Little Rock, Arkansas – Goose Camp is a women’s camp run by a woman with the goal of teaching women how to hunt.
The camp is taught by Tracy Shaw. Her father taught her how to hunt when she was a young girl.
She expressed surprise at how many women were uneasy about picking up hunting skills. She claimed that women’s comfort with hunting is influenced by the fact that men dominate the activity.
“In the environment that we are a lot of times it helps them feel comfortable to tell another woman, ‘I’ve never even shot a gun’,” Shaw said.
Shaw instructs students on all aspects of hunting, including building their own blinds and decoys as well as their own ammunition.
“I try to attract women that want to know everything about that so that it empowers them to be able to go out on their own and they can do it themselves,” she said.
According to Shaw, the camp involves more than just food hunting. She encourages her students to make use of all the animal’s physical parts.
“I use their wings to make wreaths, I use their feathers to make earrings, I use their feet to make ornaments,” she said.
Shaw teaches in her spare time and said it is worthwhile when she observes the progress her students make.
“The smile on their face, some of them cry, some of them laugh and it’s just an amazing experience to be a part of,” she said.
Only two Arkansas Sportswomen presently work as instructors in the state, according to Shaw, and she wants her pupils to pass on what they have learned to others.
“They can help mentor and guide and teach another woman and pass all the knowledge I’ve given them,” she said.