When good friends, good music and clay shootin’ meet the values NRA Country stands for – respect, honor, and freedom – you know it is going to be a kickin’ good time.  The Second Annual NRA Country/ACM Celebrity Shoot was exactly that. With Blake Shelton hosting, and my fellow Outdoor Channel personalities participating, along with a bunch of down-home country stars attending, we brought the country and outdoor lifestyle to Vegas!  

Now, I didn’t shoot well enough to take home one of the awesome prizes like Aaron Lewis or Lee Lakosky did, but just being there representing the Bone Collector Crew, The Brotherhood and all the hunters was all the reward I needed. Although, the prize of a  collector’s edition Remington 1911 pistol inscribed with a one-of-a-kind NRA serial number would have looked good above the fireplace in my South Dakota pad. I hope for the opportunity to avenge my loss next year, but more important than the competition, prizes and celebrities, was our cause for being there.

NRA Country is a celebration of American values. It's a lifestyle and a bond between the country music community and hard-working Americans everywhere.  It's powered by pride, freedom, love of country, respect for the military, and the responsibilities of protecting the great American life. These events benefit youth hunting, gun safety and education programs and other very worthy causes.

The country music crowd is full of passionate hunters, like Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, who proudly display their love of hunting. Whether they are at the Super Bowl for a performance, the Grammys or other red carpet events, these folks aren’t ashamed of their hunting roots and heritage. They are not thinking of what the mainstream media may do with their words in support of these righteous causes or what that may do to record sales.  Instead, they are playing concerts to secure this outdoor way of life for future generations.

Be sure to check out the artists, concerts and events and artists aligned with this great organization at nracountry.com. And maybe next year, I can take the title of Top Shooter from Lee and make The Brotherhood proud!

Photo Credits: NRA Country/Sara Kauss