Convention of States volunteers can easily grow our grassroots army, garner support, and collect signed petitions at gun shows. Why? Because sportsmen often include veterans and hunters who are second-amendment devotees. Their natural appreciation of the constitution and individual rights makes COS participation in gun shows rewarding and fun.
I found out about the Hernando Sportsman’s Club (HSC) after the 2022 redistricting placed most of Hernando within my new house district 52. My first Convention of States booth with HSC was March 25-26 this year and netted a record (for me) 110 petitions. Many of those first signers were vendors there that I had not met at any previous shows. Though I have hosted booths throughout my district for the last two years, the August HSC show yielded my second highest number of 84 petitions.
Because I'm excited about future COS booths and district range competitions, and to encourage other COS volunteers to do the same, I want to share something about the club and its founder.
The Hernando Sportsman’s Club, Inc. was founded by Randie Rickert in January 1980 originally as the Hernando County Rifle & Pistol Club, Inc. The club’s main function is to encourage the legitimate and safe use of firearms, educate the public in safe handling, and encourage good sportsmanship and patriotism.
Randie, still current president, has had an awesome life going above and beyond in every endeavor he has been challenged to take on. He has been married for 55 years to his wife whom he married at age 19. He worked most of his life as an insurance adjuster. He says that job prepared him well for his challenge in bringing the Hernando Sportsman Club to fruition.
Among one of the club’s first challenges was obtaining a place to shoot. They originally used the McDonald Mine east of Brooksville as a range for years. The club continued to obtain permission to use various other mines until finally in 1988, with 140 members and after many gun shows and fundraisers, the club finally purchased the current 80+ acre parcel of land off U.S. Hwy 19.
HSC started with a 200-meter range and trap range. In February 1992, the club hosted its first open house on the trap range. Later they added a skeet/five-stand range, an archery range, and a 50-yard range. They laid much of the groundwork by renting a John Deere pay loader with 2-yard bucket and moving what Randie says has been at least one million yards of dirt by volunteers.
With Randie’s direction, HSC always exceeded expectations. They used a line of credit to finance buildings such as the large one currently used to host gun shows on the property. The main building has steel ceilings and concrete walls which make it fire and storm proof. It has security cameras throughout the property. The club even protects a female panther that keeps a home behind the yard range!
It is amazing that the club through Randie’s persuasion has grown from 11 members in 1980 to 1,100 family members as of 2022. Now the club offers shotgun, rifle, pistol, and archery ranges for training classes and practice. Events and competitions are scheduled regularly. The club sponsors a 4-H shooting program which has won state and qualified for national matches. Read more here.
What a fun experience it was to see this gun and knife club and all it has to offer. Randie and I are very like-minded and have developed a great relationship. Since our COS mission is to build an engaged army of self-governing activists, what better way than to build relationships based on common interests.
Randie says he is open to helping any group start their own competitions at the various gun ranges. I hope other COS House Districts will seek out like-minded citizens and start events like a trap and/or skeet range competition soon.
Cliff Gerich, HD 52
