I was needing something to post on the blog this week so I asked daughter #3 to give me something about what guns and hunting mean to her. She gladly shares here thoughts below:

“A girl, a gun… do they go together? Do the principles of femininity match the heart and spirit of firearms and hunting? This may be a new concept to some, but my seven sisters and I would answer with an emphatic YES!

I am so grateful to have had a hunter as my dad! Ever since I can remember, Dad has found numerous ways to make guns fascinating to our entire family, to cultivate our love of hearty femininity, to foster a desire for adventure, and to create exciting memories. He first accomplished this through taking us on short day-hunts with him. I still remember my first deer hunt with him – I believe I was five at the time. We were living in northern VA at the time and he took me to a friend’s property, where we climbed an old, rickety ladder stand and sat for what seemed to be, in my young mind, hours and hours. At dusk we made our way home, and though we didn’t arrive bearing any trophies, that first hunt was successful in that it gave me a love for hunting at a young age. A few years later, we moved out in the country where we could shoot at almost any time, and Dad would often get out the rifles for target shooting experience. Sometimes we would compete; other times we would just unload shell after shell for the sheer pleasure of it. But my love for hunting really piqued a few years ago when I carried a gun and hunted by myself for the first time. Dad set me up in his favorite tree on some family property and then climbed his own stand several yards away to oversee the process. Though I didn’t get a trophy buck that day, I harvested some meat for the freezer and was ecstatic.

For me, being a young lady, hunting has provided a healthy, productive outlet for that poignant spirit of adventure every girl possesses. Dad has helped us find the proper balance between being feminine and lady-like and yet enjoying the thrill of an exciting day in the woods. So, again, the answer to the question is yes. Girls and guns are a perfect match! Do you need a Christmas gift for your daughter or granddaughter? Buy her a gorgeous, custom-made rifle stock from Accurate Innovations and then take her hunting with you. Give her experience with firearms. I am so grateful for this gift from my own father and hope for many more years of hunting with him." Kathryn