Okay, so all of us outdoors-women (and men) live for that moment when we push that safety off, or set that hook, but I've come to realize that's not what it's all about. I've only been hunting for about 6 years, so I guess you could say I'm a late bloomer, but there's one thing other hunters and I have always disagreed on; the kill, or the hunt?
For me, it's a day a week before turkey season, when you hear three tom's telling a story across the road, or when you can sit, completely undetected, in front of a huge gang of does. For me, that's a great hunt. My husband and I have agreed that the kill is wonderful, but it's over in just a few seconds, then you take your pictures, congratulate each other, take it home, clean it up, and have it for supper. It's those hunts where you have a longbeard strutting in front of you, just out of range, for two hours and you never get the shot. Feeling the vibration off of his gobble and the hearing him drum is enough to put me on a turkey high for the rest of the day. Who cares if you didn't shoot him? You know where he's at, and now it's a bigger challenge for the next day.
It's about spending time with your family and friends, encouraging each other through the bad days, and cheering for each other on the good. It's about taking that person in the woods for the first time, letting them hear the gobbles and putting them on deer for the first time in their lives. For me, that's what hunting is really about, and I'm so grateful that I have a husband and family who feels the same way I do, and I hope one day I can halp encourage others to feel the same way!
-Jessica
