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Women hunt, too. And this is news because . . . ? Because it isn’t. But why let a little thing like a worn story line and a lack of hard data on the number of women who’ve taken-up elk hunting get in the way of a story about women taking-up hunting in greater numbers? ESPN didn’t. Did I mention that the writer of this piece is a man? Does it matter? I think not. Anyway, let’s go beyond data, straight to anecdote, courtesy Donna McDonald, owner of Upper Canyon Outfitters in Alder, Montana. “In her experience, women make splendid hunters, providing complementary sets of skills and abilities to the hunting experience where many men struggle, like spotting, being open minded and being serious while remaining unafraid of failure. I have a lot of couples who come to hunt with me and almost always the wife will approach the hunt more seriously than the husband,’ McDonald said. It might be a new experience for them, but for women, there’s no one there to say ‘why’d you do this?’ and ‘why’d you do that?’ when something doesn’t go as planned. It’s all so open and new to them, they soak up things like a sponge; they want to learn.” Fair enough? Oh, and what exactly is the point here? Josh’s answer after the jump.

It doesn’t look like women in elk camp, deer camp or the duck blinds is going to cease anytime soon. The onus, then, falls onto men (and, in some cases, women) to change the way they perceive the average hunter, to ensure that Thomas’ own eye-opening story about the perception of female hunters doesn’t return to the norm.

That would be the bit where someone mistook her for the cook. Whoa.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. I don't know about hunters, since I know so very few women who hunt (Mom excepted), but I can tell you about women shooters….

    They become proficient faster than men.

    They listen, have few preconceived notions, fewer bad habits, usually adapt quicker physically with what they're being instructed to do.

    I think it's John Wayne syndrome. Every guy, on some level, already thinks he's John Wayne. That somehow, his gender has already bestowed upon him firearms skills (and they're race-car level drivers, too). Women, on the other hand, usually show up at the range tabula rasa in most cases. In no time, they're shooting better than their husbands (or fathers).

    • Can you think of any reason why men and women should compete as equals in target shooting? Currently, equestrian events are the only olympic events where men and women compete as equals. Presumably, 600 pounds of horse flesh levels the playing field. It seems to me that firearms would have the same effect. Men and women compete separately in track and field events because men and bigger and stronger, but strength seems irrelevant in shooting sports. What do you think?

  2. I really think we have to get over this which gender is better than the other. It seems that the vast majority of studies comparing males to females all show that females are better. Even at things that we think men are suspose to be better at surprise surprise women are better. I think that if they do a scientific study concerning who makes better men men or women it will be proven that yes women do make better men than men do.
    but I do think that we men deserve a big round of applaus as being overachievers. women say men are inferior. They also say men have subjugated or surpressed them. If this is true it aleast proves men are better than women at subjugating and surpressing. And can some one explain how it is possible for the inferior to subjugate or surpress the superior. Women say that it is a femine hand that rocks the cradle. From this I assume women claim that they have a greater influence on shaping human characeter and consequently human behaviour. If this be true and women do have greater influence in shaping human characeter then perhaps women have nobody to blame but themselves for their male children growing up with a desire to surpress them. Women can’t blame it on the men since women claim that their’s is the hand that rocks the cradel.

    • Gender inequality is real, and it is bad. It isn’t deserved. Be a part of the solution.

  3. One would think men would make the better hunter because men have done and continue to do the lion’s share of the hunting. But I have observed that in almost a 100% of the time I read a blog where men and women are being compared women always come out on top. One man told me the reason why women always come out on top is because when ever men come out on top it won’t see the light of day because the author would be label a misogynist and a sexist.

    But one would think that since society has called upon the male gender to do the lion’s share of the hunting that nature would have equipped males with better hunting skills than the ones not doing as much hunting.

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