Women fostered my love for the wild
If it wasn’t for wild women in my life, I don’t think I would been the outdoors lover I am now.
In the fall issue of The Wild Northerner Magazine, we put a focus on the women in the wild. There is no denying the fact women of all ages are heavily involved with outdoors experiences. It is awesome. I just hope they leave some fish and birds for me LOL!
My introduction to the outdoors came through my mother, Margaret. She was an avid angler in her day. She loved to fish for walleye. My mom got me into fishing. She made darn sure I stayed with it as a youngster. She went out of her way to buy me lures and other fishing gear even though money was tight. This kept me involved even when I struggled to catch fish, or more accurately, what I wished to catch.
My mom gave me this fishing foundation to build my outdoors passion on. From fishing, I grew to love everything about the outdoors.
Now, I love to canoe and camp in backcountry. I can’t get enough of it. I can look back to when I was a puny kid who was uncertain about swimming in lakes to an adventurous adult who can’t get enough of going further and further into the wilderness. It all happened because of my mom getting me to try fishing.
I now have been passing my outdoors knowledge onto my two daughters. I love it and can’t get enough of it. My kids feel the same way.
It is amazing to see them keenly interested in how to make a camp fire or clean a fish or identify wildlife.
Women are great teachers. I didn’t just have my mom who influenced me at a young age to love the outdoors. I learned a long time ago women can also be expert people in the outdoors.
My mom and family spent a lot of time at my aunt and uncle’s camp. It was here I learned to fish and love the outdoors. I idolized an older girl, Brenda, who spent her summers at a nearby camp with her own family. This girl could fish. She just nailed bass and walleye like a professional. She always shared her catch, too. I learned a lot from her.
My aunt, Nancy, played a huge role in helping me become a better swimmer and get over my fear of swimming in lakes. Nancy did a lot of swimming and had a routine each day. She swam a certain route that covered three points in a bay. I wanted to swim that route. I did it eventually with her help. I now swim everywhere and anywhere.
My wife has made sure I continue to be influenced by women as I have gotten older. Arielle knows a lot about edible plants and all kinds of other plants and flowers. It never ceases to amaze me when she points out a unique plant or hands me a treat to munch on.
With this issue, we hope all of you, whether you are a man or woman, take a moment and reflect on the women in your life who have influenced your outdoors passion or enhanced it by joining you in your own adventures.
Scott Haddow
Owner/publisher