Most of us perceive hunting as a man’s affair – perhaps with no surprise, as this is what they taught us at school. The common narrative is that in prehistoric times, men hunted, women gathered, and this order was not to be disturbed. That was until the most recent research revealed that, in fact, in hunter and gatherer societies, women hunted almost as much as men did. The explanation is simple – tribes needed as many people and their strength as possible, so gender didn’t really matter.
Interview
It was only later that gender-based segregation became apparent. And yet, even in the olden days, you find plenty of women breaking the stereotypes and embracing the so-called manly hobby. Luckily, we live in the modern times, when women aren’t limited by as many rules and expectations. But still, one must admit – a female hunter sometimes raises a few eyebrows here and there.
At Pulsar, we are happy to have three female brand ambassadors. Recently, we sat down with them and asked about how they felt being a part of the industry still largely dominated by men, the biggest challenges they face, and, of course, why they chose this path in the first place. So, join us for a conversation with Erica Egonsson, a train driver from Sweden (talk about stereotypes here!), Fiona Hopkins – a French outdoors lover and cook, and Julia Nowak – a Polish huntress currently based in Sweden.
I hunt because it's part of me. Hunting is more than just a passion. It is the reason to be; it is anchored in oneself. Every human being is a hunter. But only some develop the skill, and others don't.
Fiona Hopkins
So, why do you hunt?
Fiona: To me, it’s simple – I hunt because it’s part of me. Hunting is more than just a passion. It is the reason to be; it is anchored in oneself. Every human being is a hunter. But only some develop the skill, and others don’t.
Julia: First of all, because I am fascinated by wildlife. I love observing wild animals and their behavior, getting closer and closer to them every time. I can watch them for hours.
It is also because I love spending time outdoors and it doesn’t matter if it’s nice and warm or super cold, rainy and windy. There is always something beautiful to find in nature, all you need is proper clothes.
And another very important reason is that I love meat, but I prefer to know where it comes from and to control the whole process – from the forest to the plate. I am responsible for picking the right animal, taking a good shot to ensure that the animal will not suffer and die unconsciously, and then making sure to use as much as possible from the hunted game with all due respect.
We don’t buy meat or eggs in the shops in my family. We take eggs and chickens from our friend who is a local farmer, and the rest we hunt ourselves.
Erica: Ever since I was a little child, I have loved being in the forest. But the real reason I started hunting was to spend more time with my boyfriend. At a similar time, we bought our second hunting dog – Atlas – and that also made it more interesting.
But very soon, I was hooked. Like Julia, I love to know where my food is coming from and to know the animal I eat lived a good, healthy and free life. It is a special feeling knowing you hunted and prepped the meat yourself. It is also healing for the body and soul to be outside hunting – you become one with nature and can feel your place in the natural circle of life.
What does it mean for you to be a female hunter?
Erica: Everything! I love crushing stereotypes, and I take pride in being a woman. I can do anything! It doesn’t matter if you are a male or female: the world is for everybody.
Fiona: Ditto. Any human being can become a hunter – all you need is a wish to become one and then some effort to develop the skills and the instincts.
Julia: Honestly, I do not think it is necessary to highlight my gender in this case. I am a hunter. That’s it.
Julia Nowak
Some will presume that hunting is cruel and that women aren’t supposed to be that way, but I try not to care about it. I am proud of being a hunter, and nasty comments aren’t going to change that
Interview
And what are the biggest challenges you face in this man-dominated field?
Fiona: There are sometimes more judgments towards a woman than a man. But we must divert from this and remember why we are here in the first place. Men and women are equal both in the city and in the hunting field!
On a more down-to-Earth note, there is a huge lack of hunting clothing for women. I wouldn’t say it’s a challenge, but there indeed is a gap. We, too, want to have a wide choice of technical clothing like men do.
Erica: What I find the most challenging is the narrow mindset of people. Somehow, most of them think that you have to look and act a certain way if you’re a hunter. But well, I am passionate about hunting as much as I am about beauty, and I don’t think these can’t mix – caring about the way I look does not make a worse or a less passionate hunter.
Then there’s the part of proving yourself. When you’re the only woman among men, you have to prove that you have the same amount of knowledge they do. It’s annoying, but we live in times where everything is changing quickly, and I think we’re heading in the right direction.
Julia: Frankly, I don’t face many challenges because of my gender and mostly have good experiences. Male colleagues usually treat me evenly, and I can always count on their help – we’re a tight community.
Of course, I’ll receive a comment like “Women should go back to the kitchen” from time to time. But luckily, these are exceptions, and I do not take them to heart. There will always be some black sheep out there.
