Trinidad State College today announced an unusual tourism event which will join target shooting with geocaching. The event will combine several shooting sports with the scavenger-hunt fun of geocaching in and around beautiful and historic Trinidad.
Called “Targets and Treasures,” the event will feature target shooting using shotguns, air rifles, handguns, and muzzle loading rifles plus an archery event. In between the target shooting stops, contestants will be given coordinates to geocache locations. Those caches must be found before they can move on to the next shooting event. Winners will be selected based on the time it took to complete the entire nine-station course. It’s scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on May 23, 2015.
“We know of only one other event like this in the United States,” said Event Coordinator Dan Croghan. “It allows us to combine our love of shooting sports with the fast-growing leisure activity of geocaching.” Trinidad State is the home of America’s premier Gunsmithing School. Started in 1947, graduates are well known across the nation and around the world in the gunsmithing field. “We hope to attract visitors from all over the region and introduce them to our city,” said Croghan.
Contestants can expect a fun day of competition and sightseeing in and around historic Trinidad. The event will be limited to 40 two-person teams. The contest will start and end at Trinidad State’s Prator Gun Range, located six miles southeast of Trinidad, 42013 County Road 24.6. The archery stop will happen at a location yet to be determined. Air rifles will be provided at a stop at Trinidad State’s indoor air gun range located on the college campus at 600 Prospect Street. The entry fee of $75 per team includes ammunition and the use of firearms.
Depending on the event, targets will be placed from a few feet to 100 yards away. Some targets will be moving. Each team member must participate in all shooting events. All shooters must be at least 13 years old. Those 13 to 18 years of age must have a Hunter’s Safety Card or must complete a four-hour training to be held at Prator Gun Range the previous day from 1 to 5 p.m.
Trophies will be awarded based on the number of targets hit and completion time for the entire event. Each team can expect to travel more than 50 miles during the event.
The day will start with a briefing and safety reminders. Failure to safely handle firearms will result in disqualification of the entire team. Those with no shooting experience are strongly urged to attend a safety training class the previous day at a cost of $25.
A free geocaching event for non-shooters will happen in Trinidad the same day. Headquarters for the geocache-only event will be the college at 600 Prospect Street. Both events will happen regardless of weather conditions.
Targets and Treasures is sponsored by Trinidad State College, and made possible by a grant from the City of Trinidad’s Tourism Board. For more information go to targetsandtreasures.com.