Team USA Shooter Jon Michael McGrath takes aim

Pheasants Forever’s National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic features bird hunters big and tall, male and female, as well as young and old.  One relative youngster making his first appearance at the event will be future Olympic shooter Jon Michael McGrath.

McGrath is a 19 year-old native of Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Check out this resume!

• 22 World Skeet Titles
• 9 USA National titles
• At age 12, he was honored as the youngest All-American Athlete in any sport
• In 2008, he became the youngest person to win the USA National Championship.
• In 2009, he established a new NSSA World Record for Olympic Style Skeet of 224 hits out of 225 shots
• In 2010, he became the first American to win the World Championship for Junior Men’s Skeet in      Munich
• In 2011, he won the World Cup in Sydney, Australia
• He is one of our top Olympic Hopefuls for the 2012 Olympic Games in London

I had the opportunity to catch up with Jon Michael for a quick interview prior to National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic.

In addition to shooting clays, do you ever do any bird hunting?
Yes, I love to go bird hunting. Wing shooting is my favorite type of hunting. I would love to hunt more; however, we just don’t have a lot of time between traveling, competing, training, and school.

Did you grow up in a family of shooters and hunters?

Yes, I grew up in a family that enjoyed hunting. They have continued to love the outdoors for sometime but they were never competitive in clay shooting before I started.  The outdoors continues to be a lot of fun for everyone.

Do you have a bird dog at home?

We have a Brittany named “Briley.” She comes from a history of bird hunting but she seems to be more interested in chasing squirrels in the back yard.

What do you think are the most common shooting mistakes leading to misses?

Improper gun fit. Get a gun that fits and works for you. Everyone is different.

What are you most looking forward to in the 2012 Olympics?

The final round of the USA Shooting Olympic Trials will take place in May. The first part of the selection process went very well for me. I had the opportunity to be in Beijing during the 2008 Olympics Games, but did not compete. The Olympic Games are like no other experience I have ever seen.

Jon Michael McGrath

McGrath will be available in the Youth Village at Pheasant Fest all three days of the show.  In fact, we’ll have a special autograph signing session with Jon Michael on Saturday, February 18^th from 3PM to 4PM in the Youth Village.

The Pointer is written by Bob St.Pierre, Pheasants Forever’s Vice President of Marketing.  Follow Bob on Twitter @BobStPierre.