The Outdoor Scene

As a past president of the NRA, you would think Sandy Froman would be content to ride off into the sunset, spending her free time target shooting and hunting. Not so. Even though Sandy achieved great things during her 2005 to 2007 NRA presidency, she said she still has a lot to give towards protecting the Second Amendment.

At the end of her second term, Sandy was elected to NRA’s Executive Council, which is comprised of past presidents. Though prestigious, the Executive Council carries a lifetime appointment sans the ability to vote. Sandy, who was the second woman president in the organization’s 139-year history, decided she still wanted a voice and a vote and is running for another three-year term on NRA’s board of directors.

Sandy hasn’t slowed down one whit, declaring she’s not ready for the “old goats club,” an affectionate term used to describe the Executive Council. Armed with a PDA bearing more contacts than the south has fire ants, her mission is to continue building on those relationships with the industry, donors and members through Friends of the NRA. To that end, she accepts many speaking engagements throughout the year.

During her presidency, Sandy cited her work restructuring the advancement office and enhancing NRA Foundation’s fund raising ability as something that made her most proud. When she joined the board in 1992, efforts to launch their endowment program had just begun. During that time, her work on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees led them from living paycheck to paycheck to building the kind of financial stability that allowed them to enhance training programs for safety, marksmanship, hunting and more as well as a multitude of programs for youth and women.  She continues to play an important role in working with donors to ensure there’s always a nest egg. As Sandy said, work to protect the Second Amendment is all for not if there aren’t opportunities to exercise that right.

Working for Women
Though standing only 5 feet 2 inches tall, Sandy is not the kind of woman who is easily intimidated by anything or anyone. A Harvard Law school grad and top gun attorney in L.A., she is now a practicing business litigation attorney running her own firm in Tucson, Ariz. However, in 1981 an attempted break-in at her Hollywood Hills home convinced the new divorcée she needed to defend herself. So she took a gun safety course and bought a Colt M 1911 pistol. And even though some of the hotshot lawyers in her L.A. firm were anti-gun and stopped talking to Sandy, the female secretaries and paralegals would pull her aside for a little gun talk. They wanted to learn but were scared to ask until they found a woman who wasn’t afraid to talk about her support of gun ownership.

Fast forward to now and women are snapping up handguns and taking training courses like their lives depend on it. Today’s woman is not interested in abdicating responsibility for her own protection. Sandy, who helped develop NRA’s Refuse to Be a Victim program, said these women are enthusiastic, determined students who recognize handguns are an important self-defense tool. While prison may not deter hardened criminals, the possibility of encountering someone who is armed and trained to protect themselves, will make them think twice.

While Sandy has enjoyed target shooting for many years, in 2001 she discovered a new wonderful way to enjoy firearms — hunting! Her first trip was with friend and mentor Brenda Potterfield of MidwayUSA. Sandy said Brenda coaxed her into a pheasant/chukar hunt by sharing photos of her hunting trips. While Sandy said she wasn’t sure how she’d feel killing an animal, when she shot her first bird, she was amazed at the beauty of it and captivated by the fun of wingshooting. That night, Brenda fixed roast pheasant, morel mushrooms picked from her Missouri farm and asparagus from her garden. Sandy was hooked.

Since that first hunt, Sandy has traveled to Africa with a group of women and said it was a life-changing experience. Everything was new and exciting, and she sopped up every sight, sound and smell. She has hunted seven states and three continents, including a return trip to Africa in 2008. Next on her agenda is caribou hunting in Alaska. That love of hunting translated into her encouragement of the hunting component of NRA’s Women on Target Program.

Sandy said she believes women can be a significant force in protecting the Second Amendment. Just as she was a different kind of NRA president than her predecessor Charlton Heston, women have a unique ability to get their point across. As an example, Sandy said years ago her husband tried to set an appointment with a congressman to discuss gun rights but was rebuffed. However, when she called, she got the appointment, possibly as a matter of courtesy. Though it may be sexism in reverse, it can get your foot in the door.

