| 10/13/2006 MINNESOTA DNR Southern Region Outdoor Column An Outdoor Column From: Tom Conroy tom.conroy@dnr.state.mn.us Women Get Hooked On Pheasant Hunting Watching the pheasant sail off toward a distant stand of cattails, she took a deep breath and explained, "Boy, I was really tense on that one!" Based on how badly it appeared she had missed that shot, I was not optimistic that she would be bagging a bird on this early fall morning. Still, as she loaded another shell into her shotgun I could tell she was determined to try. A short time later she would have another chance. The lab was obviously "birdie" and soon went into its tell-tale posture – tail straight up, front legs extended, head held high, eyes riveted on the ground. Ready to pounce. As the dog sprung, the rooster burst out of the grass. As the pheasant gained altitude and distance, she shouldered her shotgun and swung smoothly on the bird. As the blast echoed across the rolling hills, the bird folded and dropped. And the celebration began. "I got it, I got it," she hollered. "I can't believe it. I actually got it!" It was her first pheasant and if she wasn’t completely hooked before, she was now. Pheasant hunting is officially in this lady's blood. There were ten women hunting pheasants on a recent overcast morning at a hunting preserve near Le Center during a Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) event sponsored by the DNR. I had agreed to bring my dog and act as a guide for the event. I had no idea what to expect. The mission of BOW is to provide opportunities for women to learn skills that enhance and encourage participation in hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities. BOW offers weekend workshops designed to teach beginning level outdoor skills to women. Instruction, equipment, meals, lodging, entertainment and fun are all part of the low workshop fee. Additionally, Beyond BOW programs focus on one subject more in-depth. Among the classes offered are fly-fishing, archery, ice fishing, shooting sports, snowmobiling, canoeing, kayaking, snowshoeing, nature hikes, open water fishing and more. Classes are taught by experienced instructors using a hands-on approach and are specifically geared to women. Introductions, coffee and an opportunity for the women to try their hand at shooting clay pigeons began the pheasant hunt day. Now, I've shot enough clay pigeons in my life to know that hitting those little orange and black orbs zipping through the air can be a challenge. At the risk of sounding chauvinistic, I really didn’t expect many clay pigeons would be colliding with pellets during this pre-hunt exercise. The first lady to shoot strode confidently to the station. She turned the first clay pigeon to dust. Lucky shot, I thought. Pigeon number two was equally dusted. Really lucky, I figured. When the third pigeon exploded into a black puff of smoke I crossed my fingers and hoped they didn’t suggest I give it a try. The next lady up busted two of three clay rockets and suddenly I realized I was having an epiphany. When it comes to handling a shotgun, it matters not the gender. These ladies were all capable of becoming good wingshots. They were just lacking in the experience of hunting ringnecks. Each of the participants had taken firearms safety training and most had at least some experience afield. On this day they came to learn the tricks and tactics of pheasant hunting. Several hours later, as they emptied their game pouches, it was apparent that the mission had been accomplished. Fifteen pheasants were ready to be cleaned. Following lunch, two of the ladies were chatting as they walked to their vehicles. They had met that day for the first time. And now they were making plans to get together this fall to hunt pheasants. For more information about BOW, visit the web site at: -30-
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