First-hand experiences of women hunters

[Irrelevant]

LOL I dropped the drain plug once and plugged the hole in my drain pan. Made a hell of a mess.

I think that might be a right of passage.

 

[Hunting Wife]

I like @Hunting Wife s boss approach, with regard to equipment, ask a brief question move on. In the context of hunting hey we haven’t hunted together anything you don’t feel comfortable with?

I’m laughing thinking about my experiences going the opposite way, apparently if I put on dirty carharts and boots I’m fully proficient in all sorts of stuff.

Here’s a AR, shoot a couple rounds and tell me what you think.
Hey can you unload the 4wheeler.
I need help moving the burn pile can you drive the tractor over here.
Snowmobiles, nail guns, power saws
Almost dry fired my BILs bow...
Outboard engines
Fishing rods, specifically how to cast...
I was handed told the oil filter and 5qrts were on the work bench and asked if I manage changing my MILs oil, pro tip take the top off the oil catcher box before you undo the nut.

If we ever hunt together definitely ask before you assume I can do anything.

I am so guilty of this. One summer one of my technicians was a late-20’s guy, Marine Corps vet, two deployments, great attitude, hard worker. We were in BFE and got a flat. I started dragging all the stuff out, and he pipes up “Sweet! I’ve never changed a tire before!” I just about fell over. He was so pumped about it, I just handed him the lug wrench and said “Have fun!” Good lesson for me about not assuming.

I winced so hard reading that one.

I like the direct question approach as well. I think I was stuck on hunters asking random strangers in the field all sorts of questions and no wonder I couldnt make any sense of it.

Oops, I guess I took it as acquaintances/mentees or someone who isn’t just a random stranger. I don’t interrogate random strangers and hope they don’t interrogate me either.

For random strangers, I follow this wisdom

It's funny as I like to keep any hunting proficiency a secret no matter who I meet. mtmuley

 

[MTelkHuntress]

I don’t interrogate random strangers and hope they don’t interrogate me either.

I've been asked strange questions in the field before but they dont bother me but they might someone else. I dont know, I follow Mtmuleys lead....I know nothing and I saw nothing.

 

[MarvB]

I think that might be a right of passage.

Not to deter the thread but how about pulling the plug to drain into the catch basin, leaving it to drain well, only to come back to find the wind had come up and the oil had drained NEXT to the catch basin

Sorry, back to the topic, just sharing an oops moment!

 

[Irrelevant]

Not to deter the thread but how about pulling the plug to drain into the catch basin, leaving it to drain well, only to come back to find the wind had come up and the oil had drained NEXT to the catch basin

Sorry, back to the topic, just sharing an oops moment!

Yup been there. Honestly @wllm1313 and I are pretty similar, I have very little mechanical aptitude. Oil changes took a while to work up to.

 

[Bambistew]

I would say half the stories are relatable to either gender. I know I've experienced many of the things that were mentioned.

I've hunted with women for a long time. They are just as challenging to read in the field as off. Too much advise or not enough, many think with their heart and not their head and get upset easily. There is a lot more to it than ingrained culture. Some people are very good at playing victim, men and women. They go in with one mindset and find out it was wrong. Like going to the BHA meeting expecting a handout of Intel?

I do see it all the time though, at the mechanic shop, hardware store etc. Places where most women are not really familiar with. Not saying that some aren't more familiar than men... its just statistics and men are fixers, while many women just want you to listen.

 

[BuzzH]

I've seen my wife pissed off, I mean PISSED off, only a handful of times one in regard to hunting.

We applied for pronghorn tags in Montana and she drew a 700 tag second choice, I drew a 690 tag first choice.

She did a bunch of research and found a place to hunt near circle. Talked to a landowner and secured permission. She had already killed a few pronghorn.

