Hunting for Healing
On the restorative power of nature.
Growing up, I never thought anything of being a female hunter—it was simply a way of life. Even before I was old enough to legally hunt, I would tag along, following in the footsteps of my father or older siblings in the Washington rainforest. After a traumatic experience at the age of 11, this became the only place where I felt safe. My survival instincts of fight, flight, or freeze would dissipate just like the late-morning fog that rolled in from the ocean. I would hide among the ferns and tall evergreens in the lush green canopy. There, my heart would calm, and the wind would sweep my fear away. It was in the rainforest that a young girl, afraid to be in her own home, found her place.
As a teenager, I took it upon myself to get out and hunt alone, harvesting both my first deer and elk solo. A sense of accomplishment and empowerment washed over me, and it wasn’t long before I was counting down the days until the next hunting season. In the off-season, I spent many hours exploring with my mother’s camera in hand, seeing what I could capture. Oftentimes, I would see a deer in the distance and use the foliage to sneak in close and snap the perfect photo, letting the wild landscape scratch my creative itch.
The mountains I hiked and the animals I pursued were guiding me to a higher state of being; I just had to put in the time, slow things down, and listen.
Although the memories of my trauma had been suppressed, they couldn’t stay buried inside me forever. Eventually, I reached rock-bottom. But as my world fell apart, my healing journey began. I was drawn to sit beside the rivers, hike the mountains, escape the noise of the city, and sleep under the stars. The urge to get out in the field and hunt elk and deer by myself was as powerful in adulthood as it was when I was young. It was undeniable, and I could not resist it—so into the woods I went. I began to heal—rediscovering my confidence, resilience, and self-worth. The mountains I hiked and the animals I pursued were guiding me to a higher state of being; I just had to put in the time, slow things down, and listen.
As a hunting guide, I have faced many concerned clients who doubted my ability to call in elk or questioned my capacity to hike deep into the backcountry. It didn’t take them long to realize that my five-foot, one-inch body held enough grit and tenacity to tackle whatever the mountain threw at us.
Over the years, it has become apparent to me that women are frequently portrayed as weaker and less skilled than our male counterparts. Just because we may train differently than men to conquer our objectives doesn’t mean that we’re any less capable. As Alex Stokman, my good friend and founder of Venery, a Montana-based hunting school for women, says, “For many women, entering the hunting world means pushing past more than just steep terrain—it means breaking into a space that hasn’t always invited them.
In truth, I don’t know who I would be without hunting. It has shaped the very essence of my identity and continues to mold my future.
Having had the privilege to personally teach at women-specific hunting events, I can attest to the transformations new female hunters have undergone through supportive and educational classes. Women are biologically different from men and often learn in different ways, underscoring the importance of events and classes like these in supporting the next generation of women hunters.
In truth, I don’t know who I would be without hunting. It has shaped the very essence of my identity and continues to mold my future. I hope that through sharing my connection to hunting and wild places, I can inspire others to look inward and assess what being a hunter means to them. “Why do you keep returning to those vast and wild places?” I am often asked. And the answer is: because the power Mother Nature holds has taught me that she is the ultimate classroom—a place to learn about oneself, while having space to connect on a level unequalled by anything else.
Andraya Grangroth is a professional photographer, hunting guide, entrepreneur, and the author of What’s Your Wild, an Untold Story. Find more of her work at whatsyourwild.net.
