Virginia Seeks Women Huntresses, Fisherwomen

 Bay Journal, Virginia program empowers women to take up space hunting, fishing outdoors

Fishing and hunting license sales have been declining in the Chesapeake Bay watershed since the 1980s, which means less state funding for conservation. So, some states have created programs to recruit more people, especially women, to take up the sports. Only a year old, the Virginia Outdoor Women program is the latest program to help women find community and become leaders in these male-dominated spaces.


“If [hunting] is something that has been calling to you and that you want to do, there is room for you,” Jackson said.

According to data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, since 1980 the number of hunting license holders has fallen by almost half in Virginia and a third in Maryland. This decline is due to a myriad of issues — the most often cited is the attrition of male Baby Boomers. Once the dominant demographic in hunting, they are now aging out of the sport. Younger generations still enjoy nature, but they focus on other activities, such as hiking.

The nationwide “recruitment, retention and reactivation” movement emerged in the 1980s to address this issue. States built programs to engage more people in hunting, fishing and shooting sports. More people in these sports means more license and equipment sales. Taxes on those sales go toward

Taniya Bethke, director of operations at the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports, said it’s important for people to have a relationship with wild spaces for their own health and for the health of wildlife. Hunting is important for managing a deer population whose browsing can have a serious impact on forests.

“Unless a whole lot of folks are paying very close attention to how we steward those spaces, there will be irreparable damage done,” Bethke said. “That is something that we and those wild spaces cannot afford.”

Ciera Strickland, Virginia Outdoor Women program manager at the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, helped launch the state’s program in February 2025. It teaches hunting, fishing and outdoor skills with certification classes in all three areas.




Women can also attend weekend camps, virtual meetings and social events that include activities such as archery before a happy hour at a nearby brewery. Strickland just has three rules for every event: Have fun, learn something new and meet someone new.

The program is open to women of all ages, identities and skill levels. All courses are free, but the weekend-long event will have a fee starting this year. Those interested can check the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources website for upcoming events. The most recent was a women-only hunter education course in Montross, VA, on March 28.

Maryland has a similar program — Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) — that has been around for 30 years. It’s a weekend-long adult summer camp of classes. BOW also offers advanced classes, called Beyond BOW, which focus on topics such as goose hunting, flyfishing or identifying plants.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Out Like A Lamb ready on time and under budget at The Other McCain.