Mixed in with the aroma of red pine and oak on the outskirts of Prince Rupert on Highway 16 wafted the tantalizing smell of fried eggs and sausage last Sunday at the Prince Rupert Rod and Gun Club’s turkey shoot.
If you were lucky and got there early enough, the lodge’s kitchen, nestled beside the rows of tables lining the meeting area, and its staff could serve you bacon and eggs, sausage and toast for “a small dollar figure”, as club director Ken Moore puts it.
Moore is busy writing names inside small green circles on different sheets of paper. The paper will then be flipped over, turned upside down, and rotated a few times before it’s nailed to a target board and pounded with pellets.
It’s in place of an actual turkey, which don’t thrive, around these parts.
“We’ll take this target,” said Moore, holding up the sheet, “and we’ll shoot at it with a shotgun and there will be hundreds of pellets in those things and whomever has the most pellets in their circle will win.”
There’s no way of seeing your name from the distance the shooter sits from the target, but that’s part of the fun. It’s $2.00 per circle, and you can win a whole frozen turkey should your named circle be pelted with enough pellets.
They hold three turkey shoots per year and it’s the club’s most popular event.
“We see new faces from people who come out of town all the time. We have other events but this is definitely our most popular,” said Moore.
“The main thing about all this is that it’s open to the public. You don’t have to own firearms to come and enjoy it … you just pay your entry fee for the event and everything else is supplied.”
Along with the turkey shoot, Moore says trap shooting gets very popular around this time of year.
“We have a little shed out there and it’s all automated,” he said.
The youngsters were the first to try their hand at shooting the clay pigeons Sunday morning. Five of them lined up along the stepping boards and took turns shouting “Pull!” into the voice-activated release, and away they shot.
There’s also an Annie Oakley elimination contest.
“That involves up to 15 people at once shooting off, so it’s an elimination game. That’s a lot of fun,” said Moore.
The club meets once per month and discusses hunting and fishing rules and regulations, as well as possible terrain disturbances from incoming corporations.
The club will next host the IPSC handgun competitions soon as well.
“You get exposed to these trap shootings without laying down a bunch of money,” said Moore.
“You can try it out and have some fun.”
