‘The Debutante Hunters’ offers glimpse into lives of real women in the outdoors

Babbs in the Woods

Blown away! Two words that come to my mind after watching a film now in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, mentioned by fellow WON blogger Mia Anstine. “The Debutante Hunters” features five women from the lowcountry of South Carolina, ranging in age from their 20s to 50s, who take us hunting with them. We also get a glimpse into their personal lives, which is generous of them, considering that Sara Frampton says, “The fact that I hunt is something that I’d rather people find out about me as they get to know me rather than ‘Hi, my name is Sara Frampton and I’m a hunter.’ I don’t advertise it.”

Sara’s mother, Susan, is seen digging in her garden on her hands and knees. She looks at the camera and states, “I think gardening, like hunting, is a very hopeful activity. You do it for tomorrow. If you hunt the way you should hunt, you are nurturing the animal population so that they’ll be there and be healthy tomorrow or when you come back, or down the road or for your children or for your children’s children.” Later, you’ll see Susan and Sara getting ready to head out for a deer hunt. They don their pink and white pig socks, just in case they have an opportunity to take a feral hog.

Why do I like, like, like this movie? It’s real. It’s like the women I know who hunt. It’s like the women I love from the South, some of my best friends.

“A lot of hunting isn’t about shooting and killing things … it’s as much about being a part of nature. If you’ve never listened to the woods wake up, I strongly suggest you do it,” Sara Frampton.

Some impressions from the film that I’ll remember:

• The mom, who has her daughter’s back to protect her when she shoots a feral hog.

• Red fingernails on beautiful young hands loading a rifle.

• Kristy Smith, a beautician, cutting an older woman’s hair and saying, “I got some new camo last weekend.”

• A line of trophy bucks in a living room, wearing lovely scarves around their necks at a get-together for women.

• And finally, Kacey Patrick, a young pregnant hunter who says she can hardly wait to take her little one hunting, just like her daddy took her hunting.

Voting has ended. Even though I didn’t see the other films in contention, I’m still hoping this one wins. I’m sure there were no others like it and it is edgy.

Thanks to Maria White and to all the women for telling their stories and inspiring us. See “The Debutante Hunters.”