Becoming an
Outdoors Woman

The Arizona Wildlife Federation (AWF) conducts Becoming an Outdoor Woman(BOW) twice a year in April and again in August. The three-day workshop, held at Friendly Pines Camp near Prescott, begins at noon Friday and ends shortly after Noon the following Sunday. This Spring's session will take place April 8, 9 & 10, 2005. 

The BOW, as we call it, gives women (18 and older) the opportunity to learn about hunting, fishing and related activities in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. Skills such as gun safety, shooting, angling (including fly fishing), camping, dutch-oven cooking, map and compass reading, marksmanship with rifle and bow are taught. You can choose from classes in wildlife, wildlife photography, wildlife habitat, bird watching (birding), canoeing, kayaking, and rappeling to name a few more. In addition to the various classes, there are a number of evening events for the women to enjoy, that may include, "hawk talks", nature hikes, fashion shows, fly tying and wild game tasting.

Our instructors, who volunteer their time to teach these classes, are experts in their field. Some are employed in the fields they teach; others are experts in their subjects, including archery, rifle marksmanship and paddlesports. Still others are Arizona Game and Fish and U.S. Forest Service employees with years of experience in the flora and fauna of Arizona.

Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) is a program started by Christine Thomas, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Resource Management at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Pointe. The first BOW clinic was conducted in Wisconsin in September 1991. The Arizona workshop is part of the same curriculum and each workshop is organized with the aid of the Safari Club International of Phoenix and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The National Wildlife Federation and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation are just two of BOW national supporters.

Registration, which covers meals, lodging in a rustic cabin, and most miscellaneous expenses related to the workshops is only $195* per woman. Enrollees need only personal items, bedding, and/or sleeping bags. ?Information and registration forms can be obtained from the Arizona Wildlife Federation Office, or follow the links below.

Contact AWF via email at bow@azwildlife.org or call
(480) 644-0077 for more information.