Today is all about mothers, and according to Fish & Game more of them are dusting of the camo and heading out to shoot ducks this season.
Fish & Game, the organisation that monitors the duck shooting season, said it is seeing huge growth in the number of women not only picking up the sport, but winning more and more hunting and fishing events.
At the same time, a group of Hawke’s Bay shooters have created their own women’s only club.
‘We call ourselves the Huntresses’
Central Hawke’s Bay farmer Jen Moore created the group to help grow and encourage other women into the sport.
“I just wanted the non-judgmental group that we could just surround ourselves with and just learn and have a lot of fun. And I put the idea to a few mates, and I started shooting with one and then it just turned into more and each year we’ve grown.”
“It’s great to be able to get outdoors, it improves mental health being outside and yeah we’re a great group of people that have a huge laugh and a good time.”
The mum of five hopes the group can empower women to feel comfortable in predominantly male spaces.
“It’s empowering. It’s not a guy’s sport. We can do it too. A lot of it is the conservation, and keeping the duck numbers under control and stuff like that, and we love to do a bit, but as women it’s empowering to be able to get out there and get our hands dirty and know that we are providing for our family.”
Jen knows first-hand how challenging it can be to balance family life with personal passions.
“It’s a struggle to get out of the house, but it’s so important for mental health to be in nature,” she explained.
“I’m lucky that my husband Sam supports my passion – he sees it being passed down to our children. They’re born into it, and often show up to Saturday morning sports with camo paint still on their faces after an early morning hunt!”
The team decking out their prized maimai camp site with plenty of supplies on hand. The BBQ often on with fresh new duck recipes on offer.
The group takes pride in knowing exactly where their food comes from.
Once a duck is shot, they ensure it is plucked and butchered on site.
Another club member, Kirsty Verster, said the group helps build self-confidence.
“I just love that it gets me out of my comfort zone, it actually helps build a lot of confidence, just gives you that satisfaction when you can actually go and get something yourself and then and cook and bring it home, you know usually that’s Reserved for the males in the in the families. So it’s nice to be able to do it and and push the boundaries on,” Verster said.
Another member, Ellen Sheele, said it is awesome to see women being empowered to “get out there”.
“[It’s] their own kind of kill to take home to their families, and being able to tell our kids or our family that we’ve been out there and provided this is awesome,” Sheele said.
