National Sporting Clays Association

San Antonio, TX --(Ammoland.com)- Rumors have been circulating recently about gun thefts from vehicles around the country and at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio in particular.

Because we take very seriously the security of our members and patrons, as well as their property, we would like to address these rumors and offer some suggestions regarding better securing your firearms, whether you’re shooting at our club or elsewhere.

As has always been the case, gun thefts from vehicles and homes are a problem around the country, and San Antonio is no different – neither better nor worse. Some rumors suggest that San Antonio is experiencing an “epidemic” of gun thefts from vehicles at gun clubs or from vehicles of traveling shooters at restaurants or other businesses. We have no reason to believe this problem is greater than in the past or than in other cities.

As the largest gun club in the San Antonio area, and one of the largest in the country, we believe we at the National Shooting Complex are in a position to be aware of such an alarming trend, and it is simply not the case.

Many reports indicate that gangs are targeting the NSC parking lot, marking tires or placing stickers on license plates so they can later be identified by thieves. At a shoot last June, we and a commissioned officer investigated reports of marked vehicles and found no validity. There was no pattern or consistency among the marks that were identified to us, and we found that all the questionable marks reported to us were left there by manufacturers, tire services, or rental car companies. In fact, most marks were so worn or well covered that they could not have occurred in the parking lot.

We have read that because gun thefts from vehicles are so “rampant” in San Antonio that a police chief met with the 400 shooters at that event to warn them about the problem. That did not happen.

In some online discussions, the phrase “national event” has morphed into “National Championship” with implications that gun theft was a problem during that event. To be clear, in 2011, we had no reports of gun theft at the NSCA National Championship, the largest shooting event held annually at the National Shooting Complex. In previous years, we did experience some gun thefts during the National Championship, and we responded by implementing a number of procedures to eliminate as much risk as possible. We have 24-hour security on the grounds during events, and we have improved our gate security. For the past several years, we have also made 24-hour gun storage available at a very modest fee throughout all events so that shooters never have to leave their firearms in vehicles or hotel rooms.

While we can’t guarantee the security of your firearm if it is left in a vehicle on or off the NSC property, we will continue to improve our efforts to keep you and your property as safe as possible. We also offer some suggestions for securing your firearms and equipment while at the National Shooting Complex, at other gun clubs, or at any off-site amenities:

Use our gun storage facility. At a cost of only $5 per day during events, it is inexpensive security for your firearms. While they are there, we accept full responsibility for your guns.

Be vigilant. Know who is around you and who is able to see what is in your vehicle. Remember that rental cars, out-of-state license plates, bumper stickers and decals, and the items you leave visible in your vehicle can identify you as a tourist or traveling shooter, so exercise additional caution.

As soon as you leave the NSC, remove the brightly-colored mirror hangtag indicating you are authorized to be on the property during events. Place it out of view.

Consider how you and your vehicle look to thieves. Remember that criminals don’t have to mark your car at the gun range to identify you later as transporting a gun if you give the impression you’ve just left the range. Can other shooters identify you as a shooter when they see you at a hotel or restaurant? So can criminals. Having gun-related stickers on your vehicle, walking across a hotel parking lot with a gun case, or wearing your shooting gear into a restaurant makes your vehicle a target. What does a casual look through your vehicle window reveal? Make sure all shooting-related items are out of sight, even if they aren’t themselves valuable.

Insure your firearms. While insurance won’t keep them from getting stolen, you’ll be a lot less unhappy about losing your guns if they are adequately insured. NSSA-NSCA offers its members discounted gun insurance through SIAI.

Visit: www.nssa-nsca.org

EPIC Outdoor Game Fair

Tucson, Arizona --(Ammoland.com)- The Entertainment Stage at the EPIC Outdoor Game Fair will feature well-known country music stars Aaron Tippin and Crossin Dixon.

