Julia Nowak
@julienhuntsTo many, hunting is a family affair. Hunters are often keen to tell stories from their childhood about their fathers, grandfathers, and even great grandfathers going out in the forest, sometimes taking them together, teaching the secrets of nature, then finally savoring the results at the dinner table. To these hunters, going out was a special treat, one they would only get to enjoy at times but never forget. Pulsar brand ambassador Julia Nowak is one of them. Born in Poland and currently studying in Sweden, the 24-year-old hunter is exploring the new-to-her hunting grounds in her current country of residence while simultaneously expanding her knowledge of forestry all over the world. Recently, we sat down with her and talked about hunting traditions in her family.
Interview
Tell us a little about your family and hunting.
I am a third-generation hunter, and I really hope I’m not the last one! It is definitely my father who raised me to become a hunter. Ever since I was little, he would take me to the forest and teach me about nature and hunting. He also planted love and respect for nature in me. My grandfather – my father’s father – is also a hunter, so he contributed, too.
At home, our hunting grounds are a 10-minute drive away, so I spend a lot of time hunting when I’m back. I do enjoy learning new things in Sweden, too – recently, I went on my first-ever moose hunt, which was a truly amazing experience. And we are also planning a joint hunt with Stefan Orman, my fellow Pulsar brand ambassador.
My father was the one who planted the love and respect for nature in me.
Julia Nowak
Was it only fun for you at the time, or were you developing skills already?
When I was only a few years old, I already knew the hunting language and traditions, could name all the wild game, recognize their footprints and tell a lot about their typical behavior. That resulted from spending so much time in nature with my father, who always shared his knowledge.
Of course, it was fun for me, too. I always was – and still am – truly fascinated by wildlife. And every time I would notice my dad was preparing for a hunt, I would drop everything I was doing, even if I were playing with friends, put my hunting clothes on and join him because I just had to go hunting with him.
My mom says that every time my dad would go on a hunt without me, I would cry like crazy and wouldn’t stop for hours. So, he had to get used to this little “dwarf” always following him around in the forest.
Do you have any specific, fun memories from your childhood?
Our neighbors were hunters, too. I was friends with their eldest son, and whenever other kids would visit us, we played our special version of “hide and seek” – it was “hunter and wild game” instead!
Julia Nowak
When I was only a few years old, I already knew the hunting language and traditions, could name all the wild game, recognize their footprints and tell a lot about their typical behavior.
Interview
Do you have any traditions between you and your father?
In Poland, we celebrate Kids’ Day on June 1, so every year, we would go roebuck hunting on that day. Now, I do a lot of hunting on my own, but I still love going with my dad. Our special time is the red deer rut. Then, we take two weeks off, find a hunting cabin and hunt red stags all the time.
Do you remember the moment you became an independent hunter?
I do! In my hunting club in Poland, we have this tradition where you take a vow on your first driven hunt. The vow must be taken in front of other members, and you have to promise to respect nature and be a good, brave, and prudent hunter. During the vow, the person teaching you about hunting stands there with you and keeps their hand on your shoulder. Of course, it was my dad standing there with me. I must admit that my father, with all his knowledge and skills, is my biggest hunting inspiration, and he will always be.
Being a Pulsar brand ambassador, could you name your favorite device?
It would have to be the Helion 2 XP50 Pro. I focus a lot on the quality of the images and videos, as I like to share them later with others, and I was really impressed by Helion’s image quality. Even when I’m not hunting, I have a lot of fun with it, just filming wildlife. It was also the first Pulsar device that I could test, so maybe I am a little bit sentimental about it, too.
I focus a lot on the quality of the images and videos, and I was really impressed by that of Helion’s. Even when I’m not hunting, I have a lot of fun with it, just filming wildlife.
Julia Nowak
Interview
Creating memories since early days
You can’t help but smile while listening to Julia – the memories she has and is still making with her family are truly heartwarming. And it is so nice to know there are many stories like these out there.
Jón Rúnar Guðjónsson is a passionate hunter and a Pulsar brand ambassador who learned hunting from his stepfather. Now, having three daughters himself, he works hard to teach them what matters the most – respect for nature. And while they don’t go hunting together yet, Jón Rúnar admits to having prepared a spot for once they feel ready.
One of them comes from Finland, Lapland, where almost everyone hunts to this day, and the locals have only their families to learn from. A few months back, we visited Ari Maununiemi in his home in Lapland, and he told us about hunting and his family who lived in the same area for 400 years.
Of course, Ari himself is a passionate hunter. Having received his license at the age of 11, he’s got a lot of skills. And while he doesn’t ever come back from the forest empty-handed, he has immense respect for nature which he is now passing onto his children. His oldest son is only six and is already hunting rabbits and birds.
Here at Pulsar, we also have some passionate hunters who learned the craft from their families. The head of production at Yukon Advanced Optics Worldwide / PULSAR, Linas Guobys, was a teen when his dad took him on his first hunt, and he hasn’t looked back ever since. Having gotten his license at the age of 18, he now looks at hunting as a way to escape the city and come with the biggest loot one can get – inner peace.
We invite you to learn more about Linas’ hunting philosophy in an interview with him here, find out all about Ari’s life in the Arctic Circle here, and discover Jón Rúnar’s fascinating endeavors here.
Do you have a story to share? Drop us a message: [email protected].
Julia Nowak
I always was – and still am – truly fascinated by wildlife. And every time I would notice my dad was preparing for a hunt, I would drop everything I was doing, even if I were playing with friends, put my hunting clothes on and join him because I just had to go hunting with him.
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