INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
AS A HUNTER

International Women’s Day has always felt a little ironic to me. Not because I don’t support women or their achievements—far from it—but because I’ve never looked at myself as just a female hunter. I am a hunter. My gender doesn’t change how I track an animal, read the wind, or take a shot. The woods don’t care if you’re a man or a woman; It demands skill, patience, and respect equally.

Yet here I am, celebrating International Women’s Day. And if there’s one thing worth celebrating, it’s not labels—it’s opportunity.

I was introduced to hunting in my early twenties, and it quickly became something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Throughout the process of learning how to hunt, I never wasted time worrying about whether I “belonged” in this male-dominated world. My mindset was always this; If you want something badly enough, you go after it. No excuses.

And that’s the message I think matters most today—not just for women, but for everyone. If you have a dream, you don’t wait for someone to open a door for you. You kick it down, work harder than the next person, and earn your place. Hunting taught me that success doesn’t come from being given a seat at the table; it comes from proving you deserve to be there.

I won’t pretend there weren’t challenges along the way. Walking into hunting camps or trade shows as one of the only women in the room can make you feel like an outcast at times. I’d hear comments—sometimes well-meaning, sometimes not—about whether I “really” knew what I was doing. The trick was never letting that shake me.

The best thing I ever did was believe in my abilities while staying humble enough to keep learning. If someone had good advice, I listened. If I made mistakes, I owned them. And that mindset is what allowed me to grow as a hunter over the past decade.

So, what does International Women’s Day mean to me? It’s not about separating men and women. It’s about making sure the next generation—girls and boys alike—know that nothing should hold them back. If you’re willing to put in the work, you can build the life you want.

I want young girls to see that if they love hunting, they can be great at it. I want young boys to know the same thing—that success isn’t handed out based on anything other than how hard you’re willing to work and your character as a person.

So today, on International Women’s Day, I’ll celebrate the same way I always do—by heading outside and doing what I love. Not as a female hunter; Just as a hunter.

Allie is a member of the Muck® Field Team based in Jupiter, Florida, and the outdoor creator behind @outdoors_allie. She loves the freedom and sense of self-reliance the outdoors provides and recently published her first cookbook, “The Butcher’s Table: Techniques and Recipes to Make the Most of Your Meat,” filled with home-cooked recipes she’s created to enjoy after every hunt.

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