For at least the last five years if not longer I've constantly seen hunting and fishing gear targeted at females and yet I've never once run into a lone woman in the field or on the water. Heck never even seen a woman in camo gassing up before dawn on her way out or shouldering a shotgun at the local gun shop. So what's up with this? I bet 20 percent of the gear in catalogs is camo hunting gear aimed at females. Is this just a last ditch dying effort by outdoor companies to replace the shrinking numbers of men buying licenses?

No, I think it's just that you've never seen any women in the field.

Seen plenty of woman...............with men..............never saw one alone or with other woman. Not saying it never happens. What I'm saying is no way it happens enough to justify the market for what I see advertised last few years.

I have.

Me too. My wife is more into blaze orange though. Safety first. Pretty sure she will still be putting venison in the freezer long after I'm dead and gone.

Plainly put, there's a ton of women taking up shooting and hunting. I can't recall the percentages, but most new hunters are female. It doesn't really matter if they hunt in groups or solo. What's your inference there anyway?

This woman is a professional chief that took up hunting. Interesting woman

https://georgiapellegrini.com/

Have to say that lass is my ideal.

Worlds best venison meatloaf

Wife and I are coming up on our 24th wedding anniversary next Month. We went deer hunting for our honeymoon and it was her idea. We do all our own processing field to fork. She is 9 years younger. I have had some back issues so she has stepped up to take care of the heavy lifting.

She is a small town doc and part of the reason I say she will still be putting meat in the freezer after I'm gone is that she has a bunch of patients (both men and women) that share hunting photos and stories with her every visit. Lots of women are serious about hunting in our area.

Now you are just bragging...with good cause...but still bragging.

Agreed OP. Our state DNR hunting guide has a woman out bird hunting on the cover this year, it seems like I’ve seen more woman, Asians, kids, and black men on the cover than I have adult white men, the demographic buying probably 90% of the licenses sold. I know of and have personally seen a handful of woman that hunt not including my wife. She doesn’t hunt but will sometimes come with me. I saw a black guy in the woods once. I’ve known a few others that hunt.

Woman are way over represented as a percent of the hunting public in ads. Some of it is probably virtue signaling under the guise of hunter recruitment and no doubt some of it, probably most of it is showing unusually attractive woman hunting as a way to get the attention of men.

My daughter has hunted for years, and even her husband is jealous of her shooting skills and success. Her daughter begins this year as a mentored youth. My neighbor's 12-year-old daughter got her doe with a bow first thing last Saturday morning - even bleated to stop it for the shot. It's far from her first deer, and her mother is very successful as well. My cousin's wife has hunted for years and her daughter was taking turkey and deer with a bow in elementary school. You may not see many adult women in the woods, but they're there, and their daughters will be out in force. From my experience, the ladies are serious about what they're doing, and are pretty good at it.

The women and the blacks in outdoor advertising make me want to up chuck....guess next we'll have to look at adds of queerz in the outdoors.

Perfect, but can she iron as well?

My adopted daughter would hunt every day if it weren't for work. She calls me every evening to check on me and to see if I saw any wildlife and the condition of the back roads.
She recently made the cover of a hunting magazine with her Dall's Sheep.

The corporations that sell to and serve the outdoorsmen are not staffed with hunters...they are staffed by urban, college educated business majors, mostly idiots that came up with stuff like Hornady Zombie Killer ammo. Trying to out-Woke each other in the headlong rush to political correctness. They have no f......g clue who their target demographic is, or do, and seek to change it to appear to be inclusive.
As an example, I was cruising the Netflix movie menu last night, 80% of the offerings were female lead roles, assassins, spies, detectives, computer whizzes, drug lords, special ops warriors, you name it, wimmens can do it faster, better, tougher, and still have a warm and fluffy side. Make me a sammich, dammit.

I see the misogynists and racists are leaking down from the freak show.
Do you guys think that maybe, just maybe, this isn't some sort of conspiracy theory, and marketing clothing and other gear for an entirely new demographic of hunters might be a good business decision?

Interesting - I belong to internet groups other than here - I'd say I've seen a lot more female, black, asian and other minority participation there than what this place would have you believe happens. Blacks particularly seem to be taking up bowhunting quite a bit and I see women represented quite a bit within the flyfishin and bird hunting community. Many in target shooting as well. GF's 70 year old mother loves to shoot bullseye league here in town.

There are A LOT of females that hunt. I'd say that right now (fall) - 3 out of 5 women I see in my area have some sort of cammo on. I do live in farm country where hunting is part of the local tradition tho.

For probably a decade now around 50% of the students in Montana's hunter-safety classes (mandatory for anybody under 18 to hunt here) have been female.

