Casting for Recovery in Ireland

Liz Kearney details a Casting for Recovery Retreat in Ireland held recently. It’s a feel-good story with a happy ending. See http://www.independent.ie/health/case-studies/real-life-hooked-on-fishing-therapy-1795460.html

Space still available for North Dakota BOW program

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is still accepting registrations for the 15th annual Becoming an Outdoors Woman Workshop, Aug. 7-9 at Lake Metigoshe State Park near Bottineau. The cost is $135 for women 18 years of age or older with an Aug. 1 registration deadline.

The workshop offers 24 different seminars, each of which lasts more than three hours. Classes are held outdoors, and each session contains 45 minutes of lecture with the remainder dedicated to hands-on instruction. Each session has room for 12 women. Participants are limited to four sessions.

Women will learn the basics of hunting and fishing, shooting, navigation, and plants and animals. New classes offered this year include basic boating skills and intermediate archery. Other classes include decoy carving, canoeing, fly-fishing, kayaking, plant identification and predator calling.

Participants will stay in dorms and must provide their own bedding and towels. All camp facilities are handicap accessible. Equipment is provided unless noted in the course description.

To receive an information brochure and enrollment form, contact Nancy Boldt, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, at (701) 328-6312; ndgf@nd.gov; or visit the Game and Fish website at gf.nd.gov.

Beyond BOW kayak event in Michigan

The Department of Natural Resources’ Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program will have a “Beyond BOW” event Saturday-Sunday, July 11-12 to teach women ages 18 and older how to kayak.

Bahnhof Sport in Petoskey will co-host the event, which includes a six-hour Introduction to kayaking course.

The course will be split between the two days, and registration is limited to 16 participants. Instruction will take place in a private setting with female instructors.

“This workshop is geared toward women who have both never kayaked, and want to learn, to those who have some limited experience with the sport,” said DNR BOW coordinator Sue Tabor. “Our goal is for everyone to have a fun time learning new skills with knowledgeable and friendly instructors in a beautiful up-north setting.”

The registration fee is $250, which includes all instruction and lodging, two breakfasts, two lunches, a special T-shirt. Participants should bring rain gear, long pants, a long- and short-sleeved shirt, a jacket, hat, bug spray and sunscreen.

Topics covered during the workshop include kayaking gear and safety, how to plan and prepare for a kayaking trip, your responsibility as a paddler, boat balance and trim, loading and launching your kayak, use of safety gear, paddle selection and use, boat maneuvers, controlled capsizes and rescue techniques.

Check-in for the workshop begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, July 11, at Bahnhof Sport, located at 1300 Bay View Road in Petoskey. Bagels and juice will be served.

Instruction will take place until noon, and lunch will be provided.

There will be an optional afternoon trip to the Oden State Fish Hatchery and Michigan Fisheries Visitor Center for a tour, or participants may choose to take a bike ride around Petoskey on a rental bike (provided as part of the registration fee).

Check-in at the Comfort Inn, located at 1314 U.S. 31 North, will start at 4 p.m. Saturday. On Sunday, July 12, a continental breakfast will be served at the hotel at 7 a.m., and at 8:30 a.m., participants will gather at Bahnhof Sport for the second day of instruction. Lunch will again be provided.

For more information about this program, contact Sue Tabor at (517) 241-2225. Information is also available online at www.michigan.gov/bow.

The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural resources for current and future generations.

Maryland BOW takes apps for fall workshop

The Maryland Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) program is accepting registrations for its fall 2009 workshop to be held at the Garrett County 4-H camp near Deep Creek Lake Oct. 23 -25.

The BOW program offers outdoor skills workshops in a relaxed environment specifically for women 18 years of age and older to learn outdoor skills. Men are also welcome.

“The program’s safe, hands-on approach gives participants the knowledge to further pursue their interest once the workshop is over,” said BOW State Coordinator Patty Allen.

Maryland adopted the Becoming an Outdoors Woman program in 1994. Nationally, the program formed in 1991. Since then, Maryland over 4,000 people have taken the program. The emphasis of BOW is on the enjoyment and camaraderie that goes along with outdoor recreation, whether it’s hunting, fishing, hiking or boating.

