Information for Around the ATA is provided to TRAP & FIELD by state and provincial ATA Delegates and/or their designated representatives.

Shooters and local officials: Please inform your ATA Delegate of news about shooters and clubs in your area.

Eastern Zone

Connecticut

Greetings, all! It’s nearly the end of February, and winter leagues are in full swing. I hope some of you were fortunate enough to travel to warmer climates and get in some registered targets. Sorry it’s been so long since I have written, but those of you who know me would say I’m great at talking, just not typing.

The CTA has had two meetings so far, and preparations are well under way for this year’s state shoot June 23-25 at the Hartford GC. Visit www.cttrap.com for all Connecticut shoot dates as well as any information on upcoming events.

At the October meeting, president Tony Minervini, vice president Ben Giaquinto, treasurer Fred Farber and secretary Cheryll Pittera were reelected for the next year. Congratulations to Bob Hruskocy, our Delegate from Fin Fur and Feather, on his lone 100 winning the President Wayne Morris Handicap at last year’s Grand. Also, many thanks to all who participated and represented our state. Work on the program book for this year’s shoot has begun; please contact Bob Hruskocy ([email protected]) if you would like to place an ad or know someone who would be interested.

Don’t forget to purchase your Pull for the Gun Club raffle tickets. Proceeds will benefit the ATA Gun Club Fund. This year’s prize is a Perazzi High Tech RS Combo. Tickets are $20, and a limited number are available. You can purchase them from me, Cheryll Pittera or the ATA office ([email protected] or 618-449-2224).

Never fear; spring is near, and I will see you out on the line. Shoot me an e-mail at [email protected] if you have any news you would like me to share here.

Rich Latouf

ATA Delegate

Massachusetts

As I put this article together Feb. 22, in the last couple of weeks we have been hammered with about 25 inches of snow and very cold weather; looking forward, the next two weeks are going to be 50 to 60 degrees. As you read this, our registered shooting will be under way. Please keep in mind our state shoot June 9-11 at Minute Man SC. Be sure to get your targets in early to avoid being penalized. We have several clubs holding marathon shoots where you can catch up. You can find these listed on the MATA website and on your 2017 shoot card. A reminder to all: please have your ATA and MATA dues paid for the 2017 target year. On your ATA card, having your singles and doubles averages up to date, along with your correct yardage, will help in getting through the classification line quicker. Also keep in mind the target requirements to be shot in 2017 in order to make the 2018 state team: 2,000 singles, 1,500 handicap and 1,000 doubles, and you must shoot all events of the two championship days (Saturday and Sunday) during the 2017 state shoot.

Longtime Massachusetts shooter Kenneth Stewart from Royalston passed away Jan. 30. Mr. Stewart was a life member of both the ATA and MATA. He shot registered targets from 1966 until 2002, ending with 134,750 singles, 75,800 handicap and 75,250 doubles for a total of 285,800. He was MATA president for 1981-82. During his career he had attended all the New England state shoots, made 18 trips to the Grand American in Vandalia, OH, shot in Canada, and had won many trophies along the way. The MATA presented him the special No. 7 life membership, and he was 1989 Massachusetts State Shoot honoree. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Doris, family and friends.

If anyone has questions, comments or concerns that I can help with, I can be reached at 413-586-0428 or [email protected]. Remember to have fun!

Dave Russell

ATA Delegate

New Jersey

As I write this for TRAP & FIELD, weather in the Northeast has been a warm, wonderful relief. At Pine Belt SC’s annual Polar Bear Shoot Feb. 19 in Shamong, the temperature hit 70°, only 40° above normal for that time of year. Jeff Slimm, club president, reported that 79 shooters took advantage of the warm weather and registered singles targets. Warm weather stayed around all week.

Nine shooters ventured down to the Silver Dollar in Odessa, FL, for the Dixie Grand, which was held in January. Justin Malone led our winners with four trophies, followed by Joe Sissano with two and Butch Zeppone, Pete Frederiks, Robert Battista and Mark Wade with one. You can see all the winners on rjstuart.com and in the February issue of T&F.

Rudy Torlini and I went over the data generated by the ATA office in Sparta, IL, for the New Jersey state teams. We looked at target counts and whether they competed in the 2016 state championships in order to determine who qualified for what team. As in the past, I’m only listing names and not the averages; the averages can be found in our 2017 program or at our website njsta.com.

First team—Robert Malmstedt, Mark Wade, Thomas Clarke, Michael Morgado, Marc Invidiato; second team—Gene Moir Jr., Justin Malone, Thomas Green Sr., Dan Biggs, Robert Battista; ladies’—Susan Emma, Patricia Slimm; junior—Duncan Stevenson, Bryan Romanow, Ean Taylor, Morgan Stevenson, Emily Malone; veteran—George Wright, John Zultanky, Len Fennimore; senior veteran—John Godwin, Thomas Wolf, Joe Sissano. Again this year, John Godwin of Point Pleasant led all shooters in New Jersey with 35,250 registered ATA targets.

