Ducks Unlimited Podcast

What really happens behind the highlight reels of hunting and outdoor life?

In this candid roundtable episode, Bethany, Adrienne, Erin, and Julia sit down to reflect on a full season of conversations, hunts, and hard-earned lessons. Instead of a single guest, this episode brings together the voices behind the podcast to unpack what stood out most from unforgettable guests and powerful community moments to the realities that don’t always make it onto social media. The group shares personal hunting stories, including first harvests, missed shots, and the emotional highs and lows that come with time in the field. From elk hunts in the mountains to first-time duck hunters finding their confidence, this episode highlights how growth often comes through failure, persistence, and shared experiences. They also dive into deeper themes: the rise of women in hunting, the importance of mentorship and communication, and how intentional time outdoors can restore balance in an otherwise fast-paced life. Whether it’s teaching beginners, navigating fear around firearms, or simply making time to get outside, the conversation emphasizes progress over perfection. Above all, this episode is a reminder that no one starts as an expert—and that the most meaningful moments often come from the messy, imperfect, real parts of the journey.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
  •  Why storytelling and community have been the most impactful part of this season
  •  How women are building confidence and connection through hunting and outdoor skills
  •  The importance of communication when mentoring new hunters
  •  Real hunting experiences from missed shots to first harvests
  •  How social media can create unrealistic expectations (and why showing failure matters)
  •  Why beginners often struggle with fear, perfectionism, and information overload
  •  How small wins in the outdoors can be just as meaningful as a harvest
  •  The role of conservation and why new hunters (especially women) are essential to its future
  •  Practical tips for introducing someone new to hunting or shooting
  •  Why intentional time outdoors can improve mental clarity and overall well-being
Follow along for more real conversations, outdoor stories, and insights from women shaping the future of hunting and conservation.

Join the Ascend Instagram community at @duascend and http://www.ducks.org/ascend.

Listen now: www.ducks.org/DUPodcast
Send feedback: DUPodcast@ducks.org

SPONSORS:

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Whether you're a seasoned hunter or just getting started, this episode is packed with valuable insights into the world of waterfowl hunting and conservation.

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Creators and Guests

Guest
ASCEND HOST

What is Ducks Unlimited Podcast?

Ducks Unlimited Podcast is a constant discussion of all things waterfowl; from in-depth hunting tips and tactics, to waterfowl biology, research, science, and habitat updates. The DU Podcast is the go-to resource for waterfowl hunters and conservationists. Ducks Unlimited is the world's leader in wetlands conservation.

VO:

Can we do a mic check, please? Everybody moves now. Hey, guys. Welcome back to ASCEND podcast. Is that supposed to be a hit? Are we doing that? Is that a thing?

Julia Stallings:

Okay. Do you want me to start over, or are we gonna roll with that? That's what we're just go. Oh, man.

VO:

Welcome to the ASCEND podcast, a podcast by and for women in the outdoors. Every episode delivers real stories, practical how to's, and a welcoming community to help you start, sharpen, or rediscover your passion for the outdoors. Authentic women, real stories, outdoor adventures, ASCEND. Presented by Ducks Unlimited, the leader in wetlands conservation. Your next adventure starts here, the ASCEND Podcast. Don't forget to rate and review the ASCEND podcast. It's the best way to grow the podcast and help other women discover the next step on their outdoors journey.

Julia Stallings:

On today's episode, it's gonna be a little bit different. Instead of bringing on one guest, we are gonna catch up with each other. You know, over the last season, we've had some incredible conversations with just really cool people in the outdoor world, and, you know, let's recap. As you can see, we have Bethany, Adrian, Aaron on, and including myself, Julia. But, yeah, I just wanna start this conversation off as, you know, let's just talk about how what those conversations have entailed.

Julia Stallings:

How has it been for you guys? Is there anything you've learned? Is there anything you've taken away? And, you know, let's start from there. I'm just gonna leave an open ended question and I'm gonna let anyone answer.

Julia Stallings:

But what has surprised you this season?

Adrian Jessen:

Gosh. The it has just been so fun. Like, I knew that it was I felt like it was something I would enjoy, you know, as doing these interviews and hosting podcasts, but it's just been a blast being able to talk to people that I I know and dig in a little bit more and hear things I didn't know about them or I've learned so much. There are so many women that know a lot about a lot of things, and that's not surprising at all. It's just been really, really cool to have these conversations and just soak in everything there is to learn.

Adrian Jessen:

I love hearing people's stories. That's my favorite part. I just wanna you know, I feel like I could just sit down with a cup of coffee around a fire and and have these conversations all day. So I guess it's not surprising. I I thought I would enjoy it, but just how much fun it would be.

Julia Stallings:

I don't know that I was quite ready for that. Oh, absolutely. Is there anybody that stuck out for your like, who you interviewed and who you had on the podcast that just like blew your mind away?

Adrian Jessen:

Yes. All of them.

Julia Stallings:

All of them. Is there any one conversation that just stuck with you?

Adrian Jessen:

They're it's just they're all so great. Like, Lanny Barnes, we just had that podcast go live and she's amazing. An Olympian and trick shooter and she like trains all sorts of people how to shoot and she's an artist and like She's an artist. Yes. It's ridiculous.

Adrian Jessen:

It's not Yeah. You have to go on her Instagram and check it out like it's ridiculous. It's not fair. Oh my goodness. She's that talented.

Adrian Jessen:

Yeah. It's not fair. I asked her when I had her I was like, please just tell me you you can't sing. Like, just give me one thing you can't do. She assured me that was the case, but

Julia Stallings:

She did a runway in Las Vegas. She walked the gun way, the project gun way runway. Like nobody's business. She's awesome. She's so cool.

Julia Stallings:

And then she does all these really cool trick shots that I like, we go back and forth and tag each other and I'm like, I kinda wanna come shoot with you.

Bethany Bethard:

I know.

Adrian Jessen:

Wasn't a great year. Like, she shot a what was it? Like, a penny the other day or something Yeah. Like a peanut. Like this like, with the 20 twos.

Adrian Jessen:

Like, what are

Bethany Bethard:

you doing?

Julia Stallings:

Oh, yeah. Well, you should see her balance on like the the yoga ball. Mhmm. Like, can balance on the yoga ball and do like the star and I'm over here like, I try to do the star just standing up. Yeah.

Julia Stallings:

If I had a shotgun, maybe I have better luck, but that's not the case.

Adrian Jessen:

Or she does she rides a unicycle sometimes?

Bethany Bethard:

I can't

Julia Stallings:

even No.

Adrian Jessen:

Yeah. Whatever.

Julia Stallings:

I can barely ride a bike. I can barely stand.

Adrian Jessen:

I don't need to ride things.

Julia Stallings:

I don't need to break anything. What about you, Erin? Anything that stood out? And like, I guess that was like one of your fan favorites or just a good conversation.

