Why shouldn’t girls be allowed at the camp?
I can remember the scene like it was yesterday: A wife of one of the hunting club members showed up around lunchtime, and another member walked out of the bunk room in his tighty whities.
Honestly, there was nothing tight about them. But you get the idea.
It wasn’t that the oaf didn’t know the woman was there; the guy was fully dressed when the lady drove up. He intentionally went into the bunk room, pulled off his pants and paraded around in his underwear, and salted every sentence with an extra dose of profanity for one archaic and stupid reason — the camp is for men.
No women allowed.
Of course, the woman quickly took care of whatever business she had with her husband and beat a hasty retreat.
I was a young man then, married only a few years, but I couldn’t wrap my mind around someone doing something so idiotic. I actually enjoyed (still do) my wife’s company, and I had been trying to convince her that she needed to begin hunting with me.
Yvette grew up in a hunting and fishing family, and her dad taught her to shoot a gun at a young age. But she still has no interest in hunting, although she will fish a bit.
But I knew at the moment that doofus strutted through the camp like a half-dressed, half-brained banty rooster that if I ever convinced my wife to hunt it could not be at that camp.
Nearly 25 years later, women hunters are now pretty common. I guess I sort of assumed club life had changed. So imagine my surprise when I received an email from a distraught father who had joined a club with the express intent to spending time at the camp with his three hunting-crazed daughters.
Despite being open with the club’s president that he would be hunting with the young girls — and being assured it wouldn’t be a problem — the membership revolted.
I feel for this father who wants nothing more than to pass along his love of the outdoors to his daughters. And he’s obviously already done a great job.
I’m actually jealous of his daughters’ desire to hunt, since my daughter went on exactly one hunting trip with me before informing me that she was done. But you can bet one thing: If she would have been interested, I would have taken her hunting as often as possible.
Yes, hunting once was the domain of manliness. Yes, men need to have some time to themselves.
But let’s not forget that hunting today is on the decline — so we need every participant who shows any interest.
Even little girls.
