Mother-of-two who loves to hunt with her family received death threats
Mother-of-two who loves to hunt reveals trolls want to see her ‘killed and mounted on the wall’ – but insists she’s just putting food on the table for her family
- Carly Brasseux, 34, from Texas, received death threats for her love of hunting
- She got into the hobby to bond with her husband Will, 36, and fell in love with it
- Insisted she respects nature and animals, and only does it to put food on table
- Was once told she should be killed and mounted like on her prey
A mother-of-two who loves hunting has hit back at trolls who said she should be ‘killed and mounted like her prey’, insisting that she only kills to put food on her family’s table.
Business owner, Carly Brasseux, 34, from Texas, was first introduced to hunting by her husband, Will, 36, in November 2011.
She uses a Tika rifle to hunt down wild animals such as deer, Barbary sheep, coyotes, boars and birds, and either cooks up her kills or freezes the remains for future consumption.
‘I started hunting because I fell in love with a true outdoorsman. But even though my hunting journey started because I wanted to connect with my husband, I ended up finding myself and something I really love to do,’ Carly said.
‘I am now a female hunter, conservationist and outdoors enthusiast. I hunt to conserve our land and animal populations and put food on my family’s table.
Carly Brasseux, 34, receives death threats for her love of hunting, but insists she only does it to put food on the table. She is seen with a Barbary sheep, the biggest animal she’s ever killed
The mother-of-two with a boar she killed during the winter. She insists she’s a conservationist, and that there is a lot of ‘respect’ for the animal involved in hunting
Carly, pictured with her three-year-old daughter, cooks up her kills and home and hasn’t needed to buy meat for years
‘I am a rifle hunter mostly and shoot a Tika.25-06 and the largest animal I’ve hunted was a 300Ib Barbary sheep.’
Carly, who has a five-year-old son and three-year-old daughter insists that hunting is a healthy family activity, and hopes her children will grow up ‘open-minded’.
‘I spend time with my family outdoors and encourage all women to get outside for their physical and emotional health,’ she said.
‘Our five-year old has tagged along on a couple of hunts; our children will be free to make their own choice whether or not to hunt.
‘Our job as parents is to show them all sides of life and provide an understanding of how and why things are as they are.
‘It is our hope that our children will have a deep connection with the outdoors and wildlife no matter what they choose.
‘Hunting is spending time in the outdoors. Any outdoor adventure by someone who may not hunt looks very similar. The only difference is that an animal is harvested and food is provided for our family.
The mother-of-two pictured with her hunting equipment after shooting birds. Carly started going on hunts in 2011 with her husband Will, 36
Carly, pictured with a dead deer, said she loves wildlife and respects animals, and would not over-hunt
‘I’m not a very good cook at all, so I usually stick to the basics with lots of ground venison. We prepare meals of spaghetti with ground venison and chili.
‘We cook lots of fried backstrap, dove poppers are my favorite. We cook at least two meals a week made up of the animals we hunt. I haven’t purchased ground meat or steaks in years.
‘After the hunt, the animal is processed, and the meat is either eaten fresh or put in the freezer to eat throughout the year.
‘Many times, when we go out hunting, we may not take a single animal. I think people may think hunters are just shooting and killing everything in sight.
‘But our family may only harvest one to two deer a year, even though we’re out in the field much more often than that.
‘There is a connection to the land and animal that goes far beyond what is shown in pictures; a connection to our food. A connection to our past.
Twice a week, Carly cooks meals using meat from the animals that she and her husband Will have hunted
Carly, pictured with a deer she hunted, said she has received a few harsh comments over the years, including someone telling her she should be killed and mounted like her prey
‘For me, it’s simply time spent outdoors; it’s time I get to watch a sunrise or sunset. It’s time I get to spend out in the country with no cell phone service. It’s time when I can enjoy the gifts God’s given us.’
