Women Hunters: What Do They Want From A Retailer?

Reports over the past several years indicate more women are becoming interested in hunting. This can translate into a nice revenue source for you. So, what do women hunters actually want from a retail store and what can retailers offer to draw women in and keep them coming back? What brands can retailers carry that seem to connect well with women who hunt? Let’s find out.

The Retailers

We asked two retailers what they think women hunters want and how they are enticing them into their stores. Trish Jones, co-owner of Green Mountain Sporting Goods in Irasburg, Vt., shared having women on staff will ease intimidated guests.

“We try to make sure the women who come in feel comfortable asking the questions they may have,” she said. “Speaking to another woman often helps because sometimes women can be less intimidated talking with them.”

Jones says her team talks with women directly to find out what they want — not what their husband or partner wants — in order to help them find the best fit. 

“I’ve actually personally refused a sale because a husband wanted his wife to buy a .300 Short Mag. hunting rifle, and I explained it was a good way to turn her off,” she shared. “I try to carry firearms that are easily either upgraded or have adjustable stocks. One that comes to the top of my mind is the Ruger American Generation II. It has spacers built into the stock so, if need be, we can take them out to make the length of pull shorter. It fits a wide variety of customers. Savage has done the same thing with their new stocks, and it really helps to fit women properly.”

In other scenarios, Jones suggests it’s a matter of having the right products on hand to secure sales.

“Some women have grown up hunting their entire lives. They know exactly what they’re looking for, so it’s just finding what we have or what we can order to best suit their needs,” she reasoned.

Jones also reports Green Mountain Sporting Goods’ staff have seen more women become interested in archery hunting the past couple of years. 

“Vermont allows crossbows for everybody, so it opens the door quite a bit,” she observed. “Crossbows have a crank system, so it doesn’t take all that upper body strength to pull the string back.”

When asked why there appears to be more interest in archery now, Jones offered a thought: “I think it has to do with the economy and the fact that as long as hunters don’t lose their arrows, they can reuse them and they’re not having to spend money buying more and more ammo.”

Jones believes a welcoming environment is also important to women. 

“We remodeled and we wanted to make sure the store is very inviting. It’s not highly industrialized; we’ve got wood ceilings and wood walls. I’ve got my kids and my grandkids coming into the store and hanging out. I think it helps somebody new to the sport and makes it a little less intimidating,” she offered. “It gives them a little more comfort when they see other women behind the counter and being family-friendly. It all gives a more personal feel to it.”

Ozark Sportsman in Tontitown, Ark., employs a similar approach to expanding sales to women hunters. Store Manager James LaVergne explained, “We offer a lot of classes to get different guns into women’s hands specifically so they can feel them and shoot them before they buy them. Women are mostly worried about recoil, even with long guns, so we also show them the benefit of shooting with a suppressor, which can make a significant reduction in recoil.”

As Jones noted, it’s important for dealers to share their expertise to fit women to the gun.

“Some women will come in looking for the kind of gun their husband or dad says they should get, but maybe it isn’t the best for them. Luckily, we’ve got a great staff here so we can really help tailor toward that individual,” LaVergne said. “But most of the time we’re selling shorter-stock guns, such as .243s and 6.5 Creedmoor.”

In the archery field, LaVergne says women are more interested in recurves than compounds. 

“It kind of varies month to month and as we get closer to the season,” LaVergne noted. “We generally see an influx of women wanting products such as the new Eva Shockey Bowtech bows. They have more adjustments and come in nice colors.”

The Hunters

Do women who hunt feel the same as the retailers? We asked seasoned professionals Mia Anstine and Deb Ferns for their insights.

“There’s a shop in my town that doesn’t carry any women’s gear, so I have no reason to go to their shop for clothing,” Anstine shared. “However, I go there for ammunition, hunting calls and game bags.”

Anstine suggests retailers carry women’s hunting gear. 

“Where I live in southwest Colorado, most of those shops don’t carry boots for women. I can order those online, but if they don’t fit I have to send them back. If dealers had boots in their shops, that would be awesome,” she said.

Women-specific apparel represents another need, according to Anstine.

“For us ladies, we need layers. However, a tricky thing with women is we’re all shapes and sizes so it’s challenging for retailers,” she acknowledged. “It’s also tough for people on a budget because they may be unable to afford something highly technical that lasts forever. Maybe someone just getting into hunting doesn’t want to spend $500 on clothing yet, so retailers must also carry something in the entry-level price range.”

A lot of times, retailers will tell a woman that youth models (firearms) will be fine for them, but they really aren’t. Women’s guns have a different cant, length of pull, etc., to help fit women’s curves and so their cheeks can reach the stock. Anstine suggests it would be helpful if retailers carried cheek pieces to help get cheeks properly placed on the stock. 

“Those types of accessories are great for men and women because both can have issues with precision eye relief,” she added.

As for a brand that connects well with women, Anstine likes Tikka. 

“I have a Tikka T3x — I love that gun,” she said. “The bolt slides easily because it’s designed to work in icy and frigid cold temperatures. You don’t have to force it like some guns, and women can have a hard time running the bolt if it requires some force and strength.”

Ferns leads a lot of women on hunting trips, and her first comment is: “Weight matters. When we’re walking four to eight miles a day, a rifle can get heavy. So, retailers need to carry a good variety of slings. They can really help to reduce the weight of carrying a rifle all day.”

Ferns noted it would also be helpful for retailers to make sure a woman tries out the various slings and knows how to use them.

“If she knows how to use a sling, then she can carry the rifle more comfortably,” she said. “Otherwise, she could get tired and toss the gun over her shoulder and then it’s directly aimed at somebody right behind her, which is a big safety problem.” 

Ferns would like to see more retailers help women find a gun with a stock that fits them well. They can see if she can shoulder it correctly, if it fits her right and if her finger reaches the trigger. 

“I’ve seen some girls walk out of stores with guns and their finger can’t reach the trigger,” Ferns said with some frustration. 

As for a brand that connects with women, Ferns likes her Savage Axis and Ruger American Generation II rifles in 6.5 Creedmoor. Both rifles are lighter weight and more comfortable for women to carry. She contends the 6.5 Creedmoor is a good caliber that will also make women want to continue to hunt. 

“I’ve heard some guys say she should ‘go big or go home’ and I explain to them the bigger the caliber the more it’s going to thump her and she’s not going to like it,” she stated.

Takeaways

The women who hunt and the retailers agree there are three simple strategies to draw women into stores and keep them coming back:

1. A good selection of products that fit women, whether it’s guns, bows, accessories or clothing.

2. Maintaining an inventory of lightweight rifles and bows.

3. A good staff to help them make sure women find what fits them, not just what someone else tells them to get.

Advertise these strategies and a woman who hunts or is looking to start hunting will know she can come to you and trust you to do right by her.

Read More Shooting Industry November 2024 Issue Now