About Venery
Venery, a hunting school for all women, started in 2017 because we found that new hunters, especially people who are taking up hunting as adults, learn best when they have both experienced mentors and supportive peers.
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We believe every woman deserves the skills, confidence, and community to thrive in wild places. Through hands-on education, mentorship, and meaningful connection, we’re reshaping what it means to be a hunter, one class, camp, and conversation at a time.
Our Values:
Build confidence through education
Create community rooted in respect and curiosity
Center women+ in the hunting and conservation space
Teach ethical, sustainable practices
Provide mentorship without gatekeeping
Foster joy, courage, and self-reliance outdoors
We’re proud to be a Montana-based, women-owned business committed to making hunting more inclusive and accessible.
Based in Montana, teaching across the Mountain West​
Who we are . . .
Alex
Alex Stokman is the founder of Venery, a Montana-based outdoor education company dedicated to empowering women with the skills, confidence, and community to participate in ethical hunting and conservation.
Grounded in the belief that the outdoors should be accessible and welcoming to all, Alex has built Venery into a space where women learn not just how to hunt, but how to navigate public lands, understand wildlife behavior, and own their experience in traditionally male-dominated arenas.
Alex’s journey into this work was shaped by her own experiences feeling underrepresented and underserved in outdoor education. Rather than accept the status quo, she leaned into practical learning, community-based mentorship, and hands-on skill building — and then created a place where others could do the same.
Under her leadership, Venery’s programs have drawn sell-out attendance, sparked long-term mentorship relationships, and opened doors for participants to step confidently into the backcountry and into leadership roles within the outdoors.
More than just a teacher, Alex sees hunting as a gateway to deeper conservation understanding, community connection, and personal growth. She champions collaboration, stewardship of public lands, and making outdoor skills available to women of all backgrounds. Whether leading camps, building mentor pipelines, or speaking about outdoor equity, Alex brings a clear mission: to uplift voices that haven’t always been centered in outdoor spaces and build a stronger, broader community along the way.
Venery Mentors
Mentoring Defined
Teaching Focuses On The How, Mentoring Focuses On The Why
Mentoring focuses more on applying knowledge in practice. Not just how to do something, but why it's useful. Mentors impart their wisdom, practical insight, and creativity to encourage learners to express and develop their own skills.
1. TEACHING IS ABOUT KNOWLEDGE
The role of the teacher is to share their knowledge through instruction and explanation. In the traditional sense, teaching involves formal lessons on a subject, often including a detailed lesson plan and methods of assessment.
2. MENTORING IS ABOUT EXPERIENCE - this is what Venery does!
Mentoring, on the other hand, is more informal and relational in nature. A mentor acts as an advisor, sharing knowledge based on their lived experience. There’s more sharing between the two as mentors strive to help their mentees grow into peers.
Want to be a mentor?
Are you interested in getting involved with Venery? We look for mentors who have expertise in:
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Rifle hunting
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Turkey hunting
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Archery hunting
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Outdoor skills
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Wild game harvesting
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& more!
Don't see a skill you have above? Reach out - we'd love to hear from you!