Special event designed to encourage youth participation in outdoor shooting sports

COUNCIL GROVE — Youth from Morris and surrounding counties are invited to a free shotgun, pellet rifle, and archery shooting and safety clinic on Saturday, Oct. 11, at Council Grove Reservoir. Sponsored by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), the Neosho Valley Chapter of Quail Unlimited (QU), the Kansas Wildlife Officers Association, and Morris County hunter education instructors, this special event will provide participants with an opportunity to enhance firearm and archery shooting and safety skills. Controlled live fire instruction will teach safe and responsible shooting techniques.

Participants will be provided safety and shooting instruction by certified firearm and archery skills instructors. All gear and supplies, including shotguns, pellet rifles, ammunition, bows, arrows, targets, and eye and ear protection will be provided by KDWP’s “Pass It On” and Hunter Education programs. Participants should be breaking shotgun targets in the air by the end of the session.

Anyone ages 10 through 16 may participate. Participants are required to pre-register for the event. Students are not required to have completed a hunter education course, but it is preferred. The event will begin at 12 p.m. at the COE-managed area between Marina Cove and Neosho Park, approximately 1/4 mile west of the COE office at the west end of the dam. Check-in and free lunch will be provided by QU from noon to 12:30 p.m. Instruction will begin shortly after and will end at approximately 5 p.m.

Those interested are reminded to pre-register by Oct. 6. To register or learn more about this special event, phone KDWP wildlife area manager Brent Konen at 620-767-5900.