October 29, 2010
The Girls of Delta: Class of 2010
Historic Kirchhoffer Lodge reverberates with a familiar excitement. Eighteen novice hunters are getting final instructions the night before heading into Manitoba’s renowned Delta Marsh.
Carly Deacon is comfortably perched on the living room couch. She is coordinating the annual mentored ladies hunt, part of Delta Waterfowl’s new First Hunt program. The lodge is an appropriate spot. It has hosted generations of hunters, biologists and conservationists. She now speaks to the rookies in a confident tone about the future….both short and long term.
“It doesn’t matter how you shoot or how many ducks you get tomorrow,“ says Deacon. “Just go out and have a good time. You’re going to shoot and miss. Some of you will fall in the water. There’ll be funny stories to share. Come back and tell each other your experiences. There’s going to be a lot of good ones.”
Deacon’s goal at the ladies hunt is to remove obstacles. She, and her fellow mentors, strive to create a supportive atmosphere; a place to build confidence without intimidation or anxiety. She knows how important it is to have a positive first experience.
“For me that’s a big one,” says Deacon, a waterfowl hunter with six years experience. “When I started I was super intimidated shooting with guys. I didn’t know what I was doing, Just getting that opportunity to practice, getting your confidence built up is incredibly important. After a while, the guy with 20 years experience doesn’t intimidate you any more. And that’s a really great feeling.”
A constant theme runs through Deacon’s pre-hunt presentation. She encourages everyone to think about why they want to hunt. She then challenges them to recognize the important role women now play in the future of waterfowl hunting.
“Women turn out to be some of the best hunters. They’re super eager to learn. They listen attentively. They’re extremely safe. They aim at every shot. They’re not sporadic and crazy and thinking, ‘I’ve got to shoot, shoot, shoot.’ It’s not really the way a women’s mind thinks.”
While the number of male hunters has dropped dramatically across North America, participation of women is trending up. Studies also show it’s more likely the kids will hunt, if Mom does. All of a sudden, women have moved from marginal to essential for the future of waterfowl hunting. None of this is lost on Deacon.
“In the last forty years, we’ve lost close to 400,000 hunters in Canada. That’s super scary. Where’s our heritage going? How do we preserve it? I believe women are key. There’s a huge role that we play here, and I think it’s going to change a lot of views in society having a few friendly women’s faces out there saying, ‘OK. You know what? It’s OK to hunt.”