A NSW woman has made it to the semi-finals of the Extreme Huntress Competition.
Donna Partridge, of Gloucester in the state's north, was the only Australian to make it into the top 20 of the competition, which claims to "set the bar for serious outdoors women".
The US-based competition is open to women hunters from around the world.
The 35-year-old mother-of-two is relying on online votes to progress into the top six. If she does, she will travel to Texas to compete head-to-head against five others in a televised skills challenge in July.
Mrs Partridge said she wanted to support the competition's goal of creating positive role models for female hunters.
"I grew up on a property chasing rabbits and just enjoyed the outdoors," she said. "And then I met my husband and he had a passion for hunting which got me involved. It was something we both enjoyed."
She said the feral animals she hunts in the New England area cause wide spread devastation.
"The injuries feral dogs can inflict on calves is horrendous and pigs cause damage everywhere they go," she said. "In Australia, hunting feral animals is really a necessity for rural lifestyle."
Mrs Partridge said she also believed hunters were key in the preservation of the environment.
"When we hunt feral animals we are increasing the survival chances of our native animals," she said. "I feel there is a great importance in teaching our next generation about respecting our natural environment and to be able to enjoy the beauty of our great outdoors."
Mrs Partridge became involved in hunting after meeting her husband; the pair went game hunting in Africa for their honeymoon.
She hunts mostly with rifles but has recently explored bow hunting. Mrs Partridge said she enjoyed the physical and mental challenges involved with hunting, especially using a bow.
"It's tough. You've got to be disciplined and patient, there's a whole lot of aspects to take into account," she said.
In her online profile for the competition, she wrote: "I believe I have what it takes as a hard core Extreme Huntress, respect for our environment and a drive to sustain our natural environment.
"I look forward to the challenge."
