Sisterhood Sold Separately: The Truth About Women in the Outdoors

By: Ashley Holm

The women’s hunting world is growing, and fast. You don’t have to look far to see it. More women in the blinds. More women at the range. More women owning dogs, running land, calling ducks, tracking elk, processing meat, and teaching their kids the ways of the field. It’s powerful. It matters. It’s changing the culture of the outdoors for the better.

But with growth comes noise. And with popularity comes profit. And where profit shows up, problems follow it like coyotes on a fresh gut pile.

Suddenly, this world of dirt-under-your-nails grit, early mornings, and cold hands has been turned into a market. A brand. A trendy package to sell, especially to women. And if you don’t recognize what’s happening, it’s easy to get swept up in the glittery version being advertised, instead of the real thing.

The Rise of the Woman and the Price Tag Attached

As the women’s side of the hunting and outdoor industry grows, big brands are diving in headfirst. But let’s be honest, many of them aren’t doing it because they care about getting more women outdoors. They’re doing it because women spend money, and if you’re like me, probably too much of it. Switching Home Goods and TJ Max for the latest women’s release in the hunting category. 

Companies are pumping high-dollar sponsorships into select influencers to sell products under the banner of “empowerment”. Not because these people are experts. Not because they’re teachers.
Not because they live the lifestyle with depth.
But because they look good on camera and can move units.

Add in large corporations applying broad DEI marketing policies, and suddenly, the outdoors is being advertised by people who have never even shouldered a gun, field dressed a deer, or watched the sun rise over decoys. They were chosen because they fit the quota, not because they represent or respect the culture.

It’s shallow. And women entering the hunting world for the first time deserve something realer than that.

Where Sisterhood Will Cost You

Then there are the organizations. And this part is tough, because some of them started with pure intentions.

But now?

We’re seeing women’s events priced 100%+ above cost, not to cover lodging or instruction but to pay for coordinators’ personal travel, outfit upgrades, and yes, to pad the pockets of the people in charge. Oh, and my favorite one - to pay for the “sponsored” shells and gear for photos. 

$2,200 for a two-day duck hunt.
Let’s say that again.

Two. Thousand. Two Hundred. Dollars. For. Two. Days. Of. Duck. Hunting.

No private land lease is that expensive.
No “female empowerment workshop” makes it worth more.

These events aren’t helping women feel welcome or confident - they’re gatekeeping the outdoors behind luxury pricing and expecting the “money makers” (One Women’s Organization actually refers to clients this way) to pay it. 

And the kicker? Many of these trips teach fewer skills and real knowledge than a single morning spent hunting beside someone experienced who wants to teach.

It’s not sisterhood if you have to buy your way into it.

What Hunting Should Be

Hunting has always been about work. The work of waking up early.
The work of scouting.
The work of missing and learning and missing again.
The work of respecting the animal - every single time.

It’s about a proud harvest - not a staged photoshoot.

It’s about providing - not promoting.

Real outdoorswomen don’t care if your jacket is Sitka, Academy brand, or something you thrifted and waterproofed yourself.
They don’t care if your shotgun is the newest release or your grandpa’s hand-me-down (as long as it’s safe).
They don’t care if your face paint is perfect or if your braid looks like you crawled through a briar patch (which, let’s be honest, you probably did).

What matters is:

• You showed up.

• You worked for it.

• You respect the land, the animals, and the experience.

• You’re here to learn and to grow.

• You’re authentic.

Be real. Be gritty. Be humble. Be YOU.

If someone makes you feel like you need to spend thousands to belong?
They aren’t building a sisterhood.
They’re building a business model.

And that’s not the outdoors.
Not the one we love.
Not the one women have fought to earn their place in.

The New Standard

Women entering the outdoor world deserve:

• Honest mentorship

• Accessible learning

• Camps that teach, not posture

• Real friendships that are built in mud, not marketing

And the good news? That does exist.
It’s happening around tailgates, fire rings, dog kennels, boat ramps, and back porches.
It’s happening in some organizations, the real ones.

Sisterhood isn’t sold. It’s built.
One hunt.
One harvest.
One moment of encouragement at a time.

No sponsors required.