more photos4-H instructors Steve Fladstol, 48, of Tillamook, from top left, John Shafer, 37, of Athena, holding a .22 caliber rifle, and James Lyda, 39, of Newberg, explain the different parts of the gun to a group of local kids during 4-H Master Shooting Sports Volunteer training, held Sunday near the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center.
Photos by Andy Tullis / The Bulletin
4-H training course teaches instructors how to turn kids into safe shooters
By Scott Hammers / The Bulletin
Published: April 20. 2009 4:00AM PSTDallas Knoop snugged a rifle stock to her cheek, brushed a strand of blond hair from her safety goggles and squinted, hesitantly, toward her instructor. Up until then, she’d only fired a BB gun, and the .22 she’d been issued for 4-H Master Shooting Sports Volunteer training Sunday near Redmond was, she said later, more than a little intimidating.
“Is it actually gonna shoot?” asked Dallas, 11, of Tumalo.
Katie Feinauer, 34, of Fort Klamath, assured her it would not: They’d practice dry firing first, just to get a feel for the trigger, and use live rounds later.
Twenty minutes and five .22 cartridges later, Feinauer and Dallas headed 30 yards downrange to inspect a small paper target. Realizing she’d hit the 6-inch square of paper with all five shots, Dallas beamed.
While Dallas marveled over the five tiny holes, Feinauer shared a secret.
“One thing my dad taught me,” she said, dropping her voice to a whisper. “Girls can outshoot boys.”
While kids like Dallas got a one-day course in gun safety and shooting techniques on Sunday, the training event was really for the instructors. Todd Williver, program coordinator for Deschutes County 4-H, explained that to teach in the 4-H Shooting Sports program, instructors need to first earn a certification. After Sunday, the more than 40 adults who came to Central Oregon from across the state for the three-day program will be able to go back to their hometowns and teach shooting under the 4-H banner.
Ric Little, of Redmond, was returning to the program after a hiatus. He said he’d been a 4-H instructor years earlier, but that as his kids grew older, he had left the program.
Kids aren’t always easy to teach, given their often limited attention spans, he said, but it’s a rewarding experience.
“At this age, you have an opportunity to really make an impression,” Little said. “It’s so hard to get them to get rid of those bad habits; if you get them young enough, you can make a difference.”
Amy Derby, an extension agent for the Wheeler County 4-H program, said instructors try to keep the shooting program fun so the kids don’t get discouraged. Kids who consistently miss their targets aren’t going to have fun, she said, so the program starts everyone out shooting in a stable position bent over a picnic bench — a position from which they’re likely to hit more targets.
Tristan Kinney, 12, of Alfalfa, scowled as he puzzled over the piece of paper in his hand. He’d hit the paper with all five shots, and even landed a few inside the circular target printed on it, but he was still dissatisfied. Maybe he’d have done better if he’d been lying down, he said, or maybe he’d be better off sticking to skeet shooting.
“What have I learned today? I’ve learned I’m a cruddy shot,” said Tristan.
But Gwen Knoop, 12, Dallas’ sister, said the day had exceeded her expectations. Gwen said she was extremely nervous about shooting at the start of the day — like Dallas, she’d never fired a “real” gun — but the instructors helped put her at ease.
Gwen said her father had talked her and her sister into signing up for the program — though perhaps with an ulterior motive.
“This fall, I’ll probably go hunting with my dad,” she said. “I’m the oldest, and my dad doesn’t really have anyone to go with.”
Scott Hammers can be reached at 541-383-0387 or at shammers@bendbulletin.com.
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