Are You Ready to Become an Outdoors Woman?

Interested in becoming part of the great outdoor crowd? And are you a woman? If so, Georgia Department of Natural resources is offering you some assistance in your quest.

According to a press release from the Georgia DNR, women interested in the outdoors can develop their hunting, fishing, boating and other outdoor recreation skills through a program series provided by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center. The program is a non-profit, educational program that offers a hands-on workshops to women of all ages and fitness levels. The classes are casual and include everything outdoorsy from shooting clays to birding. 

Jody Rice, DNR Becoming an Outdoor Woman coordinator, said the program - often referred to as BOW - is designed to encourage women to get outside and enjoy outdoors activities. 

“BOW offers women that chance by providing various classes in outdoor skills, and teaches these skills in a fun, non-threatening environment,” said Rice, who is also training and development specialist at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center. 

No experience is necessary. The sessions will be led by outdoors professionals and promise to give both novice as well as more experienced participants enough knowledge to pursue their outdoors interests when the workshop is over. 

According to the release, weekend workshops begin with lunch Friday and end with lunch Sunday. In between, women 18 and older can choose from more than 25 classes such as outdoor photography, small game hunting, fly fishing, hiking, kayaking, outdoor survival skills, GPS and Geocaching, nature photography and rope-assisted tree climbing. Firearms safety and hunter education classes are offered to anyone who has not taken either course. 

A Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshop is scheduled for Nov. 8-10 at Charlie Elliott. The center is near Mansfield, less than an hour southeast of Atlanta off Interstate 20. Participants will lodge at Charlie Elliott’s beautiful conference center, part of a popular complex including a wildlife management and public fishing area. 

Find registration information or learn more at www.georgiawildlife.com/BOW or by calling (770) 784-3059. 

(This is from a press release from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division in Social Circle.)