Become an Outdoors Woman workshop coming Sept. 6-8

Become an Outdoors Woman workshop Sept. 6-8: The Become an Outdoors Woman (BOW) workshop is now accepting registrations. The program began in 1995 and two workshops held each year making this the 48th Friendly Pines workshop. BOW introduces women to outdoors skills in an enjoyable, nonthreatening environment with expert instructors. Classes are held during the day, and the evenings and mornings are filled with fun and entertainment like bird walks, yoga, fly tying, night fishing and presentations.

Interested in learning about firearms? Take aim in rifle marksmanship, learn the proper way to mount and fire a shotgun. How about handguns? We have a class on the range, one to learn the proper maintenance and we will even help you figure out what handgun is best for you. You can also earn your field day requirements for the Arizona hunter education certificate. Or would you like to go fishing? We have a warm water fishing class on a private pond stocked with largemouth bass and channel catfish. How about fly fishing? BOW has a class that teaches the basics of casting, another that puts you on the water, and yet another that teaches you how to fish from a float tube. Coming back for the fourth time is William Larson showing us how to harvest crayfish. Yes, those yummy, little invasive lobsters are fun and easy to catch. We will be sampling them along with other wild foods at the game taste on Friday night. Other classes offered include horsemanship, rappelling, wilderness medicine, map and compass, birding and hiking. There are over 30 different classes for participants to choose from.

Participants stay in rustic cabins, but there are showers and bathrooms in each cabin. One great thing about this camp is women can try a new

sport without buying all of the equipment. The only thing the participant needs to bring is her personal stuff, a good attitude and a willingness to learn. The venue is Friendly Pines Camp located just south of Prescott in the Bradshaw mountains. The program is sponsored by the Arizona Wildlife Federation with lots of help from the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Class materials, food and lodging are all included in the $275 registration fee. For more information, a schedule of classes, and a registration form go online at azwildlife.org/bow/. Call Kim at 480-201-7456 or email awf@ azwildlife.org, website https://azwildlife.org/ bow/.

Hunt happenings

• Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club: The latest prairie dog event at Seligman, Ariz., encountered a good share of prairie dogs, more than expected this year making the trip to Seligman worthwhile and a lot of pure enjoyment, thanks to Pat Headington and his crew.

• Sprague’s Sports offering training for shooters: “The first few minutes of an active shooter incident, which will be prior to the arrival of law enforcement, is when most of the damage will be done.” This seminar is intended to prepare you, your family, employees, staff and students for this potentially lethal situation. Active shooter defense is a course that teaches you and your family how to prepare for the unfortunate possibility of encountering active shooters. Whether this violent assault occurs at your work, school, in your neighborhood, church, public places or events, you will know how to react and take steps to take to reduce risks and maximize your safety. Active shooter defense emphasizes mental conditioning and preparation for potentially violent situations, identifying and avoiding potentially harmful situations and tactics for use in active shooter incidents. The courses compliment and work within established organizational policies on active shooter incidents. In addition, the course teaches participants the use of available cover and concealment, escape and survival tactics. I can instruct last resort defensive tactics designed to survive these incidents. The seminars cover the following topics: The targeted violence process, escape, hide or fight, lock downs/sheltering in place, mental conditioning for violence, situational awareness, improving awareness levels, your internal warning systems, identification and avoidance Skills, escape/survival tactics, cover and concealment, the will to win/live, dealing with the aftermath. Cost is $49 with class dates coming soon.

Basic gun maintenance class: This two-hour class will introduce you to the often overlooked, and slightly misunderstood part of shooting ... cleaning your gun. Instructors have many years of experience in competition, law enforcement, military, combat, and hunting situations to share the “how-to” of proper care and maintenance for your trusted companion. No guns or ammo in class. Demo guns will be used. Cost is $29 with class dates coming soon. Check next week’s column for more classes offered by Sprague’s including firearms safety education or call Sprague’s at 7260022 for additional information.

Know your AR: Do you own or are you considering a purchase of an AR rifle platform? Spend three quality hours learning the “ins-andouts” of the AR rifle including history, maintenance, accessories, how to zero, and much more. Instructors are former military, combat and law enforcement veterans with many years of AR shooting experience who can guide you through the most popular gun platform on the planet! Students may bring their own rifle (in a case or box) but no ammo. Cost is $49. Dates of class will appear at Sprague’s.com or I’ll report it here.

Fishing clubs

• Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club: Results for the 2019 Big Bass Derby had 39 anglers competing this year. Compliments to the winners! First place overall winner was Jeremie Pawloski with a 6.67 lb, second place went to Curtis Cernik with a bass weighing 6.01, and third place went to Dillon Chavez with a 5.95 lb. There was no big fish, or 2 lb pot for this tournament, however, first angler out of the money was Craig Johnson scoring him the Gowan Milling first out of the money check. Gowan Mystery Weight winner also went to the angler Joel Valenzuela with his weight of 2.12 lbs. Huge thank you to all of our sponsors of these events! The Hideaway Bait & Tackle, Taipan Rods & Blank MFG., Gowan Company, 84 Lumber Company, David Parrish, Bordertown Bait Co., CM Custom Signs, Hookers Bait Shop LLC, Yuma Self Storage Center, RadFin. Without those guys this wouldn’t be possible. Also a huge shout out to Tommy Ray, Charlie Hansen, Shawn Kean, Bobby Pope, and Ebb Deirdoff for preparing the meals and Debbie Power, Wallace Wright, and Kristina Korzan for serving. Thanks to the VFW for letting us hold the event at their facility and Larry Smart helping make this another great event. Huge thanks to our weigh masters Billy Morgan and Brant Barksdale for all your efforts. And another giant shout out to all of the boatsmen. Without them, this tournament wouldn’t be possible without you guys giving up your day to hangout with our anglers.

