For Colorado’s wildlife managers, the lament is sung in three-part harmony: too few women hunters, not enough kids coming into the sport, the demise of the hunting family.
Those who fret about such things might feel better if they met the Lovik clan of Erie.
On a recent Saturday in October, Cathy Lovik bagged a nice buck antelope in Moffat County. Less than an hour later, Sarah, her 18-year-old daughter, did the same.
A second daughter, Lauren, 16, stood by eagerly holding a doe tag. Lauren didn’t get her animal, but don’t feel too sorry for her. She shot antelope in previous seasons and last year dropped a cow elk.
Watching all this, proud papa Doug Lovik scarcely could contain his enthusiasm over what has evolved as an intense family bond, as well as a boost for hunting demographics.
“It’s hard to describe. It’s been a wonderful experience and quality family time,” Doug said of a scenario that began 20 years ago when Cathy became a tag-along on his first big-game hunting trip, just after the couple migrated from Iowa.
A short time later, Cathy had her own rifle, bagging a buck deer and buck antelope in her first year of active hunting, followed by a bull elk. The girls came soon after.
“I’ve been going along ever since I was a baby,” said Sarah, a University of Colorado freshman majoring in international affairs. “I have the fondest memories going back to when I was really little. It always was a happy time. I always knew I wanted to hunt. I knew when I got the opportunity, I’d try to get an animal.”
For Cathy, the hunting was fun enough, but the real delight came in the family experience.
“For us, this was a vacation, a nice time to be up in the mountains. This is how we look at it,” she said. “Personally, it’s spending time with my husband. The hunting just adds to it.”
Not that her hunting has suffered in the slightest. On the recent antelope opener, she got into position on a nice buck, then waited for her opportunity.
“I wanted a shot with the animal standing still, but antelope always are moving around,” she said.
With Cathy’s dominant buck on the ground, a smaller buck that earlier had been chased away returned to give Sarah her chance. As rain mingled with an earlier snow, she took a prone position on the wet ground as the animals milled around.
“The buck kept walking behind the does. I waited a half-hour. I was getting anxious,” she said.
The Lovik big-game togetherness doesn’t end at the hunt. With Doug performing the heavy lifting, they work together processing the meat.
“We do it all, field to table. We fill the freezer,” Cathy said.
Doug takes the process a step further, using a home smoker to make jerky.
“The kids can’t get enough of that,” he said. “We eat lots of steaks and roasts. It’s all the red meat we eat.”
Cathy credits Doug for much of the cooking.
“The better recipes are his. I attribute our love of game meat to his recipes,” she said.
Doug played mentor during the early years. The women took over from there.
He attributes much of their hunting success to the hospitality of certain landowners who have granted them access.
“I think they appreciate the importance of families hunting together,” Doug said, explaining yet another benefit of togetherness.
Lest the memories fade, Cathy keeps a photo album that tells the story of all the hunts, an account that grows thicker each year.
The Loviks might consider sharing it with wildlife officials. After all, it’s a blueprint to the future of Colorado hunting.
Charlie Meyers can be reached at 303-954-1609 or cmeyers@denverpost.com.
