By Mark McConville
MEET the blonde bombshell attorney who loves nothing more than hunting waterfowl and deer.
Incredible images show Nikki Tate (27), from Dallas, Texas, USA, posing with her kills including deer, ducks and hogs.
Other striking shots show the attorney skinning her catches, posing with her gun and her friends and enjoying social time when she is not hunting.
Amazing video footage shows Nikki duck hunting with her husband Khris when one flies right at him and he catches it with his hand.
Nikki shares her hunting exploits with her 11k followers on Instagram @nikkitateoutdoors and claims there is nothing quite like a hunt.
“I became involved in hunting about 10 years ago when I went to my uncle’s ranch in South Texas,” 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.
“The very first time I hunted, it was the time of year where we could only kill bucks, and I saw over fifteen doe walk past me, some within 10 yards. I remember shaking the entire time.
“I hadn’t pulled back my bow once, yet the adrenaline pumping through my body was unlike any sport I had ever played. Ever since that moment, I have been hooked. I’ve hunted several animals, but my favourite by far is waterfowl.
“I was always told to stay away from waterfowl hunting or else I would never go back to hunting anything else. Well, they were right.
“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.”
Nikki has killed coyotes, hogs, deer, ducks, geese and doves on her hunts, naming a 180-pound buck as her biggest kill.
It fed her family for almost six months, and is one of the reasons why she hunts with the others being conservation and predator control and camaraderie.
“We eat everything we kill, unless we are hunting predators,” added Nikki.
“My husband and I skin everything ourselves, and if we can’t eat everything, we donate it to organizations that are aimed at feeding the homeless. We pride ourselves in only taking ethical shots, and work hard to make sure that it happens.
“Hunting helps maintain animal populations at levels that are compatible with human life/activity. For example, hogs are insanely overpopulated and can cause serious damage to agricultural products, fields, and other vegetation, which can harm livestock. We also hunt coyotes/bobcats for purposes of predator control.
“I do occasionally enjoy a solo hunt (it’s actually therapeutic), but hunting with my friends and family is what I enjoy the most.
“I have made so many memories in the duck blind and deer blind – from killing my first deer with my husband to watching my husband catch a duck in mid-air. I am also extremely lucky to have a few girlfriends who would rather sit in the blind instead of going to brunch.”
Nikki uses a 12 gauge semi-auto franchi affinity for duck and dove hunting, a Ruger .270 for deer and a AR-15 semi-automatic for predator hunting which she hopes to add a thermal scope to soon.
Her passion for hunting has led to some issues with Nicole receiving death threats and nasty comments from those who don’t agree with hunting.
Despite this she hopes her Instagram can show people the real her and hopes everyone can respect each other’s beliefs and practices.
“I pride myself in respecting others for their beliefs and practices, regardless of whether I agree with them,” she said.
“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.
“Most people love my hunting pictures and social media pages. I think people really appreciate the fact that I don’t sugar coat anything.
“I am who I am and I am not going to change that. If I kill a deer in a sweat suit and it’s evident that I haven’t showered in a few days, I am still going to post a picture with my deer. I’m hoping people are looking at the deer, anyway.”