Erin Crider:

Yeah. I definitely think the podcast that I did with Kelly Godfrey down in Texas about how to find your community near you for hunting and fishing, that has stuck out with me the most. I've had so many people reach out, she has to it's encouraged me to be more active in my Uncharted Outdoorsman Facebook group. Like today, I posted, I know a bunch of y'all have taken my turkey class, you wanna go turkey hunting together, so and I will give you pins. So they're in there like linking up, hey, I'm in this part Colorado and I'll drive for two hours, you know, trying to figure I'm I'm advanced or I'm intermediate or I'm brand new or I need to borrow a gun.

Erin Crider:

That's been, like, I've seen the impact Mhmm. Come from it and that's been filling my cup.

Julia Stallings:

Oh, that's awesome. Bethany, what about you? Anything? Number one. Yeah.

Julia Stallings:

I

Bethany Bethard:

really like talking about the Conservation Stars at Home with Amy Hall, I think Mhmm. Was something I really liked. She's a really good friend of mine and just from like a mother standpoint, getting your kids in the outdoors and being really intentional about that. And then just as like a woman getting into conservation because I feel like it's such a big word and we're like, oh, don't know if that's for me, but like it is. So that was a really good conversation.

Bethany Bethard:

Yeah, we've I've loved this last season, even just the online community to watch our socials kind of blossom and grow and people, you know, listening in and liking and resharing stuff, that's really been cool to see as well.

Julia Stallings:

Oh, I think so too. Like, I have to agree with you a 100% on that. I had one person text me from, I guess I knew them years ago. They left a sweet message on our recording and he was like, oh, I remember ten years ago when you were coaching the high school team in in my local gun club, like, in ten years ago, just started. Right?

Julia Stallings:

So I was like trying to give back as soon as I started, probably way too soon. But but no. Yeah. And it's just amazing to see like all the connections and all the networks and the great conversations we just brought about with this podcast. It's amazing.

Adrian Jessen:

What's been your favorite, Julia?

Julia Stallings:

Oh, man. I'm torn. I I really enjoyed having Maggie Williams on our podcast. I thought that was just a unique conversation of, like, talking about those taboo topics. Do you is it, you know, the gun fit?

Julia Stallings:

Is it the gear fit? Like, where do we go and how do we bring everybody together on the same page? And how do we keep, you know, the social media like whole wholesome back to the, like, back to its roots? And I really, really appreciate that because, you know, I come from the social media world, it gets a little toxic, you know, it's true, but it's so nice to hear some like encouraging words and some uplifting words in our community and I'm like, man, I'm so glad we recorded that. I'm so glad people get to hear that because I know I needed it.

Julia Stallings:

If I needed it, some else probably needed it too.

Adrian Jessen:

That's cool.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. It was it was great. Is there any topics that came up recently that, you know, we didn't know what we were gonna expect by having this conversation, it kind of was like, oh, wow. That's an eye opener. So I have a couple of episodes.

Julia Stallings:

They haven't, come

Adrian Jessen:

out yet. I did one with Courtney who works for, I believe, the Department of Conservation. Forgive me if this is incorrect, in, I believe, Alabama. And she, is like brilliant when it comes to wildlife biology and, habitat and all that stuff. Like, how do you what how do you what do you think about if you're gonna work a property for improving habitat?

Adrian Jessen:

What do you who can you bring in? What do you need to think about first? What do you you know? And it's just the amount of work not work. The amount of benefit that you can do yourself if you have if you have property or you're allowed to do stuff on a property that you can do to better the habitat and which really oh my gosh.

Adrian Jessen:

Like, it's insane. It's gonna be yeah. A I know. Right? It's there's so much.

Adrian Jessen:

I mean, she talks about like and it's funny because she talks about it like, you know, we talk about how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but, how like, you can do a control like controlled burns or how to clear out, you know, if the property near you doesn't have an like an open field, clear out an open space and plant all this and plant this crop and it's insane. Like, it's super cool to know you're not just like, oh, I don't have turkeys on my property. It's like, oh, well, maybe you could.

Julia Stallings:

Maybe this is the reason why you don't have turkeys on

Adrian Jessen:

your property. Yeah. Looking and looking around, like, there's so much you can do, and then, you know, and I had another conversation with Joy, and it was about, you know, farm management practices, and it can be in terms of your farm, but also like food plots and stuff like that and water management and how to there's just there's so much stuff that you can do to better your chances of success and just to better, you know, Bethany's talking about conservation. If you can improve habitat, I mean, there

Julia Stallings:

you go. No. Absolutely. That's that's amazing. That's a really good conversation.

Julia Stallings:

A lot of like key points. You'll be especially interested in the

Adrian Jessen:

one with joy because she talks about how to improve wetland environments as well. So Oh, yes. Coming

Julia Stallings:

up. I can't wait, you know. Write it on my calendar. That's right. Awesome.

Julia Stallings:

Bethany, what about you? Any topics that you didn't expect to talk about as much as you did?

Bethany Bethard:

Yeah. So I had Priscilla Block on and she really went into, you know, as like someone that didn't grow up hunting, but like how she's learned stuff with hunting that applies to her work life. And, you know, also re talking about how nature just like really grounds you and balances and goes back to, you know, we like need that time away, you know, obviously she's really in the spotlight and so it's probably even amplified the time that she's in the outdoors. So that was really interesting talking with her and I also got to talk to Jess Rice with Wild Hourness and, you know, just talking about the women community and giving women opportunity to learn stuff like other than hunting, but kind of connected, you know, canning, you know, you can canned deer chili and all types of other things, but

Julia Stallings:

Oh, that's so cool.

Bethany Bethard:

Yeah, like how you can, you know, be like a gateway into like, it could be less, maybe you're learning how to can jam, but like now you're learning how to hunt, you know, it's, there's like stepping stones of just women. Yeah, women community. And so, yeah, that was a really great conversation and just seeing some of the experiences and just the women that come from all over, like just to have a woman on woman experience and I'm sure Erin like knows this, like we just want that woman experience, you know. We can't go to the local gun store and expect to see five other women there, you know. That would awesome.

Bethany Bethard:

That would be awesome. And I'd be like,

Julia Stallings:

well walk into one of those, like, I would party. I'd be like, oh my gosh, I have friends.

Erin Crider:

Yeah. People are like, kind are of meals going on today? Yeah.

Bethany Bethard:

Know, that was interesting to see how women, you know, were willing to travel and pay and get around these, you know, other women just to have the same experiences. So that was really great to to dive into those conversations and see some of the events that they put on and I just, there's just so much that goes into that.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. Have did y'all talk a lot about, like, juggling time? I know as, like, I feel as a woman, just in general, we have no time. Like, our time is scarce and I'm, like, moving at 90 miles an hour, twenty four seven. Like, did y'all talk about specifically, like, okay, this is how I juggle it or this is kind of what I do to have my me time and maybe that's my hunting time or maybe that's my outdoor time, whatever you wanna do, but that's like my time.

Bethany Bethard:

Yeah. I actually talked to Amy Hall a little bit about that and she was saying how we need to count the victories and sometimes that's not a sit in the woods. Sometimes that's I got to shoot my bow, you know, practice three or four times this month. Finding small victories because even like as a mom, there's a lot of time that you don't get out there and you're not going to be able to, you know, have as much scouting time or boots on the ground time. And so, yeah, she really talked about that and it was really resonating for me because I can relate to that.

