Twentieth annual BOW event hits Plains

PLAINS – The annual Becoming an Outdoors Woman workshop was held in Plains on Saturday, providing ample opportunity for ladies who were interested in becoming outdoor savvy.

Cynthia Boehler welcomed the 26 participants to the workshop.

“We do this workshop every year and it gives you an opportunity to come in and try new things and activities and see if you like them,” explained Boehler. “I’m really excited this year because this year marks the 20th anniversary of the BOW Program.”

Participants from all over Montana came to the Sanders County Fairgrounds to take part in the learning experience, stretching from as far as Helena to Columbia Falls and Bigfork.

Participant Coordinator Nancy Fields said two-thirds of those in attendance were locals from Sanders County while the other one-third came from outside of the county.

The workshop began at 7:30 a.m. with check-in and a french toast breakfast. The different instructors were introduced at 8:15.

Classes included a map and compass course led by Randy Hojem with the Plains/Thompson Falls Forest Service, which taught the basic navigation skills needed for the outdoors. Two Dutch Oven cooking classes were also offered – one a basic hands-on opportunity and the other a more advanced session.

Ginger Ward helped with the Cookin’ with Coals class and explained the beginners made desserts for lunch including a cake, peach cobbler and other goodies while participants in the advanced class busied themselves with hor d’oeuvres, creating stuffed mushrooms and peppers for the end of the day snack.

Two sessions of roping courses were also available, one basic session and another on horseback. The morning session taught beginners the basics of roping, including positioning, setting up the rope and how to rope a stationary “steer.” The afternoon session focused on experienced riders who had taken the basic session in the morning.

Participants were able to practice their roping skills on horseback and roped a moving mechanical steer for practice.

Jamie Norris of Missoula participated in the basic roping class and said she had never done anything like this before. The class offered the self-proclaimed “city girl” an opportunity to hone her skills and become knowledgeable in roping, a skill not often taught in Missoula.

As ladies took to wrestling the rope and figured out how to maneuver it in the proper pattern above their head, other women were learning the basics of handguns. The class taught basic firearm safety, proper stance and grip when using a handgun, and dove into the different types of handguns available.

The course offered hands-on target shooting at the range.

Judy Woolley and her husband Charlie taught the class. The two have a combined total of 90 years of experience with handguns.

Another event offered was a half-day session on Montana native plants. John Hamilton led the course, which focused on familiarizing oneself with native Montana plants in their natural environment. The class also provided identification on noxious weeds in the area.

The workshops lasted three hours each with a lunch break in between the two sessions.

Fields said the event worked out well.

“It ended up being great. We had a great time and a good turnout,” said Fields. “We had lots of positive comments on the instructors and the classes and the weather couldn’t have been nicer.”

Fields said next year the workshop will add a new variety of events. She explained each year they try to showcase something new to keep people interested in coming back.

“We try to do something new regularly so it keeps people’s interests,” said Fields.