If you want to know if someone is truly interested in learning about hunting all you have to do is ask them to go hunting with you. Stephanie Dinger and Powderhook proved that this weekend on their first Powderhook Women’s Hunt. We were happy to lend them our time to document the experience of these women on their first pheasant hunt.
October 28th, 2018 will be a day to remember for the 20 women in attendance at this event in Unadilla, NE. Powderhook and Beede Outdoors worked together to staff the hunt with dog handlers, guides, a trap coach and all the equipment needed for these women to experience hunting in the field for pheasant. Most of the women had never fired a shotgun, so this was quite the day.
The women were divided into groups, and they traveled through a series of lessons over several hours. Lessons included conservation, dog handling, safety, trap shooting and pheasant hunting. Throughout the day, the groups were brought into the field where they hunted alongside individual mentors who focused on a safe experience for these new hunters.
One of the things we appreciate in getting to volunteer our time at events like this as a media person or a photographer is that we are a very small part of the event. We like the opportunity to observe and document what is happening from the outside, and often from behind the lens of a camera.
At the conclusion of the hunt while on the ride home, I reflected on the comments and the laughter I heard over the course of the day. I thought of the positive energy of the event, as well as the smiles on the faces of the hunters. It really came through as I edited the photos from the Powderhook Women’s Hunt. I can see the energy, the smiles and the camaraderie of these women.
A special recognition goes out to the volunteers who madethe first ever Powderhook Women’s Hunt: good folks from Powderhook, Beede Outdoors and Karen Holder from Raised Hunting who gave a talk and spent time inthe field mentoring individual women during the hunt. The Powderhook App has a large digital mentorship section, and it includes tools to encourage new hunters to ask questions and learn from experienced mentors. At this event the mentorship was a little more direct and hands on. Judging from the smiles, laughter and comments that we heard, some new hunters were created this weekend. Thanks especially to Stephanie Dinger for taking the initiative!
