Women Who Hunt
Welcome, ladies!
In 1998, more than 2 million hunting licenses were issued to women, and I'm pretty sure that number increased in 1999. While I'm sure I'm not the first, and I certainly won't be the last, I'd like to welcome these gals to the world of hunting with open arms.
Ladies like Brenda Valentine (BTW, Brenda, you don't look like a grandmother to me!) have inspired many women to start hunting. Many others have gained interest through the Becoming an OutdoorsWoman (BOW) program. Many more have become interested through NRA programs. Still others are introduced to it by their husbands or boyfriends. Regardless of how they learn of it, they are coming, and many have already come, into the world of hunting.
What's the significance of this move? It can be defined in many ways, according to one's opinion and interpretation. Myself, I have an aunt who has hunted deer (albeit not as heartily as her husband, my uncle) for longer than I have, and so I don't have a prejudice against women hunters. One thing I like about the increase of female hunters is, these ladies are hard to argue against.
Let's face it, fellow hunters, many of those currently opposing hunting today are women; women who may rail against men, and against our "barbarism." How can they stand against fellow women who choose to hunt? Not very well, and very shakily, in my opinion.
Women who choose to hunt, and the increasing numbers thereof, are precious to the future of hunting, like it or not. At a strictly practical level, these ladies help diversify the hunting population, which in turn helps to negate stereotypes of hunters. Having more women in the woods also helps secure the future of hunting for their children, who will no doubt learn of the virtues of hunting from their mothers, as well as their fathers.
Stop on by the About.com Hunting Forum and let us know what you think about the increasing number of women in the woods. Meanwhile, ladies, good luck!
- Russ Chastain
