WCFGC finds sure shots in Corkery
CORKERY – It takes a steady hand and a keen eye to be named West Carleton’s finest shooter, and last Saturday (Sept. 13) the West Carleton Fish and Game Club (WCFGC) put the community’s deadeyes to the test.
On a glorious Saturday morning, 28 sharpshooters and their family and friends gathered at the WCFGC’ shooting range at Old Almonte and Howie roads to find out who would be this year’s top gun. No scopes, no bipods, just competitor’s God given talents and a .22 rifle of their choosing although the club had a few extra rifles on hand for those who did not own a gun.
Each competitor would get five shots each round with their best one counting. For tie breaks, those involved got one shot only, to break the tie.
Following the preliminary rounds, there was a barbecue an opportunity for people to get know one another.
During a break in the shooting, WCFGC secretary and shoot organizer Brent Boyd took some time to speak with West Carleton Online about the event that has been running in one form or another for more than 20 years. It goes back to when the club was known as the West Carleton Association of Hunters.
“So, it originally was a family and friends’ event back decades ago,” Boyd said. “It went up until COVID started. We had a hiatus for about three or four years, and from there we integrated it back in, and it was a completely open event to all ages. Uh, whether you did have your license or not. We had enough of people that would come in, either from our association or wherever, and to enjoy a family competition with your friends and family and people that you knew.”
It was a $25 entry fee that paid for ammunition, the barbecue and the rest going back to the WCFGC.
“There was a lunch meal, but it also allows you to come and enjoy the event,” Boyd said. “I had brought some extra firearms that I had owned as did some other people to help out their family, friends, or extra people that they had brought. The way the competition went is I had numerous stations and at each station, there would have been a target whether that would have been an actual bullseye target, a gopher, a maple seed, and there were different scorings for each target. So, you had different targets at different distances, and then at the very end all the points, the top three people, are the winners.”
And don’t worry if you are not a sure shot, there were prizes right down to last place. But how do you win first place?
“What’s it take to be a good shot?” Boyd said thinking about the question. “That’s a good question. The fact that you can still be a good shot and laugh at all the berating from your friends and family and still have a good time. Because to be able to be a really good shot, that takes probably lots of years of practice. But for this, it’s more just you brought your friend, or you brought your family, and it’s a friendly competition.”
Boyd was thrilled with the turnout of 28 registered shooters. In the end, Bryan Boyd was named this year’s winner.
“That is a good number,” he said. “Last year, the shoot had to get postponed by a week due to weather. So, we only had 20 come out for that. I was hoping to get out a little bit more, because we had decent weather today. But as I understand, people’s summers are busy.”
The WCFGC also runs an ice fishing derby during the Family Day Free Fishing long weekend in February, and group members often host in-club events and get-togethers throughout the year.
Boyd says the club sits at around 50 members currently, but the club is slowly growing.
“We do have a lot of them that are starting out this year,” he said. “I’d say another 10 or 12 more, but yes, we’re slowly growing. We definitely encourage people to come out and if they want to either support us, whether they want to be a member of our association or not, but we do encourage that for sure. Come on out.”
If you are interested in more information on the WCFGC, you can contact them through their Facebook page here.
