Censored
Censored
A group hunt with multiple mentors and mentees builds relationships among new hunters that can last a lifetime .
Every teaching moment should be positive ; a smile can work wonders .
West for the first time . The mentors come from both coasts to convene on this small town to make mentorship magic .
Learning to hunt , to handle firearms safely and to have confidence in the wild is empowering not just to women , but to all . I became a hunter education instructor not long after I took the course myself because I feel so strongly about its benefits . I ’ ve always recommended that non-hunters participate in hunter education , even if they have no interest in hunting , to simply learn more about habitat , wildlife and survival skills .
At our annual camp , we run through firearm safety , wildlife identification , shot placement and field etiquette before hitting the range . It ’ s incredible to watch these young women connect with each other and be , well , kids . They can go from giggling and talking about first boyfriends to stoic seriousness when they pick up a rifle and take aim at their quarry .
Hunting is not easy , and there are many aspects that can be heart-wrenching to go through solo . An easy miss , a bad shot , a wounded animal that ’ s never recovered . If you ’ re a hunter , you ’ ve experienced all three , or you ’ ve just not been hunting long enough . Field-dressing takes some getting used to and processing , I found , is easier learned from a person than over a book .
Two memories stick out to me in the years that I ’ ve been mentoring this hunt . Both are about perseverance , and both are about how to be supportive , while letting your mentees learn lessons on their own .
One of our hunters , a young woman who was an excellent shot with a lot of experience , took a shot at a buck that was at a challenging but attainable distance . Confident in her shot , she pulled the trigger as we watched the pronghorn for impact . She connected , but it was not a lethal shot . Seeing the animal in distress , she became upset and stepped away from her rifle asking us mentors to take lead on the situation .
A few tears were shed by our young hunter . We gave her an encouraging talk , let her know that each of us had been in her shoes , but when she asked us to take the follow-up shot for her , we said no . We expressed the importance of being a hunter and the responsibility she had to the animal she pursued . We walked to a closer distance and had her set up for her follow-up shot . The animal was quickly dispatched and once we all walked up to that pronghorn , the tone turned to one of celebration .
Never be afraid to celebrate the successes of new hunters .
PATIENCE AND A POSTCARD PRONGHORN The second story is one of a picture-perfect show of patience . Two years ago , we embarked on our hunt knowing that a huge blizzard loomed . The first day , three of our four hunters tagged out , something we had yet to have happen till then . Our fourth hunter had two shots — and two misses . With every miss , we could see her confidence drain . We went back to the house and had dinner ; the three girls who tagged out were jovial , calm and excited to share their hunts . The fourth girl kind of kept to herself .
When we announced the plans for the following morning , she took our lead mentor aside .
“ We don ’ t need to go out tomorrow . I don ’ t need to get a pronghorn ,” she said .
A bit stunned , we asked her what was going on . She didn ’ t want to make everyone go back out in the sub-freezing temperatures “ just for her .”
BRIAN LYNN
28 SPORTSMENSALLIANCE . ORG