CONQUERING THE OUTDOORS COURSES SHOW WOMEN THEY'VE GOT GAME.

Byline: Rochelle Kaplan Special to the Daily News

Patiently waiting her turn in line, Rita Graham stared down the length of her outstretched right arm as she slowly raised and bent her left arm. Resting her left forefinger against her chin, she closed one eye and cocked her head as if locating an imaginary bird in the distant sky. Oblivious to others around her while she purposefully lowered, then elevated her arm, Graham appeared to be assuming a martial-arts pose. Then again, she could have been practicing some newfangled stress-relieving exercise.

But when her name was called to step up to the bunker-like ledge and her focus returned to the task, it became clear what Graham was simulating. Picking up the 20-gauge shotgun that lay in front of her, the Santa Paula mother confidently brought the firearm up to the proper position and yelled, ``Pull!'' Shattering the fluorescent-colored clay disk with her first shot, Graham smiled proudly as she watched the clay bits fall to the valley floor.

THe three women with her, as well as the instructor in her group, howled and clapped enthusiastically.

``I think it's important that women need to know how to handle guns,'' said Graham, who was participating in one of the nearly 20 courses offered during the three-day, Department of Fish and Game's (DFG) ``Becoming an Outdoors-Woman'' (BOW) conference. ``Plus, the quality of instruction you get here is superb. And, there's a complete lack of intimidation because you're around women. You're here for you, not anyone else.''

Having attended last year's conference, where she learned to shoot, Graham's second attempt at shotgun lessons would definitely not be her last. Although she appeared a bit apprehensive every time her turn came, she was determined nonetheless. She hopes to pass on her new-found passion to her family, particularly her son.

``My husband's not into guns at all, but this would be (a great sport) for my 11-year-old son to get into when he's a teen-ager,'' Graham said.

Developed in 1991 by Dr. Christine Thomas, a University of Wisconsin professor, the BOW program was created specifically for women, although anyone 18 years or older may attend to learn outdoor skills usually associated with hunting and fishing.

Brought to California in 1994 by the DFG, the program is offered in 46 states and seven Canadian provinces. It is sponsored by state departments of fish and game and provincial natural-resource agencies and is usually geared for beginners. However, participants of all skill levels attend, from the novice who has never spent a night of her life in a sleeping bag to the expert who heads up her own angling club.

The annual Southern California conference, which was held at Camp Rancho Alegre in the Santa Ynez Mountains, accommodated 100 participants, many of whom had either never been exposed to outdoor activities or stayed in the background while the men in their lives went hunting or fishing. Tired of not partaking of all that the outdoors has to offer, these women couldn't wait to leave their families behind and spend three days with strangers.

At the same time that Graham and 12 other women were practicing their shooting skills during the morning session, others were fly fishing, exploring wild California, learning how to read a map and compass, or attempting to cook with Dutch ovens. And when everyone met back at camp for lunch, each woman was eager to share her experiences before heading off for the afternoon workshops.

``I signed up for BOW so I could do more things with my husband,'' said first-time participant Helen Lomich of Van Nuys. ``He hunts upland game, and even though I don't shoot anything live - shoot photography instead - I want to experience it with him.''

Lomich, who's been married for 30 years, especially enjoyed the outdoor-cooking class as well as the map and compass workshop.

``This conference is a great experience for everyone,'' she said.

As a way of setting the tone for the weekend, Friday night's buffet dinner included game such as bear, venison, dove and wild boar. For those less adventurous, there was salmon, chicken and salads.

Instructors in several sports and activities, who in some cases are professionally renowned in their respective sports, volunteer their time to impart their knowledge and enthusiasm. Although many previously male-dominated outdoor sports such as fishing, and to a lesser extent, hunting, have seen marked increases in female participation over the last couple of decades, Some believe there's a shortage of women involved in shooting sports.

``Here's all these women participating in the shotgun class who'd never been introduced to the sport before,'' said John Nores, the DFG warden, who was one of four volunteer shooting instructors.

``(Shooting sports) are not gender specific. They're not about strength but about skill,'' said Nores, who, along with fellow volunteer instructor, DFG warden Mitch Carlson, would like to see more women become involved in competitive shooting sports. ``Hunting's gotten a bad rap and it only takes a few to ruin it for the rest,'' said Carlson, who hunts with his fiance, Jennifer Gritz. ``Negative things like school shootings and gang-related activity have affected (how people perceive guns). But that's such a small percentage of the whole picture.''

In addition to the Southern California BOW conference, the DFG also offers three-day Central and Northern California seminars.

The Wonder Valley Ranch in Sanger will host the next seminar October 25-27, and Plumas County will be the site of the Northern California conference sometime next year.

Topic-specific workshop weekends, called Beyond BOW, are equally popular and are geared for those who want to hone specific skills. BOW workshops include topics such as map and compass and field orienteering, fly-fishing, canoe and kayaking, shooting and backpacking.

Last month, during the Memorial Day weekend, a dual Beyond BOW workshop offered ocean kayaking as well as surf fishing at Paradise Cove in Malibu. First-time angler Rochelle Margolin signed up for the three-day seminar at Camp Rancho Alegre at the urging of two friends.

A life-long urbanite and small business owner, Margolin was ecstatic after catching 11 rainbow trout on her first fly-fishing outing. What's more, she wasn't even upset after learning that only one was of legal size.

``It was intimidating at first because you don't know if you can do it,'' said the Ventura resident. ``But you don't have to be embarrassed because you're around other women. No one's going to say, 'Oh, you cast like a girl.' ''

Because of the personalized attention given to participants by the instructors, as well as the small groups in each session, everyone caught at least one fish, tracked the mock blood-trail of an animal or found her way out of the woods by reading a map and using a compass.

Although Margolin was not the least bit interested in picking up a gun, preferring the less powerful nature of a rod and reel, other women never wanted their shooting classes to end. Nancy Weiss hadn't picked up a gun of any kind in 20 years but was taking the beginning shotgun class because she wants to protect the animals she keeps on her 3,600-acre property north of Sacramento.

``I want to learn a more humane way to kill the rattlesnakes that are all over my property,'' said Weiss, who owns two horses and two dogs. ``I want to kill them with a clean shot and not have to resort to using a shovel, like my husband does.''

Jennifer Gritz sought to refine her hunting skills by participating in the bow-hunting class. A hunter for the past five years, Gritz wants to take her sport to the next level.

``With bow hunting, you're more on the terms of the animal,'' said the Buelton resident. ``It's more of a spiritual thing. It's so quiet and peaceful and you have to get super close to the animal. It does take more time and patience, though.''

Developing patience and keen senses were at the core of the bow-hunting class, where students tracked an ``injured'' Styrofoam animal's mock blood trail through the woods. For their successful efforts in reaching the ``dying animal,'' Gritz and her classmates received a bull's-eye

pin that they all proudly displayed on the lanyards that hung around their necks.

In addition to the great memories, new friends and polished skills each woman amassed over the weekend, it was their new-found confidence in outdoor sports that was most prized.

``My father was a sportsman and I grew up around guns but never really got into it,'' said Graham. ``But if my son is going to learn anything about guns, it's going to be from me, not my husband. That's the 21st century for you.''

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