Her byline comes across the Google Alerts here at The WON because she writes about the outdoors. Shauna Stephenson, outdoor editor for a newspaper in Wyoming, devotes herself to telling about outdoor experiences with a personal touch, and she also harbors a devotion to scrupulous research — whether it’s tracking bears with a state agency or talking to folks about the pine beetle problem. We’re hoping there are a lot more Shauna gals out there coming up in the next generation, willing to search out stories that make us think or that just plain motivate us to go outdoors.
My Job
I am the outdoor editor for the Wyoming Tribune Eagle in Cheyenne. For my money, there’s no better job than that of an outdoor writer. I’ve been in the news business since I was 16 years old, working my way up from humble beginnings in a chemical laden window-less room, cataloging molding negative sleeves for the hometown newspaper to hiking, hunting, and fishing in the wilds of Wyoming for a paycheck.
This bear was part of a research program and was drugged.
I still pinch myself some mornings.
At the time, I begged for that first job, nagging the local editor until, in an effort to stop my daily phone calls, he hired me on. I have always had a soft spot for story-telling and telling the stories of the outdoors is no different. After obtaining a journalism degree from Iowa State University, I moved to Wyoming and as they say, the rest is history. The West has always been my home, whether I knew it or not.
After a short stint as a daily reporter and photographer, I moved over to the outdoors desk. I have been able to expand the scope of outdoor reporting, moving from the typical “go here, do this” story to covering the bigger picture. I strive to give each story the bigger picture, bringing conservation, ecology, geology, and hopefully some introspection or humor to each piece.
Since then I have expanded into the freelance world, writing and photographing for publications such as Women’s Adventure, Rocky Mountain Magazine and Grey’s Sporting Journal.
I have met amazing people and seen amazing things. I have seen a moon so bright it was like the sun, felt the tug of the river’s wildest trout and been so close to a grizzly I could count her whiskers. It is, quite simply, the most humbling and fulfilling job I have ever had.
My Outdoors
Shauna Stephenson takes her turkey back to field dress it on opening day of turkey season, April 11 near Wheatland. Courtesy/Cole Sherard
I love to experience the outdoors face-to-face. To boil it down to single recreational activities is difficult. Yes, I love to hunt and fish, camp and hike. But it is the process of discovery that intrigues me – to know a mountain range and a single mountain intimately. I love the highs and lows the natural world dishes out – the adrenaline of a hunt, the buzz of a big fish against the zen of an afternoon spent glassing or peacefulness of a campfire. It’s a yin and yang that fits my personality so well.
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
How fantastic it is to see a dynamic young woman like Shauna living such an amazing life! Great article- great lady!