One St. Patrick’s day celebration in Leelanau County was sobering and a blast.
Sobering partially because no green beer or Jameson Irish whiskey was allowed at the seventh St. Pat’s Shoot-Out, which marks the opening of shotgunning at the Cedar Rod and Gun Club. But the event was also sobering in that the 65 or so participants relearned that oiling a double-barrel in the fall does not prevent shooting skills from rusting by spring, “It’s been quite a while,” acknowledged club member Gordie Shull from Traverse City on Saturday, March 16, after completing rounds of skeet and five-stand, in which eight throwers fling round, clay targets at 42 mph. “I shot OK, not as good as I like. For the first time shooting all year, it was all right.”
For some participants such as Dorie Yoder of Solon Township, it was learning for the first time.
Two of her friends invited — she says coerced — her to pick up a shotgun and join the shootout. Her learning curve was short as she hit two of the first four targets in her sights.
“It was cool,” said Yoder, who borrowed an Ithaca 20 gauge side-by-side for the day. “I’m not afraid of it any more. I was surprised how gentle it was.”
Those were words embraced by Shari Prevost, the first woman to serve on the Cedar Rod and Gun Club board. Prevost has been pushing to get more women involved in the shooting sports, and six showed for the St. Pat’s Shoot-out under less-than-ideal conditions to be outdoors.
“There used to be a woman’s league, but then we couldn’t get enough women to show up. I offer on Wednesdays to take people out who had never shot before,” Prevost said.
The club continues to host a “Ladies Day” which is set for July 14, that Prevost organizes. The event begins much like the shoot-out but with more of an emphasis on safety for beginners. Participants arrive a bit apprehensive thinking the day is about competition, but then realize that having fun takes priority.
Six woman participated in the St. Pat’s Shoot-out.
“They start out nervous,” said club president Rick Nelson. “But then they see there is no pressure, and they are laughing and having a good time.”
Scoring was optional and meant nothing except for selfevaluation. Some 65-70 prizes were handed out — yes, about one per shooter — based on whether he or she knocked down one of the green targets that were mixed in with traditional orange pigeons.
Nelson said the event grows every year.
“It’s our opening shoot after being closed for two months. People haven’t shot all winter, so they are anxious to get out. There is no competition — just have fun and shoot, and be honest when you break a green target,” Nelson said.
Prizes varied from safety ear protection to sweatshirts bearing the logo of the Cedar Rod and Gun Club, which was estab- lished in 1935. Club grounds and the clubhouse are located off Sullivan Road in Kasson Township.
Andrew Frank, a firefighter/ paramedic for Leelanau Township Fire and Rescue, is club vice president. He worked the long-bird trap shoot, which resemble duck hunting in that pigeons are typically 45-60 yards out when shot.
“We had a lot of people hit them. I shot a number of them. The best I know of was four out of five,” he said.
Frank found the organization welcoming of a newcomer who moved north from his hometown of Troy, Michigan.
“It’s a very accepting club. We will take anyone who wants to learn. And we need more young people; I’m a rarity because I’m in my 30s,” he said.
