Young Conservationist Finds Passion for Hunting Through Mentorship Program

Harleigh Lisius, a 23-year-old aspiring wildlife biologist and fourth-generation farmer from Juniata, Nebraska, discovered her passion for hunting through a mentorship program.

Despite not growing up in a hunting family, Lisius always knew she wanted to experience the thrill of harvesting her own food. Inspired by her aunt and uncle, who were wildlife biologists in Minnesota, she decided to pursue a career in conservation.

After shadowing her aunt and uncle in Minnesota and gaining hands-on experience in wildlife surveys and firefighting training, Lisius enrolled in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to pursue a degree in fisheries and wildlife.

During her studies, Lisius secured an internship with Pheasants Forever, a nonprofit organization focused on habitat conservation. Through this internship, she received training in checking Conservation Reserve Program acres and assisting with goose banding and prescribed burning events.

It was through her work with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission that Lisius learned about the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program. Intrigued, she decided to attend the Ladies’ Learn to Pheasant Hunt program sponsored by BOW and Pheasants Forever’s Women on the Wing initiative.

At the Oak Creek Sporting Club near Brainard, Lisius had her first hands-on pheasant hunting experience. Guided by Christy Christiansen and Julie Geiser, outdoor education specialists from Game and Parks, Lisius successfully shot her first bird and learned how to clean and process it.

Encouraged by the positive experience, Lisius continued to explore different hunting opportunities. She went on a waterfowl hunt near Lexington, taking advantage of Nebraska’s two-tier hunting program for inexperienced waterfowlers. Lisius also attended a BOW program to hunt deer during the late river antlerless season and successfully shot her first white-tailed doe.

Lisius, who will graduate with a degree in fisheries and wildlife, plans to pursue a career in conservation photography and communications. She hopes to use her passion for hunting and wildlife to inspire others and promote conservation efforts. Lisius’s journey showcases the importance of mentorship programs in helping aspiring hunters find their footing in the sport.