This year for International Women’s Day, we are celebrating the outdoors and those who make it a better place for all. We want to shine a spotlight on some amazing women in the outdoors – leaders, role models, mentors, mothers, sisters, and daughters – by sharing their stories, words of advice and encouragement for other women. We want to uplift and empower all the women who share the outdoors. One of the women we are proud to lead Savage is Beth Shimanski, our Director of Marketing. This is her story!

Beth Shimanski

I lead marketing for Savage Arms. I am blessed to spend time in the field hunting and shooting with editors and partners throughout the year. I am a new hunter, starting in 2017 when I started with Savage.

My advice for women in the outdoors: Encourage others to join you! Invite people with you. Help break down barriers and fears that a lot of new hunters and shooters have. Leverage the tremendous resources that are in our industry.

How the outdoor industry can support women: Be willing to answer questions, offer advice and don’t make people feel uncomfortable or look down on them for asking questions. Be inviting to anyone who has an interest to learn more and get involved.

How I Got Started:  When I joined Savage in 2017, I knew that to do my job well, I needed to dive into the hunting and shooting lifestyles. I needed to learn from others and be willing to ask any and all questions. I was blessed with tremendous mentors who took me under their wings and gave me the opportunities to learn as much as I could ingest. To date, I am still learning, and loving every opportunity I have to spend time in the field or at the range.

 Why I’m proud to be a woman in the outdoors: I love being the only woman at some events, and being able to be successful, sometimes more successful than the men! I like being able to help make the sport of hunting and shooting more inclusive to ALL.

Beth’s evolution as a hunter has taken her deep into the backcountry of North America chasing big game. Read her stories!
Evolution of a Hunter
My Barren Ground Alaska Caribou Hunt
Aoudad: Poor Man's Sheep Hunt 

Read more Women in the Outdoors stories!