Meet Tess Talley

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tess Talley.

Tess, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
As a child, I grew up in the beautiful hills of Eastern Kentucky. Surrounded by hills, huge green greens, and lakes. Small town, slow living. Always spending quality time with family.

Even as a little girl, I remember always playing outside, playing in mud puddles, going fishing, riding 4- wheelers. I like to say, my little brother had the best sister.
Raised by a family of hunters, I’ve always had an interest and it stuck with me.

Now, I am just your average oilfield wife, a stepmother, and a dog mom. I have a deep passion for the outdoors.

As a member of the SCI and Wildlife Women, I share my lifestyle as an avid Hunter with a strong passion for conservation. In my spare time, you can find me out camping, fishing, traveling, hitting the trails in my Jeep, shed hunting, or preparing for an upcoming hunt.
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I am one of the countless women in the outdoor industry bullied for hunting. In June of 2017, I went on the hunt of a lifetime, harvesting a stunning old black giraffe (due to old age) which would later make me the most hated hunter in the world! I have been marked across articles in Social Media, TIMES, CBS News, and Fox News as a savage, vile, and murderer.
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I am also a proud member of the Texas Trophy Hunter Association and the West Texas Chapter SCI. Also a dedicated volunteer with Trinity Oaks, Permian Basin Branch, a non-profit organization that introduces others into the outdoors.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Hunting has not always been a smooth road to travel. As a woman, you are sometimes looked down on. Some say the outdoors is not for women. That is far from the truth!! What men can do, women can do! Women are growing in numbers within the outdoors. My hunting never gained any attention or hate until I started hunting big game in South Africa.

Hunting some species does not phase others, but when it comes to hunting a species that may be their “favorite animal” or a species that they do not realize gets hunted or exactly what goes on in other countries as far as hunting. They need to be educated. It is ok not to agree on everything in this world, we are all different.

A challenge.
After successfully hunting various wild games in the U.S., and Plains game animals in South Africa, I decided it was time to push myself out of my comfort zone. Up until this point, most of the animals I had harvested were the average size of an axis deer or whitetail deer. I felt that I was ready to push myself and challenge my abilities by hunting larger animals. Why was this a challenge? Because a good hunt always is.

What to choose?
Today’s hunting industry focuses on managing animals properly — no matter how pretty and innocent Hollywood has made a specific species, we can’t discriminate. It has to be done in order to keep herds healthy, numbers flourishing, and a value on that animal helps to protect the entire species from poachers. So, I made the decision to hunt a giraffe! Crazy, right? Whatever your previous opinions are — one fact remains, management hunting saves habitats and ensures the future of these animals, where they otherwise might not have one.

Preparing for the hunt.
While planning this hunt, it was important that I made sure population numbers were up, that there was a herd that needed to be managed and more specifically a bull that needed to be culled. The cull bull is identified as a male giraffe that is no longer reproducing. These cull bulls also tend to prevent other healthy males from reproducing with females in the herd, slowing down any growth. I also found out that the darkness in giraffe color is a sign of old age.

The darkness in giraffe color is a sign of old age.
Not long after, the news came from Africa. Every characteristic I was looking for was found in one specific dark bull giraffe. I told myself that this was a sign and without a doubt an ethical hunt. This opportunity was not only was meant to be for me but needed to happen to ensure the future of this herd.

The hunt.
Arriving at the airport, my emotions were all over the place! From being tired, straight to excited! After a several-hour drive, we arrived at the location the giraffe had been. We settled into our sleeping quarters for the night, and I found myself sleeping in a barn stall; cold, dark, noises off in the distance, and bathroom facilities in a separate building. It’s all a part of what made this specific hunt memorable. Being the first American to hunt this specific area will always stand out in my mind.

Around 2 am, everyone is still asleep in their areas, but I can no longer sleep. I’m ready to get this hunt started. With a flashlight, I make my way to the bathroom facility to get dressed and ready. I’m not always smooth and swift at what I do! Lol! After getting dressed, I find out I’m – wait for it – LOCKED INSIDE!

Let me just say, I’m not a pro using skeleton keys and that’s all I had to work with. My only option was to climb a toilet and squeeze through a window that I never imagined fitting through. But I got out! I just had to admit what I’d done and laugh that now everyone is LOCKED OUT of the bathroom.

Come morning, it’s time to load up and head out into the bush! After a while of driving around and walking the area, we spotted him off in a distance. Even though he was far off, he saw us first and took off. In my mind, I’m trying to figure out how to sneak up on an animal that is as tall as a two-story building, and it does not see me first.