Phil Barber is our first New Jersey State Hall of Fame inductee for 2017. Phil maintained an AA average for 18 of 19 years from 1988 to 2006. In 1994 he had a .9894 average on 4,800 singles targets and .9170 on 4,000 targets from long yardage; not too shabby for a working guy. If you have time, look at the remainder of his shooting career, where he maintained mostly an A-class average.

The following was written by Phil’s son: “Phil was born at home to Louis and Evelyn Barber of Millville, NJ, in 1938. Phil’s dad and brother owned the Barber Iron Foundry in Bridgeton, and his mother Evelyn owned the Milady Shop in Millville, a popular woman’s clothing store, until her retirement. Phil had two older brothers, Louis Jr. and Edward.

“From an early age, Phil’s father was an avid hunter and outdoorsman who kept food on the family table during the Great Depression with his duck hunting ability. He taught these valuable skills to his three boys. Phil was only eight years old when he began shooting and hunting in the woods of Cumberland County surrounding Millville and in the waterways along the wild and scenic Maurice River and the Delaware Bay.

“Around 1966 Phil was introduced to trapshooting by co-worker Jack Rossi of Bridgeton. Jack’s buddy Jimmy Glaspey and his father had set a regulation trap on their farm in Greenwich. (Jimmy’s dad, C. H., was the 1952 New Jersey handicap champion and knew many old-timers in the sport across the area, including Ed Schober from Schober Apple Orchards and other farm owners in the area who loved to shoot trap.) The Glaspeys obtained a trap machine and had local kids set up the Blue Rock clays. The old-timers shot for money, and Phil learned quickly that you had to be good to shoot with the big boys. In 1967 he shot his first registered targets at the Delaware Bay TC in Port Norris, founded by Pop Robbins and his sons Lee and Dave.

“Phil soon introduced trap to his lifelong buddies: Bill (Trouty) Trout, Tom Kates and Eddie Whitehead, all from Millville, who along with Jack Rossi and Dave Robbins from Port Norris enjoyed the sport together at local clubs, including Pine Belt in Shamong, Pine Valley in Atco, and many other clubs in the Mid-Atlantic region. Phil has fond memories of many shoots with the “Southern Boys” in Delaware and Maryland.

“The group of buddies shot together and had many good times while competing and teasing each other. All the guys made fun of Phil’s rather unique stance, preparation and body positioning and have many stories going back decades. Phil’s favorite happened over 40 years ago, when he won a silver ice bucket at a Westy Hogans Shoot in New York. On the way home, Phil bet Eddie Whitehead that he couldn’t shoot the ice bucket if it was tossed into the air. Eddie took the bet, and the guys quickly pulled into an abandoned gravel pit for the challenge. Phil threw the bucket, and Eddie took a shot that missed! After the bucket hit the ground with a thud, Eddie took a second shot, and still managed to hit the bucket with only one pellet. Phil still has this ice bucket with the single-pellet dent as a keepsake.

“In later years, as the guys retired from trap or passed away, Phil introduced the sport to his longtime neighbor and good friend Art Parvin of Millville, who along with Dave Robbins became Phil’s regular trap buddies for many years at clubs around Delaware Valley.

“Phil graduated from Millville High School in 1956, and like his two older brothers, started work the very next day at Bell Telephone & Telegraph Company as a lineman, where he worked until his retirement as a business systems installer. Phil married his high school sweetheart Carole Hinckley in 1958, and they had two children: Jo-Ann and Phil Jr. They lived their entire lives in Millville, becoming Florida snowbirds in 2004, until retiring full time to Naples, FL, in 2014. They are active and in pretty good health. Phil still does a little shooting now and then in Florida at Port of the Isles Club in Naples plus the Cuban club and Markham Park in Miami.

“Phil Barber is proud to have been a member of the ATA for over 50 years and sincerely appreciates being inducted into the New Jersey State Hall of Fame, with many thanks to the Selection Committee. He is proud to have won New Jersey singles titles in 1989, 1991 and 2005. Phil considers the highlight of his trapshooting career to be the 50+ years of ATA shoots, great clubs, and camaraderie amongst the many shooters met along the way. ‘Thanks for this honor, and keep shooting!’ ”

As of press time, Phil’s career ATA totals were 77,800 singles, 68,200 handicap and 5,000 doubles targets. Phil’s induction ceremony, along with the posthumous induction of Louis Pagliughi, will take place June 3 at the Pine Belt SC.

If you have an idea for a future article or a question, I can be reached at [email protected] or 732-546-7910.

Joe Sissano

ATA Delegate

New York

Hello to everyone. Spring is here, and our shooting season is just starting. I hope that everyone is planning to shoot plenty of ATA targets and attend many different tournaments.

