# Lisa Snelling - "Woman Hunter"



## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

He won't dance ... so Lisa Snelling got into hunting, big time, with magazine for women

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/flintjournal/index.ssf?/base/features-0/1196959840127270.xml&coll=5

12/06/07 By Elizabeth Shaw [email protected]  810.766.6311

GRAND BLANC TWP. - The only reason Lisa Snelling took up hunting was to get her husband to dance.

Six years later he's still not dancing - but Snelling is now leading other women into her favorite sport with her own online magazine, "Woman Hunter." 

"I created a monster," joked Jeff Snelling. "This year I had to shoot a buck bigger than hers just to redeem myself." 

Lisa Snelling said she started hunting "out of anger." 

"He was gone all the time hunting and there I was home raising the kids. I wanted him to spend time with me," she said. 

"What I really wanted was for him to take ballroom dancing class with me. Instead, he kept buying me guns and shells and things I had no intention of using." 

Frustrated, the self-described "city girl" finally gave in, hoping if she tried hunting, he'd repay the favor with a waltz or two. 

Their first outing was a rabbit hunt out behind their rural Grand Blanc Township home. 

"I didn't think I was going to like it, but then I shot my first rabbit and thought, 'Hey, this is a lot of fun.' It's still my favorite thing to hunt," she said.

Before long, she'd expanded her interest into deer, pheasant and turkey. She's been dove hunting in Argentina twice with Jeff, and this year made the Thousand Club for shooting 1,000 doves in a day. 

"I had to work out with weights before going so I could shoulder the gun all day long every day. Otherwise, I don't think I could've done it," she said. "The (gun manufacturers) should hire me so I could design the perfect gun for women." 

But as much as she loves hunting with her husband, Snelling found she wanted something he simply couldn't provide: female camaraderie. 

"You get to a point where you want to learn from the ladies as well, and have someone to participate with," Snelling said. "My husband's great, but generally women are more encouraging than men. I don't have 20 years' experience, so it's nice that it's OK to ask questions and learn from each other and get silly. Men get silly, too, but in a different way." 

She found that camaraderie in Camo & Lace, a local sportswomen's group. Snelling quickly became one of the group's leaders, helping to organize events and networking with other women. 

"Jeff and I do still hunt together sometimes, but mostly I do a lot of hunting with the girls and he does a lot with his friends," Snelling said. "But that's OK. I kind of found doing my own thing can be healthy, too."

"Lisa is so energetic. She brought a lot of good ideas and confidence into the group," said Camo & Lace member Mary Dugas of Davison Township. "Just like starting this magazine - there's no way I could've done something like this. But she just had this dream and went for it. I'm pretty proud of her." 

Starting a Web site was a natural for Snelling, a computer consultant for EDS in Troy. She hired a Web developer and an editor, and two months ago launched her magazine at www.thewomanhunter.com. 

The articles are all reader submissions, plus forums, photo galleries, product reviews and a growing list of other features. Just added: a database of reader-supplied wild game recipes. 

"I would've loved to have professional writers, but couldn't afford it. And myself, I'm not a writer, but I love to read," Snelling said. "But I found women did want to share their stories, and it's fun to let them write their own articles. It's worked out great."

The free magazine now has 147 subscribers. As it grows, Snelling hopes to attract more advertisers and company-supported product reviews. 

"I love the forums. We've been passing along all kinds of information on what works good and why. Just listening to these women get so excited about their own success, that's what I like," said Kelly Sheffer of North Branch. 

Sheffer started hunting about six years ago with her brother and father, but quickly soured on the experience of hunting with men. 

"When I shot my first doe it wasn't a big deal to them. They were just in a hurry to get it out of there. I don't hunt with them at all anymore," said Sheffer. "That encouragement I didn't get is what I try to give other women now." 

Snelling has also started doing trade shows and sponsoring events, like an annual women's pheasant hunt at a game ranch in the Thumb area. 

"She's getting a lot of support from local businesses and friends who realize the fastest growing part of hunting isn't children, it's women - and if women do it, the kids will do it, too," said Jeff Snelling, who had this bit of advice for those who'd like to keep hunting a "man's" sport: 

"It's been the greatest thing for our marriage. Men who hunt like I do, whose wives are at home, there's a big gap between them. He's gone three or four weeks a year and weekends while she's home twiddling her thumbs or looking for a boyfriend. I don't have to worry about that stuff. It's a marriage-builder."


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## wyldkat49766 (Apr 21, 2007)

Nice. But what do you do with 1000 dead doves?


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

In places like Argentina and Mexico there are bird boys that pick up the birds on these guided hunts. They are cleaned an eaten by the natives. Same with the duck hunts down there.

During the decimation of the passenger pigeon barrel after barrel of birds were shipped fresh to the cities from western Michigan


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