Women's Outdoors

NRA Women presented by Smith & Wesson Corp is proud to present the latest Armed & Fabulous profile featuring Brenda, Sara and Eliza Potterfield. The Potterfield ladies have each grown up behind the trigger. Whether it’s hunting, clay target shooting or growing their family business, MidwayUSA, this is one tradition that goes hand in hand with the Potterfield name.

The post NRA Women — A family affair: The story of the Potterfield ladies appeared first on Hunting, shooting, fishing and adventure for women by women. (c) Women's Outdoor News

Sara Ahrens’ Offbeat: Sara describes how to respond to a gun grab.

Carrying a concealed firearm can mean that a crime that may not have intended to be violent may become so. Even if the perpetrator isn’t armed, you are. If the situation ever presents, and it becomes necessary to reveal the hidden power you possess, know that there are 2 basic outcomes of that action.

1. The criminal act terminates.
2. The criminal act escalates.

Our hope is that merely revealing a concealed firearm will terminate the criminal act, if not by deterrence, then by the use of deadly force. Although, we hope for the former, we must prepare for the latter.

Though it is rare, it is not uncommon for criminals to make the attempt to disarm police officers. Police officers are told that statistically there is roughly a 90 percent chance their guns, if taken from them, will be used to harm or kill them. Police officers are trained to retain their firearms at all

AUSTIN, Texas — Houston-based holster maker Comp-Tac Victory Gear is returning as a gold level sponsor of the 2nd Annual A Girl & A Gun Training Conference, Presented by Smith & Wesson, according to an announcement by Julianna Crowder, president of A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League.

The 2nd Annual A Girl & A Gun Training Conference, Presented by Smith & Wesson, will bring together some of the top women in the shooting industry and offers participants training sessions, live-fire instruction and presentations on topics relevant to women participating in the shooting sports today. The conference takes place March 21-23 at T.I.G.E.R. Valley, the premiere training facility in Central Texas located in Waco.

“As one of the leading manufacturers of holsters for both the concealed carry and competition markets, Comp-Tac is proud to support the 2nd Annual A Girl & A Gun Training Conference and help give wo

Ruger Firearms recently hosted a defensive pistol class at one of the finest gun schools in the world – Gunsite Academy, located in Paulden, Ariz. A school that trains gun owners to be gunfighters, it drills the concepts of self-defense and safety into willing participants’ heads from the first minute of the first day of the 3-day course. Handgun 250, aka Ruger Women’s Defensive Pistol Course, also qualified participants to apply for Arizona concealed-carry permits.

I joined 23 women of mixed levels of firearm proficiencies in what would become a learning experience that I will never forget. Ruger invited several of its female employees from 4 locations, along with a few female media members, to get hands-on experience with the guns that the company produces. Elaine Sandberg, Social Media/Graphics Design Manager for Ruger in Connecticut and Sheri Scoggins, an administrative assistant at the Prescott, Ariz., facility, designed the event to run like a well-oiled machine.

Sitting together at picnic tables, enjoying our box lunches while wearing fully loaded Ruger SR9s and talking about all the normal things women talk about at lunch with their friends, made for an interesting change – especially for the women who had no or little experience with the guns.

I will be writing more about the handgun we use

AUSTIN, Texas – Julianna Crowder, president of A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League, announced that the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, will host a special dinner for members of the organization’s leadership team in attendance at the 2nd Annual A Girl & A Gun Training Conference, Presented by Smith & Wesson.

The 2nd Annual A Girl & A Gun Training Conference, Presented by Smith & Wesson, will bring together some of the top women in the shooting industry, the conference offers participants training sessions, live-fire instruction and presentations on topics relevant to women participating in the shooting sports today. The conference takes place March 21-23 at T.I.G.E.R. Valley, the premiere training facility in Central Texas located in Waco.

“We are so very pleased to once again have the support of the National Shootin

Dear Writing Huntress,

Turkey season is almost here! My dad usually hunts with my brothers, but this year is the first time that I get to go, too. I’m nervous because my dad says hunting turkeys is really hard — harder than I can even imagine. What’s the deal with turkeys? Are they really that hard to hunt?

Sincerely,

Looking for Longbeards in Lake Placid

Dear Looking for Longbeards,

Allow me to extend my deepest well wishes on your upcoming season! Unfortunately, I am well versed in the difficulty of turkey hunting. I’ve spent 6 seasons stalking my Thanksgiving main dish, with no success yet. I hate to tell you this, but turkey hunting is just as difficult as your dad says.

Turkeys that are stalked by modern hunters are a nervous bunch, with a long history. Turkeys of North America were multitudinous pre-American colonization. We know this because, as Jim Spencer notes in hi

Salt Lake City, Utah – At their February board meeting, the Mule Deer Foundation board of directors voted to add Kirstie Pike, the founder and CEO of women’s hunting apparel manufacturer PrÓis Hunting & Field Apparel for Women, to the board. Pike immediately started a 3-year term.

“We are thrilled to have Kirstie’s skill and energy on the MDF Board of Directors,” said Jim Steadman, chairman of the Mule Deer Foundation board. “In the six short years since Kirstie started PrÓis, her company has filled an important niche in the hunting industry. She has a strong leadership background as well as tremendous connections and we know that she will bring those qualities to MDF.”

