FORSYTH, Ga. — More than 1,000 sporting clays enthusiasts will pour into Forsyth, Ga., Aug. 14 to Aug. 17, for the National Wild Turkey Federation's Turkey Shoot sporting clays tournament.
Over 600 of them will shoot in the event, held at the Meadows National Gun Club. Many will stop in the local Bass Pro Shops in Macon to purchase their ammunition, and will stay at local hotels throughout the four-day shoot, pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into the local economy.
The NWTF's Turkey Shoot is one of the largest sporting clays events in the country, and is designed to accommodate men, women and youth of all skill levels. Sporting clays is a form of clay pigeon shooting in which clay targets are thrown to simulate hunting scenarios. Some enthusiasts have referred to the challenging sport as "golf with a shotgun."
"Last year, more than 600 shooters and their families traveled from across the country, Canada and Puerto Rico for the Turkey Shoot, which is a pretty good boost to the local economy," said Rhett Simmons, NWTF's director of special events. "Tourism officials estimated visitors spent over $500,000 in three days, a figure that includes money for food, lodging, gas and merchandise."
For example, the cost of hotel rooms with the special NWTF Turkey Shoot rate are $79 nightly and hotel officials expect to fill 175 rooms for four consecutive nights in the "official" hotels of the shoot, the Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express in Forsyth.
"Filling the main two Turkey Shoot hotels will generate nearly $60,000 -- not to mention all of the other area hotels that catch the overflow after these are filled," said Simmons. "That doesn't take into account the dollars visitors will spend on food for breakfast, lunch and dinner."
But shooters also have to feed their shotguns in order to participate. A 25-count box of Winchester Super Target shotgun shells costs $6.99 plus tax at the local Bass Pro Shops and shooters will shoot at 200 targets during the main event. At minimum, a participant in the main event will shoot eight boxes of ammunition, spending over $56 in ammunition. All shooters combined will shoot $34,000-worth of ammunition in the main event alone.
"That doesn't take into consideration the approximately 800 entries we'll have shooting in the preliminary 12-gauge and the sub-gauge competitions (20 gauge, 28 gauge and .410 bore)," said Simmons. "Turkey Shoot continues to grow in prestige and size, and with each passing year, we expect to make a greater impact on the community's economy.
Turkey Shoot participants will compete for $100,000 in cash and prizes. Shooting events include the 200-Target Sporting Clays Championship, the 100-target Browning preliminary division, the 50-bird Briley Squaded Sub-gauge competition and concurrent divisions including the Ladies Division and Juniors/Sub Juniors Divisions.
"We have a great group of men, women and youth that come out to shoot the courses each year," said Simmons. "It's a fun and safe weekend, and we've tried to make sure everyone has a chance to win some great prizes."
Proceeds from the Turkey Shoot will help benefit Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF, an outreach program that provides individuals with disabilities the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors through local NWTF chapter events nationwide, such as hunting, fishing, and shooting activities. |