The two acts will anchor the beginning and end of the three-day festival. In addition, the entertainment at the Main Stage will feature concerts by the Mike Brookshire Band, the Moonshine Mafia as well as other local bands.

All performances are included with the price of admission tickets that are available online at www.epicgamefair.org. Hosted by Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) and Quail Unlimited (QU), the EPIC Outdoor Game Fair is September 23-25, 2011 at Foxhall Resort and Sporting Club just outside of Atlanta, Georgia.

“Adding such top entertainment to the EPIC Outdoor Game Fair is just the icing on the cake for what will be a crowd-pleasing event,” said Joe Hosmer, President of SCIF. “The Entertainment Stage is meant as a focal point where attendees can gather and watch fun and exciting shows – all for the regular price of admission! They’re just one more reason this is a can’t-miss event.”

Aaron Tippin, a singer known for his songs about hard work and patriotism, will be performing the closing act of the EPIC Outdoor Game Fair from 6 to 7:15 pm on Sunday, September 25. Tippin rocked the country music world in 1990 with his song “You’ve Got To Stand For Something” and continued releasing hits such as “Working Man’s Ph.D.” and “That’s As Close As I’ll Get To Loving You.” After the tragic events of 9/11/01, Tippin wrote the emotional anthem “Where The Stars And Stripes And The Eagle Fly.” Besides being a singer-songwriter, pilot, farmer, winemaker and competitive bodybuilder – Tippin is an avid outdoorsman. He recently joined former Arkansas governor, Mike Huckabee, on a turkey hunt in Texas.

Rising country music stars, Crossin Dixon, will play the opening night of the EPIC Outdoor Game Fair from 6 to 7:15 pm on September 23. Comprised of equal parts Southern rock and contemporary country, Crossin Dixon rose to Nashville’s attention in the mid-2000s on the strength of their live act. The band is made up of four Mississippi natives – vocalist Jason Miller, drummer Michael Bole, and guitarists/vocalists Brandon Hyde and Charlie Grantham. Crossin Dixon songs include “Guitar Slinger,” “Make You Mine,” “I Love My Old Bird Dog (& I Love You)” and “Goodbye to Henry.”

Atlanta’s hometown artist, Mike Brookshire, will be performing from 2:30 to 3:40 pm on Friday, September 23. Born in Atlanta, Mike learned to play on an old flat-top put together by his father from pieces salvaged from several old guitars. In 2007, Mike was inducted into the “Hall of Fame” by the Atlanta Country Music Hall Of Fame, the “Visionary Award” by the Georgia Music Industry Music Association, and awarded “Song Writer of The Year” by The Atlanta Society of Entertainers. He currently tours and plays solo dates around the south with his band, and has a great album out, “A Lot Of Explainin’ To Do.” Between gigs and sessions, he also finds time to play at some of the industry’s biggest events and galas, such as his yearly appearance on stage with such artists as Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Montgomery Gentry, Brooks and Dunn, Reba McEntire and many more at the Academy of Country Music Awards.

Moonshine Mafia, a 4-piece band based out of Payson, Arizona will appear on the Entertainment Stage on Saturday and Sunday. They perform anything from classic country to current country as well as favorite classic rock songs from The Eagles and Pink Floyd.

In addition to the concerts on the Entertainment Stage, stars of the outdoor world, Scott Linden and Haley and G.O. Heath will also be featured during the weekend. Linden, the star of Wingshooting USA is bringing his “Bird Hunting Boot Camp” seminar to the stage. Full of fun, audience interaction, prizes and pop quizzes, Scott uses props for a dynamic, information-packed seminar that usually plays to standing-room-only crowds and garners rave reviews. Family Traditions with Haley Heath is a popular program on the Sportsman Channel that epitomizes today’s generation of hunters and shows first-hand how family traditions can be passed down in powerful ways. Haley, a 5th-generation hunter, “Ultimate Outdoorsman Finalist” and the first woman to receive The Sportsman Channel’s “Viewer-Favorite” award, hosts the show. Haley and her husband, G.O. will be signing autographs at the Entertainment Stage.