Pike started PrÓis in 2008 in her hometown of Gunnison, Colorado where she has hunted mule deer all of her life. Her company taps into the growing market of female hunters allowing her to interact with avid outdoorswomen and she will be bringing that knowledge, an

Learn the skills to successfully cast your line into the sea by attending the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Women’s Fishing Clinic in Fort Pierce on Friday, March 14, or in Vero Beach on Saturday, March 15.

Elizabeth Bender with a delicious blackfin tuna she caught off Dania Beach, Florida. Photo courtesy of Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing!

Participants will not only take home a lifelong hobby, they will leave with a new appreciation for the marine environment. They will learn the basics of environmental stewardship, fishing ethics, angling skills, safety and the vulnerability of Florida’s marine ecosystems in a fun, laid-back atmosphere.

Grants are available for three Becoming an Outdoors-Woman programs scheduled during the spring by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Photo courtesy of Becoming an Outdoors-Woman

The grants cover up to 80 percent of registration fees, which range from $10 to $225. Funding for the grants is provided through the Mel Porter Scholarship Fund, established by previous BOW participants. Those winning the grants must pay the remainder of the fee that applies.

The workshops include:

March 22: Fly-Fishing Basics, John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center, Fayetteville.

April 4-6: Fly-Fishing Weekend, Davidson River Campground, Brevard.

April 11-13: Outdoors Woman Weekend, Eastern 4-H Center, Columbia, N.C.

“Preference will be given in awarding the grants to first-time participants who are full-time students over age 18, to single parents of young children, and to members of low-income households,” according to a Wild

The Rogers Report: Randi Rogers shares 10 ways to beat your nerves during a shooting competition

Smith & Wesson sponsors The Rogers Report

I have been to hundreds of matches, all over the world, but whenever I go to a new place or shoot with new people, I still tend to get a little bit nervous. If you have trouble with your nerves, are nervous about attending a new match or are nervous about attending your first match, here are 10 tips that I know will help you feel more comfortable, have more fun and beat those nerves.  

1.    Know the rules

If you are a first-time shooter, shooting at a new place or shooting a new sport, having some knowledge about the rules can really help you feel calm. If you are a new shooter, you don’t

KIRKSVILLE,MO – The Missouri Department of Conservation invites youth to discover nature with a youth turkey hunt on April 12 at sunrise in Northeast Missouri.

Participants must be age 11 to 15; hunter education certified and attends a mandatory clinic from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on April 11 at MDC Northeast Regional office in Kirksville. Pre-registration by April 9 is required.

The clinic will consist of turkey biology, habitat management, calling and decoying. Shotguns and ammunition will be available for youths to use on the hunt.

Photo courtesy of Mia Anstine

“This is a great opportunity for those kids who want to get into turkey hunting but just don’t have a good spot to go yet, or maybe do not have anyone experienced to take them,” said MDC Outdoor Skills Specialist Rob Garver. “With a little luck, everyone will be able to have the success of taking a turkey home.”

The MDC’s Discover Nature – Hunting programs

Someone wrote me and said that they would read my blog about a startling proposed rule change by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) if it contained the following observations. They would like the article if it contained the word “shame,” love the article if it contained the word “disgraceful,” and chuckle if the article used the term “male chauvinist pigs.”

Well I’m sorry, they are not pigs, but rather antiquated thinkers.

Until yesterday, and ever since sometime in the late 1930s for that matter, the modus operandi for world-record fish under the IGFA rules was that a world record (no matter what junk you have in the trunk) was a world record.

On the heels of International Women’s Day, all that has changed.

Illustration courtesy of Dave Tackett

The IGFA has announced amendments to its record categories. The sexist rule will go into effect April 1, 2014. (The irony of the commenceme

Sara Ahrens gives 10 self-defense tips to defend your self from an attacker at her blog via Beretta USA. 

I was outside of town last weekend, bicycling on an old railroad bed that’s been turned into a trail. It was just about dusk when I rode up on a young woman standing in the middle of the trail. Her back was to me. Though she had her headphones on, I could hear her music. She was too busy texting to see me coming. I could tell by how little she was wearing that she wasn’t concealing a handgun. When she did finally notice me, she almost fell over with fright.

There’s an obvious lesson here, but we can all learn from her ridiculously naïve mistakes. As we have already explained in this post, active self-defense requires continual mental and physical training. Yet fitness and mental acuity will fail you if you forget about situational awareness. The best way to refresh your defensive skills is to take a good long look inside. The basics of self-defense begin long before you are forced to draw your concealed handgun. Here are ten basic self defense tips; they are fundamental ideas that will help protect you from criminals who are looking for crimes of opportunity.

Overland Park, Kan. – Hoppe’s, an industry leader in gun care products and accessories since 1903, has announced a sponsorship agreement with world renowned champion shooter Jessie Duff. With its long history in the shooting industry, Hoppe’s is honored to have a prestigious shooter such as Duff represent the brand in competition.

