Episode 34
Nadine Harte: The Journey Is the Best Part
Women Who Hunt sits down with Nadine Harte to talk through her journey from a rough upbringing and zero hunting background to becoming a confident solo hunter and bow hunter. She shares the mistakes, milestones, and hard-earned lessons that shaped her approach to the field, from buying her first rifle to eventually leaving the rifle at home. This episode is especially useful for beginners, especially women getting into hunting, because Nadine breaks down gear choices, shot placement, wind, thermals, and the value of learning by doing.
Key topics- In this episode, Nadine shares how she got into hunting at 19 through a friend and quickly decided to try solo hunting on her own.
- She talks about buying her first rifle, a Tikka .308, and how intimidating the first trip to the gun store felt as a beginner.
- We discuss her first solo deer hunt, including how unprepared she was for meat care, gear, and processing.
- Nadine explains how her early mistakes taught her to respect the learning curve and not expect perfection right away.
- She describes the moment she first saw a deer alone, the adrenaline rush, and the challenge of controlling nerves before the shot.
- She walks through her first bow hunting experiences, including starting with a cheap second hand bow before upgrading to a Matthews.
- Nadine shares how rut encounters and missed opportunities pushed her to commit fully to bow hunting and leave the rifle behind.
- We discuss the importance of deer anatomy, shot angles, and understanding where the exit wound needs to be, especially for bow hunters.
- She explains how hunting with her partner, who shoots trad bow, has shaped her learning and given her more confidence in the field.
- Nadine highlights the biggest lessons she learned from sambar deer, especially patience, slowing down, and reading the bush properly.
- She talks about how wind, thermals, scent control, and even washing clothes in plain soap can change outcomes in the field.
- Nadine also speaks to the lack of women’s gear and representation in hunting, and why she wants to be a signpost for other women getting started.
00:00 - Nadine’s hunting journey begins 00:35 - Growing up without hunters around her 02:17 - Buying her first rifle and feeling out of depth 03:14 - First solo deer hunt and the steep learning curve 05:59 - The adrenaline of seeing deer alone for the first time 07:09 - Shooting her first spiker 08:25 - Realizing how much she still had to learn 09:43 - Getting home with limited gear and lots of meat to process 10:47 - First meal from the deer - venison schnitzels 11:45 - Learning more through hunts during COVID 12:15 - Butchering school and building confidence 13:30 - Switching from rifle to bow 15:28 - Starting with a cheap second hand bow 16:22 - Upgrading to a Matthews and getting serious 18:21 - Why she left the rifle at home 19:59 - How deer duck the string 23:53 - Nadine’s first deer with the bow 24:55 - Crawling in slow and learning patience 26:28 - Shot placement and reading deer angles 29:22 - Walking up to her first bow kill 31:22 - Compound bow versus trad bow 33:38 - Hunting together as a couple 36:05 - Why women need better access to hunting support 37:01 - Choosing draw length, release aids, and poundage 39:31 - How arrows and broadheads affect performance 42:29 - Chasing sambar with a bow 45:43 - The first time she heard a sambar in the bush 48:17 - What sambar taught her about slowing down 49:38 - What she wishes she knew earlier 50:59 - Advice for brand new women hunters 54:14 - Learning wind and thermals with a wind puffer 56:42 - Why scent control and washing clothes matters 59:40 - The gap for women in hunting 61:50 - What it means to be a woman in the hunting world 63:45 - What’s next for Nadine 65:19 - Why beginners should reach out and ask questions 68:44 - How to contact Nadine
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