Hopefully there was a good turn-out for Saturday’s annual catfish derby held at Yuma County waters launching out of Fisher’s Landing with weigh-in early Sunday morning, I’ll have results for the next column or call Donny Hazlett at 928-581-2063 or Glenda at 580-0440.

• Desert Bass Anglers “The Fun Way to Fish”: A lot of bass fishermen in Yuma as well as the San Diego area wonder about the future of Desert Bass Anglers. We all hope it can continue. I’ll gladly share any news I get about this great organization.

I feel so very bad after checking the date of Mac’s memorial and learning I missed it. Am hoping there was a huge crowd attending to honor Mac. I’m sorry I missed you all. I will remember Mac forever, no doubt about it. He was a terrific person and loved his fishing with Bobbi, loved everything connected to fishing and fishermen and women as well as the kids he helped pass on his knowledge to. I feel that’s a job we can all do now whenever we can in helping to do what Mac always did to help the kids learn about and appreciate their fishing opportunities — they are the future! I have no doubt that Mac knows how we all feel in missing him so much. As I’ve said before, “We’ll all miss him like crazy but we’ll remember him always!”

• Desert Pro/Am Draw Series: Check next week for results of the latest tournament held at Yuma waters or call Michael Obney at 928-750-7081.

• The Hideaway (previously Sportsman’s Hideaway): The new shop is located where Mitch’s Bait Shop had been (just east of where Sportsmen’s had been) — you’ll be surprised at all they have. Meet the new owners Danny Woods and Blake Hash as well as Edgar, will be on hand to assist with your every fishing need. Check out the YVRGC bass board while there — you might decide to join the club and get in on the fishing action.

• Yuma High School Bass Fishing Club: A great way for any high schooler, both boys and girls, to learn about fishing for bass with members of both the Yuma Valley Rod and Gun Club and Desert Bass Anglers assisting the kids in providing them with boats and equipment as well as guidance as they learn — it is an exciting year so far for our next generation of anglers at Fisher’s Landing/Martinez Lake. Interested high schoolers can call Terry Hurt, school sponsor, at 580-6567 or visit StudentAnglerFoundation.com to get started.

Shooting sports

• Bowhunter happening 3D shoot at Mormon Lake July 19-21: Family fun 3D animal target archery shoot with 7 courses including 1 extreme and 1 kids course. There will be raffle prizes for both the novelty long shot and aerial archery trap shoot plus many general raffle items (bows, backpacks, +optics, coolers) at the Mormon Lake Rodeo Grounds, hosted by AZ Bowhunters Assoc. Pre-register online at arizonabowhunter.org. Information, Hunter Wall 480-5293781, hunter.wall@cox.net.

• 4-H Shooting Sports: The Yuma County 4-H shooting sports is open to any 4-H youth ages 9-19. Call the Yuma 4-H office at 726-3904 or Stan Gourley at 344-0740 with questions or if you have a youngster who might want to join a 4-H club and get in on the shooting sports at the Ware Farm in Gila Valley.

• Renegade Archers of Yuma: Archers are welcome to shoot with the club — let me hear from you if you’d like to enjoy shooting the 3D trail shoots. Call 726-0953 and we’ll be glad to set up the trail for your shooting enjoyment and much-needed practice. We are glad to assist anyone in their learning as well with free archery instructions. The practice range area is open (use is free) daylight hours all week for practice and enjoyment. It is best to bring your own target for use at the practice range.

• Yuma Trap and Skeet Club: Anyone interested in trap and skeet? Shoot 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and Sundays at Adair Park, located off Highway 95, 15 miles east of Yuma, turning west onto Adair Range Road, 1st range on the right. Range fees are $1 to sign up with $6 non-member fee per round of 25 targets. Member’s fees are $4 per round with 5 shooting fields available — field 1 & 2 skeet, field 3 wobble trap, field 4 & 5 trap. Eye and hearing protection required. Annual dues $30 per calendar year. Call Bob Avila at 928-919-0622.

• The Yuma Young Guns with the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP): The program, open to ages 9-25 still in school, will continue with a team of Arizona Game and Fish Department certified instructors assisting. Call head coach H. McNutt at 928-580-0918 or John Gross at 580-1836 for answers to your questions.

• Yuma Territorial Longrifles Club: Get in on the open black powder matches at the Adair Park range, 1st and 3rd Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. Call Roger Bickel at 726-7453 with questions or to ask about .22 matches.

• Cholla Gun Club: Club NRA approved Matches (NRA membership not required) will resume in November at Adair Park. Call Rick Kelley 928-502-0736. The range will remain open to the public for safe shooting practice through the summer.

• High Power Rifle and Pistol Club of Yuma: All shooters are welcome to shoot with the club. Call Joseph Murek at 928-627-4556 with questions. Shooting activities are also available for junior club “Whipper Snipers” for all ages. Check club matches as well as Whipper Snipers news listed on the club website at hprifleyuma.net.

• Yuma Matchmasters: A variety of matches are offered each month at the range, all open to shooters at 7 a.m. with the steel challenge the 1st Saturday, multi-gun matches the 1st Sunday, IPSC combat matches the 2nd Sunday, with the cowboy fast draw the 3rd Saturday. SASS cowboy fast draw matches have moved from Saturday to the 4th Sunday. Interested in cowboy action shooting? Call Irene Snyder at 209-613-4598 or Bob Wiles at 920-2158 with questions.

• Southwest Bowhunters Archery Club at Adair Park: Archery is offered Sundays with the practice range open all week. Call Keith Parsels at 782-1086 with questions.

Contact Jean Wilson at jeanrenegade@ gmail.com or call 247-4450.