Competing and excelling in five different shooting disciplines, Duff is recognized as one of the most accomplished competition shooters in the world. In 2013, she became the first woman ever to earn the title of Grand Master (GM), the highest ranking the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) awards a shooter.

“It’s an honor to partner with Hoppe’s, a brand that has a long-standing reputation in the industry, and one that goes back to my first memory of shooting

She Shoots 2: Michelle Cerino describes why and how she became a Hunter Education instructor.

Vertx sponsors She Shoots 2

Believe it or not, back in the day, I only shot a gun when it meant aiming at pop cans with my .22. My hunting knowledge consisted of listening to my husband’s stories from deer camp. Lame, I know. This all changed, however, when my youngest son wanted to start deer hunting. Hunter or not, I’d have to accompany him during Ohio’s youth shotgun season, and I had a lot to learn before doing so.

During this time, my husband decided, or as he said, “Was convinced,” that he should be a Hunter’s Education Instructor for the state of Ohio. Perfect. Realizing that paperwork and planning are always a part of instructing, I decided to attend the training, too. With my husband’s hunting and firearms background, and my teaching experience, we would make a great team.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program will offer a basic fly-fishing skills workshop on March 22, at the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center in Fayetteville, N.C.

This provides a thorough overview of fly tying, fly casting and fly fishing and plenty of hands-on learning. Experienced instructors emphasize the importance of basic casting techniques and offer one-on-one instruction. After classroom instruction, participants use their new skills on two trout ponds. A $20 fee covers instruction, equipment, lunch, drinks and snacks.

Photo courtesy of Becoming an Outdoors-Woman

Pre-registration is required and the workshop is limited to 20 participants. BOW is an international program for women, 18 and older, conducted in North Carolina through the Wildlife Commission.

“Fly fishing tends to be associated with mountai

EMPORIA – The Flint Hills Gobblers chapter of Women in the Outdoors (WITO) invites women with an interest in archery to attend a fun and informative one-day event, Saturday, March 15 at Dry Creek Sporting Clays, 1257 Road 137 in Emporia, Kan. Women, age 13 and older, will learn bow basics and safety, how to purchase a bow, where to shoot, and will receive hands-on instruction. Following instruction, attendees will have the opportunity to shoot FITA and 3D targets, as well as participate in friendly, non-competitive games.

The event will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with registration beginning at 8 a.m. Pre-registration is required, and the event is limited to the first 50 who sign-up by calling Tami Cushenberry at (620) 343-9156 or emailing fhwito@yahoo.com. The cost to attend is $60 for non-WITO members age 18 or older (includes membership to WITO), $25 for WITO members age 18 or older, and $25 for participants age 13-17 (includes Jakes membershi

Mia & the LG: Mia Anstine gives tips on how to introduce a new hunter to turkey hunting and how to improve turkey population.

Mia and the Little Gal is sponsored by Girls With Guns Clothing

When a new hunter asks how to get started hunting, LG and I often recommend turkey hunting. That, of course, is after he or she passes a Hunter Safety course. In a Hunter Safety class, a new hunter will learn about safety, firearms, laws and ethics. Conservation is another thing we can learn a lot about while we are hunting wild turkeys.

There were only 30,000 wild turkeys strutting, roosting and rearing broods in our country at the turn of the century, according to the Chief Conservation Officer for the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) James Earl Kennamer, Ph.D. The numbers have since increased to 7 million. This is du

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (Feb. 28, 2014) – Colt’s Manufacturing Company, one of the world’s leading designers, developers and manufacturers of firearms, today announced its sponsorship of national and international shooting sports competitor Maggie Reese. Reese has a successful track record in many shooting disciplines, and already has a full schedule ahead with Team Colt in 2014.

“We are thrilled to have Maggie join Team Colt,” said Joyce Rubino, Vice President of Marketing for Colt’s Manufacturing. “Maggie is very passionate and enthusiastic about the shooting sports. She is a wonderful role model for other young women who are interested in shooting, and we are proud to have her wearing the Colt name and competing with our firearms.”

Reese’s competition arsenal will now be bolstered by a variety of Colt’s high quality handguns and rifles. For single stack pistol, she will use either a Government Model with a Series 80 firing system, or a Delta Elite platform. For 3-Gun competitions, Reese will compete with the LE6920 and LE901 rifle

In this guest post, Andrea Haas shares the story of her late-season buck.

It’s January 12th and I’m sitting in my tree stand on my last day to hunt of the Missouri deer season. The weather is unseasonably warm with temperatures in the 60’s and wind gusts up to 15 mph. It has been a rough winter up until this point with a lot of ice, snow and temperatures below zero. I’m hunting over a five acre field planted with brassica and turnips that has been a hot spot on my property since December.

Suddenly I hear the familiar sound of leaves crunching behind me in the woods. I know a deer is coming but I’m still not able to see what it is. A few seconds later I look to my left and a beautiful 9 point steps out, walking under my stand. I know immediately that this is the buck I am after. I draw my bow back and realize he is too close to shoot. He continues to walk in front of me and circles around directly downwind. I just know I am going to get busted but thanks to my Deaux Girl scent control products he has no clue I am there.

Click here to read more.