Participants choose from of over 30 courses such as outdoor photography, geo-caching, turkey hunting, fly fishing, hiking, kayaking, outdoor survival skills and many more. Participants may design their outdoor experience to match their own interests. Weekend workshops begin with lunch on Friday and end with lunch on Sunday.

For more information and to register for the upcoming workshop, visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/bowevents.asp

BOW offers geocaching in Massachusetts

On Saturday, July 18, Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, a program of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildilfe, will offer a day of Geocaching in Acton, Massachusetts.

What is Geocaching you may ask? It’s probably the fastest growing new outdoor sport in the country. Geocaching is a technique to find your ay around and through the woods with a map, compass and GPS unit AND it is a fabulous outdoor treasure hunt. Instruction, equipment and lunch will be provided. Want to learn more about it? Join DFW’s Ellie Horwitz and Geocaching instructor Chris Porth and learn a sport that you can enjoy anywhere.

Geocache destinations focus on beautiful hikes, vistas and venues and they are everywhere. Would you be surprised to find that there are probably geocaches within 5 miles of your wherever you are sitting right now!

Want to try it? Registration is limited because we have a limited number of GPS units so sign up now and please feel free to post this and send it on to your friends and colleagues.

Contact:

Ellie Horwitz

(508) 389-6300 ext. 6305

Ellie.Horwitz@state.ma.us

Próis Women’s reversible Sherpa hunting vest works hard afield

Go shopping at Campwildgirls.com, a website that features products that make it easier to be a woman in the outdoors. Terri Lee Pocernich just did a big makeover on the site and it sure is purty.

On sale this week is Próis Women’s Reversible Sherpa Hunting Vest. Made with Próis classic lines. Deep sherpa fleece on one side, Polartec 200 blaze orange microfleece on the reverse. This vest was designed for warmth and silence. YKK Zippers. Deep cut hand pockets. Functional for multiple seasons, multiple hunts. Another perfect layering option. Camo Patterns REALTREE® AP HD® ADVANTAGE MAX-1 HD® Retail Price…$129.99 Our normal price…$119.99 our price this week only…$99.99 Limited quantities, I will only sell a limited quantity at this price so buy them now!

Wiley X® Eyewear introduces two new polarized women’s street series models

Top anglers around the world know how important polarized eye protection is to their success—leaving the dock without their fishing sunglasses would be like leaving behind their favorite lure. The innovators at Wiley X® Eyewear know this too, so they have developed two new polarized sunglass styles designed to meet the specific needs of female anglers.

The new-for-2009 Wiley X Ashley™ and Lacey™ are part of the company’s comfortable and fashion-oriented Women’s Street Series™, making them perfect for any work or leisure activity. However, it’s on the water that these sunglasses truly excel. Wiley X’s premium quality Filter 8™ Layer Construction Polarized Lenses with five advanced coatings provide 100-percent protection against harmful UVA/UVB rays, with the glare-cutting performance to help anglers read the water and fish more effectively. Whether you’re trying to pitch a lure to dock-hugging bass, spot wary permit on the flats or fishing for dolphin under offshore weedlines, the eye comfort and superior vision provided by Wiley X Eyewear will help you see — and catch — more fish.

These new glasses provide full coverage to protect anglers’ eyes against eyestrain associated with spending long hours on a bright, reflective surface. And while they may look “pretty,” they are made with the same High Velocity Protection (HVP™) Selenite™ polycarbonate lenses that have made Wiley X Eyewear a leading provider of protective eyewear for U.S. armed forces around the world. With lenses that meet stringent ANSI Z87.1-2003 impact and optical standards, the Wiley X Ashley and Lacey protect lady anglers’ eyes against potential injury from flying hooks, lures or sinkers, overhanging brush and other unexpected hazards of fishing.

Both the Wiley X Ashley and Lacey feature lightweight, yet rugged Grilamid frames that are tumbled and polished for a slick appearance. The polarized Wiley X Ashley features an attractive Gloss Black frame combined with Polarized Smoke lenses, for comfortable, distortion-free vision under a wide range of light conditions. The polarized Wiley X Lacey features Polarized Brown lenses (ideal for fishing in hazy or overcast conditions) accented by a fashionable Cotton Candy frame.

For more information about these new Women’s Street Series sunglasses for 2009, or the company’s full line of protective eyewear products for active men and women, contact Wiley X, Inc. at 7491 Longard Road, Livermore, CA 94551 • Telephone: (800) 776-7842 • Or visit online at www.wileyx.com.

