Beginning Shotgun Skills Workshop Scheduled

LA GRANDE - Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the La Grande Gun Club will host a workshop teaching basic shotgun skills on Saturday, July 24 in La Grande.

The workshop is designed for beginners and will teach basic shotgun skills, firearm safety and handling, shooting techniques and marksmanship. Participants will have the opportunity to shoot sporting clays in a number of patterns under supervision by expert instructors and range safety officers from the La Grande Gun Club.

The workshop is open to all interested shooters 9 years of age and older and is not just for kids. Adults are welcome, whether they are novice or experienced shooters who want to hone their skills. Minors (under age 18) must be accompanied by an adult during the entire workshop.

ODFW will provide the firearms (20 and 12 gauge shotguns) to use, ammunition, hearing and eye protection, clay targets and lunch.

Pre-registration is required as the workshop is limited to 40 participants. The cost to attend the workshop is $10 for ages 9-17 and $15 for adults. Non-shooters will be charged $5 for lunch only.

Registrations will be taken at the event only if there are spaces available, according to Mary Hoverson, ODFW’s education coordinator. For more information about the event or to find out if there are spaces available, contact Hoverson at (541) 962-1826 or Mark Newell at (503) 947-6018.

Registration forms are available at ODFW’s Region Office at 107 20th Street in La Grande, by calling Hoverson.

This workshop is one of many scheduled throughout the state through the ODFW Outdoors Program. The program offers training in a variety of outdoor recreational skills including fly fishing, fly tying, crabbing, clamming, basic fishing, archery, rifle, muzzleloader and shotgun, pheasant hunting, and turkey hunting. Some events are for families, some are for adults and others are Becoming an Outdoors Woman events. A Becoming an Outdoors Woman pheasant hunt is scheduled at Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area on October 2 and 3, 2010. For more information contact Hoverson or visit ODFW’s website.

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