Camp Barnes in Sussex County will welcome this year’s participants to the 2026 Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program the weekend of Oct. 2 to 4, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today.
The 2026 event marks BOW’s 27th year in Delaware with the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife hosting the program. Registration opens Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 11:00 a.m.– usually selling out within a few hours, but closing Thursday, Sept. 17 if capacity has not been reached. Returning once again to Camp Barnes near Frankford, the BOW program is open this year to 60 participants looking to learn valuable outdoors skills.
BOW offers a variety of 3.5-hour and 1.5-hour recreational courses taught by DNREC staff and volunteer instructors, who share their expertise and provide instruction in a safe, supportive and non-competitive atmosphere. The cost of participating in the full BOW weekend is $200, which includes meals, lodging, instruction and use of necessary equipment and supplies. A small additional fee is charged for online registration.
Participants can choose from a wide range of hands-on courses. This year’s BOW offerings include Surf Fishing, Shotgun Shooting, Crabbing, Birding, Waterfowling, Archery, Seining, Nature ID Workshops and more.
A specialty course this year at BOW is a mentored crossbow deer hunt at the nearby Assawoman Wildlife Area, limited to five participants and led by DNREC’s Hunter Education instructors and volunteers. The hunting opportunity emphasizes deer management on the wildlife area and involves safe use of a crossbow while taking part in the mentored deer hunt. Participants in the hunt are required to have a Delaware hunting license and hunter education certification prior to the BOW event. Each hunter will be partnered with a mentor during the managed hunt.
More information about Delaware BOW, including online registration, can be found at the de.gov/bow webpage.