We drive over a day early and scout up a nice buck. She kills him opening morning...this buck in fact:

Since we had time we headed West to hunt my area before dark. Just as we got into my area, we were stopped by 2 wardens. They asked me if we had shot anything and I said yes, my wife shot a buck near Circle this morning. They get out to "check" her pronghorn. Immediately, the two wardens assume I had shot her buck...and here's why I knew it. Right as my wife was getting out of the passenger side of the truck, warden 1 goes around to meet her, and warden 2 asks me stay on the other side of the truck. If he didn't realize I knew exactly that he was up to, the oldest trick in the book, separating us to check out the story...he was a fool.

Anyway, they check Pat's pronghorn, tag, permission slip yada yada my license and away they went.

We head down the road and she comments on "how nice" those two wardens were. I said, well, not really. She looked at me like I was crazy, "why do you say that?" I said well what questions did the ask you. Pat said, "Oh wanted to know what rifle I shot, what caliber I shoot, where I hit it, how far it ran....really seemed interested". I said, oh really, did you notice how they separated us when he was talking to you. Pat said, "No didn't really notice but why would they do that?"

The chit hit the fan when I told her they were all but sure I had shot her antelope for her. She was pissed...and I mean livid. She instructed me to drive back and try to find them as she was intent on administering an ass-chewing of epic proportions. I had no choice and she was in no mood to be argued with. So we went back and looked for them for a while...and thank god we didn't find them. I was happy I waited just long enough for those two wardens to "get away".

After she calmed down I asked her why she was so pissed. Her answer, "If that would have been your Dad or Brother with you in the truck, they wouldn't have done that. But since I was a woman that hunts they assumed I couldn't have shot that buck and you shot in for me". Yep...all day long.

She then made the comment about how that will never happen again.

Fast forward to deer season...and we went through a check station in Havre. We each killed buck mule deer in Blaine County and have 2 deer in the back. We get out and the warden starts checking our deer. My buck was a bit better than the one she killed and the warden said, "oh, he made you shoot the small one huh"...I cringed because I knew what was coming.

She shot that guy a look that I bet he still remembers and said, "I make my own decisions on what I shoot, nobody makes me do anything". She got in the truck, slammed the door and that was that. Guy sheepishly told me to have a nice day...

The only two bad experiences she's ever had as a female hunter...both with wardens. Maybe profiling female hunters isn't the best moves to make.

 

[Cornell2012]

Thank you everyone for this discussion. This topic can really strike some nerves and I'm happy with how (mostly) civil the thread has remained. Keep it up!

 

[44hunter45]

I received far more grief during my college years in the large cities in the East, than I do in The Territories. But I am admittedly a large target.

Female, Indian, Hunter, Trapper, and a staunch believer that the Government is not suppose to take care of me from cradle to grave.

However, it does happen up here also, but mostly from visitors, not locals. Some hunts require Inuits to guide them. One fellow from the U.S. refused to allow me to take him out, so I scurried around and found a man to take him out. I was also propositioned once on a goat hunt and when I turned it down, I had to listen to 5 days of B.S. ( was he not handsome enough ?, did I only like other Indians ?, how about if he doubled the offer ( $ )?,) it got pretty tiring.

I find most of the rude, creepy, and suggestive comments are sex related rather than hunting related.

I would also like to mention that other females can also be very nasty to female hunters. And, I have no sympathy for those females who post pictures of themselves in string bikinis holding up a fish they caught or an animal they shot.

@Panda Bear

First - The American was an idiot. I'm not generalizing, I could name names. Hands down, the absolute best hunters I know right now are First Nations women. (For simplicity, I'm using First Nations for the U.S. too. )

Second - Your restraint is amazing. He would have been even less handsome with his two front teeth missing. Or maybe they already were?

Both point to a level of sexism, racism, and culture ignorance that is astounding, but not surprising.

Very nicely stated ! thank you.

Of course I have seen it, heard it, and experienced it over the years .

I actually experienced more of it during my car racing years than I ever did in the hunting world.

