A winter morning along a mountain river begins quietly. Cold water slides through a narrow channel while ducks and geese move through the valley in small groups. This is not a major flyway where waves of birds fill the sky. Instead, the river offers something different: variety. “When we go out, usually we’ll see eight to 12 different kinds of ducks,” says Lanny Oakley. “You never know what you’re going to find when you go out there.”
On this day, Oakley and her friend Mia Anstine settle into the riverbank with a bird dog watching the water. The two women have known each other for years, but this is the first time they have hunted ducks together here. Oakley brings a unique background to the blind. A three-time Olympic biathlete, firearms instructor, and trick shooter, she has spent much of her life refining shooting skills at the highest level. Anstine’s path into the outdoors came through storytelling and mentorship. As an outdoor writer, licensed outfitter, and speaker, she works to help others—especially women—build confidence in hunting and shooting sports.
Access to waterfowl hunting along rivers like this can be limited. Much of the surrounding land is privately owned, and hunters often rely on the generosity of landowners who care about wildlife and outdoor traditions. When those opportunities exist, they are something hunters respect and value.
For Anstine, hunting with other women adds another layer to the experience. “It might be easy to find friends or men or family to go with,” she says, “but going with the girls is just kind of a whole different aspect.”
She has found that women often notice different parts of the hunt. “We might look at the beautiful sunrise. We might be listening for sounds,” she says. The pace of the day becomes less about pressure and more about the shared experience of being outdoors.
Those moments are tied closely to conservation. Ducks Unlimited works across North America to protect wetlands and waterfowl habitat so that places like this river continue to support birds and the traditions that depend on them.
For Oakley, the advice for anyone curious about hunting or shooting is simple. “You can do anything you put your mind to,” she says. Sometimes the hardest step is simply deciding to try.
Along this quiet stretch of water, that mindset—curiosity, perseverance, and respect for the landscape—is what keeps the future of hunting moving forward.
Watch the Ascend episode on Ducks Unlimited’s YouTube channel as Olympic biathlete and firearms instructor Lanny Oakley joins Mia Anstine for a winter duck hunt along the Animas River in Durango, Colorado.
Learn more at ducks.org/ascend.
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
