Hunter Nikki Tate Defends Her Lifestyle amid Death Threats

Dallas attorney Nikki Tate defends hunting deer and waterfowl even as detractors criticize and threaten her with death.

According to the Daily Mail, 27-year-old Tate says she became “hooked” on hunting after doing it for the first time a decade ago. She said, “It was then when I shot a bow for the first time, I loved the challenge, and given my athletic history and competitive personality, I instantly became addicted”:

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80 degree Texas limit — ✔️. . . . #colors #waterfowl #shoveler #greenwing #gadwall #whatgetsyououtdoors #iamsportsman #girlshunttoo #duknutz #mallard #decoys #wonderduck #duckhunting #duckseason #duckblind #texas #limit #hotasheck #hunting #huntress #alwaysinseason #drakewaterfowl #magnitude8

A post shared by Nikki Tate (@nikkitateoutdoors) on Nov 26, 2017 at 3:02pm PST

Tate’s photos of her hunting adventures have amassed quite a following on social media and drawn the ire of animal rights advocates critical of the hunts in which Tate participates. When she posted a photo of herself standing by a deer hanging in a tree to be field-striped, one Instagram user replied, “I would pay to see you be hung like that”:

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Here he is – my first buck! Not a monster, but not a bad 8-point for my first! He officially has me hooked. I will forever remember this hunt and this buck – so grateful for opportunities like this! . . . #whitetail #buck #8point #huntingseason #iamsportsman #thisiswhy #whatgetsyououtdoors #girlsthathunt #finally #texas #rifleseason #addicted #hunting

A post shared by Nikki Tate (@nikkitateoutdoors) on Nov 5, 2017 at 11:36am PST

But Tate is unwavering in her commitment to hunting. She said, “I spend almost every weekend waterfowl hunting, but I do get a few deer hunts in a year to help fill the freezer. I wouldn’t trade the early mornings, hard work, blood, sweat, and yes, even tears, for anything.” She stressed her goal is to shoot only what she can eat, except in the case of predators, which she shoots to spare game from being preyed upon.

If she does shoot more than she can eat, she donates the animals to shelters that feed the hungry and/or homeless:

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This is exactly why we hunt. This single deer will feed us for the next few months. Nothing better than pure, clean, unprocessed meat! Would love to hear y’alls favorite backstrap recipes. Send me a DM or post below! Any recommendations are appreciated. . . . Thanks for the awesome skinning knife, @bunnypunch_2017! #thisiswhy #iamsportsman #whatgetsyououtdoors #girlsthathunt #backstrap #loin #buck #deerseason #babesbucks #whitetail #rifleseason #ruger #skinning #texas

A post shared by Nikki Tate (@nikkitateoutdoors) on Nov 6, 2017 at 10:18am PST

When Tate receives criticism for her hunting prowess, including death threats, her response is simple: “I hunt for food, conservation, friendship, and so much more, all of which are very important to me. If I can respect others’ beliefs, values, and reasons, even those that involve human life and death, please respect mine.”

AWR Hawkins is an award winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News, the host of the Breitbart podcast Bullets, and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.