How To Stare A Bull Elk Into Your Freezer: Our Interview With Huntress Mia Anstine

Today we have the pleasure of interviewing not just an interesting “gun person” but an exceptionally busy one as well.

Meet Mia Anstine – Professional hunting guide at Wolf Creek Outfitters, blogger, Womens Outdoor News contributor, mentor, coach, soon-to-be-official shooting instructor, mom, wife, TenPoint Crossbows pro-staffer, Prois Hunting Apparel representative, and author of “Mia and the little gal.” Tired yet? We are.

My Gun Culture: Mia – Thanks for agreeing to occupy our interview hot seat several weeks back. To be honest, we’ve dragged our feet a bit out of embarrassment that we don’t know how to pronounce your name! Is it Mee-yah? My-ah? Mah? Yo lady? Mom! And then there’s the whole question of the correct pronunciation of your last name… An-steen? Ahn-stein? Ahn-stin-ay? We’re very confused. Please set our readers straight…

Mia Anstine: Haha! That’s a GREAT question! I often wonder what people think in their mind as they read my name and pronounce it in their head.  My first name if after the Spanish word for “mine”. It is pronounced Mee-uh as in Mia Hamm, Mia Farrow or Mia Anstine! Haha! My last name is a German name. It is pronounced Ann-Stine. Not Steen or Stein. It is Ann-sty-n.  Hopefully that helps. If not, I will correct you when I meet you. Hah!

MGC: As long as you don’t correct me with one of your crossbows, we’ll be fine! Speaking of Crossbows, what exactly do you do as a pro-staff member of TenPoint Crossbows?

Mia: I mentor lots of people in the outdoors including attending shooting events, trade shows and open houses at local archer or gun stores. At various events I give presentations and show off TenPoint. I demonstrate with my Carbon Fusion CLS and allow shooters to test the bow.

MGC: Being that you’re a professional guide, you’re obviously an accomplished hunter. Have you ever just totally blown a stalk by tripping over something, sneezing, or playing Angry Birds on your iPhone? It’s OK, you can tell, it’s just between us…

Mia: No, but I once was with my husband stalking a 5×5 bull elk that was chasing a cow when I suddenly saw another bull heading to chase him off. I was in the middle of a clearing when off to the right the larger, angry bull circled around the oak brush. He charged in from the side of the meadow.  We turned, and there he was. I was standing in the middle of the clearing with no cover. Hank whispered “don’t
move!”  I stood there, 20 feet from him, all 5’2” of me, trembling.  I was so excited, nervous and scared! That bull and I looked each other in the eye, him glaring at me.  He was mad at that other bull trying to steal one of his cows. I could see his nostrils flaring as he took
deep breaths, trying to smell me and figure out what I was.  I stood in awe as he had busted us but I wasn’t sure if he was going to run or run me over.

MGC: I’ve been wanting to see that movie “Men Who Stare At Goats.” Apparently it’s about some army program where they train to hunt the enemy using psychic powers. I’m assuming that’s how you got out of the bull elk situation right? You just stared at it until it dropped dead? Right?

Mia: We did give each other the stare down, but I had no psychic powers at hand. Thanks to the NRA and our right to bear arms, that day I used my .270 Winchester rifle to put meat in the freezer. It just happened to come along with an exciting story.

MGC: How did you get involved with Prois? You didn’t stare them into submission did you?

Mia: I discovered Prois hunting apparel when it first came out. I was very excited with the quality, function and fit. It was a product I believed in, supported and promoted over the past few years. It was also a bonus when I learned Kirstie Pike’s vision for ladies in the outdoors parallels my own. Now I am so proud and especially honored to be on the Field staffer for Prois.

MGC: We enjoy reading “Mia and the little gal” on Womens Outdoor News! Just hypothetically, how would you handle it if the little gal went entirely vegan one day. Would you teach her to hunt for wheat grass sprouts or something?

Mia: OMG!!! Just posed the question to the Little Gal and she says and I quote “Meat has more flavor than veggies.” LOL!!!! I guess being a vegan is not an option. Haha!

MGC: So tell us what inspires your about being a professional hunting guide at Wolf Creek Outfitters…

Mia: At Wolf Creek Outfitters (WCO) we have always promoted lady hunters, youth hunters as well as disabled. This year we are excited to be taking a number of kids for their first hunts as well as sponsoring a hunt for Outdoor Buddies of Colorado.

MGC: So what’s on your agenda for 2012?

Mia: I am happy to be promoting women in the outdoors and mentoring lots of lady hunters, new and old. I will be attending some ladies shooting events as well as coaching and mentoring at and on ladies hunts. It is my goal this year become an NRA certified shooting instructor.

MGC: So where should folks go to keep up with your adventures?

Mia: At Women’s Outdoor News I enjoy sharing stories of my and my daughter’s outdoor adventures. It is through the blog that we hope to mentor other families to get outside and hunt, shoot, fish and overall enjoy the outdoors together. We have some exciting stories we hope to share throughout the spring and summer. Stay tuned!

Thanks to Mia Anstine (and the little gal) for sharing their story. Stay tuned for more stories from interesting gun people!