HEADLINE: Heart of a hunter
BY SCOTT HADDOW
Wild Northern staff
Amanda Lynn Mayhew was in a deer stand when she answered my message through Facebook on a cold November morning.
Of course she was. Mayhew called the stand her “office” and she was freezing her “ass off”, but had no problem discussing an interview arrangement as the deer were not cooperating at the time.
Mayhew grew up in northern Ontario hunting with family. They went out and shared experiences that stayed with her through life. It has lead her on a journey to become a dedicated hunter, angler, lover of the outdoors and nature, educator, public speaker, magazine publisher, mother of three boys, pro staffer, TV host, fitness guru and the driving force behind some influential women’s groups.
Above all else, Mayhew loves to share her passion for the outdoors and how to just get out and enjoy it.
Mayhew took time out of her hectic schedule to give insight into her life for the readers of Wild Northerner Magazine.
Q - What do your northern Ontario heritage and roots mean to you?
A - My Northern Ontario roots are everything to me, it is where I learned to be who I am, where my family came from and where my heart always is. I am proud of my Northern Roots.
Q - What are a couple of places/towns you absolutely love to visit in northern Ontario and why?
A - Sturgeon Falls, Manitouwadge, and Larder Lake are among some of the towns I love to visit for outdoors activities, but it doesn't stop there, I love to travel, meet new people and see new things.
Q - Who was your biggest influence growing up for the outdoors and why?
A - My parents, my mom for fishing and my dad for hunting and extreme sports like four wheelers, and snow machines. Everything they did, they did together and it was always fun, adventurous and cost minimum money. We lived in a remote town with not a lot to do that didn't include the outdoors so camping and fishing and hunting were the things to do, I just thought everyone lived the same way.
Q - Being a Northern woman, what’s it like living in southern Ontario?
A – Hah! Living in southern Ontario is not the same at all, especially when it comes to hunting. Hunting in Northern Ontario is mostly crown/public land with Moose and Bear and partridge, my favorites, and down here it is so different, the animals are different, the land is different, the hunts are different.
Q - Was it hard to adjust to?
A - In regards to hunting, I had a lot of questions, but to life in general not at all. I am very adaptable to any situation as we moved around a lot when I was younger and lived in many different locations so adjusting is easy for me.
Q - Hunting is clearly a main aspect of your life. Every second you get to spend hunting, what does that mean to you?
A - It means I can love my life, appreciate my opportunities, feed my family with food that I know where it comes from and carry forth my heritage and keep my parents and grandparents proud and their legacy alive.
Q - You’re a public speaker, magazine publisher, have started women’s groups, you’re a mom of three boys, an educator, pro staffer, TV host. Where do you get the energy to do everything you do?
A - The energy comes from passion, if you don't have the passion and the heart you will find every excuse to not do something. If you have passion you find every excuse to make it work, you overcome your fears and you just do it. I hated speaking in front of people until a few years ago, now I embrace it and love it full heartedly.
Q - When you take a break from hunting, what is your next most favourite thing to do outdoors and why?
A - Fishing! Fishing and camping and exploring are my activities to do.
Q - You finished the second season of your JUST HUNT TV show and first program of Take Me Hunting recently. Tell us about the experience and what really stood out the most from your perspective?
A - Both were successful. Just Hunt is a program on WILD TV that shows my hunting adventures, my values and me having fun. Take Me Hunting is a program I developed to get women out to learn about hunting and meet others.
Q - Having the opportunity to teach and pass on your passion and inspire others and make a difference in lives, what does that mean to you?
A - This makes me smile more than anything, from Range Day to Take Me Hunting, the more women that get involved in the outdoors the more it will be passed down to our children and the longer our heritage survives.
Q - You inspire people to challenge themselves and go onto to bigger and better things. Is there someone who inspires you each day to do the same?
A - My mom and my dad. Everything I do is for them.
Q - For you, what truly makes a good day of hunting and being outdoors?
A - Memories, the people you are with, the adventures that happen and the smiles that come from that.
Q - You were diagnosed with Graves Disease in 2002. It has not stopped you in any way. What have your learned about yourself while battling this?
A - You only live once, make it count, be proud of who you are and what you do, support others, teach what you know, listen to others' adventures.
Q - You’ve accomplished a lot. What is something else you want to do in the future and why?
A - Finally participate in a fitness competition on stage, if I find the balls to do that.
