My best hunting memories so far is killing both of my black bears. Here in Wisconsin, bear tags are given on a lottery system. Some zones you have to wait longer than others. In our zone the wait is roughly 3 years. I pulled my first kill tag on 2 points, & then again the following year on no points. Which is pretty unheard of. My first bear I dropped where he stood (also not very common), & my 2nd bear only made it 10yds.

My dad & his dad are where my inspiration came from when I was young, and got me started in my love for the outdoors. The sideways glances, surprised looks I got, and still get from men when they know I hunt, only pushed me along more. Now being a mom and having a little girl, I make extra effort to help her learn not worry about what others think or say.  I make sure to let her know she can do what guys do, maybe even better.

I hunt and fish because I enjoy it. While I don’t really care what others think…. this industry is still VERY much male driven.  I think us women that love to hunt, fish and more need to do whatever we can to break that stereotype. My husband and I have a guide service.  We mainly offer bear hunts because that’s our #1 passion, but we do offer deer, goose, turkey, and ice fishing shack rentals as well. When we exhibit at expos probably 90% of the time men won’t talk with me, or even acknowledge my presence. I think women that enjoy the outdoors need to make sure we stick together, make sure we’re genuine, support fellow women and girls in their passion.