RHINELANDER - We tend to think of hunting as a guys' hobby, but this year, the number of women who joined in the deer hunt jumped by more than 10 percent.

DNR wildlife biologist Jeremy Holtz said he's definitely noticed the trend.

He believes women are becoming more comfortable with asking to get involved with hunting these days.

"I don't remember Dad ever asking my sisters "Do you want to come out, do you want to try shooting? Is there anything you'd like to know about?" He just assumed the girls didn't want to and he never asked," Holtz said. "So I think part of that is we've had a change in society, a change in family, a change in how men and women interact."

Heather Hunter has been hunting since she was 12.

She likes the outdoors, but it's also about getting food on the table.

"We like to eat venison a lot. We fill our freezers, or we try to at least, with bow hunting, gun hunting, and muzzleloader," she said. "We try to get as many deer as we can before next year, because that's all we eat during the winter time."

By 2030, the DNR expects the number of female hunters to grow by 25 percent.

Related Weblinks:
UW-Stevens Point Outdoors Program
National Wild Turkey Federation Wisconsin Chapter

Story By: Lex Gray