Bethany Bethard:

And I think as women, we just we're juggling so many things, we need to just be more intentional about the time that we're gonna get in the outdoors and make it a priority. It's just like the gym. No, you know, nothing's going to jump out and be like, go to the gym, go to the gym. You're, you know, it's the same thing with hunting. You're going to have to, if you want to do it, you're going to make time to do it.

Bethany Bethard:

And it might just look different, you know, it's not going to look like some of these people that post and they hunt, you know, 360 a year. It's not going to look like that. Yeah. And just be realistic with what your lifestyle can hold and manage.

Julia Stallings:

No. I think that's so true. And, you know, I'm so glad you brought that up because that is definitely, you know, a challenge when you're taking it from, like, okay, you hunted in high school, you hunted in college, and now, you know, you have your new life, you're you're adult, you have kids, and it's those different chapters and different phases. And it's hard, like, because I'm truly learning that. I was like, for the first time ever, I'm juggling a full time job and then I get to go out in the woods and I was like, just sitting there in silence and I was like, man, I just love I'm in my waiters.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. We killed some ducks, but we didn't like just slaughter them, you know. We just killed a few and I'm over here having the best time of my life. And the guy I work with, he's like, you just look so good. What happened?

Julia Stallings:

What'd you do? When did you get well rested? Was like, no, man. I woke up at like 04:00 this morning. I've been sitting in the bushes.

Julia Stallings:

And they're like, what? I'm like, yeah. Yeah. I know. Well, look.

Julia Stallings:

Got some mud on me from this morning.

Erin Crider:

Little bit of that.

Julia Stallings:

Shower. Yeah. I'm like, I'm the happiest person. I'm like, that's all I needed. It was just a little bit of outdoor time.

Julia Stallings:

Nature is healing.

Adrian Jessen:

There you

VO:

I

Erin Crider:

have like 50 books on them on it.

Julia Stallings:

No. It's so true. It's so true. I've gotten, like, tons of people because they're like, what do you do to find your peace? And sometimes, like you said, Bethany, is just simply just getting out there, just doing something, whether that's your boat or just sitting out there or even scouting.

Julia Stallings:

I was like, man, this is so nice.

Erin Crider:

Yeah. Like you said about the intention, like, if your intention is to harvest every time, you're gonna be in trouble.

Julia Stallings:

Oh, yeah. Man, like that

Adrian Jessen:

a lot.

Bethany Bethard:

Discer. I

Julia Stallings:

feel like that's so hard for athletes too because, like, being a competitor, I had to take a step back of, like, you don't win necessarily all the time in hunting. And that's hard for some people. Mhmm. That's hard for me. Super lame.

Erin Crider:

Yeah. Yeah. And it's like so, man, if I can get out and just walk around in the woods and, like, see an animal, like, of course, I'm at 9,000 feet, 10,000 feet runner. Like, it's not like a walk, but it's like, you know, if I see an elk, I'm like,

Julia Stallings:

oh my gosh. Okay. Well, Erin, do you have a topic that just got brought up that you're just like, wow, this was an amazing topic?

Erin Crider:

Yeah. I really liked having my personal hunting buddy on, Caroline. I should really make a a blog about how we prepare and communicate for our hunts because since our our podcast went out, I've had I take lots of women hunting and fishing and to do cool stuff all the time. And it is so helpful when they have already watched that podcast, like I'm taking some girls Friday down south, like four hour drive and there's nothing There's no services. Right?

Erin Crider:

So I'm like, you need to make sure you have all of your things. They have watched this podcast and I mean, some of them actually know Caroline too. And the the people that I've taken this year are way more prepared. They know how to communicate with me. They know what to expect because we are communicating because I don't know what they don't know.

Erin Crider:

Right? But they're like, oh, hey, I'm brand new this or like, hey, I kind of have some trauma with this shotgun thing and I'm kind of uncomfortable around them. And that's been so helpful not just for me to make life so much easier and I get to enjoy guiding, but also for my clients and some of my girlfriends and just having having a baseline foundation of like, this is what is would be upsetting to me today and here is my intention and my objective today. And sometimes we go turkey hunting, like, last fall we go turkey we went turkey hunting. I did a couple turkey classes and one of the girls, she just wanted to shoot the gun, like, didn't own one.

Erin Crider:

Right? She's like, I just wanna shoot a couple and like that was her intention for the day. So I took her breath. Like, where the shock where the turkeys weren't. I was like, okay, we're gonna start where the turkeys are not.

Erin Crider:

We're gonna shoot some guns, figure out which one you like, and then we're gonna go do the turkey So just having like that kind of communication, that makes a day. It sets the intentions the way that they need to be set because if you're just out there like, well, where's the birds? It's like, where's the birds? You know,

Julia Stallings:

there's you see a sign for the birds? I don't see any signs.

Bethany Bethard:

Yeah.

Julia Stallings:

I saw a deer sign. No. That's not the signs we're looking Yeah. Oh my goodness. That's amazing.

Julia Stallings:

And I think you bring up a really good point, honestly. They don't know what they don't know. And so how can you even start to ask a question before if you don't know anything?

Adrian Jessen:

Mhmm.

Julia Stallings:

And so Elise, you're you know, when you watch your podcast, you're learning so many things where you can have those educational conversations. You're like, oh, hey. I heard about this and now I can ask it because I know kind of the parameters to ask versus just like, I don't know.

Erin Crider:

I'm not gonna ask. Yeah. Or even bringing up like the uncomfortable things. Right? Like, oh, hey, I do have a little bit of trauma around guns.

Erin Crider:

Right? Like, this is it's kinda uncomfortable and it's like, okay, I'm gonna completely switch up my game plan to make sure that we are filling her intent and getting the the most out of that day that we can. If her intent isn't to necessarily like the same intent that I have to harvest and it's just to get some experience because she's going on a trip. Like, my whole everything changes in me, especially if she's got some trauma going on with guns, like I am a different person. No.

Erin Crider:

Love Like every everyone in my group, like we all kind of like pivot and it happens so naturally.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. Think that's so good though that you're bringing them in. You're like, hey, I don't want you to be afraid of this. I want you to at least learn and be able, like, to go hunting when you want to go hunting. Mhmm.

Julia Stallings:

And it's not gonna be scary. Right.

Erin Crider:

Right.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. No. That's amazing. That's truly amazing. You know, when you were talking, I was like, you know, there's just awkward conversations you have to have on the You got to.

Julia Stallings:

What's the most awkward does anyone have any awkward conversations? Like, for me, it was like when I worked in a gun store and the girl I sold my first gun to her, you know, I'm like, oh, yeah, I sold a gun. She pulled me aside and she's like, how do you go to the bathroom when you're carrying? And like, she pulled me aside. She's like, can you come with me?

Julia Stallings:

And I'm like, I don't think I can come with you, but I can teach you where to put it. Yeah. Like, sort of thing. Have you ever had any of those conversations? Like, I mean Oh, yeah.

Julia Stallings:

Just off topic.

Erin Crider:

Yeah. Definitely. Pronghorn hunting, there's nothing to hide behind. Right? And if you've got to change a tampon, the way to do it is you take your plastic bag.