Have known a bunch of Montana women who not only hunt, but hunt on their own. My wife has been doing so for almost 40 years. Back when I was traveling a lot to hunt, would often come home to find that she'd killed a deer or two and packed them home. But even if I'm not gone somewhere, she and I often hunt separately, partly because she prefers hunting whitetails on riverbottoms and I prefer mule deer in the hills.

Funny, I'd prefer less misogynist and racists in the outdoors.

Circa 91 I was getting my gear together to leave camp for the afternoon blackpowder Elk hunt near Yakima WA and a solo female hunter called out to the camp to see how we were doing. Really attractive and she and her brother were sharing a camper down the road. I've seen lots of other females over the years in the field but that one always stuck with me.

3 of my best hunting buddies are female. 2 of them being my daughters, the third a co worker who trains her own bird dogs, i'd put her up against most make hunters ive seen as actually ahving a clue about the game they hunt

My wife gets up before Dawn, and Has camo.

I don't find it shocking that companies/DNRs market towards a demographic that spends lots of money on things they are in to. My wife's yoga pant collection costs way more than I have in hunting duds. I can only imagine how much we'd spend on hunting 'twer she in to it.

Couple of things I've noticed last few years............1. there's a lot of attractive woman on youtube and hunting channels doing hunting content. Why are they all attractive? 2. Every year here there's 3 or 4 local pictures of attractive woman killing big bucks out of ground blinds with crossbows opening week. You can set your watch by it it's so obligatory. I'm not certain what this all implies, but it doesn't seem to imply a groundswell of hunting interest by the general female population. I'd bet 75 percent of the female hunting gear is bought by men wishfully thinking they can get their significant other interested. I guess what I'm fearing is hunting is a dying sport and it's an illusion that woman are going to revive it. Maybe it's different other places but not around here from what I've seen so far.

At the risk of stating the obvious! If you are not seeing them the camo must really work.

I disagree with all you guys that think a female hunter just tags along with her male partner. My Daughter Sandi has harvested Mule and Blacktail deer, a ton of Turkeys and a pig thrown in every once in a while. She has also tournament fished with me until age took it tole on me. She did a lot of this on her own. Along with this my two granddaughters from my youngest Daughter also love to hunt. Being Nurses they have no problem gutting a deer, pig or turkey. The female hunting population has greatly increased over the last ten years hence clothing being made for them only makes sense. The other advantage of women taking up the sport is that they are usually very vocal in their support of it which some of their male counterparts are not. The other advantage I see is I have more fun hunting with them than I do with a bunch of arrogant men only hunt jerks.

I have a daughter and a niece who are better hunters and shooters than most of my hunting friends who are male. I am proud of that and hope the trend of all different demographics joining the outdoor hunting sports continues to grow. It can only be good for us as outdoorsmen.

Ka-boom! Best answer of the week!!

I know quite a few women who hunt. Some of them go by themselves, some don't, and most of them are better hunters than me.

My wife isn't into hunting, but she is a better shot than I am.

I think its bought by a bunch of cross dressers that don't have to worry what their friends think. And you thought Bob was putting on weight when you were watching his azz climb the ridge ahead of you. Its the cut of those pants.

Hunt or shoot birds with a friend at his club. Seen several women hunting and working their dogs alone. Good looking and trim. Not sitting home eating the cookies she bakes for the kids and killing a bottle of vodka per day.

Maybe they're so skilled at hunting. They remain secluded.
:-)

I've seen plenty with their spouse.

It's a shame that those folks don't feel comfortable posting here.

Cookie does not do a lot of hunting, but a good bit of the issue is our difficultly at drawing quality tags. She only does big game with no interest in the smaller warm fuzzies. All it takes is a suggestion, however, and she's ready to head out the door with her cameras in any season. She did do a week long solo run into Montana recently for elk and moose. No luck with the moose.

Titled this one "turn around damnit," as this guy rose from behind the log as she was heading back to our rig.

Cookie is shorter than average and does especially well in thick situations. I suspect that's due to her field of vision being below the browse line.

I know a few women hunters, but not many. And, no, I've never seen one out in the wilds without a husband or boyfriend or daddy.

However, I do believe female hunters are more prevalent in the whitetail woods back east than they are out west where, if you live in the country, it's relatively easy to get out and hunt and relatively easy to get your deer back home after you shoot it. Notice, I said relatively, since I'm sure there are some difficult places to get one out of back east. But at least you're not having to drag it over a mountain or two or pack it out on your back.

Additionally, I think a lot of women that live in the country just like camo and they like clothes that are designed to fit them correctly. So they buy the stuff. They may not be hunting in it, but they're wearing it. Those marketing people wouldn't keep putting it out there if people weren't buying it.

I was in WY earlier in the week. Ran into a truck hunting near my area so I walked over to see which way they were hunting. It was 2 couples. Both the men and women were both decked out in modern, performance camo like Sitka and Kuiu.

