Longbeards Support Wingshooting Clinic
The New Salem Longbeards Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) supported the Illinois DNR Youth/Ladies Wingshooting Clinic held on June 11, 2005 at nearby Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area (JEPC.)
The Longbeards provided financial support for the cost of ammunition and targets, and enlisted chapter volunteers to operate trap machines. There were 32 participants split into 8 teams for the clinic. This is the fifth year in which the local chapter has provided this kind of support for the DNR Wingshooting Clinics as part of their outreach efforts in Menard County.
The wingshooting clinic was comprised of two sessions. In the morning session, students learned firearm nomenclature, firearm safety, and some hunter safety tips. The hands-on afternoon session was taught by NSCA Certified Wingshooting Instructors. Most students are either beginners or have novice level shotgun shooting ability when enrolling in the clinic. The primary clinic objective is to teach students the fundamentals of hitting a moving target with a shotgun with reasonable reliability. An equally important objective is to work with each student to ensure the fundamentals of safe shotgun handling are practiced in the field.