Click, Click, Boom

by Joshua Brown, OAP Asst Director

 “Pull!” you command.  Your gun cracks with a loud BOOM, and you feel the recoil tremble through your body radiating from your shoulder.  As you eject the spent cartridge and load another, you shout another time, “pull!”  Once again the gun cracks and your shoulder takes the brunt of the recoil.  You are experiencing the thrill of shooting your first round of trap or skeet.  Trap and skeet are challenging shotgun sports, humbling even the best sharp shooter, that utilize flying targets commonly known as a clay pigeons.   Outdoor Recreation hosts a trap and skeet range here on base.  It is located right next to the FamCamp, just down the street from the Bowling Center.

Trap is a shooting sport where targets are thrown by a machine from one common area. Targets are launched one at a time in one of five random directions. The shooter then attempts to shoot the target before it hits the ground, one shot for each target. A round of trap is shot from five spaces, with five targets from each station totaling 25 targets in a single round.  Skeet, on the other hand, is a little more complicated as it involves shooting multiple shots from eight different stations.  In trap the targets come from a central location in different directions.  In skeet, targets are thrown from two different locations, but always travel the same path while you move to different stations, changing how you attempt to hit the target.

For beginners, trap is simpler and a little easier to hit your first few targets. Skeet, on the other hand, is a little more challenging until you learn and understand each station and leading the targets.  Overall, both trap and skeet are very challenging sports that offer great practice and fun for hunters and avid shooters alike.

The Mountain Home Air Force Base range has everything you need to enjoy this shooting sport including rental guns, ammunition, shooting vests, and instruction.  Costs are $5.00 for a round of targets (25 targets), $7.50 for a box of ammunition. 

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Mountain Home Veterinary Treatment Center

Keep Your Pet Guarded Against Ticks

The warm weather brings a variety of unwanted pests out of their hiding. While Ticks can be found year-round, increased activity is seen in the spring, summer, and fall seasons.  Ticks can pose a health risk to your cats and dogs, but prevention is simple and painless.

How easy is it for your pet to pick up a tick? Ticks climb up low-growing vegetation--like grass and weeds--where they wait with their forelegs stretched out for a host animal to pass by.  Walking your dog, even in well-kept grounds, is putting your pet at risk for a tick to latch on.  The tick then migrates the body to find a suitable place where it will attach and engorge on your pet. Most owners don’t catch ticks on their pet until the tick is fully engorged, which can take between 3 and 11 days. By this time the pet has been fully exposed to any disease the tick may be carrying, such as Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Ehrlichiosis. All these diseases can cause infections that require medical attention, and some can even cause severe illness.

The easiest way to prevent a tick infestation is to use a topical flea and tick preventative such as Frontline Plus. Many oral preventatives only protect against fleas and not ticks, so it is important you know the details about your preventative.  Frontline Plus is easy to use and does not require a prescription. A monthly dose is applied to the skin between the shoulder blades of your pet. The medication is then absorbed into the skin over the next 72 hours working its way through your pet’s system.  It’s that simple.

We recommend a flea and tick preventative year round. Give us a call or stop by today to learn more about some of the great deals we have on Frontline Plus.

Mountain Home Veterinary Treatment Center
828-2221

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Fitness Center Tip #15

Ten Easy Ways to Make Exercising a Habit

by SrA Megan Buffington

1.       Perform a variety of activities you enjoy.  What’s the point of doing anything if you don’t enjoy it?  Exercise should be fun! You also have to change up your routine in order to see progress. Your muscles get bored doing the same motions repetitively for extended periods of time. Your friendly fitness center staff is always available to provide you with new ways to switch up your exercise routine.

2.       Ask a friend.  Human beings are social by nature.  Having a friend work out with you will help keep you motivated.  Exercising with a partner affords more variety options to your exercise routine and vice versa.  Having a gym buddy means you can also participate in one-on-one sports such as tennis or racquetball which are great for cardio and help build better coordination.

3.       Make exercise a daily priority. Never sacrifice your exercise time.  If you let yourself put it off, you may never get a consistent routine built.  Occasionally, you will need days off for your muscles to repair and recuperate, but this only takes about two days.  Plan your routine according to your weekly work schedule to make it easier for you.  Make your days off your rest days.

4.       Exercise in the morning. Summer heat here in Idaho can be dangerous. The coolest part of the day is in the early morning. If your schedule permits, go to bed and wake up earlier. It’s not good to eat before you workout, so make sure you have something available afterward.  Set aside something to eat the night before for you to grab on your way out the door.  Working out in the morning also makes you more productive during the rest of the day, getting your blood flowing, waking up your sleepy brain, and making you more alert and focused.

5.       Try exercising on your way home.  Some folks aren’t morning people and that’s understandable. Bicycling, running, jogging and walking are all great ways to get exercise on your way home and save on gas. If you do plan to exercise on the way home, be sure to stay hydrated during the day. The hottest hours of the day here are between 1400 and 1800. The last thing you want to do is experience heat exhaustion or, even worse, heat stroke.

6.       Exercise even if you think you’re “too tired.”  It might be only day three into your new routine and you may still feel sore from days one and two, but don’t be discouraged.  Chances are you’ll feel better after exercising.  Just remember to take things slow and easy in the beginning. Too much too fast will cause injuries.

7.       Write down your activity. Log what is important to you such as how much time you exercised for each day, how many steps you walked, your weight, etc.  Your Gunfighter Fitness Center has several incentive programs available to help you log your progress. We provide everything from running, walking, swimming, climbing, lifting, and cycling.  Incidentally, if you meet the goals on the incentive forms, you’ll receive great prizes!

8.       Remain aware of your progress.  Don’t become complacent with your workout. Listen to your body and you’ll start to notice changes. You’ll start to notice you have more energy, lower resting heart rate, ability to think more clearly, and you’ll feel less sore after other activities such as mowing the lawn or moving furniture.  It is also great to hear the doctor congratulate you on improved cholesterol levels, blood pressure, bone density, triglycerides, and blood sugars.

9.       Try to walk more and use a pedometer. Most smartphones have a free pedometer app you can download.  Track your daily progress and try to find more ways to incorporate walking into your routine. For example, park in the spaces farther away from the store or restaurant. Instead of just putting the dog in the back yard to do its business, take it out for a stroll around the block.  This will help both you and your pooch live longer and healthier.  It will not only make you healthier and live longer but your pooch as well.  Every extra step counts.

10.   Reward yourself once in a while.  Behavior changes are difficult.  Rewards are good motivation and can engrain positive feelings toward exercise. Make attainable goals like walking a mile a day for a week.  Once you reach your goal, treat yourself.  Go to a movie or purchase new pair of shoes, for example.  Use anything you enjoy as a reward so long as it doesn’t distract you from your exercise routine.

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