It is with heartfelt sadness that I must report the passing of junior gold All-American Christopher J. Vendel. Christopher passed away on Jan. 25 and was just 22 years of age. It is always hard to report on the passing of New York ATA shooters, but it is especially difficult to talk about the passing of someone so talented and so young. Christopher was such a very fine young man and a very nice guy. He always had a smile on his face. I am very proud to say that Christopher was a good friend. He started registering targets in 2005, and his first targets were shot at his home club of Walworth SC. At the time of his death, he had registered 51,650 singles, 41,900 handicap, and 33,000 doubles targets. He was on the All-American and New York state teams many, many times. He accomplished so much in such a short period of time that it is very difficult to mention all of his accomplishments. I will say, though, that 2015 was a very big year for Christopher. He won the Southern Grand Doubles Championship over the field in a windstorm. At the New York State Shoot, Christopher won the singles championship with a 200 straight and was also the all-around champion. Christopher was always there to volunteer at our shoots at the homegrounds in Cicero. In the morning he would help set targets. If he was not in any shootoffs in the evening, he could be found refereeing shootoffs or sitting next to me helping at the shootoff table. Christopher was very intelligent and a great help. Contributions in Christopher’s name can be made to the ATA AIM Program. The NYSATA plans to do something similar. All of us from New York and around the country extend our deepest sympathies to his father Chris, mother Debbie, sister Michelle, paternal grandmother Debbie Vendel, maternal grandparents Ronald and Maureen Smith, his extended family and all his friends. He may be gone, but he will never be forgotten and always missed. Goodbye, my dear friend, and God bless you.

On a happier note, I am pleased to say that our ATA Delegate and my dear friend and pal, Brian Whalen, is doing much better. After his operation for a brain tumor in September and spending time at a rehab facility in Jamestown, he is now home. He continues to improve and plans to start shooting again. He wishes to thank everyone for their kind words, cards, letters and e-mails. He hopes to see everyone soon.

At the Dixie Grand American in January, junior gold All-American Justin Slater dominated with 13 trophy wins. He was HOA champion over the field; earned the junior gold doubles, singles and all-around titles; and collected nine more age-group awards.

Other New York trophy winners were Tiffany Decker, five, including the Lady I singles championship; Edward Frisillo, three, including Thursday’s high-gun award over the field; and Tom Trembath, Howard Dailey, Jack Wilcox and Keith Welch, one each. Congratulations and excellent shooting to all.

Remember that because how the calendar falls this year, the Empire Grand American will start earlier. The Empire Grand will be at the homegrounds in Cicero on Wednesday, May 10 to Sunday, May 14. We hope that you all plan to attend and wish you the best of luck.

If there is anything that you want to have me to write about in future articles in TRAP & FIELD, please e-mail me at [email protected]. Thanks, and I hope to see you all soon. I wish you all well and may God bless.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Alternate Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada. I recently attended the Spring Grand at the Tucson T&SC. We on the ATA Executive Committee had meetings in advance of the main 1,000 targets. This is the first time I have shot ATA at this club. Over the years I have shot International trap and Double Trap there at World Cup events, team selection matches, etc. This is a great facility. It takes awhile to figure out the handicap targets as the speed and trajectory seem different compared to our Eastern Zone targets.

What I found particularly appealing about Tucson is that I got to talk to a great many shooters and their spouses who are seldom able to attend shoots in the East. The shooters I used to know as juniors and sub-juniors have grown up and are still in the sport. Many have young families and careers. I was amazed at how many people thanked me for my TRAP & FIELD articles and find them informative. I appreciate all your kind words and will do my best to include information that appeals to shooters on both sides of our border.

Many shooters ask me about my son Drew and when he will be returning to ATA trap. Soon, I hope, but Drew concentrated very hard on International (Olympic-style) trap up to and including the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, where he made the shootoff round. He did not shoot at all in 2016 and may get back into it in 2017. As with many youngsters, for Drew trapshooting sometimes has to take a backseat to career and family. He works for a company that specializes in brokering liquefied petroleum deals. Drew’s specialty is naphtha, and he works long hours on the road covering their offices in Sarnia, Calgary and Houston and meeting clients throughout the United States and Canada. He is seldom far from his phone. In early July, Drew will marry his longtime fiancé Lindsay, an elementary school French teacher. She spent a lot of time over the years in student exchanges to France. Guess where they are getting married—a resort about four hours outside of Paris. Our daughter Destiny, who some of you may remember worked at the Grand when in Vandalia at the TRAP & FIELD desk, is getting married on Easter Friday in New York City. She is a buyer (shoes) for Lord & Taylor in NYC. My wife Beverley and I are thinking someday in the not-too-distant future, we may be blessed with grandchildren (maybe future trapshooters). Drew and Destiny both say hello to all.

