The inaugural Wyoming Women’s Antelope Hunt will run from October third through the sixth.
The event in outside Sheridan hopes to promote hunting as a women’s sport and to encourage self-sufficiency. Women will team up for the hunt, with more knowledgeable hunters mentoring less experienced women.
Crystal Mayfield will be attending the hunt on a scholarship. She’s an experienced hunter, and she’s been asked to be a mentor.
"I know a lot of people still have the mindset that hunting is a man’s sport. And when I was growing up that was never the case. My dad, you know, was like, ‘hey, if you’re interested, I’m not going to hold you back from that.’ And so for women to realize that it’s not just a man’s sport and they can take part in it and have fun doing it and also feed their families. That’s really the goal in mind with the whole event. "
Mayfield says, for her, teaching responsibility is key.
"That they don’t have to rely on someone else to be the breadwinner or bring home the meat. They can do it themselves. And it also teaches them responsibility. I mean, obviously any time a firearm is concerned there’s a high level of safety and responsibility that goes hand in hand with that."
Wyoming’s traditional One-Shot Antelope Hunt has only been open to men. The inaugural Women’s Antelope Hunt is organized by the Wyoming Women’s Foundation, along with the Wyoming Community Foundation.
