NEW TRIPOLI For more than a decade, Katrina Skrapits of Danielsville has made it her mission to introduce women to hunting and the outdoors in her role as a volunteer leader with the National Wild Turkey Federation.

For a number of years she was the chair of the NWTF's annual Women in the Outdoors event at the Ontelaunee Rod and gun Club in New Tripoli, which this year is Saturday, June 14, and now she serves as the president of the Northampton County-based Walking Purchase Chapter for the conservation organization. It has been the work of numerous individuals like Skrapits, as well as fish and wildlife agencies and conservation organizations that have helped drive a growth in the number of female hunters in recent years.According to the 2012 "Women in the Outdoors" report from Southwick Associates of Florida, women have become the fastest growing segment of the hunting and shooting community, making up as much as 11 percent of all hunters. In 2006, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation reported that 1.2 million women hunted, and five years later, that number had climbed to 1.5 million, a 25-percent increase.For Skrapits, the road to becoming a turkey hunter was a combination of learning about the outdoors from a loved one, then taking that foundation and expanding upon it thanks to the support of others who had a passion for the sport. As a young girl, Skrapits was introduced to hunting by her father, Glenn Dressler, but it was not until she attended her first Women in the Outdoors event that she developed an interest in pursuing wily gobblers."I didn't really know much about turkeys and turkey hunting until I took a turkey hunting class at the Women in the Outdoors event," Skrapits said. "With the knowledge and confidence I learned and used during my first turkey hunt, my passion soared. Since then, I have hunted Pennsylvania black bear, mule deer, antelope and a few of the other subspecies of the wild turkey, the Merriam's and Rio Grande."NWTF Marketing Communications director Karen Lee for the NWTF says she has definitely seen an upswing in female participation in hunting in recent years. According to Lee, there are a variety of reasons more women are now taking up hunting including the opportunity to spend time with loved ones, connect with a clean food source and experience the challenge of the sport, as well as the expansion of opportunities to learn about hunting and conservation in recent years."I believe many elements come into play, and that it's an individual journey as to why anyone starts hunting," Lee said. "Traditionally, and I consistently hear this through shared stories of women NWTF members, many women weren't "raised" to hunt."You hear those stories all the time of "My dad didn't think hunting was appropriate for girls," but I also hear wonderful stories of women who were taught to hunt and embraced hunting early on. I see those women as ready-to-go mentors for those of us who came to hunting as adults."In an effort to provide more women with opportunities to learn about hunting and outdoors pursuits, state fish and wildlife agencies and conservation organizations have developed a number of outreach programs and initiatives in the past 10-15 years. Since 1998, the NWTF has offered its WITO program, having a positive impact on tens of thousands of women throughout the nation."The NWTF Women in the Outdoors program is a gateway to introduce women to conservation, the shooting sports and a variety of outdoor pursuits," Lee said. "It offers a warm, inviting environment for them to learn, have fun and try something new. It also plugs them into a network of mentors if they choose to pursue hunting or shooting after trying it."For Skrapits, her role as one of the NWTF's volunteer leaders provides an excellent opportunity to make a difference in the outdoors community, not only by helping to conserve and enhance habitat for the wild turkey, but also by reaching out to others who may be interested in learning about the outdoors. She says the efforts of committed family members and volunteers who provide opportunities, knowledge and support to women who want to learn to hunt is vital for the future growth of the sport."If someone's not sure about whether they want to hunt, I ask them questions to find out why they are on the fence," Skrapits said. "Then I tell them how fun it is talking to the turkeys and how you can interact with them."Regardless if you have any action or not, it's peaceful out in the woods, and you see a variety of other wildlife. It really is medicine for your soul."For registration and information on the Women in the Outdoors event at Ontelaunee Rod and Gun Club, contact Dana Krisko at 610-799-4716.