Sandy also noted that women play an important role in gun rights issues because of they often determine what activities the kids do after school, where the family goes on vacation and how they spend their disposable income. Even if women don’t necessarily want to shoot, Sandy found those she has met at NRA’s annual meeting respect the organization’s message of freedom and the right to keep and bear arms. You can see for yourself at this year’s NRA meeting, which is being hosted in Charlotte, N.C., May 14-16).

“NRA is a big tent. It doesn’t matter why you want to be a part,” Sandy said. “Maybe you’re interested in shooting, hunting or want self defense training. Or maybe you just believe in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.”

One of the most delicious 22 minutes on cable TV has to be “The Soup,” a comedy show hosted by the sultan of satire, Joel McHale. The part of the show that always cracks me up is when Joel gazes into the camera and leads into the regular segment about female celebrities by saying, “Let’s talk about chicks, man.” Though I don’t normally refer to women as babes, girls or chicks, the segment logo, which features several baby birds huddled together, is set off by biting commentary about the antics of Heidi Montag or Kim Kardashian, making the whole thing just plain funny.

Though I don’t aspire to that kind of humor, this week I will be talking about chicks, instead of what I usually do, which is talk with chicks.

Kenny Kieser

To that end, I called Kenny Kieser, an outdoor writer, book author, hunter and angler who possess an unabashed admiration of strong women.
Kenny comes from hardy stock. He loves to tell the story about his great, great, great grandmother, Elizabeth Rose, a Missouri woman who in 1876 bravely forged ahead to South Dakota with her four children after her husband succumbed to illness. Kenny said the family contends Elizabeth Rose was the second white women in Deadwood, S.D. She and her boys set up a livery stable and food tent for the town’s hungry gold miners. And she prospered during a time when there wasn’t a government bailout for widows trying to make a go of it against all odds with rough prospectors and hostile Lakota.

In the American old west, a woman had to be courageous and a proficient shot. Though Kenny hasn’t modeled one particular character after the legendary Elizabeth Rose in his books, you’ll find the women in Kenny’s historical westerns, “Ride the Trail of Death, and “Black Moon’s Revenge” borrow from her indomitable spirit.

Fast forward to modern times and Kenny says the women in his life are still  fiercely independent. His aunts know how to take care of themselves and his mother single-handedly runs a 160-acre farm. These role models have fostered Kenny’s appreciation and understanding of women who know what they want.

He said he’s glad today’s woman has claimed a more visible presence in the industry. Kenny is quick to point out more women hunters means additional dollars for conservation, through hunting license fees, duck stamps and taxes on firearms and ammunition especially earmarked for wildlife management and hunter education.

I asked Kenny what he thought about the conversations women were having now about our place in the outdoors including: Are women such as Tiffany Lakosky and Haley Heath good role models or does their beauty generate skepticism about their skills? Are pink firearms, fishing rods and other outdoor gear a condescending marketing ploy or a way for women to assert their femininity while enjoying hunting, fishing and target shooting? Does a woman have to be an “extreme” hunter or angler to portray the right image or should we strive to make the outdoors more welcoming to women who are beginners or maybe just less hard core?

I posed these questions to Kenny in a gush of words, and he had good answers. First, he said hunting and fishing should not be driven by your ego, whether you’re a man or a woman. Being an outdoors-woman is what you make of it, not an exercise in meeting some subjective standard. Kenny said hunting and fishing should be enjoyable. Relaxing. Exciting. A chance to watch the seasons change, observe wildlife, learn about nature, build your skills and confidence, and savor the companionship of your family and friends.

What I’ve come to understand is how neat it is to have such diversity among women who hunt, target shoot and fish. It means there truly is a place for every woman who wants to be a part of our community, whether she’s a diehard outdoorswomen or an occasional participant. There’s a place for women who wear makeup when they go fishing and shoot handguns with pink grips and for women who can identify ducks on the wing and insist on field dressing their own deer.

