Extraordinary Conversation With A New Hunter With Britne Prosser

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Extraordinary Conversation With A New Hunter With Britne Prosser

We’re heading out to Oregon and we’re going to talk to Britne A. Prosser. Britne is a new hunter but she’s not new to the outdoors. She rides a bike. She loves hiking and plus she, on Facebook, has a fitness page, B-Forward Fitness. Britne, welcome to the show.

Thank you for having me on.

I’m excited. We connected on Instagram. I said, “That’s an interesting lady who’s started out hunting.” This will be your third season coming up. I want you to share how you got into hunting.

I’ve always been into the outdoors. I’ve always been doing solo hiking and camping. I started following Cameron Hanes that sparked it. I started reading some Steven Rinella books and some other hunting books. Since I’m into the outdoors and hiking, it felt like a good fit to try and start learning how to hunt. I wasn’t sure where to go from there. I had read multiple books throughout one of the summers and I went to go help one of my cousins clean his house and I overheard him saying that he and his dad were going to go hunting. I said, “Can I go with you?” I don’t care if I have a tag or anything. I just want to go for the experience. I’ve been reading all about this stuff and I want to get into it. I tagged along and that’s where it started. I fell in love with it.

What hunt was your first hunt?

It was elk. My cousin pulled a cow tag. Your hunt for cow.

Is it in Eastern Washington? Where were you hunting?

Eastern Oregon.

Is that mountainous or is that prairie? Is that combination?

Definitely mountainous for sure. It’s actually beautiful out there too.

You had to learn how to crawl over blowdowns then?

There are a couple of spots that we’d go to that aren’t super difficult to get to. There are a couple of other spots that we go check out that are pretty difficult to get to.

One thing I noticed on your Facebook page is that you’re into fitness. How did that help you become a better hunter?

I went through and got my personal trainer certification. It was right after I had my youngest son. I’ve always been into health and fitness. It goes hand in hand with the outdoors. I feel like I enjoy being active and it helped me a lot in my hunting. Learning your body and working at that cardio, especially up on the mountain, it’s pretty important.

Definitely cardio and hydration. If somebody asked me, how I still get up and down the mountain? It’s cardio. I do practice yoga and I do walk daily and I get into the gym. I don’t lift so much anymore, but it’s the cardio and the hydration that are my secrets plus the mental attitude. Here you are, you never hunted before and you tagged along. What are some of the things you learn by tagging along with your relatives?

That is a lot harder than what the books talk about. It’s definitely that mentality. You’re getting up onto the mountain before the sun rises and then heading out and being as quiet as possible. It’s amazing though. I enjoy it.

Let’s unpack that. Here’s a mother of five and an athlete in her own right. We’re talking about how it’s amazing. Explain that to somebody who doesn’t know what amazing is or has never been in the wilderness experiencing what you experienced.

When I was going solo hiking on my own and getting out there, as a female it’s a little bit more difficult in some sense. You get looked at a little different, but the experiences that I had going solo hiking or camping, having as much connection as I have to the wilderness in that sense, it was a totally different experience going hunting and experiencing the outdoors on a completely different level. The feeling is indescribable. You have to actually be a hunter to experience that. It’s something that I can’t explain to other people unless they have done it themselves.

In your bio, you said you’ve got connected with your primal self. What does that mean?

It’s very raw. You’re not out there to go check out the birds or walk around and make a noise. You’re there to take a life to feed your family. It’s a completely different mental state that you’re in. This is what I’m meant to do. This is what I’m supposed to be doing to provide for my family.

Being a hunter myself way over 50 years, the experience is that you are a predator and then you have pre. You are going to harvest, you’re going to kill an animal and take its life with integrity, reverence and as ethically as you can. That life that you take is going to sustain your life because you know where your food comes from. People want to know where their food is coming from, not just going to the store, buying some protein wrapped in a plastic container and they go, “This is meat.” A lot of people want to know about growth hormones and everything else you can think of. A lot of people saying, “No, I’m going to be a hunter-gatherer.” Some people don’t like hunting because they’ve never been hunting and they don’t care where the fruit comes from.