Paul Shaw

Eastern Zone Vice President

Pennsylvania

Hello, Pennsylvania! It’s nearing the end of February as I write this, and the thermometer is now reading 71°. I’m hoping this is the eye of winter and the onion snow will be upon us soon. Several PA shooters attended the recently completed Dixie Grand in Florida, and many came back with some hardware. Fourteen individuals brought home 34 trophies this year. Leading the way with six wins each were Donald Schaffer Jr. and Ken Darroch; their trophies included AAA and sub-vet all-around, respectively. Other winners included Joseph Laurence (two), Roger Shallenberger, Henry Sproat (three), Lisa Long (four), Jean McCord (two), Bruce Schmidt, Sheldon Hostetter, Frank Pascoe (two), Richard Blatt, Mark Polojac (three), Gloria Wood and Tim Tarbuck. Congratulations to all!

Regrettably, this winter we lost two individuals well known at the PSSA homegrounds. Charlie Doll passed away at the end of December. His shooting accomplishments have been well documented, not only individually, but also with two of his children, Chuck and Kelly, as he is a member of the PSSA Hall of Fame. Charlie served on the PSSA Executive Committee and was a PSSA HOF trustee over the years. Most recently, he was our “bottom line” squad hustler for many years after he stopped shooting. His knowledge of the sport and his willingness to share his expertise and experiences will be missed by many. Many of us watched Christopher Vendel grow up into a polite young man in Elysburg. Unfortunately, he left us all too soon at the end of January. He traveled with his father, Chris Vendel, to almost every PSSA shoot throughout the years. His shooting career had not yet reached maturity, even though he had placed on 10 All-American teams. Always a smile on his face and with a great sense of humor, Christopher will be greatly missed. The PSSA grounds will look a little different without these individuals; however, their presence will live on.

Jack Emery provided some good news from the Bedford Co. SC recently. Their first ATA shoot of the 2017 season Feb. 19, the NO sNOw Shoot hit on a perfect day that brought out 75 shooters from four states who shot at 14,200 registered targets. Jack indicated that they had 15 first-time shooters and three new ATA members. That is how to start the new year off with a bang!

As always, please let me know of any accomplishments or newsworthy events at your club. I can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].

Steve Ross

ATA Alternate Delegate

Southern Zone

Florida

I hope you had a chance to go to one of the major shoots hosted this year. We have the largest tournaments held in the Southern states, with trapshooters from more than 30 states attending. Registered targets are being thrown at all of our Florida clubs throughout the year. Check Floridatrap.com and download the FTA shoot card, and go out and support them as they hold those shoots just for you.

Gary Rickard received his pin and certificate for 25K handicap targets. Congratulations, Gary, and I am sure we will be reporting more for you in the future.

The FTA Spring Championships will be May 19-21 at South Florida SC in Palm City. If you haven’t been to visit this club before, this is your chance to shoot at a premier club. The clubhouse as the outside porch area are very well appointed. They have eight trapfields, and all have nothing in the background; this is Florida flatland by definition. They have a complete line of specialty South Florida shooting attire with their logo, along with other specialty shooting accessories. A gun room has a large display of shotguns for every shooting discipline. The club does sell ammo at their pro shop. RV sites are located in close proximity to the clubhouse. If you are planning to come with an RV, I would call the club directly and check availability. Visit southfloridashootingclub.com.

I have been notified that Jack O’Connor passed a few weeks ago. Condolences to all his family and friends.

Larry Grenevicki

ATA Delegate

Georgia

I hope everyone is getting ready for another fantastic state shoot season. The 94th annual Georgia State Shoot will be at South River GC in Covington on April 27-30. We invite you to join us.

Pre-squadding is available on presquad.com. We are looking forward to a fun time again this year. Over the four days will be 1,100 registered targets, 194 trophies and more than $8,400 in added money. All-American points pins for three places will be awarded in the championship events to residents and non-residents.

In addition, a special $500 purse, provided by anonymous donors, will be open to all participants in the special event following Friday’s Event 6, the John D. Hiter Memorial Handicap. Numbers will be drawn, and the shootoff will follow Event 7. The GATA has added $500 for the combined scores of doubles on Events 3 and 4 to be divided evenly among the five class winners. Billy and Marie Griffin have graciously donated $1,000 for Event 2, the Dr. Hal Sims Memorial Handicap, to be awarded to first- through sixth-place winners. Ties will be shot off.

Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m., the GATA invites all shooters and family members to a barbecue dinner compliments of the GATA, South River GC and our special sponsors. The meal will be prepared once again by Big Pigs Barbeque. This has become an annual tradition at the Georgia State Shoot. They do an outstanding job every year.

Congratulations to Darnell Wesley, who shot his first 25 straight in handicap at the Fayette County 4-H shoot in February. We didn’t get to shoot his hat when he ran his first 25 in singles, so his squad made up for it that afternoon. Also I want to congratulate Rosemary Davenport, who ran away with the singles championship on a cold and windy Saturday in February at South River. Good to see Bob Boswell Jr. back in the swing of things, winning the HOA during the monthly shoots at Cherokee GC and South River in February.

