UM student partakes in reality hunting

UM student Brittany Streissguth is not your typical hunter.
Her mother is a big game trophy hunter whose kills include a leopard, a zebra and a lion. Her father is a hunting guide. Streissguth herself is participating in a sportsmanship reality TV series about hunting and fishing competitions. 
The series, tentatively titled “The Ultimate Sportsman,” is designed to “send a message about sportsmanship and hunting to show people what it’s about,” Streissguth said.  “We want to portray the camaraderie.”
The first segment of the series involved fly-fishing on the Bitterroot River outside of Darby. The participants hunted for pheasants near Hamilton in the second segment. Both were filmed in October and lasted for two days apiece.
“I did really well in the fishing and I was kind of on the lower end of the group for pheasant hunting, but I’d never been pheasant hunting before,” Streissguth said. “It was definitely an experience.”
The competition is based on a point system. At present, the contestants, who are reimbursed for travel expenses but not paid to participate, compete for cash. There are 12 contestants who come from Alaska, Texas and several states in between to participate in the show. Streissguth said the contestant with the most points at the end of the competition will probably win a big game hunt somewhere. 

Tim Gauthier, the show’s producer, plans on including all four seasons in the series over the next year and a half. Next up is turkey hunting in the spring, Streissguth said. The program hasn’t been sold to a network yet.
Streissguth was chosen because her father had worked with Gauthier, who thought Streissguth would be a good addition to the program.
Streissguth started hunting with her father when she was 14 or 15. She said that she enjoys the camaraderie aspect of hunting and the idea behind it.
“You kind of feel like you’re participating in the circle of life,” Streissguth said.
Streissguth, a media arts major, said that she has enjoyed learning about the production aspect of the show, which is being produced by Active Video Productions. “There’s a lot that goes into it that I didn’t know about,” she said. 
When she was still in high school, Streissguth won a drawing for a caribou-hunting trip in the Northwest Territories. She spent the better part of a week 20 miles south of the Arctic Circle with her mother on a guided trip. “That was probably the most unique experience I’ve had,” Streissguth said. “We both got a caribou within the first day.”
The next day, they were socked in with fog and couldn’t leave the camp. Streissguth said that even though there was absolutely nothing to do, she never felt bored. “You learn how to just exist,” she said.
Streissguth said that she tries to eat all of the meat from the animals she shoots. A couple of weeks ago when she went antelope hunting with her father, he encouraged her to gut her antelope. “He definitely had me do a lot of the dirty work. It’s hard. It’s gross,” Streissguth said. “[But] once you do it, it’s very rewarding.  It’s your animal. You should take care of it.”
Streissguth has a freezer full of antelope meat that her younger sister, UM freshman Raven Streissguth, has helped her eat. “That’s probably one of the best parts of hunting, all of the meat that you get to eat,” Raven said.
Raven said that people are often surprised when they find out that her older sister is proficient outdoorsman—or outdoorswoman, rather. “They’re very intrigued because she doesn’t look the part at all.”
Daniel Zolnikov, Streissguth’s friend and roommate said, “You know how some people fit exactly into a stereotype? She’s not like that.
“When I got to know her family, it really made sense,” Zolnikov said. He describes Streissguth as a well-rounded person who is outgoing and positive.  “She’s a very caring lady.”
Streissguth grew up in Bellevue, Wash. While she owns a 12-gauge shotgun, she hasn’t been bow hunting but said she might have to for the show.
Streissguth said that her dad has said that he will take her elk hunting when she graduates from college. She wants to hunt for a bear in the future and has thought about hunting in other countries, possibly New Zealand.
amanda.eggert@umontana.edu