Yippee, Yahoo… We Are A Little Excited Too!
February 4, 2012 by Deborah Ferns
Filed under WOMA News
At the recent Shot Show, held in Las Vegas, one of the evening highlights is always the Outdoor Channel awards event. Every year the tickets for this event are hard to come by, so when you land some then you get to join about 2,500 other folks at the Hard Rock theater. This year our Babes with Bullets team was invited to sit in the VIP section (YIPPEE) as we were nominated for “Best Online Series.” We were joined there by Todd Merkow, President of Outdoor Channel digital and his wife, Lisa, who is also a Babes alum. The hosted bar and dinner was enjoyed by all, along with laughter and applause for a variety of awards, my second favorite award being for “Best Blooper” (now come on…who doesn’t love a good blooper?)
My first favorite award has to been when Todd took the stage and announced the nominations for “Best Online Series” followed by saying the magic words “the winner of Best Online Series is Babes with Bullets.” (YAHOO!) I do remember thundering applause with multiple whoops and hollers coming from the audience; which later I found out was probably generated by our sponsors and fans from OTIS Technology along with several of our camp alum. I remember going up to the stage with Kay and Lisa, accepting the award, and saying a few words at the microphone. (Actually I don’t know what I said but I was told that I was short winded for a change.) Kay then thanked our Foundation sponsor Smith & Wesson, as without their financial support, along with providing the camp with firearms, Babes with Bullets would not be entering its eighth year. I remember Lisa thanking our campers, after all camps are for them and about them. Then we were whisked back stage for an interview and photos. We came back to our table just about the time the last awards were being announced. The rest of the evening was a wonderful time of being congratulated by friends and meeting many new people related to the outdoor industry as well.
If there was an unfortunate part to this event it’s that our head camera gal and editor, Marilyn Vogel of ProVideos4U, was not at SHOT Show with us this year. This award is being shipped to her; after all without the “magic” that she creates with viewing and editing hundreds of hours of tape, we wouldn’t have any webisodes to offer up. And I never did make it back to thank Todd Merkow for his support over the last two years and for providing a home for our Babes with Bullets webisodes which are located at OutdoorChannel.com/BabeswithBullets. I’d also be remiss in not sending out a thank you to Jared Gustafson, our Outdoor Channel producer, for the extra things he does for our webisodes.
The day after the awards event, Friday, was the last day of SHOT Show and Outdoor Channel hosted us at their “Celebrity Big Shots” booth that afternoon. They provided trading cards for us to autograph and we enjoyed having the opportunity to meet with several fans of our series and even pass out flyers about the 2012 camp schedule, which is also available at BabeswithBullets.com. Upon arriving home from SHOT Show 2012, I was tired and elated for both the success of the Women’s Outdoor Media Association, which our booth was very busy with many new members and sponsor requests, and the success of Babes with Bullets.
So Yippee, Yahoo and we can’t wait until SHOT Show 2013!
Bid on a Hunt, Win a Family!
December 16, 2011 by Deborah Ferns
Filed under On the Road
The strangest thing happened while I was at the NRA auction last May; I bid on a hunt and won a whole new family! I’d never been to one of the big NRA convention dinners/auctions before, but my gal pal Marsha Petrie Sue, President of the Women’s Outdoor Media Association (the WOMA) and very active in the NRA, convinced me to buy an event ticket. I met up with other WOMA members there, like Anne Draper from Bear Mountain Ranch and Chris Quam of Hi Viz Shooting Systems. We had a ton of fun along with dinner, drinks and the auction.
Deb gears up for a cold bird hunt in north Texas complete with her clothes from WOMA member, PROIS!
The auction item I won was a pheasant hunt in north Texas offered by the Frantz family, scheduled for early December. As soon as I paid for the item I called my husband, who was left back in Tucson working away and taking care of our four legged children. The news made him a very happy guy, as he hadn’t had the opportunity to bird hunt in many years. In June, I contacted our hunting hostess, Stephanie Frantz. Between her cheerful updates plus contact by her husband, Trey, we spent the summer and fall touching base on a variety of hunt details. Just for starters, the Frantz’s put us up at our own private B&B, the “Bella Grace”, near their ranch outside of Dalhart, TX. Since the hunt was for four people for the weekend, we invited along the head instructor of our Babes with Bullets camps, Kay Miculek and her daughter, Lena, who both happen to be WOMA members as well.
