One of the most amazing outdoor events is happening at the beautiful and award winning Ben Avery Shooting Range in Phoenix this weekend, the AZ Game and Fish Outdoor Expo. Two years ago, I discovered my passion for all things shooty at the Expo, and if you’re curious about hunting, fishing, archery or competitive shooting, there is no better (or cheaper) place on earth to get a taste of these challenging and rewarding sports.
So what does the FREE Outdoor Expo have to offer? Here’s a list of just some of the great things to do there, courtesy of the AZ Game and Fish Outdoor Expo Website:
This crowd-pleasing event offers dozens of exciting, hands-on outdoor recreational activities:
* Test your skill at archery;
* Take your kids to the huge catch-and-release fishing tank;
* See live wildlife demonstrations (hawks, owls, snakes, more);
* Hike a nature trail/field course;
* Try target shooting with different firearms on the range;
* Learn about outdoor skills, firearm safety and more;
* View exciting shooting demonstrations by the cowboy mounted shooters, cowboy action shooters and more;
* Attend informative workshops on fishing, hunting, wildlife conservation;
* See off-highway vehicle and boating exhibits;
* Visit with more than 100 exhibitors— sportsmen’s organizations, conservation groups, shooting clubs, wildlife agencies, and commercial vendors and exhibitors of outdoor products and services.
The event and parking are free, as well as almost all of the demos. A few of the local shooting clubs do charge a small fee (a few bucks) to cover ammo costs, but it’s still a fantastic value for anyone looking at trying out the shooting sports.
Anti-gun group, The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, rolled into Arizona this week, along with their latest tool paid poster boy, Colin Goddard. Mr. Goddard was wounded during the 2007 Virginia Tech Shooting, and is now using his cred to assist the Brady Campaign with their efforts to take guns out of the hands of lawful citizens.
I am very sorry that Mr. Goddard ended up in the middle of the Virgina Tech mess, but I must question his logic. The idea that the nightmare he endured has motivated him to fight against a person’s right to defend them self is just astonishing to me. Virgina Tech was a gun-free “safe zone” when the shooting occurred, and Mr. Goddard is advocating that the colleges and universities in Arizona stay that way. Wouldn’t that mean that others are doomed to suffer the same fate (or worse) as Mr. Goddard if these misguided policies are allowed to stay in place?
I was thinking about attending one of the “forums” this week, and asking Mr. Goddard in person about his decision to fight to continue to be a victim, but fellow blogger Tam’s recent post on the subject reminded me why I generally stay away from the anti-gunners, either in person or on the interwebs:
I don’t really care about the statistics or the efficacy (or lack thereof) of gun control laws. My right to own a gun (or anything else, for that matter) is not contingent on what other people do with that right. It wouldn’t matter if everybody else on the planet misused their firearms every day, that doesn’t have a thing to do with me or mine
* Senator Gallardo is the sole sponsor of AZ SB 1586, which would require federal background checks on all firearm sales (including private) at any “firearm show” (broadly defined to include almost any gathering where firearms might be sold). Another “we’ve got to do something” bill that does nothing but restrict the freedom of law abiding citizens.
The folks in Northern Arizona and Arizona Game and Fish have been working their tails off for fifteen years to build a proper range in Northern Arizona, and with the purchase of the private 160-acre Foster Ranch in Coconino County (about 30 minutes outside of Flagstaff), Northern Arizona is closer than ever to having a safe, modern shooting facility, where the public and law enforcement can safely shoot and train.
Unfortunately, a few people with ties to left-leaning and anti-gun organizations*, are making an 11th hour attempt to block the development of the Foster Ranch shooting range by voicing their opposition to the Coconino County Board of Supervisors. If we don’t speak up in support of the range, it is quite possible the Board will assist the opposition and try and bring a halt to the development of this much needed range.
Northern Arizona needs the development of this range to continue without further delay, so we are asking everyone in support of the range (ESPECIALLY those that live in Northern Arizona) to please contact the members of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors and kindly let them know that you support the development of a shooting range on the Foster Ranch property and do not want to see any further delays.
Here are the Supervisors phone numbers. You can also use the Coconino County Board of Supervisors Contact form, and select “Board of Supervisors” from the drop down menu to send your message through the web.
District 1 – Carl Taylor (928) 679-7151
District 2 – Liz Archuleta (928) 679-7152
District 3 – Matt Ryan (928) 679-7163
District 4 – Mandy Metzger (928) 679-7154
District 5 – Lena Fowler (928) 679-7751
*The Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of Flagstaff’s Future and the National Parks Conservation Association are the “big” backers of the very small opposition group, Friends of Walnut Canyon.
Almost immediately after they were put up, the City of Phoenix has stripped down 50 “Guns Save Lives” illuminated bus-stop signs that had been placed at around the the Phoenix area. These signs were put up by TrainMeAZ, and were placed in conjunction with the “Guns Save Lives” billboards that began appearing around town just a couple of weeks ago.
Phoenix Public Transit Department spokeswoman Marie Chapple said the city’s policy doesn’t allow public-service announcements.
They also note that officials from the City of Phoenix took a look at the signs after receiving a “comment” about them.
Train Me, Arizona is an LLC, not a non-profit corporation. Their mission is to see everyone in Arizona who owns and/or uses firearms to be well trained and safe. Their website offers links to training, gun stores and both publicly and privately owned shooting ranges.
Like Alan Korwin, we are outraged that bureaucrats who despise the second amendment, have no trouble rejecting the first amendment too.
Update 10/22/2010 – Please take a moment to respectfully express your opposition to the removal of the Guns Save Lives signs by emailing or calling Phoenix City Council members. They need to know that this arbitrary act is inexcusable in a free society.
PHOENIX CITY COUNCIL:
Thelda Williams — council.district.1@phoenix.gov 602-262-7444
Peggy Neely — council.district.2@phoenix.gov 602-262-7445
Bill Gates — council.district.3@phoenix.gov 602-262-7441
Tom Simplot — council.district.4@phoenix.gov 602-262-7447
Claude Mattox — council.district.5@phoenix.gov 602-262-7446
Sal DiCiccio — council.district.6@phoenix.gov 602-262-7491
Michael Nowakowski — council.district.7@phoenix.gov 602-262-7492
Michael Johnson — council.district.8@phoenix.gov 602-262-7493
Congratulations, Northern Arizona! Shooting enthusiasts and law enforcement in Northern Arizona are one giant step closer to having the shooting range they deserve.
On Saturday, May 15th, The Arizona Game and Fish Commission unanimously voted to approve the purchase of the 160 acre Foster Ranch property for the development of a Northern Arizona shooting range.
AZ Game and Fish’s efforts to establish a range in the Flagstaff area began way back in 1998, and the approval is great news to all the people and organizations that have worked tirelessly for almost a decade to make this happen.
Flagstaff is the largest city in Arizona without a public shooting range, which leaves recreational shooters with few options, and forces law enforcement in Flagstaff to train at a makeshift range at a cinder pit in Winona, Arizona.
The Foster Ranch site is about 10 miles southeast of Flagstaff, and meets the Arizona Game and Fish’s objective of developing a shooting range located within 30 minutes of downtown Flagstaff by the year 2013. The purchase price of the land is 1.1 million dollars, which is entirely funded through a user pay, user benefit model (read – ZERO Arizona general fund tax dollars).
A request for the purchase of the land now goes to the Arizona Governor’s office for approval (the state doesn’t fund shooting ranges, they merely approve, or disapprove, the budget plan created by the AZ Game and Fish Commission). We are very hopeful that their approval will be swift in order to reach the 2013 goal.
