Since I have gotten married hunting has played a new role in my life, it is a special part of our lives together and we try to take time out to go as much as we can. Hunting with my husband has proven to be another joy that I have found in the outdoors. I hope to add many more stories about my trips with him.

I have been hunting for as long as I can remember. My dad started taking me when I was about 4, and I have loved it ever since. As a youngster I started out hunting squirrels, doves, frogs, and any other small game I could find to shoot with my .22 or 20 gauge. When I was 9 I took my hunter safety course, enabling me to hunt big game and actually go on hunting trips with my Dad. My dad, Wayne Gendron, works for Quaker Boy game calls and guides for elk and turkey. Living in Missouri provided many different types of game to hunt, but having a father in the outdoor industry gave me the opportunity to travel to and hunt in different places. I have had the privilege to hunt deer, turkey, wild boar, elk, ducks, geese, pheasants, quail, and a few exotic sheep. I have hunted in Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho, New Mexico, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, and Florida. I love to hunt anything but my favorite is bird hunting. I got a lab for Christmas two years ago from my parents because I wanted a bird dog. I trained him myself and love taking him out, whether it be waterfowl or upland game. I was also very fortunate to be a part of the National Wild Turkey Federation Jakes program, our local chapter, of which I was president, set examples for other chapters with our many activities for youth. We started the Missouri Hunter Apprentice School, a hunting school for kids which allowed them to learn many aspects of hunting and hunting equipment, and actually go out and bag an animal. Another opportunity I have had came from game calling. Not only did my dad take me hunting but he ensured that I knew how to call the animals I was attempting to bag. I began winning youth turkey calling contests all over Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa, and won a state title in each of them. I also placed in and won elk and owl competitions. My calling skill lead to some recognition and I was able to call on Quaker Boy's calling team, on which I was caller of the year in 1995. I was also privileged to hunt on video for Quaker Boy and Realtree, and able to meet and hunt with many of the top men in the industry.

I stopped calling competitively to allow time for high school and college sports. Cross Country, basketball, and track overlapped and allowed little time for traveling, and college track took up even more time. But I am done with all that now and am loving the time I have to spend in the woods. I got a job at Bass Pro Shops where I work in the archery department. I am now on the Pro Staffs for Quaker Boy and Farm Land Camo. I am starting to shoot skeet and archery. I am also calling again, and will try to prove that I am the best in the NRA All Game Calling Challenge. I also intend to use my time to take a few trips and experience new types of outdoor activities. A few of which include Tundra swan hunting, salmon and sturgeon fishing, and bow hunting and bow fishing. I am very excited to be able to write for womenshunting.com and hope you enjoy the stories I have to tell.