Women tackle the outdoors
(Photo by MANDI BATEMAN) Attendees practice their archery skills during the recent Women’s Outdoor Clinic at the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge and Kootenai Gun Club. For many women, they let arrows fly for the first time.
(Photo by MANDI BATEMAN) Idaho Fish and Game Conservation Officer Adi Watkins demonstrates field dressing during the Women’s Outdoor Clinic.
(Photo by MANDI BATEMAN) Women learn the techniques of fly fishing.
(Photo by MANDI BATEMAN) Idaho Fish and Game Senior Conservation Officer Julie Lininger lends hands-on experience to her students.
(Photo by MANDI BATEMAN) Sometimes the best confidence gained is by letting the arrow fly.
(Photo by MANDI BATEMAN) Participants in the recent Women’s Outdoor Clinic take aim.
(Photo by MANDI BATEMAN) The class gets a lesson in field dressing.
(Photo by MANDI BATEMAN) The best way to learn is to get your hands in it.
(Photo by MANDI BATEMAN) Instructor and Idaho Fish and Game Senior Conservation Officer Julie Lininger demonstrates how it is done with her own bow.
BONNERS FERRY — “The fastest growing demographic in hunting is actually women,” explained Idaho Fish and Game Senior Conservation Officer Julie Lininger, who has been teaching the Women’s Outdoor Clinic for 12 years. “Women are getting into the outdoor sports. It is traditionally, and still is, a male dominated sport, and trying to find someone to tutor you or teach you can be a little bit daunting.”
The Women’s Outdoor Clinic was held Saturday, July 29, at the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge and the Kootenai Gun Club and was sponsored by Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the Kootenai Valley Sportsmen. Approximately 30 women attended, having signed up months ago, as the popular class fills up quickly.
The class was a mix of classroom education, demonstrations, and hands on learning. They learned about hunter and outdoor safety, ethics and regulations, archery, fly fishing, field dressing, fish filleting, trap shooting, gun cleaning, live shooting and more.
“Moving up to North Idaho was a major lifestyle change for us and I just want to understand more about the world we live in and be able to know how to adapt and live in it — be a part of it — and to support my husband,” said attendee Teresa Rives. “We like to get more involved in the outdoors.”
The group of women may have started out a little timid, but with a supportive group around them, and encouraging educators, they soon dove right into the projects.
“I like that it is all women here, so you don’t feel challenged by the men,” said student Francine Dodwell. She had always been interested in archery, but doubted her ability. She surprised herself by picking up the compound bow, aiming it at the targets, and letting the arrows fly.
“The outdoor clinic for women was a great opportunity to sample a variety of outdoor activities guided by knowledgeable and skillful facilitators,” said student Dorey Rowland. “I thought the day was very well organized and extremely fun. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and I’m super excited to get out and try some of the new things I learned while attending the clinic.”
During the field dressing portion, the instructor, Idaho Fish and Game Conservation Officer Adi Watkins, cut through tendons to remove the lower portion of the back leg of a doe. It was tough, not wanting to break and Watkins stepped on it, using leverage to break the leg free. “Obviously, we are not dudes,” she said, getting a chuckle from the students. “If you need to step on it, go ahead.”
The deer used for the field dressing were previous roadkill that had been donated and frozen. The smell from the heating carcasses in the hot sun was more intense than it would have been from a fresh kill, but the majority of the women stayed on until the end of the demonstration despite the flies and odor. The leftover carcases were slated to feed the eagles of the Wildlife Refuge.
During lunch, the students were treated to a sampling buffet of wild game meats, donated by Fish and Game employees and prepared by Idaho Fish and Game Environmental Staff Biologist Kiira Siitari and Idaho Fish and Game Regional Conservation Officer Craig Walker. Among the dishes were elk marinated in a fajita sauce, turkey sausage, moose meatballs with a merlot glaze, bear sausage, jalapeño cheddar mule deer sausage, bear sausage stuffed mushroom caps, and grilled moose tenderloin.
Kem Davis, a native Texan who recently moved to Ponderay, attended the class because her friends wanted her to join them. “It’s awesome, getting to taste things I have never tasted before,” she said.
“I’m from Mississippi and down there we hunt and fish and it’s no big problem to get over the fact that this is pretty rare,” said student Rives, holding up a pink piece of moose tenderloin that she was eating, “and I like that.”
The 30-plus women attending, all appeared to be enjoying the new adventures that they were learning, with some even saying that they planned on attending again next year. “I liked that it was for women only and I’m loving every minute of it,” said Dodwell with a smile.