Huntnchick

I am a girl new-hunter, wife of a raised hunter, and mom of two young kids. I have only been hunting for 6 years and grew up an indoor city girl. I have no friends that hunt. This town the men hunt and the girls have babies. Everyone thinks I am weird that I like this stuff. My kids are 4 and almost 2. So in the 6 years I have hunted... I have been pregnant or young babies majority of it. how does the girl hunter you know, hunt? Alone, husband, friends, with kids or other family members? Do they ever camp alone to hunt or how do they do it? Any stories or pictures! I just need ideas.

So I married my husband and then got into hunting. He has hunted most his life and so this is all new to me. He hasn't been overly successful as far as big animals, which is fine, we have always had meat between us. He hasn't taken time to educate me since he says it has just been luck. I won't ask where the animals are, or even for you to share hard earned secrets. What I want to know are things that can help me be more successful... My first hunt I walked into cow elk and dropped one in front of me. Second hunt I hiked day after day and seriously got a deer as we were driving out that night. 3rd was a spike bull muzzleloader and we saw them driving after long hikes. Last two years were early bull archery and I just missed the ones I happened to get close to. Two weeks ago I missed a spike using my wrong pin. This was my first archery deer hunt and I hiked a ton these past two weekends. I did jump one buck but I didn't even know he was a buck until he turned to walk away. Never had a shot anyways on him. So what is the best method? Spot and stalk, just stepping on them, tree stands, sitting water, feeding the mule deer and having a stand, do cameras make a difference, how do you scout, what are some things to look for to find places they might be hanging out... Walking and glassing, how early do you get to a spot to scout and what do you look for, are bigger (like 2 points and up) ever within a mile of doe during archery season, so if I see doe do I just skip that area?????? Please don't be offended of all my questions, if any of them are rude to ask to those who have worked hard to discover them for themselves, then don't be upset and just let me know. Janell

Thanks guys! Two weekends ago I went for my first ever archery deer hunt and hiked from 545 to 3. I had a lot of encounters with a variety of animals. Just before 2 I saw a black bear and it freaked me out. It was going away from me but it reminded me of my first encounter so I was shaken. I rushed to the road I was trying to get to and walked up to two bedded spike bulls and a cow. I stopped at 55 yards and sat down and they didn't mind me. I love walking slow in hopes I step on them since I love hiking. but I was scaring birds 100 yards away being as quiet as I could. I am amazed when a hunter has pictures of animals from glassing, or says they have been watching a certain one for years. Hunting seems like it is so random for me, and I want to find that consistency! I really want to understand how animals are and how routines work and where they go for seasonal changes. I have seen 1 4 point buck in 6 years of hiking and hunting. Except the strip, they are all over up there!

These are great. Sometimes it is hard being a mom and a hunter. My husband is with the kids and I go alone. I don't know any girl hunter and it would just look wrong to have a guy take me. Although I wouldn't care if it was a guy because hunting is hunting. My husband is great but he hunts different than me. He has hunted majority of his life and I have for 6 years. Lol. I walk super slow and he walks fast. I love to hike and for me it is fun regardless if I only see a squirrel or even nothing. He gets frustrated when he doesn't see anything or get anything. We are just different. Last weekend I went camping alone in a wilderness area with no cell reception. Turns out I am really afraid of bears and after hiking all day, I just couldn't do it alone. Granted the weekend before I saw a bear in a different area, and that was tough too.

Honestly I never wanted to hunt. I never wanted to touch a dead animal or kill an animal. But I got hooked after I found an antler. It just built and I realized that if I want to spend time with my husband, I should hunt. Now he wants to be with me hunting. It has made us stronger because I have a love for what he loves.

