Northland Adaptive Recreation’s Shoot for Fun event is a staple of fall, with over 25 years of the event.

The Shoot for Fun fundraising event at Old Vermillion Trail is how you know fall is knocking on the door.

Shooters from all over the country and even all over the world flock to the event to not only hit some clay targets, but to network in the shooting community.

“It’s a fun time,” said Caden Peterson, a member of Hermantown trap shooting. “You get to be outside for a couple hours, hang out with your buddies, hang out with your friends. I think it’s a win-win. It’s a great way to meet people too. I’ve met lots of new friends, lots of people. It’s a great networking environment.”

“We hear it more often than not, but people are thrilled. They were surprised at how beautiful the place was and they want to come back year in and year out,” said Eric Larson, the general manager at Northland Adaptive Recreation.

The event has run since 1998, and hosts people of all abilities and all ages, while sometimes the kids walk away the big winners.

“Even just for shooting, we’ve had teams with, you know, 10 year olds and 12 year old shooting. They do the flurry and those kids knock it out of the park most of the time. They’re better than some of the adults,” shared Kristina Kangas-Wolfe, a volunteer at the event.

While the events course has stayed consistent through time, the challenge is what brings people back.

“If you’re coming through and doing all the shooting, it’s just a lot of fun,” said Kangas-Wolfe. “You get to practice and try different things and challenge yourself. It’s a lot of challenging.”

“It’s a mind game,” said Peterson. “It’s very calming and relaxing, but also at times it can be a little nerve-wracking. It takes time to get good at it. Go slow. It’s a mind game. So don’t get in your head. It’s okay to miss. It’s okay to hit. I miss a lot, but it’s okay and you always have the next bird.”