College Championship Largest in 40-Year History

LINDENWOOD TOPS FIELD, CLAIMS 5TH STRAIGHT TITLE . . . Thanks to an influx of new shooters and new teams, the Intercollegiate Clay Target Championships are bigger than ever before. The four-day competition, held annually for the past 40 years, ended Sunday at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio. Lindenwood University of St. Charles, Mo., claimed its fifth straight national title, topping Texas A&M, Kansas State and 30-plus other colleges. Six upcoming airings are scheduled on ESPNU and ESPN, thanks to sponsorships from NSSF and Safari Club International -- June 13, 20, 27 and July 4, 11 on ESPNU, and July 23 on ESPN2. NSSF is a major sponsor of the annual college tournament.

This year's tournament was 33 percent larger than last year's. Participation at the college level is the highest it's ever been. Results | Play Video

REGISTER ONLINE FOR SHOOTING SPORTS SUMMIT . . . Online registration is now available for NSSF's 2008 Shooting Sports Summit. Join former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and an impressive roster of speakers June 23-25 in Colorado Springs. The event will bring together industry leaders and leaders from the hunting and shooting sports community to explore and address the issues and challenges that face the future of hunting and the shooting sports. Register Now | View Schedule

LeGate

NBC HIRES SHARI LeGATE FOR OLYMPIC GAMES . . . Shari LeGate has been hired by NBC to be the shooting sports analyst for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. LeGate, a two-time national champion and World Cup medalist, was a member of the U.S. National Team for skeet for 12 years, winning numerous titles and medals. She was the target sports analyst for ESPN's Great Outdoor Games and currently produces and hosts the ACUI Intercollegiate Clay Target Championships. Women's air rifle will be the first medal awarded at the Olympic Games.
STUDY ON CLIMATE CHANGE'S THREAT TO GAME HABITAT . . . The Wildlife Management Institute, joined by eight leading hunting and fishing organizations, released a new report on the predicted impacts of climate change on both wildlife and fish habitat and on hunting and fishing. “Seasons' End: Global Warming's Threat to Hunting and Fishing” is available online and in book form. Among the report's many findings are that the prairie pothole region could lose up to 90 percent of its wetlands, reducing the continent's breeding ducks by 69 percent, and that fragmentation and loss of winter range could dwindle the number of mule deer and elk in the Rocky Mountain states.
CHANGES AT REMINGTON . . . Remington Arms today announced four marketing and sales organizational changes, effective immediately. Bill Schirmacher, who was with Marlin for 36 years, joins Remington as director of brand management and product development for Marlin and H&R/New England Firearms. Jay Stuart, currently serving as director of Remington sales-west, assumes a newly created role as director, business development, focusing on managing all brands (Remington, Marlin and H&R 1871) and product categories with Wal-Mart. Mike Jensen, formerly vice president of sales and marketing at Marlin, has accepted the position of national sales director-west with responsibility over the central and west sales regions for all brands (Remington, Marlin and H&R 1871). Tony Tekansik, who comes from Carl Zeiss Sports Optics, joins Remington in the newly created position of western regional sales manager with responsibility for managing sales activities in the western region and building out Remington's new ammo and firearms direct sales force for that region.
FIREARMS INDUSTRY RESPONDS TO MAYORAL GUN SUMMIT . . . New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, at a meeting of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition he founded, announced today the Responsible Firearms Retail Partnership program with Wal-Mart. The retailer has agreed to retain records of purchasers of firearms that are later traced by law enforcement for reasons never disclosed to Wal-Mart. The retailer also agreed to run background checks on its employees handling firearms. Full Story
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF NWTF . . . The National Wild Turkey Federation, based in Edgefield, S.C., has announced a search for a new chief executive officer. The CEO is the full-time chief administrative official of the NWTF and will be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the board of directors and will report to the president of the NWTF. The CEO will have responsibility for and control of all employees. For full information on this position and how qualified candidates may apply, go to http://www.nwtf.org/contact_us/jobs.html.
NEVADA YOUTH EMBRACE SCTP . . . Young people are proving themselves under the watchful eyes of trained coaches as they participate in NSSF's Scholastic Clay Target Program, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Participating youth, and their parents, comment on the program's benefits, including instilling discipline, confidence and self-esteem.
YOUTH MENTOR HUNTING PROGRAM PASSES NEW YORK STATE SENATE . . . The New York State Senate has passed S.B. 1284, the Youth Mentor Hunting Program, which allows young people 14 and older to hunt with a licensed mentor age 21 or older in what is currently the most age-restrictive state for hunting big game with a firearm. The legislation, part of the nationwide Families Afield initiative sponsored by NSSF, the National Wild Turkey Federation and U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance to tear down barriers that prevent families from hunting, still must be passed by the state's assembly and signed by the governor.
ANTI-GUN BILLS FLOOD NEW YORK ASSEMBLY . . . Numerous anti-gun bills are slated to be voted on as early as Monday, April 14, in the New York State Assembly. NSSF and the New York State Association of Firearms Retailers are encouraging all sportsmen, gun owners and firearms enthusiasts to contact your state assembly member immediately, urging them to oppose these anti-gun bills. Learn more in NSSF's Legislative Action Center.
TITLE SPONSOR OF MEDIA DAY . . . Bass Pro Shops has committed to be the title sponsor of Media Day at the Range for the next three years. The fourth annual Media Day at the Range, scheduled for the day before SHOT Show, will be on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2009, at the Orange County Sheriff's Range in Orlando. This event gives outdoor journalists the opportunity to handle and shoot new products from leading manufacturers. The event will again benefit youth shooting organizations, including the Orange County 4-H Shooting Sports. Organizers of the event are Cathy Williams of CMG Marketing and Events and Cory Cannon of Triple Curl Public Relations.
SPEND STIMULUS CHECKS ON NEW FIREARMS . . . Economic stimulus checks will be going out in the mail this spring as an incentive for American citizens to go shopping to help boost the nation's sagging economy. Americans should "let the government buy your next gun" by spending part or all of their economic stimulus checks on a new firearm, urged the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. The organization suggested that firearms retailers offer special discounts to customers who use their stimulus checks in their stores.
PUBLIC COMMENT SOUGHT IN WASHINGTON STATE . . . The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Border Field Office is seeking public comments on a proposal to improve visitor safety at Fishtrap Lake Recreation Area in Washington, specifically in regard to target shooting. A scoping notice that provides background information and outlines the preliminary issues and alternatives identified by BLM can be found at www.blm.gov/or/districts/spokane/plans. Public comments are being welcomed until May 6. Submit comments via e-mail to Scott_Pavey@blm.gov or via postal mail to the BLM Border Field Office, ATTN: Scott Pavey, 1103 N. Fancher Road., Spokane Valley, WA, 99212-1275.
PROTECTION FOR RANGES AMONG IDAHO LEGISLATIVE HIGHLIGHTS . . . Idaho's Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus has been serving as a watchdog for sportsmen's issues and has helped put several pro-hunter and -shooter laws on the books. Working with NSSF and the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses, the state recently passed laws to protect both state- and privately-owned shooting ranges against charges of noise violations.
MARYLAND SPORTSMEN VIEW VICTORIES . . . As the 2008 General Assembly came to a close, Maryland's Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus looked back on the aggressive legislation it turned aside, proposals that could have negatively affected Maryland's hunters and anglers. Bills that would have established a minimum age for hunting, required serialization of handgun and some rifle ammunition, created a five cents tax on each round of ammunition and banned black bear hunting were all defeated, while positive laws, like the addition of three more counties that allow Sunday hunting, were passed.

