Meet Queen Hannah – North Dakota’s Newest Queen of Camo

Hi my name is Hannah. I grew up in North Dakota. I love to hunt and fish. Hunting is a huge passion of mine. I started fishing when I was 6 years old and hunting when I was 13. I harvested my first deer when I was 14 years old. I have been blessed to have taken several deer one of which was a mule deer.

During my Thanksgiving break in 2014 my dad and I went to Montana for a guided mule deer and elk hunt. When we got there I sited my 7mm rifle in at an inch high at 100 yards. We were introduced to all of the guides and everyone who were hunting there. First day out hunting, we climbed a big hill and our guide decided that she wanted to go somewhere else. I was already exhausted climbing up this hill, but we climbed down and drove the gator to a different spot.

When we got to the new spot, we walked to an open area where we could scope it out. My dad had spotted a few mule deer. We all looked up the mountain and decided to put a sneak on them to see if we could get close enough and tell if one of the mule deer was a buck. When we got up to where the mule deer were, my guide and I put a sneak up on them while my dad stayed back a little bit. We got to an open area and my guide had told me that it was a legal mule deer and asked if I wanted him. I told her I would, not 5 seconds later I had a shot off and reloaded my gun and was waiting for another shot. After waiting 5 minutes, we decided to start walking to try and find him. He ran 50 yards and fell over. Seeing him lay there, I was so excited. I had harvested my first mule deer with my dad.

The experience I had with my dad was so amazing. I will cherish this hunt my entire life. I will never forget the look on my dad’s face when he realized I harvested my first mule deer. This hunt is the best hunt I have had with him. My dad was so proud of me that day and I could just see the happiness in his eyes. Made me so much happier than I was already.

I have learned that patience is a virtue. Hunting isn’t always as easy as people say. When my dad told me I needed to be in shape for this hunting trip I brushed it off like it was nothing. I now know what I should have done to get in shape. I regretted not listening to him on a few things, but I didn’t let it ruin our trip. I also have learned that you need to cherish ever moment you get to have with someone special in your life and make the best of it. Also, to take a deep breath and don’t think about the shot too much.

Advice I would give other women is to not get discouraged with it. Getting discouraged is only going to make hunting harder. This isn’t a very easy sport, it is not something you can just learn overnight. It takes a lot of time and patience. Having someone who loves you help you in your hunt, is such a blessing. Hunting is so relaxing. Going out into nature and seeing animals is truly amazing. Always remember, if you don’t get it the first time do it again but try something different. You are the only one who truly can find out what works best for you. The person helping you can only give advice as to what they think would help you. Advice from others is great when trying to better your hunting abilities. It will always be your own advice that matters most.