BY SCOTT HADDOW
Wild Northern staff
Amanda Lynn Mayhew was in a deer stand when she answered my message through Facebook on a cold November morning.
Of course she was. Mayhew called the stand her “office” and she was freezing her “ass off”, but had no problem discussing an interview arrangement as the deer were not cooperating at the time.
Mayhew grew up in northern Ontario hunting with family. They went out and shared experiences that stayed with her through life. It has lead her on a journey to become a dedicated hunter, angler, lover of the outdoors and nature, educator, public speaker, magazine publisher, mother of three boys, pro staffer, TV host, fitness guru and the driving force behind some influential women’s groups.
Above all else, Mayhew loves to share her passion for the outdoors and how to just get out and enjoy it.
Mayhew took time out of her hectic schedule to give insight into her life for the readers of Wild Northerner Magazine.
Q - What do your northern Ontario heritage and roots mean to you?
A - My Northern Ontario roots are everything to me, it is where I learned to be who I am, where my family came from and where my heart always is. I am proud of my Northern Roots.
Q - What are a couple of places/towns you absolutely love to visit in northern Ontario and why?
A - Sturgeon Falls, Manitouwadge, and Larder Lake are among some of the towns I love to visit for outdoors activities, but it doesn't stop there, I love to travel, meet new people and see new things.
Q - Who was your biggest influence growing up for the outdoors and why?
A - My parents, my mom for fishing and my dad for hunting and extreme sports like four wheelers, and snow machines. Everything they did, they did together and it was always fun, adventurous and cost minimum money. We lived in a remote town with not a lot to do that didn't include the outdoors so camping and fishing and hunting were the things to do, I just thought everyone lived the same way.
Q - Being a Northern woman, what’s it like living in southern Ontario?
A – Hah! Living in southern Ontario is not the same at all, especially when it comes to hunting. Hunting in Northern Ontario is mostly crown/public land with Moose and Bear and partridge, my favorites, and down here it is so different, the animals are different, the land is different, the hunts are different.
Q - Was it hard to adjust to?
A - In regards to hunting, I had a lot of questions, but to life in general not at all. I am very adaptable to any situation as we moved around a lot when I was younger and lived in many different locations so adjusting is easy for me.
Q - Hunting is clearly a main aspect of your life. Every second you get to spend hunting, what does that mean to you?
A - It means I can love my life, appreciate my opportunities, feed my family with food that I know where it comes from and carry forth my heritage and keep my parents and grandparents proud and their legacy alive.
Q - You’re a public speaker, magazine publisher, have started women’s groups, you’re a mom of three boys, an educator, pro staffer, TV host. Where do you get the energy to do everything you do?
A - The energy comes from passion, if you don't have the passion and the heart you will find every excuse to not do something. If you have passion you find every excuse to make it work, you overcome your fears and you just do it. I hated speaking in front of people until a few years ago, now I embrace it and love it full heartedly.
Q - When you take a break from hunting, what is your next most favourite thing to do outdoors and why?
A - Fishing! Fishing and camping and exploring are my activities to do.
Q - You finished the second season of your JUST HUNT TV show and first program of Take Me Hunting recently. Tell us about the experience and what really stood out the most from your perspective?
A - Both were successful. Just Hunt is a program on WILD TV that shows my hunting adventures, my values and me having fun. Take Me Hunting is a program I developed to get women out to learn about hunting and meet others.
Q - Having the opportunity to teach and pass on your passion and inspire others and make a difference in lives, what does that mean to you?
A - This makes me smile more than anything, from Range Day to Take Me Hunting, the more women that get involved in the outdoors the more it will be passed down to our children and the longer our heritage survives.
Q - You inspire people to challenge themselves and go onto to bigger and better things. Is there someone who inspires you each day to do the same?
A - My mom and my dad. Everything I do is for them.
Q - For you, what truly makes a good day of hunting and being outdoors?
A - Memories, the people you are with, the adventures that happen and the smiles that come from that.
Q - You were diagnosed with Graves Disease in 2002. It has not stopped you in any way. What have your learned about yourself while battling this?
A - You only live once, make it count, be proud of who you are and what you do, support others, teach what you know, listen to others' adventures.
Q - You’ve accomplished a lot. What is something else you want to do in the future and why?
A - Finally participate in a fitness competition on stage, if I find the balls to do that.