Here’s where I admit that out of the group I was definitely the novice bird hunter; actually, novice hunter period. It was a case of “practice what you preach” since I’m constantly telling women to try something outside their comfort zone. My learning curve to becoming a bird hunter couldn’t have been made any easier since Trey had everything organized in the field. He recruited his family members and friends to come along on the opening pheasant weekend hunt and be “walkers” and “blockers.”
FYI – I opted to be a “walker” when I found out that group gets to talk! Trey delivered a safety briefing at the front of the hunt, and I’m happy to report that everyone, including Trey’s 9 year old son Max and 8 year old nephew Zane, did a great job on maintaining a safe shooting line. (Here’s where I put a big THANK YOU too for Trey’s brother-in-law, Mike, who helped out with the hunt and even loaned me his shotgun when mine quit running.)
To insure that it would be a good hunt, the Frantz’s went one step further and added extra “raised” pheasants to the few wild pheasant that are still around in Texas. If you haven’t been in a coma for the last year you probably know that Texas has suffered through a devastating drought. For any game bird, the lack of water equals lack of crops and lack of crops equals lack of bird habitat. Where this area of Texas once supported a thriving game bird population, now there are few wild birds and they are very hard to find! Wanting to go that extra step for our NRA hunt, Trey planted dozens of birds in the ½ section we were hunting. If you are thinking this made hunting easy, then you aren’t familiar with how well pheasants blend right into an abandoned cornfield. I didn’t realize that pheasants were runners instead of flyers, especially pen raised birds. Now I know why it’s so important to have a good pointer; another bird hunting lesson learned.
Lena Miculek, WOMA Ambassador, gets ready for prairie dog hunting. Can you tell it’s a little bit cold?
We walked and walked, and it wasn’t long before I figured out the best bet was to stick near Daisy, the Frantz’s young yellow Labrador Retriever, as she was flushing up birds regularly. On the first day we had close to a 30 mph wind and as the walkers and/or Daisy would flush the bird, it took a fast shotgun to grab the bird before it sailed off into the distance. By the end of the first day of hunting, I had a whole new appreciation for how much work it can be to bird hunt, along with that exhilaration of the bird coming up and making a good shot. I also came to appreciate John Frantz, Trey’s Dad, who trailed behind our group at a distance in his SUV. His job was to help out with transporting hunters from one end of a field down to another end. What a blessing John turned out to be, especially after a long cold walk, where I found my muscles very unwilling to work anymore. That’s when I decided that John and his SUV were my new best hunting aids!
I also had an appreciation for Stephanie and her family providing us with great dinners on Friday and again on Saturday evening. A blessing was said before each meal, a big “AMEN” uttered by all present, and then the conversation and fun flowed throughout the Frantz house. The evening activities even included making of S’Mores in the Frantz fireplace, which we taped, as I’m trying to convince Hershey’s Chocolate to become a sponsor of our women’s shooting camps. After all, you never know till you ask – right?
On Sunday, the last morning of the hunt, the temperatures were pretty cold but we tried one last pass at the fields; noting that the hawks had been fairly active over the night in finding several of the pheasants as dinner. We only shot a few more birds and then decided it was time to call it a morning. While the other hunters went off to try their luck at prairie dogs, I stayed behind and did a little handgun training with Stephanie and Max at the small steel handgun range that Trey had setup at the back of the ranch. Seems the Frantz family, at least Trey and Max so far, have been getting involved in some action pistol shooting, like IDPA, which stands for International Defensive Pistol Association. Small world since the IDPA Executive Director, Joyce Wilson, just became a WOMA member last month!
