GUEST POST: Jacqueline Molina of Long Island Babes and Bucks on the Empowerment of Female Hunters and Anglers

Whether it’s hiking with my dog Bella, visiting state parks up and down the east coast on family vacations, hunting, or fishing, I’ve always been in love with the outdoors. In the last 10 years, that love has really skyrocketed. There are few moments I treasure more than watching the sunrise, solo in the woods, witnessing the ecosystem come alive. There’s something very therapeutic about it. I always tell people the best sunrises that I have ever seen are either in the woods or out on the water. 

We’re very lucky here on Long Island. Depending where you live, you can be seconds from the water and have the woods next to you, too. Where I live, I can hunt deer or duck in the morning and be on a boat fishing in the afternoon. The opportunities are endless. Every chance I get, I escape into the woods with the hope of harvesting a deer or pursue the rush of fishing offshore. Being 80 miles out to sea with no cell service, waiting for that ‘first light, first bite’ never gets old. 

I’ve always had the utmost respect for animals, and that has drawn me deeper into the world of the outdoors. I feel that hunting and fishing, if approached correctly, is one of the best ways to bring us closer to wildlife. There’s something intimate about understanding how animals move and what their patterns are. Each spring, as a hunter, it’s amazing to observe the deer population - seeing new life being born, watching them mature and grow. On the other end of the spectrum, the whole process of harvesting a deer is always an emotional experience. It’s all of the hard work, practice, offseason prep, and time in the woods coming together in the perfect moment where I can provide myself, friends, and family with food for months. The only meat I buy is grilled chicken. Otherwise, I am eating and living off what I harvest - venison, black sea bass, tuna, fluke, thresher. I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Building a Community

Before I started in the outdoors world, I perceived hunting and fishing to be things that ‘men did’. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t exposed to it as something that was really represented in the female community as much. When I started hunting, I didn’t personally know any other females on Long Island that hunted. I knew a few girls that fished, or would see them out on fishing boats but that was really the extent of it. I remember walking into one of my  local archery shops with my pink bow and arrows, and as I was preparing to shoot in a lane, I could feel all eyes on me. I was the only girl there. Could it have been my pink bow? Maybe. Was it because I was the only female there? Definitely. 

Now, all that is absolutely changing. The use of social media is bringing female hunters and anglers together from across the country. Seeing women from various backgrounds and ethnicities is amazing. Being a woman in a field dominated by men can be intimidating, but now that we can see other females making their mark in the hunting and fishing communities, women are feeling more empowered. Empowerment is a main goal of Long Island Babes and Bucks, and there are a lot of great organizations that aren’t necessarily female-specific (like Strong Island Bow Hunting and Long Island Salt Savages), that are also very supportive of women taking up the trade. This support from the overall community is great and incredibly important.

I’m not sure of the exact numbers, but the statistics for females getting their hunting license over the past few years has increased tremendously. Social media has definitely been important as far as spreading the word about female hunters and anglers and giving them the support and confidence to pursue their passion. It’s been awesome seeing women who may have previously thought they could only hunt or fish with their boyfriend or husband learn to navigate public land, earn their own private spots, and hopping on offshore charters.

I love to learn and I’m constantly absorbing and asking questions to enrich my knowledge of hunting and fishing. That desire to learn is one of the main reasons that Long Island Babes and Bucks was founded - to bring the female hunting and fishing communities together to learn, grow, and support each other in a traditionally male-dominated field.

Long Island Babes and Bucks

The start of LIBB is actually a funny story. I was at Smith Point Archery getting in some practice by myself, you know, just me and my pink bow and arrows lol. As I was shooting in my lane, I noticed there was another female shooting as well - which I had never seen before. I got really excited and I could tell she (Julia) was excited as well. We immediately hit it off and exchanged numbers. Julia lives on Shelter Island and was preparing to do an article for the New York Times on female hunters. I was honored when she reached out to ask if I would want to participate. I agreed and, from there, the NYT reporter asked if I knew anyone else that would be a good fit for the piece. I had become friendly with Marissa from Facebook (I had commented on one of her hunting photos). She and I met up for the first time while the NYT photographer was accompanying us on a hunt. The article dropped in February of 2020, and we agreed we had to do something with all of the energy, attention, and positive feedback it received. And that is how Long Island Babes and Bucks was formed. 

Today, LIBB is an all female founded (and run) organization of hunters and anglers based on Long Island, but we have members in Queens, Manhattan, Upstate New York, Texas, and Florida to name a few other places. We empower women in the spheres of hunting and fishing by providing support, role-modeling, mentorship, and cooperative events to unite women of similar passions and conviction. We also foster new hunting and learning opportunities. A second aspect of our efforts is to provide conservation (both wildlife & sea life) and community wellness. We hold events and fundraisers each year, the proceeds of which are donated to groups who fall in those categories. It’s refreshing to be around a community of women who are all strong, beautiful, smart, and share the same passions for hunting, fishing and the outdoors.  A year ago, I didn’t have a single female friend that liked the same hobbies as me. Now, we have over 200 women in our Facebook group and over 3,000 followers on social media including women from all over the country that love sharing their photos and experiences with us. In addition to watching these women learn and grow as hunters and anglers, it’s been incredible to watch the friendships and bonds that formed from this group flourish. 

It’s always great when we see people proudly wear our gear. The women finally feel like they have a group that supports them. It’s also been rewarding to bring children into the outdoors community, and we always encourage members with kids to bring them to events when applicable! Every event we have, no matter how big or small, we always, always, always fundraise and donate to a local organization we believe in and that shares similar goals. We’ve done events ranging from 3D shooting competitions and fishing trips, to wine and paint nights and hosting girl scouts for an archery class (which they proudly earned badges for completing).

What’s Next for Long Island Babes and Bucks?

It’s important for me that this group continues to grow - and I don’t mean in numbers. I mean that I hope the women involved all flourish and expand their knowledge of hunting, fishing, and the outdoors. We want to give them the courage to get out of their comfort zones and try new things. I would love for the group to continue to tear down female hunting and fishing stereotypes and give women the assurance that they can be who they are and look how they want to look while hunting and fishing. I would love for women to be taken just as seriously as men are. Many of us hunt, set up trail cams, scout, drag, field dress and butcher our own deer (I dont butcher but I do the rest of the above lol). I want women to be perceived as the strong, smart and beautiful hunters and anglers that we are.

Want to Connect with Jacqueline and LIBB Online? Here is where you can follow her:

On Instagram: Jacqueline Molina | Long Island Babes and Bucks
Long Island Babes and Bucks Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/longislandbabesandbucks/