DUCK

Hi Kathleen -- what a gorgeous part of the world to grow up in!! And talking of the high school in Lake Cowichan -- as we drove by it, the grads were all out throwing their hats into the air :)

The BC Wildlife Federation (BCWF) hosted the camp, and they hold them at different venues around the province -- once or twice a year. This one was held at the Cowichan Lake Education Centre (CLEC) ... and yes, I saw the road sign to Youbou!

The camp was run over Fri afternoon through Sat, Sun. And you get to choose four out of a whole bunch of courses ranging from rifle marksmanship, to ATV, to knife throwing, falconry, archery, outdoor cooking, map and compass, man tracking, trap shooting, caving, chainsaw and axe, etc etc.

The BCWF recognizes that it is woman - mothers and wives - who are
more likely to introduce their children to hunting and outdoor
activities — and to sustain that passion within a family unit — if they
have a level of skill comfort … if they come to love the outdoors
themselves. The BCWF thus initiated the BOW program - Becoming an
Outdoors-Woman.

I stumbled upon this program some time last year while researching
mantracking for my November SRS — MANHUNTER (My heroine is a mantracker
up north who must lead my Mountie hero through unforgiving Yukon
terrain after a cunning survivalist serial killer). I immediately wrote
the federation, asking when they’d be putting on another series of
courses, and where. I wanted to ride horses in the bush, handle a rifle
and shotgun, smell gun powder and wood smoke from a fire cooking game …
I want to bring that kind of veracity to my stories. So I signed up
with unmitigated glee :). I was also keen to meet folk from completely
different walks off life, ones outside my immediate writing circles.
And I was delighted when fellow RS writer Kim (KJ) Howe jumped at the
chance to fly out west and join me. Kim is an ‘experience’ junkie, and
it shows in her writing,too.

If you want to know more, let me know!!

Loreth

www.lorethannewhite.com