(L to R) Zane, Deb, Trey and Max with a successful pheasant hunt on opening day
I was happy to see that Stephanie was already comfortable in safely handling my M&P .9mm Pro Series semi-auto. She had a good grip, good stance and good sight picture. I was equally impressed on how well Max handled the .9mm semi-auto, though I’m pretty sure he’s been practicing quite a bit considering how much reloading Trey tells me he’s been doing. At nine years old Max already has the makings of a serious competitor, and I suspect we’ll be seeing both Trey and Max at a variety of action shooting programs in the future. Plus, I am so excited that Stephanie is registering to attend a Babes with Bullets camp this spring!
If you are wondering what the moral of the story is, I’m not sure there is one. I recognize that the Frantz family offering the hunt to the NRA and that my being at the NRA event to win the hunt, along with having the opportunity to spend time in the field with my husband, were a series of God’s blessings. Like I said in the beginning, I bid on a hunt and I won a family, it doesn’t get any better than that.
Photo Credit: Gary Ferns
WOMA Member Kay Miculek Wins 3GN Lady Championship and Team Event
Story by Chad Adams posted at 3 Gun Nation -
WOMA member Kay Miculek, 3 Gun Lady Champion. Photo by Jacqueline Janes
GLENGARY, WV – Kay Miculek defeated FN’s Dianna Liedorff to win the inaugural 3GN Lady Division Championship at the Peacemaker National Training Center here Nov. 13, taking home $5,000 from Cheaper Than Dirt.
Miculek, who qualified as the number one seed, began her run with an opening round win over Deb Cheek, who had learned only days before that she was in the running after SureFire’s Maggie Reese was forced to pull out due to a knee injury.
Cheek, who attended a wedding in Indiana on Saturday, drove all the way to West Virginia for the opportunity to mix it up with the top ladies in the game. There she found Miculek in the Shoot-Off, who pulled ahead on the rifle and finished strong on the pistol to advance.
Liedorff, who earned the number three seed, squared off against young phenom Katie Harris, who had earlier in the day given up her spot in the Junior Shoot-Off to another young 3-gunner. A fitting match-up, as Liedorff and Harris have battled each other all season in Tactical Optics, as Harris has quickly become one of the top ladies in the sport this season.
Fittingly, their Shoot-Off run was a competitive one, with Harris getting off the shotgun first before Liedorff pulled even on the rifle. Liedorff surged ahead by a plate with the pistol, and as both ladies engaged their final targets, Harris transitioned from her last target and inadvertently knocked down Liedorff’s stop plate, ending a very tight bout.
But Karma turned the tables on Liedorff in the finals against Miculek as Liedorff jumped out to an early lead before Miculek began closing on the pistol. Liedorff engaged her last pistol popper, transitioned to the stop plate and knocked it down. However, her last plate did not fall, which eliminated Liedorff as Miculek knocked down her final targets—a thrilling finish to the first 3GN Lady Shoot-Off.
Miculek would go on to participate on the winning squad in the 3GN Team Event later on that day, running her career 3GN earnings to $6,000.
Kay Miculek, just minutes after winning the 3GN Lady Shoot-Off, captained the winning squad in the 3-Gun Nation Championship Team Event, presented by Brownells, at the Peacemaker National Training Center here Nov. 13. For the victory, each member of the winning team received a check for $1,000 from Brownells.
Miculek was joined by FMG Publications’ Scott McGregor and Andrew Daun. The opposing team, captained by 3GN Junior Champion Cody Leeper, featured Noveske’s Jansen Jones and Kerry Dematos. Miculek and Leeper were appointed captains in recognition of their top Lady and Junior finishes, respectively, in the FNH USA 3-Gun Championship. The remaining competitors are chosen at random from those not qualified for the main event.
The 3-Gun Nation Team Event is a three-person relay race on the 3GN Shoot-Off stage. Team captains choose which competitors get on each gun. The contest concludes when the last leg knocks down each pistol plate, including the cross-over stop plate.
Team Leeper jumped out to the early lead with a strong shotgun run by Jones. However, Daun was strong as well, setting up McGregor, who laid down a solid rifle run to overtake Team Leeper. With a big lead, Miculek finished strong on the pistol to seal the victory.
Along with the cash payout to Team Miculek, each member of the Team Leeper received a Brownells 3-Gun Bag.
On the Road in Rhodes Greece – IPSC World Shoot XVI
October 4, 2011 by Kay Miculek
Filed under On the Road
Here’s an update from WOMA member Kay Miculek on her arrival in Rhodes, Greece. Kay and fellow WOMA members Lisa Munson and Athena Lee are part of the United States Women’s Team competing in the championship:
We made it to Rhodes without too much trouble. Getting the guns through the Athens airport was a hassle, but compared to the travel problems other US shooters had (and are still having), we made it fine.
Athena, Lisa, and Kay
Our one full day in Athens was just right. The Acropolis was amazing, but packed with tourists. It would have been great if all those people would go home! We’re now in our villa on Rhodes, it’s great. We are well outside of the tourist areas and this place is just what I had in mind when I think of Greece. The home owner told us about a couple of really neat family run restaurants that the locals patronize. These places are located in these very narrow “streets” and don’t start serving until 7:30 pm. They put tables and chairs up right in the street. You often have people walking by, and there’s the occasional scooter passing by the table. We haven’t had a meal yet where we didn’t have a cat watching and waiting for a handout. (The cats are very well behaved. They just sit and wait patiently.)
The Opening Ceremonies are tonight. Looks like it’s going to be a very big event. The Phil Harmonic Orchestra will be performing! Nothing says “Greek” like the Phil Harmonic Orchestra!? The only problem is, I don’t think any Greeks own watches. The match booklet says the Opening Ceremony starts at 16:00 hr, but then we were told it will be more like 18:00 hr.. If you ask any of the match officials, they say it will be between 16:00 hr and 18:00 hr, probably. I guess we’ll split the difference and show up around 17:00 hr..
Everyone shoots for five days and has one day off. Athena and I have tomorrow, the first day of the match, off. I was pretty bummed about that because I’m ready to shoot something! But this morning I managed to book a dive for Lena and I tomorrow. That should be a highlight of the trip.
Guess that’s it for now. I’ll let you gals know how the shooting goes in a couple of days.
WOMA Members Attend Babes With Bullets Camp
May 26, 2011 by Mia Anstine
Filed under On the Road
Being a part of the WOMA is such a fantastic thing. We are offered, and we share, so many opportunities through this organization. Last fall I attended the annual WOMA retreat in Gunnison, Colorado. It was a pleasure to meet some of my outstanding colleagues that make the WOMA happen. I was invited to sign up for a shooting camp while I was at that retreat. The camp is called Babes with Bullets and the director is the WOMA’s very own Deb Ferns. I enjoy shooting very much and had been wanting to work on my pistol shooting so I was interested right away. I signed up for the pistol camp which was to be held in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. I anxiously awaited spring time and camp. It would be my chance to practice with my pistol as well as meet up with more WOMA members and also make new friends who may share the vision of the WOMA.
We received our camp updates from Kay Miculek. She is head instructor at Babes with Bullets, as well as multi-time National and World Champion. Our latest update informed us that May is spring time in many parts of the country, but in Steamboat Springs,Colorado, the snow was still coming. She was in touch with us with last minute reminders, preparations and housing information. We were unable to get to Bear Mountain Ranch, where we were supposed to be staying, so Kay sent info with a new location to be called home for three days. We made our trek to camp and I joined up with fellow WOMA members, Marsha Petrie Sue, Chris Quam, Lanny Barnes, Tracy Barnes, Anne Draper and Deb Ferns.
Due to the weather, the Babes with Bullets crew had to do a lot of improvising and they didn’t miss a step. They made camp happen without a glitch and teh 20 ladies, including our WOMA members, were able to relax, have fun, and most importantly, learn a lot in just a few days. We did quite a few dry fire drills with our pistols, learning to safely quick draw, raise, steady and shoot our pistols and then finally learning to shoot and reload while on the move. It was so amazing to see ladies who had never touched a pistol quickly maneuver and shoot the various stages at the camp.
