Editor’s Note: Eva Shockey combined the two lifestyles of both her parents – dance and the outdoors. Besides her extensive dance background, as far back as Eva can remember, she’d gone on hunts with her dad as an observer to spend quality time with him. According to Eva, “I didn’t think that girly-girls shot animals, until I saw the first ‘Hunger Games’ movie, and then I was hooked.” Today, Eva co-hosts the "Jim Shockey's Hunting Adventures" TV show and represents the Shockey family at outdoor trade and consumer shows. “I love to go to the shows and meet other hunters. Then I can enjoy the serenity of the woods when I’m there and the socialization of the shows.” Eva has been wearing Mossy Oak for the last 3 years, and the Mossy Oak family is proud to have she and her dad as a part of it.
Because my dad and I hunt in Saskatchewan quite a bit, some people may not be aware that we also hunt all over the world, under all types of weather conditions. This past year, I hunted in New Zealand and Australia, and we often go to Africa. We do quite a bit of hot-weather hunting each year. When I’m hunting in hot weather, I always wear long pants instead of shorts, since I’ll usually be hunting in areas that have thorns, stickers and spiky trees. So, I wear pants with gaiters to cover my legs, my ankles and to protect my hide.
For a top, I wear a Mossy Oak long sleeved t-shirt with a hood. On one of the hunts, those long sleeves were too hot. So, I cut the sleeves out of the shirt, and I still had a good shirt with a hood on it. I usually wear some combination of that Mossy Oak hoodie with just about everything I wear, when I’m hunting. Also, I generally wear a neck band. But if the weather’s hot, I’ll wear the neck band on my head.
This year, I hunted Asian water buffalo in Australia during hot-weather conditions. I never before realized how big those buffalo were. This exciting and awesome hunt included a buffalo making a bluff charge. I shot the buffalo at about 45 yards, which wouldn’t have been scary, if the buffalo was the size of a deer. But these buffaloes were huge, which caused them to look much closer than they actually were.
One of the things that always has helped me with my hunting, especially when we’re hunting dangerous game, is that my dad is my hero. I feel certain that he can take care of me in any situation we face in the outdoors. Even though I’d have been terrified, if I’d been hunting by myself, when the buffalo charged, I knew my dad was standing beside me with his gun up and ready to shoot, if the buffalo didn’t stop. I knew, if I didn’t take the buffalo down, my dad would, before that critter got to me. Too, our guide had one of those big double rifles that he could have shot, if the buffalo charged. I wasn’t as concerned as I would have been, if I’d been hunting by myself. After I shot the buffalo, he only went about 10 yards before he piled-up.
I really thought that buffalo hunt was cool. Not only was I able to take the buffalo, but it was captured on video, and I can watch it over and over again. I think my dad was more concerned about the buffalo than I was. Not only was he concerned that the buffalo might hurt me, but he knew if he let anything happen to my mom’s daughter, she’d kill him.
Day 2: Eva Shockey - More Than a One Dimensional Hunter
Tomorrow: Mossy Oak’s Eva Shockey and Her Unbelievable Moose Hunt