Erin Crider:

I'm going there. You take your plastic bag. I love You wrap it in duct tape. Right? Wrap it in duct tape, put gloves in there too, so that if say, like, say your gut and your antelope and like, I've got to get into your bag for something like maybe your phone, your camera, something like that.

Erin Crider:

I don't want to see that. Right? Mhmm. That's awkward. But it's really helpful if, you know, it's wrapped up in duct tape and then you can just throw the whole thing away later, like, that's the way to go about that.

Julia Stallings:

Did not think about that. But that's very smart.

Erin Crider:

It's any I just got back from Mexico fly fishing in saltwater and, like, that was my technique. So it's not just hunting, Right?

Julia Stallings:

It's anything. It's anything. I I think it's a smart technique, you know Duct tape. Duct tape. Gloves.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. Duct tape and gloves.

Erin Crider:

And I'm also like, I also have like 20 more tampons if you need one, you know? Like, that's the kind of guide I am. Like, what size do you want?

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. You know, I stuff them everywhere. My poor fiance, he looks at me, he's like, what

Adrian Jessen:

are all these

Julia Stallings:

equipment stuff? I don't know what the colors mean. I'm like, don't touch those. Yeah. Have them all my, like, shooting bag.

Julia Stallings:

I'm like, just in case, you never know when you're gonna need one. Know. Whip it out. Yeah.

Adrian Jessen:

I got you for nosebleed. You'll be more than ready for a nosebleed.

Julia Stallings:

You know, I found when you're ready for that stuff, you can make a really good girlfriend when you're, like, there for someone, and you're friends for life. It's like the ultimate rite of passage. You're like, oh, you need a tampon? I got you, girl.

Erin Crider:

It's like being in the bathroom in the two thousands. Right? Oh, yeah. Like in high school or at the dance club when that was a thing, and you're just like, you're you make new friends in there. Now, it's like, get in and out.

Erin Crider:

Like, take yourself Yeah. You don't even talk.

Julia Stallings:

You don't even make contact. Like, we're

Erin Crider:

like moving. I'm like, no girlfriends. We this is this is the women's bathroom. Like, let's hang on one second. What's Do his we need to dump him?

Erin Crider:

I think we need to dump him, you know?

Julia Stallings:

Like It's so true. It's so true. COVID changed us. They're like, oh, we can't talk. We can't even get close.

Julia Stallings:

We can't, you know, wash our hands like 15,000 times, like, and then air dry. Don't even use the towels. Just yeah. It changed us.

Erin Crider:

Yeah.

Julia Stallings:

Oh my goodness. What about you guys? Bethany, Adrianne, anything any topics that you're like, man, I didn't, you know, I did not see this on the bingo card today, but here it is.

Bethany Bethard:

I don't think anything is from that, but we were talking about like, you know, upcoming hunts and things that happened and three of my middle kids harvested their first deer this during this season.

Julia Stallings:

Oh, that's awesome. Gosh.

Bethany Bethard:

So I'm awesome. And I was with two of the three and but my daughter was the first one that I was with and she missed her first shot, like just shot like right under it and the deer was love that, you know. Oh. And she was so nervous getting back into the blind and man, the and it was like, God knew because the way that the hunt happened, I can see him, I see this one doe and she knows we're in this blind and I'm like, if she blows, I'm just gonna

Adrian Jessen:

pick my

Julia Stallings:

nose up.

Adrian Jessen:

She blows, she goes. Yeah.

Bethany Bethard:

And she knew, but all the other ones are like, and like single file line at like the perfect yardage are walking out into this food plot and she's so nervous and I was like, listen, everybody misses, like people miss, it's okay, you can take this shot. And so to get that like time with her and she was like, just don't know if I can do it, like you can do it, like you can. And she shot it. I mean, drops the thing and she's like, mom, I did it. Was like, I told you, you know, it's like, yes.

Bethany Bethard:

Like, and to be there with her and to walk her with her, oh man, like the highlight of my season, but really being able to talk about missing. Yeah. You know, I was telling her, was like, listen, like I crawled up on a Merriam Turkey, the last one I needed for my grand slam and miss him. Okay? I was like, I was devastated.

Bethany Bethard:

So to get back out there and having to crawl after another one and like this, you know, I'm like, but you can do it and it does happen. And so now her confidence is cloud nine and she's like, when are we going again? Are we going turkey hunting? Are we doing this? It was just amazing.

Bethany Bethard:

It was great to see. And so, yeah, that was a high for me during the season, but really been able to have those conversations and she's 10, you know. No.

Julia Stallings:

That's a big lesson. That's a big lesson for a 10 year old too, like how to overcome that. And she can take that on for her, you know, in life. Like Yeah. Just because something doesn't go the way you think it's going to happen, how can you get up from that?

Julia Stallings:

What does that look like and how does it take, you know? That's amazing.

Bethany Bethard:

I think that's important for people to know because social media is so much harvest, harvest, harvest. There's not a lot of losses that are shared on social media. And so as far, I felt like, especially for women and we already feel like in this male dominated space, like those, you know, and you have these women are out there, they're killing it. And it's like, their social media looks amazing and I just miss this, miss this deer, you know. Yeah, I certainly like talking about that.

Bethany Bethard:

It's so important because, yeah, I I think it's a discouraging first, maybe some new hunters that like follow people and they don't ever see like, this is my twentieth sit, you know.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. Or something like that.

Erin Crider:

They don't know if someone paid $15,000 for a bull elk hunt or if they did it themselves. Yeah.

Julia Stallings:

That's true. You know? Yeah. Did you pay for it? Did you get it naturally?

Erin Crider:

Did the guy drive the truck up to the elk? Like, we I mean, that's our elk camp, like, can drive the truck right up to them pretty much. Oh, wow. And pull the trigger or did you like scout and like spend time out there and like spend time with the herd and like kinda get to know them and how that do you understand elk behavior? Yeah.

Julia Stallings:

Totally different. Did you rough it? Are your Yes. Boots

Erin Crider:

Do you have cactus in them?

Julia Stallings:

When you see someone with like really really shiny clothes and they never been worn ever and you're like, you see all these posts on the social media, you're like, either someone got new camo for Christmas or Yeah. What kind of washer you got, girl? Yeah. Must be amazing.

Erin Crider:

Clean anything

Julia Stallings:

like that. My Maytag does not do that.

Erin Crider:

Adrienne, what was your highlight?

Adrian Jessen:

Yeah. Oh, gosh. So we well, two things. First, my husband and I both on the opening day of muzzleloader season in North Carolina that morning, and actually, I'd missed one the night before, but the bow. Long story.

Adrian Jessen:

Anyway, I may have gotten over it. Maybe not. Anyway.

Erin Crider:

First of all, a muzzleloader? Did you say it was a Me? Muzzleloader?

Adrian Jessen:

Yeah. Like, I can shoot one, like legally or personally?

Erin Crider:

No. Just like you can.

Adrian Jessen:

Oh, yeah. Oh, so it's a super cool

Julia Stallings:

here having a moment. Yeah. Like, that's

Adrian Jessen:

so cool. You can actually you can watch it on our hunt this thing channel. No. Yeah. Hunt this thing.

