Deutsch said through his time as the state outreach coordinator and previously as a district wildlife coordinator, he realized the hunter outreach programs tended to be geared toward one group: kids. \u201cMy audience is anyone who is not currently a hunter,\u201d Deutsch said. \u201cLet\u2019s find some different avenues to have those people get involved.\u201d<\/p>\n The number of hunters and anglers has been declining nationally for the past decade, which in turn decreases the budget state fish and game departments have for conservation work, said Marcia Brownlee, program manager of Artemis<\/a>, a sportswomen\u2019s conservation organization with the National Wildlife Federation. Because state conservation efforts largely depend on the sale of hunting licenses, a lack of hunters buying licenses can create shoe-string budgets for important conservation efforts, she said.<\/p>\n According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service records, hunting participation peaked in 1982, when about 17 million hunters purchased 28.3 million licenses. Since then, the numbers have declined. About 2.2 million hunters stopped participating in the sport from 2011 to 2016, according to the National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife Associated Recreation report<\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite the shrinking number, there\u2019s hope. \u201cEven within a shrinking demographic, women hunters and anglers are growing,\u201d Brownlee said. She added it\u2019s important to continue tailoring programs to them, but groups should also \u201cincorporate women leaders and experts.\u201d<\/p>\n While it is great that organizations are partnering to recruit more women as hunters and anglers, Brownlee said it doesn\u2019t necessarily show the whole picture.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important to recognize that women have been hunting for centuries,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019ve been a really important part of (hunting and conservation) but haven\u2019t been talked about or their stories held up.\u201d<\/p>\n Artemis, the organization Brownlee represents, is located throughout the West and has hosted events in Montana, Colorado, New Mexico and Idaho. Last year, the organization hosted a fly-fishing event in New Mexico, with many participants traveling from Durango.<\/p>\n