Outdoors Woman and Bowhunter Eva Shockey
Day 2: Bowhunter Eva Shockey Decides to Live in Two Worlds and Love Them Both
Editor’s Note: Eva Shockey, who recently was featured on the cover of “Field and Stream Magazine,” is 25-years old and has been hunting with her dad, well-known outdoorsman Jim Shockey, for as long as she can remember. But she didn’t start taking game until she was 20-years old. The story of Eva Shockey’s life is a classic example of what happens when two worlds collide. Louise Shockey, Eva’s mother, was a professional ballerina, a model and an actress. Eva’s dad, Jim Shockey, was and still is one of the most well-known hunters and outdoorsmen in the world (https://www.jimshockey.com/). Many people wondered which path Eva would take. Would she be a rough-and-tumble hunter like her dad, or would she demonstrate her more-feminine side like her mom? Eva fooled everyone. She didn’t just follow either route. Instead she’s combined the lifestyles of both her parents and is a girly girl and an avid bowhunter.
  Because my dad was gone quite a bit, my mom was the nurturer. When I was young, I got totally involved with dance. I loved learning to dance, competing in dance competitions and teaching dance. I grew up learning all kinds of dance. We had a dance studio in our home, and my mom taught dance. She started teaching me to dance when I was 2-1/2-years old. After I graduated from Bond University with a degree in business, marketing and public relations, I decided I needed to get a job and make a living. I started teaching Latin dancing, like the dances you see on TV on the show “Dancing with the Stars.” Six months later, I was competing and teaching ballroom dancing in Vancouver, Canada.
At that time in my life, I was somewhat confused. I liked hunting with my dad, however, I’d spent most of my life learning, competing in and teaching dance. I didn’t know anyone else who was a dancer and a hunter. I decided that combination must not be normal. Then, after seeing “The Hunger Games,” I was confident enough in myself to decide I didn’t care what anyone else thought. I could be a dancer and a hunter. I had many people tell me, “Eva, you are both your mom and your dad, and you’re an exact copy of both of them.” I really take that as a compliment.
  I think many people were surprised when my mom and dad got married. As I said before, my mom was a professional ballerina, an actress and a model, and one of the sweetest people you’d ever meet in your life. She also was vegetarian. My dad was an antique dealer when he and my mom got married. But within 6 months of getting married, my dad sold his antique business, bought a hunting area and devoted his life to hunting.
We all have changed some. My mom is no longer vegetarian. Instead of having dance studios and modeling agencies, our family business is the outdoors. I think this probably is one reason I’ve been so confused about what I’ve wanted to grow up to be, because my mom and dad have been polar opposites in many ways. Dad is a very-manly man, and Mom is a very-womanly woman. I’ve been stuck in the middle, trying to figure out what I’ll be when I grow-up. I don’t think my brother, Branlin, has had nearly as much trouble deciding his role and his life’s work. Even though my mother doesn’t hunt, she’s always said, “If we ever needed meat for the family, I would hunt. Since that’s not the case, I’ll just help in other ways.” She is very supportive of me, my dad and my brother.
To learn more about Eva Shockey, visit her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/evashockeyfanpage
You can learn more about hunting deer in John E. Phillips’ Kindle eBooks by clicking on these: “How to Hunt Deer Like a Pro,” “How to Hunt Deer Up Close: With Bows, Rifles, Muzzleloaders and Crossbows,” and “PhD Whitetails: How to Hunt and Take the Smartest Deer on Any Property.”
About the Author
John Phillips, winner of the 2012 Homer Circle Fishing Award for outstanding fishing writer by the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) and the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors. Click here for more information and a list of all the books available from John E. Phillips.
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