4-H Shooting Sports program provides safety and sportsmanship lessons

Dozens of tweens and teens filter into the Flathead County Fairgrounds Grandstand Building ready to equip themselves with bows, air rifles and air pistols. 

They are coming on a quiet Thursday evening to hone their shooting skills through Flathead County’s 4-H Shooting Sports program. From shotguns to compound bows, the expansive program offers anyone aged from 9 to 19 the opportunity to learn from trained instructors how to safely handle air pistols, air rifles, various bows, muzzle loading guns, shotguns and learn hunting techniques.

Kristi Davis has been volunteering as coordinator of the program for around 10 years. During its inception in the mid-1990s, Davis said that the program taught around 50 kids. Now, there are over 250 enrolled in the program along with newly added disciplines, such as advanced pistol and hunting.    

The program in Flathead County is an extension of the statewide 4-H Shooting Sports program run through Montana State University. Instruction on different shooting disciplines are held throughout the year. Air rifle, air pistol, small bore pistol and archery are taught from November through February. Enrollment begins in October and participants must already be enrolled in the umbrella 4-H program. 

In a region where hunting is cherished and often a family affair, offering a controlled environment to teach young people weapon safety is essential.  

“There’s no horsing around,” Davis said. “Safety is our number one thing.”  

There are around 14 to 20 volunteer instructors present during each session.  

Out of all the disciplines, Davis said that archery is the most popular because it is often seen as less intimidating. Many kids have also already been shooting bows well before joining 4-H, she said.   

Archery is the favorite of 12-year-old Colton Oedekoven. He has been in the program since age 9 and practices air pistol and air rifle as well.  

Oedekoven said he enjoys doing something fun over the winter when the skies are often overcast and dusk falls by the afternoon. He appreciates the instructors’ helping hands.  

“They are able to teach us with kindness and just give us constructive criticism,” he said.  

When he began archery, he said the instructors were able to help him keep position for the follow through of his shot. Oedekoven also appreciates that the sport is less competitive than the others.  

“You just get to relax more,” he said.  

But Oedekoven does compete along with most others who are in the program. Through 4-H, kids have the chance to compete in state and national competitions. 

SPREAD ACROSS the Grandstand Building air pistol, air rifle and archery training are conducted around the same time each week. Walls separate the different disciplines.  

Nearest to the entrance, instructor Shayne Hall taught newcomers how to hold and shoot an air rifle for the first time.  

Hall teaches first-time shooters the fundamentals, such as shooting positions, sight alignment and breathing. Once the kids get the basics down, they can move up to the intermediate line, which Hall said entails building more on the fundamentals and improving rifle handling. After at least a year of shooting, instructors may invite kids to advanced rifle shooting and eventually precision rifle shooting. 

The father of two was inspired to begin instructing after years of watching his children shoot in the program. 

One of his children, Madisyn Hall, graduated from the program and is training to become an air rifle instructor like her father. Madisyn, 20, has enjoyed helping coach kids for the past four years.  

“I just really enjoyed working with the littles, sparking their love for it as much as I love it.” 

To become an instructor, Madisyn attends Friday night training and then a full day of training on Saturdays. She learns safety protocols, rules and regulations of the sport. 

Sawyer Kauffman, 14, has been in the 4-H Shooting Sports program for four years and was invited to the national competition for muzzleloading in June in Nebraska.  

Muzzleloading, the sport of shooting muzzleloading firearms, begins in March. Kauffman grew up hunting and was surrounded by shooters in his family. The increased recoil of the gun attracted him to the sport.  

Annual donations from the National Rifle Association help provide pistols, rifles, mats, gun slings and pellets. Flathead Wildlife Inc. has also donated to the program for the past five years, according to President Jim Vashro who notes that donations help to lower fee costs and replace equipment. 

“We support the program because it fits so many of Flathead Wildlife’s goals. Number one is safety. Number two is involving youth in the outdoors. It’s family-oriented activities that can last a lifetime,” Vashro said. 

Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@dailyinterlake.com.  

    Olivia Druyvestein readies an arrow during a round of archery practice with Flathead 4-H Shooting Sports on Thursday, Dec. 12. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Jubal Bradley, left, and Jubal Clark take their bows off the rack in between rounds of archery practice with Flathead 4-H Shooting Sports on Thursday, Dec. 12. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Adelyn Blade looks down the sight during a round of air rifle practice with Flathead 4-H Shooting Sports on Thursday, Dec. 12. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    A Gehmann GP-1 Match Air Pistol at Flathead 4-H Shooting Sports on Thursday, Dec. 12. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Colton Oedekoven readies an arrow during a round of archery practice with Flathead 4-H Shooting Sports on Thursday, Dec. 12. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Adelyn Blade cleans the barrel of her air rifle between practice rounds with Flathead 4-H Shooting Sports on Thursday, Dec. 12. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider   

    Jubal Clark looks down the sight during a round of air rifle practice with Flathead 4-H Shooting Sports on Thursday, Dec. 12. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider