By Kevin Paulson
In 2014, we had the opportunity to interview Eva Shockey. At that time, Eva was an absolute meteor in the outdoor industry. The famed daughter of Jim Shockey had burst onto the scene and we were excited to get the interview with Eva Shockey. Almost 3 years later Eva was ranked as one of the 10 most popular television personalities in North America. She is still a meteor in the industry and this month Eva dropped her first book TAKING AIM
We took the opportunity to interview Eva this month about her life, her book and her passion for the outdoors.
At first I thought someone was playing a joke on me, but once I realized it was a legitimate article, I was so proud to see that the hunting industry could make such a splash on such a huge mainstream platform. I was ranked top 10 because of all of the incredible tv viewers and social media followers that take the time to follow my adventures and share my life with me, so it’s exciting that, as a team, we are having such an impact!
He still jokes that it must’ve been a mistake but I make sure I bring it up whenever possible!
Yes! My daughter, Leni Bow, was born earlier this year and being a mom is humbling and challenging but it is the best thing to ever happen to me. I think my dad is still in shock that his baby has her own baby, but he’s getting used to it. He wants to be called “Big Papa” and is already talking to Leni about bringing her hunting and fishing in a few years. Him and my mom are definitely smitten for Leni Bow!
My grandfathers, Len and Hal, were best friends but their personalities were actually very opposite. Grandad Hal taught me to be straight, follow the rules and work hard, while my Grandpa Len (who was always a bit more mischievous) believed that you need to work a little, play a lot and getting into some trouble is fun sometimes. I like to think that I combined both pieces of advice and live my life right down the middle!
“Big Papa” has so many amazing things to pass down to Leni Bow but if I had to choose, it would be for her to encourage her to follow her passions no matter what anyone says. My dad taught me this early on and I made a lot of good life decisions because of it.
It was a lot harder than I ever imagined and took a lot more time than I expected but I am so proud of the entire process. I started writing it the week I found out that I was pregnant with Leni and finished the last chapter the week before her due date. I do well under pressure so the time crunch worked in my favor! Now that the book is finally here, I am so excited to share my stories and encourage others to reject stereotypes and expectations and find the courage to pursue their own unique dreams.
Honestly, I used to be embarrassed that my mom always sent me to school with homemade this, and handmade that. All of my friends had prepackaged fruit roll-ups and Oreos and I remember wishing that I could have those too. Of course, over the years I learned to appreciate the way of life that my parents worked so hard to live and now that I’m a mother myself, I have no idea how they found the time to do it. They were trendy way before the Field-to-Table movement was even popular!
I grew up on 17 acres and three acres of that was dedicated to our garden. Tomatoes, grapes, peas, garlic, potatoes, carrots, peppers, apples, squash, zucchini, pears… it had it all. We also had a chicken coop with 20 or so chickens and my brother and I had chores every day which included picking vegetables and collecting eggs. Our Field-to-Table lifestyle was a full-family affair.
Not currently because we’ve spent our entire relationship moving from city-to-city depending where Tim’s job leads us (he was a professional hockey player until last summer), but now that he’s retired from hockey we are putting down roots in Raleigh and building our “forever home” so we will have a big garden by next year!
We had the dinner catered and the caterer that we stumbled upon, ironically had his own “field to table” cooking show in the UK, where he’s originally from. So he made a moose roast (from the moose I hunted in the Yukon the previous fall) and also grilled fresh salmon that was caught right off the coast of Vancouver Island, where the wedding was.
It’s a lot more complicated to plan hunts when I have a 7 month old daughter in tow but I still love traveling and adventures and know that giving all of that up is definitely not the answer, so finding a balance is the key for us. I am heading to Oregon for Roosevelt Elk, Saskatchewan for Whitetail, hopefully the Yukon for Moose and then hunting whenever I can here in NC. I grew up traveling with my family so hopefully Leni will appreciate that lifestyle as much as I did.
I want young girls to find the bravery to pursue their own unique dreams and reject the stereotypes that society has put on us. Don’t be fearful, insecure or intimidated but have the confidence to accomplish whatever it is that you are passionate about. You may encounter speed bumps along the way, but pushing through them will only make you stronger.
As hunters, we know what we are doing is a good thing. We raise the most money for conservation of any single group on earth. We hunt ethically and legally, we aid in wildlife management and habitat protection. We hunt, harvest, cook and eat the best lean, organic, pesticide-free meat in the world and we are proud to stand together and share what hunting is all about with anyone who will listen. I think the anti-hunters that spew hatred on social media are intimidated by us and want to quiet us for fear that we get stronger, but in the end we know that our voice is powerful when we ban together and stand up for what we believe in, so keep it up, keep being vocal and never apologize for being a hunter.