Other people do care. I know a couple of vegans that became hunters because they had some health issues and they needed more protein than their life. They became a hunter because they wanted to control the whole process. One, the harvest. Two, the processing, and three, the coronary delight of sharing meat with your family and friends. That’s what we’ve been doing for a thousand years and the society is way beyond that because they say it’s not necessary. A portion of society that are aren’t pro or con hunting, they’re pro feeding their families and you’ll see a lot of people off the grid.

They have cows, chickens, pigs, goats, sheep and they’re eating those animals. Those animals are sustaining them. As hunters, all we’re doing is buying a tag, becoming conservationists and then going out and feeding their family. Steven Rinella writes fantastically. He’s a great author. If you haven’t read any of his books, start off with American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon. Read about that and read about the history of being hunters and gatherers and how the buffalo played a huge part in that factor for the Native Americans and the people that lived during that time. As a hunter, you have stepped into that realm. As you said, it’s amazing. It’s raw. It’s in your face. The Inuit elders that I’ve sat with and listened to, they said, “For thousands of years, the caribou come, we live. If they don’t come, we die.” It’s pretty simple. What are your thoughts? 

I absolutely agree with that. I did read that book, the American Buffalo. I got to see Steven Rinella live. He did a live podcast in Portland. That was one of my Christmas gifts I asked for. It’s definitely very raw, very primal. There’s nothing else like it. I’m also a Native American, I feel it’s a part of not who I am, but my culture, what I’m meant to be doing. This is something that we’ve been doing for years.

It’s so nice to know a young woman, a mother, a person that can do whatever she wants to do and embracing the world of hunting for her family’s sake. That’s one reason I wanted to have you on the show because a lot of people need to hear that and to say, “No, it isn’t strange. It’s actually a very normal thing for people to want to know where the food comes from and to get skilled.” Who taught you how to shoot the bow or the rifle?

I’ve grown up around guns and things like that. When I was younger, we used to go shooting a lot. I feel comfortable with a rifle in my hand. I feel I’m a pretty good shot. I still need the practice obviously. I get a little rusty if I don’t practice. As for shooting a bow, I still try and shoot a bow. I don’t have my own, but there is a bow shop in Kaiser that you can actually rent the bow. It’s $15 for however long you want to go during the whole day. They help you dial in the bow and you get a shoot for however long you want. It’s a super awesome couple that runs the shop.

Have you hunted with the bow yet or are you still working on that?

I’m still working on that. It mostly comes down to having enough money to buy a bow. I definitely want to start bow hunting. It looks like a good challenge. There are a couple of people I follow that bow hunt. Sam does the living in the country podcast. He bow hunts.

He’s an amazing guy. They’re so many from Hollywood living country in the city and he lived right in Hollywood, worked for Hollywood company and fell in love with that.

He’s a good friend of mine and I appreciate what he does especially for new hunters with his podcast and getting out there and doing it all himself is pretty cool.

You need to get on his show. Have you been on his show?

No, not yet.

After this, you’re going to say, “Sam, I’m ready. I was on Whitetail Rendezvous and Bruce said I definitely have to be a guest.” You know how to shoot a rifle. What rifle did you use and caliber?

It’s been a little while since I’ve actually thought it. It’s new to me. I didn’t get to use it. It was gifted to me years ago, the Winchester. I can’t think what caliber it is.

Is it 243, 306 or 208? 

Maybe it’s 208.

Do you own it?

Yes, I own it. I haven’t got to use it and it’s been on the back burner.

Are you going to go elk hunting this fall?

Yes, we pulled another cow tag.

You have a cow tag?

Yes.

You better get shoot and you better get to the range and put some bullet downrange.

I need to go to practice soon.

At least, punch and paper. Over three years, have you been close to getting a cow or a bull?

