thought would be suitable for a
beginner. While he loaded the trap,
I showed Ben the basics of shotgun
shooting and safety. He took a
few shots into the air to get over
being nervous. Soon after, Matt
began throwing birds, a nice floater
oo many times we make asBut the fact is I had never put
moving right to left.
sumptions when we think about
a gun in Ben’s hands — until last
As you can imagine, Ben missed
introducing people to hunting
month. NAGA board member Matt
the first two. But he hit the third one,
and shooting. We think of outsiders:
Ellis invited me to travel to his hunt
and many more after that. Before
people we work with, friends from
club, Cherrybend, in southwest Ohio
long, Matt was throwing him followchurch, etc. We seldom think of the
to speak to
ing pairs,
family members of our fellow hunthis memand Ben
ers and shooters. There is a common
bers during
was picking
There is a common misbelief
misbelief that if you hunt and shoot,
their season
up.
that if you hunt and shoot, you them
you will automatically pass that on to
opening
As is always
will automatically pass that
your sons and daughters.
party. I
the case, the
Participation numbers for huntdecided I
on to your sons and daughters. fun ends too
ing and the shooting sports tell a
would take
soon, and it
completely different story, however.
Ben since it
wasn’t long
If every single one of the 14 millionhad been a
before Ben
plus hunters in the United States
while since he and I had any one on
had gone through a box of shells.
recruited their children into huntone father-son time.
Recalling that Matt was the host of
ing, our numbers would be steadily
On a whim I threw a shotgun, a
a party back at the house, we called it
increasing, instead of holding steady
case of shotgun shells, and a shoota day, and rejoined the group. Ben was
or decreasing in some states. In
ing vest in the trunk of my car, and
smiling ear to ear. On the way home,
other words, in hunting and shootwe headed out. Cherrybend is about
he asked me why I had never taken
ing households across the country,
90 minutes from my house, and
him shooting before. Suddenly none
there are kids that
we chatted the
of the excuses I wrote about above
have never been
whole way there
seemed adequate. The truth is I had
introduced to the
after we stopped
just not made the time to do it.
lifestyle that is the
and picked up a
Ben and I now share a connection.
economic engine
bag of sun flower
Judging from how many times he
of our industry.
seeds to spit.
has asked me if we can go again, it’s a
I don’t need
Once we
connection that can last a lifetime…
the stats to tell
arrived at
provided we make time for it.
me this. I’m proof.
Cherrybend, Matt
I’m grateful to Matt Ellis and the
I am the father of
gave us the tour
folks at Cherrybend. They gave me a
three boys and
of his beautichance to right a wrong. And reone girl. Two are TAKE THE TIME to introduce your children
ful place, which
minded me that we need to encourto
hunting
and
shooting.
out of the house,
included a sportage our fellow hunters and shooters
with two more
ing clays course,
to get their families out to a hunting
remaining. My third child, Ben, is a
barns full of young birds, pens full of
preserve for a day of fun. In those
freshman in high school. And until
mature pheasant, hunting fields, and
families are millions of spouses and
three weeks ago, he had never shot
a brand new 5-stand. It was at that
kids that are simply low hanging fruit
a firearm. Despite the fact that I am
point that I told Matt that Ben had
customers if we open our doors to
an avid hunter, and a fairly frequent
never shot a gun. I asked him if he’d
them. It makes me think that as NAGA
breaker of clay birds, I had never
mind if I took Ben back to the sportlooks for ways to increase our cusintroduced Ben to my passion.
ing clays course, and let him shoot
tomer base that there is an opportuI could make many excuses, and
clay birds over just one trap. I figured
nity to do something with families. H
most of them are good ones. We’re a
the repetition of staying on one shot
busy family, and my boys are baseball
would be the best course.
Rob Sexton
playing fanatics. We travel to as many
Matt eagerly agreed, and even
NAGA Executive Director
as 60 games each year. Professionally
volunteered to pull for us. The three
[email protected]
I travel a good bit. And on and on…
of us headed out to a trap that Matt
1.800.624.2967
Food For Thought by Rob Sexton, NAGA Executive Director
Hunting Preserves Provide Great
Introductions to Hunting and Shooting
T
November/December 2014 NAGA News
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