OK, I know if you're reading this page, chances are you're already a hunter. But tell me this: Do you know any women or girls who might be interested in hunting, or at least in trying out shooting?
If you do, please let them know about three fantastic opportunities coming up - all of them geared toward novice women. In other words, they don't need to worry about feeling stupid around a bunch of experts - they'll be surrounded by other women who know as little about shooting and hunting as they do.
Click here for a map of event locations, and keep reading for the details: Read more...
Women's shooting clinic
Sunday May 16 in Jackson
The True Sportsman Club will offer a women's shooting clinic where the club provides guns, ammo, targets and instruction - all you need to bring is a good attitude. I went to this one two years ago with my friends Hellen and Lucrezia and they had a BLAST. No pun intended.
Registration deadline: Friday May 14.
Cost: $25.
Contact: Kathleen Lynch, 209-267-0385.
Women's trapshooting clinic
Saturday June 19 in Lincoln
The NRA Foundation brings us "Women on Target," which will teach women trapshooting using 12-gauge shotguns - all guns, shells, targets, ear and eye protection provided. (Trapshooting is great practice for upland bird hunting - pheasants, etc. - which happens to be very popular with women.) Click here for a flier.
Registration deadline: Wednesday May 19.
Cost: $75.
Contact: Clinic director Patricia McLelland-Merydith, 530-852-9719 or 530-333-5937.
Women's shooting/licensing/hunting clinic
Saturday-Sunday Sept. 25-26 in Rio Vista
This one is amazing: In one weekend, women can learn to shoot, take their hunter education course, get their hunting license and go on their first hunt (for pheasants), all courtesy of California Waterfowl. This program condenses what can be a lengthy process into just two days, and if you don't have a gun yet, Cal Waterfowl can provide a loaner.
The beauty of this is if someone's not sure she'll like hunting, this is about the quickest, lowest-risk way to find out. If she doesn't like it, she's out two days and $175; if she does, she's just gotten a huge leg up.
The women I saw there last year had a great time. I still stay in touch with a couple of them, and one has become my duck hunting buddy - check out our first hunt together.
Information: Click here to get forms and booklets, and here to register online.
Cost: $175
Contact: George Oberstadt, 916-648-1406, Ext.142.
© Holly A. Heyser 2010
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Three great opportunities for NorCal women who want to shoot or hunt
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17 comments:
I attended the Women's Hunter Camp last year and got my license. What a great time I had! It was great to meet other women interested in hunting and to also go on my first pheasant hunt (I didn't get one).
This year, I will be volunteering and will be providing a dog for the pheasant hunt. I look forward to seeing you out there!
Awesome opportunities Holly! I also saw that Yolo Sportsman's club was offering a ladies only hunters ed course on June 19th and 20th. I don't have the details, but they are really nice and extremely helpful out there. Their phone number is 530-622-2349 if anyone is interested in learning more.
Sarah
Holly,
I love reading your blog and wait each week for you and Hank to post. AS for women hunters, I can't help; but my 10 year old daughter enjoys shooting and wants to go rabbit hunting with me come rabbit season here in TN.
Keep up the good work.
Christopher in Music City (Swamp)
Two of my students went to the first event in Jackson. Click here to check out a blog post on their experience.
Wow--Holly. Love this blog. I found it the day after I completed my CA Hunter Safety Class--I was hooked just opening the action on all of the rifles and shotguns in class!
Thanks for the tips re: the women's clinics. I am looking forward to the one in Lincoln on the 19th. I was also surprised that you mentioned "Lucrezia" in your post--what are the chances? We used to take Pilates classes together! Can't wait to actually fire a shotgun, and get some practice in before the waterfowl season starts. Keep up the good work!
Wow, what are the odds? How such a large planet can be so small amazes me.
Good luck with your shooting on the 19th - shotgunning is FUN. Especially when you vaporize the clays.
What kind of hunting do you plan to do?
Totally duck obsessed and we love to cook--so waterfowling, and maybe some upland bird hunting as well. Our British friend in SF misses pheasant-we're all part of a big cooking group where we get together once a month and help each other prep/cook/eat/drink. We hope to be providing some game birds come the fall and winter. Mexico sounded great BTW! Going to the pistol range this week to brush up on the hand/eye coordination in preparation for the Trapshooting Clinic. You have great resources on this blog and it is so well written. I particularly enjoyed your "most bizarre duck hunt yet" post--very compelling! What a great day that must of been. :)
Well, then, it seems like we'll have to go duck hunting together sometime!
That would be SO fun! But before I get out there shooting--I need to feel confident that my skills are deft enough so I don't indiscriminately injure the birds. We have a trap and skeet club in San Francisco where I will be practicing every week or so. So--I have to find a good gun for me and get it fitted with a youth stock (I'm 5'0"!) Lots to do, but very exciting. I'll post some photos of the Trapshooting clinic so you can see how things go. Take care and keep up the posts! Cheers.
I strongly recommend Dale Tate at the Camanche Hills Hunting Preserve in Ione for your gun fitting - it's about way more than the length of the stock.
But a youth model is a great start if you're 5-0!
Kudos to you on your practice regimen. It won't bring you perfection because it can't mimic field conditions, but it will help.
Just read the article on Dale and your gun purchasing advice--I love your Beretta--it really is beautiful! It's tough in SF to find a gun dealer that has a wide range of shotguns. We might go to a sporting goods place up near Lincoln, CA. Lots to do before the season opener. Thanks again for the tips!
Sportsman's Warehouse in Rocklin? They're good folks - have always treated me well. And they have a pretty nice selection of guns too.
If you don't get what you want there, I can recommend the place down the street from me - Wild Sports in Orangevale. Bought my Beretta 391 there, and my Savage 114 .270 rifle. They've always been super nice too.
I'm so sorry I missed this post until now. The Appleseed Project is free for all girls and women. They have a 2-day rifle course each month at the Sacramento Valley Shooting Center.
I attended the class this past weekend (as a male over 20 years old, my cost was still only $70 plus range fees for two days of instruction).
Check out our top shooter... She's only 13!
http://bisonrma.blogspot.com/2010/06/im-appleseeder.html
Hi Holly - thanks again for the hunting intel. The September clinic might just work out for me. Sounds perfect for a newbie like me, and if I were to actually bring home a pheasant... wow. That would be amazing. :)
Awesome! It's about the most low-risk way to try hunting, since you don't have to invest in a gun, so if you decide you hate it, you can walk away forever.
But I seriously doubt you'd hate it - it's amazing. :-)
Hi Holly and co.,
Enjoying your blog. It's inspired me to sign up for the women's Waterfowl weekend in Sept. I've always been interested in hunting but didn't know where to start...
I just emailed George about the clinic. He says he only has 3 ppl registered. I'm surprised b/c a similar weekend in NH, called Becoming an Outdoorswoman, always sells out early. It's more expensive but offers all sorts of classes - hunting, fishing, wildlife photography, cooking small game, field dressing large game, etc.
Here's a question for you: Do you know of any good hunter ed classes in SoCal? Hunting groups for beginners or women near LA? I know next to nothing about hunting and shooting so it'd be nice to meet up with some other folks.
Thanks!
~~Raquel
Raquel, I don't know of classes in SoCal, but I do have some women hunter connections in SoCal and they might know of something, so let me look into that.
But if you've signend up for the Cal Waterfowl weekend, I'll get to meet you for sure - I'll be there. :-)
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