Women taking the shots

It is no secret that hunting has been a part of human culture since the beginning of
civilization. People would hunt to gather food for their families, for resources such as fur to
stay warm, or in some societies it was a rite of passage to becoming a man. Nowadays, some
hunt primarily for food, but for most it is a sport and the new players are women. Since the
wave of the feminism in the 1960s, women have fought for equal rights and opportunities
in their personal lives, in the workplace, and politics. Women started to challenge men with
the attitude of anything you can do, I can do (better). Gender roles throughout society
were questioned because women no longer stayed at home as the perfect housewife, but
decided to take on the mans job as well as their own. Modern hunting has changed as
women are now accepted just as men due to the feminist movement in combination with the
changing gender roles throughout history.

The Evolution of Hunting

Hunting by definition is pursuing animals in a
particular fashion to capture or kill them for food,
recreation, or to gain resources. Though the definition
has been relatively the same over time, hunting has
changed significantly. Early hunting began with a need
to survive. Civilizations would have designated huntergatherers; it was their job to collect food for the
community. Only the strong, healthy men of the families
could be hunter-gatherers because the hunt was physically strenuous. Men were required
to walk many miles on foot to seek out their prey. Once the hunters found an animal,
killing it was difficult due to the lack of efficient weaponry.
Over time, with new technology and refined tactics and strategies, hunting has become
much more efficient. In the article A Brief History of Hunting, there are excellent examples
of how weaponry and skills have changed to benefit hunters. One of the first major
advances was the bow and arrow. The bow and arrow allowed hunters to shoot sharp

projectiles from a long distance range. Soon after, it was discovered that the domestication
of animals, such as dogs, were incredibly useful in tracking and capturing prey. There are
now special breeds of dogs that aid hunters in their pursuit. During the 14th century, the
hand cannon was created. This was the first version
of a firearm, which eventually led to the invention of
the barrel loaded gun and the musket. With the
improving firearms in combination with hunting dogs,
hunters had much more accurate shots and retrieval
methods. In the 1800s, the metallic cartridges and the
lever action rifle were created. These firearms were
more reliable and could be shot from farther distances,
which helped with stealth and safety. It wasnt until
the 19th century that the shotgun or rifle were
invented. These guns became the standard weapon of choice among hunters soon after their
creation.
With developing agriculture and farming practices, most do not use hunting as their
primary source of food. There are farms that breed their own animals and then slaughter
houses that kill and package the meat. Hunting has evolved more into a leisure activity or a
sport. There are tournaments and other activities that take place throughout the year.
There are even organizations such as hunting clubs that allow those that do not own their
own land to have the opportunity to hunt. People dress in camouflage and paint their faces
as part of the thrill for the game.

The Feminist Revolution

The 19th century was the real boom of Feminist movements. During some of the major wars
that occurred at the time, men were drafted into the military to serve their country and
women were left at home to be the caregivers and the providers of the family. Women were
forced to leave their homes and join the workforce. Cultural attitudes towards women were
rapidly changing. Women were becoming undomesticated due to the new opportunities
that were presented to them. They no longer would resume their lives in the silence of their
homes. Women started to protest and demand equal rights and opportunities. Until this
time, women were seen as objects that men basically owned just as property. The feminist
movement gave women the notion that they were no longer inferior to men and would not

Women Hunting
Since hunting has evolved into a sport, women have decided
to join the team. Its been a more modern trend that caught
fire soon after the feminist movement. Women became
independent and realized that they have the ability to hunt,
so why not. In the recent article, More Women Giving
Hunting a Shot, it was reported that the total number of
women that hunt has risen 25 percent between the years
2006-2011. Currently, about 11 percent of the hunting
population is female. The increased number of women
hunters was most likely due to the new technology that gave
women the capability to hunt and societys acceptance that
women should be equal to men on any fieldeven hunting.
Hunting is now no longer seen as a mans sport. Women, as
well as children are encouraged to hunt alongside men. The
story of Amber, Cadi, and Erin was used in the article Hunting is for Girls and shows that
women have become great hunters. The women are not only confident in their abilities, but
also know hunting as well, if not more, than any man. There are brief summaries that give

the reader some information about each girl. Erins description is a great example of how
women may appear in action; just because they hunt, doesnt mean they are all tomboy. Her
description is a petite blonde with manicured nails and a wry sense of humor. She looks
no different than any other girl you would see out at the mall or out at the movies; she just
has a different hobby. The story continues going through her favorite weapon of choice and
why, and finally to the kill. Women are proud to be hunters along men because theyve
come a long way.
Their story is only one of many; girls and women around the world are now part of a huge
sport that has previously been driven towards the male population. There are magazines,
clothes lines, weaponry, and more that are exclusively made for women hunters. It is a
growing field that is extremely popular in the southern U.S, but also increasing
everywhere. Normally women are seen as the emotional and cuddly type, but not all.
Women hunters have put an end to the stereotype and are proud to be hunters because
theyve come a long way.

Reflection:
The goal of the essay was to start off by explaining how hunting has changed. Throughout the years,
hunting was meant primarily as a source of food and resources and has now grown into a popular sport.
These changes were due to technological advances in weaponry and skill. Then I wanted to explain a
little bit about how women have changed throughout history. The game of hunting and the attitudes
towards women have changed so much that the two have combinedand people love it.
Some struggles with this essay were finding the right words to say. With any essay, putting it all together
is the hardest part, but this one had so much information to go through and layout for the reader to
understand, so sometimes it was difficult. Though, I really did enjoy writing this essay much more than
the other ones. I liked it because I could choose a topic, choose headings ad pictures to go with each

one, and then just write. The explaining why and how something has come to be the way that it is by
historicizing was very new to me, but I wish that I had been able to write other papers like this before.