10/06/2009
Illinois Man Wins Shooting World Championship
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Clark Bush of Carbondale, Ill., took aim and fired his shotgun in the final round of the National Wild Turkey Federation's 2009 Wild Turkey World Still Target Championships . Once the targets were scored, Bush emerged the world champion in the hunter division.
 Clark Bush, of Carbondale, Ill., won the hunter division at the NWTF's 2009 World Wild Turkey Still Target Championships. |
"The qualifying rounds last for a day and a half, so the length of the competition makes it tough," said Bush. "I am really happy to win the Hunter Division because anyone can go into a store and purchase the same set-up I used to win. The gun I used is actually borrowed from my son."
Bush's decision to borrow his son's 12-gauge Browning BPS and combine it with a Tru-Glo choke paid off as he earned his first world title in his ninth trip to the championships. "It's a world of fun to travel down here and meet people from different parts of the country. My wife and I do it together; she's the women's champion from 2007," added Bush.
Still-target shooting simulates turkey hunters shooting a wild turkey gobbler at 40 yards. Winners are determined by the number of pellets a shooter is able to put in a 3-inch circle on a paper target. Bush's winning score in the finals was 29.
Competing in the hunter division requires participants to use factory shotguns and accessories. No modifications or customizations are allowed. All participants are required to wear eye and ear protection and be NWTF members.
Originally known as a "turkey shoot," the NWTF's Still Target Championships were conceived 17 years ago as a conservation effort to help turkey hunters better understand point of aim and point of impact of their turkey guns.
"The ultimate goal of the competition is to reduce crippling loss and misses in the field, but it's also a great way for equipment manufacturers to improve their turkey hunting products," said Rhett Simmons, NWTF director of special events.
Founded in 1973, the NWTF is dedicated to the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of the hunting tradition. The NWTF has a membership of more than 350,000 people in the Unites States, Canada and Mexico.
Together, the NWTF's partners, sponsors and grassroots members have raised and spent more than $286 million upholding hunting traditions and conserving nearly 14 million acres of wildlife habitat.
