By Kim Hiss

I’d been planning to kick off an election discussion at some point. With Fred Thompson announcing his candidacy, and Field & Stream’s news blog currently discussing preferred Republicans, I figure this might be a good time.
      I have a question, actually: How much do hunting and gun issues influence your vote? I first started really thinking about the nature of the hook and bullet vote in fall 2004, when Field & Stream ran a pair of Q&A’s with President George Bush and Senator John Kerry. At the time I was editing the magazine’s mail page, and I read every single letter that came in response to those interviews. That was by far the biggest, most raging flood of mail I’d seen, overwhelmingly from male readers, who seemed to be basing their vote solely on hunting and gun issues. I remember one lone reader stating that field-related concerns definitely factored into his vote, but so did health care, education, and the War in Iraq.
      When Field & Stream’s 2007 Women Hunters Poll asked, Do hunting or gun issues affect the way you vote? 78% said yes. So how much do field-related concerns influence your decision? How... [ Read Full Post ]

By Kim Hiss

I’m a music head. So it’s no surprise that a number of tunes have played a big role in my hunting life. Some songs sync up with great memories, some not so great, but they always add to whatever experience I associate them with.
      It’s appropriate, then, that my first hunt has a song attached to it—although not really in a good way. I was on a New Mexico hunt for mule deer, and on the second day, I shot a buck at 200 yards. I ran up the hill to where it had fallen, and was relieved to find it already stone still. I’d spent months wondering how I’d react to this moment, and while the guide left to get the truck, I sat in the dirt with this still-warm animal trying to sort through what I was feeling.
      But when the truck roared up behind me, quiet time was over. The guide swung open the doors of the cab, hit the cd player, and blasted Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust.
      Now, I love Queen. Under Pressure... [ Read Full Post ]

By Kim Hiss

Some of you have written asking about the clothing giveaway I’d mentioned a little while back. Again, the idea was that F&S had gotten some nice gear to photograph for the July feature on women hunters, and with those shoots over, it made sense to find homes for these clothing items through the blog. So here’s the deal: The person who posts the best comment(s) will be given a piece of gear. A new recipient will be announced every Friday until the supply runs out—I only have enough pants, jackets, and such to last about a month. Of course, these items are just what happen to be inhouse, so sizes are very limited (mostly smalls and mediums). If you’re chosen, and the gear doesn’t fit, you’ll have a very nice present for a friend or family member.
   So considering today’s Friday, I guess I’ll announce the first gear recipient: Annette Shearer from Lexington, KY, will be getting a Hunter Fleece Zip-Jacket compliments of SHE Safari (shesafari.com). Keep the comments coming, and I’ll keep the gear going. –K.H.
    [ Read Full Post ]

By Kim Hiss

I love stuff. Especially when the stuff is associated with a great memory. Matchbooks, coasters, airline tickets, pictures—I’m a shameless pack rat when it comes to remembering anything from a fun movie to a great trip. Since some of my favorite memories are from hunts, I have a lot of personal prizes from the field. Not in the sense of trophy mounts, but quieter prizes, like the spent shell from the first animal I killed, or a pebble from the most perfect turkey hunting spot I ever found.

One of my all time favorite possessions is this “autographed” shed. I was on an NRA Women on Target hunt for antelope in Wyoming

As we turned, I spotted a white object perfectly centered on the peak of a hill to my left. The clouds... [ Read Full Post ]

By Kim Hiss

Hi All,

As some of you know, I'm leaving my full-time position at Field & Stream for another writing job, BUT as I was the only woman editing features for the magazine, I’m continuing as the FSHuntress blog host. So as long as we, as a group of women hunters, can prove there’s enough interest in the topic of females in the field, Field & Stream will keep the blog going. The “Email Kim” link under the author bio is now going to my new email account, so feel free to continue to send me thoughts, photos, and discussion topic suggestions—I’ll be reading them every day.

Of course, I think any forum for outdoorswomen is extremely important, so, I’ll get right to the topic for today: Fairy Tales. Well, fairy tales as they relate to kids and hunting.

I’m a research nut, and I’m always finding interesting little tidbits of information that I get excited about sharing with other people. Laura B. posted a comment on the blog about having her two-year-old son in the duck blind with her, and the thought of kids in the field got me thinking about a book I recently read on, of all things,... [ Read Full Post ]

By Kim Hiss

Women Hunters Web Page. GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS

I hesitate to post this, but in the spirit of sparking discussion….

I recently asked our on-staff firearm and bow experts what they thought the best gear in their respective areas was for women. Yes, they’re men, but they really know their stuff, and I was interested in their opinions. This was for a story that ended up not running in the magazine, but since I still had their responses on my hard drive, I figured I’d post them now. What do you think? Are they great suggestions? Just acceptable? Or way off?

Can only women recommend gear for other women? Or does it not matter as long as the person making the suggestion loves to hunt and has the experience to back up their opinion?

Shotguns
By Philip Bourjaily
1. Winchester Super X3 Field
A lightened version of the Super X2, the X3 weighs a shade under 7 pounds and makes an excellent choice for all-around wingshooting. The X3 is ultra-reliable and very easy to maintain. The gas operation and a Pachmayr Decelerator recoil pad take most of the kick out of 12-gauge loads. Stock spacers included with the gun allow you to adjust length... [ Read Full Post ]