After being accused of killing a 150-pound mountain lion, a hunting-obsessed mother has vigorously stood by her hobby.

Montana’s 46-year old physician Jennifer Tomsheck Hawes grew up hunting on her ranch. At five years of age, she shot her first deer. When she was only 12, she shot her first deer.

After her first deer hunt, Jennifer recalled feeling ‘accomplished and proud’ as the adrenaline rushed through her body – and she’s been hooked ever since. Jennifer has hunted bears, elk and mountain lions.  

One typical hunting day involves getting up early in the morning to hunt. Then she walks for miles and tracks the animals.

Jennifer usually goes hunting alone, and once she’s got her kill, she will then skin and process the entire animal by herself. After she has gathered her kill, Jennifer will cut it and freeze it to be eaten by her family over the following year.

A hunting-obsessed woman, who taught her kids to shoot at only 12 years old, defended her hobby after she was slammed online for killing an 150-pound mountain lion

After being criticized online for her killing a 150-pound mountain lion, she continued to hunt with her children.

Jennifer Tomsheck Hawes, 46, from Montana, began hunting at just five-years-old - when she killed a gopher

Jennifer Tomsheck Hawes 46 from Montana started hunting as a five-year-old. When she shot a gopher, Jennifer Tomsheck Hawes was just five. 

She went on to shoot her first deer at age 12 - and she’s been hooked ever since. She has now hunted elk, bear, and even mountain lion

She went on to shoot her first deer at age 12 – and she’s been hooked ever since. Since then, she has hunted bears, elk and mountain lions. 

Jennifer hunts whenever she has the opportunity. She will often take time off work to hunt during September’s main deer-elk seasons.

In addition to getting her kids interested in the hobby, she also started their own hunting club. Ellie, 17 and Jaden 19, first learned to hunt when they were toddlers. They killed their first animal as young children at the age of 12. 

Despite feeling accomplished with her hunts, Jennifer has had a few negative comments from people online, such as, ‘How can you kill such a beautiful animal?’

But she was able to defend herself from her internet haters by claiming that she hunts “to help manage the population other animals.” 

She claimed that there is no remorse over the killing of the animals as it is quick and painless. However, she said that her family will be eating the meat which “gives the animal new purpose.” 

Also, she stated that hunters are no different from meat-eaters. She said it was important for people to understand that the cruelty and suffering animals endure on farms is far less cruel than hunting.

According to reports, there are only 20,000-40,000 mountain lions in the U.S. and about 5,000 of them in Montana – where Jennifer lives – while there are over 25 million deer across the country and more than 500,000 in Montana alone.

Montana is home to only 1000 wild grizzly bears. There are approximately 55,000 of these animals in America. The elk population is approximately 1 million in America today and 136,000 in Montana.

Jennifer said, “I started hunting in September 1986. I was raised on a ranch close to my home and was first introduced to this hobby at a young age.”

“I loved being outside and hunting was something I used to enjoy. At five years old, my first hunt was for a gopher.

‘As I wasn’t of a legal shooting age, I didn’t hunt for the first time using a rifle on my own until I was 12-years-old, where I shot a deer.

“I felt alive after my first hunting experience. I was filled with a feeling of accomplishment and became addicted to hunting.

Jennifer does everything herself, including killing the animal, skinning it, and chopping it up. She then stores it in her freezer for her family to eat

Jennifer handles everything, from killing and skinning the animal to cutting it up. It is frozen in her freezer so her family can eat it. 

Jennifer works full-time as a physician, however, she is forced to take a few weeks off of work during the main season, to get her hunting fix

Jennifer works full-time as a physician, however, she is forced to take a few weeks off of work during the main season, to get her hunting fix 

She also got her two kids - Ellie, 17, and Jaden, 19 - involved with the hobby when they were toddlers. They both killed their first animals at age 12 just like her

Her two children, Ellie (17 and Jaden (19), were also involved in the hobby as toddlers. Just like her, they both killed their first animal at 12 years old. 

“A typical morning for me begins with waking in the wee hours and going to the closest gas station to get coffee and snack to fuel me through the day.

