Colleen Gaskill

Bio:
Colleen Gaskill, a NRA Certified Shotgun Instructor & Certified Range Safety Officer is a shooting and hunting enthusiast and has a quest to bring more women to the shooting scene.

Being brought up in a family of sportsmen, she had learned at a young age by watching parents and especially her mother pave the way in competition riffle shooting in a sport that was primarily just men. Following behind her mom and dad hunting and target practicing learned the fundamentals and love for the shooting sports. Colleen then became the first girl to join and shoot competitively in her High School Riffle Team and earned all her bars straight threw and receiving the rank of Sharpshooter. Then onto pistol and archery, Colleen loved the out doors and all the shooting sport so much that she became a NRA Certified Shotgun Instructor as well as a Range Safety Officer.

Motivated by her love of out door sports, she joined North Forest Rod & Gun Club and became the second women member of the club. Colleen then introduced her besty to shooting and it wasn’t long after she join as well. Being the only ladies there she felt it was about time to shake it up a bit and get more women shooting. In 2008 Colleen and her friend Kathy started the Ladies Shoot n’ Hoot, a women’s only shooting group, held on every second Saturday of the month and supported by North Forest Rod & Gun Club in Lockport, NY. This was a way to have Women Teaching Women this great sport of ours, So they continue to instruct as many women as possible in a safe and fun environment. Sometimes with the right blend of passion, hard work, research, and determination, a little inspiration can go a long way.

In 2010 Colleen was recognized and received the Oliver Jones Memorial Award “Sportsperson of the Year, the second women ever to receive this award at that time, for the outstanding service to Ladies Shoot & Hoot and for introducing more women into this fun sport.

So whether shooting her 350 pound Black Bear, catching a 42 inch Northern Pike, or blowing up some clay birds on the Sporting Clay Field, Colleen enjoys the great outdoors and life. The best she says, is being able to have someone to share this with, like my wonderful husband Kevin. We hunt, fish and shoot together all the time and have so much fun doing it and the kidding that goes along with it makes for a great day, she said. Alongside of her husband they continue to exercise their right of the second amendment and keep it alive by sharing and teaching their son and daughter the shooting sports and to respect the great outdoors. You will hear Colleen say many times…..”Enjoying the outdoors is not just your daddy’s sport anymore!