By Sharon Space-Bamberger
BETHEL — The grin on the face of Eric Lindahl III as he accepted his Junior Daniel Boone Champion 2011 trophy was priceless.
His proud father, Eric Lindahl Jr., said, “We practice a lot. He can shoot a hole through the mouth spout of a soda can.”
That would be an impressive feat for any shooter, but a 9-year-old with a B.B. gun?
Eric Lindahl III, his dad and his grandfather, Eric Lindahl Sr., had fun at the Sullivan County Conservation Club’s 28th Annual Daniel Boone Day held on Sunday, Sept. 18. The Lindahl family emphasizes sportsmanship and the eldest Eric Lindahl counseled his grandson, “Winning isn’t important, just do your best.”
Eric Lindahl Jr. demonstrated this ideal when he tied at 30-30 with another pistol shooter who wanted a rematch. Lindahl Jr. agreed, even though the man was using a laser sight on his pistol.
The score for the shootout was 30-29 in favor of Eric Lindahl Jr.
“The laser gives an advantage,” Eric Lindahl Jr. said. “It zeroes right in on the target, but you still need a steady hand.”
Another shooter won the Overall Pistol trophy, but Eric Lindahl Jr. is a true sportsman.
The Daniel Boone Day attracted many parents with their kids. These included BB gun shooter 8-year-old Brianna Dickman and her father Bob of Circleville, 9-year-old Dominic Dilullo of New Jersey and Terry Davis Sr. with his son Terry Davis Jr. and a pack of younger participants. Their parents and club range officers supervised the younger shooters.
Eighteen-year-old Junior Member Aleta Vineis participated in the .22 Silhouette Shoot and helped in the kitchen.
Aleta is a Sullivan County Community College student who won a scholarship from the Sullivan County Conservation Club.
Conservation Club members and their kids worked for months to help finance the Daniel Boone Day.
The group sold raffles on a Winchester 70, a .270 with a Nikon Scope, a Mossberg 12-gauge over and under Shotgun and a Mossberg Tactical AR-style .22 at local gun shows and at Gander Mountain.
They spent hours grooming the club’s grounds for the Daniel Boone Day and plucking litter on Cooper’s Corners Road.
Junior Members Ryan Mendels, Rose Fontana and Dan Van Etten received Certificates of Appreciation for their volunteer work.
Also receiving Certificates for their participation in the litter pluck were Angelina Fontana, Gabriella Fontana and Dominic Fontana Jr.
In addition to the Daniel Boone Day, the Sullivan County Conservation Club sponsors the King of the Ice Fishing Contest, fish and game restocking programs, hunter safety classes for both guns and archery, scholarship programs, a youth archery camp and a youth shooting sports program.
The not-for-profit, members only club is dedicated to conservation and no hunting or fishing is allowed on the club’s acreage.
The winners of Daniel Boone shooting event trophies were: Archery: Bob Hillson, High Powered Rifle: Charles McDermott, BB Gun: Eric Lindahl III, .22 Rifle: Chris Santoro, Pistol: Doug Rzucidlo, Running Deer: Bob Hillson, .22 Silhouette: Brian Jacobs and Trap: James Knapp.
Winners of the club’s 50-50 and gun raffles were notified of their prizes.
Terry Davis Jr. won the Daniel Boone Championship for the third year in a row. He obligingly donned a borrowed coonskin cap for photos with Jr. Daniel Boone Champion Eric Lindahl III and Second Place Youth Champion Chris Santoro.