided me with some scary and somewhat exhilarating memories of being on a hunt with them. My dad would put me somewhere off the ground (usually on a mule, ATV, or in a tree) and tell me to “stay put” until he got back. I think he was always a little worried about me getting injured or allowing my curiosity to put me in a bind. Although that inquisitive nature didn’t allow me to tag along on too many of these hunts, it is weird the memories that stick with you. More recently, all of my hunting and fishing memories include my husband, which to me is priceless.
What do you love most about hunting and fishing?
The simple answer: bounty. I want to feel more connected to my food and myself. With every fish that I catch or animal I take, I am connected to them from harvest to consumption. How many people can say that these days? While I enjoy an easy grocery store pick-up, being mainly a meat-based couple, my husband and I can open our freezer(s) and know that we have really taken the time and energy to fill them ourselves. And conservation is a huge reason we do what we do. As hunters and anglers, you are contributing so much to conservation by just purchasing a license or tag and stepping foot outside on any of the vast public or private lands available to us. That’s a pretty special thing.
What’s your most memorable hunting experience?
While they’re all memorable, I would have to say that harvesting my first whitetail with a bow takes the cake. While the Oklahoma rain fell lightly, my husband sat next to me quietly and adoringly. I knew I made a good shot and felt that adrenaline you only feel in that situation. I couldn’t wait to get down from my tree stand and track it down, but luckily my husband was there to remind me to have patience and let the deer have its time.
Do you have a favorite wild game recipe?
This garlic and mushroom stuffed venison!
Do you have a dream hunting excursion?
This is a frequent topic of conversation in our household. While this may change as I grow older and my resources become more plentiful, I would have to say that harvesting a caribou in Alaska would top my list today. I have this image in my mind of sitting next to a harvested caribou, sipping a good whisky, and celebrating with my husband by my side. Not pictured in my mind would be the sheer exhaustion and painstaking effort it will take for a flatlander to even hike and pack in for that hunt.
What would you say to other women who haven’t tried hunting, fishing, or spending time outdoors yet?
Get out there. Find a mentor and maybe if you’re as lucky as me you will get to marry that mentor. Do your research and be prepared for the patience and diligence it takes to not only see an animal but to take that animal humanely, process it, and cook it. I really enjoy Backcountry Hunters & Anglers as a resource. They do a tremendous amount for hunters and anglers as well as conservation.
Follow Lindsey on Instagram…