Thanks for all the replies! These are amazing stories! I will look at doing the camps or group things to meet more hunters. I got hooked really quickly with my husband. I had shot a gun one time before I met my husband, but I was an indoor city girl. The second year we were married and I got a cow left over tag and a mule deer tag. I had never even accompanied a hunt and got my cow while my husband slept "glassing." A month later I got my muley. Then came our kids. I got drawn for late muzzleloader bull and we took our 5 month old. She had acid reflux and cried the entire time. The next tag I drew was early archery bull and we took our then two year old girl and our 1 month old son. He cried all the time so I had to "figure out" how to hunt in the rut with a bow all by myself. I did not get one, missed 3, but absolutely loved it. The next year I drew early archery bull again (different unit) with my husband. He hunted first and I got to hunt 2 days since my son was so little and the hunt sucked. The first bull saw me shaking so bad and the second one I missed. So now comes archery deer and my husband will stay home with the kids and I will go by myself. Basically right now, I do it alone or I don't get to go at all. My husband drew a deer tag in November so we might get to tag along and hang out in the camper or truck while he hunts. (More fun if I could go with him.) Anyways. If you have Instagram you can check my life out. Aguasfamilyoutdoors

1 cow 1 mule deer 1 bull 1 coyote dove And only one rabbit with my bow. Been hunting 6 years

I did it for 2 months and saw no results except I was able to do all of the workouts. So I think it has far more to do with the diet too. We were and are way too poor to buy those foods. And Pam couldn't kick through a wall, lol. She has no real form or force. Just impressive workout skills!

I agree with this to an extent. The better you eat I believe the faster the results and the further you can go. But I would rather eat normal food, just smaller portions, eat healthier options where I can, and exercise as my life, instead of cutting out so much that I want to cheat and give up. Maybe that will change once I see my results in 3 weeks. I just started running every day now and made it to 3 miles today. Tomorrow will be a walk with a child on my back and Friday will be miles of hiking to scout for archery deer. But what everyone has said, their best results have come from cardio with weight lifting. So I will probably add weights to my routine at some point.

Anyone have any idea why only unit 27 is not in the rut? My husband has been there with 2 buddies with tags as well as both of us, and NOTHING!!!!!! What the crap! I am sitting at home with the kids while 6 days in they have gotten no where! They have both hunted successfully in the rut this same unit in 2012. And then they hunted 3b and now are back to 27. Anyone have any ideas why 27 is not in the rut but 20 miles out of the unit, they called in numerous Bulls just for fun? This was in unit 1 and 3b and an area in New Mexico on the drive to a spot today. Why? Or do we just have to be patient?

So far I missed one bull and the other one didn't give me a shot before he saw me shaking. Lol. Super slow rut to get started and it rained us out the last night I had kids free. Super sad but still have a couple evenings left.

Until this moment I was sitting at home with my kids while my husband and 2 buddies who drew the same tag as Us is up hiking countless miles and driving to new areas to hike in 3 times a day. So no they are not sitting at camp. But they have hunted archery bull now for the 4 year in a row and this one is the slowest to get going. I just wondered if 2012 was so unique with them seeing close to a hundred Bulls the first weekend to this year of a couple spikes in over a week.

I should add that in 2012 it was a great time for archery. My husband said in the first weekend they called in close to 100 bulls. Even with not being mobsters but still exciting. Hope to go out today! And test to see how my son handles it all!

Thanks everyone for more advice and information. I really do appreciate the willingness of sharing ideas. My husband was deer hunting in unit one the night before our hunt started and did a call just to see if they were talking and got 3 immediate responses. So he was super excited and hopeful. Then it was silent in 27. A few random bugles but nothing responding to their calls, and they are pretty good at the reed calls and mouth diaphragms. My husband put up our tree stand and 2 cameras and someone came in and stole every single step to our tree stand and a memory card, as well as deleted our other one. Super frustrating!!! so now we can't use our own tree stand until we get more steps. My son just turned a year old, separation anxiety full force, teething, and tummy issues is why I am trying to stay home as long as I can. I want a good chance to kill when I decide to leave him and my daughter with their grandparents. We only see them about once a year so it isn't like they even know them very well. Anyways if I get one day or one night away I hope I will have better odds. The weather makes sense and the over load of hunters. They did huge hikes in and got up super early and hit up a lot of different areas. The Bulls just aren't making themselves located or responding to calls in the areas they were. still interesting that 3 times when they crossed into the other units they had several responses and then jump the line into 27 and nothing. Just strange. We will be patient and my husband said he thought the day that the "weather" changed was yesterday. So we hope that tomorrow they get to the areas where the elk are bugling and responding to their calls. Thanks again for all your help and advice. I Hope to post a picture soon of my first archery bull. 😏

