USA: More women enjoying the hunt

While the overall number of hunters in the United States continues to decline, the opposite is true of one group of hunting enthusiasts - women.

The National Sporting Goods Association reported that, in 2007, over three million women hunted with a bow or firearm.

Gone are the days when the man would bring home the backstrap. Now his girlfriend or wife is just as likely to put wild game on the table.

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, about eight percent of all hunters who bought a license in 2006 were women. This equates to 65,000 women hitting the fields and woods. Not surprisingly, they hunt for the same reasons as men.

"I love to bow hunt because it is so peaceful," said Amy Moore (Jonesville), who has been bow hunting for five years. "I find that I get to see much more action during bow season than gun season."

The single mother of three runs an at-home business to pay the bills, but always makes time for hunting with family and friends.

"For me, a perfect day of hunting would involve going with my dad and kids," Moore added. "It's not just about killing something, but spending time together."

Like a lot of other hunters, Moore learned hunter safety, hunting skills and the importance of hunting ethically and responsibly from her father. Ed Moore (Jonesville) immersed his 15-year-old daughter in the passion and poetry of hunting deer, rabbits and raccoon.

Today, nothing less than taking a gigantic 5-year-old 12-pointer everyone calls "Heart Attack" will do.

"I only saw him once while I was hunting," Moore recalls. "I was bow hunting and he came within 80 yards of me. I couldn't move - I don't know if I could have shot him if he came within range."

Candy Teft (Litchfield) gets the same rush from turkey hunting. The mother of two finds the challenge of taking a tom irresistible.

"You have to be so careful about movement," Teft explained. "Just the slightest movement can alert turkeys you're there and then they're gone."

When she's not hunting, Teft outfits other hunters with the tools they need for success. She works at Litchfield Outdoors, a family-owned business that supplies hunting equipment.

Like 95 percent of all Michigan hunters, Teft most enjoys pursuing whitetails.
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"A perfect day for me is opening day of the firearm deer season," said Teft. "We hunt all day and then come back to deer camp to eat chili, play cards and swap hunting stories."

Moore admits it's not always easy being a female hunter.

"The old guys are fine with it, but some of the young guys have a hard time accepting it when they realize that I'm serious about hunting."

Michigan women who weren't raised in a hunting family also have opportunities to learn about and enjoy hunting, fishing and outdoor recreational activities. The Department of Natural Resources runs the Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) program, teaching novices important hunting and shooting skills in a friendly and non-competitive setting. For more information, contact BOW coordinator Lynn Marla at (517) 241-2225.

There are also a host of national programs geared towards women, including Fishergirl (www.fishergirl.com), Women Hunters (www.womenhunters.com), Women on Target (www.nrahq.women) and Women in the Outdoors (WITO - www.womenintheoutdoors.org). Each program teaches women fishing, hunting and shooting skills in a safe, supportive, women-only environment.

"The Women in the Outdoors program is a fantastic way for women to try new outdoor activities, meet new people and learn more about conservation," explained WITO coordinator Teresa Carroll. "Once women come to one of our events, they're usually hooked and come back again."

Moore and Teft believe that passing down family hunting traditions is just as important as being successful in the woods.

"My niece lives in Indiana, and last year she came up here and bow hunted with me," said Moore. "Her parents don't hunt, so I was happy to be a part of her learning about the joy of hunting that my family has passed down for generations."

Like their male counterparts, Moore and Teft have some strong views on the future of hunting in Michigan.

"Overall I think we're headed in the right direction," said Moore. "But I would like to see hunters only allowed to take one buck, and we should have to tag every buck as a buck."

Teft believes the baiting ban needs to be lifted.

"For people who hunt open fields, the ban on baiting really hurt their hunting," she explained. "A lot of people around here really count on that meat for survival."

On this Mother's Day, let's applaud women like Moore and Teft who help keep Michigan's hunting heritage alive, and let's do all that we can to promote safe and ethical hunting in our great state - regardless of who's doing the hunting.

http://www.battlecreekenquirer...510/SPORTS/905100318


Seloushunter

Thanks for the resources! I happily await the birth of our daughter in August and look forward to many years of time with her in the woods.

Good posting.
That's a good thing. These women who hunt are NOT the feminists, but are good people. The more women who hunt, the more accepted hunting will be here.
Much of the anti hunting rhetoric comes from women.

Don

has anyone ever noticed a lot of these same anti-hunting rhetoric spouting people seem to have no qualm about shodding their feet and holding up their trousers with cow leather??

Just in case you had'nt noticed, you put any female non veggie into a shoot /fish/farm or die situation, she'll be out there with ya!, thats my take on it since I was 13 years old!, Don't knock it we need everone out there's, plus some of e'm can shoot two times better than us!, (as long as it's critters, not figure 11's)

My wife loves hunting, and can shoot as good as me, sometimes better.

I have all girls-wife and daughters in my family and they all very smart in school and life , very cute--my bad luck..lol, and all hunt. They have harvested most of all of Montana game--deer,elk,antelope,birds,fish, etc.. many times over. They all shoot short mags and can out shoot most people. They all know the value of wildlife and hunting..


www.african-montana-taxidermy.com