Turner promotes female hunters By Rich Flowers Athens Daily Review News Editor
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hristy Turner believes you can have a good day hunting even if a deer doesn’t show. For Turner, there’s nothing like a taking few hours away from the everyday world of work and worry for the sights and sounds of the outdoors. Turner, Mapping Director for the Henderson County Appraisal District, grew up in Minnesota, but her often frozen home state for Texas when she was 18 years old. “I was on the rodeo team at Hill College in Hillsboro,” Turner said of her barrel racing days. “That’s where I met my husband, Billy, who was a bronc rider, and followed him to Athens.” It was also Billy who introduced her to hunting while they were in college. “My dad used to hunt a little bit, but that was the guys thing and they didn’t let the girls go,” Turner said. “Billy didn’t set any limits on girls being able to do it.” In 1994, they started hunting on a lease near the Central Texas town of Goldthwaite. They still enjoy hunting in that area. At Billy’s suggestion in 2005, Christy began hunting with a bow. With practice and patience she became a confident and accurate shot. “It’s a lot in your mind,” Turner said. “You can really psyche yourself out. You’ve got to really practice and that gives you confidence that you can make that perfect shot.” Turner said many non-hunters don’t realize that those who love the sport are also animal lovers. “We have a farm with cows, rabbits, chickens and dogs,” Turner said. “When I hunt, I don’t want that animal to suffer. I want to make that perfect kills shot. That doesn’t always happen and I’ve cried. That’s why I practice a lot.” Turner served on the Henderson County Wildlife Committee for
three years and was chairman last year. While on the board, she was instrumental in planning the annual Fall Rendezvous, which rolls around for the 30th time in October. “I think it draws the county together, not just the men or the people who hunt,” Turner said. “It brings people together who might be interested in shooting, hunting or even just the conservation side of it. It’s a family affair to keep current on what’s happening in our county with the outdoors.” Turner is involved with Prois Hunting,
a women’s apparel line that helps meet the needs of the growing number of females in the sport. “When I first started, I wore Billy’s old hunting clothes,” Turner said. “They were too big on me. From there, I moved to the little boy’s clothes because the fit a little better.” Turner found the Prois line and found hunting apparel that suited her in style and size. Through Prois she also began going on some women’s hunts sponsored by the company. At the time of the interview she’s was just a few days away from heading to the Austin area for a dove hunt. “We’ve got them flying in from Colorado, Oklahoma and elsewhere,” Turner said. “We call it the Prois Posse. I could go to another state with Prois and see another lady, even though I haven’t met her yet and she’ll be my best friend. It’s almost like a family.” For the past two years, Turner has been writing some of her thoughts and experiences for “Huntress Life Magazine.” “Gary saw a picture of me and my girls fishing. We had a stringer of bass and he asked if I would write about our adventure. It just stuck. He asks me each time an issue goes out and asks if I have anything to contribute. I always have something, she said with a laugh.” Tuner’s nine-year-old daughters, Cassie and Callie have been going on hunting trips since they were babies. “I had them on infant car seats to bring them to the box stand with me,” Turner said.
“When they turned five we bought them their first hunting license.” The girls each shot a deer when they were five and they’ve brought one home each year thereafter. “They love it as much as I do,” Turner said. “I think as fast paced as the world is today, when we get to go to the deer lease one-onone, we might not see a deer, but we still enjoy that time, sitting in silence away from the commotion.” Turner said the girls love contributing to the family, because they know the deer they kill will make it to the table in some form or fashion. “They’ll help us skin the deer and help us process the deer,” Turner said. On a trip to see Turner’s mother in Arizona, the twins were taken to the grocery store. Grandmother bought steaks for the family meal, a sight that was confusing to the girls. “Two weeks later, we were driving to school and they said, ‘Mama, do they not have any deer in Arizona? Nana bought her meat at the store,”’ Tu r n e r said. When t h e girls were little, Billy
would often give Christy a chance for a little solitude. “I think more moms would like hunting if they were given the opportunity,” Turner said. “When I had the baby girls crying, with dirty diapers and dirty bottles, my husband would say ‘If you want you can go hunting and I’ll stay with the girls. I would be sitting in a tree in the middle of nowhere. Nobody knew where I was. Not even the wildlife knew I was there. That was probably my best therapy.” Christy is on a team for His and Hers Outdoors, a TV show that runs Sundays on the Pursuit Channel. Being able to shoot video while hunting has been a challenge. The Turners take special care of which deer to hunt. Studying the herd to see which ones are too young and which ones are ready to be culled out. When the days start to turn cool, crisp and sunny is the perfect time to get outdoors. You can find more about Turner and her interests at www.hisnhersoutdoors.com, www.huntresslife.com and www. proishunting.com.