Share Their Passion


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Mathews’ Women Female participation in archery and bow-hunting continues to increase, and these ladies are leading the way

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Share Their Passion

ne of the biggest threats to hunting and shooting sports is the current decline in participants. However, one bright spot is the increase in the number of women hunters and shooters. Research by the National Sporting Goods Association indicates female participation in hunting and shooting sports in 2005 had increased significantly compared to the previous five years. That follows a trend reported by Responsive Management research, which found that hunting participation among women as a percentage of the population increased through the 1980s, even though hunting participation by the male population decreased. In fact, from 1985 to 1990, the percentage of women who went hunting more than doubled, but the percentage of males who went hunting declined by 16 percent. Responsive Management also found that the

decreases in hunting participation among male hunters could be tied to demographic factors. However, changes in the female hunting population could not. It seems the increase in the number of female hunters is caused by basic changes in attitudes and changing roles of females in society. Additional Responsive Management research indicates the female hunting population is not as stable as the male hunting population. Most male hunters hunt every year, but female hunters do not.

Females Have a Passion to Shoot

Responsive Management also noted another major difference — why females hunt vs. why males hunt. Research indicated females hunt for utilitarian and family reasons. For example, female hunters were twice as likely as male hunters to hunt for meat and almost 2½ times

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more likely than males to hunt to be with friends and family. They were less than half as likely as male hunters to hunt for sport and recreation and a third less likely as males to hunt to be close to nature. Perhaps that’s also why more women participate in target shooting than any other shooting sport — including hunting. Peggy Farrell, director and 14-yearemployee of the International Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program, has introduced thousands of women to the outdoors by teaching them beginner-level outdoor skills, including basic archery and bow-hunting classes. “We don’t really have any hard numbers on the number of women archers,” Farrell said. “But interest seems to be at an all-time high. “All I have is anecdotal evidence, but here in Wisconsin, for example, our archery and bow-hunting classes always fill really quickly. We have a program here in August with about 90 participants, and the first class to fill was the archery class.” According to Farrell, archery continues to be popular and accessible to women. “Overall, the number of classes and total participants has grown,” she said. “There are BOW programs offered in 40 states and five Canadian provinces.” Interest seems to be highest among young girls. “The number of girls age 12 to 16 taking hunter education has grown by 30 percent in the past five years,” Farrell said. “That’s an astounding number.”

For Women Only

The hunting and target archery markets have responded to these trends. Today, more companies are producing products specifically geared for women. And now, Mathews has released the first bow designed just for female shooters. The new Mathews’ Passion is lightweight, compact, smooth drawing and blazing fast. It was designed for female archers to enhance their performance and give them the edge in the field. The Passion features an axle-to-axle length of just 29.75 inches and weighs only 3.6 pounds. Available draw lengths from 22.5 to 29 inches and peak draw Fall 2009

weights from 40 to 70 pounds fill a void in high-end bows that women archers have lamented. Yet it has a 6-inch brace height and produces speeds up to 325 fps at 29 inches and 70 pounds. Plus, the Passion is styled just for women, with intricate limb patterns and three elegant color schemes, as well as a camouflage version. The bow has been received with open arms by women archers across the country. Here’s a look at three women who are helping to expand current archery interest and serving as role models for new female shooters.

Tiffany Lakosky

Draw length: 231/2 inches Draw weight: 50 pounds Passion: The challenge.

Tiffany Lakosky is one of the most recognized names in the outdoor industry. Along with her husband, Lee, she is co-host of The Crush and producer of Whitetail Freaks. She is also a Mathews pro-staffer. However, she didn’t start bow-hunting until 10 years ago. “Before I met Lee, I had never hunted,” Lakosky said. “My dad never hunted. “Lee asked me if I wanted to learn how to shoot a bow.” Lakosky recalled ordering that first bow. “I was so excited,” she said. “Today, kids and women are so lucky. They have so many more options. “I shot 3D leagues for two years before hunting. Of course, Lee always made me shoot from the men’s stakes to get better. But it was good, because then I started beating the men.” Tiffany started going hunting with Lee, too, but not with a weapon in hand. “I just enjoyed being out together with him,” she said. One evening, Lee asked Tiffany if

she wanted to go hunting that night. “We went to a spot in Minnesota, and I was so nervous in the tree stand,” she said. “It was totally different now that I was holding the bow. “Three smaller bucks came by, and I knew I wanted to shoot one. That’s when I was hooked.” Today, Lakosky’s passion for bowhunting stems from her love for a challenge. “I’m pretty experienced now, and I love it when I get everything to come together the right way,” she said. “That’s the challenge, and that’s why it’s so important to get properly fitted and have the best equipment and practice. “Get set up right, and have a positive first experience. If you get set up with a hand-me down that doesn’t fit, and you don’t have a good experience, you aren’t going to enjoy it.” Lakosky said things are different today for women archers. “I used to struggle to find the right equipment, but now you can find women’s gear much easier,” she said. “Plus, it’s better than ever.” “Plus, this new Mathews Passion is light, and it looks good. Most important, though, it shoots great. This is the one area nobody had addressed yet, and Mathews did.”

