A Shot of Her Own

Kelly Godfrey started retrieving birds for her father about the time she learned to walk. He raised her alone from the age of five, and her childhood ran between a deer lease and a lake: gun safety, hunting, fishing, camping, all of it learned at his side. When she lost him to cancer in August 2011, the outdoors became the thing that kept her moving.

She finished a bachelor's degree in wildlife management with a minor in biology at Tarleton State, then spent six years as a park ranger with the US Army Corps of Engineers. Motherhood ended the ranger schedule; late nights and weekends do not pair well with a husband whose work calendar is even less predictable. She became a stay-at-home mom in Comanche and, for a while, the outdoors went quiet.

Her story points at something worth naming. Access to the outdoors tends to ride on a person: the dad with the lease, the husband who hunts, the friend with a boat and a spare rod. When that person is gone, or was never there to begin with, the door is heavy to open alone. And Godfrey hears every version of it from her own members.

Some women had a husband or father who hunted but she stayed home anyway; the men in their lives would not take them, or they did not want their first missed shot to happen in front of an audience. Some lost the person they shared the outdoors with, the way she did. Some never had anyone with the patience to teach them at all.

In January 2021, Godfrey went looking for a few friends who wanted to spend real time together outside. By mid-April they had taken their first camping trip. She set up a Facebook group afterward, mostly so other women could find them, and named it Texas Women's Outdoors. She is the first to say the whole thing started by accident.

It did not stay accidental. On August 4, 2021, Texas Women's Outdoors became an LLC, and in five years, more than 1,240 women have come through its programs. Its combined reach across social media and its website tops 11,000, and a working team now stands behind the calendar.

Our Mission

“Texas Women's Outdoors exists to inspire, equip, and empower women to embrace the outdoors with confidence, purpose, and community. Through immersive experiences, hands-on education, and shared traditions, we connect women to the land, the wildlife, and one another — fostering a lifelong love of the outdoors and the skills to thrive in it.

We are dedicated to creating opportunities that honor heritage, strengthen conservation, and remove barriers to outdoor access. Whether through hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, or hands-on workshops, we help women and families step into the field with knowledge, courage, and support.”

Our Vision

“We envision a future where every woman feels at home in the outdoors — confident, connected, and committed to conserving the wild places we love. Texas Women's Outdoors is building a movement that unites education, adventure, and stewardship into lifelong opportunities, empowering women and families to lead boldly in every outdoor space.
Through mentorship, meaningful experiences, and a vibrant community, we are creating a legacy where outdoor traditions are preserved, shared, and celebrated and where future generations inherit a deep respect for the land, the wildlife, and the outdoor way of life.”