Why I Take My Young Daughter Hunting

We've had a few people ask, "Why would you take a 6-year-old girl Elk hunting?"
The truth is, because I want her to know she can.
My daughter craves adventure. I love that about her, and I want to stoke that fire in her soul. So when she asked to come hunting, saying "No" didn't cross my mind.
See, we tell little girls that they can be whatever they want to be.
Hairstylist? Get it, girl!
Scientist? More power to ya!
CEO? Put those boss skills to work, chica!
The trails have been blazed, and little girls know they can do it all because they've watched the women before them do it.
The thing about being an outdoorsman though is that it teaches little girls (and everyone for that matter) not just that you CAN be self-sufficient, but that you are CAPABLE of being self-sufficient.
By camping and waking up before sunrise, she's learning that some things are worth showing up for.
By going on challenging hikes, she's learning that sometimes hard work is the only way to get what you want.
By standing up everytime she falls, she's learning about perseverance.
By taking a little nap on a hillside, she's learning that it's ok to rest.
By lifting each other up and enjoying our family time, she is learning we will always be here and we are always proud of her efforts.
By harvesting a bull, she learned exactly where our meat comes from.
By helping us process and package that meat, she learned how we feed our family and why we don't waste food.
Most important of all, she learned that life is tough, but so is she.

Comments

When Insecuritues Control You

Have you ever thought about the power you give to your insecurities? I remember one day a while back, I was getting dressed for the gym and I realized all of my leggings were still in the washing machine. My only option for the leg-day ahead was compression shorts. I died a little inside thinking about how people might judge the cellulite on my legs or think i was too big to be wearing shorts at all. Why couldn't I have been born during a time period where curves and rolls were attractive? But, then again, booty shorts wouldn't even be a thing in that day and age, and I surely would already be dead from small pox or stoned to death for one sin or another by now. I digress. I closed the drawer and decided I could just skip the gym that day. And then it hit me. I was so insecure about other peoples opinions of MY body, that I would rather stay home than risk someone thinking something negative about me. What kind of life is that? What kind of example was that setting for ...

They're Listening

"Ugh, I suck. I'm the worst. I'm not good at anything." I've gotten on my daughter 100 times for talking to herself like that. "Would you say that to your friends? Then don't say it to yourself." I just could not wrap my head around where my confident daughter was learning to talk to herself like that. And then I heard it. On my last hunting trip, I was lucky enough to have a friend record the hunt. At one point, things weren't going the way I had planned. I remember mumbling to myself how upset I was. I remember jokingly saying I wasn't as good as we thought. I remember calling my husband, still breathing heavy from the hike, and joking that I was too fat for this. When we retrieved the elk, I remember being congratulated for the shot, but wondering if I could have done better. I was hard on myself for needing help with field dressing. I was physically ill that night because I was so worried I might not be strong enough to pack out...

Dealing With Hip Pain (Part 1)

Hands up if you deal with hip pain after having kids 🙋‍♀️ This one is for you. After kid 1 and 2, I really struggled with pain in my hips. Even when I was training 6 days a week (sometimes twice a day), the hip pain was there when I went hiking or snowshoeing. During my pregnancy with kid 3 I started struggling with Symphisis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD). To sum it up, I felt like my pelvis was going to snap in half. At the recommendation of friends who had been there, I sought out a physical therapist. Hannah Gray with Pelvic Health and Wellness gave me some really simple at-home exercises to strengthen my pelvic floor. I did different variations of 🍑 Glute Bridges 🍑Squats 🧜‍♀️ Slutty Mermaids (I think normal people call these clam shells, but whatever...) People. This was life changing! In May, I hiked a 14er and for the last mile I basically drug my leg and used my walking sticks as crutches. Just 5 months l...

Tales Of The Wild Things

Search This Blog