Yes, I was close. It was frustrating. It was my first close encounter/almost there. My cousin that I went with, he was making sure that I was leading. That way I can get the first view or if any cows come across our way, at least I’m upfront so I can see what’s going on and I can get the shot myself. We were walking through this tall, dry, loud grass. As I’m looking down at my feet to make sure I’m being really quiet, I feel my cousin behind me stopped. I slowly turn and I see he has his rifle drawn off to the right in between the trees. I look, but I can’t see what he’s shooting at.

He stopped in the perfect spot where he had a window to shoot through. I couldn’t see what he was seeing. He shot it and he’s like, “I got the cow.” I’m like, “I can’t believe I missed it.” I looked downright as I walked past that little window. I’m glad he got it, but I was a little flustered with myself. It was definitely a good learning experience. We went and followed the blood trail and as we were trying to find a blood trail, there was a big barrier that ran up over the hill because we scared it. It was pretty intense.

Instead of looking at the ground, you need to be looking for elk parts.

Yes, I was so worried about being too loud.

Elks don’t stand there and say, “Here I am. I’m an elk. Shoot me.” You just see parts, a flick of an ear. You see their head move, their white rump. You see horizontal shapes in a vertical world. That’s one thing I learned early on. You look for horizontal shapes in a vertical world. You’ll see a lot of logs but every once in a while, that log will turn into an elk, deer or bear. The one key I would share with you, you have to tune your eyes to what an elk looks like, not the field but what they look like in the woods. They’re there and they’re watching you. I would say over the three years, you’ve probably passed a lot of them thank you think literally within the 100 yards. There’ll be feet from you and they won’t move and you won’t see it. Hunting is very interesting and you never know everything. Even the Steven Rinellas of the world will tell you that they’re continually learning. Every outing is an experience. Every outing they learn something. Sometimes you’re fortunate enough to put an elk down, a moose down or a deer down or whatever and you get it and then the work begins. Tell me, how prepared are you for taking care of an elk once you get it?

That part doesn’t gross me out or anything, the harvest afterwards. It’s intriguing to see how the animal is made, what parts you can take and what parts you need to leave, how you cut into it and make sure you don’t stab those stomach open. It’s pretty interesting stuff. Even after you take the parts out, they’re still heavy animals, just trying to carry it up a hill or drag it somehow in any way possible. The last season when we got the cow, we didn’t have packs, so we couldn’t quarter it up and take it out. We forgot some of the meat bags and stuff. We had to try and drag it up a steep hill and that was probably the biggest workout of my life, but it was a lot of fun. I enjoy going hunting.

The parts are simpler than the whole elk. Unfortunately, I’ve had to move the elk. I’ve never dragged an elk out. I get it where I can take parts apart and get them in game bags. I have a sled and those plastic sleds work. You strap it in there. Go to eBay and say, “I need a game sled.” It’s the same sled that kids would use. It’s a plastic toboggan. It has a rope. That could make it a lot easier for you. Once you break it down and put it in parts, then you say, “This is 50 pounds of meat,” and then you can pull that up the hill a lot harder than dragging an elk. Think about that. Go on eBay, look for plastic toboggan, spend $30. It will make life a lot easier.

Yes, that’s a good idea.

Tell me about your philosophy and how you balance everything that you’re doing. You’re a working mom with your fitness program. What are the things you work at?

Do you mean what other jobs I might have?

Yes, how do you pay the bills?

Any way I can. My boyfriend does a lot of work as well. He goes to work for plenty of hours during the week. I’ve been lucky enough to be a stay at home mom for a couple of years. I’ve been trying to do stuff out of the home like the fitness business that I started. I still want to stick to fitness. I feel that’s something that I’m passionate about, that I’m motivated with. I started working for the Courthouse Fitness. They have quite a few locations locally here. I’m working in the daycare because I get to take my son with me, which is pretty convenient. I’m also training to get my certification to be a class instructor. I’m going through them doing a program then hopefully I’ll have that before I go hunting.

