During a recent appearance on Tomi Lahren’s “Fearless” podcast, veteran outdoorswoman Eva Shockey addressed a question that has long haunted women in the hunting community: must they give up femininity to belong?
Pushback from day one
Shockey, the daughter of legendary hunter Jim Shockey and a prominent face in outdoor media, said she has faced criticism since she first stepped onto the range. “Pretty much everything I’ve done in the hunting community, there’s been pushback since day one,” she said. “It’s never been where everyone’s like, ‘Yeah, she’s doing it right.’”
Staying true to herself
Rather than conform to a narrow image of a hunter, Shockey chose a different path. “I didn’t hunt because I didn’t know you could be this — have hair and makeup and care about your nails being done — and also love to hunt,” she explained. “If I’m gonna hunt, I’m still me. I’m not gonna change who I am because I want to go hunting.”
A growing movement
Shockey entered the outdoor industry at a time when hunting media was overwhelmingly male. She acknowledges that she did not start the wave of women entering the sport, but she has become a visible advocate for it. “I got to really ride the wave of a big change in more women starting to hunt,” she said. “It wasn’t me personally. There were a bunch of other women before me. I just got to be a bit of a face of it and represent a lot of women over the last 15 years.”
Social media as a bridge
According to Shockey, platforms like Instagram and TikTok have made the outdoors more accessible to girls who might otherwise think hunting isn’t for them. “If young girls want to see someone shooting a bow or they live out in the country and they’ve never seen a girl hunt — they can open social and see people doing what they want to do,” she said.
Different looks, same passion
She stresses that there is no single way a hunter must look. “I’m by no means everybody’s style. Not everyone wants to see someone with, like, hair and makeup done. But there’s lots,” Shockey noted, emphasizing that the sport should welcome a variety of personalities and appearances.
Beyond hunting: a broader outdoor lifestyle
Shockey also observes a cultural shift toward self‑sufficiency. More people are interested in gardening, sourcing their own food, and reconnecting with where their meals come from. “It’s changed a lot in the last five years. I think people are very interested in that lifestyle, and they’re very interested in growing things themselves, hunting things themselves,” she said.
Encouraging curiosity, not policing participation
For Shockey, the goal isn’t to demand full‑time commitment but to celebrate any level of involvement. “Even if they’re doing 10% of it, that’s 10% better than not doing it,” she said, adding that the outdoor life, healthy food for families, and fresh air are all worthy pursuits.
Shockey’s message resonates with thousands of women who have approached her over the years, thanking her for showing that hunting can coexist with personal style, family responsibilities, and a love of nature.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
