infro

FIELD and GAME FEDERATION of AUSTRALIA Inc.

"Home of Sporting Clays"

The Field and Game Organisation was born in 1958 and has grown from its Victorian origin to an Australia wide group of active shotgunning field hunters, clay target shooters and conservationists. The founding spark was kindled from a concern for the disappearing wetlands being transformed into grazing and agricultural lands. The Field and Game Association accepted the challenge to make public the great value wetlands have for wildlife - not only game species.

In the early 1960's the association spread its activities to clay target shooting usually in a bushland setting with targets being thrown to simulate situations faced by field shotgunners. Simulated field (sporting clays) shooting ranges have been established in all States and this form of target shooting with shotguns is gaining in popularity as more shooters realise its potential for enjoyable relaxation as well as competition. Shooting costs are kept low and all Branches with shooting ranges welcome both visitors and new members.

On a simulated field range the shooter has to fire at targets under a wide range of conditions and angles. The ranges are designed to provide targets as close as possible to those which might be found in hunting game in the field. Each range is designed to make the best use of the natural local features and so each range is different and each provides its own unique challenges.

Later it was found that simulated field shooting was very close to the English Sporting Clays and the International Parcour-de-Chasse disciplines.

Australian rules have now been adopted to match the International rules and the Field and Came Federation has affiliated with the controlling body of Parcour-de-Chasse shooting.

In 1982 an Australian team attended the Parcour-de-Chasse World Championships for the first time, and performed very well. The top Australian finished ninth in the world and the Australian team finished seventh. Field and Game has not forgotten the aims of its founders and is one of the leading bodies concerned with wetland conservation. The Victorian Association won the Victorian Conservation Prize in 1978 for its efforts in this field. Membership of Field and Game for the shotgun shooter means he can become actively involved with others of similar interest in sporting clays shooting, game hunting and conservation projects to ensure the future of hunting; all for the one membership fee.