It’s here! The one week out of the year spent entirely in blaze orange and camo. It’s deer hunting season. If you are like me, you grew up hunting and fishing and doing all sort of things most people consider as something only boys do. Over the years, there have been many comments made at me about the fact that I am a girl that likes to hunt. Most of them are harmless but everytime I hear them, I am reminded how much sexism still exists. Here are a few things people have said to me when they find out I like to hunt.
“Are you even strong enough to hold your gun?”
“Do you shoot like a girl?”
“You don’t like look a girl that likes to hunt.”
“Can you skin a deer?”
“I bet you wear pink camo.”
“You don’t have a problem killing animals?”
Way back when, when people got their food through hunting and gathering, men were traditionally hunters and women were the gathers. This is why hunting is typically seen as a “man’s” sport. However today, according to Census Bureau statistics cited by National Geographic, women make up 11% of all hunters in the U.S. This is quite a large percentage and I’m sure it will continue to grow as it becomes more socially acceptable for women to hunt. Now I know not every girl is or would be into hunting but for those who do I just want to say, keep slaying and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t hunt just as good or better as any man.