As firearm deer hunting season gets underway, numbers show the number of men in the sport, mainly baby boomers, are on the decline as they age out physically.
The number of women who hunt, however, has been growing steadily since 1980. A lot more women are getting out duck hunting, deer hunting, bow, and gun hunting.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says there were about 63,000 female hunters in 2007. By 2017, there were more than 66,000, which is a four percent increase.
Some women are now discovering it as a fun pastime for bonding with other women. Much of the interest has been sparked by more hunting shows attracting women on TV and in movies.
Retailers in Michigan like Dicks Sporting Goods, Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shop are responding to that uptick in demand.
Ten years ago they had just one rack of women's hunting clothing. But now, they say it accounts for a fourth of their entire camo room.
It's not just females getting into hunting. Numbers show youth are also more invested than ever before, with retailers boosting what they offer for youth to meet the demand.
