MONTAGUE — Sunday’s “turkey shoot” was a true community event, drawing the town’s young and old, cooks and cops and even turkey and dog residents to a forest opening off of Turners Falls Road.
The last turkey shoot of the season for Millers Falls Rod & Gun Club saw contestants line up and each take their best shot at a small target. Whoever’s shot is nearest the bull’s-eye wins a turkey.
But the last turkey shoot of the year was more than an exercise in marksmanship. It’s become a seasonal, community celebration on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, when the club holds raffles, shares breakfast and makes a donation to the Montague Police Department’s K9 Division.
“For many years now, we try and keep things local, about the community,” said club member Paul Hardy, the club’s bar manager.
“It’s all a good, community-building event,” he added, the background popping sound firearms breaking apart his sentences. “We have the wheelbarrow raffle too, a big wheelbarrow of food and it’s a Thanksgiving dinner.”
Hardy explained that, on the advice of a club member who is a former police officer, the bar staff decided to begin making an annual turkey shoot donation to the local police department’s K9 dogs.
Several police departments utilize the club, including the Greenfield Police Department, Montague Police Department, Erving Police Department and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for its rifle and pistol ranges, Hardy said.
“Our bartenders work all year and they don’t take tips,” Hardy said, explaining that the money that would be tips instead goes to local school programs as well as the police. “The tips all went into a jug and it evolved from there.”
And, according to Montague Police Office Jim Ruddock, the annual turkey shoot and donation has an immense impact on the K9 program.
“This is something we look forward to every year,” said Ruddock, who added the the K9 program is funded primarily through donations. “We’re very appreciative of that.”
Since 2003, the department has counted on an annual donation from the Millers Falls Rod & Gun Club, given in a ceremonial fashion at the final turkey shoot of the season. It’s always been $500 from the club, but this year, the club members decided to up the donation to $750.
Ruddock is the owner and handler of his five-year-old K9 partner Arthur, better known as “Artie,” who has taken part in local police operations like tracking suspects and sniffing for drugs over the last four years.
“This (donation) keeps him healthy, keeps him happy and keeps toys in his mouth,” Ruddock said.
Reach David McLellan at dmclellan@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 268.