Then, I will travel to nearby fields or forests and begin to stalk any animal I spot. I’ll analyze their movements so that I have a plan ready for tomorrow.

‘There’s lots of hiking involved and sometimes if you have no luck, you usually stop off for lunch and then head back out ready for the evening hunt – it’s an action-packed day.

“I still hunt for the same reasons but I love the opportunity to feed my family fresh meat every year.”

‘As I usually go alone, I tend to do the whole process from start to finish myself where I will skin the animal, chop it up and then store it in my freezer for the next few months for my family’s dinner.

‘I wanted my children to love hunting from a young age. So when they were little, I would take them along with me on long hikes.

On his first time hunting her son shot a deer and an antelope

As for her daughter, she also shot a deer on her first hunting trip - from just under 300-foot away

His first hunt was with his son, who shot both a deer (left) and an antelope (right). For her daughter (right), she shot her first deer hunt from 300-foot distance.

Jennifer said her daughter 'doesn’t care for shooting anymore but still tags along for the journey'

Jennifer said her daughter ‘doesn’t care for shooting anymore but still tags along for the journey’

She said she doesn't feel 'any remorse' over killing the animals since she is using their meat to feed her family, which 'gives the animal a new purpose'

Because she uses the meat of the animals to feed her family and eats it, she said that she does not feel any remorse. 

‘Most people ask if I was nervous taking them out – especially whilst doing such a dangerous sport – but I wasn’t nervous at all, I was actually excited to teach them and make them my hunting partners.

‘During my son’s first hunt when he was just twelve-years-old, he hunted a deer and antelope which was extremely impressive and I now believe that he is a better hunter than I am.

‘Although my daughter enjoyed her first hunt, where she shot her first deer from just under 300-feet away, she doesn’t care for shooting anymore but still tags along for the journey.’

Jennifer enjoys hunting so much, she makes every effort to hunt whenever she can. Because she is a full-time physician, it means that she can only hunt during the off season.

Jennifer said, “Since my start hunting, I’ve hunted an Elk, Bear, and a Big Tom Mountain Lion which weighed 150-pounds.”

‘Despite this, I believe that it isn’t the size of the trophy that matters, but the experience of hunting the trophy, as this is what brings the greatest sense of achievement.

A typical day of hunting involves waking up in the early hours of the morning and walking for miles at a time. She stalks the animals, watching their movements and making a plan

An average day spent hunting includes getting up early and walking miles. She follows the animals and watches their movements, making plans.

Despite feeling accomplished with her hunts, Jennifer has had a few negative comments from people online, such as, ‘How can you kill such a beautiful animal?'

Despite feeling accomplished with her hunts, Jennifer has had a few negative comments from people online, such as, ‘How can you kill such a beautiful animal?’ 

She defended herself against her online haters, claiming she hunts 'to help with the management of the population of other animals'

She responded to her internet haters by claiming that she hunts “to help the management of other animals” 

'I believe that if you eat meat, you cannot criticize hunters,' she said. 'A well placed shot means a quick and painless death - more humane than what some animals [on farms] go through'

“I think that you can’t criticize hunters if you eat meat,” she stated. A well-placed shot is a fast and painless death, which can be more humane than some other animals. [on farms]Click here to continue 

I sometimes have trouble being patient, so I need to constantly remind myself that it is possible to be impatient.

‘After I started posting my hunting images online, I did have a few comments from colleagues in other areas of the country who didn’t agree with what I was doing, but were still respectful with their words nonetheless.

“However,” I said to a stranger, who once commented on my anger at the killing of a mountain lion. This was a reference to a mountainlion I had once killed.

‘If they knew that I hunted this predator to help with the management of the population of other animals, I think they would’ve thought twice about their comment.

‘Despite this, I have had some lovely comments such as, “Your kids are so lucky to have a mom like you” which puts a smile on my face, as I’m a single parent and I like doing the best I can for my kids.

‘I don’t feel any remorse over the animals I kill, as I put my hunting to good use and use their meat to feed my family, which gives the animal a new purpose.

“I think that you can’t criticize hunter if you eat meat. The lives of cows and pigs are much worse than those of free-range elk. A well-placed shot can result in a swift and painless death, which is far more humane than some other animals.