Loading ...
Scooter’s Youth Shooting Camp 2013
Posted by Junior Shooters
By: Jack Stinger (14)
On the first Saturday of May for the last three years, I have had the privilege of attending a small camp designed to teach kids from the ages of 9 to 16 the basics of hunting and shooting. Based in Emmett, Idaho, Scooter’s Youth Hunting Camp celebrated its 12th anniversary this year by sending another 250 kids through its multiple activities and stations. These stations teach campers how to shoot a shotgun, muzzleloader, compound bow, and .22LR rifle, as well as how to sharpen a knife, clean a gun, and survive in the woods. Scooter’s is a non-profit organization and has managed to put on this camp each year solely of off donations from generous companies and individuals. Each year, thousands of dollars worth of prizes are raffled off to the kids, all for free. How this camp has continued to go on has been a miracle in and of itself and a blessing from God.
Scooter truthfully admits that he works 364 days a year on preparing for the camp that lasts a total of one day. Volunteer meetings start in January and are held once a month and then twice in April. On the Friday before the camp, dozens of volunteers gather at the Gem County gun range in Emmett to set up for the following day. The amount of coordination it takes to put on this camp and the ability of Scooter to do this yearly is stunning. With two raffles (one for the guns and another for the general prizes; campers are entered into both), a silent auction, a donut stand, snacks, drinks, lunch, and four game calling seminars to set up, I am amazed at how quickly the volunteers get the range set.
By the time the kids arrive early on Saturday morning, all the plans have been put to action, and the camp passes the point of no return. The kids sign in and are given a color for their squad before being seated in front of a trailer converted into a stage. Then they are sent off to their first stations. Between station rotations, the kids return to the seating area for seminars on calling elk, ducks, geese, and turkeys. For lunch, burgers, finger steaks, and hot dogs are served fresh off a supersized cooker. After completing the rest of the stations, the raffle begins. This year a total of ten guns were raffled off in addition to three tables stacked with prizes varying from a mountain bike to a fishing pole with every camper receiving at least one prize.
As the day draws to an end, the campers leave the Gem County Rod and Gun Club with smiles on their faces and an unforgettable memory emblazoned in their minds. The volunteers pack all the chairs, tables, and guns, and Scooter starts thinking about the next year’s camp.
Comments
Leave a Reply
Please note: Comment moderation is currently enabled so there will be a delay between when you post your comment and when it shows up. Patience is a virtue; there is no need to re-submit your comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.