A girl who says she hunts is one thing. A girl who really hunts is a breed all her own. Sometimes, particularly in my beloved Tennessee, girls get roped into going hunting or fishing once or twice to satisfy their male counterpart. This doesn't count. A girl who really loves to hunt has opening dates memorized, knows exactly what kind of license she needs and already has it. A girl who really hunts will more than likely be up and ready to go before the man. I do, anyway.
Oddly enough, I'm a huge animal lover. I've cried hitting squirrels in the road. But could I shoot one? Heck yes. The difference is use. If I go out into the woods, whatever I kill will be used. I was taught not to waste, but that every kill should be clean and respectful. Seriously, my mom threatened to make me eat a lady bug when i was about 5 years old because I purposely smashed it.
Hunting gives me quality time with people I care about. Most times, there isn't good cell phone reception where we would go, but it's also pretty hard to focus on watching and listening when you're staring at a 4 inch screen. The amount of talking you can do is dependent on the season, but early morning drives are great for conversation. There's a different connection you make with people in the woods that don't require any words, and it's a hard connection to describe.
The experiences and lessons I learn are dependent on who I'm with. If I'm with my dad, i definitely learn a lot. A person can't spend as much time as he has in the woods and not have learned. He can look at a property and seem to know exactly where the deer or turkeys will come from, exactly where to set up, and how to work them. While I'm not quite there yet, I'm better. He taught me to see the easiest ways to walk through the woods and how to be quiet about it. If i'm hunting with my boyfriend, I always manage to learn more of the same lessons I've learned from my dad, and i'm sure he gets tired of hearing, "Well Dad said..." When I hunt by myself, I have more time to learn by trial and error, like "How often should I use my bleat call?"
Hunting also gives me a deeper insight with myself. Since, generally, there's not much talking, there's a lot of time to sit and reflect on yourself and situations going on in your life. I've done a lot of good thinking sitting deep in the woods by myself with no distractions.
Being in the woods also gives me a deeper connection with nature and God. Yeah, it's kind of cheesy, but as a Wildlife Biology major, I find all of the natural world exciting and beautiful, not just mountains and waterfalls that catch the attention of others. It's amazing to sit in a deer stand and be able to apply the things I've learned in classes, like the name of the bird chirping above me, or what kind of tree I'm sitting in. To me, I can't look out through the woods as the sun is starting to rise, hear the woods start to wake up, and not see proof of God.
The things I've experienced while hunting are irreplaceable. From killing by first duck to missing a deer, I wouldn't change a thing (except maybe to see more ducks). The stories I've heard and the memories I've made are among my favorites.
While I'm a girl who seriously loves her sleep, I also want to be in the woods, the field, or the duck blind as often as I can. My boyfriend says that his problem isn't that I complain about him hunting or fishing, but that I complain if he goes without me. But he also says that's a really good problem to have.
Plus, I feel kinda cute in camo.
