Angie Wonnacott

A bird hunter who loves the thrill of working with her dogs

Tell us about yourself: Where did you grow up and where do you live now?

I grew up in Davis County and still live there. I worked in the legal field prior to working for Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, which is where I work currently. I spend most of my time with my husband, Bret, and our three English setters. During the hunting off-season, we spend our time fishing or at dog trials with the National Shoot to Retrieve Association to keep our dogs in shape. I have been hunting for over 20 years.

Why do you hunt, and how did you get into it?

I am mainly a bird hunter, and primarily hunt sharptail grouse and pheasants. However, I have also hunted doves, quail, forest grouse, Hungarian partridge, chukar and waterfowl. My husband is the one that got me into hunting birds. I joke that I fell in love with his American Brittany dog before I fell in love with him.

I went pheasant hunting with my husband the first fall we were dating. His dog went on point in a large patch of cattails, and my husband waded in to flush whatever was in there while I waited on dry land. It turned out to be a bunch of pheasants, mostly roosters, and some of them flew right by me. I couldn't figure out why he wasn't shooting them, but he said he couldn't see to shoot. That is when I decided that if I was going to tag along on hunting trips, I might as well carry a gun. I signed up to take hunter education shortly after that, and I do not regret that decision.

What is your favorite part of hunting?

My favorite part of hunting is working with my English setters. I love watching my dogs enjoying what they do and being outdoors — harvesting the birds is just a bonus. I also love being able to help other women learn more about the outdoors and get into hunting.

What are some tips you would offer someone who is interested in learning to hunt?

I would recommend that new hunters ask others for help and mentoring, and learn as much as you can about the species that you are wanting to hunt.

To learn more about hunting, visit the DWR website.