Still time to enjoy a gun show

By the time this sees print, spring will officially be here. Recent weather even suggests that a real spring breakup may not be too far off. That would be nice! While the past winter hasn’t been bad, the season is still a long one to deal with icy roads, snow and cold temperatures.

Let’s get a few upcoming items marked on your calendar for the next month or two. First and foremost, today marks the opening of the first outdoor show of the year. Tony Russ’ Mat-Su Outdoorsman Show opens its doors at noon at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla. Cost of admission is $5 and the show runs through Sunday.

Starting March 27, the Great Alaskan Outdoorsman Show opens in Anchorage at the Sullivan Arena. I don’t know the admission price right off, but it has been around $10 the last several years. This show runs through March 30.

We’ve had several gun shows around the Valley since January, and there’s still one more scheduled. Houston High School sponsors its second annual 2014 Gun and Outdoor Show at the Big Lake Lions Recreation Center in Big Lake April 26 and 27. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days with an admission price of $5. All proceeds go to help finance Houston High School activities and athletics.

Last year, this new show was small compared to the other Valley gun shows, but hopes to grow as more folks become aware and attend. The person who gave me a flier for the show commented that this year the show will have heat. Things were kind of chilly last year, but heat to sections of the recreation center has been added since then and should make things more enjoyable. Actually, I enjoyed last year’s show because it was cool; often, these kinds of exhibits get unbearably hot once they fill up with show attendees.

I learned two things at last year’s show. First, folks were willing to pay a ridiculous amount of money for .22 long rifle ammunition. I almost went home to get three or four of the bricks of ammo I’ve had for a while and bring them back to the show to sell for five or six times the price I originally paid for them. Second, I found the new ATV of my dreams — a six-wheel side-by-side that would work almost as well as a small pickup truck.

A friend of mine has this same vehicle on which he has made a number of improvements and additions. I could die a happy hunter/ice fisherman if I ever had one similarly appointed. The reality, though, is being retired on a fixed income means I will spend a lot more time dreaming than actually doing. But then, isn’t dreaming and planning half the fun of doing stuff outdoors?

The sixth annual Brianna Gregory Memorial SuperShoot will be held at the Grouse Ridge Shooting Facility north of Wasilla beginning at 10 a.m., May 10. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. The shoot is a 100-bird sporting clays walkthrough and is a National Sporting Clays Association-sanctioned match. Registration is $120 for an individual or $500 for a squad of five. Registration forms are available online, or contact Neil’s Lock and Safe in Wasilla. The match is open to anyone age 10 and older and of any experience level. Medals and awards will be presented to the top shooters in each category.

A Saturday breakfast buffet will be offered from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., the day of the shoot, for which you are asked to pre-register. Lunch is included in the shooting registration fee or you can purchase a guest lunch for $20.

This shoot is a fundraiser for the Brianna Gregory Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of children with life-threatening illnesses. Specifically, the fundraiser benefits cystic fibrous research and the Children’s Hospital at Providence.

If you’re not a shooter or interested in this event, but would like to help the foundation achieve its goals, you can find out more information by visiting the foundation’s website at briannashope.org. If you scroll down the menu on the left side of the homepage, you will find “how to help,” which lists a number of ways you can contribute either financially or through “sweat equity” toward helping the foundation provide for these kids with life-threatening illnesses.

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. You can leave him a message by emailing sports@frontiersman.com.