This really isn’t a new idea. Within my lifetime, I’ve seen attitudes change about women’s role in society.  When women first began entering the work force in great numbers, the career woman reigned supreme. However, attitudes have evolved and today, women are respected whether they want to work in an office, be a stay-at-home mom or both. The outdoor community is beginning to understand and accept this concept, too, that as outdoor women we should be free to be who we are, not who we should be.

An obvious symptom of cabin fever is the onset of plotting what you’ll do when the mercury rises and it finally stops raining, sleeting and/or snowing. Those of us living in the Deep South really should be spared from this condition. However, this winter has provided few opportunities to brag to our northern kin about how great the weather is down here. So, we plan for better days.

After summarily dismissing the idea of painting my living room, kitchen and dining room this winter, I decided what I really wanted to do was improve my handgun shooting skills. Personal protection is the primary reason for this new interest. Plus, I have just enough experience to know target shooting with a handgun is really fun.

One program I looked into is First Shots, which is conducted by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. First Shots seminars give newcomers an opportunity to try handgun shooting while learning about firearms safety. While the program is open to everyone, nearly half of the participants are women, according to a survey completed by more than 3,100 seminar participants.

I’d fit right into the program because the average age of women attending a First Shots seminar is about 42. Okay, so maybe I’m a little above average on that account.

I do fit this demographic, though. While I have shot a handgun before, similar to 8 out of 10 women surveyed, First Shots would be my only formal introduction to handgun shooting. And because I want to be safe and competent, taking a course is really important to me. So is learning from a certified instructor, a commonality I share with 96 percent of female First Shot participants who are considering attending a handgun personal protection skills course.

Those who attended a First Shots seminar reported they now have a greater understanding of handguns and are more likely to purchase one and continue shooting. Personal protection is the biggest motivator for buying a handgun and that desire appears to increase with age.

NSSF surveyed participants again six months after they took a First Shots seminar, and they learned two in 10 women sought more training such as basic handgun, concealed carry, defensive handgun, NRA safety course, one-on-one instruction, home defense or other programs. Half of the First Shots participants had already met their state’s requirements to own or buy a handgun. Overall, women who took the course were pleased with the experience and many expressed an interest in learning more about the rifle and shotgun shooting sports as well.

While the data in NSSF’s survey doesn’t represent a national sample of female target shooters, it is another indicator that interest in our constitutional rights to own a firearm is alive and well. It’s also reassuring to know women are getting the training they need to take responsibility for protecting themselves and their families. We have come a long way, baby.

If you’d like an introduction to handguns through the First Shots program, visit http://www.firstshots.org/.

Beginning Wednesday, Feb. 3, the Women’s Outdoor Wire will be featured as part of The Outdoor Wire.

Readers will continue to receive news and information specifically for women and families except it will come packaged in The Outdoor Wire every Wednesday. I accepted an invitation from Jim Shepherd, publisher of the Outdoor Digital Wire Network and editor of The Outdoor Wire, to write features and blog posts as well as track down products, events and advice for women.

The reason we agreed to make this change is while the Women’s Outdoor Wire boasts some wonderful sponsors, it did not receive enough industry support for us to continue producing it as a separate entity. I’m not pointing fingers either because I am well aware of the numbers and so, too, are outdoor manufacturers and retailers.

Results from the National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife-Association Recreation from 1991 to 2006 reveal women continue to comprise a small portion of the overall market. While the number of women hunters held steady from 1991 to 2006, the National Survey indicates fewer women are fishing.

Results taken from the National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife-Association Recreation
1991
Women anglers —9.9 million (28 percent of all anglers)
Women hunters —1.1 million (8 percent of all hunters)

1996
Women anglers —9.5 million (27 percent of all anglers)
Women hunters — 1.2 million (9 percent of all hunters)

2001
Women anglers — 8.9 million (26 percent of all anglers)
Women hunters —1.2 million (9 percent of all hunters)

2006
Women anglers —7.6 million (25 percent of all anglers)
Women hunters —1.2 million (9 percent of all hunters)

Though I’ve read a lot of hoopla about the number of women hunters increasing, the jury is still out on that. The National Sporting Goods Association participation survey showed the number of female hunters decreased from 2002 to 2007, though an increase was posted from 2003 to 2008. Some statisticians question NSGA’s web-based survey methodology, though; whether or not there are enough respondents and if survey results are representative enough of the American population to provide statistically significant results. While no survey is perfect, the National Survey is one of the most trusted sources of information on fish and wildlife recreation in the United States.

