Cain Gullion, a seventh grader at Hartselle Junior High,fires a shotgun at the target or the first time at a shooting sports class in Florette Tuesday under the supervision of as Ron Eakes. | Clif Knight

A shooter sports camp was conducted at Hartselle Gun Camp in Florette on June 17 with 16 youth ranging in age from 12 to 17 participating.

The young shooters received instructions on the safe and proper use of firearms before participating in live fire drills using a .22 caliber rifle and a 20-gauge shotgun.

Ron Eakes of the Alabama Wildlife and Fresh Water Fisheries Department, instructed the campers as a representative of the North Alabama Shooter Education Program.

The camp was sponsored by Morgan County Extension and directed by Kenneth Gambel, Regional 4-H Extension agent. Assisting were Spencer Bradley, Regional Wildlife Extension agent and parent volunteer John MacDonald.

“Developing skills with firearms is something many youth have a desire to do,” Gamble said. ”We planned this camp with that mind. Since many of them are new to shooting firearms, we used this opportunity to teach them gun safety first before we let them practice shooting a rifle and shotgun.

The campers were particularly excited about trying their luck at skeet shooting. Each one was given eight tries to knock down clay targets hurled into the air by a skeet trap.

Josh Forechs, a home-schooled student, was the first camper to score a hit.

“I was a little intimidated at first,” he said, “but I was able to calm down and connect with the second target. “ It was a lot of fun. I’d like to continue to work at becoming a skilled target shooter.”

Abi Bıadger, one of five girls at the camp, also made one of her first three shots.

“I love to shoot,” the Brewer High School sophomore said.” My dad takes me shooting from time to time.”

“This is a good way to teach a kid gun safety and show he or she the proper way to handle and fire a gun at the same time.”

“Most of the kids in this class had not fired a gun before,” he pointed out.