The entertainment on the Main Stage at the EPIC Outdoor Game Fair will provide much-needed rest times from the action-packed activities that will be going on throughout the event. From archery to shotgun shooting to dog training to fishing and equestrian sports, the three-day event will have it all and will be a top destination this fall for families in the southeast.

There are many places online with up-to-the minute information about all of the exciting entertainment, events and seminars that are being planned for the EPIC Outdoor Game Fair. Besides the EPIC Outdoor Game Fair website (www.epicgamefair.org), you can also get regular updates at the event blog, EPICGameFairBlog.org and follow us on Facebook, Facebook.com/EPICOutdoorGameFair and Twitter, Twitter.com/EPICGameFair

Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that funds and manages worldwide programs dedicated to wildlife conservation, outdoor education, and humanitarian services. Since 2000, SCIF has provided $47 million to these causes around the world. Visit www.safariclubfoundation.org for more information.

Quail Unlimited® is the oldest national, nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to the management of America’s wild quail. Known as “America’s Leader In Quail Conservation SM,” our overall vision is to restore America’s quail populations for future generations. Our core values include the wise stewardship of our land and its resources, and the continuation of our proud heritage of conservation, therefore, leaving a legacy and firm foundation for our youth and families to build upon.

National Sporting Clays Association

San Antonio, TX --(Ammoland.com)- Exposing new generations to the shooting sports and an active outdoor lifestyle is one of the greatest obstacles to the growth of our sports, and the National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) has joined with some of the most dedicated advocates in the outdoors to address that challenge.

The NSCA will be a sponsor of the EPIC Outdoor Game Fair, a three-day outdoor event focused on Education, Participation, Instruction, and Competition for the entire family, planned for September 23-25 near Atlanta, Georgia.

EPIC Outdoor Game Fair Logo Created and hosted by Safari Club International Foundation and Quail Unlimited, the EPIC Outdoor Game Fair will feature activity villages in a host of categories, including shooting, archery, fishing, canines, ATVs, birds of prey, equestrian, and boating. Activities will be geared to both children and adults, beginners and experienced. Guests can also enjoy live music, exhibits, seminars, and a variety of performers.

Foxhall Resort & Sporting Club near Atlanta will be the venue for the event, debuting its new Marty Fischer-designed, 15-station sporting clays course. During the Game Fair, shooters may experience the wobble trap, 5-stand, or full sporting clays course. New shooters can get an introduction to shotgunning from a professional instructor. Wobble trap shooting is sponsored by Beretta and, as with most activities, is included in the daily Game Fair pass. NSCA members shooting the 100-target course may choose to have their targets registered as monthly targets.

EPIC Outdoor Game Fair

In addition to opportunities to shoot, guests can enjoy exhibitions by some of the most exciting shotgunners in the world. Xtreme Sport Shooter Patrick Flanigan will bring his energetic and entertaining show to the Shooting Village, as will Benelli shooter Scott Matthews. Olympic gold medalist and international shotgunning superstar Vincent Hancock will also be on hand for exhibition shooting and autographs.

As a sponsor, NSCA is providing Certified Instructors for new shooters, as well as exhibiting and providing expertise for the Shooting Village. “The National Sporting Clays Association is very excited to be a part of the 2011 EPIC Outdoor Game Fair,” said Robert Crow, NSCA Director. “This event is a perfect opportunity for the NSCA to introduce new shooters, long-time hunters, and other outdoorsmen to the exciting game of sporting clays. Thousands of people who enjoy the outdoors but have never shot sporting clays will be at the Game Fair. We want to show them how much fun the game is, and our highly-qualified instructors can give them just the kind of introduction to sporting clays that will make them want to shoot again.”

