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Ammo Shortage Hits Home at Boy Scout Ranch
Ammo Shortage Hits Home at Boy Scout Ranch 2/23/12
mrist@ cbs7.com
CBS 7 News Reporter
February 23, 2013
JEFF DAVIS COUNTY-As the Buffalo Trail Council prepare for thousands of Boy Scouts to descend on their ranch for summer camps, leaders say an ammunition shortage is hitting home for scouts across the country.
Just past a dusty, winding road, nestled in the heart of the Davis Mountains lies the Buffalo Trail Scout Ranch, where boys learn to be men.
"Scouting provides a unique service to our community because it creates leaders,” said David Chapman, Executive Director of the Buffalo Trail Council. “We produce young people who give back to the community.”
With gun control looming, ammunition is hard to find almost everywhere in West Texas.
The scouts are feeling the pinch.
"There is a shortage at the moment of .22 ammunition,” said Chapman. “Kids like shooting and especially when it’s in a safe environment. During the summer we usually use about 22,000 rounds of ammo."
Chapman says each year major ammo retailers open bulk orders at a discount just for scout councils across the country, but this year it was a let down.
"They opened up the window for about two hours, “ Chapman said. “Then said, we’ve got all the orders we can handle through the end of the year.”
Media outlets across the country say the shortages aren't just here in Texas. Meanwhile, Chapman says shooting is one of the most popular badges for boys to earn, so the problem is far-reaching for the scouts.
"It will be a challenge for those camps that don't have a stockpile of ammunition or enough to get them through it," Chapman said. He found a stockpile of ammunition that he says may get them through the summer at Buffalo Trail.
The Boy Scouts offer a number of activities from archery, to horseback riding, to backpacking adventures and, of course, shooting at its summer camp.
To find out more information about scouting or to learn how you or your son can join, call the council at (432) 570-7601 or visit their website at this link.