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Advice from hunting divas Haley Neddo and Olivia Ludwig

As you may know, my success rate for harvesting anything this last hunting season was poor. Honestly, it was less than poor because I did have opportunities but failed to execute. So I searched high and low for local experts in the field of hunting, to give me tips and advice for next season.

The rumor was they killed everything this year from lady bugs to Sasquatch, but as I sat down with Olivia and Haley and asked for advice for not only me but all of you, it became apparent they had a special year hunting.

Grouse, doe, two bucks and a bear — that is the official list of what was harvested by the two girls from the Grand Coulee Dam area who will be featured in The Northwest Sportsman magazine that comes out this week.

These ladies use real guns and don’t miss often. A 243 rifle and 410 shotgun got the job done this year, but both girls are ready to move up and get a little bigger gun.

So did they have advice for me? Yes they did. “Practice,” Olivia said immediately after the question left my lips. The two girls figured they shot at least a hundred rounds of ammo at targets before deer season alone.

“Don’t give up either just because you don’t see something immediately or you miss a shot,” Olivia added quickly. “You gotta keep trying.”

Great advice. It’s as if she knew how my hunting season went. My eyes went to Haley, who had not said much since we started talking. I was beginning to see that Olivia was the talker and Haley was the killer. I asked her, “What about you Haley, do you have any advice for hunters?”

She looked me square in the eyes, and like some old western with Clint Eastwood, she said “Luck counts.” Then the girls in unison blurted out, “Squeeze, don’t pull!” I could just imagine someone teaching them to shoot and this lesson having to be told over and over again.

We spoke for about 20 minutes, and it was obvious that these two ladies love hunting and plan on doing it for a long time. Plus, it’s a family affair being passed down for generations. Grandpa Neddo and Grandpa Campbell have helped them a lot and have been big influences. As have Tyler and Dusty. Not to mention Bubba Egbert.

“We have learned so much from them,” Haley said.

But the biggest influences in hunting for them is Dad/Justin and Mom/Kim.

“It’s just fun to go out as a family,” Olivia said with conviction.

So what are their plans for next year? Olivia wants to bow hunt and get an elk. Haley once again, with all seriousness, said, “Get in shape first; I’m gonna start training before hunting season and get in shape.” I swear these girls were with me on my hunting trips, as I rub my stomach. Yes I found myself out of shape a few times. Great advice from some killer ladies.

Writers side bar: Can I just say this? I am so proud of these ladies getting outside and doing something. We need more youth like this, not afraid to get their hands dirty and go out and do something. And the pure honesty when talking with these girls is refreshing and new for this generation. These two are gonna be world changers if we can get them out of the woods. Thanks for talking to me, girls.