The Huntress Expedition:
A Women, Trans & Queer Hunting Camp

Ethical Hunting, Spiritual Connection, Nourishing Community

Dec 6-12, 2020 in Northern Virginia

Come hunting with us!
The Huntress Expedition is a hunting camp for women, transgender folks, and queer folks who are ready for the initiation of harvesting their first deer.  Over many years of teaching hunting skills to marginalized genders I've observed that three things hold people back from actually hunting:

• A lack of supportive community to encourage you when you're unsure of yourself
• The hesitation to purchase an expensive hunting rifle when you're not even sure if you'll do this again
• The worry that you'll misjudge something or do the wrong thing because you're a beginner

The Huntress Expedition solves all these problems!  

• We'll hold each other in a supportive circle of community and friendship as we face the ups and downs of your first hunt together.
• We provide the rifles and ammunition, so you don't need to invest in a really expensive piece of equipment before you even know if this pursuit is really for you or not.  We'll provide all the other hunting equipment too, from tree stands to a meat grinder!
• You'll hunt with a guide beside you the entire time, ready to talk you through whatever arises and help you decide when to take a shot.  You'll also be mentored in how to butcher the deer yourself.

We'll create a hunting culture together that is full of support and encouragement.  We make space for you to consider the hunt as a part of your spiritual path, and we always honor and celebrate the emotional flow of hunting.  This camp isn't about shooting a trophy buck, it's about inviting a deer to offer itself to you and accepting that gift when it comes.  

The camp is one week long and is located in Northern Virginia.  All meals and hunting equipment are provided, you just need to bring warm clothing, a warm sleeping bag, and your willing heart.  You also need to have taken a Hunter's Safety course in order to legally buy a hunting license.

This program is designed for people who have taken our Huntress Intensive weekend to acquire a basic understanding of hunting skills and our approach to creating a sacred and ethical hunt.  If you have not taken the Huntress Intensive but think you might have enough background to be ready for this hunt, get in touch with us.

Here are answers to the most common questions people have about the hunt:

1. Why is this program in Virginia instead of Vermont?  Virginia is badly overpopulated with deer, so hunting there helps balance the ecosystem.  In Virginia, it is legal to harvest any deer that comes to you (regardless of age or sex), so your chances of success are extremely high.  In Vermont you can only hunt bucks with antlers of a certain size, so most of the few deer you see you aren't allowed to shoot.  We have a very high success rate on hunts in the Mid-Atlantic region, and that would be very hard to achieve in Vermont.  Hunting in Virginia sets you up for success.
2. Where is it located and what are the facilities like?  This program is located on a woman-run organic farm in Purcellville, VA.  We will have access to a heated office space in their vegetable-packing barn that will provide a warm gathering place, a bathroom and shower, and space to set up a simple camp kitchen.  For accommodation, you can either bring your own tent or sleep in some of the unheated farm worker housing (with beds provided).  In either case, you'll need to bring a warm sleeping bag.  We will hunt on a 20-acre woodlot that borders the farm fields, using the well-maintained tree stands that are already installed at the farm by a local hunter.  
3. What is the food like?  We strive to accommodate everyone's dietary requirements as needed (gluten-free, dairy-free, etc).  Farm-fresh fall veggies and fresh venison are on the menu!  We usually eat two big meals per day:  a mid-morning brunch and an early dinner.  Pre-hunt early-morning drinks and snacks are make-your-own.
4. Who are the hunting guides?  Murphy and their trusted friends.  We prioritize recruiting women or trans guides as much as possible, but occasionally a cisgender man is invited if Murphy thinks he's able to interact with the feminist space well.
5. How often will I go out hunting?  We hunt in the morning and the evening for 3-4 hours each time.  Depending on the number of participants in the program, you'll get to go out either once or twice a day.  We will always have enough guides that you'll get an opportunity to hunt at least once a day.
6. Is it ecologically responsible to shoot does and yearlings?  In Virginia, it is legal to harvest deer of any age or sex.  The genetics of a deer herd are much stronger if does and bucks are harvested in equal numbers.  Biologically speaking, the herd is strengthened if you harvest yearling deer rather than mature deer.  We'll provide you with some reading on this topic so you'll feel well-equipped to determine your own ethics around shooting female or yearling deer.  You will never be pressured to harvest a deer if you don't feel good about it in the moment: this is your hunt and it needs to feel good for you.
7. How good do my shooting skills have to be?  You need to be comfortable shooting a .30-caliber rifle.  Your own personal effective range will determine whether you choose to shoot deer at different distances.  The heart and lungs of a deer form a target about 8 inches across.  You need to be able to reliably hit an 8-inch circle at a given range (50 yards, 100 yards, etc) in order to ethically take a shot at a deer at that range.  Murphy would be happy to talk to you about your personal effective range before the hunt, and may be available for shooting lessons before the hunt for an extra charge.
8. Can I bowhunt at this program?  Bowhunting is a very advanced skill, since you must get much closer to the deer, and you need to put in a lot of time to develop the strength and accuracy to use a hunting-weight bow.  If you can demonstrate to Murphy that you are ready in this regard (if you can produce a consistent 8-inch group at 20 yards with a 35-pound-draw-weight or heavier bow) and you can bring your own equipment, you can bowhunt or crossbowhunt in this program.  Most people choose to rifle hunt.
9. How do I get my meat home?  You can butcher your meat yourself on site (we'll mentor you in this!) or you can pay a local game processor to do it for you.  It is illegal to import bones into Vermont from deer shot in Virginia, so the meat must be taken off the bone (check your home state for rules about this, they vary).  If you drove your car, you can take it home in a large cooler (you provide the cooler & ice).  Murphy might be able to drive it back to Vermont if there is space in the car, but we don't guarantee this.  You can ship the meat home via overnight delivery, packed in a cooler with dry ice.  Some airlines will let you take the meat home as checked baggage in a locked cooler with dry ice (check with your airline).  Please plan to share a bit of your meat as food for our hunting camp meals, and gift a small amount of meat to our farmer hosts.
10. How much does it cost?  The program costs $995, which includes guiding, hunting and butchering equipment, lodging (space to camp), and meals.  You are responsible for the cost of your hunting license in addition to this.  For most people an out-of-state deer hunting license for Virginia will cost $197.  You are also responsible for any shipping or baggage costs involved with getting your meat home.
11. Can I get a VSAC grant for this program?  For low-income Vermont residents, Mountainsong Expeditions is an approved school to receive VSAC non-degree grants to cover tuition.  VSAC approves these requests on a case-by-case basis.  People have been both approved and denied the grant for our 8-month Way of the Huntress training, which has much more structured teaching than this one.  We think you're unlikely to be approved for a VSAC grant for this program, but you can try if you want.

At Mountainsong Expeditions, you don't have to hunt alone!

"Okay, I want to do this!  How do I sign up?"

Wonderful!  You can register here.  You can pay via paypal on that same page, or mail us a check.  If you have any questions you want to ask before you make this official, don't hesitate to get in touch with us!