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When Andrea Grilz’s friends find out that she hunts, they act surprised and then they ask her what it’s like.

Grilz always has an answer.

“I tell them to try it,” she said.

Grilz, who resides in Ashley and is a teacher at the Wyoming Area High School, tried hunting for the first time this year, joining her husband Wayne during the archery season. She got interested in the sport as a way to spend time with her husband, but soon found out it was something she loved to do for herself as well.

“I really enjoy it. It’s a sport that women can excel at the same as men,” Grilz said. “It’s a rush to be in the woods and see a deer.”

Since the 2009-10 license year, the number of women hunters in Pennsylvania has grown. In 2009-10, 67,165 females bought licenses. Last season, that figure grew by 44 percent, eclipsing 96,550 as females comprised 10 percent of all license buyers.

The rise in women hunters can be seen among teens and those of all ages. In fact, the fastest-growing age range among all Pennsylvania hunters is women ages 26 through 30 – a segment that’s grown by nearly 26 percent in the past three years.

According to Southwick Associates, a fish and wildlife statistics firm based in Florida, females are the fastest-growing segment among all outdoors users in the country with about half a million female hunters nationally.

But what motivates women to get involved in hunting?

Grilz cited her love of nature and the thrill of seeing wildlife in the woods as the factors that will keep her hunting.

For 15-year-old Lindsey Okunieski, she took up hunting at the age of 13 after watching her father and brother head out to the woods every season and bring back game for the freezer.

“I wanted to get my own deer,” Okunieski said.

The Larksville resident did just that in her second year of hunting. She was in a blind with her father, Bernie, during the fall archery season when she shot her first deer after passing up two bucks that didn’t present a good shot.

“We saw a six-point first, and then an eight -point came along and scared it but I couldn’t get a shot at either,” Okunieski said. “Then a doe came out and I was able to get a good shot.”

So how did she feel about finally being able to bring her own deer home?

“I was thrilled. I joked with my brother that thanks to me we have food on the table,” Okunieski said. “But when I took that shot I was nervous. It was different. And now that I did it, it gave me confidence.”

Thirteen-year-old Gracie Naugle of Loyalville began hunting at the age of 7 with her father, Jason, in the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s mentored youth program. Since then, Naugle has harvested two bucks with her crossbow, three with a rifle, four gobblers in the spring and a bear this archery season.

“I just like being in the woods and I was always interested in hunting,” she said. “I wasn’t really interested in sports at school that are going on during hunting season. I’ll always hunt.”

Okunieski considers hunting and fishing her “sports” but added it’s tough to balance school with time in the woods.

“I like working to get good grades so I can go to college,” she said.

And when it comes to hunting being a level playing field for men and women, Okunieski couldn’t agree more.

“It’s not really any different for girls. You still have to make sure it’s the right shot and enjoy your time out there,” she said. “Hunting is definitely not just for men.”

Grilz said she is going to stick to archery hunting for now because she’s comfortable shooting her crossbow. She said getting involved in hunting was easier than she thought it would be, and she learned early on that patience is the key.

“The first time out I said I’ll give it five times and if I don’t see anything I’m stopping,” Grilz said. “Then we saw three deer the first time, and the third time I hunted I saw a big buck. It’s such a rush and it’s worth all the waiting. …

“It’s an activity to share with your spouse and it’s something that we both enjoy, and that’s a big thing for women,” Grilz said. “I encourage all women to give hunting a try.”

Gracie Naugle, 13, shot this 9-point buck in archery season – the fifth buck of her hunting career. Naugle began hunting at the age of 7 in the mentored youth program.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_Graciehunting.jpg.optimal.jpgGracie Naugle, 13, shot this 9-point buck in archery season – the fifth buck of her hunting career. Naugle began hunting at the age of 7 in the mentored youth program. Submitted photo

Lyndsey Okunieski, 15, shot her first deer last year with a crossbow during archery season. The number of women buying hunting licenses in increasing in Pennsylvania.
https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_Lyndseydeer.jpg.optimal.jpgLyndsey Okunieski, 15, shot her first deer last year with a crossbow during archery season. The number of women buying hunting licenses in increasing in Pennsylvania. Submitted photo

By Tom Venesky

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Reach Tom Venesky at 570-991-6395 or on Twitter @TLTomVenesky