For women who have been attracted to the outdoors, but may have found “taking lessons” on outdoor activities from a family member difficult, please consider signing up for the Becoming An Outdoors Woman workshop. Patient instruction by professional outdoor individuals is tailored for the very newest in the outdoors and those who might be more experienced. Registration for the annual Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) workshop, which is open to women ages 18 and older, opened March 1.

This year’s BOW workshop will be held May 5-7, at Ross Camp in West Lafayette.

The BOW program is designed for women to learn outdoor skills in a relaxed, low-pressure environment. Participants will choose four activities from more than two dozen offerings, including fishing, archery, geocaching, wild edibles, wildlife tracking, shooting muzzleloader guns and outdoor cooking.

The workshop is for women who have never tried outdoor activities, but have hoped for an opportunity to learn; who have tried them but are beginners hoping to improve; or who know how to do some of the activities, but would like to try new ones. Women who enjoy the camaraderie of individuals with similar outdoor interests and who seek time away to reconnect with nature are also prime candidates for BOW.

Registration, which closes when there are 100 registrants, can be done at IndianaBOW.com. The cost for the workshop is $275, which includes all equipment, meals and lodging.

National disgrace - bald eagle found shot

Jail time isn’t enough for the trigger-happy vandal who shot and killed a bald eagle in Dubois County recently. Indiana Conservation Officers are seeking the public’s help after responding to a complaint of a bald eagle being shot and killed in the county.

The initial investigation suggests the shooting took place on Feb. 25. At the time of the shooting, the eagle appears to have been feeding about 50 yards off the roadway north of County Road 300 North near the intersection of 175 East. The road is a heavily traveled area.

If you have any information on the incident, contact DNR Law Enforcement District 7 Headquarters at 812-789-9538 or 1-800-TIP-IDNR (800-847-4367). A reward of up to $500 is possible for information leading to an arrest of a suspect.

New online Boater’s Guide to 

Indiana Marinas

Whether you boat, fish or just relax on the water, Indiana has a new tool to help plan your next boating adventure when warm weather returns. The new digital version of the Boater’s Guide to Indiana Marinas offers an interactive map to filter marinas by location, as well as by services they offer, including fuel, onsite stores, restaurants, restrooms and septic pump outs.

Quickly and easily, boaters can search about 80 different marinas in Indiana to find marinas selling fuel or offer overnight dockage. Maybe you’re looking for a marina able to perform a boat repair or one with a boat launch? Now you have a one-stop shop to find a marina near you with those or any other of the 17 services searchable in the new guide.

‘Going Green’ spring hike

On March 17 at 1:30 p.m. at Monroe Lake Fairfax SRA and in honor of St. Patrick’s Day and the Spring Equinox, we are going on a hike. We’ll be searching for signs of spring – from unfurling tree buds to nesting activity, to hints of green (and maybe some wildflowers) poking up through the forest floor.

The hike route (roughly 2.5 miles) will include the entirety of the new Homestead Loop trail; the route is moderate overall, with a couple of large hills. The two-hour hike is free but limited to 30 people (recommended for ages 10+). Registration is required by March 15 at bit.ly/goinggreenhike2023.

Readers can contact the author by writing to this publication, or e-mail to jackspaulding@hughes.net.

Spaulding’s books, “The Best of Spaulding Outdoors,” and his latest, “The Coon Hunter And The Kid,” are available from Amazon.com in paperback or as a Kindle download.