As far as female target shooters, I dug into those numbers with the help of Jim Cururuto, director of research and analysis for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. According to a Southwick Associates research effort, which was partially funded by NSSF, there were approximately 10.3 million target shooters in 2008. However, Jim reported no gender data is available from that survey but the latest NSGA Shooting Sports Report shows 23.7 percent of those involved in target shooting are female. We should know more soon. NSSF recently funded a large research project through Responsive Management that will provide another source for numbers of target shooters, including women. Results will be available in early March.

Don’t take this journey into the numbers as me throwing in the towel on encouraging women to find health and happiness in the out-of-doors. I’m just keeping it real. Any good marketer knows you have to understand the true situation to develop strategies that will get you to the goal. One of my tactics is to reach a wider audience, which is exactly what I’ll do by writing for women every Wednesday in The Outdoor Wire.

I hope you’ll join me as I profile amazing outdoor women, cover breaking news and unearth the most important information you need to know whether you hunt, fish, shoot, bird watch, camp, hike, kayak, canoe or climb. So make sure you watch your inbox for The Outdoor Wire.

Tammy Sapp

Let me know what you think. Leave a comment here or you can find me at:

Facebook.com/tammy.sapp2
Twitter @TammyDianeSapp
tammy@womensoutdoorwire.com

Women hunters, anglers, target shooters and callers throughout the United States racked up some amazing accomplishments in 2009. Below is a sampling of the women who headlined the Women’s Outdoor Wire throughout the last year. Congratulations to them and the many other women who caught their first fish, busted their first clay or bagged their first gobbler. While this list of accomplished females is far from complete, every woman who took the time to care for herself by spending time outdoors with the important people in her life was a winner. So, as you grapple for meaningful New Year’s resolutions in the next few weeks, promise yourself that in 2010 you’ll get outdoors more to kayak, canoe, mountain bike, backpack, bird watch, camp, climb, garden, hike, hunt, fish, target shoot or just enjoy nature.

Have a wonderful new year and enjoy revisiting the amazing outdoor women of 2009.

January

Haley Heath
Sportsman Channel TV show “Family Traditions,” hosted by Haley Heath, took top honors from viewers and won the coveted Viewer Favorite Personality Award, the first time this award went to a female.

February

Kim Bain-Moore
Kim Bain-Moore of Alabaster, Ala., became the first woman in history to compete in the Bassmaster Classic after clinching the Women’s Bassmaster Tour Championship and points race in 2008.

Capt. Joan Vernon
To honor more than three decades of exceptional conservation efforts and fishing achievements, The Billfish Foundation’s Capt. Joan Vernon was inducted into the 2009 Big Game Room Hall of Fame.

March

Audrey McQueen
Audrey McQueen of Eager, Ariz., claimed her ninth World Elk Calling Championship at the Leupold/Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation event in Fort Worth, Texas. A week later, she became a first-time mother!

April

Lily Spang
A single wood duck, painted by 16-year-old Lily Spang of Toledo, Ohio, was selected to appear on the 2009-2010 Federal Junior Duck Stamp.

May

Lisa Munson
SVI’s Lisa Munson captured the Women’s Title at the 2009 U.S. Practical Shooting Association Single Stack National Championships.

Rachael Heiden
Rachael Heiden captured the bronze in Women’s Trap at the Shotgun World Cup in Cairo, Egypt.  It was her first ever World Cup appearance. She then went on to claim the championship title at the 2009 Shotgun National Junior Olympics Trap event in August.

