There’s no denying that whitetail deer, wild turkey and other big game are the “glamour species” of the hunting world these days. They get all the press, all the attention, all the glory. But how many of us started much smaller, chasing small game in the woods and fields when we were kids? We thought we were just having fun shooting squirrels, often not even realizing the hunting skills — and life skills, for that matter — we were picking up along the way.
As we got older, a lot of us left small game behind and moved on to deer and turkey and other big game, applying the lessons we learned in the small-game fields and woods to bigger quarry. When’s the last time you took your gun for a walk in the woods and brought home a vest full of bushytails?
It’s been a while for me, too, but that’s about to change.
Gamo Outdoor USA is bringing back the fun of a good old fashioned squirrel hunt and shining a little bit of that glory on small game again. The Squirrel Master Classic is just days away, in Montgomery, Alabama. Started in 2014, the Squirrel Master Classic aims to take the “Best of the Best” in hunting across the nation and pit them against each other in a winner-takes-all competition.
The hunting competition/TV event takes hunters and hunting personalities from the top TV hunting shows and pairs them up with media types (that’d be me), Gamo executives and 4-H kids, along with a dog and a handler. Turn ’em loose in the woods and hold a Bassmasters-style weigh-in to determine the winners — can you think of a better way to spend the coldest Thursday of the year? Didn’t think so!
This year’s event pits Michael Waddell, Jackie Bushman, Keith Mark, Nick Mundt, Doug Koenig, Shawn Michaels, Travis T-Bone Turner and Kevin Meacham in a head-to-head competition for the coveted squirrel trophy and a year’s worth of bragging rights.
“We are excited to see the “sequel” of this amazing hunting competition. Last year we had incredible success, and this time around is going to get bigger and better in every possible way. Gamo is aiming to make this competition an annual competition for all the squirrel hunting and air gunners’ enthusiasts. The competition goal is to showcase the latest and greatest in Gamo technology, display the principles of hunting with air rifles, while having fun with all the Gamo Prostaff members. We expect the Squirrel Master Classic to become an event that everyone will wait for year after year.” said Jordi Riera, Director of Marketing of Gamo Outdoor USA.
You’ll be able to catch the action on the major outdoor television networks this summer, but in the meantime, stay tuned to Grand View Outdoors for full coverage and a review of the airguns we’ll be using. I don’t know yet which team I’ll be assigned to or which model of airgun we’ll be shooting, but I do know a cold day of squirrel hunting beats a warm day in the office!
