A legacy of sportsmen’s pride

[By JoAnn R. Walter]

A chapter of Tioga County, New York history shines a spotlight on the legacy of the Tioga County Sportsmen’s Association (TCSA).  The facility and grounds are located at 1141 Carmichael Rd. in Owego, N.Y.

Originally incorporated as the Owego Rod and Gun Club in 1907, it was renamed the Tioga County Sportsmen’s Association in 1925.

Now, more than one hundred years later, the organization honors its longstanding tradition of offering indoor and outdoor facilities and grounds for practice, training, and education.

Today, membership exceeds 800, which includes individuals, couples, and families. Within that membership, over 200 are life members of the association.

The association received its National Rifle Association certification in 1991.  It is a member of the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association, as well as an affiliate of the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

One prestigious trophy, the Harry W. Reeves Perpetual Trophy, dates back to the 1950’s.  The competition continues today, and the award honors the High Average Teams of the Interstate Pistol Association.

Visitors who stop in at the main clubhouse will see countless plaques hung on several walls, all highlighting shooting awards achieved by both teams and individual sportsmen through the years. 

Leo Muckey, who has been a member of the association for over 15 years, is a mentor, Range Officer (RO), and teaches classes such as Hunter Safety and Carrying a Concealed Weapon, among others. 

Muckey remarked, “We welcome everyone to be a part of the TCSA,” and explained that the organization welcomes prospective members to learn about everything that is offered.

Muckey added that with such a wide range of programs and activities at the TCSA, “There is something for everyone here.”

For shotgun, TCSA offers Trap, Skeet, and Five Stand venues.  For rifle, TCSA provides disciplines in Sporter Rifle, NRA High Power, and Silhouette, including small bore, small bore lever action, and pistol cartridge lever action.

For pistol, TSCA offers Bullseye Pistol, International Pistol, IDPA, Galactic Pistol Alliance, and Action Handgun.

For multi-gun, TCSA offers Cowboy Action and the Rimfire Steel Challenge. 

The TCSA’s outdoor facilities feature a 50-yard pistol range, a 100-yard Rimfire range, a 100 and 200 yard rifle range, a covered rifle and shotgun range with covered firing positions of 25, 50, 100 and 200 yard berms, pit areas for cowboy action and action pistol shooting competitions, and a Rimfire silhouette range with covered firing positions.

In addition, there are seven pistol pits, four trap fields, two skeet fields, a five-stand field, and an archery butt, along with a walking archery range across the road from the main entrance, and more.  

For its indoor facilities, the clubhouse offers a kitchen, meeting rooms, and a 50-foot, ten-position, heated pistol and .22 Rimfire range. Adjacent to the clubhouse is a large, enclosed pavilion.

A number of classes are held at the association, including the NYS Pistol Permit Course, NYS Hunter Education, and the NYS Bow Hunter Education.

NRA classes include Basic Pistol, Basic Rifle, Basic Shotgun, and a Gun Safety Seminar. In addition, orientations for NRA First Steps Pistol, First Steps Rifle, and First Steps Shotgun are offered.

Also, the NRA Women on Target Clinic, NRA Personal Protection in the Home, and the NRA Personal Protection Outside the Home are offered.

Even more classes include the NRA CCW (Carrying a Concealed Weapon), the NRA Defensive Pistol, the NRA Range Safety Officer, Shotguns for Home Defense 1 and 2, along with the NRA Refuse to Be a Victim Seminars.

NRA classes offered have minimum class sizes, so interested individuals should contact the TCSA by email at tcsainstructors@gmail.com to be placed on a list for the next available class.  

Some of the competitions at TCSA include the Bullseye Pistol, which is an accuracy shooting competition traditionally fired in three stages: slow, timed, and rapid fire. Another is the NYS Sporter Rifle, which is a postal target competition using .22 caliber rimfire rifles.

The TCSA offers free shooting opportunities for youth ages 12 to 17.  The Youth Shooting Program is made possible by the generosity of participants in the Dick Halstead Memorial Shoot and the Jim Taylor family.

So, whether you’re into clay target shooting, such as Trapshooting, a game of movement with plenty of action and split-second timing, or Skeet, which consists of 25 clay targets, with high house and low house stations, or Five Stand, which offers similar features as trap, skeet, and sporting clays, and tends to be more action-packed than Trapshooting, check out TCSA.

Or, perhaps you’d like to try Silhouette Shooting, a series of shooting disciplines that involves shooting at steel targets that represent animals at varying distances, such as turkeys, pigs or chickens, with a goal of knocking the metal target over.

Whatever your interest, to get involved in educational classes or to participate in various activities on-site, chances are the TCSA has something for you.

To learn more, visit their website, tiogasportsmen.com, or call (607) 687-3168.