Much later, we spotted him again, and I’m finally given a clear shot. Nerves are shakin’, and everything is going through my mind. I had to make one clean shot. Under no circumstance do I want to wound this animal, then have to track for hours, or worse, cause him any suffering.

One-shot and he’s down!!! Thank you, Jesus! I knew then that every prayer I prayed had been heard. It’s a lot on a hunter to take a life, regardless of the impact it has on you. We as hunters can relate in that way on every hunt!

The backlash.
Vile! Scum! Murderer! These are just a few new titles given to me by anti-hunters and Hollywood for my recent giraffe hunt. First, I get that there is a large population of people who don’t hunt and can’t wrap their minds around how conservation and management hunting really work. Even some hunters do not understand. But that’s ok, big game hunting and Trophy Hunting are not for all hunters.

I see all harvested animals as a trophy, it’s something I set out to do, worked hard to accomplish and a goal I reach. I will never have any regrets about being a hunter, traveling the world, or providing for myself and many others. I don’t mean for my hunting to offend anyone, but I’ll NEVER apologize for being a hunter!

Keeping the species alive.
Joyful news!! We did it!! I received a message from my outfitters after harvesting the old bull, the young bulls were now able to join the herd and impregnate the females. This new baby is the first they have seen in 2 years. Hunting in Africa provides one of the only sources of conservation for the animals there.

The first reason I’m a hunter is conservation, the future development of the species. It’s a proven fact that hunting works, and I have the pictures to prove it!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In my spare time, I enjoy looking for deer antlers. As young children, we all wait for that time of year to hunt eggs for Easter. Then we get older and grow out of it. A few of us stop there, a few of us move onto bigger, better, and what seems more exciting for us to find… SHEDS!

Some animals have horns, and they keep those for life. Other animals have antlers; they lose those every year and grow new ones! There’s a certain time of year that outdoors enthusiasts and hunters get excited outside of a hunting season. That’s that time is when we go out and shed hunt. For me, whitetail and axis. Some whitetails and axis get lucky the year before and outsmart a hunter or are let go to grow older and more prominent. Those deer, while walking around drop antlers off of their heads in some of the craziest places. It’s like a treasure hunt. A unique piece of its existence for us to find.

And let me tell ya, you think you got excited as a 5-year-old to find a yellow boiled egg on the ground. You ain’t lived until you get out to shed hunt and find a 5 point whitetail antler shed. Or even a fat, three-foot-long axis antler shed. Those of us who keep a close eye on the wildlife may be able to tell which head you think that antler fell off of. Either because he’s been on our game camera or a certain antler trait or gene they pass on.

Many things are done with antler sheds. Some people just collect them, some try to pick them all up as they find them before their cattle eat on them or bust a tractor tire, some of us pick them up to add as decor in our home. Many things can be made from an antler shed, from doorknobs, wall decor, accents on a fireplace mantle, etc.

Next time you find an antler shed, you’ll get just as excited as the rest of us do! You’ll find a way to put it to use! It’s another thing we hunters have in common. It’s something better than a boiled egg to race for! The only surprise you’ll get other than finding one is where you’ll find it. You never realize all the places a deer will travel till you find a shed there.

I also love getting others involved in the outdoors no matter their age! It’s never too early or too late to start. Spending another blessed weekend in South Texas, and you guessed it, to hunt! However, this time I’m not the one hunting… It gets a little better, a group of young ladies is hunting, and I’m assisting with guiding.

Kids need to start off somewhere in our hunting world, and what a great way for me to be a part of it?! To get to share that hunt, the shot, the emotions, and the excitement afterward is a blessing and an honor. Spending the weekend at the Trinity Oaks benefit was just as much fun for me as it was for the six little girls that attended. This non-profit organization is wonderful to be a part of and delivers blessings to so many.

Throughout the weekend, we shared great food with a wonderful chef and learned the different breeds of turkeys and how to call them with different devices thanks to Kendall Jones. We also freshened up on gun safety and the importance of shot placement, thanks to the leader of this wonderful expedition, Lindsey!

Our first morning out, it’s the break of daylight, and it sounds like we are surrounded by gobblers! It’s a perfect situation so far. After some time passes of calling back and forth awhile, we have a ‘strutter’ come into range! After spotting our decoys, the turkey is ready to fight, and he’s running closer into our shooting range! Everything played out well, and our first lil’ hunter harvested a turkey. The best way to start off the hunting weekend, and pass on motivation to the other hunters.

