Sideline Stories: Erin Merrill, President/Co-Founder, Women of the Maine Outdoors

Watching the woods wake up around you is something very few people experience. There is a moment in time when the world is colorless and the call of a barred owl is replaced by the gobble of a turkey.  A coyote’s howl hangs in the air and you watch and listen for movement around you.

I started hunting with my dad when I was 20 years old.  I remember following him through the woods with the moon lighting our path during those cold November mornings.  The fallen leaves were stiff with frost and crunched under our feet. Initially, I held two shed antlers tied together by a piece of dark brown leather. After a few years, I started carrying a gun.

Hunting is a battle of wits and strategy. Hunters are cognizant of their smell, the wind, the time of day, their gear and their position in the woods and fields.  You have to be in the right place at the right time to be successful.  And there is an innate sadness that comes from every kill. It’s an acknowledgment that with death comes the ability to fill the freezer and provide meat to our family and friends. There is no question as to where our meat comes from, how it lived and how it died.

Women, specifically women under 40, have become the fastest growing demographic in the hunting industry.  As with any new activity, it costs money to learn some of the fundamentals and the gear can be expensive.  A group of fellow outdoor women and I started a non-profit called Women of the Maine Outdoors to offer scholarships for girls and women looking to advance their knowledge and skills.  Women have gone on to become Maine Guides, have learned how to run chainsaws and manage their woodlots, advanced their wilderness first aid knowledge and became better skilled hunters.

I love being a hunter. I love being in the woods with my dad and spending time in my treestand watching animals go about their day, oblivious to my presence.  I love the thrill of a successful hunt.  I love watching the snow fall in the woods and hearing a flock of geese gather in preparation for their flight south.  I love the emotion and sharing stories with hunters and non-hunters about each day spent in the woods.  It is a bond and passion that binds us to the past, present and future of Maine’s outdoors.

~Erin Merrill is a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the New England Outdoor Writers Association. She is a senior writer for Drury Outdoors’ DeerCast and is the President and co-Founder of the non-profit group Women of the Maine Outdoors. You can read about Erin’s adventures and contact her at andastrongcupofcoffee.com.