Thanks for all your advice guys! We were just confused as to why it was so different in 27 vs the surrounding areas. This is going to be the first time in 3 years that we are away from our kids together... So you can see why I was hoping to be up hunting and not at home. My parents are leaving Tuesday morning so if the rut doesn't get started by then... Well then we take our kids and don't get to hunt together. Anyways my husband had put in for 11 years before he and his buddy got the 27 tag. The next year his buddy got 3b, the next year I drew 3b, and then this year all 3 of us put in separate and drew 27. I have no idea why it worked out like this. I gave birth to our son a month exactly before my hunt last year so it was very difficult to have a newborn and hunt. Well I hope my husband and I get to hunt together this year! So I do hope this rut picks up so we can.

These are crazy stories!!! My husband shot a coyote when it was stalking a baby cow. And we saw a duck that was dead and wrapped in fishing line.

Wow!!!! 1 rifle cow 1 rifle mule deer 1 muzzle loader spike bull 1 coyote 4 archery jack rabbits Dove And a couple prairie dogs

I have an archery bull hunt with my husband and we are looking into some broadheads. We have a few exodus fix blades but unsure if they are the way to go.... What have you had success with? What is your preference?

My husband and I put in separate every year, mostly because we have little kids. But we found out that this year we both drew the same unit archery bull!!! We are stoked! It's Arizona unit 27! This will be our first hunt together and I can wait to chase the bugles. My favorite hunt was my first hunt ever and it was a late cow rifle. My husband dropped me off and he went to glass where he fell asleep. I was hiking all by myself toward a very familiar hiking area when I jumped 4 cow. I picked which one I wanted as they had stopped in line, and shot her in the shoulder. They stopped again to look at me and I saw her limp and shot again and dropped her. All about 60 yards away. My husband woke from the shots and couldn't believe that I got one all alone. I had a bull hunt last year which was fun but I had just given birth a month before so all odds were against me, and I didn't kill. Add your favorite hunt whether it was the most fun or the best story or the size! I love hearing stories!

These are so fun to read!!!! Keep them coming! Maybe this year we will get a lot more posted!!!!

My husband and I drew the same hunt as you! It's going to be awesome!

Last year I had my first archery hunt and since I had just given birth to my son, my husband would watch our kids while I went out. I made a ton of mistakes since I had never done archery or hunted during the rut. I learned what I could but for the life of me ... How do you close the gap? The rut wasn't in full swing yet, and I had three herd bulls all around me. One in front and one on either side of me. But in the Cedars, it made it near impossible to close the gap. It seemed that as frequent as they were bugling, that it might be possible that they were all just talk. The last morning of my hunt I was able to see one of them where it was curious of me and walk down towards me. It was my mistake not to step out from behind the Cedartree and take my shot. I replay it over and over in my head and regret not just stepping out. Can anyone help me understand the mannerism of elk as I have another archery hunt this year? It is in a neighboring unit but further up into the mountains. So I hope that it's colder and the rut starts sooner.

I am so grateful for everyone sharing so much with me, someone you have never met. Each comment and tip has been read and appreciated more than you will ever know. Also thanks for the personal messages! I have learned so much already and can't wait to keep reading over everything as hunting season approaches!

Thanks everyone! I just got a brand new bow yesterday and I am so excited!!! Well it's on order since I needed a higher poundage bow. Turns out my bow was set at 61 lbs and I still have to get into shape for my hunt. I just want as high of poundage as possible so I have a better chance. My husband has been reading all of these and he just ordered some broadheads although I am unsure which ones. But thanks again everyone!