Reflections On Artemis.

Remember this: Traveling is good for the Soul.

I traveled to an estate that had a beautiful statue of Artemis or Diana on a sloping hill facing the great house. She seemed to be staring down a beautiful lush landscape surrounded by emerging spring. As statues go, she was resting her hand and finger on the head of a hound. I touched the marbled hand that was warm and smooth. I felt comforted that she was there. I spoke to the statue not out of a sense of worship but more like reverence for the unknown. I had since then wondered why of all the things that could have represented hunting someone somewhere had settled on a woman. A woman that was a hounds woman, huntress, and archer. I don't think guns were around unless you want to count throwing rocks? This landscape seemed fitting but after some research realized that the general landscape of my home could be just as desirable due to the cypress, oak and the abundance of deer.
Once again the question presented itself. Why pick a woman when hunting wasn't necessarily the role of the female subject?
I really couldn't answer that because who knows with the ancients. They built complicated cosmologies to explain just about everything.
If you go by the pre-historic times, women were more gathers than hunters or so they say. Undoubtedly somewhere someone was not.
Over the years women were delegated more to the role of hearth keeper or child bearer. Women stayed in the house, tending it or the children and losing all respect by neglecting themselves for the benefit of others.Their respectable 'wild' side was relegated to crying babies and boredom.
Flash forward and this Roman Goddess is now a model for female hunters who want to get in touch with their inner authentic huntress. Aesthetic female hunters are more self-assertive and confident because they nurtured the wild inner child inside and turned it lose on the forest, field, and river.
If Diana reflects heavenly divinity and women use this as a role model to pattern their personas, the idea to become more spiritual would take its course. The Aesthetic Female Hunter reaches down into that place where the universe makes sense but at the same time is steeped in mysticism.
The act of hunting can be ritualized and viewed as a personal spiritual event depending on the person. I thought about the ways this could be developed or passed on.
I asked myself:

1. What female hunter was I aware of that provided a role model for myself?

I knew a couple of older women that hunted but none I was mentored by or thought to pattern my life after. My next question was:

1. What about little girls today?
2. Who would little girls look up to when they wanted to learn to hunt?
3. Where would their knowledge come from?

There are plenty of women today in the world of Hunting. My greater worry is this: if the sport of hunting is threatened to the point women are allowed access in only to strengthen numbers, what will happen when the threat is gone? Do we go back to the role of stay at home mom while men do their thing?
What would Artemis say?

Written by: W Harley Bloodworth

~Courtesy of the AOFH~

Self Love And Acceptance: An Aspect.

Remember this: Every life is full of moments when you feel over burdened with demands, responsibilities, or personal trials.

When it is time to hunt all those cares can be put on the back burner. You finally have a momentary release from the albatrosses of the world. The only supply and demand is what you require for the product of your endeavors. If hunting is your 'me time' then why not take advantage of the moment and actually work on your inner being. You will be the better for it.

Everyone that hunts has been there. Waiting. When you have that kind of time on your hands, pull up a blade of long grass and put it square in your teeth. Do as the cows do: chew cud. Roll that sucker around in there and think your way to a better you.

One such idea to mull over is how you treat yourself as a woman who hunts. How do others treat you? Take a nice piece of stationary out, write these two questions down and scribble ten things that come to mind off the top of your head. This can be done in the deer stand as well. Really be honest with yourself. Fold it up and leave a copy in your stand so when you return everyday during hunting season you can decide if your outlook stayed the same or if you need a little 'self-love' makeover.

If you can clean your gun and oil it you can spend some time on yourself and the outlook you harbor.

As a female who hunts, when developing your aesthetic outlook, regarding the aspect of self love and acceptance into your arsenal is imperative. Whatever relationship you have with yourself before, during and after the hunt is the foundation for what other people see in terms of how they will visualize, approach, and treat you. The female hunter must be very aware of her self-cultivation in family, work, charity, and hunting.

In the spare moments of hunting, the Aesthetic Female Hunter should extend to herself devotion or attention of centering and connecting with her own heart and spirit through a landscape of tempermental nature. Learn to offer self love and acceptance to yourself then affirm these values. Believe in your own worthiness. In respecting, nurturing, and treating yourself as a treasure you can begin to cherish the Aesthetic Female hunter inside of you. Others will see this shining through and in turn will return as much as you are willing to give and receive.

The goal is to grow and expand yourself and your ideals using hunting as the platform to improve ever portion of your life.

If you are ever in a position as a Female Aesthetic Hunter that lessens your mentality, you have the right to set your boundaries and not apologize for it. Stand as strong and collected as you would when you focus in on your target, hold your breath then pull the trigger.

Women who hunt are not 2-dimensional beings on a computer screen. We are multi-dimensional beings that are capable of looking good, feeling good, and acting (respectable that is). You are your own Ambassador of Hunting. Where ever you go you are representing some portion of hunting as an individual. You can still be sexy but not ridiculous. Never make yourself ridiculous. The role and space that you occupy in the realm of Hunting will make you a caricature based on the spectacle you make of yourself.

When you step out into the field/woods with your gun, accept yourself and your deeds. At that moment you are beyond anyone's condemnation. If you can extent this to yourself then you can extend it to another person. Your tolerance can be someone else's tolerance. Accept your own imperfections. See your imperfections in another person as acceptable mistakes.

Always ask yourself these kinds of questions:

Am I showing myself self-love and acceptance right now?

Have I evaluated what will happen after the decision making process and how it will affect my position in the Hunting sphere?

As an aesthetic female hunter is this behavior or choice going to damage or lessen my respectability?

Will my actions give people and excuse to lessen my value or ability?

If Hunting was my partner right now how embarrassed would it be by my actions?

Is this the way I want my family, friends and associations to perceive me?

