# What does it take to be a woman who hunts?



## bow up (Sep 2, 2010)

Like!


----------



## crtnyingrsll (Apr 30, 2014)

Love it!


----------



## shel74 (May 12, 2013)

Thank you!


----------



## greatthosu (Sep 13, 2012)

Great job.


----------



## jonell (Feb 14, 2012)

Great article. I have over 110 hours in the stand since October 1st. Practice is what makes a great hunter! I hunt with my husband, his best friends, my sons and my daughter - but often I hunt alone and enjoy the solitude of the woods.


----------



## MooseHuntress (Feb 18, 2013)

Great article!


----------



## britneysteele13 (Aug 11, 2014)

I love this! It's perfectly put


----------



## shel74 (May 12, 2013)

Thank you! I get so tired of the judgement women get from men and even women. We should all encourage each other no matter what.


----------



## Pete53 (Dec 5, 2011)

as a hunter and yes i am that evil man thing, i enjoyed this article and also what you ladies have posted.lady hunters in our family are always welcome and because i own my own land my girls get the better stands.i wish my wife still hunted but when we have to track a wounded animal my norweigen wife tracks better than most man " i call her the blood hound ",boy am i glad she can track that well ! my son i wished would get a lady hunter for a girl friend seems to always end up with a girlfriend who says can`t understand why he fish`s and hunts? lady`s its good to see more lady hunter`s ! Pete53


----------



## crowinghen (Oct 2, 2011)

I will never forget when my husband and I were at a 3-d shoot and an elderly man asked if I hunt. I said yes then he said-well, do you know where the vitals are? I said ( sarcastically) uh no, but i carry a chart in my pocket to refer to and I can always ask my husband if I get confused.

A-hole! I was so ticked.


----------



## lilpooh31 (Nov 15, 2013)

Very well written! Very true we need thick skin to take the criticism and the "looks" from others. 

I am very lucky, I grew up hunting and now I am married to my best friend and best hunting buddy. He would rather hunt with me over any of the guys and he tells them! LOL


----------



## shel74 (May 12, 2013)

Thanks ladies! I was told one time I should be in the kitchen...
Can't wait until that attitude goes away. I think younger generations aren't so stuck on black and white social gender roles.


----------



## Billie (Jul 1, 2004)

sh el74 said:


> Thanks ladies! I was told one time I should be in the kitchen...
> Can't wait until that attitude goes away. I think younger generations aren't so stuck on black and white social gender roles.


We are getting there! When I started bowhunting in 77 I was considered a freak, and not taken seriously until I started killing things on a regular basis, and proved to the others (meaning men AND women) that it was not just a fad I was going through. Now I see more and more of my sisters hunting, and it makes me proud and happy!


----------



## kwood (Oct 4, 2011)

Nice post! 
I agree with a lot of what you said! Especially the beginning! 

But, for me at least I have encountered I think fewer of the "negatives" of "being a woman hunter". I have met a lot of guys that are very supportive of my enthusiasm for hunting. I have experienced a little less of the overt sexism from a-hole d*bags, but that could be for a number of things:
-where I am from (Minnesota, "where the women are strong, men are good-looking"-Garrison Keillor, of Prairie home companion - again a very Minnesota thing)... Culturally we are pretty liberal here. I played ice hockey on the boys team growing up before there was Girls (ice) Hockey. 
-I have always been a tomboy playing extremely male sports like ice hockey, baseball (little league with the boys) and motocross (again very few girls) . While I took up hunting at a later age (24? 25?) I knew the drill for being in an extremely male-dominated sport, and I get a kick out of those things. Then again, here - it is more of a challenge to just prove you're "good enough" or as good as the guys; and the thrill of being able to be better than most of them! 

(That is how I have come to see it - I think the way I grew up was also supportive of me developing those attitudes though) 

The ways I have "felt" the sexism/challenges being a woman. 

1. Gear, gear, and GEAR! (Especially if you're short, like me! And ESPECIALLY if you live in a COLD CLIMATE....(like me....)
Just because it's PINK CAMO doesn't make it "women's hunting gear"! Sorry!

- clothing/outerwear: this is less of an issue if you hunt in warmer climates/temps. But I am sorry, that UnderArmour "ColdGear" (glamour gear!!) does not get the job done in northern MN, where 20 degrees this time of year is considered WARM!) If I walk into Gander MTn or cabelas there are 2 choices - underarmour women's, KidS (el-cheap quality usually). The result is, I have to pile on ridiculous layers. Of stuff that's not really "made" for hunting. Or bowhunting. 
They just don't MAKE warm winter hunting clothing for women. Ever notice there's no women's Sitka gear, no women's wool bibs, etc. I hunt till Dec 31., and last year it was -17 W/o the windchill factor. Do you think those "UA GlamourGear" would keep me warm? Or the cheap Russell kids stuff? No! It is crazy! I have to pile on so many layers to hunt any time after Nov 1., I look like he pilsbury doughboy. All the "extreme weather" gear is guys-only and doesn't even come in Men's small! A disgrace! Every time I leave a store like Gander MTn looking for good cold weather gear, I leave realizing that this is "the time of year when the men shoot the deer and the women get in the Kitchen." (While this may seem a bit weird to you ladies not from the godforsaken arctic climate like me, I Really feel the sexism and the inequality in gear available, when the mercury dips below 20-30 degrees or so) ... It makes my blood boil.... 

