Staff Photo
Quail Forever, along with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW), and Liberty Hill Outfitters (LHO), recently put on a women’s pheasant hunt to encourage new women hunters.
Story by Alison Menifee, Quail Forever Farm Bill Biologist
Quail Forever, along with Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW), and Liberty Hill Outfitters (LHO), recently put on a women’s pheasant hunt to encourage new women hunters. This three-day event was geared toward women who have little experience hunting upland game, and even those who have never picked up a shotgun.
The event kicked off with a seminar night prior to the hunt. We had five women in total whose hunting experiences ranged from never having shot a shotgun to having hunted upland birds 1-3 times. Each participant was required to obtain their hunter education, hunting license, and HIP registration prior to the event. This first night was specifically designed to educate attendees on quail and pheasant habitat and biology, the history of upland bird hunting, and how to effectively hunt with dogs. Marla Crancer from LHO even brought her birddog and went over some of the training they must do to get ready for a hunt.
The following day, the women watched a video that many of us are familiar with; the “Shoot/Don’t Shoot” video provides a detailed walkthrough in understanding the safe zone of fire. They then took what they learned from the video and applied it to real-life drills in the field. They practiced with wooden guns made by QF biologist Sabrina Claeys, and mentors threw frisbees in random directions to simulate a pheasant flushing. This exercise allowed the women to not only get comfortable with hunting formation in a group, but to also ensure safe firearm handling when the real hunt takes place. Later that afternoon, we shot multiple rounds of trap, which gave the women an opportunity to improve their marksmanship and gave them a better idea of what to expect during the hunt. It was especially important that they feel comfortable with shooting and firearm safety. Later that evening, we were treated to dinner at Chow at One Eighteen by the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation.
And then came the hunt. It was a crisp, cold morning, but nothing could come close to dampening the enthusiasm felt by each of these women. They geared up and headed out into the field. And just like that, these women who had never shot a pheasant, suddenly started to feel the rush that comes with shooting your first bird, and then another, and another. Each woman had the opportunity to harvest four pheasants. The excitement on their faces with each drop was unforgettable. Of course, after you harvest, you must clean that harvest. We then walked the women through how to clean their harvest, prepare it for taxidermy if that was their intention, and how to preserve the feathers for later uses.
A special “Thank You” goes out to Elizabeth Kimble with AGFC, BOW, and LHO for partnering on this event. Liberty Hill allowed us to have the event there and were crucial in the success of the hunt. Thanks to our supporters, all the food and supplies for this event were donated. We hope that these women left with a sense of accomplishment in harvesting their first upland birds and look forward to continuing these events in the future.
By Alison Menifee a Quail Forever Farm Bill Biologist
This story originally appeared in the 2022 Fall Issue of the Quail Forever Journal. If you enjoyed it and would like to be the first to read more great upland content like this, become a member today!