Be safe, have fun, shoot well, and attend as many registered events as you can in 2017.

Russ Wright

ATA Delegate

Mississippi

As you read this, we are nearing the high-water mark of 2017 registered shoots in our state, and it appears that registered birds are indeed alive and well.

At the beginning of April, both Capitol GC in Jackson and Coast R&PC will host monthly shoots. In addition, Coast and the Mississippi TA have extended a helping hand to our fellow Louisiana shooters who are in dire straits of late.

New Orleans’ South Louisiana GC closed a few years ago, with no viable chance of reopening. To make matters worse, Baton Rouge’s Hunter’s Run GC is closed, at least temporarily. (Only time will tell if it will once again throw registered targets.)

So, in a show of unity between the sister states, Louisiana’s Hunter’s Run is now hosting a monthly shoot on the second Saturday of the month at the Coast club in Biloxi

This arrangement suits both states well. As of now, on a regular basis, both states’ monthly shoots draw around 18 to 20 shooters. Thus, under the rule awarding a half yard to the winner of a handicap event with 15 shooters, someone is getting punched twice a month, at least, in our state. The winning score is consistently in the 93-to-95 range. Believe me, the possibility of getting a punch increases interest in handicap as well as competition.

In other news, our own Monty Montgomery is shooting lights out in doubles, holding on to a high 91 average. Way to go, Monty!

Memphis’ Bill Hardison continues to drive eight hours to dominate the singles on a monthly basis in Biloxi. The only consolation is that a few of us with sand between our toes shellacked him on the 16-yard line at his own club last year. (My best guess is that he is real tired of hearing this old news.)

In April, besides the monthly shoots in Jackson and Biloxi, Coast will be hosting a new two-day event called the Mid South Spring Classic (thanks to Will McCarty for the great name!). It will be on the fifth weekend of April, 29-30. Six hundred targets, equally divided among the three disciplines, will be shot. This event is 25 days before the 103rd Mississippi Trap Championship at the Coast club and is a great opportunity to practice on the same fields you will be using for the state shoot.

This year’s state shoot will begin on Thursday, May 25 with singles, handicap and doubles. The second preliminary day, May 26, will offer 100 doubles, followed by 100 of singles and handicap. On Saturday, the 200 championship singles will be held. The shoot will conclude Sunday, May 28, with 100 championship doubles and the championship handicap event of 100 targets. As of this writing, we expect to have the same wonderful food, provided so generously by National Aviation Academy to our shooters and guests.

The Courtyard Marriott is the closest accommodation to Coast R&PC, about eight miles due south of the club on Hwy. 67. at 11471 Cinema Dr., D’Iberville, MS 39540 (228-392-1200). We have reserved a block of 35 rooms at the special rate of $92 plus tax. This is Memorial Day weekend, and hotel/motel rates are high. The ladies will like the location, as it is in the middle of a huge, new shopping center. If you book there, ask for the state shoot rate.

Other motels about 20 minutes from the range are located at the intersection of I-10 and U.S. Hwy. 49. Of course, there are many casino hotels to choose from, all within about 15 to 20 minutes of the shoot.

In my travels to two Satellite Grands in Florida and one in Arizona, I have been approached by many shooters who either attended last year’s state shoot (and will return this year) or heard about it and will attend this year for the first time. We are enjoying a well-deserved reputation for providing excellent targets, a very friendly atmosphere and great food. This is the result to the hard work of the MTA and the great sponsorship of NAA.

Lastly, next month will be the last article to appear above my name as my term as your Delegate is ending. It has been a very real honor to so serve. I look forward to seeing each of you at the many upcoming registered events. Shoot well!

Charlie Boggs

ATA Delegate

North Carolina

Ten NC shooters made it down south for the Dixie Grand, at the Silver Dollar SC. Food and fellowship were fantastic again at the usually stops: Silver Dollar, Hellas, Rusty Bellies, Fudge Shop and the Orange Shop. Weather was nice for the first part of the week, with cold wind showing up for the weekend, as can be seen by reviewing the scores. Overall the shoot was about the same, down by .01%, even though weather was a lot better than last year.

A couple of NC shooters were able to make the leaderboard. Bob Schultz won in the Doubles Class Championship and Noah Gouge won in every event, 17 total trophies. Noah shot exceptionally well with a 961×1,000, which placed second overall to everyone in the HOA. Great shooting, Noah and Bob!

I encourage all NC gun clubs to promote youth shooting by hosting an AIM team along with your regularly scheduled shoots. Please contact Jeff Allen with any ideas you have about the AIM youth program. I am sure Jeff will provide any assistance you may need.

