“My hands are still shaking.
First time hunting with my bow.
First time hunting from a tree stand.
First day of the season.
First deer I saw.
Never in a billion years would I have ever thought I would be posting this. Hunting was not something I was even remotely interested in, like ever. While we’re being honest, I had completely dismissed it as a pissing contest for Busch-Light-chugging backwoodsy men.
When I met Paul, I started to take an interest in it mostly because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have seen him for months at a time when he disappeared into the woods. We scouted land, hung tree stands, planted food plots, sat in blinds and trees together, and both celebrated when he would bring home a deer. “Meat in the freezer!”
I went through Hunter’s Education with Aiden when he was 11, mostly because he needed a ride. That’s where I learned more about land management and the benefits/ethics of responsible hunting. As a huge nerd and context junkie, I loved it. Everyone should take that course.
I shot my first deer with a shotgun 3 years ago. It was a humbling and formative experience, and I knew it would be the “make or break” moment for my hunting career. I learned that day that I could do it, that pulling the trigger was not a deal-breaker for me. It’s not a “cold-blooded” thing, there’s a great respect for the land and the animals. It’s nice to know that the deer I harvested lived a good deer-life frolicking in the woods, not crowded and pumped with antibiotics on a factory farm.
I also knew that my ultimate goal was to learn to bow hunt. It takes a lot of preparation. You have to be silent and still. It’s a very intimate experience with nature. And it’s thrilling beyond words when you see a deer walk right under you with no idea that you exist.
My first bow was a hand-me-down that was just fitted with a pretty pink string this spring. Unfortunately, it broke a month before the season started so we bought a new one from Plum Creek Archery in Dyersville and Duane gave me some very helpful coaching on my form and what to remember when you get the shakes in a tree stand staring at a big buck.
Yesterday was the day it all came together. This guy walked 10 yards in front of me right before shooting light. We tracked him this morning and he was about 100 yards from the tree stand.
This is a lot of rambling, but all to say I’m glad I opened my mind and gave hunting a shot (ba-dum-chhhh). As one of the few female hunters I know, I also want to encourage any other woman or girl who might be interested in learning more about it or trying it out to PURSUE YOUR INTEREST. Take Hunter’s Ed, watch videos, read articles, ask a hunter you know to go along scouting or hunting. Just try it out.”
These were the words I wrote on October 1, 2020 after I made my first bow kill. We had the deer shoulder mounted and he now hangs on the Wall of Ancestors in our basement; his name is Bo… Yep, that IS why I named him Bo.
This experience paved the way for this new hobby that I was eager to refine, develop, and master. Not just the skill of killing a deer with an arrow. You have to find the right land, choose the right tree, hunt the right place for the right wind at the right time, wear the right clothes, walk in and out the right direction at the right time, and so much more. Plus, there is something sacred and peaceful about watching the rain puddle in the leaves of a tree canopy 20 feet off the ground and feeling as effortlessly part of nature as a squirrel or bluebird. I couldn’t wait to get back to it in 2021–Paul and I were planning a trip to my family’s land in Kansas to hunt around Thanksgiving which is something he had wanted to do for several years and I was so excited to have that experience with him.
On October 16, 2021, I broke my right hand in an unfortunate collision with an immovable object, aided by a combination of wine and high heels. I was in a cast for the next 6 weeks, so drawing back a right-handed bow was out of the question. Heartbroken, I waited like a puppy for Paul to come home after his hunt every day during our trip to Kansas. He didn’t shoot anything, however, I somehow managed to almost break my left arm on playground equipment while entertaining my children at the park. That’s a story for another day.
I chose to sit the 2022 season out due to other time-consuming commitments taking priority; it was the responsible thing to do so I didn’t wound a deer with my lack of practice. It also made sense financially not to invest in a license and tag that would likely yield zero ROI. It was settled: 2023 would be the year of my triumphant return!
When November rolled around this year, I was ready. My groupings were tight, my release was quick, my husband volunteered to be my guide service and outfitter (*cough* the actual hard work *cough*), and I was ready to three-peat my champion seasons. “I only need like one, maybe two days in the woods to bring home another beauty to fill that empty space on the Wall of Ancestors,” I thought to myself. I am the archer, baby, not the prey. Top of the food chain.
In the following weeks, I learned a thing or two in the woods. Welcome to the Apex Predator series, my hunting memoir of 2023.
