Seven women stepped beyond comfort zones to claim confidence in Montana’s backcountry.

At the foot of the Rocky Mountain Front, the first Boone and Crockett Club Outdoors Women Skills Retreat brought together a small group ready to work. Over three days at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch, participants tackled hands-on outdoor education built for real-world confidence.

They split firewood, built backcountry fires, and talked campsite setup and bear safety, including an inert bear spray demonstration. Fly tying sessions covered matching the hatch, fish identification, and macroinvertebrates critical to successful fly fishing in Montana rivers. When wind kept rods off the water, the learning continued indoors with practical trout ID and fisheries conversation.

On the range, women with little to no experience gained confidence through structured firearm safety, .22 rifle fundamentals, and 9mm pistol shooting. Conversations around women’s shooting groups, range etiquette, and choosing the right firearm made the instruction practical and accessible. Archery basics, power tool demonstrations, and even sunrise hikes and yoga rounded out a weekend focused on building independent outdoor skills.

What emerged was more than instruction. It was mentorship, camaraderie, and proof that hunting, shooting sports, and backcountry skills are learned by doing. For women curious about elk camps, waterfowl blinds, or simply handling tools with confidence, this conversation lays out the pathway: show up, try, learn, repeat.

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