Despite the snow, rain, sleet and hail, the camp was outstanding and I would recommend it to any lady whether they are long time shooters or have never touched a firearm. The instructors are athletes who hold multiple National and World titles and, despite their grandiose achievements, are very professional as well as extremely friendly. The ladies at Babes with Bullets were fabulous. We learned a lot and met and made new friends. Thank you to the WOMA for giving us the opportunity to meet such outstanding women.
Gimme Shelter! Babes shooting in the rain
May 25, 2011 by Marsha Petrie Sue
Filed under On the Road
A spring storm including rain, hail, snow and wind didn’t dampen the spirits of the Babes with Bullets camp led by WOMA Chairman Deb Ferns and World Champion Shooter Kay Clark-Miculek, Bang.Inc. They stirred up a batch of fun knowing that even the weather couldn’t rain on their parade.
Recipe for a good time:
20 eager shooters (Including 4 WOMA members)
2 Olympians and WOMA ambassadors (Lanny and Tracy Barnes)
4 fabulous coaches
20 Handguns
Paper targets and steel to taste
Stir in the unpredictable Steamboat Springs Colorado weather, creative thinking, humor and warm clothing and you have one very good time!
Expecting to stay at John and Anne Drapers fabulous Bear Mountain Ranch in Colorado, the campers were sent directions for travel. The winter weather, however, had been particularly relentless and access to the lodge, located at 9200 feet, was not going to happen. Emergency re-planning set in, condos were rented and the campers were redirected to similar luxury at Trapper’s Crossing Resort.
According to the weatherman, the storm was forecast to move through but of course it didn’t. So waterproof outfits were pulled from suitcases and zip lock bags gathered to cover the guns. Many insightful shooters carry umbrellas in their gun cases. The set up crew cleverly secured plastic cleaner bags and paper targets were covered.
We did take a break for coffee and hot cocoa when the lightening and hail started. Our pace quickened after the end of that cloudburst.
Fun filming by Marilyn for the Outdoor Channel and fabulous food by Mary Anne just added to this great event. Every day it just seemed to be more fun. Thankfully the last day of shooting was greeted with sunny skies and warm temperatures. The dances of “rain, rain go away” must have worked.
I’ve posted the pictures on flickr from our fabulous event!! Maybe our camp song should have been Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head: and my gun, ammo, targets, etc…
Baby, It’s COLD Outside! 2011 IDPA Indoor Nationals
March 27, 2011 by Melita Ellington
Filed under On the Road
Viewing Gallery at the Smith & Wesson Shooting Center (Photo courtesy Smith & Wesson)
With nearly a foot of snow on the ground, the 2011 IDPA Indoor Nationals was the place to be. Viewing Stages 1 and 2 from the Smith & Wesson Shooting Center’s viewing gallery located inside the firearm giant’s Springfield, Massachusetts’ retail store was much warmer than the 30 degree weather outside. For this Southerner, I’ll take the inside, thank you. Read more
Julie Golob top woman on Team Smith & Wesson
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (February 7, 2011) – Smith & Wesson Corp., announced that Team Smith & Wesson members captured a record-setting 142 title wins during the 2010 competitive shooting season, surpassing the previous year’s record by 51 victories. In total, the 26-team members brought home 60 state/sectional, 36 regional/area, 24 national and 22 world titles. With an average of over 11 victories per month, the shooting team along with their wide array of Smith & Wesson firearms kept the competition at bay throughout the course of the season.
Babes at Bondurant
December 10, 2010 by Debbie Keehart
Filed under Featured Blogs, On the Road
Babes with Bullets® is an organization that believes in providing women the opportunity to experience soft adventure. To allow them to step outside of their comfort zones through a safe and fun firearms training camp. Periodically the Babes instructors also get the opportunity to have a little fun!
Hi, I’m Debbie Keehart, one of the Babes with Bullets ® instructors. After our November ladies pistol camp in Mesa, Ariz., we got to experience one of those little adventures! Through the amazing coordination skills of our beloved Camp Coordinator Deb Ferns and the Bondurant Media Relations Manager Eric Tunell, Kay Miculek, Lisa Munson and I got to race shifter karts at the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving in Phoenix.
