The Ladies Hunting Club, aka The Huntress Guild, was photographed on the farm property of Jeff and Angie Johnson at Orcas Road and Nordstrom Lane. Filmmaker Kyle Carver had his daughter Talise—the spritely girl in the blue Cinderella dress— along as he photographed. The sun, the clouds and the golden rye conspired to create some epic shots of the women and kids for Kyle and our behind-the-scenes photographers Ilias Schneider and Gray Gailey. The photos you see were not included in the book Ōde, but we love them just as much.
The Ladies Hunting Club of Orcas Island, aka The Huntress Guild, was founded partially as a response to the decimation of wildflowers and pollinators, the declining health of forests and Madrona trees, and an ecological system out of balance. Founders, Samantha Martin, Sommer McKenzie, Xoe Chue, Erika Ekrem, Dana Thompson, and Amy Vanderwarker, banded together in 2019 to learn to hunt deer to promote a healthier deer population, ecological balance, self-reliance and community building. They also hope to feed their families and those in need with wild, local meat.
A CIVIL DISCUSSION
Not everybody on island agrees that the deer are overpopulated. And, even those that do believe that, do not necessarily agree upon solutions. Ōde contributor Toby Cooper is preparing another take on the deer situation on Orcas Island so that our readers may continue the discussion we have started.
Respect for our fellow citizens and their differences in opinion is a beautiful thing when it happens on Orcas Island and we like to believe it happens here more often than not. To participate in a civil discussion on the activities of The Ladies Hunting Club, please leave a comment at the end of this post.
photo by Ilias Schneider
Requirements: Shotgun, muzzleloader, bow & arrow (highly skilled only); Must adhere to strict safety codes; Willing to work as a group for a common goal; Deep respect of the deer as an integral part of the island
Activities: Hunter’s education & field skill evaluations; Shooting practice; Native plant and wildflower restoration; Hunting and field dressing; Hide preservation and leather tanning; Making crafts from bones and hides; Venison recipe sharing
Land acknowledgment: We live in unceded Coast Salish territory
Inclusivity: Welcome to ALL, including those who identify as Beings of Color, Non-Binary, Gender Queer, LGBTQA, and, yes, men.
photo of Ladies Hunting Club co-founder Samantha Martin and photographer/filmmaker Kyle Carver, by Ayn Gailey
Many of our Ōde photo shoots were family projects. In the following photos 14 yr old Gray captured behind-the-scenes photos of Kyle Carver’s and Dana Thompson-Carver’s daughter Talise on set as her father photographed the Ladies Hunting Club and the Ōde crew packed up for the day.
