Women participating in hunting has been stirring up more controversy than you might realize. Just last week, I received an email from a fellow hunter who also happens to be a fellow woman. She found my name and information on the Virginia Deer Hunters Association website and reached out to me for advice on an unfortunate situation she is currently in.
As a youth and women's advocate on the Board of Directors for the VDHA, I feel obligated to write a piece centered around the degradation of women in a male-dominated sport and pastime: hunting.
The email I received would be shocking to many, especially if you have no personal experience or idea of the comments men make towards women about our participation in "their" sport. We have all heard about sexual harassment in the workplace, or issues regarding men talking to women inappropriately. We don't see it as much today, but the inappropriate behavior still exists.
The email allowed me to meet a newfound pen pal. She gave me information about her life. She told me about her success this season, and in seasons past. As a fellow hunter, this is something we would soon bond over.
She has been through things in life that have shaped her as a person today, like the drive to trudge a path and leave behind a legacy for fellow women in the sport of hunting. Over a period of time, she has been run out of hunting clubs for one reason and one reason only: her gender.
I was incredibly honored for her to reach out to me for advice, but I felt that I didn't have much to give her, especially considering I had never personally dealt with issues like hers in too much depth. I've been hunting for 11 years this season, and I have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by men and women alike who encourage my participation in hunting.
Yes, I have heard comments from people about me hunting, and once was even told to "go get a skirt on and get to church" after duck hunting on a Sunday morning. There have been comments made about receiving some sort of "special treatment" at our club or anywhere else when I am hunting.
I don't expect anything less than to be treated just like my fellow sportsman.
I felt a connection to my new found friend, but especially sympathy for her situation. She explained to me that she was hearing sexist comments and receiving inappropriate text messages because of her participation in the sport, but also that she currently possesses one of the larger bucks at their club.
Though I didn't have much advice to offer, I did decide to tell her to keep doing what she's doing. It's people like her, people who want to leave a legacy and break these "social norms," that will make great changes in a sport that has been male-dominated for entirely too long.
Whenever I think about this degradation, I can't help but think about the movie A League of Their Own. If you've never seen the movie, or even heard of it, here is a brief rundown. A League of Their Own is based on the All-American Girls Baseball League.
The movie is set during World War II, shows the issue of Major League Baseball almost being shut down because most men had been shipped out. The movie shows the struggle women went through to receive recognition in a previously male-dominated sport.
I have thought long and hard about this issue. It bothers me that a fellow woman is dealing with such issues at this point in time. People are often still shocked that women hunt, but the participation of women is steadily growing.
Women are now stars of hunting shows, and even share shows with their husbands and friends.
It is 2017, a time of so much change in our society, yet women are still dealing with issues like sexist comments and slander. Women have alternatives to most sports, and there have even been publicized issues of girls playing high school football over the years. Why are we struggling to accept a woman's participation in hunting?
My fellow female hunter, pen pal, and potential friend, asked me for mine and the Virginia Deer Hunters Association's support and backing. As a youth and women's advocate on the Board of Directors, I would like all women to know that we at the VDHA more than support your involvement in this sport. If you have the will and the want to participate, then don't let inappropriate comments keep you from chasing your passion.
Keep pushing on!
