I Didn’t Grow Up Outdoors, but I Grew Into It

By Izmir Areli Moor, hunter and Artemis Ambassador. 

I didn’t grow up camping, fishing, or hiking. No one in my family did. But from a young age, I felt drawn to whatever was beyond the road or over the next hill. While others were content staying in the car, I wanted to stop and walk into the desert. I didn’t understand this then, only the certainty that I belonged outdoors.  

I was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, a dry region far from forests or beaches. As an only child, I spent long road trips staring out the window, asking about rivers, mountains, and places we passed but never visited. My curiosity confused my family. No one else shared it. But that pull toward the open land never left me.  

I moved to the United States in my early twenties and began again, learning English, working multiple jobs, and going to school. When I finally lived on my own, I walked into a gun range and told them I knew nothing about firearms but wanted to learn everything. I hadn’t grown up with guns, hunting, or fishing, but I wanted to be capable. I wanted to learn skills. That decision led me into the firearm industry, where I began volunteering with women’s and children’s programs to teach about safety and responsibility. It was here that I learned that knowledge grows independence.  

I taught myself how to hunt, how to fish, and how to enter unfamiliar spaces alone. I was uncertain, but determined. Last year, I hunted turkey and pheasant to feed my family. I am still working on my first deer. I’ve also been deep-sea fishing for more than a decade; my largest catch was a 110-pound bluefin tuna at three in the morning. Each skill reinforced the same lesson: confidence is built, not inherited.  

I found Artemis while researching hunting and fly fishing, and what stood out was the hands-on approach. Women learning by doing. Not posing or shrinking themselves to fit in. It was the first time I experienced an outdoor space where women were encouraged to be capable rather than quiet.  

I believe strength and femininity are not opposites. I wear heels and boots. I can enjoy makeup and still clean a fish. I can be gentle and still be confident. This taught me that women do not exist to make others comfortable, and we should not have to change who we are to belong in outdoor spaces.  

Today, I volunteer with programs that teach women firearm safety and introduce children to fishing and the outdoors. Access matters. Representation matters. Confidence grows when someone shows you that you are capable.  

Loving the outdoors is not enough. We also have a responsibility to protect it. That begins with education, community involvement, and showing up at trail cleanups, local meetings, and in conversations about conservation. Hunters and anglers already contribute directly to wildlife research and habitat protection. The next step is helping young people understand what is at stake.  

I hope more women realize they don’t have to shrink to belong. I hope more girls grow up knowing that curiosity is a strength, not a flaw. The outdoors gave me confidence, purpose, and a voice. I believe it can do the same for others.