Dean Tarasoff had never really shot anything before.
But he was grinning from ear to ear on Sunday after competing in the first annual Mountain Man Sporting Clays Shoot at the Prince George Rod and Gun Club.
"I'm brand new at this and this was my first tournament," he said late Sunday morning. "It was awesome, I had such a great time getting to shoot with the best shooters in Canada. Every [station] was different."
Tarasoff, from Prince George, was among 45 men and women from B.C. and Alberta who competed in the two-day event.
Competitors, divided into groups, rotated around the range to 12 different stations, taking their best shots one at a time at pairs of four-inch clay targets with a shotgun.
Each presentation of the targets was different, some coming from the left or the right of the competitor.
Competitors were scored on the number of targets they successfully hit.
Targets were flung in the air as well as just above the ground. The targets hovering above the ground are known as rabbits.
"Pull," yells a shooter from his station.
The targets come flying out as the competitor follows them from the left to the right, firing his gun along the way.
"Really, the key is good hand-eye coordination," said organizer Tony Manuge. "Reaction times are important and having younger eyes to pick [the targets] up quicker. Generally speaking, it's getting out and doing it and it takes a lot of practice.
"Each presentation of targets is unique, it's quite a challenging sport."
Manuge, who's competed in the sport for 10 years, is the Sporting Clays director at the Prince George Rod and Gun Club as well as president of the B.C. Sport Clay Shooting Association.
He was thrilled with the turnout on the weekend.
"The scores were a bit down on Saturday because of the weather but after the evening meal and banquet everybody seems to be in great spirits," he said. "It was very successful."
Manuge added it also won't be the last time the Rod and Gun Club hosts an event like the Mountain Man.
The Ducks Unlimited Shoot is the second weekend of August and Manuge hopes to one day host the B.C. championships and Western Canadian Challenge. This year, provincials are in Williams Lake Aug. 22-24 while Kamloops hosts the Western Canadian Challenge in June.
Everyone is welcome to try sport clay shooting, Thursdays at 6 p.m. at the club, 9444 Hartman Road. A round is available at half-price, $2.50.
"We're really interested in developing a junior program," said Manuge. "As long as they [the juniors] are under adult supervision, they're fine. There are parents who bring their kids out to shoot and we are quite happy to teach them."
The sub-junior category is 12- to 14-year-olds, while those in the 15- to 19-year-old age range are considered junior.
Junior competitors from northern B.C. are making a name for themselves.
Cody Nadeau, a 13-year-old from Mackenzie, won three bronze medals at the World Sporting Clays Shooting championships last fall in Cambridge, Ont.
He did not compete in Prince George on the weekend due to other commitments.
For the rookie Tarasoff, he's hooked on the sport.
"The secret is learning how to lead the birds," he said. "I'll definitely do this again."
For information on sport clay shooting, call Manuge at 250-596-2698 or email him at [email protected].
