Move over fellows, there’s a new woman in town — or there will be in the near future.
Next time you see her she may look different; camo-covered, carrying a bass boat catalog, and tooting the next best duck call. She will be a different person indeed and you like her better than ever.
Thanks to Ohio’s encouragement, more women are gaining new skills and sharpening their outdoor skills by attending one or more events called Women in the Outdoors.
Women’s camp
Female-only and hands on, these three-day workshops will kick-start entry into the outdoor world.
This year’s annual Women in the Outdoors program will be held Sept. 9-11, with ground zero being Carroll County’s popular lakeside retreat Camp Muskingum, which overlooks picturesque Leesville Lake.
Sponsored by the Ohio chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, these weekend programs have become the place to learn outdoor skills and mix with dozens of other interested and interesting ladies who share the same outlook on life.
Last year, this same event won national acclaim as the best Women in the Outdoors program and year after year it just keeps getting better and better.
Many women find the weekend so enjoyable that they attend more than once.
Women of all ages will be able to build their own weekend of activities, choosing from and extensive list of classes ranging from woodland skills, fishing, shooting and self-confidence, many of which are offered at levels from basic to advanced.
Every activity is hands-on, taught by instructors who know what they are doing.
Camp Muskingum is a bunk-style camp so attendees should not expect five star accommodations but be assured the camp is comfortable and welcoming.
Cost is $160 and registration is required by Sept. 5. Minimum age is 14.
For more details and registration information contact Amy Butterfield at 614-327-1041 or abutterfield@gmail.com; or Shawn Dickey at 216-848- 0245 or sdickey@nwtf.net.
Record catch
Massillon archer Tim Makowski recently placed his name on the Ohio Record Fish list by taking a 9.2 pound Bowfin with his bow and arrow July 2, from Mogadore Reservoir near Akron.
Makowski’s state record Bowfin measured 295⁄8 inches in length and 141⁄2 inches in girth.
Ohio record fish are determined by weight only. The previous record Bowfin weighed 8.79 pounds and was arrowed April 30, 1989 in western Lake Erie’s East Harbor, near Marblehead, by John Ehrman.
Fish to be considered as a possible state record must be weighed on a certified scale and identified by one or more ODNR fish biologists.
Ohio’s record fish are determined and records kept by the Record Fish Committee of the Outdoor Writers of Ohio.
Bowfishing
Bowfishing is a legal method of fishing in Ohio and nationally. Avid bowfishers often travel to well-known trophy lakes, mostly in the southwest, where they can hunt for 200 pound gar — a predator fish that appears to have a chain saw for teeth.
Locally, bowfishers hunt shad, carp, and other species, usually in the dark of night.
