The one that didn’t get away
July 20, 2009 by Amy Shaw
Filed under Just Chillin'
My husband and I went fishing 4th of July weekend, at the wonderful Cacapon State Park in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. It’s a beautiful park to visit. We really enjoyed ourselves, but some things never change. When I was a little girl, I used to go fishing with my dad. He would catch the big fish, and I would catch the little fish.
OK, so she caught a fish ... Photo by Rick Wood.
He would tell me, “Georgette, you need to take your fish off and put it back in the water.” It was too small to take home.
Well, guess what? This time too, I caught the little fish, a cute little fish. I wasn’t upset that I caught a little fish. I was very glad to catch a fish at all, because we were there for a long time, and I didn’t think I was going to catch anything. My fish bit my hook and I reeled him in, thinking for sure I had a good-size fish. It was doing all kinds of stuff to try to get away, but it was hooked well. When I reeled my fish in and picked him up out of the water, I just laughed.
The fish had my worm hanging out of its mouth. He was so cute and funny-looking that my husband and I just laughed; and of course he had to take lots of pictures of me and my little fish. So once again I had to place my little fish back in the water to grow bigger for another day. My husband and I enjoyed our time together, and really enjoyed fishing. Overall, it was a nice, relaxing weekend–except when I had my fishing line all tangled up.
She's thinking of having a cracker with her fish later. Photo by Rick Wood.
If you are looking for a terrific place to visit in West Virginia with your family, Cacapon State Park in Berkeley Springs is a beautiful destination. There are lots of family activities, and you get to experience the great outdoors. There are even beautiful cabins and lodges to rent.
You can rent paddle boats, rowboats and kayaks by the hour. They also have a beautiful golf course and horseback riding. If you are into fishing, there are two lakes. They have a beach and a concession booth. Volleyball, tennis and basketball courts are available. There’s a shotgun range, but you need to make reservations to use it. You can shoot their guns and shells, or bring your own equipment.
For those who like to hike, there are beautiful hiking trails. There’s also a playground for the kids. You can reserve a pavilion for weddings and family reunions in the park. They also have a lodge with a nice restaurant. You can check out the Cacapon State Park website.
Well, it's a start, Georgette! Photo by Rick Wood.
Georgette Wood – Member of WOMA
July 20, 2009 by The WOMA
Filed under Featured Members
Georgette Wood was born in the small town of Indiana, Pennsylvania. As a child, she often went fishing for rainbow trout with her father, a great lover of the outdoors. When she was older, he also took her to explore the woods and scout for deer. On their first hunting expedition when she was 14, he shot a deer and she was crushed. Since then, Georgette, now married to Rick, an avid outdoorsman and her outdoors mentor, has learned to hunt and to shoot a handgun. In 2008, she killed her first deer–without shedding any tears this time.
Georgette and Rick own GSS Competiton, LLC, an online sporting goods supply store. In addition to helping Rick operate the business, Georgette is also learning to reload .223 and .308 cartridges on the Dillon machines. Though GSS Competiton does not sell ammunition, they prefer to reload rounds for their own use, to ensure the highest possible quality and consistency.
Since she was 40 before she learned how to shoot a rifle and pistol, Georgette believes, “You’re never too old to learn.” She is a member of the NRA, Women Outdoors and Women on Target, and actively supports the National Wild Turkey Federation. Whether she’s taking a walk, riding her bike or practicing with her new bow, Georgette always enjoys the outdoors and encourages every woman to get outside and play.
NWTF seeks public relations specialist
July 19, 2009 by Amy Shaw
Filed under Employment
The NWTF is searching for a Public Relations Specialist I to plan and implement Public Relations strategies to keep members of the media, the NWTF and the public informed about the NWTF’s mission, goals and accomplishments.
Duties:
* Researches and writes press releases and articles for local and national distribution, coordinates media resource CDs and media events, establishes and maintains contacts with media, various organizations and NWTF partners.
* Specific duties include:
o Creates and pitches stories and press releases tailored to the NWTF’s conservation, education and outreach programs, special events and annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show.
o Creates material for convention meetings as needed.
o Assists regional coordinators and biologists, program managers, etc. with PR efforts.
o Travel to various NWTF events and functions throughout the year, including NWTF Convention, Turkey Shoot, outreach events, etc.
