By GRAHAM POWELL
Leader sportswriter
The brand new Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Shooting Sports Complex on Graham Road in Jacksonville opened its doors to more than 2,000 people Saturday and about 700 Sunday.
Participants wasted no time getting out to the shooting range and testing their skills.
The $3.2 million state-of-the-art complex is the largest of its kind in the state, and includes 14 trap fields, three skeet overlays, three lit fields, two pavilions, a lake and a 5,100-square-foot clubhouse that includes a classroom.
Some of the first participants who hit the shooting range when the doors opened at 10 a.m. were members of the Cabot High School trapshooting team. A little more than 20 of the group’s close to 70 participants were out honing their skills on the new course, and it wasn’t just the facility itself that had the participants excited. It’s also the prices.
“As far as team practices, it’s very beneficial because of the price,” said Cabot trapshooting coach Jerry Hill. “It’s going to cut our costs down by thirds. We can practice longer and they can shoot more, which gives them more practice for the team at the team price.”
The normal rate for a round of 25 targets is $4 for Jacksonville residents and $5 for everyone else, but for trapshooting teams associated with the Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program, or AYSSP, team prices are $2.50 per round.
Hill said his team members couldn’t wait to get out and test the new range.
“They were very excited,” Hill said. “As you can tell, we’ve got about 20 kids out here on three of these fields, and that’s about half of them.”
Some of Hill’s top shooters in the program are junior Logan Mahon and sophomores Ben Whiting and Chase Myers, and all three were out on the range as soon as the doors to the complex opened.
“I’ve been shooting since the sixth grade,” said Myers, “and the prices are a lot better. It’s an expensive sport and you don’t have to spend near as much money here. Normally we’d have to go to Remington and that’s a little bit of a drive for us. This is a lot closer.”
“I’ve been driving past it for the last couple of months,” said Whiting. “I didn’t think it was going to be done by today, but it got done a lot earlier than we thought. It’s less expensive here. This year, we just started (team practice). I’ve ran a couple of 25s (hitting 25 out of 25 targets), a bunch of 24s. I just hit two 24s and he (Myers) hit a 25.”
The biggest reason the construction of the complex got set in motion is because participation in the AYSSP has skyrocketed in the last few years. Currently, there are around 6,000 participants in the AYSSP. And those numbers, especially in the central part of the state, continue to grow.
“It’s been a great thing because it helps me keep my grades up and you have to keep your grades up to shoot,” said Mahon. “Look at all these friends I got. There are about 60 of them out here. It’s nice here because you get two different backgrounds, and it’s just nice to shoot somewhere else other than just Remington.
“It’s real open. They’ve got a big parking lot, which will be good for the Game and Fish shoots, and the clubhouse looks real nice. The facilities are really nice out here.”
Plans for the complex began about 18 months ago, and even though there were setbacks along the way, those involved with the construction of the project are pleased with the current facilities and are excited about the plans for expansion in the future.
“We’re tickled to death,” said Jacksonville Parks and Recreation director Kevin House of the complex’s completion. “Of course, construction fell behind, but that’s normal. We wish it would’ve been open sooner, but everything’s turned out great. I think it’s something we can all be proud of.”
“The weekend was excellent. Everything went great. Everything went smooth. It was better than I expected,” House said. “Not all of them were shooters. Many were just visiting and see what we had to offer.”
Other than the various tournaments the complex will host in the near future, additional projects for the complex include the addition of a 3-D archery range, rifle and pistol ranges, an RV parking area and possibly a cafeteria in years to come. A big part of what helped the complex break ground was the $2 million donated by the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation.
AYSSP state coordinator Chuck Woodson said a new, larger facility was needed in the central area to accompany the growing number of participants in the AYSSP.
“The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation really respects the youth and wants to help them in every aspect they can,” said Woodson.
“Once they got the plans going, they partnered with the city of Jacksonville and they supplied the money and Jacksonville supplied a lot of the funds itself. Nearly three-and-a-half million dollars and 18 months later we’ve got a brand new facility.
“This is going to be the benchmark for a lot of other states. It’s going to bring a bunch of revenue in for the city with hotels, gas, groceries and food vendors. And it gives us a place for the kids to come and shoot, but they come from all over – Fayetteville, El Dorado, Eudora and Fort Smith. So it gives them a great place to come and visit.
“It’s a whole different clientele to come in. Older folks can come here and shoot, too. So it’s just a win-win for everybody.”
Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher was on hand Saturday to witness the complex’s first day of business, and was just as excited as everyone involved to see the project’s plans become a reality.
“It’s a source of pride for the community,” said Fletcher. “Can you imagine in the summer when the grass is green and this place is full of people? Of course, today we’re competing with the Big Buck Classic and the last day of duck hunting season, and we still got a great crowd.
“I told somebody today when I drove up, I said ‘The two great sounds of Jacksonville to me right now are C-130s flying overhead and the sounds of shotguns going off on the range.’
“The thing though that stands out to me is how many parents and their children are here. This is a family sport. I’m very proud of this place. It took a lot of people that worked real hard to bring this about. It’s the largest in the state, and Kevin (House) is already getting phone calls from other states that want to have tournaments here.
“So that’s an impressive sign that people are planning trips to come to Jacksonville. This is going to be a hub of activity throughout the week for people around here. I’m excited about it, just seeing the kids come here and to see their faces. You just can’t describe that. I think a lot of hunters are fixing to be born in this facility right here.”
