Bow Hunting

Women aren't always welcome in the male-dominated sport of hunting. Lise Lamarre doesn't care. Not only does she stand out as a female hunter, she doesn't use the popular rifle either; her weapon of choice is a bow.

American bow-hunting enthusiasts visiting Windigo first introduced Lise, the preserve's likeable cook to the sport. Since that day, not a season goes by where she doesn't practice her now-favourite sport. "I like the challenge it represents. The animal has more chances of escaping unscathed; it's a lot more difficult than hunting with a shotgun. You have to get much closer to the animal, which makes it more likely that the beast will see you, even if you move very slowly," explains our huntress.

Lise usually stands about 20 metres from her prey, even if you will find, among Quebec's 75,000 bow hunters, some who can shoot from 30 metres away. "The further you are, the more chance you have of wounding the animal. The size of the animal doesn't even matter; it all depends on how you use your bow. Bear, deer, moose, partridge or hare: No animal can stand up to the arrows. If you aim at the chest, there are chances that the arrow will pierce the animal through, a wound it's certain not to survive."

Of all the fauna populating the forests of the Mauricie, Lise still prefers to track deer. "To this day, I've killed seven of them, plus one bear. It's different for bears. It comes out like a ghost, you don't hear it. But it's a lot more clumsy that a deer, who is more agile and faster, a lot more cunning too."

A bullet travels at 3,000 feet a second, while a bow is ten times faster. Of course, Lise's arrows have nothing to do with those of your boy- or girl-scout days. Hers are thin and slender, topped with angled metal heads as sharp as razors. "With these, you can take down any animal you want. Although, for partridges, practice arrows with rounded tips are more than enough," says Lise.

To be a good bow hunter, one must learn to stay perfectly still for hours and hours. Beware of cramps! Like many bow hunters, Lise climbs trees to take advantage of their extended sight lines.

-"Excuse me? You climb trees?"

-"Yes, but it's easy. I've got my tree stand."

Tree stands look a little like the equipment used by electric-company workers. Hung on a medium-size tree, it consists of a metallic frame that allows the wearer to slide up the tree until he reaches the desired height. Because of the user's weight and the lever principle, the tree stand holds on to the tree, no matter how high up it is. It even has a foldable chair, which is attached to the user's feet with straps. Now all you have to do is be patient.

Very popular among archers, tree stands are light and easy to carry. It may even be carried on the back when going from tree to tree, thanks to some convenient shoulder straps. Sitting comfortably above popular animal trails, the archer runs very little risk of seeing his arrow veered off course by a branch, while his field of vision remains unobstructed.

In order to perfect her aim and ability, Lise built a platform that she nailed to four nearby trees from where she has that same clear view of the forest. Seeing the woman practice is a bit of a chilling experience. Fitted with pulleys, Lise's bow pulls back easily and is a fearsome weapon. Those poor animals! Thanks to a release mechanism attached to the string, the tension on the cable is even greater. The string can be released with one finger and sends the arrow flying through the air at impressive speeds. If you aim well, the hit will surely be deadly. "By the time the animal hears the arrow coming, it's already too late. It's faster than a phone-company employee who wants to cut your line because of unpaid bills!" she jokes.