Editor’s Note: For hi-res images and releases, please visit our online Press Room at www.bearemg.com.

BoatU.S. Reveals The “Boatiest” Colleges In America

ALEXANDRA, Va., June 29, 2009 – For young scholars with a passion for the water, heading off to college often means a four-year hiatus from boating. But not anymore with a new online resource, the BoatU.S. Guide to the Boatiest Colleges in America, which helps students find the top marine programs and extracurricular boating activities offered by four-year schools.

The one-of-a-kind Guide premieres in the July 2009 issue of BoatU.S. Magazine along with a list of “The 25 Boatiest Schools in America” — those that offer at least three different accredited marine-related programs, both academic and extracurricular. Students can search the database by state or by program, such as Fisheries, Marine Engineering, Oceanography, Marine Biology, Sailing or Waterskiing.

“This is the information our adult members tell us they wish they had when they were headed off to college,” said BoatU.S. Consulting Editor Bernadette Bernon. “Now their teens have an easy way to find out how to continue boating, sailing or fishing and get a relevant, in-demand college degree at the same time. We’ve found marine-based programs aimed at students whose interests range from marine science and engineering to liberal arts as well as hundreds of teams and clubs that offer coaching and camaraderie from NCAA sanctioned waterskiing and sailing to competitive bass fishing. So even if a marine-related career is not the priority, students can still determine which schools will keep them boating or sailing outside of the classroom. Scholarship information is also included.”

For more information, go to www.BoatUS.com/Colleges .

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About BoatU.S.:

BoatU.S. – Boat Owners Association of The United States – is the nation’s leading advocate for recreational boaters providing its 600,000 members with government representation, programs and money saving services. For membership information visit www.BoatUS.com or call 800-395-2628.

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Opportunity Of A Lifetime For Junior Shooters with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit

FORT BENNING, Ga.- Having the summer off is awesome enough for a kid, putting away the math book for three months and debating whether to go swimming or play ball all day. For some, a chance to hang out and pick the brain of an U.S. Olympian or a U.S. Soldier would definitely be the highlight of the summer. Here, 35 lucky youngsters earned the opportunity to do both at the same time.

The U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit’s International Rifle team conducted a five-day shooting camp June 22-26 for some of the top up-and-comers in the sport from all over the country, displaying the true professionalism of the Army while preparing the kids to take the next step in their young shooting careers. See the rest of the story at Ammoland: http://www.ammoland.com/2009/06/29/opportunity-of-a-lifetime-for-junior-shooters-with-the-u-s-army-marksmanship-unit/

Outdoor Products introduces new line of BPA-free sports bottles™ for safe hydration in the great outdoors

Outdoor Products®, a leading innovator of packs, hydration systems and outdoor gear for more than 35 years, has introduced a new line of water bottles that is rugged, lightweight and manufactured without the additive BPA (Bisphenol-A). Recent studies have shown that exposure to BPA — a chemical used in the production of epoxy resin and polycarbonate plastic products — has potential links to a wide range of adverse health effects in children and adults.

Outdoor Products’ new BPA-free bottles are ideal for backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, fishing — any outdoor activity fueled by fresh, clean and safe drinking water or other beverages. These hydration bottles are ideal for use on their own, or together with Outdoor Products waist packs, daypacks or backpacks.

This new line includes Half-Liter (Model BWT050) and One-Liter (Model BWT100) bottles, available in blue, pink, bright green and grey. All of these bottles feature a wide opening and heavy-duty grip Cyclone® cap that is easy to open for fast access and a smooth pour. This cap is also tethered to prevent loss. A special vented sipper attachment is also provided, making it easier for outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy a controlled flow of hydration.

Each model is designed with an easy-to-read measuring table, ideal for at-a-glance gauging of contents, as well as for adding powdered drink mixes or flavorings to water in the field.

For more information on this new line of BPA-free hydration bottles, or the company’s full line of hydration systems, packs, duffles, and other quality outdoor gear, contact Outdoor Products at 1919 Vineburn Avenue, Los Angeles, California, 90032. Or visit www.outdoorproducts.com.

Editor’s Note: For hi-res images and releases, please visit our online Press Room at www.bearemg.com.

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