2. Stands.

Ever get into your stand, and after a half an hour wonder WHY you can't sit still, your back aches, and why it seems so tough to just "man up and tough it out!?" It's not because you're a woman and you're weaker or less of a hunter - it's because of you're like me, you're not real tall (I'm 5'2" a lil taller w boots on) and oh man, the "King Kong XL" or whatever they call these stands are nothing but trouble ... "A seat height of 22" for more comfort so you can sit longer".... (Okay, so now that we have a barstool-in-a tree, can I have a drink with that? ( bc it would help with the Lower back pain).... Stands have been growing in height over the past few years..., getting taller and taller. (And larger and heavier - comments on that below) .... The only ones I can stand hunting out of fixed-position are Millenniums (awesome - but not for leaving out in public lands) and ones that are long out of production like 10 yr ago. Some of my recent vey standard typically "el cheapo" Menards models are still too tall - (but mostly okay) and have cut a couple down an inch or so which has helped some- note - this is in a particular area of he stand above the cables- don't ever cut a stand without seriously thinking it through first as cutting in the wrong place could be extremely dangerous - if you're not sure if it's safe don't do it...) the fact I have to do this and have this conversation is frustrating as hell. 

-why not make an "adjustable" seat height stand that can have a seat that goes up and down locked into place with a lock nut or something??! Come on TMA! I am sick of having to try to sit 4 hr with my feet practically dangling and my lower back supporting all my weight... 

Also (about stands) 
Ever wonder why you can't set a hang-on stand safely/confidently by yourself? It's NOT because you're a WOMAN, it's because the $h:+ you have to carry into the woods, has to be designed to hold a 350#'er fat-guy! Sorry if that sounds harsh, but I am glad they have stuff to keep all hunters SAFE, however the fact that my ability to be mobile and stay on top of deer patterns is limited by when I can get a "man" in the woods to help me is BS! Carrying in 3+ climbing sticks, the stand, plus all the regular gear ; plus bow, etc ... I tell ya it don't fit on my petite 5'2" frame so well! 

You hear lone wolf and all these other companies springing up making "ultra light"!14 lbs 13 lbs, etc... Stands these days .. It's all about the quiet "aluminum platform " etc etc BS and they come with $250+ price tags... Really? I am petty sure that Gorilla ("Silverback?" made some that were way lighter - 11 lbs - and did not break the bank either (I believe it sS about a $100 stand maybe less). Not sure any they stopped making em but I think they were only rated to 225# or something and a big fat dude 350# probably sat on it and broke it. ..... (Pure speculation) so now my stands are heavier so that if a 350# guy decides to poach my stand he doesn't fall out n sue the company .. 

Some of my male hunter friends hunt exclusively out of hang-ons, that they REMOVE after each hunt. For me the bulk is too extreme. Need something better/more mobile. I also use a climber (which is sometimes great) but very limited here in my woods by the trees available, which also typically have no cover. 

I really wish the "TMA" made some more light-duty gear for us smaller people - I just do NOT need a stand/sticks rated to 350 lbs. I weigh 120... Something rated up to 200# or even 225# I think would be plenty safe for most women and a lot easier to handle in the woods. When I see deer going past me in my tree but I can't get a shot, but could if I moved my stand 50 yd I want to be able to do it - without asking a man for help.... Even the tree sticks have gotten shorter/heavier/require more (so more crap to haul , on a smaller frame, again...) 
. 
- bows: while there are some available, if you have a short draw length (24" or less, like me) you have very few choices. On some bows I am 23.5". This puts me out of ALL bows except "kids" bows, except Bowtech and Mathews. I happen to love my Bowtechs which is great - but, men have 50+ models to choose from every year; I have like 3. 

Rules: in line with my gripes about portable stands; rules in some areas where I hunt, while well-meaning, have effects that end up being (indirectly) very anti-woman-hunter.
-for instance; ground blind and stand rules in "special hunt /certain areas"

in one special hunt I participate in ground blinds are not allowed in most areas. While maybe legitimate concern in some places (I.e close to houses) most places, and not allowed overnight on public land ; it just makes it harder for me . It is a LOT easier for me to setup my own blind than a hang-on stand!

