Eight members of the Junior Conservation Club and their parents took to the local sportsmen’s club gun range at Frog Creek to get a taste of target practice.
Willie Anderson, who volunteered his time to instruct along with Doug Langtry, said they brought the youngsters to the range to show them how to safely use handguns and .22 rifles–and to give them something different to do.
“It was primarily educational,” Anderson said yesterday, noting even the parents picked up a few pointers. “Just to show them that these things don’t have a life of their own. They are controlled by their operator.
“Some of them did really well,” he added. “Some of them had obviously shot before.”
One key safety lesson was how to tell if a gun was loaded, and how to unload it properly.
“And another thing they found out is how hard it is to hit anything,” Anderson said.
That was the case with the revolvers, in particular. Anderson said club members and their parents all had their eyes opened that shooting handguns wasn’t as simple as it looked on TV or in the movies.
Club member Jonathan Derkson noted the revolvers were louder, touchier, and a lot more wobbly than the rifles.
“I’d never shot a revolver. I’d never handled a revolver,” he said.
“I think I like the rifles a bit better,” added fellow club member Devan Hahkala, agreeing they were easier to shoot.
“My favourite part would probably be hitting the target,” echoed Corie Kaufman, who said she had gone hunting a few times before.
Hahkala admitted it turned into a friendly competition with his friends, noting they were looking forward to comparing targets again this Thursday.
But Kaufman also was fascinated by the intricate work on the guns, noting some of the stocks and handles were beautifully carved.
Anderson stressed that instructing the youths in a supervised environment would help them in future years, especially if they follow in the hunting footsteps of their parents.
“If you learn how to use it and you’ve developed a respect for it, you’ll probably never have a problem with it,” he reasoned.
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