I hope that some of you were able to attend the Southern Grand in March. Also, as a reminder, the following shoots are currently planned for the NC Homegrounds at Bostic: Dogwood Open, April 20-23; NC State, June 7-11; ATA Southern Zone, July 13-15; and the NCTHOF, Sept 21-24. Get your camping requests to Joy Duncan early.

Visit www.nctrap.com and www.tarheeltrap.com for NC shooting information. If you have news you would like to see here, please contact me at [email protected] or 919-357-6859.

Jeff Galloway

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

South Carolina had some shooters at the Dixie Grand in Florida. Those bringing home trophies were Ed Clark, Wayne Franz, Russ Middleton and Spencer Power. Some of our other shooters had good scores. I hope we have a good number of winners at the Southern Grand to list next month.

We’ll be seeing you at the Georgia State Shoot. Dave Hollingsworth has a special rate at the LaQuinta on I-20 if you need a room; ask for the GATA rate. We’re looking forward to seeing you there. The Georgia folks always put on a good shoot, and David Adams does a great barbecue feed.

Our state shoot follows on May 17-21. We have three major changes from last year. We’ll have our fish fry again. There will be $1,000 given away on three days by luck of the draw, 10 names at $100 each. We will have awards for three places in each event so the maximum amount of All-American points can be earned. If we are blessed with good weather like last year, we will have an outstanding shoot. Plan to join us.

The Big 50 program is expanding, Mid Carolina has been the leader and has their program rolling. Belton GC just had their second shoot, and they’re going strong. Partridge Creek has a successful program. Greenville is doing a trial run next week to get the bugs out and is planning on a monthly shoot. If you need targets to avoid a penalty at our state shoot, here’s your opportunity.

Jim Faber

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

With the start of April, trapshooting season gets well under way: April 4-9, 38th Southwestern Grand American at National SC, San Antonio, TX; April 19-23, Mike Seitz Memorial at Hog Heaven GC, White Pine, TN; April 27-30, Georgia State Shoot at South River GC, Covington, GA.

to Andrew Chase Kobeck. At the Spring Grand, Andrew broke 98 in the Preliminary Handicap for a first-time move to 27-yard line.

Ron Penn, 74, of Blytheville, AR, passed away Feb. 7. Ron was one of the first shooters I met when I started in the early ’80s. He shot monthly at the Henderson and Memphis clubs.

At our February board meeting, we voted to try the two-bank system. We will start six squads at a time on the odd-numbered traps, shoot 50 targets, and then move to the adjoining even trap to shoot the final 50.

June 13-14 is the Tennessee AIM Shoot, followed by the 104th Tennessee State Shoot June 15-18 at the TCTC at Nashville. Once again this year we will be giving resident and non-resident trophies and points pins for second and third place in all categories.

Read the Rulebook, please.

Check out our website at Shootatatn.com for more info. For questions or further information, contact me at [email protected] or 731-217-9957.

Billy Cook

ATA Delegate

Southwestern Zone

Arkansas

At the time of this writing, the trapshooting temperature in Arkansas is on the rise. So far we have had an unusually mild winter. Most hunting seasons have now closed. The mild weather along with the end of hunting seasons has combined to allow increased activity at most local gun clubs across the state. Our youth and school shooting teams have been formed, so they are ready to go.

It seems like the last few years, we have had the fortune of new gun clubs being built and coming on line across the state. This allows for the increase in trapshooting interest and more targets being thrown, which fulfills one of our missions: “more targets in the air.” This year is no exception. Delta Resort and Spa in southeast Arkansas (Tillar) is certainly not your typical gun club. The onsite facilities are over the top. Delta consists of a 130-room hotel, Great Rivers Hall Conference Center, pro shop, 43 Bar and Grill, 12 American trapfields, sporting clays, skeet and bunker trap. Delta has put in a request to throw ATA targets, and the process of getting Delta certified to hold registered shoots is in the works. Go online at deltaconferencecenter.com or call 877-463-3582 for more information.

Another facility under construction in southeast Arkansas has requested to hold registered shoots. The facility will be known as Rocky Creek Outdoors GC outside of Texarkana. At this point, Rock Creek will consist of four traps (with plans to expand to six in the future) along with two skeet overlays. Eddy Anders is heading up this facility, and the final touches are being made. Certification will follow soon.

This year we once again had some very notable accomplishments from our Arkansas shooters. Ten placed on the 2017 ATA All-American team: Macie Woods, Lady I second; Logan Henry, McCall Groves, Hunter Martin and Jaden Youngblood, junior second; Ryan Bowen, sub-junior second; Austin Scrogin and Noah White, junior gold second; Woody Barnes and Alan (Chuck) Sharp, sub-veteran second.

