Demystifying the Huntress: Exploring the Experiences of Women Hunters in Eastern North Carolina

Abstract

The hunter occupies a special place in the system of human-animal interactions. When entering the natural world of wildlife each hunter learns to navigate this world in his or her own way. Hunters aid wildlife management agencies tangibly by maintaining a balance in wildlife populations and economically through hunting license fees, tags, stamps, and taxes from the sales of hunting weapons and equipment. Hunting participation in the United States has been declining over the past twenty years. However, the number of female hunters increased 25% between 2006 and 2011. The increasing concern for animal (wild and domesticate) welfare and the decreasing connectedness to nature makes the exploration of women hunters a critical component to creating a comprehensive understanding of human-animal relationships. This study explores how women hunters in Eastern North Carolina are engaging in and experiencing hunting and uncovering their thoughts and beliefs about hunting, wildlife, and the changing place of women in hunting. The sample includes 25 women hunters, living in Eastern North Carolina. The data are collected using a four part interview instrument; a semi-structured interview, an instrument to gather demographic information, and two structured components. Using the grounded theory approach to text analysis and the software application RStudio to conduct statistical analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, three main findings emerge; the culture of hunting that enables women’s participation, women hunters’ relationships with wildlife, and the changing perspectives about women who hunt. These findings can assist wildlife management agencies to improve their understanding of women hunters in hopes of further increasing female hunting participation, educating the general public about hunters and hunting in the US, and informing policy and planning for environmental and wildlife conservation.