RIPON, Wis. — Overall hunting numbers in Wisconsin are declining, but female participation is growing, according to Jeff Prtizl, the deer program specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Pritzl estimates that roughly 20% of hunters in Wisconsin are women.

Two sisters in Ripon are proving that hunting can be for women, too.

“You have to wear blaze orange,” said Paisley Spaulding, 12, who was proud to show off her 10-point deer she shot last year. It’s hanging on a wall inside her family’s home.

“The boys actually don’t believe it when I say I got a deer or a turkey, so I have to show them picture proof of it,” she said. “Otherwise, they don’t believe it.”

Paisley Spaulding has been participating in the gun deer hunt with her dad since she was 9 years old. Last year, her little sister, Scarlet, joined them for the first time.

Scarlet Paisley is only 9 years old.

“This is an eight-pointer that I shot on my birthday,” Scarlet said as she held up a deer's head by its antlers, counting each point.

Both girls are ready for this year. They always hunt on land their family owns in Portage. They admit that getting up early to sit outside in the cold and wait for deer to pass takes patience.

“You have to sit and observe and some people might find that boring, but I actually find it fun,” said Paisley Spaulding.

But it’s not just about the hunt. For Paisley Spaulding, the true beauty lies in family time spent in nature.

“I love seeing the sun come up above on the treetops,” said Paisley Spaulding. “I love seeing the stars at night and observing animals.”

She also loves that every year she notices more women and girls in the woods hunting.

“There’s no reason a woman shouldn’t be able to hunt,” said Paisley Spaulding. “Everybody can find that fun. I think it’s great.”