One of the best parts of hunting is getting others in the field with you! Passing on timeless traditions and smiles! To learn more or give a much-needed donation visit TrinityOaks.org.

I believe in doing what you love, what you enjoy, and no matter what someone else may think about it, KEEP DOING IT! Do what makes you happy, backlash and cyberbullying will always be around, do not let that keep you from living the life you love, and never take the hate to heart. People strive on emotions, they do not necessarily know you. How do you live your life? To impress and please others? Bending over to every opinion and naysayer? Nope. You do your best to be the best by yourself, your family, and your God. That’s your business.

Why do people feel the need to search for controversy, believe everything they see on social media or put their own twist on the matter? Oh… better yet, why do they want to lash out at those they disagree with? Social media has given a platform to people who should not always have one. It also has taken humanity out of society. Some do ask questions to attempt to understand, and those people I appreciate. Most, unfortunately, are not so kind.

You deserve to die. I’m going to hunt you down and kill you. I’m going to kill your dog. I’m going to kill your family! I’m going to cut your body into little pieces! You deserve to be raped and hung! These are only a FEW comments that have been made to me by self-proclaimed anti-hunters. I am also not the only victim of this hate speech, other hunters from all walks of life have received them as well.

I also can’t forget the nasty “memes” created with my pictures, images of guns and knives sent to threaten me, addresses posted and shared where they think I might be, my friends and family harassed all hours of the night. All of this harassment has become a normal part of my life since I have begun sharing my hunting adventures on a social platform.

What are they trying to prove? They say they don’t hunt, that’s okay, it does not make them any less of a person. They say they don’t eat meat, or that they are vegans. Okay, once again that does not make them any less of a person. They boast that they don’t hunt because they are more humane, or have a bigger heart than I do.

They are going to live longer than I will and here’s the best part… Jesus loves them more than me because I hunt. News Flash! Y’all doin’ things all wrong! I’m not sure what page you’re on, but it’s not the same page as Jesus, as a matter of fact, it’s not even in His book. I can promise you that. Condemning, harassing, and wishing harm to others is inexcusable, regardless of your differences of opinion.

Anti-hunters are irrational and can be so loud if you let them. They make themselves known on every platform available. These people cannot only be out of control, but they seem proud of it. They are proud of the way they attack people, harass people, and spout off uneducated lies that they have convinced themselves are the truth.

As a proud ethical hunter, I can honestly say I’m so thankful that we as a whole do not react that way to people with varying opinions from our own. We strive to exercise the same respect and morals towards the human race as we do for the wildlife that we love and appreciate. We try to educate those that are uneducated on the reasons behind conservation and hunting. Hunters and their affiliated organizations put forth more effort and money into the conservation of wildlife and its habitation practices than any other organization boasting wildlife advocacy.

We as hunters are proud of what we do for wildlife and proud of our accomplishments made in conservation, that we go as far as sharing our hunting pictures, stories, and adventures on social media with other hunters and those like-minded. It seems that it is inevitable that we are going to be attacked sooner or later, but we cannot be intimidated and should not hide our passion. Ethical hunters should not and will not back down to these types of people.

We are going to stand our ground and we are going protect our rights to hunt and will continue to do so however long that we must. Happy hunting, fellow hunters!! Ignore the hate and backlash. Keep doing what we do, it is working, and wildlife is thriving!

I hunt because of conservation and to eat. I have not bought meat from a store in several years, we’ll besides chicken. What’s in my freezer you ask?? OMG! What’s not in my freezer? Lol! Let’s see, I have Giraffe, Kangaroo, Whitetail Deer, Axis Deer, Black Buck Antelope, Scimitar Oryx, Fallow Deer, Hog, Nilgai, and Buffalo. I’m sure I missed a couple. But you get the picture I eat meat and I love wild game meat.

Yuns** Wanna Come For Dinner?
Inviting friends over for dinner is always fun! “What are you cooking?” “Surprise me!” “Is it kangaroo this time?” Our dinner guests are always pleasantly surprised that they liked the wild game. Think outside the box or grocery aisle geez!

Just because wild meats aren’t in the stores doesn’t mean they don’t get eaten. We are hunters; meat is the number one reason we hunt. Just because you don’t hear about several people eating kangaroo or zebra doesn’t mean it’s not edible!

Give it a try. You’ll be surprised at how good something is when you DON’T know what you’re eating. I take pride in providing for my family.

Contact Info:

• Email: ttalley@tesstalley.com
• Website: Tesstalley.com
• Instagram: @tess_talley_
• Facebook: Tess Talley (Public Figure)

Image Credits
www.Rebeccaheib.com