Mentoring Young Women

[Curmudgeon]

My brother brought a young woman he knows to my place to hunt a while back. She had taken a course on hunting for women and had no other experience. She had gone out with a friend of hers - another inexperienced woman - several times and together they had not even seen a deer.

 

She has hunted here during the late season for the past 2 years.During which time she has seen numerous deer but not yet shot one. The first day she hunted here she volunteered to field dress the first deer shot that day - just for the learning experience. I talked her through it.

 

She was here with me and some other grey-beards this past weekend shooting her .243. She was having some problems with the scope she had mounted herself. She said something that got me thinking. She said that it was great to have some experienced people to help her because when she goes to the range, she has to figure everything out on her own. She has joined a club near an upstate city.

 

I am having trouble figuring out why she is so on her own at the range. She is in her mid-late twenties, attractive and friendly (at least here she is). Is it her? Is she not comfortable asking men she doesn't know for help? Is she concerned they might hit on her? Is it the club members? Does having a woman there change the dynamic? I don't really know. I think her experience at the range is odd.

 

We are mentoring her. We're a bunch of grandfatherly guys that help her out. I'm putting her in the best place on the property on opening day. It's time for her to shoot a deer.

 

 

 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Joining a club or an organization may be the best way to go for many of them if they don't have other support. I know some shooting schools and instructors are offering women only courses to take the awkward feelings away. Good idea if you ask me.

[DirtTime]

You would think an attractive 20-something female would have the guys at a club or range falling over each other to help her out.

 

[growalot]

probably a little bit of all of the above...I know when I first started hunting ...19--...I was not well received by the guys and even less so when I started showing up with deer...family was different. Then wow I got into bow hunting and it was worse...Those guys were just...nasty..

These days now...there are so many woman hunting it surprises me a bit she would have trouble  other than shyness in asking.

[DirtTime]

I would love it if my g/f had liked hunting. To be honest, the few women I have hunted with were quiter, and more attentive to surrounding then some of the dudes. They could also outshoot most men. I think it's the patience thing.

 

[Dom]

She should become a member here on this site we have many women and lady's that she may be comfortable talking to.Also there are some ladys willing to help her or maybe close to her area to teach her just putting it out there.

[Nomad]

My daughter met her first boyfriend at her hunter safety class......

I'm as confused as a termite in a tin can,as to why guys at a gun club are not all over her.

[steve863]

Can't talk about women hunters because I honestly don't know many, or the woman in question here, but in life there are usually reasons why women don't attract the attention of men.  If it's not looks, it's usually something else.  The exact same thing could be said about men, too.  It probably has more to do with them, than someone else.

 

 

 

[bowhuntingirl78]

I agree with Dom.... I would be one of those ladies he's speaking of.

[Elmo]

I took my wife's younger sister to the range once because she wanted to fire a gun for the first time. She is a fairly attractive young woman. A small crowd of men stopped to watch. I'm not so sure if they were ogling at her or if they were waiting for a "women and guns gone wrong" YouTube moment. After a few rounds of which she showed that she can shoot the rifle without making a complete fool out of herself, the crowd dispersed. I wonder if it was a guy instead that I was showing how to shoot would there be as many "concerned" onlookers.

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Edited October 15, 2014 by Elmo

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I took my wife's younger sister to the range once because she wanted to fire a gun for the first time. She is a fairly attractive young woman. A small crowd of men stopped to watch. I'm not so sure if they were ogling at her or if they were waiting for a "women and guns gone wrong" YouTube moment. After a few rounds of which she showed that she can shoot the rifle without making a complete fool out of herself, the crowd dispersed. I wonder if it was a guy instead that I was showing how to shoot would there be as many "concerned" onlookers.

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guy or gal, when I am at the range I watch everyone that comes up  shoot. It isn't until I see that they know what they are doing that I can get my head around what I am there to do. And when they don't'. I get h phone out and wait for that youtube moment...lol

[philoshop]

Good for you on helping the young lady out!

I've done a good deal of mentoring in a variety of disciplines over the years: shooting, hunting, radio-controlled airplanes, racing go-karts, woodworking, home-building and renovation, etc. One of the first things that leaves my mind is gender. I look at the interest level and willingness to learn. Some guys, I guess, have a problem with that, for whatever reason. Some guys just flat-out don't have the ability, or lack the confidence in the abilities they do have, to even try to help someone new.

My $.02

Mark

[Elmo]

Usually when I'm at the range just getting my work in.  The only people I might pay attention to is the person to the left and right of me.

[firehunter48]

Male or female it shouldn't matter either way. The ONLY way this sport and traditions will stay alive is by helping others that don't know quite as much as we do and by welcoming them into this sport with open arms, at least the ones that should be welcomed. And I say that because we have all seen the ones that we do NOT representing us or the sport.

