Do you ever smell wood smoke coming from the Southeast corner of the Oakland County Sportsmen’s Club property on a cold Sunday morning?
If you follow the smoke, you will find the Clan of the Wolf participating in one of their Winter Fun Shoots. Each Sunday January-February (and sometimes March) starting at 10:00 am, the Muzzleloaders have a Fun Shoot back by the campground. Snow or shine, the fun shoot will be held. Over the campfire, you will find many Dutch ovens with a variety of delicious meals to warm up the shooters.
The Fun Shoot is open to the public. There is a $5 fee for members and a $10 fee for guests. Everyone is welcome to bring a dish to pass. Shooters are always hungry. Targets vary week to week, but there will be 10-13 steel targets plus a tiebreaker. The shoot is open to all traditional Muzzleloaders including cap lock, flintlock, and trade gun. Prizes are awarded at the end of each shoot. Period attire is encouraged but not required.
If you enjoyed attending a Fun Shoot, you will really enjoy a Rendezvous! We have two Rendezvous events per year during both the Spring and Fall. This year they will be May 19-21 and September 15-17. A Rendezvous is an event where we try to recreate the Rendezvous of the 1700-1800’s when fur traders would gather at a known location to trade the fur pelts they trapped all year for the necessities they would need to survive the coming year in the wilderness. Period accurate tents and equipment is required if setting up in the primitive campground. Any items that are modern are to be hidden out of sight. Period attire is not required but would be appreciated. Guests are welcome to visit and experience the gathering.
Trappers were a competitive lot, and this event will be no different. In addition to cap lock, flintlock and trade gun shooting, participants will compete in black powder pistol shooting, knife and tomahawk throwing, flint and steel fire starting, and primitive archery. Prizes are awarded for best scores in various events. Mark your calendars.
The Muzzleloader’s Club is always looking for new members. If you think you might be interested, stop by and we’ll get you shooting. You don’t need your own equipment to try this out, we will set you up with equipment and someone experienced. Once the smell of black powder gets you hooked, we’ll help you find the gear you need.
Hope to see you soon,
Kerry Bush
President Clan of the Wolf