The Outdoor Scene

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

BASS giveth to women and Bass taketh away.

When BASS launched the Women’s Bassmaster Tour in 2005, outdoor women were elated. It promised to raise awareness of female professional anglers, give them a chance to compete against each other and build the kind of relationships that would enhance sportfishing opportunities for all women.

Women

That euphoria turned to disappointment Jan. 4 when BASS General Manager Tom Ricks announced the decision to eliminate the Women’s Bassmaster Tour from the Tournament Trail, citing declining participation levels as the culprit.

“We have worked diligently to grow the WBT to increase or maintain participation levels – even awarding a berth in the Bassmaster Classic – but ultimately, our efforts didn’t resonate,” Ricks said. “This was a very tough decision, and one that we didn’t take lightly.”

I visited with several professional women anglers last week and while most weren’t shocked by the news, the timing of the announcement did catch them off guard.

Sharon Rushton said if they had canceled the tour last fall, it would have been less surprising. According to Sharon, during the tour’s first full year, boat numbers ranged from 90 to more than 100. That number had fallen to less than 70 by last year. However, with the new schedule announced, many women thought the show would go on in 2010.

The last minute cancellation left many women scrambling. Judy Wong, who claimed her second Bassmaster Women’s Tour Championship last year, had to decide by Jan. 11 whether or not she would fish the Bassmaster Opens or FLW Tour events.

Kim Bain-Moore, who focused on the 2009 National Pro Southern Kingfish Association Tour after her history-making appearance in the Bassmaster Classic last year, said even before the news of the WBT’s demise, it was decision time for a lot of women – continue to fish the WBT or focus on the next frontier, fishing the Opens to try to break into the Elites.

“Maybe if the WBT was still around only four or five girls would have a serious crack at the Opens in 2011,” Kim said. “Now with no other option, hopefully 20 girls will focus on the Opens in 2011. And for the success of women’s angling that is what we need. A bunch of girls turning up en masse to fish the Opens, united rather than divided by strength of numbers, and therefore less likely to be singled out. We don’t need to win. But we need to be there, fishing, and having a noticeable presence — A call to arms.”

For many women, competing in the Opens this year won’t be an option due to finances and schedules that conflict with Open dates. There’s also the fact that some women don’t want to compete against the men.
One thing is for certain, 2010 will be a year of flux for many women who fished the WBT.

For example, Sharon weighed her options and will most likely fish the Heartland Trail, which for her means she won’t have to drive as far and will spend fewer nights in a hotel. Debra Hengst, who said she could see the end coming, got into the BASS Central Opens in November and also will fish the Bass Champs Trail, which has four divisions in Texas. While Kim Bain-Moore decides what she wants to do next, she’ll definitely be filming the second season of her Sportsman Channel TV show “Breaking the Surface” with co-host Diana Rudolph.

While these women are launching their boats in different directions, they all said they were grateful for the opportunities the WBT provided.

“I made so many friends and met so many people along the way,” said Debra. “The Women’s Bassmaster Tour was something to be thankful for.”

Sharon appreciated the positive female role models the tour provided.

“I hate to see the tour go away because it showed women who were independent —launching their own boats and fishing on their own. It’s fun to fish with other women, too. It’s a different atmosphere.”

While everyone agrees the failing economy dinged the WBT, several of the women questioned whether or not everything possible was done to grow the tour.

Judy, Debra and Sharon all made the point that with the firepower of media giant ESPN behind BASS, why was there no TV coverage of the women’s tour?

Professional women anglers have been scratching and clawing for sponsors since Sugar Ferris founded Bass’N Gal. A fundamental law of sports survival is a dastardly chicken/egg situation: Without sponsors, there is no TV airtime. Without TV airtime there are no sponsors.

While TV coverage of the WBT was never promised, participants fervently hoped for it.

“I felt at the beginning it would grow and be THE tour for women. But ESPN didn’t get behind it,” Judy said. “They didn’t use all the resources available to them to grow the tour.”

The jury is out on whether or not someone else will pick up the loose ends. But as far as Judy is concerned, it will take someone who has an understanding and passion for women’s fishing. And a lot of money to back up that desire.

Despite upticks in the stock market, experts warn we’re probably facing a false economic rebound, which doesn’t bode well for tournament support. Though WBT title sponsor Academy Sports + Outdoors did not pull their sponsorship, according to a marketing representative who called into Fish Bait Radio on Jan. 6, it will be tough for individual anglers to catch the sponsor dollars they need.

So, 2010 may be a year where professional women anglers hit the water to keep their skills sharp in hopes there are better times around the bend.

If you’d like to hear what others have to say about the closing of the WBT check out the following podcast: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/fishbaitradio

What do you think about the downfall of the WBT? Leave a comment here or you can find me at: Facebook.com/tammy.sapp2 and Twitter @TammyDianeSapp.

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.

Wildlife photographer Stacey Huston recently remarked on Facebook that she’s seeing more people hunting this year. And statistical evidence backs up her observation. A study conducted in 2008 by Responsive Management shows participation in hunting is on the rise. While some might contend the increase is in spite of the economy, studies show participation is increasing because of the downturn.

After reaching a peak in 1982, hunting license sales have been on the downward slide since then. However, researchers noted three exceptions to this overall national decline - 1992, 1999 and 2004.

To figure out what was behind this, Responsive Management analyzed 43 variables that might affect hunting license sales. They looked at everything from average monthly temperature, consumer prices, Dow Jones Industrial Averages, median income, new housing starts, housing and population densities, and population by age groups.

Of all the variables examined, only two really correlated to hunting license sales on a national level. The greater the proportion of people aged 65 to 69, the more likely hunting license sales will drop. In addition, a higher rate of housing starts also is tied to declines.

Why?

According to Mark Duda, executive director of Responsive Management, the age factor is easily explained.

“As people age, they are less likely to participate in hunting or have a need to purchase a license; the decline in hunting with increasing age has been documented in numerous participation studies,” Duda said. “The significance of the housing starts factor is not so clear; the data simply show that hunting license sales have declined in times of rapid growth in housing starts.”

Duda said one reason might be the number of hunters who work in construction and related trades. A 2007 survey showed the top occupational category for employed hunters was “construction/carpentry/plumbing/electrical/craftsman,” a category that strongly relates to new housing construction. Thus, in times of increased housing starts, it may be that many hunters have less free time to hunt. This theory is supported by the fact that “work obligations” is one of the most common reasons cited by hunters for not hunting or not hunting more often.

One question remains. Is having more time to hunt the only reason for the increase in participation or are hunters also trying to put food on the table? Those hunters who have been interviewed about this are split on whether or not this is a motivating factor. However, none of the other economic indicators in the 2008 study correlated strongly to hunting license sales, which could suggest the increase is due to having time to hunt rather than hunting for meat.

Fishing is seeing similar gains in participation. In 2009, there’s been a 7.7 percent increase in the number of licenses sold compared to 2008.

While it’s hard to find a silver lining in this dark economic cloud, knowing that people are spending time afield with friends and family is a bright spot.

On another note, Jim Ferguson, host of the Great American Outdoor Trails Radio Magazine was kind enough to invite me as a guest on his show. It will be available for download Friday, Dec. 11 by 10 a.m. CST at www.outdoortrailsnetwork.com. Plus, you can hear Jim’s show on 100 stations from Friday morning at 5 a.m. in Guymon, OK on KGYN until the last airing Sunday at 4 p.m. on KKBJ in Bemidji Minn.

Until then, stay in touch at Facebook.com/tammy.sapp2 and Twitter @TammyDianeSapp.

Oprah Winfrey would have had to announce she was ending her daytime talk show for the media to have noticed something other than Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue book tour last week.

Oh wait, Oprah did call it quits - just days after her show snagged its largest audience in two years. Who did she interview to draw the big ratings? Yep. Sarah Palin.

Palin also was interviewed by Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Barbara Walters and Rush Limbaugh last week. It appeared the media and blogosphere couldn’t get enough of this polarizing figure.

Like much of what Palin does, her book tour is unorthodox…a bus trip through medium-sized towns in the midwest and south, rather than the usual big city stops. Some bloggers and reporters have suggested the book tour is really a political campaign in disguise. Whether you hope she’s elected President of the United States someday or you wouldn’t vote for her if she was running for president of your hunt club, she’s doing something most celebrities don’t do – publicly admitting she hunts and fishes.

A few weeks before, tennis hottie Andre Agassi confessed during his book tour interviews that he wore a dude wig when he played and used crystal meth. That was nothing compared to the excerpt in Going Rogue about Palin hunting with her dad, an enthusiastic science teacher:

“I looked down to see the moose’s eyeballs lying in the palm — in his palm, still warm from the critter’s head, when he saw the wrinkle in my nose and the shake of my head slightly, he set them aside, he realized that even though he had raised me to be a hunting buddy I had my limits.”

During an interview with Palin, you could see big talker Sean Hannity shudder with revulsion at the mere thought of a body part from a dead animal. Palin went on to tell him that hunting with her dad and field dressing big game was part of her upbringing.  And on the hunt mentioned in the book, her dad had two goals: fill the family’s freezer and collect specimens so his students could see what animals were made of.

I know presidential candidates in recent times have used the hunting photo op to shore up their image with rural sportsmen and women. Remember the famous John Kerry goose hunting pics in 2004? Kerry was photographed, but NOT holding one of the four dead geese, presumably because he didn’t want to mess up that cool new camo coat he was sporting.