-stand rules: in the special hunt you can only set 2 stands; you can have 1 climber - but only 2 overnight in public land ; I see 
Where they're coming from - they don't want people hoarding/crowding public lands by claiming all the spots, but to me this sucks in a way bc I can't take my stand down every night. (A lot of my guy friends who participate in the hunt do) therefore makes it hard for me to get on top of fresh sign or move to a new spot - I have to secure help first.) 
-in a state park I have wanted to hunt in, I can't remember if it's no stands over night or no stands before season starts - and no screw in tree steps, but these rules are way too common and make it again, harder for women who can't haul/set their own stands. Do you think I as a woman hunter want to be asking the guys for help before opener ! Hell no! And there's only so many I want to even know where I hunt ! ) 
Not all places have trees that are climber -friendly. I want to choose the tree, then choose which stand, not the other way around!)
-anti ground-hunting rules - again - some of the places I hunt do not allow hunting from ground - must be in tree/blind. Sure I could hunt else where ; I understand the safety concerns in some places - but again this puts women hunters/little hunters/those who get cold easily, like me, at a comparative disadvantage to the guys. My small size does not give me great stand abilities in setting and staying warm in cold temps while sitting still, but my size makes me light-footed, stealthy, and, IMO compared to a lot of guys less stinky ;-) 

Sometimes I feel that rules , and equipment , that is designed with "safety" in mind, ends up making hunting less accessible to us women, especially those of us who are smaller, in cold climates, etc.... Every time I buy hunting gear or read a rule book on hunting in an area with special rules, or step in a store, or sit on a store-bought stand, it reminds me that I am a woman, and in the world of hunting and the eyes of the industry, I am still a second class citizen (that is if it doesn't involve selling me something that is pink camo)


----------



## shel74 (May 12, 2013)

I agree kowtow, unfortunately companies cater to the "average" costumer. Martin came out with a great bow this year for shorter draw. 
I am tried of the shrink and pink mentality and I am really tried of gunstock sizes. There are plenty men that can't shoot the standard length of pull. 

I'm going to ATA this year and will be reporting live from the floor of the cool new stuff, I will ask the tree stand companies about a smaller climber, fantastic idea! 

I also hate swinging legs in a stand and I'm 5'6"


----------



## Pete53 (Dec 5, 2011)

yes i can understand the problem finding a good compound hunting bow,maybe get a hold of barnsdale archery ,the owner dave barnsdale could build the bow of your dreams , i do hunt with his compound bow myself.his bows are very nice, best limbs in the world and dave`s bows are accurate,dave`s won the pro division in vegas against the best in the world with his barnsdale bows too.you will not find a nicer person to deal with and dave is very helpful too. 
i would like to say one more little thing about size: i have the viking size genes of my ancesters i can`t help that some of us are over 6 feet and weigh 240 plus here in minnesota,people my size need bigger trees to hunt from have to pay more for clothes and because of my strength and size always got the harder work so big people don`t have it so easy either for the same pay, but as i said before the ladies in my family always get the best too that includes my 5 foot 3 inch norweigen wife . good luck,Pete53


----------



## Janelle Murphy (Jan 4, 2015)

Good information. I am very lucking to have a supportive family about my hunting. I have been a gun hunter all my adult life and have just recently got my bow. My husband go it for me for Christmas and he is very interested in me doing my best. My biggest concern right now is learning how to shoot properly and not develop any bad habits that I will have to undo. The running joke in our family and with friends is that my husband stays home and watches our daughter while I go hunting and in most cases that is the other way around. Thanks for the insight on stands, as I hunted from a stationary stand for years and now I will have to hunt in another location and will have to invest in a stand.


----------



## ArcheryFanatic8 (Jan 7, 2015)

Superb blog post!! :star:


----------



## Bowguy867 (Nov 6, 2014)

I too am man and thought that was a great article. As a Hunter Ed instructor, NASP instructor, and someone who teaches for the state, refuges and town I must say I, personally am very happy you all are here. 
We need the numbers, and to be honest you ladies smell better. 
A father of two girls perhaps that has something to do with my sentiment. Each time I see a little girl come to a class I teach I grin inside. 
A lot of men welcome you and are glad you're here, , .


----------



## Boss Lady (Jan 9, 2015)

My brothers went completely over the moon when I asked them to take me with them rifle hunting for the first time, and it was a big part as to why hunting became something I desperately wanted to do. I was the first in my family to own a bow and the first to express any interest in bow hunting or bow fishing, and they were quick to jump on the wagon with me. But it's never been a way of them showing me they're betters archers than I am or an attempt by them to reclaim bow hunting as a male sport, it's something we do together. Every member of my family is supportive of what I do and, even though they've been hunting for decades by themselves with no girl to be seen; my uncles, cousins, and brothers never hesitate when I comes to me going with them on a hunting trip. Unfortunately, this isn't the case for everyone. Support is vital to any hunter; thick skin and determination are universal requirements. In my opinion: what makes a male hunter, makes a female hunter.

I've gotten more encourage and happy comments from men in regards to being involved in hunting and just general archery than negative ones. In fact, I can count the number of negative experiences and judgmental looks I've gotten at the range and in pro shops on one hand. Maybe I've been lucky (maybe if I _have_ been getting judgmental looks, I don't pay enough attention to catch them), but most people are just happy to see me as a member of the younger generation getting into a sport as great as archery in the first place! The door into the world of hunting is still opening for us, hopefully it continues to do so with companies deciding to tailor gear for women in a way that's not limited to spray painting it pink. If the desire to hunt is there, women will do it... even if it means kicking in a few doors!

Great article. Definitely one to circulate around to my fellow ladies, hunter or not.


----------



## shel74 (May 12, 2013)

Thsnks everyone! I'm glad there are more and more men out there that are encouraging and more and more women that don't get the looks or comments! I think in a few more generations it will be even better.


----------

