Despite some bad press last year, hunting is rising in popularity like never before. It seems that America is experiencing a renaissance in one of its oldest pastimes and that has us at Pluck-A-Duck really excited for what 2016 has in store. There is not just one demographic that is getting into hunting, but also many different ones, especially girls and women. Once thought of as a hobby reserved solely for men, hunting blossomed in 2015, bringing in many new hunters into the fold. This is clearly a positive development, not just for the economies of certain states, but also for the average American as hunting is a bonding experience, putting everyone on equal footing. The first state that reported an increase in female hunters was Texas.
The Dallas News reports, “Since 2000, hunting participating by females has risen dramatically in Texas. In the first year of the new millennium, 5,264 females passed the mandatory hunter education course. […] By 2010, 8,500 females, 20.3 percent of all students, passed hunter education. In 2014, 16,534 females took the course. Females represented 23 percent of last year’s 72,015 hunter ed students.”
Those are some big leaps in numbers and it is easy to see the momentum building in not just that state, but also the country as a whole. According to the article, there are many reasons why there has been an increase in female hunters. Some get into it because of their husbands and fathers. Then there are young girls who love pop culture. Movies, like Hunger Games, that portray strong female protagonists can open up eyes – but ultimately, it seems to come down to the idea of family. Texas hunter Monica Bickerstaff says, “Spending time with family and friends is a big reason women participate in hunting. Females take up the sport to become part of that social network within their family or community.”
It does not matter what the influences are, whatever gets more people hunting is good in our eyes!