Hunting Works for Arizona held a presentation and sporting clays shoot in December at Ben Avery Shooting Range Facility.  Hunting Works for Arizona (HWFA) was created to promote the economic partnership that exists within the hunting and shooting communities and the greater Arizona economy.

 

From the Hunting Works for Arizona webpage:

Our membership consists of businesses representing a cross-section of the Arizona economy. These include sporting retailers big and small, restaurant owners, hotel, motel and resort operators, gas stations and convenience stores, hunting and shooting organizations, chambers of commerce and of course all the taxpayers of Arizona (hunters and non-hunters alike) who benefit economically and aesthetically from the license fees, taxes, and jobs the hunting and shooting industry provides both directly and indirectly.

How much direct economic impact does hunting have in Arizona?

• $323 million in direct annual spending on lodging, food, gas, and gear.
• Creating 4,700 jobs with $107.5 million in salaries and wages.
• Paying $15.3 million in Arizona sales, fuel and income taxes.
• A more than $429.3 million total impact on the state economy.

 

 

HWFA Co-Chair and Arizona State Representative Jerry Weiers noted just how expensive it can be to hunt, due to planned and unplanned expenses, as he shared a few of his hunting stories.

Mark Thomas, Director of Communications for the National Shooting Sports Foundation addressed how intertwined hunters, sport shooters, hoteliers and even law enforcement officers are effected by anti-gun and anti-hunting efforts.

Mr. Thomas noted how the intent of lead ammunition bans was not for the safety of animals.  The lead ammo bans are a stealth attempt to stop all hunting, under the guise of helping the environment, despite the lack of any supporting evidence.  He also noted how a ban on lead ammunition would harm not only sport shooters, but law enforcement officers as well.  If lead is banned as an ammunition, our Police officers won’t be able to buy effective ammunition.  Unfortunately, almost any lead substitute for bullets would be unacceptable, as the substitute metal would violate the Federal law about mythical “cop-killer-bullets“.

Mr. Thomas also explained how Modern Sporting Rifles (AR-15s) are the hunting rifle choice of today’s returning war Veteran’s and how that is no different than how WWI Veterans chose the .30-06 1903 bolt action rifle for hunting, or how WWII Veterans chose hunting rifles chambered in .30-06 like the M1 Garands they carried during their service to our country.  He cautioned hunters that replacing the wood stocks of prior hunting rifles with plastic stocks didn’t change the function of the rifles.  AR-15 black rifles, referred to as “assault weapons” by major media outlets, are just similar to the weapons today’s Veterans used while serving, and would be the most logical choice of hunting rifles for today’s military Veterans.

 

After the presentations, it was time to hit the Rattlesnake Course at Ben Avery Clay Target Center.  The best way to describe Sporting Clays is, it’s like golf, only louder and more fun.

 

Arizona Representative David Gowan Shooting Sporting Clays

In addition to Representative Jerry Weiers, Arizona State Senator Rick Murphy, AZ State Representative Karen Fann, AZ State Representative David Gowan, Representative Debbie Lesko, and an aide to Congressman Paul Gosar attended the event.

Federal Ammunition provided the shotgun shells for the match.   Thank you Federal, Hunting Works for Arizona, and the awesome staff at Arizona Game & Fish for a great day at the range.