I started hunting in college after tagging along with my boyfriend (now husband) Nick. Neither of us grew up in a hunting family, so we learned by trial and error, watching YouTube videos, and reading hunting blogs. I think I cared more about hanging out with Nick than actually hunting at the beginning (to be fair, those first few years we barely saw any wild game, let alone harvested an animal). Nowadays I hunt for a connection to my food and my love of nature. But at the beginning it was my teenage heart simply wanting to spend time with Nick in the outdoors.

Thats the fun of it all. The process, the journey. Failing and working until something clicks. Until some type of progress is made. The journey is the fun in it all. It might sound cheesy, but its true! I love learning new things. Never stop learning because life never stops teaching.

Health and fitness have always been constant in my life. So much so, shortly after graduating college, I worked as a personal trainer and a barre class instructor to buy my self some time before figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. Nowadays I see health and fitness as a tool to help me perform my best at what I love to do. When I’m hunting elk, I need to be able to hike thousands of feet of elevation with all of my backcountry camping gear on my back. When I’m offshore kayak fishing I need to meet the physical demands of fighting wind and current. When I’m whitetail hunting I need to be able to hang tree stands or climb into my hunting saddle. Health and fitness are about keeping my body in shape to do the things I love in the outdoors!

Self reliance. The joy of solitude. The appreciation of wild spaces, wildlife and their habitat. The outdoors taught me that I need the outdoors to be the best version of myself.

I’d hope that I can inspire folks to find joy in the process of learning. That it’s okay to be afraid when trying new things. It’s a sign you’re living. When you feel the discomfort of failing; Smile. You’ve just made yourself a little stronger. A little wiser. A little bit of a better person.

The internet is the perfect place to start learning! Google “Hunter’s Education Course” followed by your state. Find a local course through your state’s Fish and Game service. That’s step one in becoming a hunter! From there I’d recommend turning to YouTube to learn from online mentors. You could also call you state’s Fish and Game department and ask if they have a mentorship program, or any events aimed at teaching folks to hunt. Take it slow and remember to enjoy the process!