? for female hunters

[BobT]

My 16-year old daughter has been deer hunting for four years since she was 12. Since she started hunting she's taken an 8-point, 6-point, and a fork. I have not taken a deer myself but I have been the lucky one to dress out her deer. I'd like to get her to try it but she is reluctant about it. Do you have any thoughts about how I might be able to encourage her to give it a try so she can learn how too?

Thanks,

[shamrock7]

When all my kids got old enough to hunt, I told them that I would take care of their first one and that they were on their own from there. My 2 sons were fine, but I think my daughter conned me into doing her 2nd one but from there on out, she does her own.

[panthrcat]

hello and I gotta tell ya it's so good to hear of other women and girls who are active in the field!! I started hunting when I got with my husband 20 years ago, and haven't looked back once. we have a wonderful daughter who took her hunters ed course at the age of 12 and is our apprentise now. she hasn't had the opportunity (yet) to take her own deer, but we're hoping this fall we'll get her lined up on one. both my husband and I tell her that hunting isn't about shooting the animal, but it also involves gutting, cleaning, dragging, hanging, getting dirty, tired and thankful as well! if she just wanted to shoot the animal then my husband and I have done something wrong. There is so much more to it than the kill. it's ruddy hard work at times, but so very rewarding too! I think she has taken them same values, although we'll see once she pulls the trigger (lol)

she has helped us gut and drag animals out before.

good post!!

Sue

[dewey1980]

Be happy she goes with,keep gutting for her,your lucky she out there.

[Jim Almquist]

Bob

My only suggestion is really similar to Sue's and that would be to try and get her involved in the entire process to include the butchering process and cooking end of things. Maybe a few more little tips on the little things that are not so pleasant but need to be done. Make sure the wind is blowing at the back of the deer so you always get fresh air. If possible try to get the back part of the deer raised so that "stuff" falls out so she will not have to pull as much out. Maybe a quick overview of each part that is coming out of the deer so her mind is taken off the gutting process.

Hope this helps Bob cause its great to here that more girls are out in the field enjoying nature at its best and not sitting at the mall.

[panthrcat]

Hope this helps Bob cause its great to here that more girls are out in the field enjoying nature at its best and not sitting at the mall.

or on the internet, I've been struggling with that with our gal, I should have mentioned in the post above that she's 13 now and knows EVERYTHING!! aaahhhh!! but as someone above also said, "be glad that she goes" is true nuff!

[BobT]

I already told her that this year I may ask her to do it if we get a deer. I do keep surgical gloves in our kit so cleanup is as simple as pulling them off inside out and putting them in your pocket. What's really strange is this is the daughter that has expressed interest in a medical career. She has her hopes of becoming a doctor some day. At least that's what she says this week.

[LightningBG]

When I started I hated gutting deer. My buddy did my first one while I watch. The next year me and another buddy "had" to do it ourselves (he had never before either), but we were the only ones around. It took us 1 hour to do one deer. Now I can do one by myself in about 10-15 minutes.

My advice would be to help her. You do a little, ask her to cut this, that and the other thing. You pull, she trims, etc, etc. That way she can start to get over the grossness of it all slowly. In a couple years she'll be doing it on her own without a second thought.

[LightningBG]

And if your in a party. Get her involved partially in as many as possible. i.e. 25% participation in 4 deer will go a long way.

[FishNovice101]

Bob,

I agree with all of the above regarding getting her involved in the whole process, pull the deer so it's on a slope (easier for everything to fall out for her) and such.

One thing I would do, and I did this for my son, is to buy her a nice hunting knife that she can use to dress the deer. But don't expect her to do the whole thing the first time around. Ease her into it and talk her through it.

Char

[iceman1603]

Like many of you I have been blessed with a wife that Loves the outdoors, hunting and fishing. When we first got together 12 yrs ago she was deathly afraid of guns. It took some convincing but she came around and started plinkin with my 10/22, a week later we were at the gun shop getting her her own Ruger. Now she is a deer hunter and actually took her first deer 2 yrs ago. As we walked up on the big doe laying there with a perfectly placed double lung hit, I congratulated her and told her how happy and proud I was. I asked her if she brought a knife? With a straight face she looks at me and says why would I? Thats why your here!!!!

Long story short I did the first one but I made sure she held a leg here and pointed out things that you dont want to cut. She didnt get any tree time last year due to work and has proby forgotten how to even start but she has been checkin the trail cam pics and picking her deer for this year. And has committed to at least trying if she gets the chance this year.

Sorry for babling on but just wanted to share this with you to show that it may take some time and convincing but eventually she will be able to do it with the knowledge that this is the yucky part of something she loves..

[Borch]

Sue has a great explanation. My girls have dressed everyone of the deer they have shot. I have helped but they do it. They've got a lot of satisfaction when we were registering deer and another father with 2 boys asked the girls if they shot their own deer. They responded that of course they did and that they dress their own deer as well.

They father turned to the boys and said, "Did you hear that? You're gonna need to start dressing you own now."

My daughters laughed about that for a while.

They also help process deer. It's all part of the hunt.

[Steve Foss]

Those are some great stories, everyone. Thanks for sharing them. Jeff, I got a good chuckle out of your daughters shaming those boys.