Escanaba outdoor sports club hosts annual youth outdoors event

ESCANABA, Mich. (WLUC) – The Great Lakes Sports and Recreation Club hosted its annual National Hunting and Fishing Day Youth in the Outdoors on Saturday. The club invited kids to learn about outdoor sports and safety while having fun.

“Just taking that step, that chance ‘cause you may have somebody who has never held a .22, and they want to try it, but they’re a little hesitant,” club member Paulette Pepin said.

She says usually 300 kids come every year to learn about bows, shotguns and the outdoors. They also learned about safety- like using safety glasses and earplugs while shooting. Pepin says the outdoor sports are competing with TV, and the day is about getting outside and keeping traditions alive.

Like for siblings Heidi and Jeffrey Ebbesen who grew to love the outdoors and want to learn more. They’re from Gladstone and joined the fun for another year.

“Sometimes I would do stuff outside,” Jeffrey said. “Go and play whatever. Have fun with my brother, go in the woods, find trails, climb trees.”

Their grandpa taught them how to use a shot gun and bowhunting when they were younger.

“He loves to hunt and that, so he wants to keep the family tradition going on,” Heidi said. “So, then we can tell our kids when we have kids that your great grandpa started this.”

Pepin says the club wants to expose kids to what the U.P. has to offer.

“We’re very lucky where we live to have such a beautiful area with a lot of opportunities to hunt and fish,” Pepin said. “Kids sometimes don’t have the chance to go out and try those things.”

She says the club is a supportive place to try something new and test boundaries.

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