“In a civilized and cultured country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen. The excellent people who protest against hunting and consider sportsmen as enemies of wildlife are ignorant of the fact that in reality the genuine sportsman is by all odds, the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable wild creatures from total extermination.”

– Theodore Roosevelt, 1905

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It’s true, sportsmen have been responsible for funding fish and game management efforts all across the country for many years.

But it isn’t just the men. Women also hunt and fish and contribute. In fact, hunting, fishing and similar outdoor pursuits can no longer be considered exclusively a man’s game.

This change has been evidenced in the steadily increasing number of newcomers to the hunt. Statistics indicate there has been a 36 percent increase in women hunters since 2001, with more than $60 million spent on women’s hunting licenses since 2009.

Although sport hunting had been on a long, slow downward spiral for a number of years, the National Sporting Goods Association reports the number of female hunters has increased by more than 50 percent in recent years, jumping from 2 million to more than 3.5 million participants.

It is important to note the current increase represents just females hunting with with firearms. Female bowhunters have also experienced a significant increase with the influx of more than a half million female target shooters.

Manufacturers have also been busy developing a wide variety of hunting gear that’s specifically designed for women, and several states are currently considering proposals that will allow the use of hot pink hunting clothing instead of the traditional blaze orange.

Similar considerations have already been offered in the way of rifles with scaled down stocks and bows with shorter draw lengths. Their gear is now lighter, more form-fitting and, yes, it’s even considered fashionable in certain circles. It’s true, a women’s place may actually be behind the trigger.

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The great escape

Not all travelers tramp off to the woods to find something. It’s true. In fact many of us travel there in order to lose something, to shed the constraints of civilization that continue to impose on the human spirit. We go to escape society’s rules and manners, and to discover a strange, wild character that remains at the core of most every man (and plenty of women as well).

Mapmaker and guidebook author SS Hammond captured the notion when he recalled a conversation with a fellow woods wanderer back in 1886. Hammond detailed their encounter by saying:

“I like these old woods,” said a gentleman whom I met on Racket last year. “I like them because one can do here just what one pleases. He can wear a shirt a week, have holes in his pantaloons, and be out at elbows, go with his boots unblacked, drink whiskey in the raw, chew plug tobacco, and smoke a black pipe, and not lose his position in society.

“Now, though I don’t choose to do any of these things, yet I love the freedom, now and then, of doing just all of them if I choose, without human accountability. The truth is that it is natural as well as necessary for every man to be a vagabond occasionally, to throw off the restraints imposed upon him by the necessities and conventionalities of civilization, and turn savage for a season, and what place is left for such transformation save these northern forest?”

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Tips for muzzleloaders: Keep your powder dry

Hunters can now be found in the local woods pursuing black bear and whitetails. The early bear season for muzzleloaders takes place Oct. 15 through Oct. 21.

The regular big game hunting season opens on October 22 and runs through Dec. 4 in the northern zone.

Currently, hunters are in the woods for the archery season, which is open from Sept. 27 through Oct. 21.

Smokepolers are currently gearing up for the muzzleloading season, which is set to begin Oct. 15 and run through Oct. 21.

Foul weather often marks the beginning of the muzzleloader season for whitetails. Prepare accordingly by weatherizing your firearm to ensure a discharge despite the often wet weather.

Secure the percussion cap by covering it with a short length of plastic electric tape. Keep moisture from entering the gun barrel and wetting your powder by capping the end of the barrel with a balloon. Use half of a regular balloon, stretched over the end of the rifle barrel and shoot right through it. The balloon will not affect the performance of the discharge or the accuracy of the projectile. It will, however, prevent a misfire in the often wet woods of the Adirondacks.

– Never underestimate a deer’s nose, hearing and eye sight.

– Hunting is a pursuit that you must work at.

– There will always be learning opportunities, don’t wait for it to happen to you, make it happen for you.

– You’ll make a lot of mistakes, but it is important to learn from every little thing.

– To take a deer you’ll need to spend a lot of time in the woods. Enjoy the experience, it should be fun.

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10 tips to a good hunt

1. Always maintain hunting safety, know your target and beyond

2. Practice shooting your firearm often.

3. Scout often, be sure you know your hunting area and always keep an eye out for other travelers.

4. Wear proper clothing and keep it clean and scent free. Peel layers to avoid sweating.

5. Practice scent control, maintain good personal hygiene and always hunt with the wind in your face.

6. While on watch, keep the wind in your face and limit movements. Stay focused

7. Move dlowly and don’t move until you’re sure you’ve visually scanned the layout of your hunting area (each step opens a whole new view.)

8. Control your sounds (walking, clearing throat, coughing, slapping bugs etc.)

9. Patience, patience, patience

10. Always maintain good ethics and enjoy the hunt.