Adrian Jessen:

We have another channel that has some hunts. But anyway, so that morning, Robbie was up because I had missed the night before, with a bow. And so that morning, we get in the stand and that, like, three days before. It's a place we had hunted, so we knew it. But he, got the stand set up so we could hunt together and we were gonna film, but then didn't decided not to.

Adrian Jessen:

But so at, like, 07:00 in the morning, he we hear noise and this buck comes in and he's chasing a doe. Long story short, at like 50 yards, he shoots and he goes down. Yay. We're all excited. We switch out, and then we nothing nothing else happens that morning.

Adrian Jessen:

No. I feel like a little a little buck came, a little spike or something came in, but so we get down and we celebrate and, you know, whatever. So I'm still, you know, kind of in a mood because I missed. But I'm like, fine, whatever, I'll go. You know?

Adrian Jessen:

Because that's how it is sometimes when you're an ex ex athlete. And so, we get in the stand, and, it's like 03:00, you know, like, not super early, but not super late. And, he rattles, you know, hammering the rattles, and we kinda hang out. And like twenty minutes later, hear footsteps. It's coming up the road, like, right in front of me.

Adrian Jessen:

And it's the coolest thing because it's it's like you you knew he knew what he was doing because he walked straight up the the I say road, you know, like path. So he walked straight up the path, got almost directly across from us, looked around in both sides of the woods, and then turned and headed like straight at me. And then probably, he came straight toward me and then turned broadside at like twenty, twenty five yards. So you didn't really need He's like the here? Oh, yeah.

Adrian Jessen:

Yeah. He didn't really need the, it was a CBA Endura Pro, which is meant to shoot like hundreds of yards. It's like, yeah, or I could just throw a yards. Yeah. He was, and it was it was super exciting because we both got one on the same day and same stand.

Adrian Jessen:

It was great. And they're both, I mean, pretty decent, for I mean, really, really decent for for us. And then the next week, that was November 1. So then, like, a week and a half later, we went to Oregon and we both had cow elk tags. And so it was super fun.

Adrian Jessen:

That's on our regular channel. I review the same channel, you can watch that. It was super fun and we did, in fact, drive the truck to get the the elk, which was amazing because you just winched them up

Erin Crider:

and private land. That's nice. Yeah. They're on the other side of the ridge, that's why you pay that's why you pay thousands of dollars.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. Hey. Thankfully That thousands of dollars might save my back. Yeah. For sure.

Adrian Jessen:

Oh, yeah. And we are very blessed. We're very fortunate. We went with a friend, so it was his property and he got, you know, he, like, took us around and so that we were very, very fortunate because of that. But, yeah, it was it was that was super fun.

Adrian Jessen:

And again, we doubled. Robbie and I doubled. Both got one in the same at the same time and that it's just super fun when you both can just be so excited Yeah. For each other

Erin Crider:

Yeah.

Adrian Jessen:

And for yourselves. Like Mhmm. So fun. Yeah. It was super cool and they fell down about, I mean, maybe 10 maybe 10 yards away from each other.

Adrian Jessen:

So we found them both and it was a blast. So that was Awesome. Just a it was a super super fun season. Heck yeah. There's a couple of really great days that make you forget the ones that weren't great.

Adrian Jessen:

So that's how it's Hey.

Julia Stallings:

That that's how it

Adrian Jessen:

needs to be.

Erin Crider:

Yeah. Blowing snow.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. This is some great conversation. Let's take a moment and hear from our sponsors.

VO:

Stay tuned to the Ducks Unlimited Podcast sponsored by Purina Pro Plan and Bird Dog Whiskey after these messages.

Erin Crider:

I shot my first elk. Yes. Yes. You did.

Julia Stallings:

I saw that. Let's hear about it. I okay.

Erin Crider:

So my season was it was a rough season. I did get my national forest permit, which is awesome. So I can take women on public land and show them how to never hire me again. And like, I'm literally taking them to where I hunt my deer, where I hunt my turkeys, and like they're paying me. Right?

Bethany Bethard:

And Security.

Erin Crider:

Yeah. And 7% of the money goes back to conservation efforts of that national forest. So took out a bunch of gals. It was tough. We didn't have any snow.

Erin Crider:

The animals were high. Yes. All the ways into November. The animals were so high and you can only hike so like, it it was still kinda cold, but they're really high. So I had a white tailed tag in Wyoming, didn't fill it, saw a massive buck.

Erin Crider:

Like, I I've never seen a white tailed deer that big. Blue tongue got him. Okay. So now I know. Had a mule deer buck tag, my husband had the rifle trying to fill his first doe tag, also missed Bethany twice and then we went after the second date and he still missed.

Erin Crider:

But that's okay. I love him. He's not he's not a hunter, I am. He was there to pack her out.

Adrian Jessen:

That's right.

Julia Stallings:

I just knew where And that is a supportive husband right there. That's like a fan. He's a part me

Erin Crider:

a little too much, which is why I own Uncharted Outdoorsman. Right? So but I hadn't seen these bucks, like it was in the rut that I always try and get a rut tag, right? Because they're really active and they're coming out of that dark timber. So it's just easier to find them because it's so steep and there's just so many large pole trees there, you know, you might only have six inches to shoot something and it's just it's really tough in my unit.

Erin Crider:

So it's not like a great unit. Right? Like this is like, at least you can get a tag unit. So I didn't get that. I I pull this bear tag every year up here too just in case, but and I I've seen her den.

Erin Crider:

I just don't know if I could pull the trigger, but I still run around with it. Money go the money from that bear tag goes to conservation once again, and it got me out like seven seven or eight days with other people, so that was really cool to introduce people and like, bears never use the same cave more than once. Oh, really? Understand. Yeah.

Bethany Bethard:

Oh, that's

Julia Stallings:

I've always wanted to go on a bear hunt. I really want to go on a bear hunt. I'm also terrified of bears. Yeah.

Erin Crider:

Fun fact. And I'm not scared of bears anymore. I think that's because now that I've seen them and I'm like, oh, she's just like eating grass. Okay. Like it's I kind of gotten over and I've seen her on my house quite a bit.

Erin Crider:

Mainly trying to come in my windows. That's terrifying. Season I know.

Adrian Jessen:

Back on topic. Talk about the elk.

Erin Crider:

The season was rough and then I got to January because I I mean, I social media marketing is really hard right now with everything going on. There's a lot of noise on social media and so I couldn't fill my elk camp. So I had to buy my last elk tag. So I did that, all three of our clients tagged out and I still had mine and so I'm leaving with that elk camp without an elk. And not that I had like a ton of time to hunt it, but I had to work it and like feed everybody and like scout and all that, make sure they got their elk in the coolers, driven home or to the processor.

Erin Crider:

So I just didn't have time. And I thought, you know, I'm definitely like intimidated by other outfitters because of the negative things I have endured being the only female outfitter in the industry in the West. And so I was like, you know what? Screw it. I'm just gonna like see if they'll let me come back and fill this tech.

Erin Crider:

Like, I don't need them. Right? Also, if I would go back, it would kind of complete my mission of Uncharted where you learn from the guide and then you go do it yourself. Right?