Learning your lessons helps others in your stead learn a lesson or two themselves.

You are a Lady of the Game Hunt. Treat yourself accordingly.

Written by: W Harley Bloodworth

~Courtesy of the AOFH~

The Beginning Of A Journey: Upon Closer Inspection.

Remember this: The road starts somewhere

These are my philosophies on Hunting, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty, ideas, and the undetectable truths of life that ebb and flow like wind through the trees. As I expect, each individual person to come to their own conclusions. My intent is not to project my thoughts, as a belief system, for someone to adopt, but yet an example to be used as a tool for others just starting out. 

I always wondered on my thought process when it came to seizing an idea and mulling it over. I had a friend that told me one time that I was always pondering. What if I am the type of person that dwells on the ability to detect all the ingredients in a composition? 

Hunting is a composition, much like a work of art or a faceted gem. Depending on the perspective, each view can be different at any given time. If you break Hunting up into several pieces, can each piece stand alone to signify an identifiable marker of  Hunting as a whole? Should not all facets be taken into consideration of the whole? 

I think so. I am looking every day at the meager, mundane, or the illusion of such and the thin veil that lays over life.  I either looked to hard, not enough, or not at all. I remember a Physics professor named Dr. Peterson say..."upon closer inspection". That is what I am always performing.....a closer inspection of things that my senses experience and what my mental processes form after all the information that can be gathered constructs. Let us go together as hunters and take a ‘closer inspection’ of Hunting, Fishing and the Wilderness; a precious jewel, from the eyes of a female hunter.

The Aesthetics of a Female Hunter begins with digesting a world view, regarding how that fits into your belief system of a concept and how you manifest that ideal in the form of a personal aesthetic from the center of your heart and soul. This personal aesthetic can be based upon experiences or life skills you learn from the cradle to the grave. 

As women, the world view of hunting can be seen as a personal experience that is a part of your daily life. The world view of hunting is a less personal experience and information you take in from outside sources. These sources can be negative or positive, but you as the female hunter, are the decision maker on what you allow and don’t allow. 

The aesthetics of a female hunter takes into allowances that each individual female has a separate and unique upbringing or experience. 

This personal aesthetic is a family heirloom the female hunter can pass along to her children or anyone that she cares to share her inner thoughts and world with. One could argue that you would not take Hunting into your being as a part of you, but you do. Females and males who hunt do have the capacity to exert a certain amount of intuition. Whether women have more, or men have more, is debatable. It depends on the individual regardless of sex. 

Depending on the approach, in the form of activities people enjoy in life, if you are mindful of what you are doing, will find a certain amount of beauty and ugliness in the imperfection of the activity of hunting. There is always a Ying/Yang aspect to the functioning of the natural world. 

On any given day in the life of a human being, in this day and age, you will find an amount of pressure and anxiety pressing down on the individual. Hunting is a form of depressurizing that some choose to participate in.  In those moments before dawn and just before dusk, harmony and tranquility seeps in to relax and ease the hunter and empties the mind. In those moments the hunter is most humble.

Pack your backpack and prepare for a journey. We are hunters, after all.
Written by: W Harley Bloodworth

~Courtesy of the AOFH~

Copyright © 2012 All Rights Reserved.

AOFH Etiquette No-No's.

There are certain topics the AOFH have decided, professionally and personally, to not approach or engage in due to the negative environment that it produces.


AOFH Etiquette No-No's:

• Any topic of conversation about Anti-Hunting  or Animal Rights Issues, as it pertains to existing entities,will not be submitted for conversation or comment other than submitted AOFH approved topics.  If that is your chosen charity or organization there are pages that promote an offer a warm welcome to you and your kind. Please feel free to do as the old saying goes, "birds of a feather flock together." Stay within your flock and all will be happy in the world.
• Our goal is to promote, preserve, and uplift the Female Hunter.  
• Any contrite conversation can be directed at the e-mail address. Negative mail will be ignored and deleted along with any unnecessary comments or attacks on this page.
• Any attack on another individual. This is not a vigilante site. We do reserve a right to critique any person who makes a spectacle of themselves by their behavior and the situation around it, such as high profile fodder, when it impacts the hunting aspect negatively.

Thank you in advance,

AOFH Staff.
Copyright ⓒ 2012

Welcome to the AOFH (Aesthetics Of A Female Hunter).

Welcome to the Writings of The Aesthetics of a Female Hunter.

Concept for The Aesthetics of a Female Hunter grew from the dedication of a sportswoman, who strongly values the perception of women in hunting, their role in its growth process and the love of the sport.


Mission Statement:

To discuss and explore a woman's aesthetic perspective as it applies to all things hunting, shooting, fishing or the Wilderness.

To discuss and explore a woman's aesthetics as an ambassador to other women who are interested in Hunting.

To nurture Women who hunt so they can nurture others.

To promote the participation of women in all areas of the utility and sportsmanship of hunting. To protect and value the American female hunting and firearms traditions. A commitment to give back to help protect hunting heritage via the female perspective. Facilitation of short and long term goals to support the innovation of programs for women and children that will help perpetuate future hunting and shooting heritages. Focus on programs to enhance appreciation of women in hunting from a non-hunter and hunter attitude. Increase public understanding with participation in recreational shooting sports as well as tracking. It is a fundamental principle of the AOFH to enhance the efforts of other existing organizations with cooperative initiatives. Utmost to protect, promote, and preserve all things hunting, fishing and shooting, as it pertains to the female hunter. Promote diversity in the Female Arsenal as it pertains to knowledge, competition, confidence, validation, community fellowship, and a basic sense of passing it on. Explore a wide range of Conservation issues as it pertains to wildlife, habitat, and laws. Current update of goals as the AOFH progresses. Thank you in advance, AOFH Staff.  Copyright ⓒ 2012