I would also like to recognize the 2017 Arkansas state team, based on 2016 averages: men’s first—Noah White (captain), Alan (Chuck) Sharp, Austin Scrogin, Woody Barnes, Caleb Coody; men’s second—Chris Scrogin, Cale Love, Steve Mathis, Tommy Hall, Alex Chance; ladies’—Macie Woods, Katie Whisnant; junior—Logan Henry (captain), McCall Groves, Hunter Martin, Cole Woolard, John R. Wiens, Jesse L. Williams, Jared Lincks, Jaden Youngblood, Dylan Watters, Dustin Robertson, Andrew White, Clay Hayes, Garrett Scrogin, Cameron Layes, Justin Phillips; sub-junior—Ryan Bowen (captain), Beau Young, Parker Hepner, Chandler Conyers, Caleb Broeker; veteran—James Kiddy; senior vet—Sam Weaver.

The Arkansas State Trapshooting Federation Board of Directors had their annual meeting in preparation for the Arkansas AIM Championships June 20 and the Arkansas State Shoot held June 21-25 at the Arkansas G&FF SSC in Jacksonville. President Dennis Tune is doing a great job and has some exciting plans for this year.

We are blessed to have all of these positive things going for us in Arkansas, and for this we are very thankful. Come shoot with us; we would enjoy the opportunity to serve. For more information, check out our website at arkansastrapshooting.org.

Alan (Chuck) Sharp

ATA Delegate

New Mexico

Twenty-four New Mexico shooters attended the Spring Grand in Tucson to kick off their 2017 calendar year of competitive shooting. The Spring Grand is a great tournament hosted by a very nice club and is a good way to knock off the rust from the winter season, shoot in some nice spring weather, and win some of the great prizes that the Tucson club provides. The Autumn and Spring Grands usually have good attendance by our New Mexico shooters, so if you get the chance to experience the club and the Tucson area, you will not be disappointed.

April kicks off shooting in New Mexico with a one-day shoot in Belen on the 2nd. The Albuquerque TC will be hosting their three-day Annual Shoot the 7 through the 9th, and Alamogordo is hosting a registered shoot the 22nd and 23rd. The Mesilla Valley SS club west of Las Cruces will be hosting their first ATA registered shoot, which is also their Annual Shoot, April 29-30. Please welcome Mesilla Valley to the NMSTA and the ATA by attending. The club is a very nice facility and has a great background. Information about this one and all the clubs that host ATA shoots in New Mexico can be found on at www.nmtrap.com or www.shootata.com.

Looking forward to the beginning of May, the Raton club is hosting a two-day shoot the 6th and 7th, and the Silver City club is hosting a one-day shoot on the 6th.

The ATA fundraiser this year is a new Perazzi HT RS combo shotgun. Both Joel Schram and I have 20 tickets, which like last year will go fast. Thank you to all who continue to support the ATA by purchasing the raffle tickets.

We all have looked forward to the 2017, shooting season and it is now upon us. Please make your best effort to attend as many shoots as possible as each and every club, large or small, puts a tremendous amount of effort into hosting a shoot.

As always, you can reach me at [email protected]

Dale Rechtenbach

ATA Delegate

Oklahoma

OTSA had warm weather for their Jan. 22 derby, but north winds of 20 mph made targets difficult. Jeffery Thayer’s 49 was high in singles, John Ewing led the handicap with 44, and Rick Bliss headed the doubles with 45. Jan. 29’s derby had almost the same weather, this time with a 25-mph northwest wind. In the singles, Tim Mount and Mike Meeks were high with 47s. Leading the handicap with 42s were Meeks, Ron Freeman and James West. Meeks won the doubles with 45. On Jan. 30 we broke another record with a high of 76°. Brian Northup said the OTSA has been busy, and they’ve seen more women accompanying the men to try clay target shooting.

Congratulations to Jim Moody, who will be inducted into the Kansas Trapshooters Hall of Fame this year in the benefactor category, having donated countless hours repairing traps and setting targets in Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska as well as the Grand American, where he has served as assistant tournament director. Jim was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1998. At the 2012 Oklahoma State Shoot, Jim set a 399×400 all-around record and won all four of the main ATA titles. Thank you, Jim, for all you do.

Another Oklahoma shooter passed away in December: Harlan Dobbs from Wagner had a brief shooting career, shooting at 2,675 singles and 500 handicap. Our condolences to his family.

Twin Lakes TR had a good turnout for their first derby shoot of February, but weather could have been better. It was cool and overcast all day, making the targets hard to see. Tim Mount’s 45 was high in doubles, Mike Grove led the singles with 48, and Terry Johnson and Kenneth Green had 47s. Grove and James West led the handicap with 46s, while Ron Freeman’s 45 was next

I ventured down to the Ada GC for their weekly Tuesday night fun shoot. It was a warm evening with light winds, so they had a good turnout. Several shooters had new or different guns. Joe Anglin had sent his Silver Seitz to have the stock redone, Mike Grove was trying a different gun, and Randy and Vickie Farmer were shooting new guns. Vickie broke 24 on the handicap. Clay Galbreath was the big winner with 24 singles and 25 handicap for the high score of 49. He won top money as well as all the quarters in singles and handicap. He had not fired a shot since September. The club throws one green target on each handicap round, and all were broken, paying each shooter $4.75. This little shoot draws a lot of interest and keeps everyone in practice during the winter months. Lowell said he just ordered another truckload of targets. They plan to hold more two-day shoots this year also. Last year they had 44 shooters at one of these shoots. They are in the process of building sliding roofs on their traphouses, which will cut down on time to reload them. Having thrown 45,725 registered targets last year, they hope to throw even more this season.

