As part of our Women in Hunting Series I want to share the stories of other women hunters with you in hopes of inspiring more women to hunt. Today we are honored to have Kristin share her story with us. She blogs over at Baby Giveaways Galore. Read on and be prepared to be amazed as this awesome mama shares about her life as a woman hunter!

I absolutely LOVE hunting and it is the men in my life that got me started and helped me continue.

Growing up I often went hunting for ducks and other water fowl with my dad on the Lower North Shore of Quebec where we lived. I never shot anything but I was always his spotter. My parents had 3 girls so there was never any talk of girls staying home and boys going hunting. I was my dad’s little boy.

Once I moved away and met my husband, he opened up a whole new world of hunting to me. He hunts as much and as often as he can: moose, white-tailed deer, geese, hare, partridge, coyote, ground hogs. He has taken one or two weeks off work every November for deer season since high school.

The first year we were together I did not hunt but I helped him butcher and package deer for the freezer. If that did not deter me than shooting wasn’t going to.

I took my hunting and firearms safety courses the next summer. Bought myself hunting clothes, a Savage .243 rifle, Rossi .410 shotgun and a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun and I was ready to roll.

I have been hunting white-tail deer ever since. Luckily, I have got a deer every year since I started in 2006. I have never shot a huge “monster” buck but the small 4 - 6 pointers or does fill the freezer. This is very important to us because venison makes up the majority of the meat we eat. We eat two full deer a year in our household. We rarely buy beef as venison is leaner and healthier for our family.

This is a small 6-point buck I got 2 years ago.

We also used to go goose hunting a lot. We had ground blinds, camouflage shot guns and geese decoys. I grew up eating geese as well. My mom and sisters often bake a goose for Christmas dinner.

Early morning goose-hunting.

My husband and I and our dinner.

I love all types of hunting. Solitary deer or moose hunting is very relaxing. I sit in my tree stand and read a book while listening and scanning the woods and fields with my binoculars. I love sitting in the sun and enjoying every minute of being outdoors. I have logged many hours in the pouring rain and blowing snow but it is all worth it when the animal walks out in front of you for the taking.

Social hunting such as for partridge or geese is equally fun. You can talk and walk together until you see the birds. It is nice to share in the hunt with friends. I’ve always noticed a great camaraderie among hunters. Everyone is excited for one another.

Partridge hunting while visiting friends in Alberta.

I am very appreciative to my father and husband for getting me intrested in hunting. They have taught me everything I know about animals and how to hunt them.

My husband has been so great at providing me equal time to hunt now that we have children. We take turns deer hunting and staying home with our kids. After our oldest son was born, the three of us spent a week at our camp. My husband would hunt in the mornings and I would hunt in the afternoons. It was so peaceful and we felt so connected to each other and the woods.

Having a partner that understands and values you as a hunter is extremely important for women hunters. So many men AND women still believe that hunting is a man’s sport.

I urge all women to give hunting a try. Start out target shooting if you are uncomfortable around guns and once you get out in the woods you may discover a lot about yourself as a woman and as a hunter.

Good luck for the coming season!

Do you hunt? Who got you interested in hunting? Is your partner supportive?

Kristen blogs over at Baby Giveaways Galore conducting reviews and giveaways of family friendly products, cloth diapers and baby supplies. She is a Canadian stay-at-home-mom of two boys and two dogs. She and her husband own 116 acres of woods with a small rustic cabin that makes a perfect getaway for this outdoorsy family.