Minimum Qualifications:
* Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field and 1 to 3 or more years of experience preferred.
* Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills a must.
* Attention to detail, and ability to multitask and consistently meet deadlines required.
* Ability to coordinate and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment
* Ability to understand issues pertaining to hunting, hunters’ rights, conservation and the outdoors, and relate these concepts to the public a must.
* Experience in writing about hunting, conservation and outdoor issues preferred.
This is a full-time salaried position with an excellent benefits package.
Complete the online job application by clicking here.
No telephone calls, please.
Equal Employment/Affirmative Action/Drug-free workplace employer.
Kudos to Doeville
Thanks to Doeville for contributing a generous donation to The WOMA recently to sponsor the top banner ad on this website. Look for Doeville to be revamping its website in the near future, and for its owner, The WOMA member Kim Pezzeminti, to become a regular blogger there. Kim’s vision for Doeville, a place for women, is still evolving and we’re delighted that she included The WOMA in that evolution.
Kim attended The WOMA launch in Orlando last January and commented about the energy and buzz she felt in the room. No where in the industry will you find a group of women in an outdoor communicators’ organization that has the momentum and positive attitude that we encourage here at The WON. And, we have a few guys onboard who heartily agree with the mission of having an organization for and about women in the outdoors, and for that, we say thanks and let’s move forward.
And, thanks, again, Kim and Doeville!
You may sign up for a monthly $50 drawing from Doeville by going to its website and entering your email address in the top right corner. While you’re there, shop around a bit.
~Barbara Baird
This is what we’re talkin’ about … little steps at L.L. Bean
July 19, 2009 by Amy Shaw
Filed under Just Chillin'
So, I’m having my lunch and looking through the mail and I open the Fall 2009 L.L.Bean “Hunting” catalog. I’m flipping through the pages, chomping down my Smart Ones three-cheese noodle thing (6 points) and lo and behold, on page 15, there’s a photo of a woman carrying a shotgun through a field — all dressed in bird-hunting apparel. My first thought: “Can she fit into those clothes? And if so, what size is she wearing, ‘cuz she looks like she eats a lot of ‘Smart Ones.’” My second thought: “Kudos to L.L. Bean for including one photo of a woman afield.”
So, I’m going to write to the company and thank them for including this one photo. It’s a start. And, I’ll probably quote a few statistics about the growth of women in the hunting arena, and so on and so forth. And, I’ll respectfully suggest that they insert more women into the pages of their outdoor apparel, especially in bags and binoculars sections, where fit is not as important! You know, I might even recommend that if L.L. Bean needs product testers for a line of women’s outdoor apparel, that we’ve got a whole band of women in The WOMA that would love to volunteer for that job! Any takers out there? Let me know.
~Barbara Baird
The WOMA member Cindy Noyes helps kick off SSC event in Nashville
At the end of May I went to Nashville to represent Glock as the U.S. Practical Shooting Association introduced the Scholastic Steel Challenge (SSC) pistol competition program to kids in Tennessee. More than 11,000 rounds were fired by 350+ kids over a three-day period, many having never fired a pistol before. They were there to take part in the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Championship being held May 28-31. I had no idea how many young men and women were participating in the clay target sports, and I was amazed at their numbers!
Bailey Compton at a Scholastic Steel Challenge event. Photo courtesy of SCC.
If you are interested in being a coach for a group of kids, or for information on how your kids can participate in this organized shooting sport, just go to the Steel Challenge website (http://steelchallenge.com).
Job opportunity with government agency for outdoor writer
July 14, 2009 by Amy Shaw
Filed under Employment
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Atlanta Regional Office of External Affairs in Search of Writer for 15-month Assignment. The U.S. FWS is looking for a skilled writer who can do news releases, and manage project status input for 180 construction projects around the southeast for the next 15 months ending on Sep 30, 2010. The data they would acquire through personal, phone and e-mail, would be used to provide information on the stimulus projects and their impact on local and regional economy, as well as positive benefits to wildlife, the environment, and the American people.
Temp status. GS-type temp – so not a lot of benefits, but great way to keep payroll flowing, or to get a camel nose under the tent in one of the best agencies in the government.
No moving costs.
Need to move quickly on this, with a reduced hiring system (meaning less bureaucracy).
Interested writers should send resumé to Tom MacKenzie. Contact information is listed below.