Also saw other women hunting across the sage and they were mixed between jeans, camo shirts, and some other garden variety camo.

The wives of a couple of guys in our club hunt with their hubbies. Another sometimes comes along to watch.

Two years ago one of the guys was watching a food plot surrounded by a cutover a couple of years old in the morning. He watched a good buck bed down late that morning next to a stream side management zone. He snuck out, called his wife and told her to get there quick. It took her a while to change and get to the club. They were able to get back into the stand but the buck had moved.

They glassed a little while and eventually she picked out the buck but he was obscured by some brush. She kept the rifle on him and when he eventually stood up she popped him with a 6.5 Creed and he dropped right there. 250 yards…no problem.

Needless to say, she was excited and couldn’t stop talking when they got back to the skinning rack.

I've taught a lot of young women in my hunter ed classes, about a 50:50 ratio to young men in fact. So the desire to hunt seems about the same for both sexes at a young age. I'm a man, so I don't presume to know the reason I don't see more women in the field by themselves, but if I was to guess, it's because of the small percentage of men who take exception to women participating in what they define as a "men's" activity. That attitude seems to make women uncomfortable. So they generally look for companions to hunt with. They don't go out alone. I know a few very capable and experienced women hunters. I just wish our hunting community allowed more women to feel comfortable doing what they love, without judgement, and without the insecurity of dealing with a few [bleep]. Women hunters that I have met and hunted with are every bit as competent, and enjoy themselves just as much as any man. But they are not as free to do what they want as most men. At least that's what I've observed.

Spear chucking season is just around the corner

I don't know, I saw women hunting with other women 30 years ago. No man in sight. I have a friend who gets together with other women every Sept for their annual women's bowhunt. They got 2 bull elk this year, one being a monster 6 point. I knew a lady (She died 30 years ago) who would go out to get deer and elk to feed her family when her husband was away working. She was a tough lady. Over 80 when she died. Of course red plaid or her only winter coat were more in style then.

Mule Deer;
Top of the morning to you John, I hope the weather and the season has been cooperating for you all so far.

As I've mentioned before here, our BC Hunter Safety classes have been running about 50:50 for at least a decade and a few years back I had the first class with more female students.

My wife hunted up until our girls were born and both girls hunted for a few years, the eldest still active and is in fact my usual hunting partner if anyone goes along with me.

We do see a few females out either solo or without males or say a mom with her kids hunting here, but yes many groups we see are mixed gender.

Speaking personally, I might be a bit of an anomaly in that I prefer hunting solo, though as I'm pushing 60 it's now an adventure of a different kind some days, you know?

I hope that female participation in hunting continues in the direction it's going as it's needed for a number of reasons, to my way of thinking anyways.

All the best to you and Eileen and good luck on your hunts.

Dwayne

Hi Dwayne,

Good to read your comment, and hope you are all doing well!

Have been around women who hunt in Montana for a long time. One was my paternal grandmother, who not only hunted on her own, but homesteaded by herself in the central part of the state right after WWI. She'd loved to hunt since she she grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota, and ended up marrying the Norwegian guy who took up the homestead next to hers. He wasn't much of a hunter, so she kept going out on her own--and long after he died during the Depression.

Some of the posts on this thread kind of remind me of a comment Jack O'Connor made in one of his books--about people who drove through Idaho on main highways without seeing any elk, then declared there weren't any elk in Idaho! One thing I have noticed about many women who hunt on their own is they prefer to hunt elsewhere than most male hunters--which may be why those women are often successful. My grandmother, for instance, was apparently the first person to hike to the top of a lone mountain near the homestead....

Good hunting,
John

There was a TV show a couple of years ago with a bolode BABE who hunted all over the world including dangerous game witha double rifle. I believe she was also an outfitter in Colorado. She could shoot !

Not targeted just to the women.

You know there is a segment of the male population which prefers that pink camo.

There's a young woman who bowhunts (with a compound, not a crossbow!) in the state park where I hunt. Her husband hunts another spot about 1/2 mile away.

I wish I could have found something like that years ago, hell with ironing. Mb

My Dad was one of Ten. All 7 boys were hunters..2 of the 3 girls were.

Dad and 1 other boy has passed along with one of the girls.

My Aunt Theresa and aunt Patricia.......They are Hunters. love them to death.

My mother was a hunter. I think she hunted before it was cool for women to hunt and she could have gave a chit less. I have some pictures of a Colorado trip for mule deer in 1948. It was her and a lady she worked with. They drove out in an old Chevrolet sedan. Gasp, no four wheel drive and no cell phones. No camo or blaze. They rented horses and off they went. Nice bucks shot with some type of bolt action rifles.