As has been mentioned, the nature of the discrimination varies depending on where in the world you are hunting. Surprisingly to some perhaps, the men in Latin America were far more sexist than American men, but in a different manner. They wanted to help you get on the horse, off the horse, set up the tent, etc. but it was always done in a way that seemed "gentlemanly"

The gentlemen on this forum have been very kind, thoughtful, helpful and fun and I have throughly enjoyed interacting with them. I have know some of them for many years, they were the ones that invited me to join Hunt talk and I am glad I did. Thank you gentlemen !

And the Ladies as well, wonderful group of females here as well. thank you ladies.

I openly admit that I dont understand some of the male music preferences, here on the forum, but we will save that discussion for Friday.

But----- speaking of things I dont understand in my twilight years. Mr. Potato Head is "sexist" ? Please !

@Europe - April, I have certainly never posted KISS on the music threads. I DO have broad taste in music, however.

I think that might be a right of passage.

Let's talk about my buddy's son that left the plug finger tight and it vibrated out somewhere west of Medical Lake on I-90. His very competent mother was able to get the F-250 off the highway and shut down before the engine was damaged.

Thank you everyone for this discussion. This topic can really strike some nerves and I'm happy with how (mostly) civil the thread has remained. Keep it up!

@Cornell2012 - I'm gonna assume you were "Matthew, Oregon" If so, good on you. I'm reading comments in the thread pointed to you and thinking I'm pretty sure the commenters don't know who owns that handle. SMDH.

@DouglasR - They say when you are in a hole you should stop digging.

They may also say you should never cross a woman who can use "BFE" in a sentence. If they don't, they should. That also answers the other question of how you know if @Hunting Wife is competent.

No one should read my post and think I'm not taking this VERY seriously. I realize I often turn to bad humor when faced with difficult subjects.

Ladies - Let me apologize for my gender and for myself. Any guy who says he has never been an idiot to a woman skipped Junior High School or is lying. Or both.
I love my girls above anything on this earth and I still shove my foot in my mouth regularly.


Most posts by guys on here fall under the categories of supporting the women's views as stated, denial of the anecdotes, or attempts to make sure everyone knows we are not "That Guy". The truth is any one of us could have been the guys in the stories at some point in our loves. Especially true in packs and when alcohol is involved. The odds also go up in direct proportion to the distance from home.

My mother used to look me in the eye and say, "Church boys can dish out a come-on line as well as any other boy. Maybe they're even worse. "

My Grandfather often said, "One boy is a boy, two boys is half a boy, three boys is no boy at all."

I did have the benefit of a mother who demanded respect. She would sit in the car until my brother or I opened the door for her.
OH, the mortification of having to go back out of the store after you realized she was still in the car waiting for you to be a gentlemen.
Ironically, her 1950's doting on my father drives my sister up the wall. We all want our kids to be better adjusted to the evolving social norms than we are.
Often our children point out to us that they are.

To comment directly on the article content...

I admit I was kind of glad that I'm more than 40 and (just)less than 60. WHEW!!

I was put off by the secondhand comment on how it was at one RMEF committee almost 30 years ago. How is it today? A good journalist might wanted to find out.
I experienced it directly 30 years ago when I resigned from a committee in California after they dressed all the auction chasing ladies in push-up bustier. Mrs 45 did not attend and I could not look her in the eye later and say it was not some kind of stag event. I certainly don't see that in my chapter today. nor the gender roll stuff cited in the article. I cannot speak for other chapters, but I know all the banquets in the region are overseen by the RD.

I have experienced hunters lying to me to dust their tracks to their honey hole. I've done it myself.

Mrs45 thinks all gun stores and gun shows are testosterone pits. Hard pass for her. Miss T loves them. ¿Quien Sabe?

One last quote and then I'm off to bed.

The Red Green Show Possum Lodge Men's Prayer. - " I'm a man, but I can change, If I have to, I guess. "

 

[devon deer]

I have very little experience of first hand experience of female hunters, mainly because hunting in the UK isn’t that popular, and therefore by proportion very few females do it.
But I have guided 2, and have a friend who used to love her fox hunting (she is too old now and it’s banned in any case)
1 was South African, hard as nails, and boy could she shoot, she is now a friend and we have hunted/stayed with them in SA.
2 was a Brit, very keen and a true country girl.

