Flathead sportsmen's groups team up to support youth shooting

Flathead County 4-H Shooting Sports members have been teaching youth how to shoot and handle weapons safely for nearly 40 years.

In what should be a surprise to few, Pat McVay found the organization in his never-ending quest to teach gun safety to young people.

McVay, who died at 100 last year, was also the founder of hunter education in Montana in 1956.

Because of McVay’s effort, the Montana 4-H shooting program today includes hundreds of young shooters and is one of the largest in the U.S.

But, as many other volunteer organizations dealt with challenges resulting from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the group struggled to raise money in 2020.

But with the help of another long-time area sportsmen’s group, Flathead Wildlife, Inc., the 4-H shooting program recently received a financial boost.

Last Thursday, Flathead Wildlife’s Jim Vashro presented a $1,000 check to 4-H Shooting Sports in memory of McVay and Bernie Windauer, another longtime hunter ed and 4-H instructor.

“I toured the program a year ago and I was so impressed that Flathead Wildlife decided to donate $1,000 to the program,” Vashro said. “Kids pay $2 per week for each shooting discipline but that does not cover all costs.”

COVID-19 halted 4-H’s winter shooting program, but program manager Don Anderson said they are going to try and hold a field day in the spring at their trap range.

“We’re proud to follow Pat’s ways and give kids a chance to learn how to safely firearms and bow and arrow,” Anderson said. “I also want to thank Jim for the donation. It will be a big help.”

One of the program’s big fundraisers was a booth at the county fair. But COVID-19 concerns halted it in 2020.

Flathead 4-H’s program is the biggest in the state, averaging 250-400 kids per year. Youth from ages 9-19 learn safety, marksmanship and teamwork shooting air pistols, air rifles, .22s, shotgun, blackpowder and archery. There are team competitions statewide.

The program is seeking new instructors, too.

Bill and Marsha Voermans, of Kalispell, said the program could grow if it had more people to teach.

“We could teach more kids if we had more instructors,” said Marsha, who is one of McVay’s children.

“Instructors don’t necessarily have to be hunters,” Bill said. “We have a training course for those who are interested in teaching. It is held on a Friday evening and all day Saturday.”

Anderson also said parents of children with disabilities are welcome to get involved, too.

“We don’t limit our program at all, it’s open to everyone,” Anderson said.

The program has developed some world-class shooters, too.

In 2014, Alana (Townsend) Aasheim won the National Collegiate Open Air Pistol and Women’s Air Pistol Championships and won a national title in women's air pistol in 2015 while leading her North Dakota State University team to the women's team title in that event.

She competed in Austria and Germany with the U.S. Junior Olympic shooting team in 2015.

For more information about the program, check out their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/FlatheadCounty4HShootingSports/ or at https://flathead.msuextension.org/fcss.html.