How I Developed a Hunting Passion: Evolution of a Hunter

Not everyone was raised a hunter. Some learn and develop hunting passion later in life. Beth Shimanski, Savage Arms Marketing Director, shares how she evolved as a hunter.

When I started in this industry 4 years ago, hunting was a passion I had not yet developed. I did not grow up in a hunting family. My dad was a hunter but that was his vacation each fall with his buddies. I grew up around firearms. Like most of us I shot old Pepsi and Schlitz cans off of the fence post at grandpa and grandma's farm.

When I started at Savage, I knew I’d need to learn a little more than plinking, and take my shooting and education to a new level. I was blessed to have an AMAZING couple days at the range with Patrick Kelley to help me get comfortable operating all types of firearms, mounting and using optics and knowing how to properly shoot from different positions.

Ten months into my tenure with Savage, the opportunity arose for me to go on my first hunt, a whitetail hunt in South Dakota. I did what every new hunter does these days after passing Hunter Safety, I hit the internet to see what I needed to learn about hunting in South Dakota and what I needed shop for! With my Savage 110 Storm in hand, my new gear and my tag, I headed out for the hunt.

My first hunt I was told was not the typical hunt. Within two hours, I saw and shot my first ever deer, a beautiful 9 pointer. The rush of adrenaline lining up the shot, the blur that occurred in my mind when I took the shot, and even more when you walk up to the animal, I quickly saw how this becomes a hunting passion, an addiction for many, and an annual tradition that so many partake in. Not only the hunting for me was a rush, but learning about the animals, their routines and how to be a better hunter by understanding all that it entails. I had some amazing people around me that first year to give me the confidence to learn more and search out my next hunt for my growing hunting passion. 

That next hunt would take place one year later, back in South Dakota, but this time going for a mule deer. This hunt was a little different. I shot my buck, quickly. But there was an issue. He took off. We knew it was a good shot and hit. But we could find now hair or blood, and due to the loss of daylight after 45 minutes of tracking and a pass through on my shot, we could not find my deer the first night. I laid awake the entire night, with the feeling of guilt that I hurt an animal and could not find it to ensure it was a kill. I had so many scenarios running through my head about what we may or not find the next morning.

Up before the sun and back in the hills, ready for whatever trek it would take to find my buck. The sense of guilt you feel is indescribable as you work to finish the hunt in an ethical manner. Four miles into our trek, we spotted him. Perched on a hillside, we waited for him. When he rose and began to walk with a limp in his front left shoulder, we knew we found him. With one more shot, my second hunt was a success.

While both hunts were successful, I have to say that what I learned and the emotions I experienced at each were quite different. For someone who had never hunted, I was amazed at how quickly I became passionate about the animals, my hunting partners and this activity. I was not prepared for how quickly my emotions would jump on a roller coaster and in just two years I would experience the highs and lows that come with this pastime. I had to admit, I was hooked.

Fast forward to the 2019 deer season. This hunt takes me to south central Iowa, again going after the whitetails that I hear grow quite large there. Being in Iowa, my 110 Storm will not be making the trip, so I turn to Savage and acquire the 110 Haymaker chambered in 450 Bushmaster. My guide has instructed me to sight in to 200 yards, and confirms he has been doing some scouting and has a few places picked out that should yield us success.

We arrive midday Friday, a day before the start of second shotgun season. We scouted the property and were amazed. In the first 10 minutes, we saw a 10-pointer, 20 does and Al, the albino 6-pointer. All of this was while we still standing in the yard of the main house.

As we drove around, we were shown the different blinds we may try and the reasoning why they were placed where they were. The amount of work that has gone into making this a phenomenal hunting location are unbelievable. Over 20 years has gone into working the land, food plots, studying the herds, and truly treating this land like the whitetail mecca it is.

With wild anticipation, we tried to get some sleep. The alarm went off and we were fed and out the door by 5:30am. We took our chariot ride on the tailgate of his dads truck for the half mile ride to our first stand. The first two sits were unimaginable. We saw over 30 does each time, and at least 10-15 bucks, most 8-10 point. We were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of who would become my target our first night in the stand. We had some fun and named him Missy Elliot, as the beauty was a 7-pointer, but had some of the longest tines we have ever seen and some unbalanced mass in his rack. He became our new goal for my hunt, although there were a number that would have been a blessing to harvest.

Day One in the books with a multitude of sightings, we are prepping for Day Two. We labeled Day One as watching day and Day Two as shooting day, hoping we’d see the buck that was worth the trek. Our morning was slower than we hoped, although there was no shortage of deer to be seen. Bucks rutting, does spying on us, and fawns playing around the pond, the morning was another fascinating sit. But no shots were fired.

Shortly after lunch the snow started falling. We made the call to head out to the stand at 1pm, as we thought the deer would be coming out earlier due to the weather. And as we should have known, our guide was right. As we walked to the stand, we found 5 does already in the field. We scared them away as we made our way to the stand, but within 15 minutes, the field was littered with a few bucks and over 20 does and fawns. We spotted a nice buck, we thought was a 10-pointer with a lot of mass. As we watched him, and waited for Missy Elliot, I made the call that this 10-pointer was the one I wanted to go after. Sidebar: I am a firm believer in blind snacks bringing you luck on a hunt. The day before the Hot Tamales did not do the trick, so this evening we switched to Twizzlers. Hence, this buck was named Twizzler.

After watching him for about 10 minutes, we ranged him at about 160 yards. Perfectly lined up broad side facing me, head down eating, I took my shot. The breathing, heartbeat racing, and rush you feel is unlike anything I can describe outside of hunting. This was a team sport at this point. My guide, my hunting partner Mackenzie and I were thrilled. After a short celebration and a few fist bumps, we went to admire the beautiful harvest.

As I was afforded the opportunities to explore this passion of many, I know that others face similar challenges of how to get started in hunting. Where to hunt, how do I know what gun I need, what gear should I buy, who can teach me? These are the questions that many people are sometimes afraid to ask, and it’s at the heart of what many in our industry are now trying to tackle. Savage and many other organizations are working to break down barriers for those who want to explore and develop a hunting passion. We are doing this through many different endeavors.