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. I mean, literally, the storyline right there.

Bethany Bethard:

I mean

Erin Crider:

So they said, yes, and we went out and we got one. And it was I like go into shock when I get

Adrian Jessen:

Oh, jerk.

Erin Crider:

I'm like in shock and I have like my checklist, like, get my photo, get this photo, you know, take a seat, like, take in the moment. But now my freezer's full and then, oh, it was late January. Right? There no processors are open, like, they're all full. And so we had to process it at my house during my busiest time of year with my business, putting it for my permits, trying to finish waterfowl season.

Erin Crider:

It's finally getting cold. The birds are here and

Adrian Jessen:

We have 600 pounds of meat

Erin Crider:

hanging in Yeah. All this meat hanging in my garage. My husband, quote, do not bring that thing here.

Julia Stallings:

Told you, how You bring that thing there. That's what

Adrian Jessen:

I showed

Erin Crider:

up, I posted a picture of him, like, holding the bags, you know, and he's like, he looks like the hunter. Right? Just me and my shenanigans. Yeah. It's like,

Adrian Jessen:

you did it, didn't you?

Julia Stallings:

So, yeah. I got my first one and like, if you

Erin Crider:

can't tell, I'm still like living that.

Adrian Jessen:

That's

Erin Crider:

awesome. Living in that moment is really cool. Because I my intention was to just find them. Right? To find them and get, I don't know, within a mile.

Erin Crider:

I don't know. Get within I was shot him at 200 yards.

Adrian Jessen:

Heck yeah.

Erin Crider:

I think we took all of our shots at like 300 but they had set like the ranch was like, it's gonna be at five, six hundred, 700 yard shot because it's in the plains, but we stalked her for like two miles, think, mile and a half, two miles behind a cow decoy. YouTube is coming, hopefully, video of that. So I'll post it if we get

Julia Stallings:

a cow. Right?

Erin Crider:

So I got one. Like my season was terrible until I was like, hey, can I like go do this? And I had I skills. Knew the knowledge. Right?

Erin Crider:

And then I did it and it happened. And it still cost me a lot of money, but I mean, the price of You did it. Now. Yeah.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. Yeah. You did it and your Yeah. Your husband loves you enough to bring it home, you know, bam. Right there.

Adrian Jessen:

Julia, we can't forget you.

Julia Stallings:

Oh, man. What was the question? I would have highlighted duck on this bear. I'm like, thinking about remember this bear.

Adrian Jessen:

My experience from this season.

Erin Crider:

Think was your duck No.

Julia Stallings:

My yeah. Definitely my duck hunt was, you know, obviously being having glowing sin the second I came out of the duck hole. But no, I actually got to take my fiance hunting. He's not from a hunting family, and I'm definitely the shooter, obviously, of the family. And so it's hard.

Julia Stallings:

It's always hard, but he's getting there. We're we're training him. He's a football player, so there's no finesse. There's no finesse. Mhmm.

Julia Stallings:

It's like he points and he throws. And I'm like, baby, you gotta keep it in your shoulder. Like, we're so close. But yes, we took him duck hunting and he got his first deer. His deer was amazing and went with my brother because they wouldn't have bro time.

Julia Stallings:

You know how that works. He obviously didn't want his woman taking him. That's okay. It's fine. It's okay.

Julia Stallings:

But the duck hunting was absolutely amazing. So I got to see him, you know, we're working on the shotgun thing. We're finally getting it down. And when he smoked his first DUG, I think he jumped about, like, his vertical went up at least, you know, 15 more feet, I feel like, because he was like, did you see it? And I was like, yeah.

Julia Stallings:

No. I see it, baby. Congratulations. And of course, my dog, he's like taking off 90 to nothing over here. He's like, going to retreat.

Julia Stallings:

He's like, he's gotta bring it to me. I'm like, he's not gonna bring it to you, but you got it. It's all yours.

Erin Crider:

Yeah.

Julia Stallings:

So it was just really nice seeing, like, someone who got so excited about doing something that I love and, like, sharing that passion, just being like, oh, I can do this. I can be a part of the group. And I think that's where it brought together that community and that network of, like I feel like one of the gang, you know, I feel like part of the community now. Mhmm. And it was kinda like that rite of passage.

Julia Stallings:

She's like Mhmm. I shot my duck, you know. I I shoot ducks. And, you know, I'm like My duck? Yeah.

Julia Stallings:

You shoot ducks. And so it's good. It's good to, you know, get people out there now. He's texting you as friends. Yeah.

Julia Stallings:

We go duck hunting. I'm like, we've been once, but we're gonna go more.

Adrian Jessen:

He's duck hunting. He's he's he's in it.

Julia Stallings:

Oh, yeah. He already ordered some sickie gear. He's like, I'm all in. I'm like, baby. It's addictive.

Julia Stallings:

We're we're gonna we're gonna get there. So he was talking about turkeys and I'm like, oh, yeah. Now we're speaking language. That's Ducks are good. You know, deer's okay when I'm reading a book, but turkeys.

Julia Stallings:

Now we're talking. Really excited about the turkeys. So we'll see how, you know, everything goes. But, yeah,

Erin Crider:

that's You just gonna moved. Like, where are you gonna turkey hunt? Are you going back?

Julia Stallings:

We did just move. Talked about going out out west. So we have some friends. Yes. I know.

Julia Stallings:

I know.

Adrian Jessen:

It's like

Julia Stallings:

I know. Well, girl Better call you bitch. If you're trying to hunt with me though. It's We're good, girl. So it's so funny you say that.

Julia Stallings:

My I still have deer cameras up in my property in Tennessee and just there's so many turkeys. Like, I'm coming from a place that was, like, one guy. You know, one turkey out there just in the middle of the field every now and then. So many turkeys. I don't know if they got the thought that I left.

Julia Stallings:

And now they're like, oh, yeah. We can

Erin Crider:

I mean We're just strutting

Julia Stallings:

over in the field? Don't worry about

Erin Crider:

can go check for you.

Adrian Jessen:

I can come here. I am the haven't seen a lot of

Julia Stallings:

If you're in Memphis.

Adrian Jessen:

I I can get there.

Julia Stallings:

I might need someone to go check on her or meet me there. There you go.

Adrian Jessen:

There go.

Julia Stallings:

There we yeah. Don't meet me there because, you know, I'm over here like checking, of course, in the middle of surgery. I'm like, oh, do you

Erin Crider:

see this? He's counting this big Look at these turkeys. Six long words.

Julia Stallings:

Oh, I get so excited. But yeah. So that's the, you know, future, you know, milestone. We're gonna get them there, but it's been fun. Like, that's kind of my enjoyment and the biggest lesson that I've saw, you know, this season at least is getting someone new into duck hunting and taking away what that meant for them because he had so many questions, and I was not prepared for these questions.

Julia Stallings:

I was like, oh my gosh. I can coach shooting. This is my first time. I'm usually in the lobby. I was like, I gotta send him to Aaron.

Julia Stallings:

He's not a woman, but Yeah.

Erin Crider:

He's gotta go. The rules are the same, you know?