Connie Smotek
Two-time Olympian Connie Smotek of Bryan, Texas, claimed the bronze medal in the Women’s Skeet event at the 2009 ISSF World Cup for Shotgun.

June

Caitlin Connor
Caitlin Connor of Winnfield, La., took home her first ever ISSF World Cup medal when she claimed the silver in the Women’s Skeet event in Minsk, Belarus.

Jamie Beyerle
2008 Olympian Jamie Beyerle of Lebanon, Pa., took home the title in Women’s 50m 3 Position Rifle and Women’s10m Air Rifle at the 2009 USA Shooting National Championships for Rifle and Pistol. Then in October, Beyerle earned the bronze in Women’s 50m 3 Position Rifle at the 2009 ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup Final in Wuxi, China.

Brenda Shinn
2008 Olympian Brenda Shinn of Riverside, Calif., won the Women’s 10m Air Pistol at the 2009 USA Shooting National Championships for Rifle and Pistol.

Libby Callahan
Four-time Olympian Libby Callahan of Columbia, S.C., captured the title in Women’s 25m Sport Pistol at the 2009 USA Shooting National Championships for Rifle and Pistol.

July

Amber English
Olympic Training Center resident athlete Amber English claimed the women’s title in Skeet at the 2009 Shotgun National Junior Olympics. In August, English won the silver medal in the Junior Women’s Skeet event at the 2009 ISSF Shotgun World Championships in Maribor, Slovenia and the Junior Women’s Skeet team of English, Ali Chiang and Caitlin Connor took home the gold and set a Junior World Record in the team competition.

Corey Cogdell
2008 Olympic bronze medalist Corey Cogdell earned a national title in the Trap Event at the 2009 USA Shooting National Shotgun Championships.

August

Jessie Abbate
Action shooter and Glock team member Jessie Abbate set five new world records on her way to scoring a hat trick at the 2009 Steel Challenge World Speed Shooting Championships. She won the Ladies Open Rimfire Pistol, Limited Pistol and Open Pistol titles. In addition to collecting top honors in three divisions, Abbate claimed the coveted Ladies Steel Master title, which is for the best combined time of the three events. In September, Abbate won back-to-back national titles at the Smith & Wesson 2009 U.S. Practical Shooting Association’s (USPSA) National Handgun Championships for the second year in a row.

Emily Shaffer
Women’s Bassmaster Tour pro angler Emily Shaffer, a native of Tennessee, was inducted into the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame for her accomplishments as an angler as well as sharing her passion for fishing with others.

September

Joella Bates
Tennessee native Joella Bates became the first woman to arrow Africa’s big 5 – a lion, elephant, Cape buffalo, white rhinoceros and leopard. Bates accomplished this feat in the span of a month.

October

Pam Martin-Wells
Pam Martin-Wells of Bainbridge, Ga., won the coveted 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Women’s Tour Angler of the Year trophy and a 2010 Bassmaster Classic berth.

Tasha Hanish
Tasha Hanish from the FNH USA Shooting Team took home a National Title in the heavily contested Tactical Optics Division at the USPSA Multi Gun National.

Judy Nugent
Judy Nugent and videographer Michael Garvin were nominated for an Emmy by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for their work on a special episode of Outdoor Wisconsin.

Lynn Montjoy
Lynn Montjoy of Greenwood, S.C., won the 20-gauge women’s division at the National Wild Turkey Federation’s 2009 World Wild Turkey Still Target Championships.

November

Kim Rhode
For the third consecutive year, Kim Rhode was selected as the USA Shooting Female Athlete of the Year. A four-time Olympic medalist, Rhode shot her way to two World Cup medals this year, claiming the silver in San Marino and the bronze in Munich in the Women’s Skeet event. Rhode was also the 2009 National Champion and finished in first place at the 2009 Shotgun Fall Selection Match, earning a spot on the 2010 World Shooting Championship team. Rhode also finished seventh at the 2009 Shotgun World Championships.

Shelby Free
Shelby Free, a 17-year-old from Stuttgart, Ark., won her third Women’s World Duck Calling Championship title.

