Women Hunters Pursuing Elk In Droves

Reno, NV, United States (AHN) – With females increasingly becoming adventurous, women with BB guns are not an unusual scene anymore during elk hunting season in Reno, Nevada.

During hunting season, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation holds its annual Elk Camp in Reno, drawing numerous elk hunters across the United States.

This year, the event organizers predict another record-breaking gathering, as more female elk hunters are expected to attend the camp.

Every year, the event recorded a sharp increase of female elk hunters.

In 2008, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation reported elk hunting as one of the most-sought after hunting events among female hunters based on per capita rate (second behind whitetail deer hunting).

Upper Canyon Outfitters owner Donna McDonald said she had seen a steady increase of women elk hunters over the past decades.

McDonald, a long-time elk hunter, was one of the few early female elk hunters that started introducing the outdoor sport to American women.

McDonald admitted she feels proud by how the population of female hunters grow every year. 

She even cited the sport’s potential to generate significant buzz in the years to come.

Becoming an OutdoorWoman founder Christine Thomas gave a clear explanation about the increasing patronage of American women to “big-game” animal hunting. Thomas said elk hunting has become a national phenomenon, drawing the attention of both male and female hunters living in the urban and suburban areas.

Becoming an OutdoorWoman is an organization of female hunters, which aims to teach women the fundamentals and advantages of being an outdoor woman.

Since its creation in 1991, the organization has reached around 40,000 women in the United States and overseas – including six Canadian provinces and some areas in New Zealand.

Thomas and McDonald both agree that the challenging nature of elk hunting makes it fitting for women, as they strive for more accomplishment in the sport.

With more females hunting each year, big-game hunting — such as elk hunting — certainly looks brighter in the future.

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