Makahiki

Today we went to Ala Moana Beach Park for the scouts Makahiki celebration.  There were lots of fun things for the kids to do, but I think they had the most fun pretending to shoot bad guys with the wide variety of weaponry the military displays had.

Outdoor Skills...teaching Alaskan 6th graders how to survive in Alaska

I think this is one of the coolest programs...one that you won't find anywhere else, but in Alaska. Caleb is participating in the program this week, and I really wish Brooklin could have...and that we could live here long enough for the other two to get to do it...but we probably won't be here, so Caleb is the lucky one.

Floyd Dryden school holds ninth annual outdoor skills program

Kids learn firearm safety from Fish & Game employees

By Mary Catharine Martin | JUNEAU EMPIRE

"How many of you have hunted before this class?" firearm safety instructor Ken Coate asked a room full of sixth-graders.

Several raised their hands.

"How many of you have held a gun before this class?"

About half raised their hands.

Floyd Dryden Middle School's ninth annual Outdoor Skills Program culminated this week with kids shooting .22-caliber rim-fire and air rifles and being tested on firearm safety at the Juneau Hunter Education Shooting Complex. Garrett Mayers, who has hunted before, said he was more aware of the dangers after going through the program.

"It teaches you guns don't just kill for food. They also can kill you," he said.

Student Amanda Bicknel said the course is "probably the best thing to learn about life, because it's very important, and it's dangerous to hold a gun if you don't know how to use it."

A total of 169 kids participated this year in the program. More than 1,700 have undergone training since it began at the school in 2001, said Floyd Dryden principal Tom Milliron.

Instructor and range manager Frank Zmuda, who supervised kids on the range, said safety is "the utmost thing."

"We emphasize firearm safety throughout the entire course," he said. "We want to see them succeed as safe, ethical hunters."

Back at school, kids in one classroom hold their hands out in front of them to learn which eye is dominant. They rotated between four stations, learning about pump, semi-automatic, lever action and bolt-action rifles and shooting positions.

In another classroom, students learned tenets of safety, No. 1 of which is "control the muzzle." In another, they learned about how to prepare for time in the outdoors, and in another, via video, how to clean an animal.

Milliron said the purpose of the program, however, is "not about creating little hunters."

"It's to promote firearm safety," he said.

Coate said students at Dzantik'i Heeni Middle School and Montessori school students have also taken the course in recent years.

He said the hunter education instructors, most of whom were with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, have a "heartfelt desire" to see the program expanded statewide. He also said they'd like to have a mentoring program so kids can get hunting and fishing experience.

Twenty-two people gave their time as volunteers for this year's program.

"This is a whole bunch of people sharing their time and resources to make a great success for the next generation," said Coate. "Safety is the forefront."

Parent Darin Jensen, who came to the range to watch his daughter, Taya, said he was "all about" the training.

"I had it when I was her age, and so did her mom," he said. "It's really important. And we've shot together before a little bit, but these guys ... they really instill it, how important it is."

• Contact reporter Mary Catharine Martin at 523-2276 or maryc.martin@juneauempire.com.

Saturday at the range

Today we took the kids out to the range to shoot. Everyone did a little better than the last time we were out there. Brooklin got three bulls eyes, I got two, and Darwin and Caleb both got one. In Darwin's defense, he didn't get very many turns. He was helping the kids more than I was and didn't get to shoot as many rounds as we did. We stayed out for two hours and then came home so I could work on my English paper again! It made me cry a little, but then Darwin helped me iron out my topic, and I was able to get half of it written before bedtime. Thank you Dar! The first picture doesn't show some of the bulls eyes, because we had to cover the targets with new ones periodically. The last picture is of a bullet that jammed in the .22...Darwin said hollow points will do that sometimes.

Family outing to the gun range

On Saturday, we took the kids out of the gun range to shoot our new guns. Darwin got a little 22 (the Cricket) for Christmas, and I bought him a Rugar 10/22 two weeks ago. He hadn't been able to go out shooting yet, so we decided to take the kids and all go shooting together. We had so much fun. None of the kids had ever shot a gun before, and I haven't been shooting since I was in high school. We stayed out for 2 1/2 hours and put nearly 100 rounds through the Cricket, and about the same through the 10/22. We also shot the 243, but maybe only 10 or 15 times...and London and Isaiah did not shoot that one...it would have knocked them over! =) There was also a cowboy shooting contest going on at the other shelter. It was really awesome, and these first three pictures are of London and Isaiah handling a Colt 45, and then watching the cowboys shoot. Darwin, Brooklin and I all made a bullseye...mine was on my 3rd shot with the 10/22! =) Don't mess with me! HA! There is also video after the pictures of each of us shooting.

Just for the sake of saying it...all of us had earplugs in and safty glasses on the entire time...safety first! =)

London with a 45

Isaiah with the 45

Isaiah and London at the cowboy competition

Isaiah shooting the Cricket

London shooting the Cricket


Caleb loading the Cricket by himself...BTW, this is the picture I am using for my second Spring Break photo for photograhy class.


Caleb shooting the Cricket


Brooklin after shooting the 243...she like the jolt and the loud bang!


Brooklin shooting the 243


Darwin shooting the 243


Me shooting the 10/22


My bullseye!


Darwin fixing the targets


More targets


My bullseye just after it happened


We shot so many times, we shot the stick in half that was holding the box up!


Darwin went out to fix it.


Close up of the busted stick


Brooklin and Caleb shooting

London's turn with the Cricket


Isaiah just wanted to pull the trigger...Darwin had to keep taking his fingers off the trigger so he could help him aim. The next time he got a turn, we made him count to 5 before firing.


Caleb with the 243


Brooklin with the 243


Me shooting the Cricket