According to recent data published by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, female license buyers are up over 80% since the early 2000s.

Explaining this phenomena is not as simple as measuring it.

Rises in participation are in-part fueled by the recession, the desire of men and women alike to better connect to their source of food, the rise in female head-of-households, and the work of the industry to be more inclusive of people from all walks of life.

Certainly we can point to the success of female hunters such as Eva Shockey, who famously broke a barrier by becoming the first-ever female to grace the cover of Field & Stream Magazine.

Along with the rise of female participation has come the rise of brands targeted at these new customers. Female hunters have different technical requirements of their gear, from fit to function. Upstart brands like Prois and Girls with Guns have taken grown by targeted exclusively females, and even larger brands such as Under Armour and Nomad have taken note.

In nearly every other area of our lives, technology is leveling the playing field. The world is more open and connected because of Facebook. Anyone with an internet connection can view Google’s organized approached to information. I don’t think it can be over-estimated the impact technology can have in helping new hunters, and perhaps especially, female hunters.

Industry research has taught us the process of becoming a hunter begins with awareness, moves through trial, to continuation with, and finally without support. Powderhook’s Digital Mentoring platform is uniquely positioned to aid in this process by making people with knowledge readily available to those seeking it.

Hunting is still 81% male. Perhaps our daughters will grow up in fields filled with as many ponytails as cattails.

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