September 11, 2014

IFW to Host Outdoor Skills Weekend for Women

AUGUSTA ? The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is hosting their annual Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Introductory Skills Weekend this Friday, September 12 through Sunday, September 14 at Camp Caribou in Winslow, Maine.

The Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) program is a non-profit educational program offering hands-on workshops to adult women. The program provides a supportive environment conducive to learning, making friends, and having fun. No experience is necessary and BOW is for women of all ages and fitness levels. BOW workshops are held throughout the United States and have been sponsored here in Maine by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for nearly 20 years.

Close to 100 women from throughout New England have registered to participate in the upcoming workshop, which will offer sessions on topics related to hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation. Each participant will select four sessions to complete during the weekend, which are taught by volunteer instructors who are considered experts in their field.

This year?s sessions include: firearms use (rifle and shotgun), archery, bow hunting, turkey hunting, deer hunting, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding (SUP), freshwater fishing, fly casting, bird watching, primitive skills, outdoor survival, forest ecology, fly tying, landscaping for wildlife, ATV safety, ropes course, GPS, map and compass, canoeing and a self-defense course for women. Special activities are planned for the evenings offering additional learning opportunity and a chance to relax (complete with a campfire and s?mores).

The Becoming an Outdoors Woman program is one of several educational programs that the Department sponsors in an effort to provide opportunity to women, children and families and has been generously supported by volunteers and by the Friends of Maine BOW.

In addition to the annual Introductory Skills Weekend each fall, the program also offers a Winter Skills Weekend each February, a Spring Mini workshop each May and Summer Adventure Camp each June. Additional information about the BOW program can be found at www.mainebow.com.

Note: Members of the media who are interested in attending the Introductory Skills Workshop are encouraged to contact Emily MacCabe at 207-462-1017 or emily.maccabe@maine.gov. Hands-on sessions are scheduled to take place between 1-4pm on Friday, September 12, between 9am-12pm and 1-4pm on Saturday, September 13 and between 9am-12pm on Sunday, September 14. A copy of the full schedule is attached.

Photos courtesy of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife