Women go wild in the Assunpink
National Wild Turkey Federation gets ladies enjoying the outdoors
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Staff Writer

ERIC SUCAR staff A group of women listen to Curtis Crowell of the New Jersey Beekeepers Association lecture about honeybees during "Women in the Outdoors," an event in the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area sponsored by the New Jersey chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation featuring falconry, archery, wild game cooking, basic shotgun demonstrations and other outdoor activities for women.

Women exchanged their traditional roles as mothers, daughters and wives for a chance to be shotgunshooting, wild-game-cooking outdoor adventurers.

The New Jersey chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) hosted a group of eight women from across the state and as far away as Pennsylvania during its "Women in the Outdoors" event Aug. 16 in the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area.

The ladies involved, ages 14 and up, explored the Assunpink, which has over 5,700 acres filled with wildlife native to western Monmouth County, while learning beekeeping, archery, wild game cooking, falconry, basic shotgun and more.

"The purpose is to offer women the opportunity to learn outdoor recreation in a noncompetitive educational environment," said Priscilla Page, the NWTF's coordinator for "Women in the Outdoors." "This event is also an opportunity for women of all walks of life — singles, moms, daughters, young and old — to spend a weekend outdoors, away from home, having fun and making new friends."

PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff Women participating in "Women in the Outdoors" on Aug. 16 in the Assunpink Wildlife Management Area listen to Curtis Crowell of the New Jersey Beekeepers Association give a presentation on honeybees.

Page said the NWTF has organized "Women in the Outdoors" programs across the country since 1998. During its inaugural year, "Women in the Outdoors" hosted 18 events, and today the program organizes more than 400 events across the nation.

Mary Santiago, of Jackson, who is a member of the NWTF, said this was the second program of its kind held in New Jersey. She said the federation would like to be able to offer "Women in the Outdoors" annually in the Assunpink.

"I do think it's a fun thing," she said. "Women get to see hunting is not just a man's thing."

Santiago said that the NWTF and its programs are not just about hunting. She said the NWTF helps men and women develop outdoor skills and learn the importance of wildlife management.

Founded in 1973, the NWTF is a nonprofit organization with more than a half million members in the United States, Canada and Mexico that supports scientific wildlife management on public, private and corporate lands as well as wild turkey hunting as a traditional North American sport.

"The Women in the Outdoors program allows the NWTF to reach an entirely new audience, one that has the potential to benefit conservation efforts," Tammy Mowry, a "Women in the Outdoors" coordinator, said. "It's an opportunity for women to find great satisfaction and enjoyment in the outdoors."

The combination of sponsorship and local chapter support allows the NWTF to offer the outdoor programs for women at a low cost to participants.

Participant Ellie Kidd, of Pennsville in Salem County, said, "Where else can you get this kind of entertainment for $45?"

She said a friend told her about the "Women in the Outdoors" workshops and after going on a kayaking adventure in Delaware she started referring to herself as an addict.

Kidd brought her friend Justine Adas, also of Pennsville, with her to the Assunpink. The duo had fun learning about beekeeping and falconry in the company of other women.

Adas said, "This program gives you the chance to do things you don't get to try everyday."

Kidd added, "You can get away from your family and kids for a day and have a good time hanging out with other women."

Presenter Curtis Crowell, a beekeeper from Hightstown in Mercer County and a member of the New Jersey Beekeepers Association, explained the importance of honeybees, which pollinate crops.

"There would be a food crisis if they all died off," he said.

Crowell encouraged women interested in beekeeping to take the short course Rutgers University in New Brunswick offers on the subject.

Falconers Chris Browne and Bill Brown, both members of the New Jersey Falcon Club, spoke to the women about the history of falconry and the anatomy of their hunting birds. They both displayed their red-tailed hawks. Browne also showed the women her American kestrel, which is a small falcon.

Browne said falconers need a state, federal and hunting license to hunt in New Jersey.

"You have to do a shotgun course and get your hunting license, but when you're out flying a bird, it is against the law to carry a gun," she explained.

The falconers also spoke about hand crafting hunting equipment for their birds and using telemetry systems for tracking them.

"In the olden days, they used bells," Browne said.

Bob Eriksen, of Philipsburg in Warren County, spoke to the women about black bears.

"The Division of Fish and Wildlife have no official estimate, but there is a black bear population of 3,000 in the northern part of the state and they are now sighted in every county of the state," Ericksen said.

He said the state allowed two black bear hunting seasons, one in 2003 and one in 2005, but the population continues to increase.

"There are a lot more bears than there were in 1960 and a lot more people, which sets a good stage for confrontations between bears and people," he said.

He said New Jersey now has a dense black bear population at three bears per square mile. He said the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee has the second densest population at two bears per square mile.

"There is plenty of room for bears in New Jersey," he said. "In the 1990s the population was at an acceptable level, but that has changed. In the 1990s people were happy to see bears and they were viewed as an asset, but today in parts of the state they are viewed as a nuisance and a problem."

He said hunting is not the only answer and said people need to educate themselves about bear-proofing their properties.

The day didn't just consist of lectures and the women would later try their skills at archery and basic shotgun.

Lori McCombs, of Willingboro in Burlington County, said she was looking forward to shooting because she hadn't done so in over 15 years.

"I love being outside," she said. "I grew up in the woods."

Moving to New Jersey from a more remote area in Pennsylvania has kept Mc- Combs away from nature longer than she is used to. She said she is thankful for programs like "Women in the Outdoors."

"You get to get back to the self," she said.

For more information about "Women in the Outdoors" programs, which are held year-round throughout the country, contact Priscilla Page at 410-378-2064 or visit www.womenintheoutdoors.org.