TWIN LAKES CHAPTER HOSTS WITO EVENT - OCTOBER 26 & 27!

By Mary Free-Phelps, Kentucky Women's Coordinator

Randy Phelps and Mary Free-Phelps of Free Farms, held a “Women in the Outdoors” fall turkey hunting event, October 26^th and 27^th. The seventeen ladies arrived at between 4:00PM and 7:00PM. Friday, the night before Kentucky’s opening of the fall gun turkey season. That evening, the next days hunting plans were gone over, with assignment of guide and participant and hunt locations, with an emphasis on hunter safety. Mary held a feather crafting class, where the ladies were instructed in making jewelry using feathers, and Christmas ornaments made with turkey feathers.

Opening morning started at 4:00 AM with a waffle breakfast. Guides arrived to pick up their assigned participant, and then off to their assigned hunting areas. All ladies saw turkeys that day. One participant, Susanne Brown, of Cecilia, KY harvested a hen turkey. Four other ladies fired shots, but did not harvest a turkey. Their guides informed us that there was a whole lot of shaking and trembling going on in those blinds. Is there such a thing called “Turkey Fever”?

Participants returned to Free Farms, for a class in wild game cooking and Dutch oven cooking. Participants and guides feasted on roasted pheasants, wild hog pot roast, venison pot roast, venison burgers, venison Salisbury steak, elk and venison tenderloin, roasted wild turkey breast w/rice, venison meatloaf, fried turkey strips, fried squirrel, fried turtle, and Dutch oven cobblers.

Participants had the option of retuning to the woods for a late afternoon hunt. No shots were fired in the afternoon hunt. Several participants saw turkeys. One lady saw one turkey running at “break neck” speed, to his roost, before she left the field. That was the only turkey she saw all day. Most ladies saw large flocks, most of the time, too great a distance to shoot.

Three ladies and one guide stayed overnight Saturday, to hunt Sunday morning. They were just having too much fun, to quit. And that was okay with us.

Those attending the WITO hunt were, successful hunter, Susanne Brown, and the others were, Marilyn Biszmaier (Louisville), Joyce Austin (Louisville), Phyllis & Abbi Lonneman (Elizabethtown), Barbara Crapser (Independence), Evelyn Richards (Walton), Denise Smith (Pleasureville), Rosie Wells (Lawrenceburg), Tammy Van Meter (Leitchfield), Pat Brown (Hardinsburg),

Wanda Land (Eminence), Vicky Richie (Willisburg), Betsy Miller Lexington), Judith Gresham (Louisville), Linda Wilson (Belton), and Annie Wilson (Latonia).

The guides that assisted those participants were, Kym Abernathy (WITO Regional Coordinator, Harriman, TN), Zak & Matt Fulkerson (Lincoln area Long Beards chapter), Alex Lea  (Derby City chapter & SCI member), Larry Churchman (Derby City chapter), David Gibson (Heartland chapter), Charles Wooten (Lincoln area Long Beards chapter), Tom Mattingly (Lincoln area Long Beards chapter),  Barry Nall (Bernheim chapter), Randy & Mary Phelps (Twin Lakes chapter & SCI members) Lonnie (Harriman, TN), Pam & Greg Gifford (Bartlesville, OK & SCI members).

Landowners that shared their farms, for this WITO hunt, were Ricky Alvey, Paul Alvey’s family, Joe Haycraft, Juddy Duncan, David Gibson’s family, and Charles Wooten.

Northeast Kentucky/Lawrence County Chapters Hosts

7th Annual Women in the Outdoors Event

By Kym Abernathy - Regional Women's Coordinator, KY, TN & N. GA.