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. Stay warm. Yeah. Don't Yeah. Yeah.

Julia Stallings:

That was also a thing. Yeah. I I wasn't prepared for that either. He's like, stay warm. He's like, I brought these socks.

Julia Stallings:

I'm like, oh. Those are short.

Erin Crider:

My husband too. Yeah. The socks. Jacket. He's like, oh, what and I'm like, okay.

Erin Crider:

Well, it's snowing. Whatever.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. No. I didn't realize that. And then also, like, I felt bad because the first time we went deer hunting, of course, he's texting me. I'm in surgery.

Julia Stallings:

I'm like trying to get off so I can get into the deer blind before sunset. You're like, I'm like, oh my gosh. He showed up in jeans and a sweatshirt. Hell yeah. Because I told him to dress warm.

Julia Stallings:

I did not specify. Hey.

Adrian Jessen:

If as long as he's in a blonde and they're warm, they can't see you. Kind of.

Julia Stallings:

It was a flaming yellow Notre Dame sweatshirt. Oh, nice. Was like,

Adrian Jessen:

hey, nice. What are

Bethany Bethard:

you wearing? Yeah. Color blind.

Erin Crider:

Let's see. Yeah. But I was just like,

Julia Stallings:

we just stick it out like a sore I'm like, we're in the woods. Yes. Flaming.

Adrian Jessen:

You know though, if you talk to enough enough people who have hunted a very long time, this is a story I have heard from so many people is, you know, grandpa used to come in the blind in his blue jeans and his red flannel shirt, smoking a cigarette, and kill the deer all the time. So

Erin Crider:

That were like conservation laws in the '8 like anybody that's why, like, in the eighties is when conservation and tags and all that came about. Right? So they were just used to shooting anything anytime is kinda what it sounds like. And you could do that in whatever you want if it was any time of year.

Adrian Jessen:

Yeah. Yep.

Julia Stallings:

You know? Yeah. I mean, it makes sense. I'm a It's possible. Like, dress the max.

Julia Stallings:

I look, you know, I will be one with the ground dirt on my face, especially when it comes to hunting. I will roll around in the woods and, like, let's go. Anything for a turkey.

Adrian Jessen:

Yeah.

Julia Stallings:

Deer, not so much. That's right.

Erin Crider:

I think that we take for granted as a more experience I think what we take for granted as more experienced hunters is that new experience when, you know, the gal does catch her first fish and she's in the moment. We're like, alright, let's get in there like, let's move it. Get your photo and like, you just kind of like move through everything really quickly. And recently, I had a first experience with being in Mexico and just seeing all the birds and like seeing a lot of things for the first time. When the girls I went with, they see that stuff all the time, like this is no big deal.

Erin Crider:

They're like, we are so excited Yeah. To see how excited you are. And I'm like,

Julia Stallings:

oh my gosh. I and I get to

Erin Crider:

do this all that. I get to do this for my career and give people bring in new experiences. So we just as like, as it more advanced hunters, intermediate more experienced hunters is the word I'm looking for. Yeah. As more experienced hunters, we take for granted what we're giving to these new these new hunters.

Erin Crider:

Yeah. This first experience that can kind of change their life and we hope it does. Right? Conservation needs help, especially from the fastest growing demographic in the outdoors. Sure.

Bethany Bethard:

I mean, as a mom, like the same thing, like you just see those light bulbs come on, that like hunger, that drive to get in the stand again. Yeah. You know, my kids have suffered through some pretty cold mornings and, know, they've duck hunting with me and I've had to take heated gloves and stuff them on my son's feet one time just to make the hunt go longer because he was like, I'm so cold, you know, but to see him like, he ended up shooting a duck that day and then I was like, I'll go and suffer in the cold anytime.

Erin Crider:

There you go. Yeah.

Julia Stallings:

He's over here toughing it and he's like, whatever it takes, mom, don't worry.

Erin Crider:

Yeah. Make that

Julia Stallings:

duck land right here. I love it. Sometimes they make the best stories too. You kinda like tough through something so hard and then you're like, dude, that was the best time and you're over here, like, person who's with you is like looking at you, like, really? And every time you go through a

Erin Crider:

hard time, man. You turn that chapter, turn the page in that chapter and you're like, okay. I am oh, my my skin's a little thicker.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. No. For sure. Speaking of like new shooters, what's something, you know, beginners focus on way too much that you've seen?

Erin Crider:

The recoil.

Bethany Bethard:

Trying to be right.

Julia Stallings:

Oh, ladies. Bethany, I like that. Trying to be right.

Erin Crider:

Oh. Oh. Yeah.

Julia Stallings:

Mic drop.

Bethany Bethard:

I think there's just so much information out there. They're just like Mhmm. I gotta be right. I gotta be an expert. I already gotta know what to do and I'm Yeah.

Bethany Bethard:

Embarrassed if I have to ask the question or I might be the most novice of the bunch that's around. So I'm just going to fake it until I make it, you know?

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. Do you think a lot of that comes from like social media? Everyone sees all the positives and like you said, none of the negatives.

Bethany Bethard:

It could be social media or the group that you're around, or if you're the only female and a group of men that's grown up hunting and went to deer camp and did all the things and they don't got time to mansplain the conversation or whatever, or they don't. Like you said, Aaron, it's just another throw it in there, but that's your first time experiencing and you want to savor that moment a little bit, whether you're the person or you're mentoring someone. Yeah. It's hard to be with people that, you know, they I don't think people like to be feel inferior and we're in a social media world that's, you know, give me all the likes, show me all the the things and we don't wanna show the bad or the not knowledgeable person.

Julia Stallings:

I I think showing the bad is probably the best part, to be honest. Like, I think that kinda uncovers everything, and it's like, it kinda makes me feel like, oh, I thought that too. Mhmm. Or, oh, yeah. That's me.

Julia Stallings:

And you never wanna say that's you ever. But, I mean, I relate to that. I'm of course, I did a lot of, like, failure, you know, trick shots. So, like, showing the flaws got more likes than showing the perfect shot. And I feel like

Adrian Jessen:

a video that Scott posted back, it's been a while ago, but he was self filming himself, bow hunting. Mhmm. And it was just a a short on YouTube. It was, know, like a thirty second deal, but the he had the camera facing him

Julia Stallings:

maybe you're supposed to show a little bit of flaws every now and then or how you truly feel.

Adrian Jessen:

We need on on our, on the ASCEND Instagram, YouTube, what we need to start doing is have people send in their failure shots, their Oh my Yes. And just have this whole series of Yeah. Of hunting bloopers, fishing bloopers, like, we're not nobody's perfect and, yeah, I heard somebody one time say, if if you say you've never missed, you've either never hunted or you're a liar.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. So And you never did it long enough. You never did it

Adrian Jessen:

long enough. Yeah. So, you know Yeah. That's maybe maybe that's the thing. Hey, you guys, if you, if you have any videos of you messing up, leave them up to see them.

Adrian Jessen:

Share them for everyone. We all mess up.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. Tag us because we'd love to see it. Hey, let's repost a couple. Like, let's literally join the movement.

