Outdoor sports best- kept secret

Outdoor sports best- kept secret

Outdoors Columnist How would you like for your kid, either boy or girl, to be able to learn how to shoot a BB gun, pellet rifle, trap shoot, or even a bow and arrow? At NO cost to you and all kids age 5-19 years old, are welcome to participate! They are taught by certified instructors and the equipment is first class and furnished, including the ammo and even arrows. Sounds too good to be true? This organization has existed in Crittenden Country for many years. It is the 4-H Club.

4-H stand for Hands, Head, Health, and Heart. Many people think of 4-H as only an agricultural organization for farm kids. This is far from the truth providing instruction in singing, music, art, photography, insect collecting, and even bait casting. Almost all of the young people taking advantage are urban. It is surprising how many opportunities for young people 4H offers. We will concentrate on the outdoor sports that deal with hunting and shooting.

Trap shooting is year round and they shoot on Monday afternoon at the police shooting range off Airport Road. They are practicing for the championship at C.A.Vines 4-H State Range Events Center in Ferndale, Arkansas the 3rd week of July. This is the state headquarters for 4-H. The age group for trap is 9-19 years old. Trap is shot gun shooting at clay targets flying away from the shooter.

BB gun shooting with top of the line Daisy Competition rifles is inside at the BB shooting range located in the Extension Office next to the Country Court House. This is designed to get shooters started and 5-19 year olds can sign up now with practice starting Oct. 24. Guns and BBs are furnished.

.22 rifle and pistol instruction under the guidance of a certified instructor is available along with pellet gun shooting. The pellet guns, both rife and pistol, are top of the line Daisy Competition models. Archery using Genesis Competition bows will begin in February and the range will be inside. Shooters can bring their own equipment or use the 4H’s.

Muzzle loader season will open soon and the instructor at 4-H is looking for shooters. The shooting time can be arranged with the instructors, starting immediately.

These are great introductions to the outdoors and all a young shooter has to do is have a Hunter Education Course card. If a shooter does not have a card, they may take it on line or call the 4-H office and they can tell you how to get it. The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission requires all hunters to have completed the Hunter Safety course.

Now that you know some of the many opportunities that 4-H offers, how do you sign up the kids? Call Cynthia Rorie at 870-7393239 or Jerry Kelley at 901326-2421. Mrs. Rorie is in charge of all 4-H activities in Crittenden County. Mr. Kelley is the building inspector for the city of Marion and volunteer leader. Call either of these people and they will tell you how to sign up the young shooters and where to meet. Remember, these services are FREE!

All the 4-H programs are free to the kids, but it cost money to operate these many events. There are several sponsors that contribute. Organizations like the Arkansas Greyhound Owners Assoc., the Arkansas Greyhound Kennels Owners Association, Robert Thorne, is the contact person, the Mustang Foundation, and the NRA which furnished the trap and ammunition. Shooting is very expensive, especially shotgun shells, and financial help is always needed and appreciated. If you would like to be a sponsor or help, just call Cynthia or Jerry.

When asked how many kids they can handle, the answer was “the more, the better”. Coaches are always wanted and to become certified a two day class in March or June is required. Even if a coach is not certified they are welcome to help until they become certified. This program wants both more kids and adults to help them teach the kids about the outdoors and Mother Nature.

Several years ago Crittenden County was known as the home of Arkansas State shooting champions. There have been 6 Junior Champions from Crittenden County in a ten year period with 4 of them good enough to go to Olympic Camp in Colorado Springs. Its time to reclaim this title. We have the shooters and all they need are the facilities and backing to be Big Winners. There are several colleges that offer shooting scholarships. 4-H shooter Andrea Beyer made the Mississippi State shooting team and Noah Brawley of Horseshoe Lake has a trap scholarship to Lyon College.

One of the pressing improvements is construction of a weather proof house over the trap machine at the Police Shooting Range. They have a regulation clay target thrower but it has to be rolled out and set up before each shooting session and it is very difficult to set the targets up at each practice. The trap house is approximately 8x8x3 feet in size. It would not cost very much and I bet the donor would get his name on the house.

Money that is donated will be used to enhance the many programs offered. There is an “Old Fashioned Turkey Shoot” scheduled in the near future. More information about it later. Let’s get behind these young sportsmen and remove the Best Kept Secret label.

Bow season is now going on and I need some pictures of those trophies. Especially kid pictures and stories are wanted. Take that young hunter with you and don’t forget Lakeside Taxidermy for quality work and reasonable prices.

Papa Duck Lakeside Taxidermy 870- 732- 0455 or 501-482-3430 jhcriner@ hotmail. com

By John Criner