Tom R. MacKenzie
Media Relations Specialist and Native American Liaison
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Southeast Region
1875 Century Blvd Ste 410
Atlanta, GA 30345-3319
404-679-7291 Fax:404-679-7286 Cell: 678-296-6400
tom_mackenzie at fws.gov
How to clean a hydration pack bladder … or, don’t get a bladder infection
A hydration pack can carry a multitude of hosts – including bacteria, fungus, mold and slime. Of course you want to get these nasties out of the pack before the next trip.
Here's a bladder cleaner from Cabela's that looks promising. Retail: $19.95.
You may purchase cleaning kit hydration pack accessories, and the hanger and brushes might be worth the price. You probably already have the other stuff in your kitchen and laundry rooms.
After removing the hose from the bladder, pull the bite valve off the hose.
After removing the reservoir from the pack, fill with warm water and one or a combination of these agents: mild liquid dish soap, 2 tsp. liquid bleach and/or 2 tsp. baking soda. If you’re only using water and soap, then wash, rinse and dry the reservoir and tube. If you add bleach or baking soda, let the solution sit in the water reservoir overnight. You can use a baby-bottle brush or a long-handled foam paintbrush, which gets into the seams well. Don’t forget to clean the port where the hose attaches. Rinse well.
Clean the tube with one of the aforementioned cleaning solutions and scrub with specially made brush, a long pipe cleaner or a flexible wire covered with cloth. Clean the bite valve, too.
Wash the cloth pack according to manufacturer’s directions, or hand wash in cold water and let drip-dry.
~The “Gear Gal,” Barbara Baird
Kay Miculek takes top honors at Sportsman’s Team Challenge
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (June 26, 2009) – Smith & Wesson Corp., announced that Team Smith & Wesson took home top honors in three divisions during the 2009 Sportsman’s Team Challenge (STC) held in San Antonio, Texas. The Smith & Wesson Men’s Team, composed of Doug Koenig, Jerry Miculek and Michael Plaxco, fired the top score of the championship and won the Industry Open Class for the sixth consecutive year.
In the Women’s Division, the Smith & Wesson Ladies Team placed second overall after an intense final round of competition. Debuting in the Junior Division, the Smith & Wesson Junior Team placed first in the preliminary division and finished the championship match in third place.
“In order to be successful at the STC, you need to have confidence in your teammates as well as an efficiency in three different firearms disciplines,” said Michael Plaxco, District Sales Manager and member of Team Smith & Wesson. “The three-man team aspect of this match adds a different level of complexity and fortunately I have known and worked with both Doug and Jerry for several years. Each of us brings a diverse skill set to the team and we have a great familiarity with one another. This year’s match was extremely competitive from the first shot and our team is very proud of the way we performed.”
Kay Miculek, Justin Hendrix and Annette Aysen shoot for Team Smith & Wesson. Photo courtesy of Smith & Wesson.
During this year’s STC match, the Smith & Wesson sponsored team of Kay Miculek, Justin Hendrix and Annette Aysen were once again back in action competing under the Team Smith & Wesson banner. After finishing the preliminary round in second place, the Ladies Team maintained a strong performance and finished the championships in an impressive second place overall.
The 2009 Sportsman’s Team Challenge featured 96 teams vying for the three-gun national title. During the annual competition, each member of every team is required to shoot three firearms – rifle, pistol and shotgun. There are six individual events and all shots by every team member are used to calculate the final score. The events for the Sportsman’s Team challenge include: Rifle; Combo; Handgun; Mixed Bag; Flush and Flurry. The first event, Rifle, requires shooters to use a .22 rifle while firing at 46 steel targets that vary in size, distance and point value. The next event, Combo, requires teams to use one .22 rifle and two .22 handguns as they shoot 50 targets ranging in distance from 25 to 80 yards. The last metallic event is Handgun, in which shooters compete in a relay, firing at 48 total targets within restricted time limits. The final three events take competitors to the shotgun course where they engage in three unique 50-bird sporting clay style matches.
For more information on the Sportsman’s Team Challenge, visit www.sportsmansteamchallenge.com.
Discombobulation: lightening up helps end confusion.
July 12, 2009 by Amy Shaw
Filed under Business to Business: TIPS for WOMA members!
The definition of this little-used word is “confusion.” With so much going on in the world, and at work, it’s easy to become discombobulated. Read more
