5 minute read
Opening Doors To Hunting In Wisconsin
Jonna Mayberry
Jonna Mayberry is a public information officer in the DNR’s Office of Communications.
About 10 years ago, Los Angeles native Amber Adams found herself in a small city in Wisconsin called Arcadia. She wound up there because of her job at the time with Ashley Furniture, which is headquartered in this Trempealeau County city of about 4,000 residents.
Adams had never been to the Midwest before, let alone Wisconsin, and being in a small, more rural community was initially a culture shock.
It took her a couple of years to acclimate. When she eventually began making local friends, she discovered many were hunters. Some even owned acres of land where they hunted.
“And during COVID is when I said, ‘You know what? I want to go hunting. I want to see what it’s about,’” Adams recalled. “Because I knew I would never get this opportunity in southern California; we just don’t hunt.”
As a Latina woman, Adams is statistically even less likely than most to be a hunter. According to a 2022 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service study, 6% of the U.S. population at least 16 years old went hunting that year, with Hispanics participating at a 4% rate and women at 2%.
But a good friend invited Adams on his hunt, opening the door to her hunting initiation.
“I went, and the first day, I had no idea what I was doing, what to expect,” Adams said. “But it was literally one of the most life-changing moments.
“It was the first time I ever felt connected to the land, to my ancestors, to just everything that we, as humans, have done for thousands and thousands of years.”
‘A Different World’
Adams was used to the fast pace of city life, so getting outdoors to hunt was quite a change — in a wonderful way.
“Everything’s about vanity,” Adams said of L.A. urban living. “And so I didn’t realize I wasn’t truly living until I was exposed to being in the outdoors.”
Watching sunrises is one of her favorite things about the experience.
“Probably one of the most beautiful sunrises I ever had was the first day I went hunting,” Adams said. “Because that was the moment where I realized, wow, there’s a different world, completely different world, and I felt so privileged to be able to experience it.”
Before hunting for the first time, Adams had to prepare. She read a lot, both online and in print. Her experienced hunter friends shared their knowledge with her. She did her hunter safety course. She had to figure out what to wear, considering it was a lot colder here than in California.
Adams found the internet incredibly helpful.
“Luckily, we live in a day and age where information is accessible at your fingertips, because I didn’t have anybody who could really mentor me at hunting within California,” she said.
Adams urges new hunters to slow down and take in the experience.
“Enjoy the simplicity of just sitting and waiting,” she said. “We often get so distracted and constantly feel like we have to be on the go and doing things.
“I would encourage (new hunters) not to be afraid and to look up any resources that are out there.”
Inspiration For Others
Adams’ dream is to open the hunting world to everyone by serving as a model for others.
“I’m seeing that a lot of the women in the hunting world don’t look like me,” Adams said. “I really want to see more inspiration for women like me. I identify as an American woman – I am very proud to be an American. I’m also very proud to be Hispanic.
“I want to feel comfortable. I want other women that look like me to feel like they are also represented. I would like women that grew up like me, Americans with Hispanic heritage, to be proud to be both and to represent both.”
And when it comes to hunting, she wants others to experience the joy she has experienced.
“It’s the only time where I don’t feel distracted or like I have to perform or look a certain way. It’s very freeing,” Adams said.
“That’s what I love about it: I feel free. I feel one with Earth, and I’ve never felt that until the door of hunting was opened for me.”
Learn More
There are many ways to learn to hunt in Wisconsin, and the DNR offers opportunities throughout the year, including Learn to Hunt programs, outdoor skills events, mentored hunting and more. If you already hunt, consider being a volunteer safety instructor to help new hunters.
