With leaves turning the autumnal prism of colours, shooters were competing for their Thanksgiving turkey at the Quesnel Rod & Gun Club’s annual fall turkey shoot.
With 40 competitors, 55 prizes and a day of beautiful weather, organizers of the event were happy with the turnout.
The event had three automated traps. Two of the three were stocked with standard, random direction target, the other was stocked with two different kinds of targets—hard right midis, 9 cm across whislting through the sky at 50 km/h and regular targets thrown high to the left at a sharp angle, sometimes curving with the wind.
The mixed targets proved difficult to hit, the normal targets allowing for a average score of eight which was halved by the mixed targets.
The day included seven different types of events including 16 yard events, sliders, Annie Oakleys, a Bushwaker, ten person buddy shoots, a ten shot same event and three paper turkey contests.
Quesnel shooter performed admirably at the event.
Adam Veley climbed to a finalist in both Annie Oakley events for two turkeys, won the long range event and broke eight birds to claim the final turkey.
Veley and Jordan Booth partnered for the buddy shoot, each winning a ham. Veley and Booth later tied at eight on trap one. Booth won the five round shoot off to claim the steak pack.
Booth claimed his fair share of meat. He ran a perfect ten in expert division to take home a Sweet Tree Ventures birch syrup gift pack. He also made finals in the bushwhacker event, for which he took home a turkey.
Matt Harrington broke eight targets in a 16 yard event, taking home a Sweet Tree Ventures birch syrup gift package.
Brian Kosinski downed seven targets in a 16 yard event to take home a ham.
D’Arcy Longeway took down seven targets in a 16 yard event as well, winning a leg of lamb for his sharp shooting.
Michelle Pelletier faced off against Taylor Pigeon of Williams Lake in a four shot shoot off in a sixteen-year-old event. She won the event netting herself a ham for her sharp shooting.
Tim Johnson found himself in a three way tie in an expert slider event. He out-shot Gord Johnston and Chuck Pigeon to win his ham.
John MacDonald hit the finals in the first Annie Oakley event, netting himself a turkey.
On the mixed-target trap, Gord Johnston hit six clay targets to win a leg of lamb. He also partnered with Peter Malic, winning a shoot-off against Jordan Booth and Tony Manuge, of P.G., to each win a ham.
Malic also hit nine targets in a 16 yard event to win a Sweet Tree Ventures birch syrup package.
In the ladies only event, Sandi Kolinski won a shoot-off against Marion Steinmaier to win a steak pack. She also won one of the three paper turkey events, taking home a real turkey for her accurate shooting.
Ron Holt knocked down nine targets in a 16 yard event to win a steak pack.
Junior shooter Jared Hanson won a ham for his shooting in a 16 yard competition.
Ron Godfrey won a turkey in one of the other paper turkey contests.
Participants of all ages came out to shoot, with the youngest, Odin Mills, still in his single digits at nine years old.
Bob Taylor and Ken Edwards were dedicated scorers. Katrenia Veley ran the sign up sheets, Tim Johnson, Gord Johnston and Peter Malic kept the machines running and the whole show moving smoothly. Sonja Johnston prepped the clubhouse for competition.
Due to a healthy array of sponsors, the club was able to hand out prizes to deserving participants who weren’t quite able to win an event for themselves.
The organizers would like to thank Backer Logging Ltd., Blue Collar Silviculture Ltd., D’Arcy’s Glass, Extra Foods, Grant Webster Excavating Ltd., Quesnel River Environmental, Quesnel Sand & Gravel, The Sign Stop, Tracker GPS and Zapper Contracting Ltd. for the generous sponsorship.