Building a community of outdoorswomen in Alaska

Hunting in Alaska can be a difficult endeavor for even the most experienced of hunters. In an effort to break down barriers and shorten the learning curve for women coming into the sport, Carri Ann Mueller started Women Hunting Alaska to create a network of like-minded ladies across the state.

“Women in Alaska like to support each other,” Mueller said. “Alaska is a big state and to do it alone can be intimidating. This is a way to learn new skills, gain friendships and be able to believe in yourself, in a sport or in a hobby, that you’ve always wanted to do but weren’t sure if you could do it. It helps build confidence for women in the outdoors.”

Mueller’s family moved to Alaska from Washington State when she was six months old. She grew up in Anchorage, and Mueller’s father and brothers would hunt moose and bring back their harvest to process as a family. She spoke of wanting to join the men in her family as they took their trips into the bush, but was told that it was the boys’ thing. It wouldn’t be until she was a little bit older that she would start accompanying them on their trips and truly became enamoured with the outdoors.

“When I did get to go, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh I love this!,’” Mueller said. “It was one of your best childhood memories. I was hooked on it from a young age, but I didn’t always get the opportunity to go with the family.”

Mueller began hunting with her brothers, going on float trips for moose and learning as much as she could about the entire process and growing more comfortable on every outing. Mueller harvested her first big game animal in 2010, a sitka blacktail deer on Prince of Wales Island, while hunting with friends and with a rifle that her father had purchased for her. That successful harvest was a catalyst for a life built around hunting and the outdoors. Since then, Mueller has hunted multiple species of animals across Alaska and as far away as Africa.

“It was a huge confidence builder,” Mueller said. “I was like, ‘Wow, I can do this. I can really go out and do the whole thing from start to finish.’”

While working as the marketing manager for Cabela’s in Anchorage, Mueller engaged with nonprofit and educational programs that promoted more women in the outdoors. She started attending classes for the Becoming an Outdoor Woman Program hosted by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG). She would go on to become a hunter education instructor and work to bring more Becoming an Outdoor Woman program classes to the Valley. While the program was a success, Mueller said there was always the question of what’s next? What can the women that take these classes do to put the information into real life?

In June of 2024, Mueller formed Women Hunting Alaska as a mentorship program. What started as a group of seven like-minded women has now grown to over 40 women across Alaska. They each come from different backgrounds and experience levels and help each other to learn and grow as a community.

“It’s started to grow and grow and grow,” Mueller said.

Women Hunting Alaska offers classes that cover everything for planning a successful hunt, becoming more proficient with firearms, navigating terrain, animal biology, harvesting an animal and processing it from the field to the freezer. They also host women-only hunting trips throughout the year.

Their next class is a two part moose hunting workshop. The first session will be held on January 17 and will cover moose habitat and ecology, hunter safety, ethical harvesting and meat care in the field. Ladies that have successfully completed the first session will have a unique opportunity to join on a group educational permit distributed by ADFG to harvest a single moose. Ladies will hunt in pairs and one lucky person from the program will have the opportunity to harvest the moose for the tag. At that point, everyone will stop hunting and will convene at the harvest site to learn about processing the animal and transporting the meat to a cooler.

The second part to the class is dependent upon the successful harvest of a moose at the end of January and into early February. Once a moose has been harvested and its meat hung in a cooler to age, the next class will cover moose processing, removing meat from bone, packaging it for the freezer and the cultural heritage of sharing the harvest with all those involved.

Not only do the ladies that participate in these classes learn about becoming successful hunters, they create lasting friendships that extend far beyond the weekend events. A membership with Women Hunting Alaska is an opportunity to network with outdoors women across the state. Mueller said that the testimonials that are coming in from women that have engaged with the program is what has been the most rewarding.

“It’s truly an organic way for women to meet in Alaska," Mueller said.

Women that are interested in becoming a member of Women Hunting Alaska or in signing up for one of their courses can do so at https://www.womenhuntingalaska.net/. A membership to the organization includes discounts to several outdoor brands and services, a copy of the pioneering book Women Hunting Alaska by Christine Cunningham, a membership to OnX Hunt Maps and a subscription to Hunt Alaska Magazine. A membership also includes a discount for in-person seminars and courses.The group is active on their Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Women Hunting Alaska is welcoming to everyone and Mueller looks forward to growing the program to offer more courses, more membership benefits and create a culture empowering women to engage in hunting and harvesting organic meat for their tables every year.