A day at the range with VCSO

Sheriff's deputies spent Friday at a shooting rage at Camp Clark for firearms qualifications. The semi-annual shooting day, hosted in the fall and spring, ensures deputies' shooting skills stay sharp. All deputies from the office are required to participate, and even some lucky reporters, like the Daily Mail's Nicole Garner, are able to get in some target practice.

Deputies must pass the shooting exams with handguns, rifles, automatic and off-duty weapons. Qualifications are done from multiple distances, and involve drills like quick drawing weapons and moving while shooting. Sheriff Jason Mosher said twice-per-year qualifications ensure deputies maintain accuracy.

On Friday, deputies regularly chided each other for any missed shots or offered suggestions for better techniques.

While Camp Clark shooting range facilities are open to deputies, Mosher approached the County Commission two weeks ago to discuss creating a range for the Sheriff's Office. Currently, reservations for the range at Camp Clark must be made two months in advance, making it difficult for deputies to pop in at random for shooting practice. Mosher told commissioners that he wanted deputies to be able to spend more time on the range practicing, and that constructing a range would come with little to no cost to the county.

Since speaking with the Commission, Mosher said several Vernon County residents have contacted his office offering and recommending space for a range, though no decisions have been made on any of those areas.