My name is Crystal Egli. I grew up in rural Vermont, (redundant, I know,) where I often found myself camping, hiking, and fishing from an early age. I was raised with a hefty fear of firearms, so my friends and family are often surprised to hear about my life as an adult-onset hunter.

After attending Emerson College in Boston, where I graduated with a degree in film and television production, I spent the next 9 1/2 years working in post-production in Hollywood, editing a variety of tv shows and movies. LA life wasn't for me-- it was about a 5-hour drive to the nearest backpacking trail with access to water. In 2015, my future-ex-husband and I moved to Colorado, where we worked for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW).

Working at CPW changed my life, and I went from being a tree-hugging nonhunter to a tree-hugging hunter. There, I created the Youtube series "My First Big Game Hunt," where I filmed myself learning how to hunt big game over a year and a half. That was it-- I drank the Kool-Aid and became a lifelong hunter driven to source my protein by harvesting it myself. The public reaction to "My First Big Game Hunt" helped me understand that I could inspire other people of marginalized identities who never considered hunting an opportunity available to them. I'm proud to be a certified hunter education instructor and range safety officer.

If you told me ten years ago I would someday be the proud board president of an organization called Hunters of Color. I would have told you to have a seat and drink some water. To see the organization grow alongside me and my own journey into hunting is one of the proudest accomplishments of my life. It is my sincere wish to invite anyone, and I mean anyone, with even a slight interest in hunting or just learning more about the potential opportunities there are in this field, to reach out to Hunters of Color and join us at an event. Dear Reader, I look forward to seeing you in the field some day!