Kandi Kisky

Draw length: 241/2 inches Draw weight: 48 pounds Passion: Sharing the outdoors with family.

Kandi Kisky, of Leon, Iowa, is co-host and “founding freak” of the hit show Whitetail Freaks. Like Lakosky, she is

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a Mathews’ pro-staffer and became an archer thanks to her husband, Don. “I didn’t come from a hunting family or anything like that,” she said. “So I absolutely got into this because of my husband. As ate up by it as he was, it was one of those deals where if I wanted to even see him, I had to do it.” She began hunting with Don, but then took a break when they had their son, Kaleb. As Kaleb grew, Kandi began to hunt again. She started out muzzleloader hunting but picked up a bow as a way to extend her season. “I started shooting, and one thing led to another, and it just kind of grew from there,” Kisky said. “From the management side, with what we were doing in Iowa on our farm, it was exciting. “I started shooting with my husband, and then he started taking me hunting. I killed my first deer with a bow — it was a doe — and I was hooked.” Kisky’s passions are the challenge of bow-hunting and the time she spends with family. “I don’t know if I want to say respect, but you have to get closer to the animal when you are bow-hunting,” she said. “You have to play the wind more and get closer to the animal, so it’s definitely the challenge. “My passion is that moment when you can hear that crunching on a frosty cold morning. You just did a rattling sequence, and you hear that crunch, crunch, and you have no idea what’s going to come at you. Then, all the elements play out, and you finally come to full draw, and you know you have the best equipment to help you make the most of the moment.” Kisky works closely with beginning archer programs. Her advice: Start with the best equipment you can afford. “And never give up. Always have a

positive person to help you and teach you shooting techniques,” she said. “Go to the clinics that they have for women or local archery shops where they have shooting clubs.” Although Kisky lives for the hunt, she also tells women that they don’t have to go hunting to enjoy archery. “Some times, for girls, they don’t want to shoot an animal,” she said. “But their passion can be shooting a target. It’s a way to keep kids out of trouble.”

Nicole Jones

Draw length: 251/2 inches Draw weight: 53 pounds Passion: White-tailed deer.

Nicole Jones is co-host of Driven TV as well as a Mathews pro-staffer. She is one of the rising stars in the archery industry and has become a model for many female archers. Jones has been hunting since she was old enough to walk. “I shot my first deer when I was 6, obviously with a gun,” she said. “Ever since then, it’s been in my blood.” It took Jones several years to try bowhunting, but that wasn’t her choice. “Archery hunting in Illinois can be tough for women,” Jones said. “To be legal, you have to pull 40 pounds. I wasn’t able to pull 40 pounds until my sophomore year of high school, and that’s when I shot my first archery deer. It was a doe. Ever since then, it’s been my passion.” In high school, Jones didn’t have a lot

Lady Archers Are Branching Out Female participation in all types of hunting continues to grow, but the biggest gains have come in the big game arena, and whitetails aren’t the only target. Mathews Pro staffer Michelle Leqve made history when she became the first recorded female to harvest a polar bear with a bow.

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of girlfriends who liked to hunt. “It was always just kind of my dad and me,” she said. “I was a cheerleader, and I played softball and all that, and my girlfriends would want to go out. I would say I had to go to bed early because I had to get up to hunt in the morning. Everybody was like, ‘You’re weird’.” Now, archery is more accepted by girls, and Jones has found a way to make her favorite sport a career. “I love archery because it’s so much more of a competition,” she said. “It’s a lot harder for me to get a deer into bow range than gun range. It’s more of a challenge.” More than the challenge, though, Jones is just crazy about whitetails. “I was born and raised hunting whitetails in southern Illinois, and I was spoiled. Now, even after traveling in Africa and Alaska, whitetails are still my No. 1 passion.” Jones said the key for women just getting into archery is to practice. “That’s something I did a lot,” she said. “I did different workouts with weights to be able to pull 40 pounds. “I was determined. I actually used a milk jug. I know that sounds goofy, but it worked. I would also keep my bow around if I was watching TV. I would just pull back my bow and hold it.” Jones said the key is to be confident. Even if you don’t have a male mentor, you can still go out and do it. “Don’t get me wrong, that’s where I got started,” she said. “I attribute everything to my dad. Without him, I wouldn’t have this love. But in the same sense, a lot of women think that’s the only way they can get out there. That’s just not true. If you don’t have a male mentor around, don’t close the door. Go learn at a local archery shop.” Jones’ final tip is to be careful of used bows. “Make sure you have the right draw length, and you’re not pulling back your boyfriend’s old bow that’s too long for you and that you can barely get back,” she said. “Find a bow that fits you, and you might just find a new passion.” Check out the new Passion at your authorized Mathews retailer or at www.mathewsinc.com.

Fall 2009