BOW offers beginner pheasant hunting for women

Women teaching women will involve guides and their dogs at the upcoming pheasant hunt. Photo by Lisa Paine METAMORA — Self-confidence, empowerment and just plain enjoying the outdoors all go hand in hand in shooting sports. It matters not whether the shooters are hunting live birds or picking off sporting clays in mid-air.

However, many take the enjoyment for granted, as they were first introduced to shooting sports and hunting by family members, friends or mentors. For them, getting started was a rite of passage.

For young women, though, many who have no one, or the resources, to help them get started in shooting sports, they are missing out on a life-long sporting and outdoor opportunity.

That’s where BOW: Becoming an Outdoors Woman comes into play.

The Dept. of Natural Resources and Environment’s program will partner with one of the area’s most renowned and oldest hunting clubs-- Hunters Creek Club of Metamora--to offer pheasant hunting to women ages 18 and up.

Hunters Creek Club owner Charlie Mann, will open his private club of 1,400 acres at 675 E. Sutton Rd., Metamora, to BOW and its first-time shooters on March 27 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mann and his staff will join Sue Tabor and her BOW staff, to provide lessons and instruction. The morning will start with safety instruction, target practice, and then lunch in the picturesque lodge overlooking the lake. Two guides and dogs will then accompany groups of women into each open field for a three-limit walk-up hunt.

This particular hunt is designed for all levels of shooters, with beginners especially encouraged to attend and learn in a stress-free environment. Tabor says they will receive extra special attention and instruction.

"I believe the Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) program is a great success because it involves women learning with other women," Tabor said. "There are many women out there who want to learn how to shoot, how to hunt, and how to fish, but our husbands and boyfriends are not always the best ones to teach us."

"Add the fact that there are so many single women and moms out there who would like to learn and pass on these skills to their kids, but have no one to teach them, and the opportunities for the BOW program are abundant!," she added. "We've also found that many women wish to include their youngsters in the program, particularly with the non-harvest classes we offer, such as bird-watching, backpacking, camping and kayaking. So we are offering new programs this summer - "Becoming an Outdoors Family" which will be oriented toward teaching families together moms, dads and the kids!

For those thinking, "gosh, I just don’t know if I’m ready to take this on," I can tell you first hand that you are in very good hands. I’ve know Mann for several years, have gotten instruction from he and his staff, and have shot clay target tournaments and live birds at the club. It’s an experience you simply don’t want to miss out on.

The club is managed and run exclusively for bird hunting and hunting dog training, as it has been since 1958. And the food? To die for.

Mann is a big supporter of shooting sports and hunting, hosting the annual Tall Pine Council Boy Scouts of America Clay Shoot each August, and plays host many times throughout the year to private pheasant hunts and clay and skeet tournaments.

Participants will need to purchase a small game license or apprentice license and will need to bring or borrow at the club, hunter orange as their outermost layer of clothing, a shotgun, ear and eye protection, and two boxes of shotgun shells. Shells are available for purchase at the club. Cost is $150 per person and includes instruction, target practice, lunch and the hunt. As required by law, Hunters Creek Club staff will clean all birds at $3.95 per bird.

Details and registration form: www.michigan.gov/bow or call Tabor at 517-241-2225.