Withdrawing from a Shoot

Last summer, I withdrew from one of my favorite shoots because of a HOT weather forecast. The T-Town shoot started on Friday, July 19. It’s not only a great event, it’s also at my home club, the Tulsa Gun Club — a great venue.

This is one of my favorite shoots, but after looking at the weather forecast, and on my wife’s urging, I withdrew from the shoot. The actual heat was forecast to be in the mid- to high-90s, with the “real feel” temperature projected to be 105 to 110 degrees, or possibly higher. After having experienced heat stroke a few years ago while shooting in Arkansas, I certainly didn’t want to go through that again.

Withdrawing is always an option, but it is a difficult thing for us die-hard skeet shooters to do. At the beginning of the year, I usually make up a list of shoots I want to attend and several others that I might be able to attend. I usually can make those unless there’s a family or weather problem that makes it impossible.

Most of the shoots I attend are full and have a waiting list. The people running the shoots have made plans for the number of people that have signed up. Those plans include, among other things, the number of referees needed, the amount of food required, and the amount of water they’ll need on the fields.

If you have to withdraw, try to give the people running the shoot as much time as you possibly can so that those on the waiting list can be contacted and the people running the shoot can make sure they have what is required to have a successful event.

Stay safe,
Barry Hartmann

Barry Hartmann is an NSSA Master Level and NRA Certified shotgun instructor who teaches American skeet and wingshooting. You can contact Barry at threeat8@aol.com or 918-803-2393.