Carly says that people have been very supportive of her hobby and while she does receive some negative backlash, she uses this as an opportunity to educate people about hunting.
‘The hardest thing about hunting for me has been learning; it takes years to understand even a small portion of everything there is to know about the outdoors and wildlife,’ she said.
‘I’ve maybe received a couple of comments over the years that were a little harsh. They both said they wished someone would kill and mount me on their wall.’
The hunting enthusiast, pictured with a coyote that she shot, said she sees hunting as a connection to the land and to the past
It took Carly two years to learn the basics of hunting, because she struggled to find the relevant information
A meal made out of animal parts from Will and Carly’s hunt. The mother-of-two said people have mostly been supportive of her hobby, but admits she’s received hatred over it
‘I’ve been blessed that my husband has taught me so much and allows me to ask lots of questions. I’m actually writing an e-book right now with lots of the fundamentals I’ve learned along the way.
‘I knew nothing when I started and had a really hard time finding information; I want a quick reference out there for women to be able to learn the fundamentals and basics without either being too overwhelmed or having to Google too much.
‘There is typically an overwhelming show of support from people who see my pictures. The hunting community is a big family and we all support one another.
‘In life, there are always going to be people who disagree with you. The point is to listen to those who are trying to have a conversation about what we do but may not agree with it; there is always opportunity for learning on both sides.
Carly, pictured on a hunting trip with her husband Will, she got into the sport in order to explore her his interests and bond with him
Carly is now writing an e-book aimed at women who wish to get into hunting, with the basic information they need to have
Carly, pictured with a boar she killed, said she is open to discussing hunting with people who disagree with her practices
The family either eat the meat fresh, or they freeze it to eat later, and the mother-of-two said she wants her kids to know where their food has come from
Carly uses rifles in order to hunt and shoots with a Tika.25-06 (pictured). She said the hunting community has been very supportive of her
Carly admitted she had already taken her five-year-old son on hunts with her and Will, but said she won’t pressure him to get into hunting
‘There is always a sense of sadness for the life lost, and this is completely natural. Hunters have a deep respect and love for wildlife.
‘At the same time, this sadness is coupled with an understanding that it is our responsibility to be aware of and take part in where our food comes from and help in managing wildlife populations.
‘We are in a time where there is an obligation to understand where our food comes from and play an active role in our land and animal conservation.
‘You’ll hear a lot of hunters talk about conservation; it’s a very broad concept meaning the protection of wild plants, animals and their habitats.
The mother-of-two, pictured at the shooting range, said she is a conservationist, and she insists hunters help to conserve some animal species
Carly, pictured with her dog on a hunt, said she is actually helping wildlife by reducing the number of animal, thus avoiding overpopulation from one specific species
She added that hunting gives the animals a ‘quick and easy end’
‘But hunters know that by shooting or harvesting an animal, we are helping to conserve the population by keeping them within carrying capacity.
‘Biologists and wildlife managers know the formula for improving herds and conserving our land and animal species which allows our wildlife to truly thrive.
‘Populations have grown, urbanization and overhunting are an obstacle, so hunting has to be controlled and managed.
‘Do you know what happens when there are too many animals (and even plants) within a particular area? Do you know what happens when there is too much wildlife and not enough resources such as water, food and shelter?
‘The animals starve; they starve to death, and not with a quick death. Non-hunters ask how you can take the life of an animal, but if one, two, ten or fifty deer, turkey or dove need to be harvested in order for the rest of the species to thrive, hunters can be the ones to give the one, two, ten or fifty quick and easy ends, and use the food – it’s really a win.’
Carly, seen with her rifle in hand on a hunting trip, agreed that hunting has to be controlled and managed in order to protect the the environment
The mother-of-two, posing with her kill after going hunting, said the controversial sport gives her the opportunity to enjoy ‘God’s gift’
Carly after hunting a Barbary sheep; her biggest kill so far is a 300Ib aoudad (Barbary) sheep
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