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April
Fools Day Shoot – Where
modern
times meet with
history
(Originally
published in the Merritt Herald, April 2009)
©
By
Othmar Vohringer
 Over
the Easter weekend the Nicola Valley Charcoal
Burners held their 15th
annual April
Fool’s Shoot at the Nicola
Valley Fish & Game Club (NVFGC) range. In the 15 years of its
existence
this event has become one of the major gatherings for traditional
muzzleloader
and traditional archery enthusiasts from all over British Columbia. The
April
Fool’s Shoot celebrates an important part of the founding
history of Canada
when brave men and women ventured west in the pursuit of new territory,
adventure and trade opportunities.
A
big part of this event is to dress in traditional
clothing and reenact the lifestyle of the settlers coming to this part
of
Canada in the mid1600’s to early 1800’s.
Right
at the entrance to the event the “settlers”
built a large canvas ridgepole tent camp, as the first settlers would
have had.
An 18-foot high teepee as a visual landmark was set up at the entrance.
The
tent village was abuzz with activity of people setting up one of the
many
“trading posts” that offered their goods and wares.
Other “mountain men” and
“colonials” arriving were greeted warmly like long
lost friends or relatives and
quickly started to exchange news and gossip from other parts of the
country. I
couldn’t help but think that this was how it must have
happened in the “good
old days” when settlers first arrived in this country. There
was a good vibe
and excitement all around in anticipation of trading, celebrating and
the
friendly muzzleloader shooting completion that would ensue over the
next three
days.
As
an interesting side note, I got a few history
lessons at the event. I learned that the mountain men and trappers of
the time
made their own clothing. Typically the footwear consisted of moccasins
as worn
by the Indigenous people, the leggings were made of buckskin and the
coats,
called “Capots” or “Capotes”
were tailored from Hudson Bay Company blankets.
Not only the clothing but most of what was needed for daily life such
as tools,
ridge pole tents, saddles and harnesses among an array of other items
were
handcrafted in those days and the re-enactors still do this today and
proudly
display their crafts at the event.
At
one of British Columbia’s longest muzzleloader
shooting trails over 200 men, women and youth pitted their shooting
skills
against each other with original and replica flintlock muzzleloader
rifles and
pistols. If that alone was not enough fun there was also a knife and
tomahawk
throwing and archery target trail. One of the highlights of the April
Fool’s
Shoot was the shooting demonstration of two replica Howitzer cannons as
used in
the protection and defense in many fortresses and frontier posts that
were
established in British Columbia during the colonial expansion.
Jim
George, the organizer of the event for the
Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club, told me, “When we
started 15 years ago it
was a one day event with about ten people attending. Today this is one
of the
largest muzzleloader shooting events in this province with over 250
people
attending.” I
thought it was kind of
fitting having such an event here in a district that is partly named
after
David Thomson, one of the great explores of British Columbia that lived
during
the time reenacted by the Nicola Valley Charcoal Burners.
During
our conversation Jim also told me that the
Nicola Valley Charcoal Burners meet every first Sunday of the months at
the
NVFGC range for a friendly traditional muzzleloader shooting contest.
“We
welcome new members interested in the muzzleloader shooting
sport.” Jim said,
and from all the fun and friendship I have witnessed over the weekend I
would
encourage muzzleloader enthusiasts to join the Nicola Valley Charcoal
Burners.
For more information about the club or any of the many events and
wildlife
conservation programs of the Nicola Valley Fish & Game Club,
visit their
website at www.nvfishandgameclub.ca
-----------------------------------------
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