The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources along with the Kentucky Network of Outdoor Women and the Kentucky 4-H Leadership Center in Jabez, Ky., will host a three-day Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Workshop Sept. 21 — 23 for women 18 and older interested in learning outdoor skills.
Pre-registration is required and is now underway through Sept. 10. The workshop fee is $180 and includes all meals and lodging for two nights, general sessions and materials and transportation to and from workshop class sites. Registration forms are available by calling toll free 1-800-858-1549 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays. The workshop begins with check-in at 11 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 21 and concludes at noon Sunday, Sept. 23.
There will be four outdoor instructional sessions during the weekend. After hours optional sessions will also be offered. Participants may choose from a variety of classes including fly tying, fishing, basic shotgunning and rifle shooting, archery skills, deer hunting, turkey hunting, survival skills, canoeing, Dutch oven cooking and wildlife identification, among others.
Accommodations are dormitory style and participants may request to room with their friends for the weekend. Previous participants may receive a discount for bringing a first timer to this event.
“The fish and wildlife department is making a concerted effort to increase the opportunities for women to learn more about the outdoors, and get a chance to experience these activities in a setting that is both hands-on and where questions are welcomed,” said Beth Spivey-Minch, Kentucky’s volunteer BOW program coordinator.
Sometimes women are reluctant to try activities related to the outdoors because fishing, archery, target shooting or hunting is often thought of as male-oriented recreation. Sometimes, women simply don’t get a chance to see what these activities are about in an environment that assists them in learning how.
According to Spivey-Minch, women find recreation related to hunting, fishing, boating and wildlife watching, for example, as enjoyable as men do, once they learn more about it and have the chance to do it. BOW workshops are designed for women to “get their feet wet” with professional instruction from a teacher whose goal is to make sure participants have fun, and come away with confidence in their new skills.
“There’s no better way to learn casting and basic fishing skills, firearms safety and operation and other handy tips that help us enjoy the world around us, than coming to an Outdoor Woman Workshop,” said Spivey-Minch.
Sessions are geared to beginner level, and designed to give participants a good base level of knowledge so they can build on that knowledge at home or elsewhere.
“You make a lot of new friends and realize there are lots of other women out there who enjoy the same kinds of activities,” Spivey-Minch said. “Our classes help reduce the anxiety, and by the end of the workshop, it’s amazing how comfortable our participants become with things they never thought they’d be able to accomplish.”
Participants usually want to show off their new skills when they get home. They’ll be ready to be part of the next family fishing, camping or hunting outing.
“We build confidence and answer the questions you’ve wanted to ask, but might have felt awkward because of the lack of knowledge,” Spviey-Minch said.”This workshop also helps prepare you to pass on your knowledge to your kids, so they can have good experiences in the outdoors as well.”
For more information, visit fw.ky.gov on the Internet.

Women can learn to duck hunt by signing up for a clinic offered in Colusa County on Dec. 8 and 9 by Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, California. The non-profit organization has collaborated with Wilderness Unlimited for the Friday and Saturday clinic, which offers a guided duck hunt for 10 women who have never tried waterfowl hunting or are novices to the sport.
“Can you picture yourself in a duck blind at the break of dawn when it seems like the whole world is coming to life, experiencing the sights and sounds of nature, waiting to hear those wing beats heading toward the decoys?” said Susan Herrgesell, president of BOW, California. “If you’ve ever wanted to learn to duck hunt or are just beginning and want some excellent instruction, this is the class for you.”
Cost is $200, and participants will pair up with another hunter for personalized instruction from a professional guide and hunting dog. BOW, California and Wilderness Unlimited will provide shotguns and ammunition.
Participants will meet at the clubhouse between 4 and 5 p.m. for dinner on Friday, and sleep in the bunk house. The clubhouse is located in Williams on Highway 20, just 1.5 miles east of Interstate 5. The new hunters will rise before dawn to a continental breakfast and then get out to the blinds.
Everyone will need a California hunting license with both the state and federal duck stamps.
Registration is limited to the first 10 women. Sign up online from the BOW, California homepage at www.bowcalifornia.org or call Herrgesell at 347-0227 for more information.

