If you're a California woman who wants to give hunting a try, it's time to sign up for the very best women's hunting class I've ever heard of: California Waterfowl's Women's Hunting Camp. It's Sept. 25-26 at the Birds Landing Hunting Preserve, near Suisun Marsh in the Bay Area.
What makes this class so great? Read more...
Convenience. You take care of the hunter education requirement, shooting instruction, licensing and your first hunt all in one weekend. It took me about two months to get from hunter education to my first hunt. If you're a procrastinator, this is your dream - no room for procrastination at this camp.
Low risk. Cal Waterfowl can provide a shotgun if you don't have one, so you don't have to make that huge investment before giving hunting a try. (Yeah, it was with some trepidation that I dropped $1,000 on my Beretta 391 before having ever fired a shotgun at anything, much less game.) If you try it and decide you don't enjoy hunting, you haven't wasted money on a gun you won't use.
Affordability. This weekend costs participants $175, plus paying $15-20 for the online hunter education study that you have to do before you get there (this advance study is required no matter how you do hunter ed). This fee includes license ($41.50), upland game stamp ($8.40), shooting instruction (costs you at least $50-60 an hour elsewhere), and an actual hunt (one hunt club I know charges $80 for a hunt in which you can take up to three pheasants, and that's on the cheap side).
Impact. You will be set to hunt after this, and you will meet other women who want to hunt, or who already hunt (like me - I'll be there). That proud duck hunter you see in the photo above? That's Alison, a grad of last year's camp, and my new duck hunting buddy.
So, ladies, what are you waiting for? You need to sign up ASAP - Cal Waterfowl can't leave registration open until last minute because of the advance hunter ed study requirement.
Click here for forms and instructions (scroll down to find this event), and here to register (make sure you click on the women's event - $175.)
If you'd like to talk with someone about it to learn more before signing up, contact George Oberstadt at Cal Waterfowl, 916-648-1406, Ext.142. Tell him I sent you! UPDATE: George is also happy to have you call his cell, 916-275-0961.
© Holly A. Heyser 2010
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10 comments:
If you have any questions about the program, feel free to call me on my cell phone also 916-275-0961.
George..
If I didn't live in Massachusetts, I'd be there with bells on.
For your other non-California readers, it's worth noting that other states also have special programs for women who are interested in hunting. Here in MA, there's the BOW program -- Becoming an Outdoorswoman. It sponsors seminars and hunts specifically for women. I'm planning on a deer hunting class in October, and a follow-up hunt in December. Check with your state wildlife authorities. The more interest there is in these kinds of programs, the more likely they are to continue.
Thanks for the heads-up, Holly.
Sounds like a blast Holly!
My wife and I support BOW here in AK- she's been a frequent attender over the last few years and recently a staffer. She had little to do with the outdoors prior to her first trip with a friend- hunting and camping was "guy stuff." That changed!
I can't sy enough good things about these types of programs.
I highly encourage any lady who's slightly interested to attend.
I'll be there, and looking forward to it!
Got started on my hunter ed this evening, glad I didn't put it off till the last minute.
Thanks for the encouragement Holly and George!
Thanks for shining the light on an event such as this one, Holly. I believe these women's workshops are the driving force behind the increase in the numbers of women hunting.
Thanks everyone, and Janna, I'm looking forward to seeing you there!
I haven't been to a BOW workshop, but I read about them all the time. Does anyone know if BOW does any all-in-one workshops like this? I think it's a fantastic model because of how much women can accomplish in two days, and especially because they don't need to have a gun yet. I'd love to see this happening all over the country.
Holly,
BOW does this kind of thing up here all the time. During their summer camps you could go from knowing little to hunter ed, shooting and hunting instruction, to field dressing to wild game processing and cooking.They're having these in nearly every state now.
Here's a link:
http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/Region3/Programs/BOW/
I'm slowly but surely getting my wife's support for my own hunting, but she's still at the "gross-out" point, and I'm just happy I get to go do my thing in the woods. I am married to a real city girl, and it balances out my city/country schizophrenia. I am slowly but surely sliding toward the country side of the hill, though. Hopefully, I can persuade her to at least take some ride alongs on scouting trips.
I am a grad of last year as well and absolutely loved the weekend! It was great to meet other women and to be able to do a round of sporting clays and best of all, to hunt on Sunday! I highly recommend it!
I enjoyed it so much last year that I volunteered my dog handling services for the Sunday morning hunt!
See you there Holly!
I'm a little late to the party but if any prospective huntresses are on the fence about going to this event: Just do it. It gave me a great introduction to the world of hunting without having to buy lots of gear, and at an amazing price!
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