December

Sarah Beard and Sandra Uptagrafft
Sarah Beard finished first in Women’s Air Rifle while Sandra Uptagrafft took the top spot in Women’s Pistol on day three of the 2009 Winter Airgun Championships held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

2009

Julie Golob
Team Smith & Wesson member Julie Golob, one of the most successful women in practical shooting, claimed several titles this year including Steel Challenge Ladies Production World Champion, NRA Bianchi Cup Ladies Champion, International Revolver Championships - Ladies Open Champion and NRA Action Pistol Open High Master.

Let’s stay in touch. You can find me at Facebook.com/tammy.sapp2 and Twitter @TammyDianeSapp.

To the old hands at a shooting range who have only a dim recollection of the pain, it’s jokingly called a scope kiss. To those who can vividly remember having their gun scope clobber them in the forehead, it is most assuredly a scope bite.

Whatever you want to call it, pulling the trigger and having the rifle scope smack your brow line can be a real turnoff for new or experienced shooters. Most are so hopped up on adrenalin; though, they don’t even know there was a half moon howdy-do between their eyepiece and eyebrow until the blood trickles down their face.

There are three main reasons why shooters get scope bit, according to Vickie Gardner, Alpen Optics vice president of marketing and stuff.

“Number one, it happens when people get excited, and they’re not focusing on what they’re doing,” Vickie said. “Another reason is when people are shooting, they’re trying to see the full field of view through their scope. If they’re not seeing it, they tend to scooch their face up on the stock to get a better look. And the third reason is the scope isn’t mounted correctly for the shooter. It should be mounted so there is enough room between the ocular lens and your eyeball so you don’t have to struggle to get the full picture.”

There are steps you can take to make sure you don’t have a head on collision with your scope.

First, be an active part of the process of buying your scope and having it mounted so it’s right for you.

“When you buy a rifle scope, make sure it has soft rubber ocular covers in case you do get bumped,” Vickie advised. “Older scopes often have sharp edges. All Alpen scopes feature that more forgiving rubber ring.

“Also, if you’re shooting a bigger gun, a recoil pad will help you keep your distance from the scope.”

Lastly, Vickie recommends that you get comfortable with your gun.

“Know where to put your face on the stock and practice that way so your positioning becomes second nature. Although shooting is fun, try not to get too excited. Shoot with control. Breath in, then breath halfway out and squeeze the trigger. Don’t hold your breath.”

Bottom line, use your head for thinking, so it doesn’t end up as a battering ram.

In the last several months, I’ve talked to several women about the proliferation of pink outdoor gear being offered as a way to woo the female market. I’ve seen pink air rifles, hand guns, coolers, hats, shooting vests and gun cases. Chris Woodward, editor of Sport Fishing magazine, assures me it’s no different on the fishing side with pink rods, reels, tackle bags and more.

There’s a diversity of opinion on the subject. A friend of mine in the shooting industry says bring it on. She loves her pink and wears it loud and proud. She said in her experience, it’s the dominant color to reassure women on the gun range. On the opposite end of the spectrum is a woman who eschews the pastel hue saying, “I don’t want to be a female hunter, I just want to be a HUNTER. Bringing gender into it usually just comes off as pandering.”

While some women I talked to scoffed at the industry’s “pink it and shrink it” marketing mentality, most fell somewhere in the middle saying while pink isn’t for them, if it helps introduce women to the outdoors, that’s great.

One point women seem to agree on is their support for pink gear that raises funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.  A product that immediately comes to mind is Alpen’s pink binocular.

“Pink is the color most associated with breast-cancer research,” says Vickie Gardner, vice president of Alpen Optics. “Our new line of Alpen Pink is more than just a pink binocular. With more than 40,000 Americans dying each year of breast cancer (400,000 worldwide), Alpen Optics has created its Pink binoculars to help focus on a cure, while delivering the best binocular for the best price in the marketplace.”

A portion of the profit for each binocular sold goes to the NBCF. However, just because a company’s product is pink does not mean it’s teaming with NBCF to find a cure. Vickie assures me the process for becoming an official NBCF partner takes a whole lot more than making and marketing a pink product.

I’m not the only person wondering if marketing strategies for women need to go beyond “think pink.” Interestingly enough, there’s a mainstream book called “Don’t Think Pink” by Lisa Johnson and Andrea Learned. This book chides manufacturers for only scratching the surface of understanding women and instead falling back on old stereotypes and hoping pink will work some marketing magic. The book, published in 2004, looks to offer terrific advice for understanding and marketing to women.

Well, the time has come to quit speculating on whether or not the industry should go beyond pink in its offerings to women. Chris Woodward and I decided last week we were going to take this discussion to the next level. We enlisted Southwick Associates to help us understand, in quantifiable terms, the effect pink has on women’s purchasing decisions. Southwick agreed to include a list of optional questions in their September surveys. After Sept. 1, please visit http://www.anglersurvey.com/ and http://www.huntersurvey.com/ to make your opinions known. If you need additional motivation, each month you complete the survey, you will be entered in the monthly drawing for one of five $100 gift certificates to the sporting goods retailer of your choice.

You can also read Chris Woodward’s thoughts about this topic at www.sportfishingmag.com.

On a different note, I want to present a resource that I think you’ll be ga ga over, a comprehensive review of women’s hunting clothes and boots. You can find this article, written by Managing Editor Hilary (Mizelle) Dyer of the Grand View Media Group, at:
http://www.whitetailjournal.com/ArticleContent/8/2009/1769/Camo-For-Women:-Your-Options-For-Serious-Hunting

Let’s talk about this subject some more. You can find me at facebook.com/tammy.sapp2 and Twitter @TammyDianeSapp.

If you’ve been invited to speak to a local club (or even larger venue), write an article for your group’s newsletter or you’re a blogger, you have an ideal platform to talk about hunters, anglers and target shooters. We can’t wait for the mainstream media to cover how many people participate in these activities, their economic power and contributions to conservation. So, it’s important we take matters in our own hands. The hard part for many, though, is finding basic information about hunter numbers or how much anglers spend. Fortunately, this information is available, and I’m going to provide links that unlock the mystery of where these facts and figures are located.

Every five years the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service releases the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. It is considered to be the definitive source of information concerning participation and expenditures associated with hunting, fishing and other forms of wildlife-related recreation nationwide. You can find numbers of women hunters, how many days saltwater anglers spend on the water and how much wildlife watchers spend in pursuit of their hobbies. It’s a great tool and you can find the 2006 survey here:
http://library.fws.gov/pubs/nat_survey2006_final.pdf

Another valuable resource is found at the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Web site. A publication highlighting the economic impact of sportsmen sheds light on how many jobs hunters and anglers support, days they go afield and dollars they spend on everything from gear to travel. While our current economic woes have likely affected these numbers, I am not aware of any information that spells out that impact. So, this information at least provides a baseline snapshot. You also can pull up state reports that bring the information closer to home.
http://www.sportsmenslink.org/reports_and_data/Sportsmens-Economic-Impact.html

Target shooters often cringe at how the mainstream media reports the facts and figures related to their sport. If only reporters would use the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s “The Writer’s Guide to Firearms and Ammunition.” While that may not happen, you can benefit greatly from this guide’s detailed information on the economic impact of the shooting sports, safety facts, regulations, a glossary of firearms terms and more.
http://www.nssf.org/media/WritersGuide/

Ever wonder how many people go camping or how many women hike or mountain bike? You can easily find that information in the sports participation reports at the National Sporting Goods Association Web site. You can even see participation trends from one year to the next or over a 10-year period.
http://www.nsga.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3346

These are just a few of the basic resources you can tap into to arm yourself for your next speaking engagement, writing assignment or even a meaty chat with friends. Just remember, you as an individual can make a big difference in getting the good word out about hunters, anglers and target shooters.

Catch up with me on Facebook at facebook.com/tammy.sapp2 and Twitter @TammyDianeSapp.