Non-traditional Hunters

Embracing Age-old Traditions in Modern Times

by Susan Hagan

Amy Ouimet grew up in northern Ontario building tree forts, fishing, walking on homemade stilts, and shooting and eating grouse from her family’s camp in the woods along the lake. But she didn’t hunt big game, saying that was “more of a man’s club” for her dad and older brother. When those two went on weekend hunting trips, Ouimet and her mom stayed back at the basic cabin, which was lit by lanterns and heated with a wood stove.

That shifted in 2019, when the operating room nurse moved to Alberta and found mentors. “I don’t buy any red meat,” said Ouimet, 28. “I have sausages, ground hamburger, steak, roast… I am obsessed with deer.”

photo: Amy Ouimet

credit: Zach Southgate

Her journey to hunting big game began when she met a partner who took her out to shoot her first buck. When they broke up two years ago, she pursued hunting on her own. “I was left dumbfounded by the fact that I relied on him a lot for information, for his strength, which I think a lot of females do, which is OK. But after being alone, I thought I needed to learn where, and how, and who for hunting and fishing.”

Along the way, Ouimet met many women who were passionate about hunting and fishing and she “just wanted to be one of them.” She joined Alberta Hunter Education Instructors’ Association (AHEIA) and Alberta Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA), where she discovered a community of like-minded friends.

photo: Amy Ouimet

credit: Zach Southgate

photo: Amy Ouimet

credit: Allan Orr

Alberta Hunters on the Rise

Though hunting has meant survival throughout human history, the number of hunters has been decreasing for decades in almost every jurisdiction in the United States and Canada. Only Alberta has seen an increase, with women being one of the largest demographics for growth. From 2016 to 2020, hunting licence sales for Alberta residents went from 127,020 to 151,724. According to surveys, the number of female hunters increased from less than 10 percent to about 15 percent in that time.

photo: Rose Athena

credit: Logan Blair

Rose Athena, originally from Calgary, took up hunting in 2019 because it’s “in her blood.” She hunted game birds as a teenager with her dad and uncles and was mesmerized by pictures of her dad on horseback, geared up for a big game hunt. Her first hunting trip went smoothly after spending time with her AHEIA mentor learning how to sight-in her rifle, purchasing the proper licences, and discussing every aspect of hunting she could think of. She went with her AHEIA mentor to a hunting spot south of Calgary, harvested her first deer, and received some help from her mentor to field dress it. The second time, she field dressed it herself, overcoming nerves to get the blade right and not hit the bowel. Both times, she did her own butchering, a feat she takes pride in. She is beginning a new career path after finishing her MBA and is committed to hunting as a lifelong pursuit.

“The feeling of independence is why I’m drawn to hunting,” said Athena, 32. “It’s the thought that if everything went haywire—which we’ve all seen recently come to fruition—gives me the feeling that I could support myself if I needed to.”

Allan Orr, AHEIA’s hunting mentor coordinator for southern Alberta, says it’s tough for new hunters to find a place to learn ethics, respect, and connection to wildlife if they don’t have support. He has accompanied many non-traditional hunters—including Ouimet and Athena—on their first hunts, as well as youth, and new Albertans.

photo: Rose Athena

credit: Matt Laird

Not Just for the Boys

“A lot of women have been told all their lives, ‘you can’t do this, this is just for the boys,’” Orr said. “I’ve been told numerous times that hunting helps to empower women. AHEIA and our mentors just want to help. We also know that this lifestyle is contingent on having new hunters in the field. If we don’t help, essentially hunting will disappear.”

Orr took Ouimet on a mentored hunt on the prairies of southern Alberta in 2021. After spending the morning scouting the area, they perched waiting for a white-tailed deer. Soon she had a doe in her sights about 130 metres away. Filled with adrenaline, Ouimet breathed deeply, carefully identified it, and took her shot. In the excitement, it took her a few seconds to see that she’d made a perfect shot. She had watched a video on how to field dress, and with her mentor’s advice and guidance, “just went to town.”

“Being an OR nurse, we’re always cutting people open so blood doesn’t bother me,” she said. “I was so proud of myself, realizing the shot I took was right to the heart so it just dropped.

“You’ve just taken a life. It’s powerful and scary and a big deal… when I grab the meat to cook it, it always takes me back to that moment. Grocery shopping never gives you that feeling.”

David Dolph, who runs the Outdoor Women’s Program at Alford Lake through AHEIA, says getting youth and women comfortable with nature is vital to getting more people back to traditional pursuits like hunting. “If people don’t experience the outdoors, they have no vested interest in looking after it or protecting it,” Dolph said.

Orr says that although youth numbers for hunting have been lower than in previous years, he believes that women hunters will lead to more youth involvement. “As we get away from just the men going hunting, and we can get the moms and dads out hunting, the kids will likely follow.”

A New Generation

Hanah Marthaller, 17, has raised pheasants at home near Nanton since she was five, hunted birds since she was 12, and has since hunted deer and elk, as well as trained hunting dogs with a mentor.

photo: Hanah Marthaller

credit: Marthaller Family

“It’s nice to know where was that animal, how you take care of it, how was it processed, and how you eat it. I really enjoy raising the birds. You learn step by step how everything is made and created. It makes you really knowledgeable and appreciate everything down the line.”

Marthaller’s mom, Sarah, has hunted since childhood alongside her teacher parents, and is now an education coordinator with AHEIA’s Report A Poacher trailer program, which visits schools and attends events. Her parents taught her husband Chris how to hunt, something he never had the opportunity to experience growing up in Calgary. Now Sarah, Chris, and their four daughters hunt together, spending much of their time outdoors.

“There are not a lot of women who hunt, but those who are mentoring are strong, confident women,” Sarah said. “Doing something unique gives my daughters confidence. They’ve been doing this for a long time. They’re good at it.”

photo: Julia Marthaller

credit: Marthaller Family

photo: Jessica Marthaller

credit: Marthaller Family

LEARN. HARVEST. EAT.

Whether you’re new to hunting or want to sharpen your skills, Harvest Your Own (HYO) gives you expert advice on how to bring your own ethically harvested, wild game to the dinner table. Check out harvestyourown.ca for tips on how to get started and listen to the Harvest Your Own podcast to learn how to harvest, process, and cook your own wild Alberta feast. Podcast host Brad Fenson—an outdoor journalist, photographer, and speaker who has been hunting, fishing, and foraging his entire life—shares his passion and experience, as well as interviews with knowledgeable guests. Find all episodes at www.harvestyourown.ca/podcast/