Starry Hilder, Off-Grid Idaho Homesteader and Elk Hunter
Name: Starry Hilder
Occupation: Homesteader, Registered Nurse
Place of Residence: Selkirk Mountain in the Pan Handle of Idaho
Background and Personal History: Woman McGyver, Starry Hilder is originally from the north woods of Wisconsin, where she worked as a medical and surgical nurse part-time and helped her husband with his very successful taxidermy business.
Starry also spent free time training as a highly competitive athlete in adventure racing, mountain biking, and USCA canoe racing. She set a national ski 24-hour record at Telemark, which still stands today (skied 130 kilometers in 24 hours), and she also holds a silver medal as a USCA National paddler, and raced with a nationally ranked Adventure racing team, which included her husband (aka Pycho Man).
Living in the North Woods, Starry and her husband’s life involved a lot of adventure but also very simple times consisting of hunting, fishing, canning, harvesting wood, raising chickens — you name it. The couple loved Wisconsin but felt the constraints of the area and yearned to live more freely.
After planning and buying land out West, they decided to take the plunge, selling everything and headed for the off-grid life in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. God guided them to their new homestead, and by His grace, they were able to carve out a place of their own and live their dream.
Now, Starry’s days include everything from hunting elk to canning her peppers, making cheese, and tanning deer hides with her husband. There is never a dull moment!
Current Projects: Starry is raising 30 meat birds — a challenging off-grid effort with no heat lamp!
She is also harvesting wood, dragging out some fallen larch trees. She has never, ever purchased wood, because she has free resources out her door. Off-grid living involves using them — Starry advocates harvesting wood and staying debt-free.
She starts seedling with no amenities, such as heating pads or lots of grow lights to rely on. And she is working on water tank storage. Water is the most valuable resource on her homestead — to waste any of it is almost a crime!
In 2015, they had fires and constant 100-plus-degree weather — springs and ponds and wells dried up! Starry and her husband are always thinking ahead, so this year, another water tank will be purchased and brought to the homestead for reserve.
Other Fun Facts: Never expect Starry’s clothing to match! The rooster and the dog don’t like each other. Mr. Hilder can’t function without coffee and cutting his wood.
More Places to Find Starry on the Web:
