After the completion of
each of our Hunter
Safety Courses the instructors take the students to the range
at our local gun club to shoot their firearms. Part of the program
is a live fire demonstration showing the effects of targets hit
by rifles shotguns and hand guns.
At the conclusion of the fire demonstration each student is assigned
to a group to shoot .22's shotguns or participate in a zone of
fire |
exercise. During the zone of fire participants
form a line to simulate a typical pheasant hunt with their zone
of fire about 45 degrees to the front This is done with firearm
in hand but no live fire. To make this fun I stand behind the
students and toss bumpers over given students heads asking them
whose shot it is. My dogs get a chance to show off and retrieve
the bumpers. Each group rotates until all have been to each of
the activities. |
This year I was involved in a special moment
at the trap range One of our students had completed firing his
.22 at the rifle range. He was showing his dad his target At
that time we asked if anyone else wanted to shoot trap. Since
I was standing next to this pair I said " have you shot
on the trap course "' The son said "he had never shot
a shotgun at all". With a little coaxing from me, and more
from his dad, we were next at station one where I would be his
coach.
The students shoot two rounds at each station. He missed at station
one and two, but at station three he hit his first target, then
powered the second one. He turned to his dad with the greatest
smile ever and gave him a two big thumbs up ", his dad did
the same. All my involvement did was to get him to keep his head
down. His dad was elated. |