While others have posed for the cameras, Palin isn’t pretending. And hooray for her, talking about hunting with her father. Many of the women I’ve interviewed say their first memories of hunting and fishing were with their dad. It resonates.

I don’t pretend to know whether or not Palin is suited to lead our country, however, I do appreciate that she’s plain spoken. She doesn’t hide her opinions behind a veil of mumbo jumbo phrases many politicians and business leaders use. It’s no fun to play bullcrap bingo during one of her speeches because you won’t hear words such as “paradigm shift,” “budget-neutral legislation” or “value-added proposition.”

Perhaps her ability to speak directly is a result of being shaped by hunting, fishing and seeing life as it really is by spending time outdoors. If so, maybe more bureaucrats, mainstream reporters and corporate executives should hunt and fish, too.

Like thousands of other people, I will read Going Rogue. And I’m looking forward to it. However, because I’ve “right-sized” my budget (code for “I’m a cheapskate”) I’ll have to wait until I discover a “budget-neutral” opportunity to do so. Or I beg one of my friends to give me their “gently-used” copy.

I’d love to hear what you think about Sarah Palin, her book and her future. Look me up at Facebook.com/tammy.sapp2 and Twitter @TammyDianeSapp or post a comment here.

The results from questions posed at anglersurvey.com and huntersurvey.com about pink outdoor gear are in and when the dust settled, it appears that color alone may not woo women who are shopping for equipment.

In addition, there were not huge differences between men’s and women’s responses. However, there was a disparity in the numbers of men and women who took the survey. More than 2,500 men logged into anglersurvey.com with only 148 women participating. The hunter survey showed stronger numbers with about 190 women and 3,500 men taking part. I’m not surprised, though, because even in this day and age more men hunt and fish than women. Of the total number of anglers, 75 percent are men while 25 percent are women. The difference among hunters is even more striking with men comprising 91 percent of all hunters and women only 9 percent.

What I am surprised about is while there are 30 million anglers versus 12.5 million hunters, more people took the hunter survey than the angler survey. Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates, attributes that difference to the hunting press doing a great job of getting the word out and hunters being more apt to see the need for collective action.

Taking a look at the angler survey first, it’s apparent when buying outdoor gear (such as rods and reels, firearms, binoculars, coolers and similar gear) men and women prefer black. Pink is way down on the list after camo, brown/tan, blue, gray and green. Interestingly, the same question revealed about a third of men and women don’t give a rat’s fanny what color their gear is. In a separate question, slightly less than half of men and women say color of outdoor products doesn’t matter when purchasing outdoor gear.

One difference I noted is what men think of pink versus what women think. Half the men said they believe women are more likely to purchase pink outdoor gear unrelated to breast cancer, while only 40 percent of the women responded that way. However, it’s important to note because far fewer women took the survey, it introduces variability into the results. Simply put, there may not be a big statistical difference in the results.

Half the women who took the survey believe offering pink outdoor gear is a condescending way to market to them, while only 46 percent of the men believe that. Again, statistically there may not be a big gap between how men responded versus women.

The majority of men and women agree pink outdoor gear that supports breast cancer awareness promotes sales and more than 80 of men and women concur pink gear offered to promote breast cancer awareness is viewed positively by women.

Hunter survey results were not that different than angler survey outcomes.

When it comes to color the majority of men and women said they prefer camo, then black. Green and brown/tan also were popular. However, approximately 20 percent of men and women said color doesn’t matter. And only about 15 percent of women preferred pink.

Similar to the results of the angler survey, half the men said women are more likely to purchase pink outdoor gear unrelated to breast cancer while only 40 percent of the women said they believe that. A bigger sample size of female respondents would have allowed us to draw conclusions with more confidence.

47 percent of the women taking the hunter survey said they believe offering pink outdoor gear unrelated to breast cancer is a condescending way to market to them, while 42 percent of the men believe that.

Three quarters of men and women who took the hunter survey believe pink outdoor gear that supports breast cancer awareness does promote sales and more than 80 percent of men and women indicated it’s viewed positively by women.

Overall, it appears pink is effective when used to help support finding a cure for breast cancer but may not be important otherwise. While we didn’t test this, my gut tells me women (and men) are more concerned about gear fit, performance and value and less interested in what color it is. However, if pink provides a welcoming entry point for women to try hunting, fishing or shooting, I can heartily embrace that. And I also can understand those who wouldn’t touch a pink firearm with a 10-foot pole. What we can all agree on is the debt we owe to the many strong women who paved the way for today’s female outdoor enthusiasts to be exactly who they want to be.

This has been an interesting project and I really hate to see it end. Please join me in thanking Rob Southwick and Donna Leonard of Southwick Associates for their help and willingness to share their knowledge.

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.