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As a woman with hunting blood coursing through my veins, I generally prefer to be the one doing the hunting, but recently I had the opportunity to join on a hunt of another Outfitter purely as an observer. Chris was asked to help with a hunt, and I jumped on board, purely because I am THAT woman who will sell my soul just to spend time in the bush. When the client heard that I was also going, he thought it would be great for his wife, a non-hunter, to come too, as she would have company.

The day started off chilly as we drove to the hunting concession, and us ladies were chatting away and getting to know each other. Upon arrival at the game farm, we all jumped on the back of the Cruiser, excited for the hunt to begin. The client was looking to hunt Warthog and Wildebeest. I took up position right at the back on the high bench, with the client and his wife sitting on the front benches. My position gave a me wonderful vantage point, from where I could observe everyone and everything. It gave me a very different perspective, to be looking at the glorious surroundings, without being completely focused on a specific animal to hunt. I could also observe the interaction between the client, his wife, and the PH. Each time the men jumped off the walk and stalk, I joined them, ready to enjoy the action. The morning session delivered as we hoped for. The Warthog was taken, after giving Chris and the client a nice workout. We went back to the lodge for lunch and a well-deserved afternoon nap.

The afternoon session was dedicated to finding the Wildebeest. We searched high and low, and as hunting goes, found everything but Wildebeest. After a couple of hours, we spotted a herd of Wildebeest. Chris studied the heard carefully through his binoculars, but said that there wasn’t anything worth taking, as they were mostly cows with calves and the bulls was not mature enough. The hunt continued. Eventually we spotted them. Three bulls on their own. After some deliberation and instruction from Chris, the shot sounded through the air, and the Wildebeest was down.

It was a good hunting day, with two exceptions for me. Firstly, I noticed so much more in terms of the beauty of the surrounding environment, as I didn’t have to focus on the hunt. I could take photos of trees, spiders, grass, and anything else pretty that caught my eye. Secondly, I got to watch the interaction between the client and his wife, the jokes they shared, the excitement and emotion after the animals was taken, and just experiencing something special together as a couple. I realised that hunting is not just for hunters. Hunting is an opportunity for non-hunters to spend time with and intimately share in the passion of someone they care for. It is to laugh together when something hilarious happens, to observe Mother nature in all her glory, to watch their partner as they walk and stalk, and tremble before taking the shot. It is to see the emotion as he proudly kneels by the animal which was harvested, in awe of its beauty. These are things that is impossible to describe to someone who wasn’t there to see and feel it for themselves. So, for all the non-hunting ladies out there, who has never joined their partner on a hunt, I would like to say I dare you to give it a try. Don’t focus on the heat or the bugs or whatever you think you might dislike. Focus on the fact that you will get to see your man do something that he loves, and share in a memory so special, one that will definitely bring you closer together.