Don’t Stay Home; Go Hunting!

I grew up with a Dad who ran deer dogs and a brother who went ‘coon hunting and shot squirrels out of the trees. My girls’ Dad was a whitetail deer hunter, and I decided when they were toddlers that I was not going to sit at home every weekend while their Dad went hunting! I wanted to be in the woods and experience this deer hunting thing too. So, I would take the girls hunting, putting them in a ground blind with me. I killed my first whitetail while my youngest daughter was eating a honey bun next to me. Now, I travel whenever I have the opportunity to hunt different species.

My most favorite hunting stories would be those about my daughters, sharing how they take their deer. But the story about my most accomplished hunt would be when I traveled to Africa for the first time by myself and laid my eyes on a kudu bull. It’s about how I walked and stalked my kudu with my guide and felt the accomplishment of conquering mountains to take my first mature kudu.

Safari Club International is important to me because, together, we are paving the way for conservation, education and awareness. SCI brings hunters together with countless opportunities to support conservation and benefit wildlife.

I am the Alabama state director for a nonprofit women’s organization inspiring, educating and bringing young ladies and women together to hunt and find their confidence in the outdoors. I became a member of SCI when I fell in love with Africa, where my heart will always be. Every year, I work the SCI Convention for Tactacam. I hope to see you there in January 2025. – Kimberly Bryant