Locals are familiar with the tradition of the annual Josie Shoot coming up in June but not everyone knows the history behind the event. The DWR shares that in 1988, Utah hunter education instructor Carole Jackson had a vision to encourage women of all ages in the Uintah Basin to use their newly acquired skills in a shooting competition. Along with the support of her family and the local community, she created the Josie Shoot. It was aptly named after a local pioneer woman that Jackson could relate to — Josie Bassett Morris. Josie’s name is well known around the Uintah Basin, and you can still visit her homestead cabin at Dinosaur National Monument in Jensen, where she resided until 1964 at the age of 91. Josie was known for her vivacious and independent spirit and this appealed to Jackson and empowered her to recruit more women to learn marksmanship and carry on the Josie legacy…Carole and her husband Carl Jackson are also well known in the Uintah Basin and served as long-time instructors for the Hunter Education Program. For over 30 years, the Jacksons worked hard to educate their local community on firearm safety and marksmanship, and they taught countless youth in hunter education and organized national shooting competitions…When Jackson lost her battle to cancer in 2016, the family found it difficult to carry on the annual shoot without her. The Utah DWR recognized the value, the comradery and the tradition of the shoot and asked to step in as the hosts of the event. The 32nd annual .22 Josie Shoot will be held on June 12th at the Buckskin Hills Shooting Complex in Vernal from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
