Passing Down Courage: The Future of Female Hunters

In the quiet woods, the sound of a gobble can send electricity down a hunter’s spine. For 12-year-old Eliza Waddell from Georgia, that moment came last season. With patience, grit, and her father by her side, she harvested her first turkey. It was the kind of hunt that leaves a mark on a young hunter’s heart.

For Waddell, moments like these are shaping her future. But her journey as a female hunter hasn’t been easy. She’s faced the same challenges many girls do when stepping into male-dominated spaces — criticism, doubt and even bullying from peers who couldn’t see past stereotypes.

“I’ve always felt that most girls don’t wanna hunt, and I always thought that I was the only one,” Waddell said. “But I have always been the one who’s like, no, I wanna prove that girls can hunt. I would get so much hate for being a girl hunter, and I just was so close to giving up.”

Her story took a powerful turn when she met Bren Segaria, a well-known outdoor advocate and new member of the NWTF Florida State Board of Directors. Segaria’s own childhood was marked by similar struggles.

“I grew up doing this following my dad,” Segaria said. “He wanted a son, and he got me. It really wasn’t cool back in like the ’90s and the early 2000s. So, it was one of those things where I got bullied for it, had hand-me-down clothes.”

When Segaria learned about Waddell’s experience — being persecuted so badly for hunting that she had to switch schools — her heart sank. The two met for the first time earlier this year at a University of Florida research banquet, a meeting that felt destined.

“There was someone at my table who said that there’s someone here that wants to meet you,” Segaria recalled. “And I was like, ‘Meet me? Who wants to meet me?’ (They told me) there’s a dad here and his daughter’s getting bullied, and she’s your biggest fan.”

Upon meeting, their connection was instant.

“As soon as I met her, I felt like me and her just kind of connected,” Waddell said. “I thought, well, this is actual proof that girls can hunt. I feel like we just immediately bonded for sure. It was really a cool experience.”

“She told me, ‘I love that you’re a girl out in the outdoors and you think it’s cool, and I think it’s cool’,” Segaria added. “And she was just this wholesome, sweet, genuine little girl.”

That night, something extraordinary happened. At the raffle table sat a little pink .22 rifle that no one had claimed. Segaria knew it belonged in Waddell’s hands. With the help of NWTF Regional Director Ashley Veigh, the two women decided to do something that would change Waddell’s life.

“I went up to Ashley, and said, ‘Hey, is there any chance like I can buy that gun outright?’” Segaria said. “This little girl’s here, she’s the only little girl here, is there any way we can get that for her? Ashley immediately said yes, absolutely not a problem, let’s figure it out.”

After the final raffle game was over, the pink .22 was still available, and Veigh knew exactly what she needed to do to get Waddell the firearm. She decided to buy the firearm outright, gifting it to the young girl at the end of the night.

“She was just the happiest girl there was ever at this banquet,” Veigh said. “I just hope that it shows her that there are women who will support her, and there is a whole village of us. And it’s important to know that we all try to support each other, and I hope that what she took away from this is that if she does ever need anything or want to get signed up for something she can call one of us.”

The gift was more than a firearm — it was a symbol of belonging, a message that Waddell wasn’t alone, and there are women out there paving the way for her in the outdoors.

For Waddell, just being in that room of female hunters and conservationists was powerful:

“Oh my gosh, there are other girls that hunt,” Waddell thought. “I’m not the only one. It’s just truly special and I love it. For me, this is something I want to do the rest of my life.”

And for Segaria, it was a moment of reflection and a reminder of why she does what she does.

“When I grew up, there weren’t really girls in the outdoors, and social media really wasn’t a thing yet,” Segaria said. “I kind of always look at it and strive to be like, is this something that little me would be proud of? Am I someone that little me would look up to?”

Hunting has long been seen as a man’s world, but that’s changing — and role models like Segaria are proof of why representation matters.

“You really don’t know who you’re impacting,” Segaria said. “You don’t know who’s watching, you don’t know who it’s gonna resonate with. And to see that actually come to fruition and someone actually be inspired and to connect with me is just awesome.”

At the NWTF, programs like Women in the Outdoors, Wheelin’ Sportsmen and JAKES continues to create pathways for people of all ages and abilities to experience the life-changing power of the outdoors. By sharing these stories, we showcase the opportunities available to everyone, and the many ways to get involved.

“I think the reason why I’m so passionate about this organization is the programs and the Women in the Outdoors,” Veigh said. “It’s what got me connected, and I’m living proof that those programs work. There’s a whole community of women out there who support each other in ways that men just don’t even understand and the support that we do need.”

In addition, Waddell’s message to other young girls is wise beyond her years.

“Keep hunting, don’t give up just because you may be the only girl or one of the only girls that hunts,” she said. “It’s OK to be unique. In the amount of time you have on earth, try to make it enjoyable. Be yourself. Because if you be yourself, you’re gonna enjoy life more. Enjoy the time you have with doing something you love. If you are a girl hunter, you can change the world just being you.”

The woods are for everyone, and when girls like Eliza Waddell step forward with women like Bren Segaria and Ashley Veigh cheering them on, the future of conservation grows brighter.

Because sometimes, all it takes is one hunt and one role model to change a life forever.