But fly fishing, I have taught and guided so many I wouldn’t like to guess, give me a female any day of the week to teach, they
a)listen to everything you say,
and b)don’t over power the cast, they are a dream.
One of my best friends is a female fly fisher, I taught her 30 years ago.

It’s quite simple though my eyes, treat all people how you would like to be treated, goes for either gender, I’m sure thats how all people want it to be?

Cheers

Richard

 

[IDFireLass]

I can't think of anything of anyone out in the field treating me different. If they were thinking of it they didn't say a thing.
But I've had it happen twice at gun counters. You want to see someone get mad don't treat me like a stupid woman.
I complained about one guy at a Cabela's store to a manager. He out right ignore me over another guy.
Had a another guy at another store and gun counter do the same thing to me. So I walked out went to a camera store and bought a pair of binoculars they lost the sale.
I see the difference in clothing and boots. I can't wear most women's clothing they don't make the cloths to fit me and most of the cloths won't last a season or two with hard hunting.
As for boots. Terrible feet woman's boots aren't made for heavy usage only weekend outings.
So I buy mens clothing and it fits, it lasts. Really enjoying the new age stuff, KUIU, SITKA. Have too many pairs of Kenetrek boots to laugh at. Just got into Crispi and really like them.

I have been hunting since it was legal for my state to start hunting which at the time was 12 years old. I've been around hunting my whole life. Hunted with my dad until I got married then really learned to hunt and now retired really learning to hunt elk. I've hunted with other family friends with father and daughters and we all just hunted and this was 40 or years ago when it was a woman versus man thing.

We did clear the mountain of other hunters one time. My dad told the other hunters we were hunting and turning the girls loose and we told them to shoot at any moving thing or sound. It sure cleared a bunch of macho guy out of the area. And no I've never shot at sound or unseen critters.

I have went into hunting stores to purchase binoculars for fire lookouts. Didn't have any problems then but I knew what I was looking for and what I wanted.

 

[MNElkNut]

A ways back in the thread someone asked how you ascertain if someone has experience hunting. I look at their gear. If it at least part of it is well worn and used, then I start think they may have some experience. If it is all shiny new or just not really hunting gear, that is a big clue. Wear snow pants on a deer hunt....rookie (swish, swish, swish with every step)! Boots are a good giveaway. Do they look like they just came off the shelf? We all get new gear now and then, so you cannot judge just one piece. But usually it is pretty easy to tell if you look at the details.

Gun handling is another. It usually doesn't take long to determine if someone is competent around firearms.

Here is a prime example of how gear told me that the guy was not all that experienced despite the fact he was in his 60s. First, his gun handling was so bad I asked him to unload his gun (I was in my 30s). We were hunting in a shotgun only area and the first shell he ejected was red. The second was green. The third was black. Three different manufactures. He obviously didn't know much about shotgun slugs. Sure, they are not as accurate as a rifle, but mixing slugs is going to make it much worse!

 

[MTGomer]

I didn’t read the whole thing but I know Liz in Wyoming is right about women’s gear.
Buying men’s small seems to be the default.

 

[rwc101]

Not to deter the thread but how about pulling the plug to drain into the catch basin, leaving it to drain well, only to come back to find the wind had come up and the oil had drained NEXT to the catch basin

Sorry, back to the topic, just sharing an oops moment!

Or, pulling the plug and having a gust of wind blow warm oil in your face. Thanks, Wyoming.

 

[longbow51]

I don't understand the deal with clothing. LL Bean's, Orvis, Filson, Eddie Bauer, and Patagonia could outfit you head to toe and are essentially guaranteed forever. Danner makes good boots for women, as do Asola and Vasque, and those are just the ones my wife happens to have.

What brands are you buying?

 

[wytex]

Danner makes boots for certain feet, great of yours are narrow mine are not.

 

[Panda Bear]

I've hunted with women for a long time. They are just as challenging to read in the field as off.

