Maybe There's Hope After All
 

I apologize that this isn't a Parker specific thread but we've bemoaned the decline and death of shooting sports enough that I believe it appropriate. I volunteered this year to help coach the Varsity and JV high school shooting team at Southland Academy, Americus, Ga. We began the season today with a tournament at Flint Trap and Skeet Club in Albany, Ga. The kids shot Sporting Clays and Skeet. Normally they also shoot Trap but the machines were down. We had about 100 high school and junior high competitors from 7 different schools. I was fortunate enough to be in charge of three of our young lady shooters. They were squadded with two other young ladies and a young man from a "rival" school. All were wonderful ladies and gentlemen. They helped each other out and gave each other high fives no matter what school they were shooting for. Safety was foremost on their minds and their display of sportsmanship outstanding. I was very proud of each and every one of them.

Good for you brother. Enthusiasm is contagious.

This is the 1930 Georgia State Championship in Albany
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/v...?adppopup=true

Great work John! Our sport needs a lot more men like you to allow it to perpetuate through the next generation.





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one of My states chambers were "Locked down" one day last week. Someone entered with a black umbrella and all hell broke loose... not so much school shooting sports up here now. in Vermont

Thank you John for volunteering to do this for our young men and women who will represent our future in the shooting, hunting, and collecting sports. They could not have had a better teacher and mentor! 😊

Thanks John! I will add that in the past 4-5 years we have seen a good increase in youth participation on our course.

Thanks for that report. It does give hope.

I saw the handwriting on the wall so to speak back around 2004 when I was heading up the NH Hunter Education Program. When I looked at our annual statistics I looked at the number of 16 year olds that were graduating the program (the first year they would need the course to be able to buy a hunting license). I looked at the number of graduates at age 16 state wide against the 260 cities, towns and unincorporated townships in the state. We were graduating on average fewer than two 16 year olds per municipality. Hunting license sales were also plummeting. In the late 70's and early 80's our Fish & Game Department estimated we had 10,000 waterfowl hunters statewide. By 2004 the estimate was down to 1500. With guns and hunting being demonized by the media, schools and in social media I don't hold out much hope for any significant improvement.

Every corrupt entity in the history of mankind has used media to subvert the minds of the masses to follow deranged ideas. Now, the computer/internet has made such foul propaganda a snap.

When I duck hunted a lot, 90's, on opening day we could count on every puddle having some one to keep them moving. This past year all the shooting was my own. Deer season used to be a mob, now alone or one other truck. I hope other areas are different but even in Maine I see a big drop, a day will go by in which my group is the only shooting I hear.