Bow Hunting and the legacy passed on from father to daughter.

Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us, Val! 

OAEN: Did you grow up hunting? 

Believe it or not, I did not grow up hunting.  My father is an avid deer hunter, so I grew up with a hunter in the home.  My father has hunted for as long as I can remember and we always looked forward to fresh venison as kids.

OAEN: When did you start and what inspired you?

I started hunting only two years ago, which surprises most people, but I have been shooting a recurve bow for the past ten years.  Like I said, my father has been a hunter all of my life, so he was (and is) my inspiration to become the best hunter I can be.  Every year he would tell us stories about his hunts and I finally told myself that I was going to do it.  So I took my hunter safety courses and started practicing with my compound bow, which came very easy for me after shooting a recurve for so long.   I started hunting that same year. 

OAEN: I know you hunt with a bow, a crossbow and a rifle. When do you use each of these? Do you use specific weapons for specific hunts and why? 

I live in New York, so we have specific times of the year that we can use each of these weapons.  I hunt for black bear, turkey, deer and wild boar.  During the first few weeks of deer season, it’s considered “bow season” so we can only use our bows to kill deer.  Once the third week hits, we are allowed to use crossbows.  We can use rifles and crossbows starting in the middle of November.  Our deer season goes from October thru December.

 I’ve used my compound bow and crossbow during our black bear and turkey season since I’m in my tree stand and those two weapons are very quiet compared to a rifle. 

I travel to the southern states for the wild boar and use a rifle because they are usually at a distance when I see them in the field, plus I do not want to be charged at by a wild boar so I want to get it on the ground as soon as possible.

OAEN: What kind of bow and crossbow do you use and what makes them the best weapon for you? 

I have a Barnett Predator Crossbow and a Diamond Infinite Compound Bow with a Spot Hog sight.

The Barnett Predator is a very powerful crossbow that performs very well for any type of hunt and I like its versatility.  It is also very powerful and as long as the sight is accurate, it is very effective in taking down deer, turkey and bear.

What I like about the Diamond Infinite Compound Bow is that it is small enough that I can use it and feel comfortable with it, but it can also be adjusted as I become stronger.  I also like the challenge of using a bow.

OAEN: Can you describe your first hunt or your favorite hunt?

My favorite hunt would have to be when I went hog hunting with my friend Jenny in West Virginia.  It was a five hour drive to get to our hunting spot, so we had to leave very early in the morning (around 3 am from where she lives).  We met our guide and set off.  We both had hogs on the ground by 10 am and we had the biggest smiles on our faces.   We spent the day butchering our own hog, which was a great learning experience, and reminiscing about the day.  The challenge was fitting both hogs in the coolers and fitting everything back in the car.  We managed to fit everything and the meat is delicious!

 OAEN: Do you feel that there are different dynamics between you and other hunters related to your use of a crossbow orbow and arrow? I only ask because the organization I work for has many avid hunters but bow hunters are not nearly as common.

That is a very interesting question because other hunters are usually impressed that I bow hunt. I have found that bow hunting can be challenging in its own right since it requires serious patience and practice.  We can only shoot in open areas where the animal comes within range of our bows.  There aren’t many bow hunters where I live, the majority of hunters use a rifle because of the distance that you can shoot and because the rifle is more versatile. 

OAEN: Can you give me some insight into the experience of being a female hunter? Do you feel as if your gender ever comes up or has it been no real issue in your experience?

I love this question because this issue comes up every time I mention that I am a hunter and not in the way you would expect.  When people find out that I am a hunter, I get so much respect from men and women, especially when I show them a picture of the hog I killed last October.  Most of them think it’s great that women are coming into the sport and they enjoy talking to me about it.  I’ve also come in contact with men who treat me like I am a magical creature for enjoying hunting as much as I do since it gives us common ground.   It’s an interesting mix.

OAEN: How do you process your animals? Do you have a local butcher? 

I process my animals as soon as possible after a kill.  I have my field dressing equipment with me whenever I go out on a hunt so I can field dress as soon as I find the animal.  I do have a local butcher that I take my deer to and they do a wonderful job.  I have also learned to butcher my own deer and hogs as well since there are times where my butcher is closed and I can’t wait until the morning.  I actually enjoy butchering and breaking down my kill since I can cut the meat exactly how I want it and I am learning a skill.  It gets easier with practice. 

OAEN: Do you consume the meat you kill or donate it? 

Yes, I am a meat hunter so I consume the meat of the animals I hunt.  I hunt to fill my chest freezer so my husband and I have enough meat to last us the year.  I don’t have to buy meat from the grocery store, which saves us money.   I also give meat to family and friends who are always very thankful for fresh venison or wild boar.

OAEN: Do you mount your trophies?

It really depends on the animal.  I am a meat hunter, so I usually kill does during deer season.  I won’t mount a doe.  I would mount a buck that I killed for the meat if one came across my path.  I do mount my wild boars in the European Mount style.  I put the skulls on my shelf.  They make interesting conversation pieces.  I also have a fan from the first turkey I ever killed.

OAEN: What do you feel are the biggest misconceptions of hunters currently? 

There are so many misconceptions about hunters right now.  The first is that we kill anything that we see when we are out in the field.  That isn’t true.  We know what we are out for and we are selective in finding the right animal to take. 

Another is that we are wasteful and only take the trophies.  We make sure to harvest every viable part of the animal so that we are not wasting anything and most of us eat the meat.  For example, I use every part of a deer except some of the major organs.  I have friends who want the kidneys, heart and liver.  I also have friends who are leather workers, so they get the hide.  The bones are used to make bone broth.  The waste is minimal.

A big misconception is that we harm wildlife populations and nothing can be further from the truth.  What they fail to realize is that a habitat needs to be able to sustain the animal population.  We help keep the animal populations in check so that the habitat can continue to sustain the population.  If a deer herd becomes too populated and the habitat can’t sustain it, the deer will die from starvation and illness.   We help keep the herds at a healthy number.