Women's Outdoors

The post

Learn how to make quick and easy pinecone bird feeders from Babbs in the Woods and one of her favorite toddlers.

Some of you may have heard about unusual snowfall on the East Coast. I spent time in the Carolinas during the most recent winter storm. With a toddler (Pippi Jean) in the house, I wanted to find something meaningful to her, since she loves to watch the birds from the kitchen table when she eats.

First, we went on a pinecone hunt. I would recommend collecting pinecones before 2 feet of snow falls in your yard, but it made it a fun hunt. Thanks to Pippi J’s mama’s enthusiasm for digging, we soon had 6 nice pinecones.  I placed the pinecones on foil in a low temperature oven until they dried.

After the pinecones cooled, I tied a piece of twine around the top of each one. Pippi J liked to help me with the knots. We talked about how the birds would find the food and appreciate it. She drank some juice water and showed Mickey Mouse our progress.

Then, we sp

She Shoots 2: Michelle Cerino describes why she loves Rockcastle Shooting Center and its women-only courses.

She Shoots 2 is sponsored by Vertx

Shoot The Rock! What? Isn’t that dangerous? No, silly, that’s just what we say when we are heading to Rockcastle Shooting Center (The Rock) at Park Mammoth Resort in Park City, Ky. Located 10 miles south of Mammoth Cave National Park, nestled on approximately 2000 acres, The Rock is known as America’s ultimate shooting destination. This amazing piece of property, owned by brothers Nick and Nate Noble, is a family-run business. There is a 100-guest room lodge and conference center that is the central meeting area for all that happens at The Rock. Over the past 3.5 years, I have attended many events there, including our 2013 spring break/family vacation. I now think of Park Mammoth Resort as a home-away-from-home.

Women are invited to explore the finest of fishing at the next “Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing!” seminar, March 8-9 at the Matlacha Community Center, 4577 Pine Island Road NW in Matlacha, which is near Fort Myers.

Photo courtesy of Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing!

The event is held in conjunction with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) through the Sport Fish Restoration Program. “Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing!” is a national organization dedicated to attracting more women to sport fishing and to promoting conservation and responsible angling.

During the two-day, hands-on event, FWC educators will demonstrate ethical angler habits, such as safe hook removal, release techniques, fish venting and more. Local fishing guides will provide instruction on fishing techniques and methods.<

With the Olympics in full swing, LaserMax is giving 1 lucky reader named KELLI a Micro laser system and Shooter’s Bible Guide to Home Defense giveaway. This pair is a winning combination!

Firearm not included in the giveaway

LaserMax® Micro™ laser system — Retail $129

Smallest and lightest in its class, the Micro laser system is a perfect match for compact and even sub-compact pistols with a Picatinny or Weaver rail. User installed on the firearm frame, the Micro requires only 1 inch of rail space, making it compatible with more pistol models than any other rail-mounted laser offered today. Advanced features include an automated battery life preservation mode that switches the laser off after 10 minutes, safeguarding against the unintentional draining of battery life.

Team Smith & Wesson’s Molly Smith describes what it’s like to be a young competition shooter, and gives tips on how she manages her lifestyle.

“You must have traveling down to a science!”

Lost shoes, lost phones, lost luggage, lost Mom … it’s all part of the adventure of going to someplace new or old. Any competitor learns the art of traveling, but I dare say high school competitors often have it to a more difficult extent. There’s the task of keeping track of carry-ons and the concern of equipment arriving on time, but also there’s the additional struggle of managing school books — that means an additional carry-on, likely a backpack bigger than any overhead compartment. But that’s just at the airport.

After that, the rental car (which, thank-goodness you’re too young to have to deal with) and the drive comparable to Mister Toad’s Wild Ride, with maps and smartphones and GPS devices flying everywhere. You will arrive at the hotel, eventually. This adds another level of trickiness — unpacking. Depending on the dur

Shelly Ray, of HERCAMOSHOP,  has worn a lot of socks in the past few years, trying to find the best ones for her customers. Find out what she wears and why.

“My feet get cold!”

These are usually the first words out of a lot of ladies’ mouths when they approach our booth at any show.  First, let’s remember, the best layer of defense is always going to be at the skin level.  Any type of base layer is going to be crucial.

I have had ladies exclaim, “I wear 3 or 4 pairs of socks and my feet still get cold”. THAT’S the reason they are cold. Moisture wicking and air circulation are the 2 biggest factors in your feet staying warm.

Were you aware that wool is one of the most breathable materials there is? I wear my wool socks all year long. Yes even in the summer. If you have air circulating around your foot, then it has the ability to dry.  One good quality pair of socks is what you want. You also want to be sure that your boots aren’t so tight that you can’t get air circulation in them.

The following message is from one of the finest role models in the shooting world, Lanny Barnes. We know that you will read the extreme disappointment between the lines and in her words. We know you gave it your all, Lanny. We are proud of you.

~Your friends at The WON

Dear Family and Friends,

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”― T.S. Eliot.

I went out there for a best ever finish today, but fell short. Sometimes in order to stand on the top you have to risk everything. I started out really hard and ended up bonking half way through the race, but I went for it and tried as hard as I could and had nothing left at the finish. For those of you who don’t know what a bonk is, In endurance sports such as cycling, nordic skiing, and running, hitting the wall or the bonk describes a condition caused by the depletion of glycogen stores in the liver and muscles from an extremely hard effort, which manifests itself by sudden fatigue and loss of energy. There were a lot of girls that bonked today trying to give it their all.

If you don’t go for it and try as hard as you can you will never make it to the top. I could have been more conservative and settled for a mediocre result, but I wasn’t here for that and would n

In this 2-part series, Sara Ahrens’ Offbeat takes a look at gun store safety.

Few interactions in my life really get under my skin like purchasing a firearm from a gun store. It’s sort of amazing, given that my profession has placed me in circumstances that would make even the most tolerant individual become annoyed. I suppose the difference among the 2 is that, as a police officer, I quickly learned not to take things personally. I had to learn to get beyond being annoyed with people, or my career would have ended almost as soon as it began.

Purchasing a firearm with my own, hard-earned money is a very personal experience. I don’t take it lightly, because, in my eyes, it’s an investment of my personal safety, and of the safety of my family. I do not claim to know everything there is to know about firearms. As a matter of fact, I will admit that there is far more that I do not know, as compared to what I do. My point is this — I have certain expectations when purchasing a firearm, and they must be met or I will immediately halt and retreat. I will not purchase, and have not purchased a firearm from a store that violates my expectations. My expectations fall into 2 broad categories — safety and service.