Ohio Youth Inspired by CMP Air Gun Range During JAKES Camp

CAMP PERRY, OH – On Saturday, June 22, 31 juniors and their accompanying adults from all areas of Ohio gathered at the CMP Marksmanship Center at Camp Perry to shoot during the Ohio State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation’s (NWTF) JAKES Campout.

Participants sat through a safety briefing before firing on the range. CMP supplied an instructional video and step-by-step demonstrations from staff members.

JAKES, an acronym for Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship, is meant to inform and involve youth in wildlife conservation and the stewardship of natural resources. Hundreds of JAKES events are held across the United States and Canada each year, along with the Xtreme JAKES and JAKES Take Aim events. The JAKES program focuses specifically on responsible hunting techniques, ethics and safety and the principles of habitat management.

CMP staff and volunteers were present during the afternoon to answer questions and give helpful tips for proper shooting techniques.

Participants in the Ohio State Chapter of JAKES camped at East Harbor State Park in Lakeside Marblehead, OH, about 16 miles east of Camp Perry, June 21-23 for a weekend of outdoor adventures. It was the first time the NWTF has ever held a weekend-long outing. Some activities included during the weekend were a movie showing at the East Harbor State Park amphitheater, a self-guided shoreline fishing trip, pond and charter fishing, turkey calling contest, archery shooting, a rescued wildlife presentation and the trip to the CMP air gun facility.

Both boys and girls shot at the range on June 21. Grace Kinner (far left) outshot most of the boys, while Seamus Bradnan (far right) just enjoyed improving his shots with CMP’s quality air rifles.

“Our goal is to get kids outdoors – off of their phones and computers – so this is introducing them to a lot of different things,” said Ted Johnson, chairperson for NWTF. “The other part of it is that we’re bringing adults and kids together to do things outside. I think that’s important.”

Though bringing the kids to an indoor rifle range isn’t exactly an outside activity, it’s a great place for kids to learn about gun safety and marksmanship. Many CMP staff members and volunteers were on hand to give assistance and to ensure the wellbeing of all of the participants.

Parents, grandparents and other adults came to the range to watch the kids try their hands at air rifle shooting.

“The kids are having fun,” added Johnson as participants shot at the range. “There’s so much to do outside in the Port Clinton area, and this is just one more thing we can offer them. They’re having a blast.”

Echoes of ooo’s and ahh’s were heard as the group stepped through the threshold of the Marksmanship Center and into the range after their CMP safety briefing. The state-of-the-art MEGAlink electronic targets at all of its 80 firing points were awe-inspiring to the group members who had never seen a range quite so advanced.

“I love the facilities. This is very nice,” said Jamie Kinner of Batavia, OH, who brought her three children to participate in JAKES for the weekend. “You don’t have to deal with the weather, and the electronic targets are amazing. I can’t wait to see the printouts of the kids’ scores.”

The shooters were given the option to collect printed copies of their target scores to keep as a memento of their experiences at the CMP range. Jamie’s daughter, Grace Kinner, 16, fired many praise-worthy marks, outshooting most of the boys around her.

Many smiles were seen throughout the afternoon along the shooting line.

“This is even more fun than shooting with my shotgun,” she said as she laughed.

Jamie said her daughter, who used to want a new shotgun, now wants a new air rifle instead, thanks to her trip to the CMP range. The rest of the family also enjoyed the afternoon of air rifling as Jamie and her husband Michael joined in on the firing line, along with son Ethan, 11, and daughter Claire, 12.

Some of the participants even showed talent as left-eye dominant shooters.

As a shooter from the Port Clinton area, D’arcy Egan of Marblehead, OH, has been to the air range before, confessing it’s a place he looks forward to visiting as often as possible. Egan decided that now was the time to introduce his grandson, Seamus Bradnan, to the world-class facilities of the CMP and the world outside through the JAKES camp.

“I love coming here,” Egan said with a smile. “At home, [Seamus] is always inside. He hardly ever goes out to play, so I wanted to get him to try some outside activities – get his knees a little dirty.”

Jamie Kinner (right) of Batavia, OH, and her daughter Claire (left) were two of the five members of the Kinner clan to shoot at the range during the JAKES visit.

Seamus, 13, of Bay Village, OH, had nothing but praises about his trip to the Marksmanship Center, saying he was very impressed with the quality of the rifles the CMP provided during JAKES.

“I’ve shot air rifle before, but they weren’t as good as these air rifles,” he said. “I’ve been having fun.”

Kids of a variety of ages came to the range to improve their marksmanship skills.

After a successful first year of the aspiring annual event, the coordinators of JAKES will have a lot of planning to do to top next year’s campout. With all of the smiling faces and laughter produced from the afternoon of air rifle shooting, the CMP range will hopefully be on the top of the list of activities to return.

“We’ll definitely be back next year,” said Johnson.

Even some of the adults joined in on the fun by taking their places on the firing line.

The CMP Marksmanship Center is housed on the Ohio Army National Guard Training Site at Camp Perry and is used by both military personnel and civilians alike. Large display screens allow for spectators to keep track of the action during the exciting Air Rifle and Pistol events that are regularly held within. The Marksmanship Center is open to the public and is also dedicated to encouraging youth teaching programs.

For more information on the JAKES program, visit http://www.nwtf.org/jakes/about.html. To find out more about the CMP Marksmanship Center at Camp Perry, as well as the facilities in Anniston, AL, go to http://www.odcmp.com/3P/MarksmanshipCenters.htm.

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