‘Hunters’ Flock to Mock Turkey Shoot

With its paper targets and frozen birds, Sunday’s charity turkey shoot bore only faint resemblance to an old-time wild gobbler hunt.

But the modern version has advantages: no birds to chase, no muzzles to load, no feathers to pluck. Such was the sentiment as about 70 marksmen indulged their inner hunter-gatherer at the 33rd annual Turkey Shoot sponsored by American Legion Post 741 of Camarillo.

Set up at a makeshift shooting range near the former Camarillo State Hospital, children and adults, novices and experts, all took turns with their shotguns and rifles hitting paper targets. Admission cost $3 for adults, $1 for children. Those with the best scores won cash prizes of $5 or $10, or frozen turkeys.

Some “bagged” more than one turkey, others won them in drawings. Over the two-weekend event the legion handed out about 400 turkeys and expects to raise $4,000 to $6,000 for charities, said Ron Melton, chairman of the shoot.

The Camarillo event has become something of a tradition. Many entrants have participated since the beginning and now bring their children, to sit with friends, eat tri-tip and hamburgers (no turkey served at the canteen) and shoot a few targets.

“My dad’s been taking me to turkey shoots since I was 11,” said Alan George, 44, of Oak View, who won five turkeys and $50 on Saturday. “I’ve been winning turkeys for so long I don’t have much of an appetite for turkey anymore.”

George said he was hoping for more on Sunday, and planned to give all but one bird away.

Some of the marksmen in the shotgun competitions were so good that legionnaire Vern Savola, who tallied the scores, had to use a magnifying glass and calipers to determine who got closer to the bull’s-eye.

The Florida election officials checking those butterfly ballots have it a lot easier, he said.

Carl Butter, 65, who organized contestants at the rifle range, said the child participants--who use .22-caliber rifles--are the ones to watch, even heavily supervised, with their parents standing nearby, because many haven’t used a gun before.

“They want to point the gun where they’re talking,” he said.

Zackery Mier, 10, of Camarillo, won a 19-pound turkey in a drawing and hauled away the frozen bird--a third of his own body weight--with the help of his brother and father.

“Be sure to tell Mom not to get a turkey, we’ve already got one,” said his father, Scott.

Melton said that many of the winners give the turkeys back. The legion donates them to Food Share, the regional food bank of Ventura County.