Warm Your Cold Heart

Feeling a little cynical with all the anti-gun bills introduced & discussed at the state & federal level lately? Well, here’s a story to warm your heart.

Kayla R. McMullen never fired a gun before signing up for Wilson High School’s newest sport.

But with a little practice and a steady hand, the 17-year-old junior has become the top shooter on the rifle team.

“I fell in love with it instantly,” she said of the marksmanship competitions. …

Some team members are hunters, but many never touched a gun before.

“We have people who are scholars, to those who are artists, to those who are struggling and we monitor their grades,” May said. “We reach people who would never play in an active sport, to those who fit this in between basketball.”

The principal reached out to the coach to start the team. They note that while other schools in the area are cutting sports, the principal thought it was a great addition to their program, and it doesn’t cost them much since they shoot in a former weight room and use air rifles.

Shooting Back at PETA

PETA doesn’t really expect anyone to shoot back when they start attacking stars who disagree with their radical all-vegan, no pets/kill pets agenda. I can somewhat understand why they don’t want to give PETA any attention, but sometimes a well-written response can help our causes far more than theirs.

Only one episode of “American Idol” contestant Kristy Lee Cook’s new hunting show, “Goin’ Country with Kristy Lee Cook,” aired on Versus before the animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals started firing shots at the singer. …

“Goin’ Country,” a reality show which started its eight-episode run Sunday, follows Cook while she participates in hunts across the nation, all while trying to also bag a recording deal. Featuring some of the performer’s new music, each episode follows the seventh-season “Idol” finalist as she heads to Texas in search of trophy whitetail deer, visits Kansas and Wyoming for pheasant hunting, takes part in her first black bear hunt in Wisconsin and Illinois, and is challenged while turkey hunting in Tennessee and Missouri. …

Cook did not take the comments lying down, defending not only herself but all hunters, and issued the following response:

“Given that hunters have done more for American wildlife conservation than any other group in history, I make no apology for being one,” she said. “Indeed, I join the ranks of millions of American hunters who celebrate our outdoor heritage and who conserve millions of acres of wild lands. These same people support more than 600,000 jobs across the country and provide a critical voice to encourage more investment in American conservation.”

Cook added that, while she could understand people who oppose her decision to hunt, she has taken several non-hunters out with her — including her sister — and changed their minds about the sport.

Unlike PETA, this hunter doesn’t kill any animal that comes into her care:

The series will also highlight Cook’s work with the “Kristy Lee Horse Heaven Foundation,” a charity which helps rescue horses that have been abused or neglected.

Beating down PETA, recruiting more female hunters, saving horses, and getting out the message that hunters were the first conservationists – while successfully harvesting a pretty awesome collection of animals – that’s a show I could get behind.

Still Going

Joe notes that gun sales for 2010, so far, are only off a bit from 2009, when Obama took office. My guess is you have a lot of noobs in that crowd who bought their first gun, and are continuing to buy. Most people will never develop extensive collections, but every house ought to have a pistol, a shotgun, and a rifle.

Walking around the gun show this weekend, I was still hearing dealers explaining how the process worked. We’re still making new gun owners out there. I think this whole sales boom might continue until people start feeling better about the economy.

Reaching the Next Generation of Sportsmen

Today brings news that the fishing & boating industry group is taking another big step in their outreach to recruit young anglers as part of the Take Me Fishing campaign. They have worked with the Boy Scouts to offer up new merit badges for taking lessons in boating and fishing.

About the Scouting Patch Program –

* Passport Patch – Cub Scouts and Scouts aged 6 to 11 earn this patch by completing an introductory six-step program that teaches various skills to be knowledgeable, safe and confident while boating and fishing. The Passport to Fishing and Boating Program has been recognized by the Boy Scouts of America for excellence in aquatic education.
* First Catch Patch – Cub Scouts and Scouts aged 6 to 11 earn this patch by organizing a real-life fishing trip using the resources found on TakeMeFishing.org.
* Mentor Patch – Scouts aged 12 to 17 earn this patch by organizing a fishing trip for newcomers to the sport. The Mentor Patch develops leadership qualities and introduces someone new to boating and fishing.

These are obviously branded patches, but I have to admit that it will be interesting to see what comes of it – particularly the Mentor Patch. At that point, you go far beyond the basic fishing patch into actually encouraging kids to organize fishing trips for others.

I find this interesting because of how many shooters I know who cite the Boy Scouts as their first foray into the gun culture. It’s not surprising since there are two different badge categories for shooting (rifle & shotgun). It is interesting though that there is no hunting badge or anything that going to a range that only allows handguns would earn.

RBFF research reveals “90 percent of adult outdoor enthusiasts were introduced to nature-based activities between the ages of five and 18.” In that spirit, as part of a year-end donation, we called up the NRA Foundation and made a donation to youth programs. A few people come to shooting as an adult (I did in college), but an overwhelming number of people I’ve met who not only shoot, but actively do something to advance our movement (political or sporting) have been shooters since they were children.

Legitimately Unsure

If you’ve taken enough new shooters to the range, you’ll run across one who becomes less frightened/disturbed/bothered by firearms, but they still don’t quite get why people enjoy shooting.  It’s not that they have a bad time, they just don’t get as into it, and they are legitimately curious about people who do enjoy it.  What do you tell those people when they ask why you are a gun owner and shooter?

One LA Times columnist wants to know before she writes her next column.

New Shooter

Joe takes a new shooter to the range, and it seems she wants to buy a gun now:

In in parking lot I asked her about why she wanted a gun. The answer was the economy is probably going to get worse and Obama may make it difficult to get a gun. She wanted a gun to be able to protect herself and her youngest daughter who lives with her. She asked how much a gun costs and if a .22 would be okay for her needs. I suggested she should practice some more and try to get the strength to be able to shoot something a little bigger. But, the most important selection criteria was that she feel comfortable shooting it. If that means a .22 then that would be best for her.

For new shooters, I think Joe is asking the right questions.  A gun you’re comfortable with and take to the range is going to be more effective when the SHTF than the one that stays in a drawer and you never practice with.  I’ll take the stopping power of a well placed .22LR round over a .45ACP round that misses any day of the week.

Gun Women in New Jersey

Scott Bach and the rest of the crew at ANJRPC appear to have put on quite an event this weekend. They taught about 300 women how to shoot everything from handguns to ARs.

Women’s Day at the Range has been a tradition at the Cherry Ridge Range off Canistear Road in Vernon for about 10 years, said Scott Bach, president of the Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs.

The event is one of several outreach programs the association hosts to promote shooting sports and the Second Amendment right to bear arms.

Organizers said they initiated the free program to give women a fun day without male interference, especially since women are taking up shooting sports at a record pace.

Everyone has a different reason for attending the program, Bach said.

“Shooting is fun,” he said, adding, “It’s a skill that can save your life.”