Safari Club International Foundation president Joe Hosmer welcomed NSCA as a sponsor, noting that National Hunting and Fishing Day occurs during the Game Fair. “What better time to be introduced to shooting than on Hunting and Fishing Day, and what better way to be introduced to shotgunning than through the experts of NSCA!” commented Hosmer. “Many of us who aren’t competitive shooters but hunt and travel with shotguns in pursuit of upland game and waterfowl already have a kinship with NSCA shooters. And,” Hosmer added, “the NSCA mission, which includes ‘to create an atmosphere of healthy competition and meaningful fellowship,’ is spot-on for this EPIC Game Fair.”

Among the other sponsors of the Game Fair are Orvis, Eukanuba, Winchester, Beretta, Crosman, General Motors, Rigby, Mossy Oak, Shooting Sportsman magazine, Laser Shot, Kevin’s Catalog, Earthquest, Gilchrist Club, and Safari Club International.

Full information on each of the activity villages, exhibitions, seminars, entertainment, sponsors, and more can be found at EPICGameFair.org or on the Game Fair’s Facebook page, Facebook.com/EPICOutdoorGameFair. Discounted advance-purchase tickets are also available on the site.

About:
The National Sporting Clays Association is the official governing and sanctioning body of Sporting Clays in the United States. Headquartered at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, it is the world’s largest Sporting Clays organization, with members in all 50 states and 10 foreign countries. To locate NSCA member clubs in your area or for more information on the National Sporting Clays Association, visit our website at www.nssa-nsca.org

Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that funds and manages worldwide programs dedicated to wildlife conservation, outdoor education, and humanitarian services. Since 2000, SCIF has provided $47 million to these causes around the world. Visit www.safariclubfoundation.org for more information.

Quail Unlimited is the oldest national, nonprofit conservation organization dedicated to the management of America’s wild quail. Known as “America’s Leader In Quail Conservation,” its overall vision is to restore America’s quail populations for future generations through wise stewardship of the land and its resources. See www.qu.org to learn more.

National Skeet Shooting Association

Warsaw, IN - -(TheOutdoorWire.com)- Don Snyder, executive director of the National Skeet Shooting Association and National Sporting Clays Association, has announced his intention to retire during the 2010 shooting year.

“Don has unselfishly worked to improve our homegrounds at the National Shooting Complex, as well as the operation and efficiency of the association staff. His loyalty to the organization and the shooting fraternity has been unquestioned, outstanding and continuous for many years,” NSSA said in a news release.

A committee has been formed to interview potential applicants.

Resumes and inquiries will be accepted before Aug. 31, addressed to NSSA-NSCA Search Committee, P.O. Box 924, Warsaw, IN 46581-0924.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

The Executive Director (ED) is responsible for the entire operation of the National Skeet Shooting Association, National Sporting Clays Associations, National Shooting Complex and its associated infrastructure including:

• Full time, part time and contracted personnel; finance/budgeting/reporting, deposits and withdraws of association funds, personnel pay, raises and incentive bonuses, benefits and human relations; grounds and infrastructure maintenance, equipment and equipment maintenance; NSSA and NSCA Programs, two association periodicals, Records Annual, e-newsletter, 3-organizational web-sites, the NSSA/NSCA Hall of Fame and Museum, marketing, public relations and sponsorships, association records, IT systems, support and service to the membership both club and individual.

• Prepare for and host minimum of 3 meetings annually with NSSA Executive Committee and one meeting of the NSSA Directors; two meetings with NSCA Executive Council and Advisory council and one annual meeting of NSCA Delegates reporting on the status of the associations.

• Work closely with and provide support to these Committees and others appointed by the President and Chairman respectively;

• Manage all logistics, equipment, supplies, registration, reporting, awards and saleable merchandise.

• Certify membership rolls of the NSSA/NSCA, announce elections and gather candidates for election as Directors, Executive Committeeman, Officers, Delegates, and Advisory Council. Prepare ballots, conduct the election and announce the winners.

