For those who pursue big game in the mountains, few things bring people together like a good story.

On Friday night, that spirit will take center stage as the Colorado chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers hosts the Full Draw Film Tour at the Bud Werner Memorial Library.

Doors open at 6 p.m., with films beginning at 7 p.m.

Now in its 15th year, the tour showcases independent bowhunting films that highlight both the challenges and rewards of hunting big game with archery equipment. Friday’s event marks the first time the tour has come to the Yampa Valley.

For Aiden McCormick, who is the assistant regional director for BHA, the event is about more than just films.

“BHA on a national level is really interested in keeping public lands in public hands, protecting our hunting heritage and getting people in the outdoors,” McCormick said. “In Colorado, we try to follow that mission closely with conservation workdays and community socials like this one.”

The tour offers attendees the chance to win gear from sponsors such as Hoyt, Vortex and OnX, as well as sweepstakes prizes from Sitka, Benchmade and Stone Glacier.

Despite all the gear and equipment to be won, McCormick believes that the real prize comes in building community.

“This event is open to everybody,” she said. “We’d be excited to have anyone including locals, visitors, experienced hunters and people who are just curious. It’s a celebration of conservation and hunting, but also of connecting with others.”

The local chapter of BHA has hosted more events in Routt County this year, including trivia nights and volunteer workdays. For McCormick, Friday’s film screening marks another step toward strengthening BHA’s presence in Northwest Colorado, where hunting and fishing are deeply respected ways of life.

“I think hunting and fishing is a great lifestyle,” McCormick said. “It keeps you close to the land and keeps you caring about conservation. It gave me and my husband a real sense of community here in Routt County. We have friends we hunt and volunteer with now, and that’s special.”

For McCormick, who came to hunting as an adult, the mission is also personal. She and her husband learned to hunt together with the mentorship of her mother and brother-in-law. That experience, she said, showed her the importance of mentorship and the need to welcome new people into the field—especially women.

That goal will be on display at Full Draw Film Night, where Elena Reynolds and her organization, Rocky Mountain Sportswomen, will host a booth to further her quest to connect attendees, particularly women, with the sport that has deeply shaped her life.

For her, hunting became not only a personal pursuit but also a way to create community for women who might otherwise be intimidated by the sport.

Raised in North Carolina with a background in outdoor education, Reynolds discovered hunting after moving to Colorado. After being introduced to it through a former partner, she was drawn in by the fact that hunting wasn’t just about food on the table — it was also about conservation and community.

“When I learned about how much hunters and anglers contribute to conservation, I was shocked that I never knew about that aspect when I was growing up,” Reynolds said. “Eating elk meat for the first time helped, too. Over time, I realized this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life.”

Still, she said one of the biggest barriers for women is not knowing where to start.

“So many women are curious about hunting but don’t have a mentor,” Reynolds said. “It’s intimidating when you don’t know how to shoot, or what the ethics are, or how to even begin. I started Rocky Mountain Sportswomen to give women a place to meet each other, learn together and build confidence.”

What began as a simple idea of a “girls club” to shoot bows and share experiences eventually grew into a network that now reaches across the Yampa Valley and beyond. Reynolds has hosted women’s hunter education classes, fly fishing trips and ice fishing outings, often free of charge to keep them accessible and foster continued growth.

“My biggest goal is creating a sense of community,” she said. “When I see women at my events exchanging numbers or meeting new friends, that’s what makes me happiest. It’s about knowing there are other women out there who want to do the same things you do.”

Reynolds said her booth at the Full Draw Film Night is both a chance to reconnect with the BHA community and to reach women who might be curious but haven’t yet taken the leap.

“These events are so important because they remind us that this is a strong community,” she said. “They’re also a chance to show people who may not understand hunting that it’s about conservation, food and connection, not the stereotypes they might imagine.”

As a solo hunter much of the time, Reynolds said she’s found both independence and deep connection in the woods.

“When I’m out there by myself, it’s like waking up with the world,” she said. “You’re quiet, you’re listening to every little sound and you just feel one with the forest. That’s something you don’t get from other outdoor pursuits.”

For Reynolds, the hope is that Rocky Mountain Sportswomen continues to grow as a space where women can share those experiences together while also building supported for broader hunting organizations like BHA.

“I want women to keep putting themselves out there,” she said. “Even if they don’t know anyone, they can come to an event, meet a new friend and find someone to hunt or fish with. That sense of connection is what it’s all about.”

While Friday’s event will bring together hunters, anglers and community members for an evening of film, prizes and conversation, organizers also hope that attendees leave with more than just excitement for hunting season.

“It’s about building bridges,” Reynolds said. “Whether you’re a lifelong hunter, someone who’s curious, or even someone who doesn’t hunt at all, it’s a chance to connect and see the positive side of this lifestyle.”

For more information, or to buy tickets, visit BackCountryHunters.org/co_bha_full_draw_film_night_steamboat_springs.

To learn more about Rocky Mountain Sportswomen, go to RockyMountainSportswomen.com.