National Shooting Complex Sold

NEGOTIATIONS FOR POTENTIAL SALE OF THE NATIONAL SHOOTING COMPLEX IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS PROCEEDING

The Shooting Wire has confirmed reports that a "substantial" written purchase offer has been made for the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas.

While negotiations are described by officials as "very preliminary" the National Skeet Shooting Association Executive Committee and the National Sporting Clays Association Executive Council have approved moving forward with negotiations for that potential sale.

According to Michael Hampton, Sporting Clays Director of NSCA, the agreement does set the stage for a potential move of the organizations and their facilities, but is still "a long way from final."

The National Shooting Complex is a multi-faceted facility, located only a short distance from the San Antonio International Airport and a number of hotels and resorts. That choice location long been coveted by developers, but it wasn't until last Monday, November 15 that a written offer was actually made for the facilities and their significant landholdings.

The Complex facilities include a variety of shooting areas, including 45 skeet and 47 trap fields, 5 sporting clay courses, 2 NSCA 5-stand sporting fields, a 75 position 100-yard rifle range, a 75 position 50-yard pistol range and lighting for after dark clay target shooting. Additionally, there is a clubhouse, 4X4 and ATV courses, stadium seating for 1,000 people, meeting spaces capable of accommodating up to 300 people and on-site catering for events that can accommodate up to 2,500 people.

Skeet Field

The National Shooting Complex is the home of the Sporting Clays National and World Skeet Shoots. At this time, the Complex is still listed as the home for the 2007 Sporting Clays Championships beginning October 30 and the World Sporting Clay Championships in April.

In an update to members posted on the NSSA members' website (www.mynssa.com), NSSA President Louise K. Tarry and National Sporting Clays Association Chairman Robert Lepor acknowledge the "substantial written offer to purchase" the complex and steps taken by their respective boards. The update also reminds members the property has never been listed for sale and the decision to explore a sale was precipitated by the receipt of that "substantial" offer.

Earlier this year, the organizations formed a long range planning committee to perform "due diligence" should it ever become necessary to relocate their headquarters and home grounds. At that time, organization officials emphasized the fact the facility was not for sale and the formation strictly in preparation for what they felt was inevitable, given the heavy development going on around the facilities.

As Texas' number-one tourist destination, San Antonio continues to undergo rapid development and the National Shooting Complex location is regarded as prime property by area land developers.

While there is nothing definitive on a sale, speculation is already high as to a possible relocation site for the organizations and their home fields.. Two locations being bandied about in discussions include the facilities in Phoenix, Arizona and Sparta, Illinois. Sparta is already home to the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ASA).

Those rumored locations, says NSCA's Hampton, "simply aren't going to happen."

"We own our facilities," he says, "why would we want to go to someone else's place where they set the rules? We will have our own place and it will be operated under our rules."

"If a sale were to go through," Hampton says, emphasizing the if, "we will be looking at property in this area. Then, we'll build a facility that will be bigger and better."

The update to members says the organizations will proceed "as soon as possible with our attorneys and the land developer to attempt to get to contract." Additionally, the group assures members that any agreement would include "contingencies for enough time to find an acceptable site for our new home grounds, as well as allow us enough time to build out the new site and relocate there."

In the meantime, NSSA and NSCA business, both groups say, will "go on at Roft Road as normal."

--Jim Shepherd

COPYRIGHT 2006 by National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc.

Permission is granted for broadcast, publication, retransmission to e-mail lists, WWW or any other copying or storage, in any medium, online or not, if 1) the text is forwarded in its entirety, including this paragraph, and 2) no fee is charged.

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