Meghan Patrick Is Everything That’s Good About Hunting

Duck hunting

It’s no surprise that the girl who sings about having the first buck she shot tattooed on her arm likes to hunt.

The word “like” in that sentence is actually probably an understatement though. Meghan Patrick loves to hunt.

“I love this buck tattoo… This was the first big game animal I ever shot. I found the property myself.

I scouted it. I dragged him out of the woods myself. It’s a huge point of pride for me.”

The Busch Light enthusiast certainly isn’t scared to show off her genuine love for tattoos, or for two of the greatest things on earth – beer and the great outdoors.

While her musical stardom is blossoming to new heights, the former Canadian Country Music Awards Female Artist of the Year isn’t shying away from what has long been one of the most debated issues in the hunting community – the good ole fashioned grip n’ grin photo.

In recent years, public perceptions towards hunting have grown more toxic, especially in the mainstream digital pop culture and entertainment world. For years now, cancel culture has set its sights on proud hunters who post pictures displaying a successful hunt. The negativity got so loud that many folks in the hunting community started going so far as to self-righteously chastise other hunters for posting grip n’ grin photos on their own personal social media accounts.

This further opened the door for criticism from non-hunters and the trend has gotten so bad that many high-profile hunters in the entertainment business have stopped posting their hunting pictures online, apparently in fear of alienating overly sensitive fans.

Blowback for female hunters in the internet spotlight tends to be even more venomous. That makes Meghan’s unabashed appreciation for showing off her hunting pictures even more badass.

It’s truly a breath of fresh air to see someone in Meghan’s boots authentically lean so hard into the world of hunting. It’s not going unnoticed either, the first wild turkey she bagged a few years back recently graced the cover of one of Canada’s foremost hunting magazines.

Her own development as a hunter later in life in comparison to most hunters who start as a kid is impressive too. Her willingness to be open about her experiences should be encouraging for other people interested in learning to hunt as an adult.

“I am so honored to be on the eastern cover of ‘Outdoor Canada’ with my first ever turkey! Shoutout to my buddy Fowl Ambitions who helped me chase this guy on public land a couple of years ago.

If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I always speak candidly about the fact that I didn’t grow up hunting. I’m no expert, and I’m still learning every day about how to be a better hunter and conservationist.

I like to speak on this because I think it’s important that others know that you don’t have to be raised on it to love the outdoors and get into hunting at any age. I know it can be intimidating to try and get into this world, and especially for women when you don’t know where to start and don’t have a family member to show you the ropes…

But hey, if I can have the experiences I’ve had, start in my mid 20’s and end up on the cover of a magazine, why not you?

All you need is the passion and respect for conservation and the wildlife you hunt… Be humble, be patient, be ready to ask “dumb questions” and soak in everything you can when you get the chance to hunt with people who have the experience. I hope this inspires!”

Hunting is about way more than just shooting animals though, and that is something that she truly understands as well.

Whether it’s trying to inspire new hunters, rallying support for girls to blaze their own path in the male-dominated great outdoors, or articulating what the full hunting experience is truly about – she has become a tremendous new ambassador for what too many people now ignorantly consider to be an outdated activity in the modern world.

“Women who hunt together. Women who don’t see other women in their same industry as competition, but as friends who inspire, elevate and support. I am lucky to have more incredible women in my life than ever before, and this post doesn’t even cover all of them.

Badass women that run their own businesses, make amazing music and hunt their own dinner. I’d bet my life on these women and would be lost without them!” 

The idea that she truly gets it when it comes to what hunting is all about was made even more obvious when she used her platform to make a public service announcement about the importance of staying in compliance with hunting rules and regulations.

Sharing her knowledge about the fact that money generated through hunting goes directly towards wildlife conservation efforts also served as great press for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the government agency that spearheads some of the best scientific wildlife management strategies on earth and offers some of the best hunting and fishing opportunities on the planet.

Similar agencies in all 50 states and throughout Canada have relied on funds generated through hunting as the primary source of funding for wildlife conservation for decades now.

Last year alone, excise taxes on hunting and shooting equipment generated more than $600 million dollars for wildlife conservation efforts. The sale of hunting licenses generated over $900 million for the same causes. That’s right. In 2020, hunting generated over $1 billion for conserving America’s wild places and wild things.

Considering those conservation funding mechanisms have been in place since 1939, the numbers become mind-blowingly huge when you look at the historical impact that hunting has had on funding wildlife conservation in North America.

So the next time anyone wants to get mad online about a girl in camo posing with an animal she shot (and intends to eat), maybe they should stop and ask themselves if they have ever actually contributed anything to furthering conservation efforts in any way? Or are they just someone who hides behind the false premise of trying to help wild animals just to talk shit on the internet about someone they don’t know…

Keep doing your thing, Meghan. The roughly 15 million hunters in the U.S. and more than a million more in Canada are all cheering you on.

Now crack open a warm Bush Light and listen to her sing about that first buck she shot and then tattooed on her arm.

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