Number of women hunting/fishing increasing

Published 7:41 am Thursday, May 26, 2016

While the number of hunting and fishing licenses sold nationwide remains stagnant, there is one upswing within the numbers.

According to a survey by Southwick Associates the number of women participating in outdoor activities is steadily climbing.

The survey showed that 27 percent of fishing license buyers are women and that 11 percent of hunters are now women. Those numbers are pretty close to what has been seen in Texas in recent years.

Digging deeper the survey discovered that 44 percent of female freshwater anglers fish for largemouth and spotted bass, and that 72 percent of all female freshwater anglers fish with artificial baits.

Also, 56 percent of female anglers who fish saltwater are opportunistic anglers, fishing for whatever bits.

Rod and reel is by far the equipment of choice by women, more so than fly fishing, ice fishing, bow fishing, noodling or fishing with a cane pole combined.

Fifty-six percent of female anglers who fish saltwater do so for any fish that bites.

When it comes to hunting, 60 percent of women are hunting white-tailed deer.

Of the women deer hunters, 28 percent are bowhunters. That is a higher percentage (23 percent) than men.