Like when our husbands ask us, "what is wrong?" and we say "NOTHING!" and you know at that moment something IS wrong, but what ?

I have to give credit to a fellow female member for this one ( Thank you April ).

"God took a rib from Adam and made a megaphone."

As Bambistew mentioned, as well as others, without a doubt, both sexes have habits that irritate the opposite sex at times. And stereotyping has very deep roots. Hunting has been a mans sport for years, centuries. As I mentioned before it is not the stereotyping , like asking if I want to see the pink rifle that bothers me, it is when men are deliberately crude, even boarding on dangerous that I object to. This seems to either be a foreign concept to some or possibly some may even see it as a compliment, but talking about our bodies while hunting is not a way to a woman's heart !

I recently ask the weather Gods to give Harley some cold weather, so when he comes up for his Polar Bear hunt, the weather will not be a shock to him, and they obliged

 

[Hunting Wife]

LL Bean and Eddie Bauer have been staples of mine for years for everyday apparel, but their outdoor gear is crap for the type of hunting I do. Upland pants lasted me a year. Lots of bright colors, lots of noisy nylon, lots of cotton, lots of lightweight summer stuff. Orvis and Filson have very limited women’s lines. Orvis for example, currently has 11 styles of hunting pants for men, but 3 women’s “pants” (one is Scottish knee pants things, which are useful how?), all of which are lightweight upland. Filson has zero women’s pants, and a couple of flannel shirts. Not going to cut it.

So, those of us that don’t fit into men’s pants typically were stuck with Cabela’s Women’s stuff, Redhead women’s stuff. Crappy quality, not durable, not warm, bulky...

First Lite has been a revelation. Warm, breatheable, not bulky, durable, comfortable, accommodating to movement, decent range of sizes. I haven’t tried Sitka yet, but I hear good things. Prois has gotten better lately as well...better fabrics, better fit. It’s getting better, but it’s been slow and a long time coming.

There are lots more decent boot options though IMO than clothing options.

 

[MTTW]

I have been hunting since about 1970 and unless my memory fails me I have never ran into a woman hunting that wasn't with her dad or husband and I can count them on my hands.

I don't run in to many hunters in the field and maybe women are too smart to hunt where I hunt but they are very rare. I don't personally know a woman who has ever gutted a mammal solo. I hunt some with my daughter and she has told me that guys have asked her if she guts her own deer. I know for a fact that some of the guys that I know respect a woman who does it on her own and if they ask the wrong question it is not a diss.
Some women get pissed if you hold a door for them. I can't think of a guy being irritated by it.

Some guys are sexist jerks, no doubt. I wouldn't judge hunters by the actions of the guy behind the sporting goods counter though. That is like judging carpenters, plumbers, or electricians by the guy working at the hardware store.
When a guy tells me that he is building a house, one of the first things I want to know is if he is driving the nails. If he is pissed by that question, whatever, it is not meant as a diss.
Come to think of it, I don't know a woman who drove the nails on her own house either. That doesn't mean that they don't, and I have respect for those that do, but if they get pissed if I ask them the question, whatever. They just missed an opportunity to gain my admiration. I wouldn't ask the question unless I had a suspicion that they did.

If I run into one of you ladies out in the woods and offer to help you stand up with your heavy pack, I don't mean anything derogatory by it, hell, I would do the same for about 1 in 10 guys in the woods. The other 9 I would do my best to make sure they never saw me.

 

[devon deer]

Orvis and Filson have very limited women’s lines. Orvis for example, currently has 11 styles of hunting pants for men, but 3 women’s “pants” (one is Scottish knee pants things, which are useful how?), all of which are lightweight upland.

I just looked at their website, they clearly don't distinguish between wing hunting, and hunting up in the mountains, that is a poor selection for the ladies to select from, and as for the breeks, bit of a snob factor shining through me thinks.
Either they are missing a trick or it's based purely on their customer base and upland bird shooting.

@longbow51 to might want to revisit the Orvis guarantee, it actually meant something once, not so much these days.

Cheers

Richard