For youth shooting enthusiasts in Franklin County, the time to join the 4-H shooting program – the Freedom Hills 4-H Gun Club – is now.

Freedom Hills 4-H Gun Club, through the Alabama Cooperative Extension in Franklin County, has long been available to young shooting enthusiasts in Franklin County.

“Our shooting sports program in Franklin County is out at Wade Willingham’s Cedar Hill Trap Range, under his direction,” explained program coordinator Leslie Goins. Within 4-H, coordinators and volunteers are carefully trained and certified to carry out the programs; Willingham is one of those certified volunteers and is heavily involved in the local 4-H shooting program. “He’s a jewel. The way he can get through to kids is amazing,” Goins said. “He has helped us out tremendously.”

The club is open to ages 9-18 and meets once a month, with the next meeting set for Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Both boys and girls may participate in these trap shooting events at Cedar Hill Trap Range, and Goins said she expects the number of girls involved to continue to grow.

At the monthly shoots, about 50 students attend from across Franklin and Colbert counties. “Those are open to everybody, even if you’ve never shot,” Goins said. Out of those, the most dedicated students are formed into a competitive team for 4-H to compete against other such teams in April, Goins said. Team members get the opportunity to shoot trap, skeet and sporting clays.

Nov. 12, participants should bring their own shotgun shells, Remington 12 gauge 1145 FPS (Gun Club Target loads 2 ¾ length, 1 1/8 shot). Fee is $5.

The trap range is located at 4021 Highway 84 in Belgreen.

To pre-register or for more information call the Extension at 256-332-8880 or Goins at 256-275-5701.