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Dalke takes on biathlon

Final challenge wraps up 13-episode run of Extreme Huntress; winner to be announced in a few weeks.
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Nikita Dalke

The running part wasn't Nikita's Dalke's forte for the biathlon, but it's a different story when she's got a rifle in her hands.

On the final episode of Extreme Huntress, Dalke and the rest of her competitors competed in the final challenge as part of the Extreme Huntress competition—a biathlon.

Each of the ladies had to run a mile, stopping at two different points to shoot targets with a .22 calibre rifle, with a long-distance 200-yard shot at the end with a .270 calibre rifle.

Dalke, of course, blew the 200-yard target away on her first shot, as it shattered when she hit the tannerite—an explosive—that was in the centre circle of the target.  She cleaned up in the long-distance shooting challenge in an earlier episode, collecting the maximum amount of points due to her pinpoint accuracy.

However, she wasn't quite as successful with the .22 over the course of the biathlon, using open sights on small targets at a much closer distance.

Working the gun itself was also a challenge, according to Dalke.

"The .22 they gave us kept jamming, they wouldn't load, then they'd jam…so that was disappointing," said Dalke. "The long range shot was good because we got to use the rifle."

Shooting with the .22 wasn't the only challenge for Dalke, as she had to be mindful of her asthma while running the biathlon.

"Up here, where the climate is a lot drier, I have more control over my asthma, but I was not ready for that when I was down there, because it was so humid," Dalke said.  "We had rain the night before and the day before and then it was the hottest day we had that whole week.

"It was so humid and I felt like I was drowning."

Sweden's Erika Bergmark won the biathlon challenge, coming in at a time of 6:52, based on the time of her run and time deduction based on her accuracy. Dalke came in fifth at 12:43.

After challenges such as responding to anti-hunting abuse, accuracy shooting and reacting to dangerous game, the points were all tallied up.

Dalke finished in second place at 401 points, with Bergmark at the top with 511.

All 13 episodes were filmed over six days at the 777 Ranch in Hondo, Texas in the summer.

"It was interesting," said Dalke. "It was a good experience. It definitely showed me a lot because I went down thinking I was going to be in over my head, because reading each of the profiles of each girl online is a little intimidating.

"But once you're all together, I actually felt like I was right in my element here. It gave me a good confidence boost."

The public has two more days to help decide the winner of the contest with online voting. To submit a vote for Dalke, head to www.extremehuntress.com and click on the vote tab to send in a vote via email.

The winner will be announced at a banquet in Dallas in the middle of January.