Author: Vanessa Harrop
Vanessa has a deep passion for hunting and the outdoors and she loves to immerse herself in cultures around the globe. As hunting is the cornerstone of all cultures, she believes there is no better way to experience a destination. She is constantly seeking out new adventures and whether it’s climbing mountains in search of mountain goats and sheep, chasing Muskox on the tundra with her bow, or stalking elk and deer in the foothills of Alberta, she embraces it all! There is nothing quite like the adrenalin and anticipation that comes with each adventure. Vanessa is also a gear junky and is constantly searching out and testing products to assist in her pursuits. There is no need to call Vanessa a huntress. She is proud to be simply a hunter and no matter where she hunts, she is respected for her tenacity and grit. She is strong role model for all women hunters.
Hunt long enough, for enough different species and you’ll eventually find your nemesis and it has been no different for me. In fact, mine was doubly bad as it involved not one but two different animals: the mountain goat and the mountain lion or as it is more commonly known, the cougar. While I did manage to break the goat curse early in 2016, it was a curse that spanned five hunts and included lost horses, grizzly bears, golden eagles, foul weather and oh yeah, a broken arm. My cougar curse on the other hand, was not all that bad…
An Alberta Foothills Archery Whitetail Adventure Most people think of Alberta as the place for trophy Whitetails. In many regions of the province, it is. But in the foothills where I live, trophy quality has been down for the past decade. We had severe winter kills in 2010 and then again in 2015. The overall population has rebounded, but we just aren’t seeing the big bucks everyone typically hears about in Alberta. During the 2018 season, we probably saw over 100 different bucks. I’m not sure one would stretch the tape beyond 125 inches. One night, when I was sitting…