Outlaw Women in Hyde County: Our Ladies-Only Duck Hunt

Nikki Carol
Dec 9, 2025
3 min read

Eleven women. Some friends. Some complete strangers. Some who drove in from Georgia just to be part of it.

We arrived at our Airbnb in Belhaven on Thursday night, a mix of familiar faces and new ones. Half the group had never met. Names were still being learned. But something happened almost immediately — the house didn’t feel divided. No cliques. No awkwardness. Just women settling into a shared space with the same purpose: show up, hunt, and enjoy the weekend.

By morning, it already felt like a group that had known each other longer than a few hours.

Friday Morning in Scranton

Before daylight we headed to Scranton to meet the guides. That’s where the groups were split up and everyone headed in different directions for the day’s hunt. Normally, dividing a group of strangers could feel uncomfortable — but these women jumped right in.

Everyone was excited. Everyone was supportive. Everyone was ready to experience something new together.

Day 1: Flooded Corn Field

My group hunted a flooded corn field, and the morning set the tone for the whole weekend. The conversations were easy, the laughter constant, and the kind of encouragement that only comes naturally among women showed up without being asked for.

You could feel the shift: Strangers becoming teammates. Teammates becoming friends. Women building a connection simply by sharing the same space and the same sunrise.

Friday Night: Oyster Night in Belhaven

That night back at the Airbnb, I fed everyone oysters — and that was the moment the trip truly clicked into something special.

Women who had met less than 24 hours earlier were now crowded around the kitchen island, talking about their lives, their families, their hometowns, the hunt, and everything in between. People who had never crossed paths before were laughing like they’d known each other for years.

There was no division. No competition. No tension. Just a warm, genuine sense of belonging.

It felt like a house full of sisters who hadn’t discovered each other until this weekend.

Day 2: The Sound

The second morning put my group out on the sound — a totally different setting, but the same energy. Even with the cold wind and early start, everyone showed up in high spirits.

And what amazed me the most? How comfortable the conversations had become. How easily everyone settled into their roles. How much trust had developed in such a short time.

Women who were strangers earlier in the week were now checking on each other, trading stories, sharing jokes, and celebrating every part of the day together.

What Made This Trip Different

For all the hunting we did, the real story was the connection.

Women from different towns, different states, different backgrounds — some experienced, some brand new — all meeting in the middle of Hyde County and forming something that felt real.

There were no egos. No drama. No awkward energy. Just kindness, teamwork, and a whole lot of laughter.

By the end of the weekend, no one felt like a stranger anymore.

Leaving as Friends

By the time we packed up and headed home, the goodbye hugs didn’t feel like the end of a random trip — they felt like the end of a reunion we didn’t know we were having.

And that’s what made this weekend unforgettable: