Merrill "Little
Red" Robinson, a native Texan and born and raised in Austin, is a
redheaded sportswoman who heeds the call to hunt, fly fish, hike,
advocate for public land and water access, promote the conservation
of our nation's wildlife, land, waterways, and fish, and for
anything and everything outdoors. A graduate of the University of
Mississippi, better known as "Ole Miss," Robinson initially went to
college to become a sideline reporter and sports broadcaster.
However, she changed course and earned a degree in print journalism
with a specialization in public relations.
Founder and owner
of an outdoor industry public relations and marketing company,
ButterUp Public Relations, located in Austin, Texas, Robinson
works alongside a small creative team of outdoor enthusiasts who
specialize in public relations, marketing, social media, branding,
photography, web development, and graphic
design.
In preparation for
a black bear hunt in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico,
Robinson set out to purchase as much women's gear as
possible. Much to her disappointment, she found little to no
women's gear that fit right, was manufactured for durability, and
the majority of the options had unnecessary colors such as pink or
purple in the camouflage patterns. A few months after she returned
home from her successful hunt, she started the Little Red
Sportslist campaign.
The Little Red Sportslist is a women's hunting and fishing
campaign. The campaign is a detailed list of wild game and fish
that Robinson will be hunting and fishing for, and she has taken on
the challenge of utilizing only women's gear. The mission is to
publicize the available equipment and gear for women in the outdoor
market, to help women feel more comfortable in hunting culture, as
well as educate women on the importance of the conservation of our
wildlife, fish, waterways, and public land and water
access.
Robinson has
already begun to help women get more involved in the outdoors by
creating an all-female Facebook group called
Sportswomen Certified. The group is filled with women who love to hunt,
fish, hike, trail run, camp, and just be outdoors. We're a group of
Sportswomen across the globe uniting to empower and encourage each
other in the outdoors.