NRA Women and all women Second Amendment supporters around the country are living in a great time. There are numerous organizations at our disposal whose goal is to introduce us to firearms, offer a variety of outdoor activities to try, and to teach us how to safely and properly carry a firearm for self-defense purposes. Recently I had the great opportunity to participate in one such event and meet the lady behind her wonderful organization. In 2010 Amy Ray founded Sisterhood Outdoors, which combines all these activities and offers women a great outdoor experience, with a focus on the proper and safe use of firearms.
Inspiration
Amy did not know it at the time, but the inspiration for Sisterhood Outdoors was planted in her at a very young age. Growing up in northwest Georgia, she thought it was normal to live off the land, because that is what her grandparents did and how she was raised. Her grandfather always had a garden, was a beekeeper, and he hunted to provide meat for the table. Her grandmother canned extra venison, vegetables and fruit to sustain them during periods when there was no game to hunt or fruits and vegetables to harvest. Amy has memories of her being an incredible cook, making every meal from scratch, and Sunday afternoon family fish fries topped off with homemade ice cream. (Image: the author, left, with SO founder Amy Ray)
This was during a time when young girls and women typically did not venture into the wild. It was common they were kept around the home to learn the domestic duties that all young ladies were expected to know. Thankfully Amy was not typecasted to these traditional roles. Because her dad liked to build and improve homes, then sell them only to do it all over again, Amy grew living in several different houses. Consequently, there was always land to explore and horses to ride. Her father taught her to ride quarter horses, operate motorboats, ski and have an appreciation for the outdoors.
Amy says the most transforming activity that shaped her was her father teaching her firearm safety, how to shoot BB guns, rifles, shotguns and revolvers. Even though she learned how to shoot, Amy was never taught how to hunt until she married her husband, Scott. Amy said this made her father very happy because he suddenlty had a new hunting partner. In addition to the hunts that Amy shared with her husband, she created new memories with her father. Since her transformation as a hunter, she has experienced long-range shooting, elk hunting, and hunting in South Africa.
Catalyst
The catalyst for creating Sisterhood Outdoors came about when Amy tried to find other women with whom to hunt. She quickly discovered a definite void in this area, some of which can be attributed to the outdated belief that women belong in the kitchen and not in the outdoors, and that hunting and guns were only for the guys to enjoy.
Amy also soon learned that there are many women who did not have same childhood experiences and upbringing that she had. She said many of the ladies that she knew and those she contacted lacked the knowledge or confidence to participate in outdoor activities. In her pursuit to find other women to hunt with, she discovered that although groups created for and by women did exist, they were few and far between.
Amy eventually came across a group called “Babes, Bullets and Broadheads” that was started by three Tennessee women. She began hunting with them, was soon added to their staff, and later purchased the business from them. Amy knew the importance of a group like this remaining active for all the women like herself who needed a group of friends with whom to hunt. Amy changed the name to Sisterhood Outdoors and launched a new logo and website.
Sisterhood Outdoors
Sisterhood Outdoors continues to grow in membership and opportunities today since its 2010 launch. Its goal is to mentor women who have a desire to participate in outdoor activities, especially hunting and the shooting sports. The goal is to make opportunities affordable, accessible and friendly to participants of all abilities. Amy shares that this was truly a calling, with the love and support of her family, she was afforded the privilege to introduce women to the outdoors, and her reward is the friendships and memories made afield. She wanted to create a safe space for women who wanted to participate in outdoor activities with other likeminded ladies. (Read my article, "Breaking Clays with my New Sisters," about the Beretta Shotgun Experience held in Wisconsin in September 2025 to see an example of the events the group puts on.)
Sisterhood Outdoors has a dedicated and loyal staff and several partners, many of which have been with the group since the beginning. There are experienced hunters, champion callers, licensed guides, outfitters, certified instructors and more. The staff and partners coordinate many opportunities and activities including hunts, shoots, and woods-and-water events. They try not to over sell these events so that each participant gets a unique, memorable, and personalized experience. Sisterhood Outdoors mentors not only teach responsible gun ownership to their participants and event attendees, but also conservation awareness both on the range and in the field. (Image: SisterhoodOutdoors.com)
Adventures
Staff members are tireless in their support of mentoring and sharing their love of hunting and the shooting sports with others. Sisterhood Outdoors leaders step up to advertise, organize, host and mentor their favorite events and hunts year after year. Some of these adventures include backpacking trips, snowmobiling excursions, horseback riding in the back country, camping and hiking. Other activities include shooting range days, hog and deer hunting in Georgia and North Carolina, archery hunting sika deer in Maryland, waterfowl hunting in Arkansas, and cow elk hunts in Wyoming.
Staff are constantly seeking partners in the industry to help outfit these ladies who participate have the right gear, equipment, firearms, clothing, footwear, and everything else that goes along with feeling comfortable, successful and welcome in the outdoors. Their reach to the outdoor market for women continues to grow and it is a mutual benefit to have partners to share in that success.
Sisterhood Outdoors literature says, “We create moments of belonging in the outdoors. Everyone deserves a chance to learn about the outdoor lifestyle, and we want to be there for you. To us it is personal, and we promise a personal experience if you plan a trip with us.”
If you are around this group long enough you will hear a frequently stated motto “You’ve got to give it away to keep it.” This means you must mentor, educate and empower the next generation young women who are Second Amendment supporters who fight for our rights through hunting, shooting and conservation.
For more information on how to become involved, visit sisterhoodoutdoors.com.
