Story by Helen Hernandez for Lone Star Outdoor News
Hunting can be a deeply rewarding activity, but it can be intimidating for those who have few or no connections to the sport. For Molly DeWolfe, of Gulf Shores, Alabama, the thought of hunting again after a 20-year break was nerve-wracking.
“My dad was an avid quail hunter,” she said. “I started when I was 12, but after I went to college, life got in the way.”
She came to the Future Hunter’s Summit through the invitation of colleague Teri Quinn, marketing director at Fera-Dyne Outdoors and guest bow-hunting instructor at The Lazy CK Ranch.
“If you’ve ever wanted to learn to hunt, this is the place to do it,” DeWolfe said. “Male or female, I promise you’ll have the time of your life.”
This was Molly’s first rifle hunt for big game.
“I assumed it was for women that had a lot of experience,” she said. “Teri explained that it was the opposite, and how great of an opportunity it would be for me to learn hands-on what I am exposed to in my work life.”
The Lazy CK Ranch is a 7,000 acre native and exotic wildlife ranch in western Kerr County in the Hill Country. The property abounds with whitetail, axis, blackbuck, fallow, sika, aoudad, scimitar-horned oryx, bison, nilgai, red stag and Rio Grande turkey. It is uniquely set up to accommodate both rifle and bow hunters.
The idea for the Future Hunter’s Summit began in the summer of 2021, with the mission “to allow all people into the hunting world, to equip the next generation of hunters to successfully hunt live animals on their own, and to understand conservation through hunting.” There are camps dedicated to women, industry professionals, and all-inclusive for ages 9 and older and they hope to grow the program with more offerings. Each camp lasts six days, and all are held in the months of February and July. Students earn their hunter’s education certificate, undergo firearms training for rifle and bow, understand shot placement, hunt live animals from a blind, safari-style, spot & stalk; track blood trails; cape/skin and field dress, observe meat processing, taxidermy, cook and taste wild game, select gear and pack for a trip, and perform first aid.
“Most people make their initial connection to hunting through a male who hunts — typically a father, uncle, husband, boyfriend or male friend,” said Lazy CK’s General Manager Allen Robinson. “At this woman’s camp, most guests were introduced to the sport by their mother, daughter or female friend.”
Lainey Silva, of Boston, Massachusetts, attended the “She Never Quits” shooting camp at the ranch, and heard about the Future Hunter’s Summit.
“Hunting was the next step after target shooting,” she said. “There are no guarantees that you’ll harvest an animal even on a guided hunting trip, but it’s still an amazing experience. The anticipation, sighting in your target, the adrenaline rush upon taking the shot, whether you hit or miss — it’s a huge rush of emotions.”
Silva harvested a scimitar-horned oryx bull with her 7mm Remington Magnum.
One attendee said it was easier to develop confidence in the field and understand the conservation benefits of hunting in the zero-judgment and hands-on setting.
“At my first rifle hunt, I told the guide that I had never hunted before, but I had taken a firearms safety class,” she related. “The guide handed me the gun, told me to point it and shoot. Then he did everything else himself. I feel more confident that I can hunt by myself after this camp, but I’ve also learned about the conservation benefits of harvesting wild game which will help put food on my table and maintain the health of my land.”
Graduates of the Future Hunter’s Summit have been returning to The Lazy CK, bringing family along, or hunting on their own. Kim Jackson of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands is an experienced rifle hunter, but she learned to refine her crossbow skills and harvested a large axis buck.
“I have been to The Lazy CK more than a handful of times,” she said. “Although I have hunted for years, we covered areas I did not know and I was shown ways to make some actions easier. Now I want to bring my grandchildren to learn to hunt here.”
Hunters go out to harvest meat or bag a trophy, but whether successful or not, the stories and friendships are what will be cherished for a lifetime.
Experienced hunter Karen Wright of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania shared, “I don’t know if it’s a Texas thing, but everyone has a large, beautiful smile. I guess they say, ‘Everything is bigger in Texas.’ My heart grew bigger too, and if there’s anything I learned from here, it’s whether you’re a man or a woman, you need to get out there, find your people, and create your adventure.”
