Register by Sept. 7 for outdoors woman program
Registration deadline is Friday, Sept. 7, for Delaware's 2018 Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program, a full weekend offering expert introduction to a variety of traditional outdoor sports and recreational activities set for Friday to Sunday, Sept. 28 to 30, at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes. The 2018 event marks the 20th year that Delaware has hosted the program, sponsored by DNREC's Division of Fish & Wildlife.
BOW offers a variety of 1.5-hour and 3.5-hour courses taught by volunteer instructors who share their expertise and provide instruction in a safe, supportive, and noncompetitive atmosphere. The cost of participating in the full BOW weekend is $160, which includes meals, lodging, instruction and use of necessary equipment and supplies. The cost of participating in Saturday-only BOW courses is $100, all-inclusive.
Participants can choose from a wide range of hands-on courses during each of the sessions. Included are Boating Safety, Building a Bluebird Nest Box, Campfire Cooking, Cold War Bike Tour, Deer and Furbearer Biology, Firearms Cleaning and Maintenance, Fire It Up! (building a campfire and making fire starters), Intro to Archery, Intro to Birding, Intro to Shotgun, Kayaking the Bay, Native Landscaping for Birds, Outdoor Photography, Overnight Hike, Paddleboarding, Rain Barrel Building and Water Quality, Saltwater Fishing by Boat, Seining the Bay, Surf Fishing, Tree I.D., and a Wild Edibles Walk.
A specialty course offered again this year at BOW is a mentored crossbow deer hunt. The course involves learning how to safely use a crossbow, participating in a hunter safety course, and taking part in a mentored deer hunt at Cape Henlopen State Park. Participants in the hunt are required to have a Delaware hunting license and hunter education certification prior to the event. Each hunter will be partnered with a mentor who will guide them during the managed hunt.
BOW registrations must be received by Friday, Sept. 7. For registration packets, go to http://de.gov/bow. Send completed registration forms with payment to Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife – BOW, 2992 Lighthouse Road, Milford, DE 19963. For more information, contact Lynne Pusey at 302-422-1329 or email lynne.pusey@state.de.us.
Scholarships are available for the state's Becoming an Outdoors-Woman event through the Delaware Friends of BOW. To apply for a scholarship, candidates should complete the BOW scholarship application form at http://de.gov/bow. Once completed, scholarship application forms should be sent to Delaware Friends of BOW, 410 Cornish Road, Harrington, DE 19952.
While BOW is designed primarily for women, it offers an opportunity for anyone 18 or older to learn skills that allow them to participate in numerous outdoor activities. Since the first BOW event was held in Wisconsin in 1991, this exciting international program has expanded to 38 states and six provinces with more than 80 workshops offered each year. The main goal of the BOW program is to provide women the opportunity to learn skills that encourage and enhance participation in outdoor activities, such as hunting, shooting, fishing, boating and more.
