“Where’s your husband?”
“Are you sure you know how to use that?”
“You’re out here alone?”
I’ve heard it all.
And every time, I get a little more rooted in my why.
When I first started hunting, hiking, and fly fishing, I thought I needed to downplay my inexperience, shrink my presence, or laugh off the comments just to be accepted.
I don’t do that anymore.
Because the truth is, I belong out here. And so do you.
🥾 You don’t need to be invited to the wild. You already belong here.
Let’s be real: Outdoor spaces—especially things like hunting and fly fishing—can feel like boys’ clubs with unspoken rules.
But gatekeeping only works if we keep waiting for permission.
You don’t have to know everything. You don’t have to wear camo head to toe.
You just have to show up. Ask questions. Take up space. Learn out loud.
That’s how we change things.
🛠 Taking Up Space Looks Like:
- Walking into a gear shop without apologizing
- Asking questions even if you feel awkward
- Correcting someone when they assume you’re tagging along
- Starting anyway, even if you don’t feel ready
- Celebrating your own wins—even the small ones
🌲 This isn’t about proving anything.
It’s not about being the best shot, the fastest hiker, or the one with the most expensive gear.
It’s about claiming the peace, grit, growth, and joy that lives out there.
When we show up as we are—messy, motivated, curious, stubborn—we make space for others to do the same.
We set a new tone.
🐾 A New Way Forward
We don’t have to do it their way.
We can do it on our own terms—wild and unapologetic.
So if you’ve ever felt like the only woman on the trail, in the blind, or at the boat launch—this space is for you.
And the next time someone asks “Are you sure you know how to use that?”
Smile, and say: “Hell yeah!”
💬 Sound familiar? Drop a comment and tell me the wildest thing someone’s said to you in the outdoors—or how you handled it like a badass.