Officer Dominick Mauppin visiting the Ranch
Larry Hampton
The April Gun Club meeting hosted guest speaker Officer Dominick Mauppin, Denton County Game Warden of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. Attendance was so strong, the socially-distanced club members filled up two rooms in the clubhouse! At 75 members, we recorded this as our best-attended regular monthly meeting ever.
In his personable and professional style, Officer Mauppin covered the history and operations of the Texas Game Wardens, from “just the facts, ma’am,” to the Wardens’ philosophy in how they provide hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations of Texans. Considered by some as “the most powerful law enforcement arm” in Texas, the wide-ranging mission of these Wardens is so fascinating, that they are the focus of a long-running TV series on Animal Planet, “Lone Star Law;” and our curious members had many questions reflecting some of what they’d seen there. But, key among the many topics he covered, Officer Mauppin confirmed that a large alligator does live in the marsh just off Crawford Road and I-35W, and that said gator has lived there for years and is well known. We were told not to bother or feed him, and to keep pets and children away!
We augmented this captivating 45-minute presentation with our club business, in particular a run-down of the forthcoming club events. 2021’s program includes a club trip in May, with lunch and a complete tour of the outstanding Fossil Pointe Sporting Grounds, one of the absolute best gun ranges in the area, if not the state. The club has three key upcoming presentations including: Vietnam-era weapons, a detailed exploration of the English Short Magazine Lee-Enfield rifle, and what promises to be a fantastic display: “Guns of the Wild West.”
The mission of our Robson Ranch Gun Club is to provide an opportunity and forum for members to regularly meet, share interest in firearms, participate in various forms of shooting sports, and to provide a learning environment for all skill levels of firearm ownership and uses. The club’s sub-groups include: Clay Shooters, Paper Punchers, Reloading, Historical Firearms, Women’s, and our Hunting group. Safety is always our primary concern and is a shared responsibility of each member. Our experienced members enjoy introducing and coaching new shooters to the various rules and techniques of these popular shooting sports. Club membership is open to all Robson Ranch residents and there are no dues.
Our normal monthly meeting is the second Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. in the clubhouse. This May only, our meeting is the trip to Fossil Pointe on Wednesday, May 12. For more information, contact Larry Hampton, President and Reloading Group Leader, at [email protected] or 972-342-5000.