Female Hunting Heritage

I grew up in a hunting family.  We have had a family deer lease in Mason County, TX that has served five generations of my family.  Many people joke that Chad married me for my hunting family... not for me!  It has been a tradition for many years for my great-grandfather, grandfather, father, uncles, cousins, and now, my husband and sons to hunt at this deer lease. The weekends at the deer lease are for male bonding - because only men could stand to stay out there.  The decades old outhouse, and the mice and roach invested, tin roofed, dilapidated cabin should be burned down in my female opinion! The deer lease is definitely a man's world!  But, times are changing and hunting is no longer just a male sport.

With all these hunters in my family, I was never taken hunting as a child.  There are far too few stories of girls being brought up with their families teaching them how to hunt as children.  The growing number of huntresses I talk to got into the sport by their husbands/boyfriends in their adult years.  I believe this goes to show how the image of the female hunter is changing. It is pretty obvious from the hunting industry's attention to the female hunter that this is where the future of the hunting legacy is heading.  From hunting apparel made to fit the woman hunter, to bows and guns made to attract the female eye, to hunting organizations formed to support the female hunter, we have gained the attention of the male dominated hunting industry.

According to the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) 2012 annual report, female hunters have increased dramatically.  Female hunters have increased from 13.8% of all hunters in 2002 to 16.3% of all hunters in 2009 (see http://www.qdma.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/WR2012.pdf) and that number continues to go up.  What was even more interesting to me was that the average age of the male hunter ranges from 36.8 (in archery) to 40.9 (in muzzleloader), compared to the average age of the female hunter is 32.0 (in muzzleloader) to 35.5 (in firearms).  And on top of that, the greatest increase in female hunters was in the 17-24 year age range.

More and more moms and dads are taking their daughters hunting.  We have a good friend who takes his daughters hunting every chance he gets.  It is hard to compete with cheerleading, soccer games, and weekend sleep overs, but they love being in the woods and spending time with their daddy.  Teaching girls to love nature and how to use a gun not only increases the number of future hunters and continues the hunting heritage, but it teaches girls patience, preparation, confidence, and self worth.  Qualities that many 
girls find hard to associate with in today's society.

Unfortunately, even the hunting industry has started to feed on the female image by sporting sexy marketing ads.  I get frustrated seeing the camouflage swimsuits, lingerie, and skimpy clothing sold by major hunting retailers.  Camouflage has a purpose and it has never been to make you look sexy!  However, hunting is still a male dominated sport and sex sells! It makes me literally sick to see the "booth babes" that adorn many of the retailer's booths at trade shows and exhibitions. The degradation of women in an industry that has the opportunity to really build the self esteem of girls turns me away from those retailers and hurts the future of this sport.

Take your daughters out hunting.  It is an amazing way to increase their confidence and self worth, and it is so important in today's society and for the future of hunting.