Let’s talk about my audience and the ladies. About 30% of the audience are women. What are the tips that you would give them being a new hunter? What are some of the things that you’d say, “You need to pay attention to this. You need to have this type of gear,” whatever you want to share?

It’s pretty simple; just start. I don’t worry about gear. I’m starting to learn more about gear and things like that, but if it’s something that you really want to try out or get into, just start. Don’t worry about how expensive the gear is or how you’re going to find a babysitter, even if you go for a couple of days, it doesn’t have to be an entire week. You can find local spots to go to. I know it’s a little bit more difficult if you don’t have guys in your life that go hunting or know a good spot. Instagram’s been a good connection for me meeting people with the same mindsets. There are a lot more female hunters out there too. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to another guy about hunting, then there are definitely some other females like Jessica, I forget what her last name is.

Jessica Byers from Follow Her Arrow?

Yes, she is amazing to follow. She’s so down to earth. She’s super knowledgeable. She may not always get back to you on messages and stuff but she talks to anybody and everybody. She’s definitely one to hit up or follow.

Are you camping out or are you doing day hunts? Tell me how you set up your camp.

We’ve done it a little different every year. I told my cousin that I want to start glassing mountains more instead of going back to the base and eat lunch. I’d rather eat lunch out on the mountain and try and stay out there as long as possible throughout the day. My uncle lives about twenty minutes from the different locations on the mountain that we go to. We always end up going back to his place in the middle of the day. We’ll do a morning hunt, super early, get up there before the sunrises and then start walking when they see the sun peek out. We come back for lunchtime and then we go back out for early evening hunt.

You don’t look for wallows or you don’t hunt close to the bedding areas?

There’s one bedding area that we couldn’t do because there was some logging the last-minute right before hunting season started. We had to go into a couple of spots blind and hope for the best.

You’re a mother of five. Hunting as best as you can, it changed your life though, hasn’t it?

Yes, big time and for the better.

How has it made you a better person?

It does not necessarily make me a better person. I know I have five kids and they fulfill my life perfectly, but hunting does add something to my life that is indescribable. It’s something that I feel is a part of me that is who I am. Being able to find that this early in life, it’s a wonderful feeling.

You’re one of the few human beings and I look forward to meeting someplace sometimes and shaking your hand because I welcome you to the hunting for tournaments, to the campfire that we all share. We share it on common ground. I want to say welcome, keep it up and keep learning because I’ll be elk hunting here in Colorado and I know I’ll learn something new every time I go out.

I can’t wait to start hunting in other states too. That’s another goal of mine.

Get your bucket list going and reach out. There’s a huge herd out there of women that would certainly come alongside you and help you become a better hunter. You never know, you may get invited to go to Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada or Utah. Maybe another lady says, “I’d love to have you in camp,” right there in Oregon. I wish you well, Britne. Thank you so much for being a guest on Whitetail Rendezvous.

Thank you so much, Bruce. It’s been a pleasure.

Important Links:

• B-Forward Fitness
• American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon
• Courthouse Fitness
• Jessica Byers – Past episode
• https://www.Facebook.com/bforwardfitness/

About Britne Prosser

Motivating people to accomplish their goals, helping guide them on their fitness journey to health and success. With forward thinking and forward fitness.
I am a proud mom of 5. I work part time, trying to balance home life and following my passions.

I have always been in love with the outdoors and wanting to encourage others including women to gain their confidence in getting out into the wilderness. Along with many other outdoor activities I enjoy like big hikes/ climbs, dirt bikes and fishing. The list goes on.

Recently, hunting has become something special for me. (I am a newbie, as this will be my third season in. ) Being out in it all, stirs something in me that is indescribable. The challenges, excitement, exhaustion… it’s deeply raw and primal. I knew as soon as I stepped into the woods with my rifle in hand, that hunting wasn’t just a part of me, but it is who I am.