Adrian Jessen:

Tag us all. Tag d u send in your in your mess ups and

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. That would be amazing. This

Adrian Jessen:

real realness going. We can do it.

Julia Stallings:

I think that's great. I mean, heck, I wanna see them. I just wanna see people, like, slip in the mud or fall with their waiters on. Like, I do at least one time a year. Like Uh-huh.

Julia Stallings:

And I'm coordinated. I'm a coordinated person. I'm sleeping for you, girl. Man, I'm five three.

Erin Crider:

Out of the mud onto the ice into the river is, like, my

Julia Stallings:

downward trajectory. So you never caught a break. You just went bam bam bam. Yeah.

Erin Crider:

It's just that's just

Julia Stallings:

the way

Erin Crider:

it goes sometimes. When the duck hunting is good, that's just

Julia Stallings:

telling us. What what do they say? That's the way the cookie crumbles? Yeah. That's what they She's a crumble cookie.

Julia Stallings:

Crumble Oh my goodness. So before we wrap up, I would love to hear what excites you the most about the future of hunting really quick, and then let's just close it out.

Erin Crider:

I have recently seen a resurgence of women fly fishing that I haven't seen in years, and it's really good to see. I feel like last year, the fly fishing scene in Colorado or the West kinda like petered out a little bit, you know, it's like COVID. Like, everyone got into it and then it's just kind of like, well, there are more fly tying classes this winter than I've ever seen hosted by more than just me. So it's nice.

Julia Stallings:

That is awesome. Yeah. That's awesome.

Erin Crider:

For women, not just like fly tying, it's like women's fly tying class more than I've ever like, there's I think there's three other fly tying classes the same day that we have ours in Uncharted and I'm like, so excited to see it. I'm not even I'm not even mad. Mine's not even full and I'm like, oh my gosh, look at how many women are teaching fly tying and look at how many fly shops are being like, hey, do you girls wanna go teach them fly tying here? Oh. That was not a thing ten years ago.

Erin Crider:

That was not So a it's it feels really good.

Julia Stallings:

That has to make you feel good. Mhmm. It's amazing. Bethany, what's yours? I think just

Bethany Bethard:

more mom sharing their experience in the outdoors, whether that's taking your kids or the hunting being your thing and like preserving your identity and something that you love to do, you know, baby wearing the outdoors tips to take kids in the outdoors, just showing kids in the duck blind, like, you know, taking kids again, think is something that, seeing that kind of family tradition resurgence, but with the mom, you know, is something that I really enjoy seeing and I'm glad that I can be a part of kind of that movement that's going.

Julia Stallings:

Love it. Love it. It's so true.

Adrian Jessen:

I think, a couple of things. One is the number of, I would say, young females that I have met in the past couple months at least, who are like really into hunting. And not not just because it's cool, but because they really love it and wanna do it. Like the people in the, you know, like twenties and and younger thirties. So that was neat, because that that to me is it's if it is continuing and they're like duck hunting, which is, you know, probably one of the coldest and most miserable types you can do.

Adrian Jessen:

So it's not just the glam hunting kind of thing. But it it's exciting because if the younger girls who aren't maybe aren't married yet or don't have kids yet are that excited about it, then hopefully they'll continue as they do have families and kids and they'll like Bethany's talking about, they'll continue that with their families. Yeah. And then the other thing that's super neat and having seen it through the ASCEND YouTube videos, is the number of organizations that organize hunts for women. And it the cool thing is, and it Like there are groups where it seems like, oh, this is more the younger girls, and this is more the older women, or this is more the inexperienced or whatever.

Adrian Jessen:

But the really neat thing is that there is There are so many groups that if you want to go on a hunt, if you wanna get into hunting, if you're experiencing you want somewhere to go to do something you haven't done, or to meet new people, like, there are good ones and there are a lot of good Opportunity. There's so many opportunities. So like Yeah. If you wanna do it, and it I I knew there were some, but my my eyes have been opened to how many opportunities there are out there. And that to me is just super cool that you can do it on your own.

Adrian Jessen:

Mhmm. Like, I'm very, very fortunate. My husband is amazing and he got me into hunting and it wasn't a thing where he's like, I'm going hunting with the boys, you stay home. You know, like, he was like, please come. I want you to come.

Adrian Jessen:

I want you to love this thing that I love. So I'm very fortunate and that that's been my experience. I know that is not everyone's experience, you know, like Mhmm. Aaron and Julia, you guys were, you know, your husbands don't hunt. You try to get him into it.

Adrian Jessen:

Bethany, I think your husband's probably so busy he can't hunt.

Bethany Bethard:

He does when he can. I hunt more than

Erin Crider:

him though.

Adrian Jessen:

Yeah. Yeah. If you have that opportunity that I have, awesome. If you don't, or if like me, if I wanna go on a women's hunt and I wanna go on a, you know, sandhill crane hunt or whatever, like there are so many opportunities. So many.

Adrian Jessen:

If you wanna do it, you can do it.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. I think the bottom line is this, if any guys are listening to this, get your women out with you. They'll complain less when you're gone or when you're doing something because you're just gonna come the women are gonna join you, and you're gonna get to do more things.

Adrian Jessen:

So, I mean Maybe that's what maybe that was motivation. I don't know. But No.

Julia Stallings:

I think that's a really good tip for everyone who's listening. Wink. Wink. There you go. If you want to go, you know, hunting in Argentina, wink.

Julia Stallings:

Get your girl out hunting or do something fun.

Adrian Jessen:

Around. That's exactly.

Julia Stallings:

Yeah. They're never they're never gonna say no. Put it that way. No. That's amazing.

Julia Stallings:

I really like that. I really like that and that is very exciting. Very exciting. Well, I guess this is the end. I'm so glad we got to do this because, you know, it's always really good to look back on a lot of episodes and see what we can take from that and what we can learn from that and those amazing conversations that we've had.

Julia Stallings:

I've appreciated everyone who's tuned in, share the podcast, especially support this conversations. We wanna grow. We wanna get out there. If you enjoyed this podcast, make sure you like, follow, and subscribe, and then share it to someone who enjoys the outdoors as much as you do. I'm Julia, and I'm signing off the ASCEND podcast and encouraging you to follow wherever your story might take you. Thank you for listening to the ASCEND podcast. New every week, the conservation driven podcast one week, and our adventure video series the next. Watch the ASCEND adventure episodes on the Ducks Unlimited YouTube channel, and be sure to like, share, and subscribe. Opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect those of Ducks Unlimited. Until next time, follow your outdoor story wherever it leads you. ASCEND. Don't forget to rate and review the ASCEND podcast. It's the best way to grow the podcast and help other women discover the next step on their outdoors journey. Thank you for listening to the DU podcast sponsored by Purina Pro Plan, the official performance dog food of Ducks Unlimited. Purina Pro Plan, always advancing. Also proudly sponsored by Bird Dog Whiskey and Cocktails. Whether you're winding down with your best friend or celebrating with your favorite crew, Bird Dog brings award winning flavor to every moment. Enjoy responsibly. Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to the show and visit ducks.org/dupodcast. Opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect those of Ducks Unlimited. Until next time, stay tuned to the Ducks.