Women Bolster Hunter Ranks
You might say Jillian Katchko was born to hunt.
“Hunting was all around me from the time I was born – literally,” the 13-year-old from New Freedom, York County, said. “Dad shot a wide-racked 9-point buck when I was 5 months old, and he took a photo of the buck next to me in my baby carrier.
“My Grandma Anna said my grandfather took the same kind of photos of my dad and his brothers when they were kids,” she said.
Naturally enough, Jillian wanted to take part in this family tradition. When she turned 12, she became certified through a Hunter-Trapper Education course, then got her first license and headed afield with her dad.