Can Women Save Hunting?
Or Have They Already?
By Brian McCombie
You may have heard the news that the number of hunters in America actually increased
for the first time in about two decades, up an
impressive nine-percent in 2011 versus 2006.
Good news, for sure. But what the press
releases and news stories didn’t always
make clear is that women are leading the
way in this increased hunting participation,
thanks in no small part to organizations like
Outdoor Women Unlimited (OWU).
In fact, by giving women the opportunity to
become hunters and recreational shooters,
OWU is on the leading edge of a national
trend, and one that bodes very well for the
future of the shooting sports.
“When we started OWU in 2005, the focus
was really more on fishing than anything,”
says Rebecca Wood, OWU founder and
Executive Director. “Then we stared offering
some introductory shooting classes. They
filled right up. Now, our shooting classes are
our number one activity, and the hunting
classes and seminars are very popular, too!”
The news on increased hunting participation came from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS). Every five years, UWFWS
publishes a national survey of participation in hunt [