CENTERPIECE wyoming women HUNT First-timers and old-timers gather for fifth year of event. BY RACHEL GIRT
DRIVING UP THE NARROW, cottonwood-lined dirt lane to the Ranch at Ucross in northeast Wyoming every October feels like returning home. For many, the annual Wyoming Women's Antelope Hunt is a cherished reunion of friends; and for new participants, a welcoming place to learn about hunting and conservation. PHOTOS BY RACHEL GIRT RIGHT Walking up a hillside in the early morning hours. This ladies-only antelope hunt, the first in the nation, celebrated its fifth annual event in 2017. The Wyoming Women's Foundation started the hunt in 2013 to promote camaraderie and mentorship through hunting, and to raise funds for grants and special projects to help women and girls across the state. Since inception, the event has raised more than $280,000 to help carry out its work and has worked with about 40 hunters each year. Kathryn Boswell of Cheyenne was the board chair of the Wyoming Women's Foundation when the decision was made to host the hunt, and has volunteered from the beginning. "I loved that hunting aligns so well with our mission. Teaching women to put food on the table is a Wyoming way that women can be more economically self-sufficient." Over the course of its five years, the organizers have worked hard to fine-tune the details to keep improving the experience and offer more educational opportunities for hunters, including classes on meat processing and cooking game meat. But the real change has been the personal growth of the participants. After her hunting experience the third year of the event, Boswell admits she caught the bug. "I've been 'outdoorsy' all my life - hiking, camping, biking, wildlife watching - but this was participating on the landscape in a way I never imagined." In 2017, she returned to the hunt as an employee of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and taught meat processing. "Turns out the hunt helped my economic self-sufficiency too," she said with a smile. Gloria Esguerra Courser of Jackson was one of the 34 inaugural hunters in 2013. She braved one of the worst early October blizzards on recent record, with whiteout conditions, to harvest an antelope. She has returned every year since then, including in 2017 when she was a guidein-training. "It took almost 40 years to find a passion that I feel so deep within my soul. I want to share it with anyone willing to learn," said Courser, who is a bookkeeper, shooting and archery instructor, and hunting guide. "The Wyoming Women s Antelope Hunt was the fertile ground where this passion grew. Growing from a hunter pursuing a lifestyle for myself to a guide wanting to share this passion with others: I have the hunt to thank for that!" Encouragement and support from women mentors add to the overall experience. Laurie DeVries of Atascadero, California noted that watching Courser, who was one of her guides, roll up her sleeves and field dress an antelope was inspiring. "Watching a woman confidently doing these things was amazing to me. Observing and listening to her instruction fueled the possibilities for me to thrive as a solo female hunter. My husband Dirk hunted, and I always went along as a camp cook and mama. He did everything for me: I never even drove long distances by myself." continued on page 18 FEBRUARY 2018 WREN MAGAZINE 17
RIGHT Hunters sight in their rifles, with the help of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, then head to hunter orientation on the first afternoon of the Women s Antelope Hunt. PHOTO BY STEVEN GIRT continued from page 17 After Dirk's devastating loss to cancer, DeVries learned to hunt and even drove from California to Wyoming by herself for the first time. She laughs that the open expanse along Interstate 80 almost made her turn back, but she persevered. "I felt welcome from day one when I finally arrived, with everyone genuinely concerned about how I was doing and my safety in the field." DeVries called the hunt a tremendous opportunity that has brought much healing to herself and her family, who are quite proud of her accomplishments, which include receiving the 2017 Teddy Roosevelt Award the final night. This award is named after the U.S. president, conservation champion and co-founder of the Boone & Crockett Club, which sponsors the award. Voted on by the guides, this award is given to the participant with the most fortitude: who kept trying and stayed tough; win, lose or draw. The sound of excited voices chatting wafts in between the sound of diesel ranch trucks warming up in the parking lot. The anticipation in the air is infectious. I have photographed this hunt for the last five years, and it never gets old. 18 WREN MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2018
FROM STRANGERS TO PART OF THE FAMILY Far from an elite event, the Women's Antelope Hunt draws women from across the nation, from varied backgrounds. Most are strangers; a few know each other from previous years as some hunters return to volunteer and hunt. Some attend via all-expenses-paid scholarships, generously supported by sponsors. Others are sponsored by their companies or raise money back at home to attend. That first afternoon of the event, many are quiet and maybe a little shy at first, not knowing anyone, sighting in their rifles under the supervision of women mentors like Courser and staff members of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. As shots ring out and targets are hit, the cheers erupt, thawing the awkwardness. Once the hunters feel confident with their shots, they head back to the ranch for a safety briefing, then dinner with their guide, their hunting partner and, in many cases, the owner of the private land they will hunt. The next morning, before dawn, the sound of excited voices chatting wafts in between the sound of diesel ranch trucks warming up in the parking lot. The anticipation in the air is infectious. I have photographed this hunt for the last five years, and it never gets old. continued on page 20 FEBRUARY 2018 WREN MAGAZINE 19
continued from page 19 So in the cold, dark, low-fog-covered morning, I cram into the backseat with hunter Rose Anne Rinne of Cheyenne, our lunches stacked between us among the backpacks and extra clothing. Rinne grew up hunting with her brothers and brings a wealth of experience, not to mention having attended this event every year. Driving us is mild-mannered Jim Mentock, a knowledgeable guide from Cody. Next to him in the front seat is hunter Barbara Annan of Rapid City, South Dakota, a relatively new hunter who Rinne insisted should go first, getting the prime spotting position on the front seat. The section of land we are headed to is maybe a 20-minute drive away, but we drive the winding roads cautiously, keeping a sharp lookout for any signs of mule deer in the headlights. Mentock describes the terrain, the majority of which is a historic ranch. Most of the women hunt on private land, usually ranches, which the average hunter does not have access to. During our drive, Rinne gently encourages Annan to ask questions and talk about her background, interjecting every once in a while with tips. Under the growing light, our group packs our gear, navigates a barbwire fence and heads into the rolling hills. Rinne continues to coach Annan, helping her adjust her gun sling and talking about what to do if we spot a buck. With no elusive antelope in sight, our guide spends part of the morning with Annan practicing stalking, bellycrawling and even focusing her sights on a distant target. Rinne and I, however, quietly giggling, sprawl in a nearby ditch, sharing stories, before she encourages me to practice setting up a shot with her rifle, giving me pointers. Part of the success of the Wyoming Women's Antelope Hunt is this mentor relationship. Hearing advice from another woman eases the nerves, and in many cases, gives them a coach and someone to look up to. Over the last five years, I have watched women hunters and the wonderful guides teach how to navigate the land, follow the best safety practices and hunt ethically and fairly. Not everyone fills a tag I didn't when I hunted in 2016, and neither did Annan but all leave with more confidence, better skills, and the bonds of a new family that continues to support each other beyond the hunt. W Rachel Girt is a freelance writer and owner of Girt Communications based in Cheyenne. PHOTO BY RACHEL GIRT HOW TO PARTICIPATE SHERIDAN COUNTY UCROSS Join the Wyoming Women's Foundation for its sixth annual Wyoming Women's Antelope Hunt, slated for Oct. 11-14, 2018 at the Ranch at Ucross in northeastern Wyoming. The event will host more than 40 women from all over the country supported by corporate sponsorships, scholarships, and individual hunters. INFO: WYOMINGWOMENSANTELOPEHUNT.ORG. ABOVE Barbara Annan of Rapid City, S.D., Rose Ann Rinne of Cheyenne and guide Jim Mentock of Cody look for sign of antelope in the early hours of the morning. 20 WREN MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2018