My Favorite Places

The author is one of the most active bowhunters in America. Watch future issues of this magazine for updates on hunting opportunities for women bowhunters.

Lady hunters frequently ask me, "Where are good places for me to hunt?" Following is a list of some of my personal favorites. M.R. James has already mentioned two excellent hunting operations I would recommend -- Iowa Trophy Whitetail Outfitters, operated by Judd Cooney; and Willow Point/Tara Hunt Club and in Mississippi -- so I won't reiterate those here. But I will add some other lodges and outfitters that will show ladies -- and all bowhunters -- fine hospitality and good hunting.

Timberview Lodge in Porterville, Mississippi, owned and operated by Bettye and Ike Hopper, has the atmosphere of a country bed and breakfast yet offers quality whitetail and turkey hunting. Guests have their own private bedrooms with an adjoining bathroom. The food is good, the hospitality, even better. Spend an hour at Timberview and you feel like kinfolk. The mild winter temperatures in eastern Mississippi are attractive to many women. Contract: Timberview Lodge, Bettye and Ike Hopper, Rt. I Box 150, Dept. BH, Porterville, MS-39352; (60l) 743-4204; fax (601) 482-1053; www.timberviewlodge.com.

White Oak Plantation, near Tuskegee, Alabama, is a shining example of a hunting lodge that recognizes that women bowhunters need a place to gather to hunt, and share the camaraderie of other sisters of the sport. The Does and Bows Hunt, held each October, offers the perfect opportunity for both beginning and veteran woman hunters see lots of whitetail deer and learn about new products from various industry sponsors, such as Browning, Seneca Bows, A.P.I. Treestands, Georgia Boot Co., and many others that support this all-woman hunt with money, products and personnel. Thirty-two women attended the 1998 Does and Bows Hunt. Contact: Robert and Hilda Pittman, White Oak Plantation, 5215 County Road 10, Dept. BH, Tuskegee, AL 36083; (334) 727-9258; fax (334) 727-3411.

J&S Trophy Hunts is another fine outfitting service that makes women feel welcome in camp. Steve and Donna Shoope have hunting operations in both Iowa and Missouri, where they produce some of the biggest whitetails in the country. This is a hard-core hunter's hunt where the focus is on putting you in position to bag a quality buck. Private accommodations are provided for women. Steve Shoope readily admits that some of his most skilled and dedicated hunters are women. Contact: J&S Trophy Hunts, Box 312, Dept. BH, Memphis, MO 63555; (660) 945-3736; fax (660) 945-3739; e-mail JSTrophy@aol.com; www.jstrophyhunts.com

Dave Williams, Idaho's Premiere Beat; and Lion Hunts, is located, along the Salmon River near Carmen, Idaho. Dave Williams runs his small, top-quality operation with his wife, Patty, and two daughters Guests stay in a cozy cabin complete with a hot shower. Meals are served in the family kitchen -- or sometimes on the side of a mountain! Dave personally guides all his hunters, and he often relies on his string of well-trained mules to reach remote corners of his guiding area. His hunter success record for bears and lions, is phenomenal. Contact: Dave Williams Idaho's Premiere Bear and Lion Hunts, Box 8, Dept. BH, Carmen, ID 83462; (208) 756-2018.

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