Hope Lewis was recently recognized by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources for her outstanding snag of a turkey. She is one of two females receiving the award over the past two years.
Marty Gordon
A Virginia Tech staffer has been honored as the top female turkey hunter in the Commonwealth by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources.
Hope Lewis is only the second recipient for the award, recognizing a female hunter. She was recognized this past month at the Virginia Outdoor Sportsman’s Show.
The bird was killed in Snowville on May 5. The spurs were an inch and a half long with a beard of 10. 5 inches. Under the Virginia scoring system, the 18-pound turkey rallied in at 67 9/16.
“I was so honored to receive this award,” Lewis said. “Getting into turkey hunting has been challenging. I have learned just how hard it is to kill an eastern gobbler. I try to encourage all women to start hunting. I have been around hunting my whole life so it’s second nature to me, but we need more women in the hunting community. I am so thankful that there is a women’s division at the Sportsman’s Show. I hope that we can continue to grow it.”
She works in the Mechanical Engineering department at Virginia Tech and recently got her real estate license so life stays pretty busy, especially during hunting season.
“I have been taught to hunt by some of the finest men I know, they have been patient with me and they always include me,” she said. “First off, I want to thank the Lord for giving me the ability to be able to do this sport. The early mornings and long walks get tiring but with His grace, I continue to be able to put one foot in front of the other and do what I am so passionate about. Secondly, I would like to thank all of the men who have made an impact in my hunting career: Todd Lewis (my father), Ethan Hinton, Jeff Hinton, and Al Smith. Thank you all so much for your support, your advice, your stories, and your never-ending love to help me achieve all that I have.”
Lewis said she only started turkey hunting in the spring of 2023 and credits the guidance and knowledge that she has about turkey hunting to her boyfriend, Ethan Hinton.
“It has quickly become my favorite animal to hunt. The day I killed this gobbler, we had hunted all morning and walked ridge after ridge, trying to get on a gobbler.”
Lewis saw the gobbler standing in the field, but it was going to be a steep, long hike to get to him and it was already noon.
“I told Ethan I was too tired to go after him and I was ready for lunch, we had already hunted over six hours that day. He told me that I better catch a second wind because we were going. I am so glad he convinced me not to give up or I would have never killed this turkey,” she said.
Lewis pretty much hunts anything and, as a young girl, she began with whitetail deer and doves.
Over the years, she has started hunting turkeys, waterfowl and elk, and has been to Wyoming, tagging a nice mule deer. In fall of 2023, she also traveled to New Mexico for her first elk hunt.
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources hopes the award encourages more women to take a trek to the woods and take up hunting.
