I was born a "city girl" but have always been a tomboy at heart. In addition, I am a true blue "daddy’s girl". Luckily, my father introduced me to the woods and waters early. When his hunting and fishing buddies were bringing their sons along, he didn’t hesitate to bring his daughter. My fondest memories are of days spent with my father learning to hunt and fish and enjoying nature.
I started deer hunting with my father when I was 12. There was no such thing as "hunter safety" courses back then, but Dad was a good teacher. The first couple of years I carried a stick about the size of a hunting rifle, and when I had mastered handling that stick in the same manner as a loaded gun I graduated to the real thing. That was the procedure with all of the kids. Dad also pointed out and explained deer sign, stand placement, and the consequences of wind direction and anything else that came up as we sat out in the woods.
I harvested my fir
st deer when I was 15. That "trophy", a four-point buck, still hangs on my wall. I have taken many deer since that day, most of them larger and more impressive, but none will ever equal that first deer. That hunt is a special story, but it will have to wait to be told, the time just isn’t right yet. But I most assuredly became a "hunter" that day.
For many years the only opportunities I had to hunt was during the firearms deer season. During those times I tried the numerous different methods of deer hunting, some, which I still use today, and some which I refuse to participate in. I even gave up hunting for a few years after a particularly ugly hunt where not only was the deer I had shot taken from me by another hunter in our group, but when I was almost shot by that same hunter.
About the same time I met my husband and as luck would have it he was also a hunter. Finally, with his encouragement and support, I was drawn back into hunting and haven’t looked back since. Besides hunting during the firearms season Jerry did some bow hunting. I found myself waiting enviously for him to return home from the hunt. I watched him practicing and even tried to shoot his bow once. I couldn’t take it anymore. A lengthy trip to the bow shop, trying a number of different bows, checking out arrows and broad heads, trying different releases, and oh yeah, a hefty debit in the checkbook but I was set. It was only April and I felt confident that by the mid-September bow season opener I felt I could be ready.
I practiced religiously, at least five days a week, twelve arrows or more each time. I steadily increased my accuracy and also my draw weight. I started at only 24 pounds and I had to be at a minimum of 30 pounds by bow season. I practiced shooting at different angles, standing, kneeling and sitting. I’m sure when I moved to the garage roof to practice shooting the neighbors thought I was certifiable. We got a decoy and I practiced shooting at different positions, broadside, quartering away and quartering toward me. I harvested a beautiful eight-point buck that year. Six years have now passed and I have harvested five bucks. I have become a bow-hunting fanatic and spend every minute possible during archery season in the woods.
The urge to be out in the woods, the desire to hunt kept growing. Both my husband and I decided to try black powder. There was a weeklong season for black powder immediately following our firearms season, another opportunity to 
be out in the woods. Hunting with a muzzleloader is such a unique feeling it’s hard to explain. I always feel that instead of wearing the required blaze orange I should be outfitted in skins and furs like an old mountain man.
I practiced hard and continually learned the ways of hunting. I looked at every trip into the woods to scout or set stands or just take a walk as a chance to fine tune my hunting abilities. I spent hours practicing stalking and have become quite accomplished at sneaking up on deer and even turkeys. By the year 2000 I was hunting all of our different deer seasons. I started the new millennium with what I call my grand slam. I harvested a buck with all three weapons, rifle, black powder and bow.
I had done some small game and grouse hunting with a shotgun and found it very enjoyable. Since we had started seeing some sign of turkey on our property we decided to try turkey hunting. During that first season I experienced a new high when my husband called in six toms and jakes for me and I harvested my very first turkey.
What next, what else 
can I try. Well there’s hunting with a pistol. Another trip to the store, another hefty debit in the checkbook, another summer practicing religiously.
By now I have to admit it, plain and simple I’m an addict. It doesn’t seem to matter what type of hunting I’m doing. It just keeps growing. I love the time spent in the woods, even when I don’t have an opportunity to shoot. Every trip into the woods is a learning experience. Even better, not only do I share with love of the woods and hunting with my husband, I still have the opportunity to share it with my father.
Thirteen years ago I left the "city" behind and now live on 20 wooded country acres. My backyard is my hunting area. My husband and I share our home with numerous pets, including a beautiful Blue Tick Hound who loves to hunt. In addition to hunting and fishing I also enjoy snowshoeing, horseback riding and photography.
