Fashion news rarely makes it into the hunting scene. However, this year Maryland’s Blaze Pink bill sponsored by Senator Addie Eckart, and created by young huntresses Paige and Brooke Simonsen of Easton, made a huge statement – fashion and otherwise.

As a female hunter (one who admittedly has always worn mascara deer hunting, even under my ski mask in case a post-hunting picture with a trophy buck happened to come into play) and, okay, one who also must confess to sticking an orange bow on my daughter’s coveralls for Christmas morning goose hunting, even I was bit like, “pink and camo?”

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At first, memories of being gifted pink printed camouflage rather than warm items with functional camouflage came to mind – “pink-washing” at its finest. But as I read more, the bill was making fluorescent pink a safety color as blaze orange is currently. I started to really see what this bill was and, more importantly WHO it was about.

The color itself is not the big deal. Rather, it is an ode to the growing number of women hunters out in stands, blinds, and sitting on buckets all over the state of Maryland. And the fact that it was created by two young hunters makes it all the better.

Aside from J.O. Spice on our crabs, Maryland is also blessed with ample hunting, fishing, and sporting opportunities. To many, regardless of gender, the lifestyle comes as second nature to family and friends. For example, I knew at age eight one of my life goals was to outshoot my brother and all his friends; a goal I proudly checked off.

Blaze Pink

But for those who haven’t grown up in the environment or who don’t have people to learn from, breaking into some of the outdoor sports like hunting or recreational shooting – or really even fishing, hiking, and boating – can be expensive, intimidating, and downright dangerous to learn on one’s own.

Still, NRA Family reports that in 2001, there were 1.8 million registered female hunters, a number that almost doubled in 2013 with 3.3 million registered female hunters. This rapid growth can be attributed to folks in the outdoors community reaching out and mentoring a completely new crowd. It is quite evident in Maryland.

The nationwide Maryland BOW (Becoming an Outdoors Woman) program for example, focuses on educating women in a large variety of outdoor skills, including archery, shotgun, and rifle disciplines in addition to other hands-on skills like kayaking, preserving harvests, backpacking, and more. Throughout the year, the Maryland chapter hosts several events where ladies from all over the state and neighboring states meet for a healthy mix of engaging discussions and hands-on learning, not to mention a strong sense of camaraderie among participants.

An early winter session this year titled “From Field to Table,” for example, started with a morning waterfowl identification tour in the field, watching a retriever demo, cleaning ducks, and learning how to cook wild game with Vicky Mullaney at the Black Pearl Lodge in Dorchester County. BOW also has a large fall workshop, where participants experience three days featuring everything from canning to tracking to fly fishing.

Blaze Pink

While some participants choose to come in pairs with a friend, what’s noticeable about the affordable programs (they also have scholarships available) is that many of their participants are coming solo, ready to engage and learn.

The Waterfowl Festival of Talbot County, celebrating its 48th celebration on November 9th-11th this year, is getting into the ladies movement as well with their “Blaze Pink Brunch and Shoot,” a morning of socializing and celebrating sporting heritage with an all-ladies, 50-target shoot held at Schrader's Outdoors in Henderson, Maryland on Saturday, October 27th.

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Proceeds from the shoot will go towards the DNR BOW’s goose hunt in January. To make the shoot even more welcoming to beginners who may not have invested in a firearm yet, Syren Firearms, manufactured in Cambridge, Maryland, will be providing several of their built-for-ladies firearms for demo shooting.

“First Shot” mentored hunts are another fantastic opportunity that welcome new shooters, with dove, deer, and turkey hunts taking place at the National Blackwater Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge, Maryland. New folks of any gender are given the opportunity to be paired with a mentor for a lesson in safety, skill, and technique in a small group environment.

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GRITS, Girls Who Really Love Shooting, is also a nationwide group with an active Maryland chapter who welcome shooters from beginners to experienced pros a chance to meet, learn, and hang out as recreational shooters.

The best thing about hunting and fishing, especially in Maryland, is that while maybe you’ve been deer hunting, you’ve never been duck hunting. Maybe you go rockfishing, but have never tried fly fishing. Maryland is a state that has it all, and there’s enough variety that even an experienced outdoorswoman has plenty to learn!

So, grab your hot pink and camo and make it a girls’ weekend. Hunt in the morning, shop in the afternoon, wine and dine by evening. And feel free to leave the boys at home!

 

This post was written by Leslie Milby
Images courtesy of the author and Schrader's Outdoors