DAYTON —  For York County Fish and Game Association Public Relations Chairman Mike Doherty, safety is the top priority.
Doherty, of North Berwick, and his girlfriend, Deborah Morton, were hosting a falling plates shooting event on Sunday at the association, located at 600 Goodwins Mills Road. The events, typically held a few times a month, begin with practice rounds. There’s a break for lunch, and then its back to the range to see who can shoot down six plates on a rack the fastest using .22 rimfire handguns. All skill levels are welcome to this friendly competition, and the event is open to both association members and non-association members.
Doherty chatted with the participants, most of them regulars, and reminded one to put their gun in their case. Guns must be cased until the shooting begins, he explained.
Doherty gave a brief reminder of proper procedure and rules of the event. He made sure everyone was standing behind the firing line counters and protecting their eyes and ears with glasses and noise canceling headphones or earplugs. People were chosen at random, two at a time, and waited for the signal to shoot at the line-up of plates made of ar500 steel.
“They have been shot at probably about 100,000 times, with almost no dents,” said Doherty. Upkeep for these are inexpensive, as they just require a fresh coat of paint before use.
The pistol range is a “no blue sky” range, said Doherty. Those shooting stand in a sheltered area and the target area is backed by a hill and bordered on the sides by concrete. The walls of the building have been reinforced with soundproofing material.
“If you look around, it’s a pretty safe setup,” Doherty said.

Doherty has enjoyed the sport of shooting for many years, and he likes to challenge himself to become better.
He is a long-time member of the York County Fish and Game Association for many years, and enjoys the camaraderie of the association, which has about 500 members.
“You won’t find a friendlier group of people,” he said. He said when he and Morton get married, the guests who are not family members will be York County Fish and Game Association members.
Philip Aldous of North Waterboro is a regular at the plate shooting events.
“I got hooked on this type of shooting. It’s just a lot of fun,” he said.
Chuck Robinson of Alfred began shooting when he was young and has passed his love for the sport to his 14-year-old grandson, Kyle Sawyer of Saco, who came to Sunday’s event with him. He said it’s “something to do on a Sunday afternoon” and he likes the atmosphere at the association.
For more information on upcoming events, check out the York County Fish and Game Association’s Facebook page or go to http://ycfga.org.
—  Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.