Cow Creek 4-H Club is taking aim at its second shooting season
DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR
MARBLE FALLS — When the Cow Creek 4-H Club held its first trap and skeet practice about a year ago, organizers only wanted to give area youth a place to try out shotgun shooting sports.
Sure, the kids could enter competitions, but with most of the newly formed club members having little or no shotgun experience, it was all about building those fundamentals.
However, during the first year, the members’ skills grew almost exponentially. So as the club starts its second year Sept. 6, organizers know this is definitely a place kids can grow as shooting sports competitors and as young leaders.
“First and foremost it’s a 4-H club, so we’re really about introducing kids to shotgunning sports and emphasizing gun safety,” said Aaron Ables, the club manager and one of the volunteer coaches. “A lot of kids who join the club have no shotgun experience. Many have never fired a gun before, so we start out with gun safety.”
As a 4-H club, Cow Creek 4-H is open to any youth. Parents who have kids interested in the Cow Creek 4-H Club should call the Burnet County AgriLife Extension Office at (512) 756-5463 for registration information.
But once youth are members of 4-H, Ables said they can participate in the Cow Creek 4-H shotgun program.
Even if they start the year with no experience, kids often progress beyond what they might expect, Ables said. The club coaches emphasize the basics of shooting shotguns such as stance, lead and follow-through and other aspects of shotgun handling.
With a little instruction and supervision, the youth often become quite adept at the sport.
Ables pointed out the success of several Cow Creek 4-H Club members during a June competition in Kerrville. The event drew some very experienced youth shooters.
“There was some serious horsepower out there,” Ables said regarding the level of competitors.
While some competitors pulled out shotguns that cost several thousands of dollars or more, the Cow Creek 4-H members held over-the-counter Remingtons and similar shotguns.
“But out kids held their own,” Ables said. “For some of them, this was their first year competing with a shotgun or even their first year using one. So the improvement they made was incredible.”
Other kids also have that opportunity through the club.
As a club, the organization depends on a number of sponsors who help throughout the year. The Burnet County Friends of the NRA, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation of Texas, the Wild Sheep Foundation, the Mule Deer Foundation of Burnet County and Gib Lewis and his SO3 Ranch all helped get the club off the ground last year and continue to support it. Lewis allows the club to use his Bertram-area ranch for some shooting practices.
“Without all the other coaches and these supporters, this year wouldn’t have been possible,” Ables added. “We’re looking for another great year.”
daniel@thepicayune.com