Right on target
Phil Taunton
Friday, September 21, 2007
A gentle, soft-spoken woman came up to me a couple of weeks ago when I was working the Hunter Education booth at Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply during its Conservation and Wildlife Appreciation Expo Days.
She had a simple question concerning firearms and I wanted to give her all the help I could, or at least point her in the right direction.
“Do you offer or know of a class where I can learn more about guns?” she asked almost apologetically.
“No ma’am, I don’t know of such a place or class close to Emporia and open to the public,” was my reply.
She told me her late husband owned guns, and with his passing, she sold off all his sporting firearms but had kept a little .22 caliber Ruger pistol she knew nothing about.
We chatted and I advised her, first and foremost, to make sure the firearm was not loaded and to keep it stored in a safe place, separate from any ammunition she might have on hand. I also told her about the upcoming Becoming an Outdoors Woman event being held at Rock Springs 4-H Ranch near Junction City at the end of this month.
She already had picked up a flyer concerning the event from our display and thanked me for the information. I only wished I could have been more helpful.
Little did I know at the time the NRA Foundation sponsors both the First Steps program and also Women on Target. These events are specifically designed to give beginners or women who lack firearm handling experience an introduction to the world of shooting sports and provide them with basic firearms instruction.
Arkansas City conducts a very successful Women on Target program every year, as does Chisholm Trail Gun Club in Wichita. Sportsman Acres at Milford Reservoir, near Junction City, also does similar programs annually.
Hopefully a change is in the making for the Emporia area.
I read with interest Scott Rochat’s “Shooting Range Could Be Built” column in The Emporia Gazette on Thursday, Sept. 13 and, having been involved in special youth hunts, 4-H shooting sports and hunter education classes across the state for the past 10 years, there are a few things I would like to comment on.
But first, I would like to give an Outdoor Adventures “Tip of the Hat” to the Emporia City Commissioners. They, too, are trying to find answers concerning the possibility of having a shooting range in the city limits. What a plus it would be to have such a range and a facility to teach firearm safety education in the home and in the field, not only to kids, but to families alike.
I commend City Manager Matt Zimmerman for taking the effort to visit the shooting range in Garnett. I also want to thank him and the other commissioners for entering the Commissioner’s meeting with an open mind.
I first visited Garnett with Wifeus and played in a golf tournament in the same complex as the shooting range. I couldn’t believe the shooting facility was right next to their golf course. At the time I thought, “If Garnett can do this, why can’t Emporia?”
I have since done hunter education classes in the same complex, and what an outstanding program they have.
If shooting ranges are operated properly and with safety, firearm education and recreation their No. 1 objectives, let the truth be known; Statistics say I stand more of a chance of getting hit by one of Wifeus’s errant golf shots than I would be of getting hurt in a shooting range incident. Shooting sports are one of the safest forms of recreation we have today. Firearm safety education would be invaluable to young and old alike.
As with any program of this nature, range rules must be put in place and strictly adhered to. Teaching respect and responsibility will go a long way, and not just in the shooting sports.
Justin McDaniel of the NRA Foundation writes, “Shooting ranges are a great benefit to the community. Research indicates there are 80 million gun owners in America, and each of these gun owners needs a safe place to shoot.”
Women who want more information about the Women on Target program can call (800) 861-1166 or visit www.nrahq.org/women/index.asp.