king' s outdoor world - Index

king' s outdoor world - Hunting Illustrated April/May 2008 - Index

It’s quite spectacular to look at
hunting statistics. More people
hunt than play tennis or ski.
Each hunter spends an average of
$1,992 per year, which accounts
to $24.9 billion pumped into our
economy. But, hunter numbers
have slowly been on the decline.
One number that is not talked about
enough is the impact of women on
the hunting and outdoor industry.
Overall numbers may be on the
decline, but women participation
in hunting has increased 72-percent
over the last fi ve years. From 2001
through 2005, there was a 72-percent
increase in women hunting with
fi rearms. Target shooting has also
taken off as shotgun and handgun
shooting has increased 16 and 33percent
respectively. One aspect
of hunting that has really hit a spot
with women is bowhunting. Over
this same time period, the number
of women hunting with a bow and
arrow has increased 176-percent!
There are now over three million
women who hunt. That number is up
from two million hunters in 1997.
So, why the increase in
women hunters? Experts agree that
infl uence from a male counterpart is
one of the biggest reasons women
pick up a rifl e or bow. It has been
estimated that a quarter of women
now hunt due to infl uence from their
father, and 50-percent of women
hunt because of their husband or
boyfriend. Family is very important
to these women hunters, and a big
reason for heading to the hills and
being “one of the guys” is to be
able to spend more time with their
signifi cant other. Being able to hang
with the boys might be diffi cult for
some, but most are enjoying the
time they can be in the outdoors and
aren’t taking a backseat to anyone.
These women hold their own when
it comes to braggin’ rights. This
issue is dedicated to the woman
hunter, the blessings they receive
when being in the outdoors, the
respect they have for the animals
they pursue, and the time they spend
building relationships.
April/May 43