Spirits were high last Friday, August 5th as over 200 individuals (including 50 beginners), gathered just a few miles away from the nation’s capital to participate in the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) August Recess Clays Competition. Representing congressional offices, advocacy groups, and industry partners, participants joined CSF for a day of outdoor education and camaraderie that included sporting clays, trap shooting, and a cookout. 30 teams completed the Prince George’s County course, a premier clay target shooting facility that has served as the home to numerous CSF events for over two decades.
Starting mid-morning, participants arrived in Glenn Dale and they each received new CSF branded I Fish. I Hunt. I Vote t-shirts, protective equipment, and shooting vests. Shortly thereafter, CSF President and CEO Jeff Crane welcomed the crowd and introduced shooting range staff who gave a detailed safety briefing. Teams then dispersed throughout the course, and over the span of the next few hours, each participant had the opportunity to break 75 clays at a variety of stations on the sporting clays course and the trap field.
A large element of the event was the opportunity for first time shooters to receive instruction from experienced marksmen and gain exposure to multiple disciplines of target shooting. With a quarter of the field identifying as beginners, the August Recess Clays Competition was a great first step to introducing participants to the outdoor sporting traditions that CSF works so vigorously to promote and protect.
By early afternoon, the smell of burgers and hotdogs was in the air and teams started to trickle back into the pavilion. Following lunch, participants were treated to ice cream, raffle winners were announced, and Jeff Crane once again took the stage, this time to present the competition’s winners:
CSF would like to extend our sincere appreciation to our partners and sponsors whose support made this event possible, including:
Title Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, The National Shooting Sports Foundation, Richard Childress Racing, and Vista Outdoor.
Host Sponsors: Ecentria, Hornady Manufacturing Company, The International Order of T. Roosevelt, Natural Resource Results, Nuclear Energy Institute, Safari Club International, Shimano North American Fishing, Inc., Taft Advisors, LLC, and Winchester Ammunition.
Co-Host Sponsors: Airline Pilots Association, Benelli USA, Consumer Brands Association, CropLife America, Federal Forest Resource Coalition, National Rifle Association, O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Pet Food Institute, and Washington Metro SCI.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