Maybe it's just me but if I am at the club with my father shooting, I am always looking at what others are doing. If I can't help them, maybe I can learn something. Even to this day, I help my father with his archery since he has only been shooting for a few years compared to my 25 years.

We are currently teaching /mentoring 2 females. My parents neighbors daughter who is in her mid twenties and never has hunted before and also are teaching my Mrs. My Mrs had been around it for the past 7 seasons but still has yet to be in the woods and in a stand while being armed. Should be an interesting year

[Elmo]

Strangely enough, at the archery range, I do tend to see what others are doing.

Once at the range, I saw a guy come in and shoot his bow with a whisker biscuit and he had the arrow upside down. I said word for word "excuse me sir, but aren't you shooting the arrow upside down?". He snaps back in a loud voice. "No it's not!" I just shrugged and went about my day. He shot another round of horrible groups and then decided he didn't want to shoot any more the rest of the day and simply sat there until his buddy was done. Some people just have too much pride. (His buddy by the way, shoot with a drop away rest.)

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[Curmudgeon]

My young friend had a good weekend. After 5 years of hunting, I put her in my favorite stand. She filled her DMP and one of my DMAP tags opening morning. Over the weekend, we talked about the gun club she joined. She says the men there are condescending and treat her like a child. I am including a photo of her. She chooses not to have her face on the internet.

[Al Bundy]

How old is she? Is She a youngster or youngish compared to the people at the club?  Maybe time for a new club.  Wish you/her were closer to where I hunt. My wife could use some female hunter companionship.

[G-Man]

thats too bad, i now have a few women in camp, some of the guys dont care for it as they want to walk around in their underwear and feel they are a distraction and i give them the better stands to use. as owner i tell them i invite who i want and if they are uncomfortable they can go elsewhere.. that seemed to put a stop to the problem.

[Chef]

My young friend had a good weekend. After 5 years of hunting, I put her in my favorite stand. She filled her DMP and one of my DMAP tags opening morning. Over the weekend, we talked about the gun club she joined. She says the men there are condescending and treat her like a child. I am including a photo of her. She chooses not to have her face on the internet.

Hunter.JPG

Maybe she needs a nice young guy like me to show her the ropes!!! Pm me for my phone number.....

Just kidding, my girlfriend actually watched from the window at camp this weekend as I helped get my friend his first deer ever, after the shot she came out and took pictures as I dressed the deer, she is now hooked and wants to get a rifle of her own and take the hunters safety course this coming year.... I think it will be awesome to have her along.... I just hope I don't spend more time babysitting her then hunting myself!

[Curmudgeon]

It would be in your interest to give her whatever time she needs next season. I sat in a spot with poor potential opening day so my friend could shoot her first deer. She shot the first 2 deer that she felt comfortable with. I didn't see a live deer until an hour before dark opening day. I consider my time seeing nothing well spent.

 

I took that stand the second morning and killed a buck by 7:30.

 

Make it successful for your girl friend. Think of it as an investment.

[growalot]

 

I just hope I don't spend more time babysitting her then hunting myself!

 

 

Just a suggestion from a woman.....She never needs to hear such a condescending comment to actually pick up on it...Most of the woman hunters I know  end up being great bow hunters down the road...because they/we prefer being on our own.

 

If you recall another woman hunter here mentioned that a club she was at...the men spoke down to her.....It's not a pleasant thing...... just a tip

Edited November 20, 2014 by growalot

[Al Bundy]

I got whatever my wife wanted and others things she didnt know she needed.  I put her in the best spot, make sure she is warm, comfy and dont push her to go out in the morning if she does not feel like waking up. She likes the pace she sets, not one I set.  I walk with her to stand in the dark, if needed, and dont complain.  I gutted her deer, dragged it, etc.  She did not need much hand holding, but if she did it would have been time well spent.  She now is telling me it would be fun to try bear hunting.. Im researching bear hunting now for next fall...

[Chef]

Just a suggestion from a woman.....She never needs to hear such a condescending comment to actually pick up on it...Most of the woman hunters I know end up being great bow hunters down the road...because they/we prefer being on our own.

If you recall another woman hunter here mentioned that a club she was at...the men spoke down to her.....It's not a pleasant thing...... just a tip

I won't let it come off that way at all, I am actually excited that she wants to hunt.... I think it would be something great for us to do together! I've even spending a lot of time this year helping a friend get his first deer which he did. I would just like some time to hunt for myself. But she will not need babysitting I plan on getting a two person ladder stand so we can sit together, when she feels like it.