Lady Forge

Kennecuck County Park
Vermillion County, Illinois ... just north of Danville, Illinois
Will be the host site for a
WOMEN IN THE OUTDOORS
In April , 2004
This will have a class on Women Bowhunting as well as the regular Archery Class.

I have been asked to instruct this class, I have had many successful years bowhunting but I have never instructed a class on bowhunting and each class will be 1 hour long.

They have asked me to bring all my hunting gear from clothing to tree stands etc........ Hunting Photos.... Taxidermy mounts....etc.

I am hoping that some of you might be able to give me some ideas on what I could include and focus on in this class to help make it a sucess.
I need all the help I can get.... PLEASE.

Unfortunatly I was only given a few weeks notice on this so I need as many ideas that I can get as soon as possible.
Your help would be much appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank You.
->>>-----Deborah Knoff-------->
[email protected]

Len in Maryland

Debbie:

I do a lot of archery teaching at many levels. Take a deep breath and make yourself an outline. Double space the outline and enlarge the print so that it is easily readable from 3' away.

Several subjects that should be included in your class are archery equipment safety and treestand safety. These two subjects alone could take up your entire 1 hour class easily. Other subjects could include proper practice, proper dress for the climate, and highlighting the Hunters Safety Course guidelines. You should also make sure they understand that taking a HSC is necessary before they can hunt. Some may not be aware of this if they are new to the sport. If your State has the HSC on their website, it may provide valuable information. You could also get in touch with their regional manager for some help and teaching material.

You've got more than enough material to conduct a class for 1 hour. Chin up and good luck.

Len

Lady Forge

Len:
Thank You very much for the ideas and valuable advice, I appreciated your help very much.
I am also contacting a friend of mine that I have bowhunted with before, he is the Safety and educational director for the IDNR, I found out that he has instructed the Archery and bowhunting classes at past womens events.
->>>----Deborah Knoff----->

beej99

Lady Forge,

When I get home this evening, I will try and find my outline from my Bowhunter eductatoin course adn/or regular Hunter ed course and send some ideas up your way


beej

Lady Forge

beej99;
Thanks , That would be of great help.
->>>---Deborah Knoff----->

c903

One hour is not enough time to present a class on all the various aspects of bowhunting. If not already the case, your presentation needs to be strictly limited to just a few principal and fundamental aspects; just the essence.

Once you determine the (few) topics that are primary to learning to bow hunt, you need to prepare a presentation guide for yourself, with a sub-listing of talking points you want to cover on each topic you have chosen. Then set a time limit for each talking point. Otherwise, you will find yourself talking too long on each point of one topic and you will run out of time before you can cover much that ends up being instructive to the listeners.

Without a presentation guide to keep your lecture under control, you will unconsciously drift to telling more about what you do and have done, than what are the basics that all can use. Because of your time-in-grade and your personal experiences, you will feel most confident and comfortable telling about what you do and what you have done, and your methods will probably have far surpassed the fundamentals. Therefore, you will be talking over the heads of some or many of the listeners.

One hour is just enough time to become confused, resulting in confusing the members of your audience.

If I were in your shoes, I would tell the person/people that have invited you to talk, that there are just too many relevant points that could and should be covered, but impossible to do in 1 hour. I would suggest that a Q and A would be a better way.

By using the Q&A method, you will be able to touch upon more in one hour and you will be providing information that the person asking is personally and specifically interested in. The rest of the audience will learn from each exchange. By using the Q&A, the audience will establish your presentation for you. The audience's questions will establish the topics and how much time should be spent on a certain topic.

I would then open my lecture by briefly telling the audience that there are too many things that should be known and learned in the sport of bowhunting to be covered in one hour. However, it will all come together in time. I would then advise that the lecture will be a Q&A. I would briefly cover any basic method(s) that directly applies to the question, and then I would give a brief example of my experience and method(s) applicable to the question.

Goodluck with your class, regardless of the presentation method you use.

BTW, there are some big bucks in the park. Too bad your class isn't during deer season.

T_in_PA

Wow, only one hour for so much information.

Here's what I would do. Start off by just talking about archery hunting, the challenge, scenery, why people archery hunt. Then bring up treestand safety, can't preach enough about it. End it off with where they can go to learn more about archery hunting, where to take a BHE class, what clubs have 3D shoots etc. Just this alone can eat up an hour.

Lady Forge

c903;
Thank you for your imput, it seems that you put much thought into it.... and I truely appreciate your help.
I like the idea of Q&A... I dont want to overwhelm the ladies and make it appear that bowhunting is to complicated or over their heads.
I want to share with them the enjoyment and fullfillment I feel every time I spend time in the woods.... I hope to show them the world I see every time I go out through a bowhunters eyes.... that a successful hunt dosent always end in a harvest... the joy I feel and the sights I witness while bowhunting in watching the woods and nature come alive and going about their daily activities is just amazing and sometimes down right funny.
Yes you are right there are some good bucks in the park..... I also bow hunt the park..... seen the largest buck I have ever seen in person while bowhunting in that park.... 174 class 14 pointer with a drop tine ... rumored to of been taken on shotgun season on the outskirts of the park on bordering private land just a few days after I spotted him chasing a doe and being trailed by a nice 8 pointer.Have some good mounts at the house all harvested from the park.
Thanks again for all of your help and ideas!!!!
->>>----Deborah Knoff------->

c903

No effort in my input. In my time, I gave many classes and presentations on non-archery related subjects. I am very familiar with your dilemma.

Also, have you seen any of the photos of the 25-point non-typ that is/was in the area outside the park? It was seen and photographed prior to last season. I haven't see the pics, but a bow-friend is going to lay his hands on a copy.

Lady Forge

c903;

No I dont believe that I have seen the 25 point buck or a photo of it... I may have ,I see photos of so many taken from the surronding areas.
If you do recieve a copy of the photo would you share it with us. I would love to see it.

->>>---Deborah Knoff----->