More rollercoaster weather: Thursday morning it was 22°, and two days later it was 99° in Mangum. This would have been the day for OTSA’s derby. Then Sunday it was cool with a driving north wind gusting 40- to 50-mph.

In mid February, Jimmy Brown suffered a stroke which affected his right side. He was moved to an Oklahoma City hospital and will be going to the Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Center soon. We all wish Jimmy well, and I will pass on more information as I receive it.

Work on the state shoot program is going on, with Brian and I putting ad requests in the mail. As a courtesy, we trade state shoot ads with Kansas, Arkansas and Texas. We have also designed a pin for the Hall of Fame enshrinees. These will be presented to new members plus previous members who are living

Shawnee Twin Lakes TR’s shoot Feb. 19 was warm with overcast skies. Mike Grove and Bill Dean broke 46 to win A and B doubles, and Tim Mount led C with 43. In the singles, Terry Johnson and Kenneth Green were high in A with 48s, Wayne Loyd’s and Mike Meeks’ 49s headed B, and Gary Bristol won C with 43. Meeks led the handicap with 48, Gordon Sebring’s 46 was second, and Johnson’s 45 was third. Paul Hooper broke 47 but was shooting targets only.

On Feb. 1, Jack McCanlies was involved in a serious motorcycle accident south of Shawnee on Hwy. 102. A pickup going around a sharp curve too fast swung a trailer over into Jack’s lane. This left him with a broken collarbone, dislocated shoulder and broken ribs on one side. He is in the hospital recuperating, but it will be a long process. We wish Jack the best, as well as his wife Cheryle, in this trying time.

In February, 100 Oklahoma National Guard members from the Muldrow Army Heliport in Lexington were deployed to the Middle East. They are aviators, maintenance and technicians for CH-47 Chinook helicopter support. Brig. Gen. Michael Thompson expressed his personal view of Guardsmen and their sacrifice for the safety of our country: “I see brothers and sisters, students, police officers, farmers and everyday workers who put everything aside when our country calls.” One Guard member said he had been deployed nine times, and it will be another year away, “but it’s what we do.” They will be in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and Spartan Shield. We can assist their families while they are deployed. In January, three more military personnel lost their lives overseas while defending our freedom; let’s remember them in our prayers.

Tim Deister

ATA Delegate

Texas

What a February in the Texas Panhandle! We have had record high temperatures several times this month. We have also set records twice this month in Hereford for highest wind speeds. The temperatures make me want to get the gun oiled and ready. The wind makes me want to stay inside.

Again this year, as it did last year, the Texas Trapshooters Association will be awarding in-state and out-of-state trophies at the state shoot. Also, there will be second- and third-place point pins, both in- and out-of-state, in the special categories.

The state shoot will be held at the Amarillo Gun Club July 4-9. The club is under new leadership and welcomes you to join them for a great shoot.

I understand there is more push now to eliminate the 18-yard line in handicap. If you agree, you need to voice your opinion to the ATA. Maybe just a small step, but if we get rid of the 18-yard line this year, maybe we can eliminate the 19 next year.

Please remember that if you would like a yardage increase to the 20-yard line, or all the way to the 25-yard line for that matter, just call or e-mail me with your request. If you receive a requested yardage increase, you will not be eligible for a 1,000-target review reduction for a period of two years.

Shooting season should be in full swing by the time you read this. I hope to see many of you at the Southwestern Grand in San Antonio. I always try to have Rulebooks with me

As our shooting season gets under way, please remember that most of our gun clubs are run by volunteers. Thank them for what they do, and you might even volunteer to help. Also, the trap help need to be treated with respect and kindness. It doesn’t matter if they are paid help or volunteers, we couldn’t have registered shooting without them.

If you have any news, please let Princess or me know. I can’t write about it if I don’t know about it. You can e-mail me, or call me at 806 679-6889.

Till next time, y’all shoot well, y’all shoot often, and y’all have a great time.

Jerry O’Connor

ATA Delegate

Western Zone

Alberta

As this is written, the Spring Grand has just been completed. Nineteen Albertans participated in various events. Attendance was up this year during championship week; the grounds and vendors were very active for the whole week. Bert Brumwell had a nice run on trophies in the chair category, but outside of that it was a tough year for Albertans. Ron Crockford won sub-vet runnerup in the Doubles Championship. It was nice to see Jesse and Lynn Smith down from High Level to attend their first Spring Grand. