I Shot the Fake Deer... But I Did Not Shoot the Park Ranger

Hello intrepid explorers, so sorry for the lack of updates last week! I hope to make up for it with extra awesomeness now.

Outdoor Club went shooting on Saturday, March 14. We all had a blast (pun intended), and not one, not two, but THREE of our Editing and Publishing crew were fearless enough to venture out with us! Give a shout-out to Jim "Daddy" the wrestling aficionado, Helen of the Diner's Diary, and Clint of Total Games.


Here's Jim with a Glock. Did you say you don't like pro wrestling? Care to repeat that?

We had a decent turnout of 11 shooters. Once at the range, we enjoyed tasty, tasty Panera bagels and coffee while a ranger showed us some firearms and taught us how not to shoot ourselves. Then we donned our safety gear, split up into two groups, and headed out to the range.


Outdoor Club's equipment manager, Danielle, with a six-shooter.

My group used the handguns first. I shot a Ruger .22 semi-automatic MK II. It had been a while since I shot a pistol, and it took me a few rounds to get back into the swing of things and aim correctly. I did manage to hit a few bullseyes. The following photo shows me with a six-shooter, but I didn't actually use that; I just posed with it so you can get the idea. It's a sweet picture, if I do say so myself.


After pistols, my group headed out to the archery range. We used compound bows of some variety or another. And apparently I was really out of practice. Bows are a lot harder to aim than pistols or rifles, in my experience. At least I hit the target board... sometimes...


I may be out of practice, but my confident stance will have everyone fooled! Mwahahahaa!

You know what? I'm gonna blame it on cross-dominance. I am left-handed but right-eye dominant. Cross-dominance messes with your head, man. Which arrow do I focus on? Which eye do I keep open? Oh, the pressure!


Clint (Mr. Gamer) thinks this "archery" is the best first-person shooter yet.


Helen (Ms. Chef) is concocting recipes for venison. We DID shoot at deer, but as you can see...


They were NOT real. (The strangely stunted beasts remained quite docile and stationary, as if they couldn't sense the danger... or as if they knew it was Amy shooting at them, so they had nothing to fear.)

This event was a rousing success. We didn't shoot ourselves or others or anything but the targets we were aiming for (and sometimes their immediate surroundings). We all enjoyed ourselves immensely. Nothing helps you blow off steam like blowing a few holes into something. It may look like a bullseye target, but just imagine it's that stupid article you have to write for stupid GO! magazine. Then send an arrow right through the DEK line and supporting photographs. Then riddle it with bullet holes. Ohhh yeah.


I got your "charticle" right here, Springfield!

(I jest, of course. This class is pretty awesome. As for where the above targets came from, they are mine--but from shooting rifles at a different event, not archery or handguns. It is MUCH easier to aim with a rifle than with a pistol. My archery targets, well, those were not worth saving.)