If you want to try your hand at some short-range target shooting, there are two upcoming events hosted by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources that you don't want to miss.
Wild Bunch Shoot
The fourth annual .22 Wild Bunch Shoot will be held Friday, June 5 from 3-6 p.m. at the Buckskin Hills Shooting Complex in Vernal. The awards ceremony will be held at the Uintah Conference Center in Vernal at 6:45 p.m. that same day.
"In just a few years, we've witnessed this men's competition become a huge success — especially for the men that come to support the women who compete the following day at the Josie Shoot," DWR Wildlife Recreation Programs Specialist Anthony Christianson said. "This is a great way to create shooting sports traditions and keep them going for generations to come."
The age classes for the men's competition include "youngin" (ages 11-17), "codger" (ages 18-49) and "old fogy" (50 and older). All participants 17 years old and under must have a parent or legal guardian present and must have completed hunter education to participate.
Participants for the event are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs for seating. Participants will also need to provide their own ammunition and will use a standard .22 caliber rifle — no magnum rifles, target rifles, handguns or bipods will be allowed in the competition.
This year, as in past years, participants can compete in the open sight or the scope class, but not in both. The distance to the targets is approximately 30 yards. Participants will have 10 shots in three different positions: prone, sitting and standing. The Wildlife Conservation Foundation is the title sponsor and will be awarding prizes for the top three places in each of the age categories.
While the event is free, participants are encouraged to register in advance on Eventbrite. However, participants may also register the day of the event before the last shooting hour time slot.
Josie Shoot
The 37th annual .22 Josie Shoot will be held Saturday, June 6 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Buckskin Hills Shooting Complex in Vernal. For tiebreakers, a shootoff will occur at 11:15 a.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 1 p.m. at the Uintah Conference Center at 313 E. 200 South in Vernal.
In 1988, Utah Hunter Education instructor Carole Jackson had a vision to encourage women of all ages in the Uintah Basin to use their newly acquired skills in a target shooting competition. Along with the support of her family and the local community, she created the Josie Shoot. It was aptly named after a local pioneer woman that Jackson could relate to — Josie Bassett Morris.
Josie's name is well known around the Uintah Basin, and you can still visit her homestead cabin at Dinosaur National Monument in Jensen, where she resided until 1964 at the age of 91. Josie was known for her vivacious and independent spirit and this appealed to Jackson and empowered her to recruit more women to learn marksmanship and carry on the Josie legacy.
"The Josie Shoot was created to give women a supportive, encouraging and comfortable atmosphere where they could improve their firearm shooting skills or become introduced to the sport," DWR Northeastern Region Outreach Manager Tonya Kieffer-Selby said. "This female-only event provides the opportunity for women to socialize, make new friends who share similar outdoor interests and to create memories. The participants have kept this tradition alive for over 37 years."
The age classes for the female competition include juniors (11-17), seniors (18-49) and "vintage" (50 and older). Similar to the men's event, all participants 17 years old and under must have a parent or legal guardian present and must have completed hunter education to participate.
"This event is one I look forward to every year," Kieffer-Selby said. "Some of these women have been competing in this event since the shoot began and are now bringing their granddaughters and great-granddaughters to it. It's an honor to keep this wonderful tradition alive for women everywhere, knowing they are part of a legacy that believes in Carole's vision and want to carry on for the 'pioneer' in all of us."
Participants are encouraged to register in advance on Eventbrite for this event, as well. Similar to the men's Wild Bunch Shoot, participants can compete in the open sight or the scope class, but not in both, and must bring their own ammunition. Prizes will be awarded for the top three places in each of the age categories.