After participating in the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Women Hunt program back in October at the FTW Ranch with no luck after several hunts, Jamie Benn and Kathryn Hunter were eager to get out in the field for more experience. The Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation gave them just that in December on a ranch in Stonewall County, in hopes of getting their first deer.
Hunter, who goes by Kat, explained her previous experience of working for an outfitter, but always being behind the scenes and never getting to hunt herself. Her curiosity made her apply for the Women Hunt program to learn to hunt for herself. Meanwhile, Benn, just into her first few months of her new position working as a research professor at Texas A&M University-Kingsville studying white-tailed deer, was interested in hunting as it pertains to the full effects on the deer population and conservation to the species. After the vigorous WH training, especially shooting, the two were so anxious to check off their first deer from the list.
“I want to harvest a deer to really complete the cycle,” Jamie said. “I have been studying deer for years and I would really like to see how it feels to close the gap full circle on the end of an animal’s life.”
The first morning was full of excitement and nerves. The deer were plentiful and moving for Hunter, while Benn only saw two small bucks. The afternoon seemed more promising, but no shots were taken, although the new hunters were able to practice getting the gun up and ready to fire. However, the deer weren’t cooperating.
The second and last day proved to be much different from the first. That morning, it was off to the blinds. Within 40 minutes of the sun coming up, a shot was heard from across the ranch. Within a few minutes Kat texted “IMPACT” – a familiar saying at the range on the FTW which means you hit the target — and Jamie replied with smiley emojis.
An hour or two later, Kat sent a photo fist pumping — which meant success! Both women had successfully harvested their first animal, beautiful whitetail bucks with only one shot. Jamie helped her guide, Steve Hudson, dress her buck in the field, while Kat drug her deer back to the truck for cleaning at the ranch headquarters. The two were beaming — excited and proud of what they had accomplished.
The Women Hunt program teaches women of all ages the skills they need to shoot, hunt and ranch etiquette.
After several photos, cleaning deer and a celebratory beer, the two new hunters packed up their coolers with their quartered deer and headed home. Both Jamie and Kat plan on continuing their hunting journeys for the rest of their lives.
“This is the first of many,” Kat said. “I am finally a bonafide hunter and cannot wait to do it again.”
