What is BOW?

Sponsored by the Arizona Wildlife Federation

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) offers hands-on workshops to women 18 and older at all fitness levels. No experience is necessary! BOW encourages an inclusive, supportive environment conducive to learning, making lifelong friends, and having fun. Participants learn skills like plant identification, gun safety and shooting, angling (including fly fishing), camping, Dutch-oven cooking, map and compass reading, rappelling, geocaching, and marksmanship with a rifle and bow.

You can also get to know BOW on our Facebook Page: Arizona Becoming an Outdoors Woman

BOW strives to be a welcoming, safe, and inclusive place for all women. If you would like to learn more about how BOW is working to increase diversity and be a more inclusive space where all women feel a sense of belonging, visit our Bridges to BOW website at B2B.

Upcoming BOW Workshops

Follow our Facebook page for regular updates!

@Arizona-Becoming-an-Outdoors-Woman

Yuma BOW — January 25-26, 2025
Click Here to Register!

View Class Choices for January's Workshop Here

BOW Classes

We offer over 30 classes at our BOW weekend workshops. Participants sign up for 4 sessions: Friday pm, Saturday am, Saturday pm, and Sunday am. When you register, you select your top 4 choices for each session. We will strive to give you your top selections. We suggest you review the class descriptions before registering.

View Class Descriptions

(note - not all of these classes are offered at each BOW workshop)

BOW Scholarships

Scholarships are available for women who would like to attend BOW but who are currently financially challenged. Applications for April BOWs are open from December through February. Applications for September BOWs are open from May through July. You can apply for scholarships using the Scholarship Application Form. Applications for 2025 BOW workshops are currently closed but will open on December 1, 2025 for April 2025 BOW.

If you would like to help send another worthy woman to BOW please consider donating toward our scholarship fund. Either send a check to the AWF office, writing “BOW Scholarship” in the memo, or click on the “Donate” button below and leave a note in the "Comment" question on the form stating that your donation should go toward BOW Scholarships. Thank you for your support!

Contact BOW via e-mail at bow@azwildlife.org or call 520-240-2437 for more information.

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History of BOW and Additional Info

What does a BOW Weekend look like?

Each BOW Weekend begins at noon on Friday and ends around noon on Sunday. We hold two weekends at the Friendly Pines Camp in Prescott, Arizona each year in the fall and spring. When you register for a BOW Weekend online, you'll choose which classes you'd like to attend throughout the weekend. Oftentimes, we have instructors or participants who do a voluntary hike in the mornings, which you're welcome to join. In addition, food is provided throughout the weekend.

A complete list of courses which you may find at BOW can be found in the BOW Class Descriptions.

In addition to the various classes, there are a number of evening events to enjoy that may include "hawk talks", nature hikes, talent shows, fly tying and wild game tasting. The weekend schedule would be similar to this BOW Sample Schedule.

Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) is a program started by Christine Thomas, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Resource Management at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Pointe. The first BOW clinic was conducted in Wisconsin in September 1991. The Arizona workshop is part of the same curriculum and each workshop is organized with the aid of the Safari Club International of Phoenix and the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The National Wildlife Federation and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation are just two of BOW’s national supporters. Visit the National Bow site to learn more!

Instructors:

We strive to get the most experienced instructors possible. Our instructors, who volunteer their time to teach these classes, are experts in their field. Some are employed in the fields they teach; others are experts in their subjects, including archery and rifle marksmanship. Still others are Arizona Game and Fish and U.S. Forest Service employees with years of experience in the flora and fauna of Arizona. While many of our instructors are women, we do also have some excellent male instructors that have long been dedicated to providing the very best instruction for our attendees. All our instructors are volunteers.

Interested in Becoming a BOW Instructor?

Let's see if you're a good fit:

Are you well versed in an outdoor activity as either a pro or an avid amateur?
Are you comfortable speaking to an audience of adult women?
Can you leave politics and your personal biases at home?
Can you teach in a hands-on, fun, non-threatening manner?

If so, then we have a great volunteer opportunity for you! Please contact us at bow@azwildlife.org with a little about you and what you would like to teach. We will follow up with a formal application, an opportunity to attend BOW as an apprentice instructor or observer, and an opportunity to teach a demonstration class. Note: All BOW instructors serve in a volunteer capacity. AWF will cover costs of most class materials.