Anette Dahl is a lifelong huntress from Norway who has always been dedicated to what has always been her passion. She was born on February 4, 1991 and, for her, hunting is a way of challenging and surpassing herself. She is an example of how women demonstrate their talent and dedication in a field where men are the majority.
In reference to her beginnings, Anette told the Jara y Sedal team that she has been hunting «since she was a little girl». «My father is a farmer and was always working. In his free time he loved to go hunting. So he was very excited and happy to take me hunting so he could spend time with me and do what he loves. He was always patient and let me try for myself as soon as I wanted to. I got my first rifle when I was 11 years old», she recalls.
«I eat the meat I hunt»
«I hunt because I love it,» she has confessed. «I love the adrenaline, the thrill and also spending time in nature focusing on just that. I also love what it gives since I eat, mostly, meat that I hunt myself.»
«I am often asked about it and people expect me to talk about what it brings, but the truth is that I hunt for myself. In spite of everything, I know how important it is, so if I didn’t like it, I would be glad if someone did it, as it is really necessary» the huntress has assured.
«I only hunt when and where I know it’s good for nature. I like how the time I spend in nature prepares me for hunting season and that I have a good knowledge of each animal I hunt. I never hunt an animal without knowing that this is part of something good.»
Anette Dahl, the huntress who travels the world
Dahl also detailed what hunting is like in Norway and what species are most common there. «I have my own farm and hunting ground, so I hunt what I find necessary in this area», he said. «Mostly elk, deer, roe deer, grouse, pigeons, beavers and foxes».
«Although I also like to travel and hunt different animals around the world, get to know other hunting traditions, different species and surround myself with diverse landscapes».
«In Norway hunting is very traditional. We hunt to eat and having been hunting all over the world, I find it fascinating how in Norway we value the animal in terms of the weight of the meat, not how big the horns are. For me, the typical hunt in Norway is elk hunting with dogs. I have my own. I’ve never seen hunting with dogs the way we do anywhere else in the world».
«Norway’s strong women are paving the way for future female hunters»
Reflecting on what her day-to-day life is like in hunting as a woman, Anette has emphasized that she has been «lucky enough to hunt since before I saw how men treated women in hunting, so I never gave it much thought until I started hunting all over the world».
«I often feel like I have more to prove than my fellow hunters. I participate in shooting competitions and that has helped me get more ‘respect’ within the community as people trust my skills more in this way».
To this he added, «Even so, I always make sure I take care of my own hunting. For example, I eviscerate the animals I hunt to show that I am as much of a hunter as any man».
«I think in Norway we are more respected as female hunters every year. I know some women hunters and they are strong women who know how to handle themselves. In Norway many strong women are paving the way for new women hunters», Anette has concluded.
The growing presence of women in hunting
In this regard, the Artemisan Foundation and the University of Extremadura, in collaboration with the Royal Spanish Hunting Federation (RFEC), prepared a study on women hunters in Spain.
The reality is that hunting is still an activity that, for the most part, is practiced by men. Despite this, the presence of women is becoming increasingly relevant in the hunting sector. Of the approximately 700,000 people who hunt in Spain, it is estimated that 1.5% are women. This translates to some 10,500 women hunters.
Over the last ten years, the number of women with hunting licenses has increased fourfold and the trend is for this figure to continue to rise. It is not only the greater presence of women in hunting that is evidenced by figures and in the case of Spain. This is something that can be seen, with examples such as Anette’s, in fields and forests all over the world.
