Hunters of Color Leadership & Ambassador training
We recently participated in Hunters of Color’s Leadership/Ambassador training and hunt in Red Bluff, California. Hunters of Color is the only nationwide hunting nonprofit led by BIPOC, for BIPOC. They are working on increasing BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) participation in hunting for the sake of conservation, food sovereignty, and to preserve their ancestral traditions.
When Jimmy Flatt, HOC’s Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer, reached out to SLF to see about hosting a shooting demonstration during their 2023 Leadership/Ambassador training weekend, we jumped at the chance!
During this training, SLF was able to provide a shooting demonstration to HOC leadership and ambassadors. There were 22 participants from all over the US. For many of the HOC ambassadors, this topic was something new and exciting to them.
Sol, SLF WY Outreach Coordinator, took to the bench to shoot into our water cradle and then into ballistics gels. Participants gathered around as Hannah, SLF Program Director, explained bullet fragmentation, penetration, weight retention, and the conservation benefits of switching to lead-free ammunition.
Several HOC leaders and ambassadors are also hunter education instructors and we’re looking forward to helping them teach the next generation of hunters about choosing lead-free ammunition in the field.
Additionally, during the training weekend, participants had the opportunity to hunt for pheasants and wild boar. This event took place in California where lead-free ammunition is required for hunting. With the support of our conservation partner, Boss Shotshells, we were able to provide HOC participants with shotgun ammunition for the pheasant hunting portion of the weekend. You can read more about Boss’s support here.
We’re so thankful to Hunters of Color for allowing us the opportunity to continue building awareness on this topic. Please be sure to visit their website and consider supporting HOC by becoming a mentor or donating to their mission.