Araya Rasmussen
Background
Born and raised in Idaho, the panhandle state of America, I came to live and breathe everything hunting early on in life. More so than the average American girl. As my dad, Andy Rasmussen, the owner of Rasmussen Outfitters, immersed me into hunting at the young age of five. And ever since, I’ve sat dutifully in the passenger seat of his truck, accompanying him on many a hunts.
I know I’m no expert when it comes to hunting. I have no idea on how to use my dad’s dog tracker when using it. Plus, I don’t know the woods like the back of my hand. Or instantly know which dog is barking just by its bark. Nope, that was my dad’s area of expertise.
I’m a writer. Have been for just about as long as I’ve been a hunter. First I wrote down a story about a crazy lion hunt I went on with my dad at age seven. Then I used my imagination to create a story about a girl who could talk to animals. Then after I killed my first bear at thirteen, I wrote down the story of killing my first bear. Which included all of the horrible grammar, spelling, and humor of a 12-year-old. What really sparked my writing though, was taking a creative nonfiction class in college, where I ended up rewriting that story of my first bear with the knowledge of how a story is actually supposed to be written.
Education & Writing Plans
I received a BA in History from Lewis-Clark State College in 2021, and have continued spending every spare moment since, using my new intellect to help create and bring to life all these hunting adventures I’ve been on with my father for the last twenty years in my hunting memoir. Currently I am sharing that writing journey on Youtube!
Hobbies
Besides hunting, I also love paddle boarding, fishing, camping, and basically anything else outdoors! Blog posts about all four can be found under their designated topic!
You can also find me curled up on the couch reading a good romantasy or crocheting a big blanket project on a time crunch, because I love inside hobbies as well!
Location
I currently live in Post Falls, Idaho with my fiancé, Gideon Leonard, and my Siberian Husky, Meena Rose.
