The Department of Natural Resources Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW)
program is offering a Beyond BOW waterfowl workshop on Saturday, Sept.
26, at the Island Lake State Recreation Area in Brighton. The cost for
the workshop is $45, which includes instruction, class materials and lunch.
The workshop will begin at 9 a.m. with registration and safety
orientation. Starting at 10 a.m., participants will practice their
shooting skills at the Island Lake Recreation Area shooting range,
shooting 25 targets on the skeet range and 50 targets on the sporting
clays course. Participants are encouraged to bring their own shotguns
and ammunition of 7 ½- 8 lead shot only (target load).
Participants should bring three boxes of ammunition. Some firearms will
be available to those who do not own one.
Beginners are welcome to attend this workshop to learn the basics of
waterfowl hunting, said Sue Tabor of the DNR’s BOW program. Enrollment
is limited, and I encourage women to register early.
After lunch, participants will be divided into three groups to attend
three different workshop sessions on different aspects of waterfowl
hunting. The workshops will be offered round-robin style, with the
groups rotating to each class.
Workshops will be offered on Duck Hunting 101, where participants will
review hunting etiquette, seasons and regulations, waterfowl
identification, equipment and clothing, types of hunting, blind lay-out
and decoys. Another workshop will offer instruction on duck calling.
Participants should bring their own duck calls, if they have them. The
third workshop will focus on dogs and duck hunting, and will highlight
choosing a puppy, dog training, getting ready to hunt and field
demonstrations.
For more information on this program, contact Sue Tabor at 517-241-2225
or go online to www.michigan.gov/bow. The goal of the BOW program is to
provide opportunities for women to learn skills that enhance and
encourage participation in shooting, hunting, fishing and other outdoor
activities.
The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use
and employment of the state’s natural resources for current and future
generations.