Kim Passeretti, State Secretary - Kentucky State Chapter

NWTF chapters, Lawrence County and Northeast Kentucky, hosted their 7th annual Women in the Outdoors event on September 29, 2007, at Camp Robert C. Webb, in Grayson, KY.  Thirty-two (32) women attended this event and enjoyed a day packed with great activity classes, such as: Beginning Archery where the ladies experienced the fun of safely shooting a bow, properly holding a bow, knocking an arrow and hitting a target, and learning to shoot a compound and/or traditional bow at targets 10-15 yards away; Feather Painting where hands-on classes took them through a project of painting a picture on a turkey feather; Advanced Archery where participants experienced a simulated bow hunt on a 3-D target trail, bow hunting from a tree stand and learned how to track game; Canoeing, Horseback Riding where this class taught the basics on approaching the horse, mounting, dismounting and riding on marked trails that showed off the beauty of one of Kentucky's state parks; Turkey Hunting where the ladies learned about the obsession of turkey hunting - things like gender, subspecies, scouting, roosting, methods of harvest and turkey hunting set-ups; Glass Beading where participants discovered how to make glass beaded jewelry; and Introductory Personal Protection course which included a brief safety and theory discussion following a pistol and shotgun live fire session.  At the end of this event, 50 new Women in the Outdoors members were signed up!

Camp Robert C. Webb provided a great backdrop and the camp staff was very supportive.  The WITO committee did a fantastic job recruiting expert instructors, organizing their event and serving up some fabulous meals.

Thank you to all of our instructors who made our event's activities interesting and informative: Archery was taught by NASP instructors Alisa Borders and Denise Boggs; Feather Painting was taught by Jim Simpkins from Simpkins Game Calls; Canoeing instructor was Scott Couch (former conservation camp counselor, now KDFWR employee.  Congrats, Scott!); horseback Riding was taught by Steve Barton (Quarter Horse Association member); Turkey Hunting was taught by Northeast Kentucky Chapter's own professional guide and hunter - Ron Virgin; Glass Beading was taught by Katie Roberts; our Personal Protection was taught by Steve and Izzy Shearer (certified NRA Firearms instructors) from Frankfort, KY.

A special thanks goes to our dedicated Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources Officers Glen Kitchen (Carter County) and Rob Howard (Greenup County), for helping our ladies with their clay pigeon accuracy and firearms safety; Sara Morris (Camp Counselor) and Jessie Nelson (KDFWR employee), who played a big role in getting the activities set up and monitored.

The Northeast Kentucky and Lawrence County chapters would like to thank Dr. M.J. Wixsom for her generous sponsorship; thank you to the Little Sandy Limbhangers Chapter, Jimmy Simpkins, Camp Robert C. Webb (Supt. Gary Bailey, his wife, Susie, and staff), and the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources for their much appreciated donations.

The chapters would like to thank the following committee members for their commitment of time and efforts in making this successful event earn the "Golden Hen" status: Annie Adkins, Tracy Billings, Alisa Borders, Jim Perkins, Joe Broughton, and especially Event Coordinators Diane Broughton and Kathie Perkins!  Congratulations on your awesome WITO event!

Women in the Outdoors/East Tennessee Sportsman's Federation

Ladies Quail Hunt

By Kym Abernathy - KY/TN Regional WITO Coordinator

The Women in the Outdoors/East Tennessee Sportsman's Federation Ladies Quail Hunt was held on February 17, 2007, at Pigeon Creek Hunting Preserve in Greenville, TN.  Ladies from Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama participated in this hunt even though it was a brutally cold day, with snow showers in the morning and flurries on and off until late in the afternoon, which did not deter these ladies from having a good time - in fact, they had a great time because of it. 

A lunch of grilled burgers was supplied, but these had to be eaten fast so that the condiments did not freeze on the buns.  Yet no one complained and these gals had a blast!  A clay shooting contest was held with Sandy Cook (Bronston, KY) shooting her way to the winner's position.  All the winners were from Kentucky, except for Jessie Whittington (Harriman, TN), who won the humble position of "Dead Butt Last Winner".  Jessie was a good sport when she accepted her trophy that actually bore a "horse's butt". 

The Kentucky Ladies came down south and showed everyone up when it came to the shooting tournament.  All in all, everyone had a great time!