22.03.2023 • Jagd & Jäger

A shotgun range between bears

Right in the middle of where bears and moose call home and in close proximity to Dall sheep, snow goats, and caribou – who on Earth would even consider trap, skeet or sporting shooting here? But in northern British Columbia, near the Yukon border, there is a shooting range that is an absolute rarity for its location alone.

Text: Gunther Stoschek, Photos: Gunther Stoschek, Harro Obst

The small community of Atlin is situated just under 200 kilometres (125 miles) south of Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon, and is a sleepy place with endearing and romantic charm. The probable reason for this: Atlin lies at the end of a 100 km (60 mile) dead-end road that connects the small community to the famous Alaska Highway. And fortunately so, because Atlin, an important settlement for soldiers of fortune during the Klondike Gold Rush era, was spared all the through traffic and the hustle and bustle that this entailed. This is in stark contrast to other former gold-mining locations such as Dawson City.

Die dampfgetriebene MV Tarahne in Atlin zeugt noch vom einstigen Trubel, der hier zur Zeit des großen Goldrausches herrschte

Elch in Atlin — Heute ist es in Atlin so ruhig geworden, dass der Anblick von Elchen am Rande des Ortes keine Seltenheit ist

Schwimmbagger aus Holz — In der näheren Umgebung finden sich noch viele Relikte aus alten Tagen, wie dieser aus Holz gebaute Schwimmbagger

So it is all the more astounding that a comprehensively equipped shotgun range has been set up here of all places. The nearest similarly professional shooting ranges are located at least 1500 kilometres (930 miles) further south. This is all thanks to a few very dedicated members of the Atlin Rod and Gun Club, who have shown their commitment to shotgun shooting with lots of enthusiasm and their own funding. We also have one of them to thank for our visit: a German former outfitter called Harro Obst.

Inmitten der Wildnis liegt die eindrucksvolle Wurfscheiben- Schießanlage mit Trap-, Skeet- und Parcours-Ständen

On just the second day of our trip, we found ourselves at this shooting range, where we were joined by a small group of shotgun enthusiasts. One of them was Joe, a chef from Calgary who is wellknown in Canada. The shotgun range in Atlin has such a good reputation that it enticed him to come here from faraway Alberta. The other shooters were certainly very interested in his and Harro’s Blaser F16 shotguns. In a region of Canada where shotgun shooting is mainly seen as just a means to an end, being able to try out a top-of-the-range German shotgun is not exactly a given. The excellent results ultimately spoke for themselves, not least thanks to Harro’s helpful tips and advice on how to achieve accuracy.

Harro Obst aus Atlin ist mit der Blaser F16 in seinem Metier. Als langjähriger Outfitter und begeisterter Flintenschütze ist er einer der Hauptinitiatoren der nördlichst gelegenen Schießanlage Kanada

Harro Obst beim Flinten-Coaching. Der gebürtige Österreicher Joe ist extra dafür aus dem weit entfernten Calgary angereist

Schweizerin Simone mit der Blaser F16 — Mit der Schweizerin Simone, vor Jahren schon nach Kanada ausgewandert, bekamen Atlins Flintenschützen internationalen Zuwachs. Immer mit dabei: die Blaser F16

The unique charm of the shooting range dawned on us a while later in a completely different and very impressive way. When we arrived at the trap shooting range in the early morning, a huge black bear was calmly romping around on the grass in front of us. He was in no rush to shuffle off out of the danger zone. Two days later, we were setting up targets for shooting practice when we saw him again on the edge of the rifle range. This time he was accompanied by a female black bear with brown fur, so he did not take the slightest interest in us.

Ein schwarzer und ein brauner Schwarzbär am Rande der Büchsenschießbahn. Sie verließen das Areal nur widerwillig

Büchsenstand im Atlin Rod and Gun Club — Natürlich darf beim „Atlin Rod and Gun Club“ auch ein Büchsenstand nicht fehlen. Spätestens wenn die Jagdsaison näher rückt, ist hier reger Betrieb

Schießscheiben im Atlin Rod and Gun Club — Hier nimmt man sich gerne die Zeit, zu den bis zu 200 m entfernten Schießscheiben zu laufen. Zeitliche Beschränkungen für den Schießbetrieb sind überflüssig, denn es gibt keine Nachbarn, die sich gestört fühlen könnten

Joe zeigte sich mehr als beeindruckt, wie präzise die Blaser R8 nach dem Zusammensetzen auf Anhieb schoss

We will also never forget all the spectacular scenery surrounding Atlin. On extended boat excursions on the 145 kilometre (90 mile) long Atlin Lake, where Teresa Island – the world’s second tallest lake island – is situated, we were able to enjoy this region of Canada from a wide range of perspectives. It was during these moments that we realised we would definitely be coming back. For hunting or f ishing, but in any case with the shotgun for shooting.