Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association
Outdoor Women Unlimited
Doing their part to preserve Alabama’s wildlife
Fred Marshall’s Outdoors
I have always believed that the life of any movement or activity is in the hands of our young people and where hunting, shooting or fishing are concerned, women play a paramount role.
Many men, by their nature, are individualists at heart and may not be overly vocal at times. Women, on the other hand, once they take an interest in something, tend to throw themselves into the activity. They will form groups, campaign for their beliefs and try to recruit others to their cause. Regular readers of this column will recall the Second Amendment Sisters, headquartered in Texas, and the Women of the Woods, sponsored in part by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
These groups support the Second Amendment and provide women with an introduction to the outdoor sports. Perhaps the newest such organization is Outdoor Women Unlimited (OWU).
"Outdoor Women Unlimited is an organization dedicated to providing women and families with the education and the excitement of the outdoor experience through teaching outdoor life skills, sharing the knowledge of our natural resources while building self-esteem, strengthening individual character and promoting self-reliance in a safe and professional environment," says OWU's Rebecca Wood of nearby Wetumpka.
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Wood, Executive Director and founder of the organization, explains that OWU works handin-hand with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources along with other private individuals and volunteers, "We couldn't get along without the help of the Department's Law Enforcement Section," she says. "Rusty Morrow (a conservation officer in Lowndes Co.) is head of the state chapter of the Alabama Conservation Enforcement Officers Association. He and other members of the association are always on hand to teach proper gun safety, the inner workings of firearms, cleaning techniques and shooting,"
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| L to R Pinson, Boardwine, Morrow, Brown, Wood, Hudson |
A typical OWU event may include shotgun basics, archery, pistol basics and sticks to staffs where participants learn to whittle and create a beautiful walking staff. Other events and instruction are in the offing.
Mike Bennett of Bennett's Archery provided the setting for OWU's most recent event. Some 20 ladies representing five counties attended; each of them vowing to participate again.
Conservation officers on hand were: Steve Pinson, Morrow, Clint Middlebrooks, Hasty Hudson, Grady Myers, Jeff Brown, Marissa Lee Sasser, Tommy Atkins and Gene Houston.
The executive volunteer committee included Stephanie Vinson, Libbie Presley, Whitney Wood, Myra Sabel and Angie Roberts. Marketing is handled by Jo Lee Boardwine.
OWU wishes to acknowledge the backing and support of Mr. A.P. Marino (Brookstone Group of Montgomery), Streamlight, Big Fish Bait & Tackle (Wetumpka) and Sportsman's Headquarters (WCI, Montgomery), among others.
Monthly OWU events are in the planning stages culminating with a special event and an October Fall Classic.
For more information contact Rebecca Wood at 334 398-2335 or bawhunt@aol.com