Abrial Norwick
Tennessee
Hey, I am Abrial Norwick! I currently live in Tennessee while attending college for my undergraduate degree at Tennessee Tech University. I am a Wildlife and Fisheries Science major with concentrations in both Wildlife Science and Conservation Biology. I am an avid member in TTU’s Wildlife Society and Collegiate FFA, as well as, being an officer for both of the chapters. I am also a member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, where I am involved in community outreach. I love volunteering with Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, especially when it pertains to deer check stations and a Wounded Warrior hunt. I own an off-the-track thoroughbred, named Bright Bullet, who I train and ride. I have been riding and jumping horses since I was six, and I have fallen in love ever since.
I absolutely love white-tailed deer hunting, especially during rifle season. I hunt in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, and I am always looking for a chance to expand into different states for different hunting opportunities. I also love to quail hunt in Alabama, and it is so special to go out with my grandfather and his friends to be a part of the four-man team. Fishing is something that I do year-round, and my favorite freshwater fish to target is largemouth bass. I have gotten into fly fishing and bowfishing, two techniques that I love to try my hand at.
I was born in Clearwater, Florida, and I moved to Tennessee at a younger age. I grew up saltwater fishing, and I have some of my best fishing memories in the gulf. When I was little, my dad would take me out to the beach, and we would fish for whatever would bite. I would always want him to throw his cast net to see what little fish species I could learn about. I have always been one for learning new things, especially when it comes to hunting and fishing.
I grew up spending time at the family cattle ranch, where my family used to have orange groves to sell oranges to Minute Maid. I have always had a passion for agriculture, along with hunting and fishing; and therefore, I joined my high school’s FFA chapter. I have continued into the collegiate level, and my goal is to introduce students to agriculture during their time at Tech.
I started hunting with my dad when I was eight years old, but I did not harvest my first deer until I was fourteen. My first deer is still one of my favorite hunting memories, and I got to harvest my doe at my family’s Central Florida cattle ranch. It was one of the proudest moments of my life, especially because I had been hunting for six years without a successful hunt. I used my first rifle, which was a Remington .243, that I have now passed down to my younger cousin, so he can be introduced into hunting. When I was sixteen, I got my great-grandfather’s Remington 742 Woodsmaster .30-06, which is the rifle I use today. It just adds something a little bit more special to my hunts. At the age of fifteen, I started to go on out of state hunts with my grandfather, and he became one of my favorite hunting buddies. I loved having something special, like hunting, to spend time with him, since he lives in Florida.
One of my favorite hunts was on January 25, 2020 when I hunted outside Troy, Alabama. That morning, I had gone on my first quail hunt, and it was love at first shot! It was my first time ever bird hunting, much less upland hunting, and it became one of my new favorites! I took a skeet and trap shooting class as an elective at my school, so I was so excited to be a part of the team. That evening, I went on a deer hunt with my grandfather, and I started to get impatient when it was ten minutes before the end of legal shooting light. A couple minutes later, a doe comes charging through the woods with a buck close behind her. They ran past me, and I was so disappointed I couldn’t get a shot at the buck. He came back into view, and I got one shot at him between the trees when he stopped to turn and look at us (we made a noise to get his attention). I ended up taking him right before it was too late, and he only ran 75 yards before he was recovered. He is my biggest buck I have ever harvested, and it was one of the most special days of my life.
Hunting and fishing have always been a passion of mine, and I hope that someday I can inspire others to follow their dreams and passions in the outdoors. Do not ever let someone stereotype you for what you love and believe in. If you want to be girly while you are doing amazing things in the outdoors? Go for it. If you follow your dreams and never give up, you’ll see what you believe is unthinkable. God has put you where you are today for a reason, and embrace it with everything you have. Always think of how far you have come, because that can be some of the best motivation you can give yourself and others.
I am so blessed to be a member of Huntress View with accomplished and amazing women. It is truly an honor to be able to share my outdoor experiences, and hopefully, inspire other women to try new things when it comes to outdoor activities. God has placed me with this amazing company with amazing people, and I cannot wait to see what He has planned for everyone involved with Huntress View as well as myself through the company. Thank you all, and I hope you have a blessed day!