• Ensure publication of Class Cards, Rule Books for both associations and enforce the Rules of both associations.

• Manage leased-permanent vendor facilities, temporary vendor spaces and leased RV spaces.

• Host the annual World Skeet Championships, National Sporting Clays Championships both with Hall of Fame Banquets and the Krieghoff Masters Championship insuring programs are prepared, posted and mailed for each.

• Manage the National Shooting Complex to insure promotion of the Shotgun Shooting Spots and generation of additional revenue for the associations through other registered and non-registered shooting events, corporate shooting and non- shooting outings, fund raising shooting and non-shooting events and training/coaching events;

• Manage community stewardship program and Environmental Stewardship Plan;

• Conduct monthly meetings of the entire staff and a weekly meeting of the management team, and other meetings as necessary for participatory communication, problem-solving and information. The management staff is as follows:

About The National Skeet Shooting Association:
Founded in 1928 and headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, the National Skeet Shooting Association is the official governing and sanctioning organization for the sport of skeet shooting. It is a not-for-profit organization owned and operated by its almost 17,000 members. For more information on the sport or the organization, visit www.mynssa.com.

About The National Sporting Clays Association:
Founded in 1989 by the National Skeet Shooting Association in San Antonio, Texas, the National Sporting Clays Association is the official governing and sanctioning organization for sporting clays in the U.S. It has more than 20,000 members and is a not-for-profit organization owned and operated by its members. For more information, visit www.mynsca.com.

San Antonio, TX - -(AmmoLand.com)- The joint organization of the National Skeet Shooting Association and National Sporting Clays Association (NSSA/NSCA) announce new online forums for members with the goal of sharing accurate and unbiased information about their sports while stimulating camaraderie worldwide.

The new NSSA/NSCA forums arose from an agreement between the NSSA/NSCA and Shotgun Life, the first online magazine dedicated to the best in wing and clays shooting. Under the arrangement, Shotgun Life has donated the software, hardware, and technical support to resume the organizations’ forums, which have been dormant for over two years, as part of the online magazine’s 10 shotgun forums.

The forums are available by visiting www.shotgunlife.com and clicking on the Forum tab at the top of the page. NSSA and NSCA will distribute specific instructions to their members for registering and logging on to the forums.

“With the next generation of shooters becoming much more active in skeet and sporting clays tournaments, it was time to once again bring a meaningful exchange of information to our members around the world,” said Don Snyder, Executive Director of the NSSA/NSCA. “Shotgun Life came to us with a generous proposal that helped us accelerate our goals of using the internet to help unite our members in an online global community.”

“It’s an honor to be underwriting the NSSA/NSCA forums,” said Irwin Greenstein, Publisher of Shotgun Life. “As a free, online magazine, our intent is to break down the barriers of entry to participating in the shotgun sports. Our support of the NSSA/NSCA forums is in complete alignment with the goals of these two tremendous organizations that have enriched the lives of so many shotgun owners.”

About The National Skeet Shooting Association:
Founded in 1928 and headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, the National Skeet Shooting Association is the official governing and sanctioning organization for the sport of skeet shooting. It is a not-for-profit organization owned and operated by its almost 17,000 members. For more information on the sport or the organization, visit www.mynssa.com.

About The National Sporting Clays Association:
Founded in 1989 by the National Skeet Shooting Association in San Antonio, Texas, the National Sporting Clays Association is the official governing and sanctioning organization for sporting clays in the U.S. It has more than 20,000 members and is a not-for-profit organization owned and operated by its members. For more information, visit www.mynsca.com.

About Shotgun Life:
Launched in January 2009, Shotgun Life is the first online magazine dedicated to the best in wing and clays shooting. In addition to covering all the major clays sports and waterfowl and upland shooting, Shotgun Life showcases the finest shotguns in the world, women shooters, and extensive background information about the equipment and sports to help encourage new shooters to participate. You can access Shotgun Life free of charge at www.shotgunlife.com.