Mia Anstine pens the column, Mia & the Little Gal, here at The WON. She also writes for The Shooting Channel. Below is an excerpt from her most recent post about hunting ethics, that was featured at The Shooting Channel.
We’ve passed mid-year and are now on the downhill slide of summer, if you live in the North as do we. Some will be sad to see summer go and others have been counting the days. The ones who are counting the days until fall are big game hunters. Some of us hunters are enjoying summer differently than others. We are checking the mailbox and internet for our hunting licenses and draw results, practicing with our rifle or bow and scouting the areas we will be hunting.
Photo courtesy of Hank Anstine
We’ve been out hiking and fishing and our eyes are wandering the entire time. We are looking for animal sign while we are out there. We admire nature’s beauty and at the same time are glassing across rugged mountain valleys, rolling hills or through sage brush. We are training, running marathons and becoming sharp shooters. All the while we are formulating a plan for the fall in hopes that we are fortunate enough to attempt to harvest a big game animal.
With technology and social media, we hope to take pictures and share pictures of the fruits of our labor with our friends and family on the internet. Bragging? It may be seen that way by some who do not understand the hunt.
Some people don’t realize how hard hunting is. There is a lot of work and preparation that goes into a big game hunt. We are fortunate enough to have a rifle, muzzleload or archery tag, and we are getting in the best shape of our lives. Every hunter knows that does not guarantee a harvest. When our hard work pays off, we sometimes want to share it.
Read the rest of “Hunting ethics — Sharing the sport of hunting” at The Shooting Channel.
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