But speaking of challenges, hunting itself is full of them. Especially if you hunt an animal down in a problematic area like a glen, swamp, dense bushes, you name it. Believe me, in most situations, it doesn’t matter if you are a female or male, if you are super strong or weaker – it’s just super tough to drag the animal to the car anyway. But hey, if you’re a hunter, you obviously love challenges, so this is just one of them.
Then, of course, there are the antihunters. They don’t understand hunting and usually spread hate no matter the gender of the hunter. Then some will presume that hunting is cruel and that women aren’t supposed to be that way, but I try not to care about it. I am proud of being a hunter, and nasty comments aren’t going to change that.
And just like Fiona, I could complain about the gear and the clothing. I, too, don’t feel like there’s enough choice for women. And having clothing and equipment that’s designed specifically for us would make us feel more comfortable and, in return, more effective. But again, I feel like the market is expanding and the situation is slowly getting better.
Who encouraged you to take up hunting?
Erica: As I already mentioned, it was my boyfriend and our dog who got me into it. What started as a way to spend more time with the person I love turned into the biggest passion. Plus, I really enjoyed training Atlas and wanted him to become the best hunting dog!
Fiona: I have always known my father, my brother, my uncle, and my grandfather as hunters. There had never been women who had the license to hunt in my family until me. One day, I talked about it at the table with my family. I explained my desire to pass the hunting license to them. My grandmother offered to give me my grandfather’s gun if I got it. This is how my story began.
Julia: I am a hunter thanks to my father, definitely, but no one ever had to encourage me. My father only opened the doors to an amazing world of nature and helped me gain knowledge. He never pushed me – I fell in love with it naturally when I was a little girl, and, later, I would count the years and days until I could become an independent hunter myself. You need to be 18 to get your license in Poland, and I got mine only a few months after my birthday.
Helion delivers an exceptional image. It is very sharp and detailed, even when the object is quite far away. Plus, it can increase safety while hunting, help the hunter to make the right decision, and it is super fun to use for just filming wildlife.
Julia Nowak
Interview
What are the most important lessons you learned as a hunter and a wildlife lover?
Fiona: Since I started hunting, I have never felt so close to nature. With each outing, I learn something about the nature that surrounds us. It reminds me that the human being is just another tiny creature on Earth. I also learned a lot about animals, forestry, and the balance between fauna and flora, and I still learn more every day. A hunter must learn to become one with nature, and that is what makes me love this so much. And the most important lesson I learned is that human beings are nothing compared to the immensity of nature and that we still have a lot to learn about it.
Julia: To me, the most important lesson is to never take anything for granted. Nature is unpredictable. You never know what you can meet behind the next few trees. Or you can see the roebuck of your dreams every day in the same place, at the same time for months before the season starts, and when it does, the animal just disappears. But yeah – that’s hunting.
Of course, you must never forget that nature can be very dangerous. We face real, wild animals, not some fluffy mascots from movies and fairytales, so we have to be careful and thoughtful.
And finally, I understood how important it is to take pride in what you do and to share it with others. Showing the real face – whatever it is – of hunters, of wild meat and wildlife lovers – really helps break down the stereotypes.
Erica: I can only just sum up what Fiona and Julia said. It is crucial to be proud of what we do. It is the legacy that we, as humans, have had for thousands of years. But pride doesn’t mean cockiness. We must remain humble to other people and mostly to the animals. To respect them and never forget that no matter how much you know, you can never know it all.
And one final question to you as Pulsar brand ambassadors: which Pulsar device is a favorite of yours?
Fiona: Certainly the Helion 2. It is so easy to hunt with it at any time of the day (or night).
Erica: That’s a really hard question – I find all Pulsar devices are super useful in their own way! But if I had to pick one, it would be one of the handheld devices – either one of the Axions, Helion, or Accolade. I find that they are really helpful for identifying animals.
Julia: I’m team Helion too! I really care about the image quality as I love sharing photos and videos that I take when hunting, and Helion delivers an exceptional image. It is very sharp and detailed, even when the object is quite far away. Plus, it can increase safety while hunting, help the hunter to make the right decision, and it is super fun to use for just filming wildlife.
Do you have a story to share? Drop us a message: [email protected].
Erica Egonsson
It is crucial to be proud of what we do. It is the legacy that we, as humans, have had for thousands of years. But pride doesn’t mean cockiness. We must remain humble to other people and mostly to the animals. To respect them and never forget that no matter how much you know, you can never know it all.
Before purchasing any night or thermal vision device, please make sure you adhere to the local legislation and only use it when it is allowed. Our ambassadors come from various countries and travel a lot, which allows them to test different devices. We do not encourage or support the illegal use of our devices in any events. If you wish to learn more about export and sales restriction policy, please visit the following link: Export and Sales Restriction Policy.