Kay Miculek, Lisa Munson and Deb Keehart
Now I’ve done quite a bit of high speed off road driving and some go-cart racing, but these shifter karts were the coolest, with a max speed of about 100 mph! They sit about four inches off the ground with no side panels, so you really feel the speed and the power! Awesome!
Bondurant’s Chief Instructor, Mike McGovern, explained the function of the karts and gave us some interesting information on the school and past students. Would you believe an 85-year-young lady took one of Bondurant’s multi day courses? Bet she put “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena” to shame!
After hearing that story, I was more than ready to drive these high speed 125cc SuperKarts! Now, you don’t just jump in and take off. First you go through a briefing on how to get in and out of the kart. You learn about the gas, brake and shifter. But we all know the best way to learn something is to practice. So, that is what came next!
We were fitted with jackets, gloves, head socks (for cleanliness), helmets and neck rolls. Then taken out to the track to suit up and sized up for the karts! Extra seat cushions were needed so we could comfortably reach the foot peddles. With a push start from our instructors, the karts were fired up and we gently rolled on to the track to practice shifting. Down the straight-a-way and back up we went. Shifting through gears 1thru 6 and back down again. We were now ready for lesson two!
One of our handsome driving coaches got in his kart and had the three of us ladies follow him like ducklings following a mama duck. Around the track we went learning the best line to drive. One by one we were allowed to go ahead on our own. After a few warm up laps, we were starting to rock n roll! There was no waving of a green flag or a flashing green light; but, I think when I put the “peddle to the metal” and flew by Kay, she and Lisa realized the race was on!
The track had a variety of turns and twists to test any driver’s skills. Every lap we made we learned how to drive a faster smoother line. Less braking and more shifting. At this point you are probably wondering about spinning out or crashing – there was no crashing, but there were a few spin-outs. No worries, the car just spins a little and the motor cuts off. You stay in your cart until one of the nice gentlemen comes to push start you and sends you back on your way. I do have to admit, that when we drove by someone after a spin-out, we would wave at each other! I’m guessing that’s a pretty girlie thing to do! However, we thought it was a good way to say “Don’t worry I see you and I won’t crash into you!”
Like anything else, all good things must come to an end. Before we knew it, we were being waived back to the pits to leave our SuperKarts for another day. One word of caution when leaving the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving; you will have this overwhelming desire to mash down on the gas peddle of your personal vehicle and race home! Please follow the speed limit and drive home safely! The orange cones on the street probably mean road construction and not where to make your high speed turn!
Kay, Lisa and I shared our track experience all the way home that night and the following days. We encourage all of you to test your skills on the track too!!
Many Thanks to:
Deb Ferns – Our Babes with Bullets ® Coordinator who broke her ankle just a few days beforehand and had to forego the racing but was a trooper none the less.
Jaci Janes – Our photographer.
Eric Tunell – Bondurant’s Media Relations manager for allowing us the special class and to do this media piece.
Mike McGovern – Chief Instructor at Bondurant for sharing his knowledge of the SuperKarts and the various driving classes offered.
Brand Arter – Sale Representative at Bondurant for his guidance and direction.
For more information on the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving contact:
Brandon Arter
Sale Representative
1800 652.KART (5278)
WOMA members meet and shoot at Babes with Bullets Camp in Michigan
September 23, 2010 by The WOMA
Filed under Featured Blogs, On the Road
When a few WOMA members get together, things happen. Shots may get fired, a fish or two might get landed, a bear down … here’s an article about WOMA members Deb Ferns, Sheila Hoekstra and Kay Miculek, on duty at a Babes with Bullets’ Camp in Michigan this week. From the Niles Daily Star.
Post a photo or your news in this section so that we know where you are this season!
Here's Sheila Hoekstra instructing at a Babes with Bullets (TM) Camp in Iowa 2009. Photo by Barbara Baird
