Outdoor enthusiasts who are looking for a way to enjoy the winter, instead of dreading it, are invited to participate in the annual Eskimo Shoot at the McKean County Rifle Club Saturday.
The event begins at 11 a.m. and is open to children and adults of all ages who want to test their skills shooting and ax throwing while earning a chance to win prizes in various categories.
Tim Bean, a member of the club is helping organize the event which has been held for more than 30 years at the 1142 W. Warren Road club in Bradford. Sign-ups begin at 11 a.m. with the competition beginning at noon. The event typically runs approximately three to four hours.
Been said the registration fee is $10 per person who will register in divisions for adults, seniors, women and juniors. He said there is also a fee of $1 per three-person team, as well.
Bean, who is organizing the event with Brock Byerley, said the competition will be held for events that include an ax throw as well as shotgun, rifle and pistol shoots. Participants are expected to bring their own firearms with a box of ammunition as well as double-edged short-handle throwing axes.
“People may not have a (particular) gun or ax, but we definitely share all of the equipment up there,” Bean noted. “So if someone wants to just come up and see what is going on, we would provide all the equipment.”
He said the event, which is well organized and runs smoothly, typically attracts between 30 and 40 people, depending on the weather. Byerley has stated that the event can accommodate as many as 50 or 60 people, however.
“We’ve done this every year since I can remember,” Bean recalled. “It’s pretty easy for us to know what to do to get ready. It’s just a matter of who is going to show up and what the weather is going to be like.”
Bean said the event has a loyal following of a number of people from areas such as Johnsonburg and beyond who show up just for the fun of it.
“They really seem to enjoy it, and every once in a while we get new people who come up because they want to get out and do something in the winter,” Bean continued.
He noted the event is not a formal gun shoot because of the ax throwing category.
“It’s kind of a recreational type of event and we (attract) people who just want to come up and have some fun,” he added. “It gives us some good exposure and people look forward to it.”
He said the club also has enrolled new members whose first exposure to the organization was through the event.
“We like getting people out here and showing them what we have at the club,” he remarked.
Bean said food is also provided at the event and will likely include wild game.
“We ask (hunters) to bring a dish of their venison or whatever” from the previous hunting season, he stated. “Once in a while we get lucky and we get different types of meat.”
Crock-pots of hot food or a dessert to pass are also welcome, and the club will provide hot beverages and drinks.
Byerley has stated that the competition for the ax throw is best of five out of six throws for a possibility of 20 points
In addition, there will be 10 shots with a .22 rifle offhand at 50 yards and 10 shots with a pistol offhand at 25 yards. There will be five shots at clay pigeons with a shotgun. Any sights are allowed on rifles and pistols, but only .22 rifles are permitted. Any caliber of pistol is allowed. Prizes will be given in each event and for aggregate scores, organizers said.
For more information on the event, send emails to brockbyerley@rocketmail.com.