Myth #1: You actually hunt?
I’m not going to lie, hunting is a hobby that I took up because it is something my husband is extremely passionate about. I learned pretty quickly in our relationship that if I wanted to spend time with him in the fall/winter months, I needed to be in a tree stand. However, I learned just as quickly that just sitting there wasn’t for me. So it wasn’t long until I had my own rifle in my hand. I killed my first deer, a doe, in 2016 and then a buck the following year.
My husband and I went to Wyoming on an antelope hunt in 2019, and while I didn’t fill my tag, I sure had a lot of fun trying. It still surprises me how shocked people are anytime we are discussing hunting and I share my experiences. Even in 2023, there are still stereotypes about women in the outdoors, and to look at me, I don’t fall into any of those. During the day, I work in an office where I wear business clothes, heels, and makeup. However, I also find great joy in mismatched camo, messy hair, and hiking boots. There is a peace in the woods you can’t find anywhere else.
Myth #2: Did you cry when you killed a deer?
Women are stereotypically more tender hearted than men, and with good reason. For the most part, we are more sensitive. Bill Engvall has a hilarious skit about hunting with his wife. If you haven’t seen it, you should totally check it out. For a lot of women, the idea of killing a critter is more than they can bear. I thought it was for me too.
My dad always wanted me go squirrel hunting with him as a kid, and while I didn’t mind the actual hunting trip, I never could bring myself to actually shoot a squirrel. Something about them sitting in a tree, gnawing on a nut, minding their own business, then BOOM, was more than I could stand. So I am not going to lie, I certainly had reservations about my first deer hunt. But that all faded the moment that doe stepped out in front of my sights. The pure adrenaline that flowed through my veins overrode every other emotion I could possibly have felt. So short answer: “No, I didn’t cry when I shot a deer.”
Myth #3: You must love pink camo
I do love pink. It’s probably one of my favorite colors. Surprisingly though, I don’t own a stitch of pink camo. And it’s not that I am hating on pink camo. If that’s what someone wants to wear in the woods, more power to them. I feel especially strongly about that if it gets a girl or woman in the woods that might not have done so otherwise. It’s just not for me.
And, as a sub point to myth three, I also don’t care at all if the patterns of my camo match or not. I know a lot of people prefer matching shirts and pants, but that’s just not a priority for me. I’m perfectly content with having Real Tree on the top and Mossy Oak on the bottom. All I care about is it keeping me warm.
Myth #4: Gender determines ability
This one is short and sweet. There are women out there who are strong hunters and are willing and able to hunt in any conditions and keep up with any guy. There are also men out there who just plain suck at hunting. Being a girl doesn’t determine how good or bad someone will be at hunting. Eva Shockey, daughter of outdoor TV host Jim Shockey, went on an elk hunt while she was seven months pregnant with her daughter, Leni. Her strength demonstrates that women are capable of a whole lot, and that gender isn’t necessarily a determiner in one’s ability.
Myth #5: There’s not a lot of women who hunt
When I was a child, my aunt Debbie was the only woman I knew who hunted. Anytime I was talking about my family, that’s how I described her. I would tell my friends that she liked to hunt deer. I thought it was so cool, and at the time, it made her unique. That’s not necessarily the case today. Women are the fastest growing demographic of people taking up the sport.
In the 2020 Forbes article, “Why Women Are The Fastest Growing Segment Of The Population Who Hunt,” the author cited a report issued by National Geographic, saying “The proportion of women who hunt has risen 25 percent since 2006.” I wouldn’t be surprised if that number hadn’t grown even more in response to the pandemic. This trend has caused manufacturers to respond as well.
It is easier for women to find rifles and shotguns that are proportionate to them. There are also more options in regards to women’s hunting clothes. Women like Eva Shockey have also opened doors for female hunters in outdoor television programming, providing inspiration for new generations of female hunters. I expect that all of these factors will only positively contribute to the continued growth of women in the outdoors.
