Saskatchewan woman competes in global hunting competition

Watch the video above: Sask. huntress vying for top spot in competition

SASKATOON – A young woman from Drake, Sask., has travelled North America putting her hunting skills to the test and has now set her sights on even bigger game, a global competition.

For as long as Danielle Bergen can remember, she’s always been a hunter. Her father Al was the one who introduced her to the sport when she was about four-years-old.

“Those first couple times that I went hunting with my dad I don’t really remember them but I definitely know that’s where it all started,” said Danielle.

Al knew there was something different about Danielle from their first experience, waiting in a bear stand.

“The other two kids were always looking, are we going to see something, I told them to sit still, animals don’t like movement. And Danielle just sat, her eyes going back and forth as a little kid. I could tell there’s something different about her desire to hunt,” said Al.

The thrill of the hunt lit the spark, now 20-year-old Danielle is among 20 other women from around the world vying for the Extreme Huntress crown.

“I was kind of lost for words when I first read the email that I was selected, I didn’t know, at 20-years-old, there’s a lot of other women that hunt,” said Danielle.

“The coolest thing was when I shared it with my mom and my dad, just how excited they were for me.”

In order to make the top six, she needs votes and a little help from the judges.

This isn’t the first global competition for Danielle. In 2013, she finished sixth while skating at the Red Bull Crashed Ice world finals in Quebec.

“When I go hunting, the feeling of suspense and the nervous anticipation is the exact same feeling I get when I am standing at the start gates at the Red Bull crashed ice track,” said Danielle. “The unknown, you don’t know what’s coming, it’s unknown until those gates are open.”

Winning the 2015 Extreme Huntress competition would mean the world to Danielle, who hopes to also inspire more women to pick up the sport.

Voting started in May and runs to June 1. To vote go to the Extreme Huntress website.