Organizer Shane Horton of the Haines Sportsman’s Association said he was encouraged that 32 youths turned out Saturday for a free, trap-shooting event aimed at developing the sport as a scholastic league.
“We feel we had a terrific turnout,” considering that some students were traveling for sports, Horton said.
Horton said he’d be working in the coming weeks to figure out how to mold a local program with the Haines Sportsman’s Association in affiliation with the Alaska Scholastic Clay Target Program, the school district and parents.
Items to be worked out include maintaining the road to the rifle range year-round, securing insurance, providing transportation to the rifle range, acquiring youth shotguns and recruiting adult volunteers.
Horton also said he’d like to see more high-school aged students involved.
As there are no lights at the rifle range, practices this winter will likely be held on weekends, which may involve some tricky scheduling as that’s when youths travel for other programs.
“Now that we have some interest, we’ll go ahead and take the next step,” Horton said.
To volunteer or learn more about the program, contact Horton at 766-3779.