May 25, 2008

IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS TODAY …

…. You’d better not wear disguise. For Loreth and KJ Howe will have guns … And knives.

And pens.

In the name of research, we’ll be participating in a series of courses ranging from mantracking to falconry, to trap shooting, knife throwing, rifle marksmanship, managing ‘aggressive persons’, and several things in between.

The venue is Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island, deep in the forest. And the courses are being hosted by the British Columbia Wildlife Federation - essentially a pro-hunting body, which has come up with an innovative way to grow and foster the organization’s sport and membership … by reaching out and teaching women how to love, cope with, and understand the outdoors along with the associated guns, and knives and bows and arrows, plus skills such as preparing and cooking game, navigating via map and compass, canoeing, fly fishing and handling ax and chainsaw.

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 am also keen to meet folk from completely different walks off life, ones outside my immediate writing circles. I want to talk skills not related to POV and plot and world building.
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.

If all goes according to plan - KJ and I should emerge from the woods around June 2, and have tall tales to tell — books to write. And hopefully photos to show.

Stay tuned