If you had told me 20 years ago that I would be writing this column, I would have laughed at you.

Erin Merrill is shown after a successful bear hunt. Photo courtesy of Erin Merrill

I have always loved to write, but I did not think that I would ever combine my love of writing with my love of the outdoors and make a living doing it. I am thrilled and excited to be launching “Hunt & Harvest.”

I started hunting when I was 20 years old because I was curious about what deer hunting entailed. I knew people who were adamantly against hunting, but I knew that what my dad was doing was not wrong. We would usually have a deer hanging in the shed each fall that my parents butchered, and we ate it all year.

For the first three years, I followed my dad through the woods dressed in snowmobile gear because that was all I had for cold-weather clothing. I carried a set of antlers, trying to rattle in a roaming buck. I was so dedicated to that job that I gave myself a blood blister the morning we successfully tagged a buck. I was a hunter from that point on.

My curiosity about hunting and conservation has taken me from deer to turkey to bear. It is very easy to judge something you have never seen or done.

So in 2014, during the bear hunting referendum, I volunteered with conservation groups and met people who were avid bear hunters and guides. I learned how to prep, haul and place bait. I hunted over bait and I learned about hunting with hounds. Bear hunting has become one of my favorites and I have shot three bears in Maine since then and one, this past May, on Vancouver Island.

In 2021, I was drawn for a moose tag and decided to put everything I had into achieving my “Grand Slam,” which is when you kill a bear, deer, moose and turkey in the same calendar year. It was an incredible season and I spent time with some of the most passionate hunters in Maine.

Erin Merrill is shown in a photo used for marketing materials by the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce with her blaze orange knit hat. She has a big smile after having accomplished her “Grand Slam,” meaning she successfully harvested a bear, deer, moose and turkey in the same calendar year. Photo courtesy of Erin Merrill

My friend Staci helped me trap a bear to fill my first of four tags. My dad and I were very fortunate to be able to take an incredible moose during the last day of the September hunt with Wayne Bernier at Allagash Adventures. I shot a hen during the fall turkey season and on the second week of rifle season, as the sun was coming up over my tree stand, I shot a buck and completed my Grand Slam.

If you have seen any of the marketing materials from the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce or the Kennebec Valley Tourism Council, chances are you have seen my face on the hunting page — my blaze orange knit hat and a big smile on my face is that of a woman who had accomplished her Grand Slam just minutes before.

One of my goals is always to expose more people to hunting and conservation through my stories and my excitement and the food that I provide after a successful hunt. Members of my Rotary Club fondly remember when I brought a bear rug and skull to a meeting for people to see and touch. I always make a lot of bear chili and bear queso to prove to people how delicious it is. Curiosity about hunting is always welcomed. It may not lead to more people buying hunting licenses, but it helps them to get a better understanding of the “hows” and “whys” of hunting and appreciating this vital piece of our history.

In 2014, Down East Magazine dedicated its November issue to “Why We Hunt,” which featured an article written by Erin Merrill and a photo of her and some of her friends posing under the Casco Bay bridge in their camo outfits. Photo courtesy of Erin Merrill

Since I started writing about my hunting experiences, I have had the opportunity to meet amazing people in the outdoor and hunting industries and write for top-notch outdoor organizations across the world. The opportunity to have this column is not lost on me. One of the first hunting columns I would read growing up was by my friend, the late George Smith. He was one of my biggest cheerleaders as I started writing about the Maine outdoors. George asked me to write a chapter in his book about sporting camps so I could add that I was a published author to my resume early on in my career. During the 2014 referendum, Down East Magazine dedicated its November issue to “Why We Hunt.” George was instrumental in getting my article on the cover and in the center. The article features me and some of my friends posing under the Casco Bay bridge in our camo.

I have always been an advocate of promoting women getting involved with the outdoors and helping people who are intrigued about hunting and harvesting. As the demographics of hunters shift, more people who are women, Asians and LGBTQ are joining us in the woods and waters. How fantastic! May we welcome everyone and anyone who is curious about what we do.

Just as my dad was willing to teach me how to hunt, and George was cheering on my writing, I hope that I can be just as welcoming to the new generation of hunters. If you have questions, send them my way.

I’m honored and look forward to sharing my hunts and harvests in the woods and waters of Maine with you!

Erin Merrill, an award-winning writer based in central Maine, writes “Hunt & Harvest” monthly. She welcomes emails at: Erin@andastrongcupofcoffee.com.