More Women Give Hunting a Shot
For truly free-range meat, some say they prefer the woods to the grocery store.
The total number of women hunters surged by 25 percent between 2006 and 2011, after holding steady for a decade, according to Census Bureau statistics. At last count, 11 percent of all U.S. hunters were women, compared to 9 percent in 2006.
Many state departments of natural resources have begun hosting Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) workshops that offer instruction in skills such as archery, shotgun, and rifle shooting.
"There is definitely a high demand. We have over 3,000 women on our mailing list, and workshops fill up quickly," says Patricia Handy, Information & Education Program Manager at the Department of Natural Resources in Maryland.
Retailers have taken notice, too. Companies like SHE Outdoor Apparel, Cabela's, and Próis are outfitting women hunters
