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V. Paul Reynold’s May 28 column, “Is this the role of Maine’s fish and wildlife commissioner?” criticizes Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Judy Camuso over her efforts to bring more women into Maine’s sporting community. But he fails to mention a critical fact: these outreach efforts are working to keep Maine’s hunting and fishing economies alive.
Unlike most other states around the nation, Maine sold more hunting licenses in 2022 (233,443) than it did in 2002 (211,238). Those are numbers I got from Reynolds himself, from his Feb. 13, 2024 column, ” The hunter is not an endangered species in Maine.” In 2024, Reynolds was mystified as to why Maine bucked the national trend, throwing up his hands and offering only “The anomaly is ripe for a more in-depth examination.”
Well, here’s part of the answer: women! Maine now boasts one of the highest hunting license rates among women in the country. In 2011, women accounted for just 10 percent of all licensed hunters in Maine. By 2022, that percentage had climbed to 15.1 percent.
The work of Maine IF&W to make hunting and fishing more accessible and more welcoming is paying off. Or, in the words of 2024 Reynolds: “Obviously, when it comes to safeguarding, and even nurturing, Maine’s hunting legacy, we in the Pine Tree State are doing something right.” I agree, and hope everyone sees that the mysterious “something” is actually the hard work of Judy Camuso and her team.
Rachel Libby
Milford
