Air Rifle or BB Gun is a Safe Pick for a First-Time Shooter
December 17, 2008
MADISON –If a first firearm for a child is on your gift list this season, a state hunting safety specialist suggests a BB gun or air rifle along with ear and eye protections.
“Many of today’s best Olympic shooters still train and compete with air rifles,” said Tim Lawhern, hunter safety administrator for the Department of Natural Resources. “Air rifles are inexpensive to shoot, have virtually no recoil and no muzzle blast. They are an excellent choice to get the new shooter conditioned to practicing firearms safety and basic rifle handling skills.”
Lawhern, also a conservation warden, started on a Daisy? BB gun as a child. “It was one of those you pumped like a pump-action shotgun,” he said, adding soon after he received the gift came the safety training from his father.
If the young shooter is a bit older, Lawhern suggests a .22 rim fire. Consumers will find brands and action types from which to choose. “And, they are not too expensive to shoot,” he said, adding an experienced shooter will find the .22 rim fire accurate and fine for hunting for small game species.
Another option for small game is a shotgun, Lawhern said. “A new fad today is the 28 gauge and, of course, the venerable .410 is among the most popular beginner shotguns,” Lawhern said, adding the range of a .410 is limited and its ammunition can be expensive.
“It should go without saying that whenever you provide a young person a new firearm it should automatically come with close parental supervision and eye and ear protection,” Lawhern said. “Shooting safety glasses and ear muffs or plugs should be standard issue. A quality gun case is a must as well if you plan to transport your firearm in or on a vehicle in many states.”
Lawhern also suggests including with the firearm gift a copy of the four basic rules of firearms safety. A copy may be printed from the DNR Web site.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Timothy Lawhern: 608-266-1317
Related posts
Hey Georgian’s, Are You UP for the Challenge?
October 20, 2008
Is your hunter ready for an advanced education in outdoor skills? Then put them up to the challenge – the Hunter Education Skills Challenge to be specific. This program, open to any youth age 18 or younger that has completed their hunter education course, will be available at the upcoming River Bend Wildlife Management Area adult/child deer hunt on Oct. 25, 2008.
“Consider the Challenge program as a ‘graduate studies’ course for hunter education students,” says Jennifer Pittman, Shooting Sports Coordinator. “This program will include events that simulate realistic conditions in order to reinforce and test a young hunter’s skills.”
The Challenge has six components: archery, air rifle, safety trail challenge, orienteering, wildlife identification and responsibility. Participants receive scores for each component with a maximum total high score of 500. Competitions include two divisions – Junior (age 14 and younger) and Senior (age 15-18). The top 10 scoring participants at each local competition (in each Division) are eligible for the state Challenge.
For the upcoming River Bend adult/child hunt, all youth hunters can participate in the local Challenge if they wish – no pre-registration is required.
For more information on this or other upcoming Challenge events, visit www.gohuntgeorgia.com
or call 770-918-6416.
Related posts
Learn a New Outdoor Activity This Spring
May 3, 2008
HURON, S.D.—With the arrival of spring, people are anxious to get outdoors and enjoy the nice weather. The S.D. Outdoor Expo to be held on the S.D. State Fairgrounds on May 17-18 will be a great opportunity for the whole family to get outside, enjoy the outdoors and learn a few new activities that they can enjoy all summer long. There are nearly 100 activities and booths for people to visit. There is sure to be something for everyone.
Activities are grouped into five areas –Fishing and Aquatic Education, Hunting and Wildlife, (both sponsored by Wildlife Protection, Inc.), Camping and Outdoor Recreation, Shooting Sports, and Wildlife Management.
Want to learn how to canoe or kayak? Expo attendees can do just that as a pond will be constructed on the fairgrounds for fishing and aquatic education activities. Other activities include: casting, knot machine, rod building, Corps of Engineers, spearfishing, measuring water clarity, fish tank display, fish print T-shirts, family fly-fishing clinic, Fantastic Fun River Run and numerous other fishing activities.
If Camping and Outdoor Recreation interests you, you can try: panning for gold, Dutch oven cooking, cooking over a campfire, cooking with kids, basic birdwatching skills, healthy hunter initiative, outdoor games, building birdhouses, knotting and usage, reading topographical maps, using compasses, using GPS units, intro to Dutch ovens, birding safari, geocaching, inflatables from the National Guard and mountain biking.
If you want to learn more about Shooting Sports, you can find traditional muzzleloaders, period camps and skills of the 1770-1840 periods, National Archery in the Schools Program, archery shooting, air rifle, shotgun shooting and a cowboy fast draw club.
For those interested in Hunting and Wildlife, there is turkey calling and hunting, goose/duck decoys, LaserShot simulators, a mock pheasant hunt, basic and advanced retriever training, versatile hunting dog demonstrations, making animal tracks, safari in a box, deer mounts, conservation education, trapping/furbearer management, create your own animal hat and wild game cooking demonstrations.
The S.D. Department of Game, Fish and Parks will also have information available about several topics such as: hunting and fishing licenses, wildlife diversity, Becoming an Outdoors-Woman/Project WILD, habitat for wildlife, GFP information collection, fisheries biologists, conservation officers, mountain lion education, hunting information and the Animal Damage Control Program.
Other activities include: TIPS trailer, wildfire prevention, NRCS worm tunnel, and NRCS conservation programs.
Some outdoor activities may require a participant waiver–canoeing, kayaking, archery, air rifle, shotgun and tree stand safety. Waivers can be found on the Web site www.sdoutdoorexpo.com or at the S.D. Outdoor Expo.
In addition to all of the activities, featured programs will include: The Bassmeister – Fishing for Laughs Comedy Show, wilderness safety, live birds of prey and live bat encounters.
Major sponsors of the Outdoor Expo are: Wildlife Protection Inc, The Weatherby Foundation, Spader’s RV Center, S.D. Parks and Wildlife Foundation, S.D. Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Scheel’s and S.D. B.A.S.S Federation.
The S.D. Outdoor Expo is FREE to all attendees. Anyone who is currently involved in the outdoors or would like to learn more is invited to attend the first S.D. Outdoor Expo, May 17-18. Hours of the event are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 18. It is sure to be a great experience, no matter what your outdoor skill level may be. For more information, please call the S.D. State Fair office at (605) 353-7340 or log on to www.sdoutdoorexpo.com.
–GFP–
- South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks -
Recent Comments