Women are becoming one of the most important voices in hunting, conservation, and the outdoors — and in this episode of Through the Gates, we explore why.

Dan Gates sits down with Renée Thornton, founder and chair of the Wild Sheep Foundation's Women Hunt program, and Rachel Ahtila, professional guide and longtime Women Hunt advocate, for an in-depth conversation about getting more women into hunting, breaking down barriers, mentorship, conservation education, and the role women can play in defending the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

The conversation goes far beyond simply getting women into the field.

Renée and Rachel explain how Women Hunt evolved from an idea into a growing program providing skills training, mentorship, hunting opportunities, community, conservation education, and support for women at every stage of their hunting journey.

They also discuss the challenges women still encounter entering a traditionally male-dominated hunting community, the importance of representation, the evolution of women's hunting gear, the power of social media, and why the hunting community needs to reach beyond its traditional echo chamber.

The episode also explores how hunting can become a gateway to conservation, food sovereignty, outdoor education, family traditions, and advocacy — and why women may be uniquely positioned to communicate those ideas to people who don't traditionally identify as hunters.

Then, in the second half of the episode, Dan talks with Dana Dykema, host of the Women Hunt IGNITE Podcast, about her own journey from having virtually no connection to hunting to becoming a hunter, conservation advocate, podcast host, and voice for the hunting community.

Dana shares her experience at the Women Hunt Field to Fork program, learning to shoot, harvesting her first animal, navigating hunting as a mother of four, exploring fishing and other outdoor pursuits, and discovering the larger conservation community.

They also discuss why sharing the real story of hunting — where food comes from, how hunting funds conservation, and why sustainable use matters — may be one of the most important challenges facing hunters today.

• Women Hunt and the Wild Sheep Foundation
• How Renée Thornton got into hunting
• Rachel Ahtila's career as a professional guide
• Breaking down barriers for women in hunting
• The evolution of women's hunting gear
• Hunting mentorship and education
• Field to Fork hunting
• Women as conservation advocates
• Reaching beyond the hunting community
• Social media and conservation messaging
• The Women of Conservation initiative
• Overcoming fear of firearms and harvesting an animal
• The emotional side of learning to hunt
• Hunting as a source of food and connection
• Dana Dykema's journey into hunting
• The IGNITE Podcast
• Hunting and fishing in British Columbia
• Why the hunting community needs more voices

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