×

Sherburn man earns accolade from DNR

FAIRMONT — Ken Kissner of Sherburn was recently recognized by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for his 40 years of volunteer work teaching firearms safety classes in the community.

Having been presented an award, Kissner said he is grateful, and described how he decided to become involved in the program.

“I grew up on a farm and I was a pheasant hunter in my youth,” he said. “I grew up by Lamberton and we didn’t have any deer or anything around here back then. So that’s what I did growing up and in high school.

“My first gun was a little Mossberg .410 bolt-action. So that’s how I started, and then I was always interested in hunting. Then, later on, when I started teaching here in Sherburn, when they had the firearms safety program, I guess I just thought that I would like to contribute a little bit to that.

“So that’s what I did. That was in ’79, so that makes 40 years, and I got a nice plaque from the DNR for those 40 years.”

Kissner said one of the things he enjoyed most about his efforts was seeing his students enjoy themselves as they got involved.

“I love hunting and I love shooting,” he said. “I enjoy the reward of seeing the kids go out there when we go out in the field to shoot, and watching them having a time and seeing a future for the sport.”

Kissner also is happy to have seen more girls participate as time went by.

“We’ve had some classes where it’s been half girls and half boys and that’s good,” he said. “When I started, we wouldn’t hardly ever have a girl. Maybe once in a great while, but not too often.”

Kissner hopes future generations can carry on what they have learned.

“I would love to have the hunting sport continue, and the only way it can is to bring along the younger generation,” he said. “All things are only one generation away from disappearing if the next generation doesn’t come along. That’s the way everything is, and if people don’t participate then things disappear.”

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.65/week.

Subscribe Today