About Our Staff
CHANTAE
BEING OUTDOORS
No matter what’s going on in the world the one place we all can go back to is the great outdoors. The calm and beauty of it all. The music you hear in the trees or on the water, there is truly nothing like it. The Discovery Channel is wonderful but why not discover it for yourself? You never know what you might find in your own backyard. But you have to step outside to get there first.
CREATING WOMEN’S FISHING AND OUTDOORS
Being outdoors means a lot to me, it was a big part of my childhood. Growing up in a small town and being a woman, you notice things are not always as equal as it seems. I wanted to create a positive platform for women. A place where they would feel safe to learn and ask questions, share their experience and knowledge, and a place they could show off and be encouraged and not judged. Today society sees it as a shock to see women out on their own fishing, chartering their own boat, and hunting. I don’t want it to be a shock anymore. No matter who you are, being active outdoors should always be encouraged. We as women have too much to benefit from by being outdoors with friends and loved ones than to continue the same stereotype and stigma into the next generation.
MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH WOMEN’S FISHING AND OUTDOORS
I get to talk with a lot of amazing women daily from all over the world and have even personally been able to meet a lot of our members. I do fish and hunt with them when the opportunity comes up. It’s been truly amazing watching members become friends and sharing their experiences since joining the group and what it has given them in return. One of our first members actually became a really close friend of mine and still is. She now is a full time admin of the WOMEN’S FISHING AND OUTDOORS Facebook group. Since starting WFO in 2018 we have grown beyond where I ever thought we would be. It’s been a blessing to be a part of a much needed change and become a recourse in a way has been a wonderful experience to be a part of and share with others.
LOOKING FORWARD TO THE FUTURE
Being a woman actively involved in the outdoors, finding gear and clothing has always been an issue. We have slowly started building our brand and are working with industry leaders to create custom outdoor apparel and gear for women. We hope to see more come from it and continue to build our platform and community while serving a need. We can’t wait to work with more companies and grow in hopes of giving back on a much bigger scale than we are able to now. Traveling and getting to fish and hunt in new places all over would be amazing. Getting to have those new adventures with our members who maybe live in a different state or country. I have a long bucket list of places I would like to fish and hunt. Any new experience while learning new things along the way sounds like the best adventure yet.
KASSIDY
GROWING UP
I didn't grow up hard core fishing and hunting with my family. I was always given the rod when a fish was on or told to stand and take a picture by a deer that was tagged by a family member. I always had a hard core curiosity for the outdoors but any time I tried it out it was just like being a kid again and I was told just just sit back and wait. I had issues posting in hunting and fishing groups because I was intimidated having men critique my achievements or laugh at my questions. Once I joined WFO, it was a whole new world. I felt comfortable reaching out and I was able to go out with other women who were learning like I was. I'm not a person who can just watch YouTube videos and learn. I have to be out there hands on and learning as I go. The women I have met on WFO were understanding and taught me so much! And now I can do the same and look forward to it. I want WFO to take off so that we can do more to help women get out there and explore their outdoor ability. If being able to fish and hunt shouldn't have to come with the stress of money or the lack of knowledge-based. It should be a fun and amazing learning experience every time, regardless of the outcome. I get excited just thinking of the ability women have once they are confident and let loose outdoors. The lands and waters are yours ladies. Cherish it, breathe it in, thank it for the opportunity to learn where you came from and how you survived.
BEING A PART OF WFO
I wanted to be a part of something that meant a lot to me when it came to the outdoors. I wanted to have a safe place to ask questions or show my outdoor achievements without being intimidated by the male population. I wanted to learn from other like minded females and I have! I still have a lot to learn. The ability to ask questions and learn so I can venture out on my own. I feel safe in that group. There are no "stupid questions". I've met a lot of amazing females. I get so much joy seeing our members reach out with questions or to share their stories. And when members reach out with answers to those questions without put downs or congratulate members on their catches or bags, it just makes it 10 times better
LOOKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE
Trips trips and more trips. I want us to be able to help those pay for their trips or supply them with gear. We know it's not cheap and that shouldn't be a reason you can't get out and enjoy the opportunity.
BRINGING POSITIVE CHANGE AND KNOWLEDGE
I'm able to answer questions for members. Or point them in the right direction to find those answers. Chantae has worked hard to put this group together and I'm so thankful to be a part of it. I believe it's important to break stereotypes where men are the hunters and anglers. Women are fully capable of this, whether it's to provide food for the table or have a badass wall mount. I can now teach my children some basics about the outdoors, which isn't something I got growing up. They can ask me questions about fishing and hunting that I either already know the answers to or know where to find the answers. That's the biggest positive change for me personally.
