There's little denying that hunting is not a sport many women participate in. But the Alabama Wildlife Federation is doing its part to change that.

As part of its Outdoor Women s Network (OWN) campaign, the AWF, on March 10 and 11, sponsored its second women’s-only quail hunt at the 1,500-acre Snow Point Lodge in Union Springs near Guntersville. That hunt joins an ever-growing list of women’s-only hunting trips sponsored by the AWF over the past three years.

Like all the other hunts, the 2006 quail hunt was an overwhelming success.

“I now have the confidence to go quail or dove hunting with my husband,” said Margaret Hines, who participated in the event. “Thanks for the chance to learn in a non-threatening setting.”

That’s exactly what the event was designed to do.

By providing an opportunity for female hunters to participate in an actual hunt and receive guidance and instruction from trained professionals every step of the way, the AWF’s OWN program increases the interest, confidence and, most importantly, skill level of female hunters.

“I believe this will open up the aspects of hunting to many women,” said Harriet Hyde, who also took part in the event.

In all, seven women got their first taste of quail hunting on the trip, which was organized by AWF’s OWN regional coordinator Joan Wedgworth.

After an afternoon of instruction on Friday, the ladies, in groups of two, took to the fields for the actual hunt on Saturday.

Led by guide Joe Williams and aided by Freckles and Hunter, two Britney Spaniel hunting dogs provided by Danny Shell, the women harvested plenty of quail to go around.

“I think I can speak for the entire group when I say we all had a blast on the quail hunt and thoroughly enjoyed the comradery shared amongst our women’s-only group,” said hunter Ann Hutson. “Personally, my access to hunting land is fairly limited and having opportunities to learn about and participate in women’s-only hunting activities has definitely helped to grow and hone my interest and skill level. I think that the Alabama Wildlife Federation should be commended for taking the time to organize these events.”

All of the participants also thanked Joan Wedgworth for organizing the event and Snow Point owners Randall and Ellen Dowdy for hosting the hunt and for providing great food, fun, and hunting.




Women who participated in the Quail Hunt:
Margaret Hines of Birmingham, Harriett Hyde of Evergreen, Patty Gargulinski of Hazel Green, Ann Hutson of Hazel Green, Annette Horton of Hartselle, Troy Grey of Huntsville, and Kimberly Moon of Montgomery.



Visit AWF's Calendar of Events to learn about upcoming OWN events. If you would like to be on our mailing list for these events, send an email to timg@alabamawildlife.org.

Snow Point Lodge in Union Grove