Sometimes the Greatest Adventure Is Believing in Yourself Again

by Sarah McLeary

I joined the Wild Chix Intro to Hunting Weekend because I wanted to learn how to hunt. I left with a whole lot more.

After the end of a 26-year relationship I had lost so much of myself. My confidence had gone. I doubted everything I did, was always afraid to speak up, constantly second-guessed myself, and often felt like I wasn’t good enough.

I hit rock bottom and had one of two choices…sink or swim.

So I created a list of things I’d always wanted to do but had never believed I could, and I was determined to achieve them.

Hunting was right at the top of that list.

Spending a whole weekend with a group of women I’d never met was completely out of my comfort zone, and I nearly talked myself out of going. But I knew it would’ve been harder trying to learn in a room full of men, constantly worrying that my questions and thoughts might not be taken seriously. So I made the decision to go all in and make the most of the opportunity.

From the moment I arrived, Izzy, Katie and Jess created a welcoming, supportive environment where I could simply be 100% myself.

There was no judgement whatsoever…only encouragement, patience, genuine connection, and lots of laughter.

Every question, no matter how big or small, was welcomed and every achievement anyone made was celebrated.

Having Deb, a rep from the Firearms Safety Authority, there for the weekend was an added bonus…sharing all her knowledge, not just of firearms but her love and experience of hunting.

And talk about well fed…Katie’s chef skills are outstanding!

It didn’t take long for all of us strangers to become lifelong friends.

Off into the bush to find some deer sign

Throughout the weekend I learnt bush stalking, firearms safety, target shooting, tracking (including getting ridiculously excited about finding deer poo in the bush!), navigating and how to skin and butcher a deer. I’ll carry these practical skills with me for the rest of my life.

But the biggest thing I got from all this wasn’t just the hunting knowledge and skills.

It was confidence.

I remember saying to Izzy that for so long I’d been made to believe I wasn’t good enough…that I couldn’t achieve anything. Then I stopped and looked at what I’d just done.

And something in me shifted.

There I was shooting rifles, stalking through the bush, carrying a deer on my back and helping butcher it. I proved to myself for the first time in years that I could still do hard things.

I realised I am far more stronger than I’d given myself credit for, or that I’d been led to believe. I am capable and I am resilient.

The wild part of me had just been buried for so long and this hunting weekend helped me to find her again.

Being in nature and slowing down reminded me of who I truly am. It reminded me that strength isn’t something you get from someone else…it’s something that’s always been inside you and it’s just waiting to be rediscovered at the right time.

I went looking for hunting skills and I also left with lifelong skills, genuine friendships with strong women from all over the country, a new hobby, newly found confidence, self-worth, and the ability to believe in myself again.

Doing things I never thought I'd be capable of...

This weekend wasn’t just the start of learning to hunt…it was the beginning of a whole new chapter.

Next step…get my firearms licence and have more experiences and hunting adventures so I can keep learning, growing, and surrounding myself with people who inspire me to do the things that I love.

Izzy, Katie and Jess…thank you for sharing your knowledge and passion with us all. What you’ve created is so much more than a hunting course. You’ve created a community where women can rediscover their strengths, rebuild their confidence, capabilities and independence, and realise they’re a lot stronger than they ever believed…that they can be a badass!

If you’re thinking about doing an Intro to Hunting Weekend, my advice is simple.

Do it.

You might arrive thinking you can’t. But you’ll leave knowing you can.

Thank you for helping me find my wild again.