Note: The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshop scheduled August 19 at Elkhorn Wildlife Area near Baker City HAS BEEN CANCELLED due to lack of participants.
LA GRANDE — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is currently accepting registrations for a Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshop scheduled August 19 at Elkhorn Wildlife Area near Baker City.
This one-day workshop will offer a variety of classes, including Archery, Shotgun, Rifle, Handgun, Muzzleloader, Outdoor Survival, GPS and Dutch Oven Cooking. Participants will select and attend two of these classes.
ODFW will provide all the equipment, materials and supplies needed for the classes. Also included in the $40 registration fee is tent or RV camping, breakfast, lunch and dinner and optional evening activities on Friday and Saturday nights. Participants are encouraged to bring their own equipment to use if they like.
BOW workshops are designed to teach women the basic skills in outdoor recreational activities and to provide them with a positive outdoor experience. In addition to this multi-event workshop, ODFW has scheduled single focus workshops through the end of the year, including Clamming, Fly Fishing for Trout, Kayaking, Pheasant Hunting and Rod Building.
“Women learn best by actually doing activities and BOW workshops give them plenty of hands-on practice in a casual, non-threatening environment,” said Mary Hoverson, ODFW’s regional Bow Coordinator. “This workshop is designed for beginners, but all skill levels are welcome,” added Hoverson.
Information about the BOW schedule and how to register is available at www.dfw.state.or.us by clicking on “Outdoor Education” and then “Becoming an Outdoors-Woman.” Registration forms are also available at ODFW offices throughout the state. For more information about the BOW Program, contact ODFW’s registrar Stephanie Byrd at 947-6025 or by e-mail at stephanie.j.byrd@state.or.us.

West Virginia Becoming an Outdoors-Woman announces that the Spring Workshop at Tygart Lake State Park will be April 21-23, 2006.
“Have you ever wanted to learn a new skill but have never had the opportunity to try? Or, have you wanted to take up an outdoor sport but were afraid to purchase all the equipment and then find out later that you hated it?” asks BOW program coordinator Elizabeth Gallaher. “Well, the West Virginia Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Program is definitely for you! Women who are at least 18 years old can learn a new outdoor skill in a safe non-threatening atmosphere.”
More than 30 classes are included in this spring’s schedule and they include biking, shooting, fishing, hiking, camping and outdoor cooking. Registration is now open with a fee of $130 which covers lodging , meals, and class materials during the workshop. For more information or to register for the workshop, please contact BOW at 304-558-2771 or elizabethgallaher@wvdnr.gov . The registration form can be downloaded at www.wvdnr.gov/hunting/bow.shtm. Come see what more than 1,000 women have enjoyed and participated in since 1997.

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. - More than ever, women are becoming involved
in outdoor activities such as shooting sports, fishing, and camping, according to
the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division .
Women can learn and/or improve upon their outdoor skills by attending the “Women in
the Outdoors” workshop at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield on
September 16-18, 2005 - BUT HURRY - early registration ends September 1! The
Roswell Spurs Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and WRD are
sponsoring this event.
“WITO events allow women to come together, learn together, make new friends, meet
inspiring women, and have a lot of fun,” says WITO Event Coordinator Rosanna Beebe.
“For many, these events help women overcome a fear or distrust of firearms or pick
up an empowering skill like self-defense or archery.”
WITO provides hands-on, educational outdoor opportunities for women from all walks of life. These events are designed to be non-competitive and
fun for women of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels.
The September WITO event in Mansfield will be held at Charlie Elliott’s new
Conference Facility . The cost of the workshop is just $175 , which covers lodging and all meals, instructional sessions,
program materials, use of all equipment, WITO t-shirt and pocket knife, membership
in the NWTF, and a one-year subscription to the WITO magazine. Women who live
nearby and would rather commute to the 3-day weekend event can register for a
reduced rate of $125 .
Participants can pick four 3½;-hour classes to attend during the workshop. Choices
include: Aquatic Ecology, Archery Basics, Backpacking/Hiking, Backyard Wildlife
Basics, Birdwatching, Camping Basics, Canoeing, Common Sense Self Defense,
Flyfishing Basics, Flytying Basics, Freshwater Fishing Basics, Gun Cleaning, Hunting
101, Pampering Products from Nature, Outdoor Cooking, Riflery Basics, and
Shotgunning Basics. Other highlights include a wildlife supper, night hike
opportunity, and a silent auction.
Although WITO classes have been held at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center before, the
September 2005 event will be the first to fully take place at the new Conference
Facility. This beautiful Arts & Crafts style series of buildings includes a large
main conference room and two smaller conference rooms, 9,000-square-foot dining hall
with a massive stone fireplace and adjoining 2,000-square-foot terraced deck, and
two lodge buildings that accommodate approximately 80 guests. All of these
buildings are set amongst the beautiful scenery in Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center’s
6,400 acres. These facilities are available not only for wildlife educational use
but also for business meetings, banquets, weddings, reunions, church functions, and
other events. Call Charlie Elliott’s Conference Coordinator Lacy Mitchell at
784-3059 to answer any questions about your particular function.
For more information about the upcoming WITO event:
Visit www.georgiawildlife.com, select “General Information” and then “Women in the Outdoors” for information and a printable registration form.
Contact a September 2005 WITO Event Coordinator: Rosanna Beebe with the Roswell Spurs Chapter of NWTF at 432-9933 or cre8tdir@bellsouth.net or Linda May with Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center at 784-3060 or Linda_May@dnr.state.ga.us.
For more info on the WITO program, visit www.womenintheoutdoors.org. For more
information about NWTF, visit www.nwtf.org or call 1-800-THE-NWTF.