Megan Degenfelder raises a celebratory fist moments after delivering the fateful shot during the fifth annual Wyoming Women’s Antelope Hunt. (Steven Girt)

Sometimes it’s what’s not in the frame that makes a photograph great.

Here photographer Steven Girt captures and conveys the feeling of a successful Wyoming pronghorn hunt — exhilaration, relief, pride, gratitude — without so much as a glimpse of the prey or even a human face.  

Hunter Megan Degenfelder’s raised fist and guide Wade Land’s forward lean pull the viewer right into the intimate moment. It’s enough to inspire phantom whiffs of cordite and crushed sage. You can almost hear your ears ringing.

Become a supporting member

The Wyoming Women’s Antelope Hunt was created by the Wyoming Women’s Foundation in 2013 to give more women the opportunity to share such experiences.

“The event develops new hunters by offering scholarships and hunter education to women who otherwise may not get the opportunity to hunt and pairs them with conservation-minded guides and experienced women hunting partners for maximum learning opportunities,” according to the group’s website.

Matthew Copeland is the chief executive & editor of WyoFile. Contact him at matthew@wyofile.com or (307) 287-2839. Follow Matt on Twitter at @WyoCope

Leave a comment

Want to join the discussion? Fantastic, here are the ground rules: * Provide your full name — no pseudonyms. WyoFile stands behind everything we publish and expects commenters to do the same. * No personal attacks, profanity, discriminatory language or threats. Keep it clean, civil and on topic. *WyoFile does not fact check every comment but, when noticed, submissions containing clear misinformation, demonstrably false statements of fact or links to sites trafficking in such will not be posted. *Individual commenters are limited to three comments per story, including replies.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *