The Outdoor Scene

Dr. Dolittle could talk to the animals. However, I can only listen.

I expected to hear that turkey gobble last Saturday morning. I didn’t anticipate hearing him 20 yards behind me. The first gobble was loud and guttural, sounding more like the scary devil voice in the movie The Exorcist than a wild turkey. I fought the desire to swivel my head like Linda Blair to look at him.

Wes and I had been playing musical roost sites with this bird for several days, splitting up so we could cover more ground. It was dark when I crept along the edge of the field to find a big oak to nestle against. I figured this would be a hot piece of real estate, certain that gobbler would sound off from one of the huge trees flanking the creek, a safe distance from where I planned to set up.

Untested theories at that hour of the morning can get you in trouble. In retrospect, I can clearly see I should have at least tossed out a barred owl call before getting into position.

For the next 45 minutes, this bird punished my ears by gobbling about every 60 seconds while I remained as motionless as someone standing in line at the DMV. The beautiful thing about being human is the ability to cling to hope, even when chances are slim the outcome will be good. Just maybe, I thought to myself, he will land on the far side of the field, and I can call him back.

Finally, satisfied he had broadcast his intentions throughout the countryside, the gobbler clattered off the roost and sailed over my head, across the creek. I would have been completely heartbroken except for the fact at least he didn’t poop on me during his departure.

In retrospect, it was a thrilling experience and a reminder of the faux pas of being overconfident about where a bird is roosted.

Later that same day, I was propped up against another tree, doing a little calling and listening for birds. I heard footsteps shuffling through the leaves to my left. Since my encounter with a Georgia bruin last spring, my first thought is often, “Oh God, please don’t let that be a bear,” though I know that’s unlikely where I hunt in South Carolina. A furious stamping noise from a thicket about 40 or 50 yards away verified the visitor was a white-tailed deer. The stiff-legged stomp was quickly followed by a loud, nasally blowing sound. And another. Because the sun was already low on the horizon, I started hoping this clown would bound off before it scared away every wild turkey in the woods. He or she apparently hoped I would scamper away, too, because the chorus of stamping and blowing went on for several more minutes.

I finally accepted by fate. I collected my calls, pulled Henny Penny’s stake out of the ground, tucked her in my vest and started my long hike back to the truck.

There’s always another day. And I hope the fact that I listened more than talked (or called) will help make me a better woods woman. I’m already more appreciative of the gifts I receive as a hunter.

Tiffany Lakosky has achieved in 10 years what some people dream about their entire lives. As co-host of “The Crush” with her husband Lee and appearances on “Whitetail Freaks,” Tiffany is wildly popular in the outdoor world. She is beautiful, personable and a skilled bowhunter with a legion of fans. Like Michael Waddell, she doesn’t appeal to just one demographic. Her fans are young and old, men and women as well as new hunters and seasoned veterans.

It’s not all candy and flowers, though.  Like the big whitetails she pursues, Tiffany also is a target, and her detractors express doubt about her hunting skills and contend she uses her sexuality to attract a male audience. Some have called into question whether or not she’s an appropriate role model for the thousands of young ladies who seek her autograph at outdoor shows.

Because my opinion on this subject was sought in recent magazine and radio interviews, I decided it was time to quit talking about Tiffany and talk with her instead.

Who’s that girl?
Like many women, Tiffany did not grow up in a family that hunted. Her entry point into hunting was meeting Lee a decade ago when he worked in an archery shop in Minnesota. He invited Tiffany to shoot, and she said she took to 3-D archery shooting right off the bat. With some help from local pros, Tiffany improved her shooting form and soon was competing in tournaments.

She had been shooting her bow for a couple of years when Lee invited her to try hunting. The first time she hit the woods with a bow, Tiffany arrowed a nice buck. After that, there was no shaking the hunting bug.

As Tiffany honed her hunting skills, Lee began pursuing a longtime interest in outdoor writing and filming. He bought a good video camera and with some pointers from friend Michael Waddell, Lee and Tiffany began filming their hunts.

While neither knew it at the time, that first video camera would become a catalyst for change in both of their lives. It would transform Tiffany from being an airline attendant and Lee from being a chemical engineer to some of today’s hottest outdoor celebrities. Their first year of serious filming took them to Wisconsin, Iowa and Kansas, with hunts ending up on Realtree’s Monster Bucks DVD, thanks to a gig as local Realtree pro staffers, and later on Kisky’s Whitetail Extreme series.

Shortly after the pair married, Lee decided to quit his job so he could pursue his dream. The couple packed up and moved from Minnesota to the land they had bought in Iowa. It was a good call because not long after that they received their big breakthrough, an invitation from Scent-Lok to host a TV show.

Tiffany said neither she nor Lee ever expected their careers to include hunting across the country for TV shows that would become the narrative of their young married life. When not filming, Lee and Tiffany shake hands, sign autographs and conduct seminars during their 50 plus appearances a year. Add that to running a production company and managing 5,000 acres in Iowa and a thousand in Kansas, you can see Lee and Tiffany are living life in the fast lane, albeit mostly on dirt roads.

Even though they are constantly on the go, Tiffany said she feels lucky they can do it together. While a lot of reality show relationships hit the skids, (think Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson and Jon & Kate), sharing a love of the outdoors is something Tiffany believes strengthens their relationship.

Her side of the story
While most people recognize stereotypes as oversimplified judgments, they are sometimes relied on as dodgy shortcuts to understanding someone, which frustrates Tiffany.

On TV and at seminars, her life may look like a fairy tale. However, those close to Tiffany know she is beset by the same troubles others face – a mother who battled breast cancer. Her father’s death. And the myriad of other challenges life throws at us.

Tiffany said the people she associates with like and respect her. But she doesn’t understand why a stranger would decide she can’t be a good hunter because she wears makeup, has long hair or does her nails. Nor does she get why someone would declare she’s unfit to serve as a role model for young women.

“Though I didn’t set out to be perceived as a role model, I’m a good one. I’m a happily married woman who spends time with her husband doing what we both love. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke and I had a good upbringing.”

Tiffany said she has proven that through hard work and dedication, you can be a successful hunter.

Tiffany dismissed the notion she is a talentless diva akin to Paris Hilton as ridiculous. She said she frequently practices with her bow and can out shoot the guys. She knows how to drive a tractor and field dress a deer, even though that is normally a task that she and Lee tackle together.

Tiffany said she’s not trying to sell herself as an expert, even though she is proud of her hunting skills. What she is striving for is to send a message that hunting is a lot of fun, and she hopes other women will give it a try. Judging by the shift in who is lining up for her autograph these days, she may well be able to make a difference. Not only have the lines to meet Tiffany grown in recent years, their makeup has changed from mostly men to many women now, both young and mature.

To reach that audience, Tiffany is now working on a “Crush Girl” web site aimed at women and girls. She is also launching a line of jewelry, apparel and accessories (including bow slings) that play off of her love of deer hunting called “Peace, Love and Venison.”

Final thoughts
I view criticism as a form of feedback designed to make everyone in the hunting industry the best possible representative of something we all love. But it also can serve as a “keep out” sign. With license sales for men on the downslide since the mid ‘80s and flat for women since the early ‘90s, the last thing the hunting community needs is to be exclusive. The higher visibility of women such as Tiffany may throw out the welcome mat to potential women hunters who wouldn’t dream of going without highlights or a pedicure. It’s possible they may feel more comfortable about doing something as unconventional as hunting if they see others in that role who look and act like they do.

Plus, the state wildlife agencies, which are desperately trying to stretch their budgets to manage our wildlife resources, don’t care if they are selling a hunting license to a woman who may only help field dress her turkey or deer. They do care about making sure all hunters follow the regulations and show respect for wildlife as well as for other hunters, landowners and the property they hunt.

So maybe our time is better spent exploring the best way to invite others into our community and teaching them to be safe and responsible hunters. And yes, to have fun. After all, couldn’t we all use a little more peace, love and venison?

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.”

Misty Waggener of Priest River, Idaho, leads a double life. From 9 am to 5 pm she’s all business as a training manager at the community bank. During her free time, she’s hard at work racking up elk calling titles, with five women’s division victories to her credit so far. Her latest win came last weekend when she captured the women’s division of the 2010 RMEF/Leupold World Elk Calling Championship. The competition was held during Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s 26th Annual Elk Camp, March 4-7.

While still a teen, she whupped all the boys in the youth division of the World Elk Calling Championship – three times – before moving into the women’s division in 1998.

Barks, whistles, grunts and squeals are in her blood. Her dad, Rockie Jacobsen, is a three-time RMEF World Champion elk caller while her brother Corey is also a competition caller, with several top five finishes under his belt.

Misty said she got her start 17 years ago when her dad was inventing his patented Tone Top Mouth Call Diaphragm. He asked her to give the call a test run, and quickly realized she had inherited the family bugling gene. Misty credits her success to her dad’s call. It’s the only kind she uses whether she’s knocking the judges’ socks off on stage or she’s knocking ‘em dead in the woods.

While Misty enjoys calling on stage, elk hunting is her true passion. She said she actually feels more pressure calling when she’s afield. She started off hunting with a rifle under her dad’s tutelage; however, today Misty prefers the challenge and adrenalin rush of bowhunting. When she gets time off from work, Misty and her husband Casey head to the wilderness to get their fix of screaming bulls.

A lot of Misty’s practice time occurs in the field, hearing the real deal. However, she also trains by listening to bulls on video. She admitted she doesn’t practice as much as she should, however, between riding her horses and shooting her bow, there’s not a lot of time left. Fortunately her hobbies mesh nicely. The trail riding gets her to the woods and the archery practice and calling competitions keep her hunting skills sharp.

Thanks to the $1,500 Misty received as top female caller this year, she said there might be a new horse trailer in her future. She also plans to enjoy all the other swag she won including a Remington .243, Cabela’s gift card and prizes from Eberlestock, Hoyt, Kershaw Knives, Montana Decoy, Montana Silversmiths, Schnee’s and Traditions Performance Firearms.

Even though hunting is a way of life in northern Idaho, Misty said not all that many women go. Still, her co-workers think what she does is pretty cool, and from time to time they ask her to liven up their meetings with a calling demonstration. Misty hopes she can use her accomplishments to encourage other women to get involved in the calling competition as well as give hunting a try.

Women do have a great opportunity to compete against each other at the World Elk Calling Championships. RMEF officials introduced the women’s division in 1994 in response to the enthusiastic participation at the Becoming an Outdoors-woman seminars they offered at Elk Camp, according to head judge and contest official, Fred McClanahan, Jr.

Good news is, with next year’s Elk Camp scheduled for March 3-6 in Reno, Nevada, you’ve got about a year to get your mews and chirps down pat.

For more information, visit http://www.rmef.org/AboutUs/ElkCamp/ElkCampMedia.htm

If you ever took a moment to watch the reality show drivel known as “Denise Richards: It’s Complicated,” you immediately understood it was anything but that.

What is does suggest, though, are the lengths some Americans will go to avoid topics with any complexity. Thank goodness there are people willing to do the deep thinking for those trapped in a haze of crappertainment.

There does seem to be an uptick in the willingness to tease through the tricky details whether it is understanding the ramifications of the health care bills or how McDonald v. City of Chicago will decide whether or not the 50 states are required to obey the Second Amendment, by testing the 14th amendment.

Hunting is not without its share of difficult issues as well.  What constitutes fair chase and the legal intricacies associated with access are just a couple of the matters we have to grapple with. In many ways the privileges we enjoy as hunters depend on our ability to tune in, understand and take a stand.

Being someone who helps shape the future means you should have some understanding of the past. Our wildlife history is a riches to rags to riches story that includes a group of conservation forefathers who pioneered a blueprint known as North American Wildlife Conservation Model.

Elk have benefited from the principles outlined in the North American Model.

While the North American Model and the Seven Sisters of Conservation may sound like a wild theme party at the Playboy mansion, actually, it’s the philosophical framework used to restore wildlife populations from the brink of extinction to the abundant levels we know today.

The model’s two basic principles—that fish and wildlife belong to everyone and are to be managed so their populations will be sustained forever—are explained through a set of guidelines known as the “Seven Sisters for Conservation.”

I visited Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s Web site to obtain a list of the “Seven Sisters” and below, I’ve provided a synopsis. You can see the full explanation at: http://www.rmef.org/Hunting/HuntersConservation/

Sister #1: The Public Trust
In the United States and Canada, wildlife is not owned by individuals. Instead, federal, state and provincial governments are responsible for managing wildlife and their habitat on public lands. This public trust gives all citizens the opportunity to view, hunt, fish and enjoy these natural resources.

Two hundred years ago, American colonists appreciated this unfettered access to the continent’s abundant wildlife. Back in Europe, in many cases only nobility and the very wealthy were allowed to hunt. In 1842, the U.S. Supreme Court set a legal precedent by supporting the American ideal that wildlife belongs to everyone.

Sister #2: Prohibition on Commerce of Dead Wildlife
Because we all own wildlife, it is illegal in North America to sell the meat of any wild animal. In some cases the hides, teeth, antlers and horns of game animals and the hides of a select few furbearers may be sold.

In the latter half of the 1800s, buying and selling meat, hides, feathers and other wild animal parts was big business. Excessive hunting nearly wiped out bison, egrets and elk, and drove other species, such as the passenger pigeon, to extinction. Strong laws written at the turn of the 20th century restricted market hunting and the buying and selling of some wild animals, which allowed many threatened wildlife species to rebound and thrive.

Sister #3: Democratic Rule of Law
Every citizen of the United States and Canada has the right to help create laws to conserve and manage wildlife. You can share your ideas and opinions about wildlife management at government hosted public forums or by voting for or against ballot measures.

Early 20th-century conservationists wanted to protect wildlife populations, yet many still wanted to hunt and fish. So they established laws and set limits to enjoy the bounty without depleting the population.

Sister #4: Hunting Opportunity for All
Everyone is allowed by law to hunt and fish in the United States and Canada regardless of social status, race, creed, religion or gender.

Hunters and anglers led the crusade for wildlife conservation a century ago. For instance, before Theodore Roosevelt became president, he helped found the Boone and Crockett Club. The club’s Fair Chase Statement was the first document outlining a code of conduct and ethics for hunters and anglers. It became a cornerstone of our game laws.

Sister #5: Non-frivolous Use
In North America, we can legally kill certain wild animals under strict guidelines for food and fur, self-defense and property protection.

Laws restrict us from casually killing wildlife. We can’t kill wildlife merely for antlers, horns or feathers or to use only a small portion of the meat. Laws also help ensure we show respect for and avoid mistreating wildlife and the land, and that we make maximum use of every animal hunted for food and other purposes.

Sister #6: International Resources
Because fish and wildlife migrate freely across boundaries between states, provinces and countries, the United States and Canada jointly manage land and wildlife to ensure wildlife can safely cross borders and that no country, state or province will take more than its share of a common resource.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 demonstrates this cooperation between countries. The Act made it illegal to capture or kill migratory birds, except as allowed by specific hunting regulations. Treaties now exist between the United States, Canada, Mexico and Russia, which has helped restore ducks, geese and cranes that cross several countries between their wintering and nesting areas.

Sister #7: Scientific Management
Scientific research—and applying that research–is essential to managing and sustaining North America’s wildlife and habitats.

If you’re still reading this, your understanding of wildlife conservation likely ranks in the top percentile. You probably could run an entire Jeopardy category titled “Measures That Saved Wildlife.”

Besides the obvious game show advantages, understanding the basic principles of wildlife conservation can help you become an informed decision-maker and a better spokesman or woman for hunting and fishing. Many Americans don’t even know hunters and anglers led the way in rescuing our wildlife populations let alone that we continue to be the biggest supporters of conservation today.

This community’s willingness to give back helps drive the model’s success. And a great place to start is by being in the know.

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.

There are a plethora of single-day events hosted throughout the country that do an excellent job of giving kids a chance to try fishing, camping, hunting and target shooting. Exposure to the outdoors is an important part of the process. So is mentoring. While introducing a child to the outdoors can spark their curiosity, it takes long-term guidance from a caring adult to grow that interest.

That’s exactly what the program Pass It On Outdoor Mentors, Inc. provides. President and CEO Mike Christensen explained Pass It On got its start within Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) where he served as director of outdoor mentoring. In November of 2006, the program stepped out on its own with funding from the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to launch pilot outdoor mentoring programs in Kansas, Texas and Pennsylvania. Since then, additional BBBS agencies and conservation partners across the nation have worked together to recruit mentors and host events to introduce at-risk youth to the outdoors.

I really like this program for two reasons — because it matches up young people with adult mentors for ongoing lessons in hunting, fishing, hiking and more. Plus, it brings together BBBS and the volunteer resources of Pheasants Forever, Whitetails Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Delta Waterfowl, National Wild Turkey Federation and more to focus on what we’ve all agreed is critical, recruiting the next generation of conservation stewards.

If you’d like to support the program or become a mentor, contact Mike at:
316-290-8883
mchristensen@outdoormentors.org
http://www.outdoormentors.org

Another program worth looking into is Hunters Education For Troubled Youth (HEFTY). The program is based on the concept of “why hunting is good for bad kids.” This program is designed to break the cycle of unacceptable behavior, followed by punishment that can expose vulnerable kids to the “wrong crowd” and lifelong problems as a result.

The program provides a new environment for these kids and teaches them the principles of self respect, compassion, integrity and high moral values through mentoring and hunter education.

HEFTY was developed by Karl Milner, a Wyoming volunteer hunter education instructor who is devoted to improving wildlife habitat and giving back to his community. Milner found support for his thinking in Dr. Randall Eaton’s book “From Boys to Men of Heart:  Hunting as Rite of Passage,” which explains how hunting has been and still is a rite of passage that helps boys realize the need to become productive members of society.

For more information about HEFTY or to become a supporter or mentor, contact Karl at:
307-686-5705
307-299-2084
karl@hefty4kids.org
http://www.hefty4kids.org/

Thanks to programs such as Pass It On and Hefty, I am encouraged about the future of hunting and today’s young people, who are growing up during complicated and confusing times. The next step for programs such as these is evaluation, so we can better assess what efforts are most effective.

What gives you hope for the future of hunting, fishing and target shooting? Let me know. Leave a comment here or find me at:

Facebook: facebook.com/tammy.sapp2
Twitter: @TammyDianeSapp
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tammydianesapp

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

When Virginia hunters who had not purchased a license in 2008/2009 were asked in a telephone survey why they didn’t, their answers came as a surprise. Twenty-five percent of respondents said they hunted but it was on private land, and thus they were exempt from purchasing one.

Virginia regulations do allow hunting on private land without a license in specific situations, and hunters take full advantage of that opportunity. That same telephone survey revealed 46 percent of the hunters Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) thought had lapsed were actually hunting on private land.

This is alarming news because it means the agency is losing funds, which could be used for conservation work, in two ways. The first is the obvious loss of license sales money from private land hunters who qualify for an exemption. The second way is less apparent, yet extremely important to VDGIF funding. Fewer licensed hunters means the agency qualifies for less money through Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration. This program authorizes hunters and shooters to pay an excise tax on firearms and ammunition that is apportioned back to the states based on a formula that factors in the number of licensed hunters. Bottom line, those who don’t buy a hunting license reduce federal matching money for VDGIF’s wildlife management and habitat improvement projects.

You’re one of the first to hear about these new research results from Virginia. The reason is I am involved in a marketing communications project with VDGIF. Working with partners such as Mile Creek Communications and Southwick Associates, we assessed current factors affecting hunting participation and license sales in Virginia. Then Responsive Management conducted focus groups and a telephone survey to better understand why some hunters don’t buy a license every year.

We’ll use this information to develop communications messages and strategies aimed at bringing Virginia’s lapsed hunters back into the fold. Year one of this project was funded by the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Hunting Heritage Partnership, a program that awards grants to support state-level hunter recruitment and retention programs.

The focus groups and telephone survey unearthed a treasure trove of information VDGIF can use to improve its products and services as well as market those opportunities to Virginia hunters. We learned why Virginians hunt, who they hunt with, what they hunt for, how often they hunt and what types of licenses they purchase and how often they’ve purchased a license in the last four years.

The survey also revealed factors that affect their enjoyment of hunting. Survey respondents told us not having enough time, work and family obligations were the top factors that took away from their enjoyment of hunting.

However, not having enough places to hunt and not having enough access to places to hunt were among the top four factors that strongly took away from lapsed hunters’ enjoyment of hunting in Virginia.

We first heard about their dissatisfaction with public land in the focus groups. Participants said they perceived much of the available public hunting land to be overcrowded with other hunters.

In needs to be said that providing hunters with a good experience on public lands is no small task because this group is not a homogenous blob. Hunter expectations vary greatly. Some hunters want a wilderness experience while others want to see a lot of game or have a chance to bag a trophy. VDGIF has its public land management work cut out for them whether they’re trying to attract those Virginians who aren’t buying a license because they’ve dropped out of hunting or not buying a license because they’re hunting on private land.

While there are no easy answers when it comes to managing public lands, this market research project does make several points abundantly clear. Wildlife agencies must understand their customers. They must provide products and services their customers want. And they must be more aggressive about reminding Virginia hunters to buy a license so they don’t miss sharing the hunting heritage with friends and family, connecting with nature and, of course, helping pay the bills of managing wildlife and their habitats.

Leave a comment here or you can reach me at: tammy@womensoutdoorwire.com, Facebook.com/tammy.sapp2 and Twitter @TammyDianeSapp.

I am a soul hunter.

When things come together and I punch my tag, the feeling of accomplishment is intoxicating. When they don’t, I’m not disappointed because it’s the experience that makes me happy. I love the peaceful feeling I get when hunting. Yet I know at any moment I might glimpse a buck with a candelabra rack, triggering an exquisite adrenalin rush.

To be honest, I am grateful hunting is not a competitive endeavor because that would spoil its magical healing powers. Besides us soul hunters have more important things to consider than whether our buck has longer G-2s than someone else’s.

While I head afield with the goal of seeing and taking a deer, turkey or whatever it is I’m chasing, being a soul hunter means my attention is apt to wander. One minute I’m like the front side of a mullet, all business as I comb the woods for the flick of a tail or an ear. And the next I’m distracted by how the sun makes the dew sparkle like millions of Swarovski Crystals. Closing my eyes isn’t a great technique for spotting game but you can’t beat it for inhaling the spicy, sweet smell of decaying leaves or listening to the urgent calls of a pileated woodpecker.

While I’m not some whacked-out earth momma, in 2010 I’ll be seeking my own brand of Nirvana as a soul hunter. With just a few tweaks, hunting can nourish my spirit better than a massage or bubble bath ever could. Though my resolutions are simple, in my opinion they are critical to attaining this highest state of consciousness.

Steps to a Soul Hunter’s Nirvana

-After a cold morning waiting for critters to show up, those first rays of sunlight can put me to sleep faster than Ambien taken with a shot of tequila. I’ve tried to fight it. But why? If a buck shows up and I’m napping, I’ll never know. So there is nothing to fret about other than the pain from my head snapping around like a flag in a stiff breeze. I’ll be one step closer to Nirvana when I listen to my body and get one of those neck-stabilizing pillows.

- It’s important to distance myself from those who measure their self-esteem by turkey spur length, the inside spread on a whitetail’s rack or the number of animals they’ve killed. There’s nothing wrong with knowing the numbers behind your success. But there’s no room for those who want to shift hunting from the spiritual realm to a basketball game. It’s pure buzz kill for a soul hunter.

-Hunting in 30-degree weather is not a problem for me. However, when temps dip below that, I begin to whimper especially when my foot warmers fail, which they invariably do. Why? The hand warmers stay hot for hours. So one of my goals for 2010 is to find a product that warms my feet and doesn’t tear up my socks when I peel it off.

-Losing a few pounds would mean that when I wriggle out my cold weather hunting pants, the waist band wouldn’t be indelibly etched onto my skin. Plus, the ability to breathe deeply would help me control those occasional flare-ups of buck fever.

- I vow to never forget my Hunt Comfort cushion when I head afield, especially if there’s a long wait involved. I received a complimentary Fatboy Lite a year ago and believe they’re the best thing to happen to derrières since Spanx. Sitting in a ladder stand without one causes a serious condition known as “posterior paralysis,” which is marked by pain, numbness and sometimes a waffle pattern on your bum.

-I’ll also never give up my Gor-Tex woodsman hat with Thinsulate no matter how much people make fun of me. Yes, it’s too big for my head and makes me look like the female version of Elmer Fudd. But its soft warmth makes my detour to dorkyville well worth it.

- Most importantly, this year I plan to worry less about self-inflicted work deadlines, folding laundry or dusty baseboards and instead spend that time hunting. I’m old enough to realize enjoying life is more important than a clean house or even a fat bank balance. So in 2010, I intend to play outdoors even more with the people I care about most. I hope you do, too.

What do you resolve to do in 2010?

Let me know. Leave a comment here or you can find me at: Facebook.com/tammy.sapp2 and Twitter @TammyDianeSapp.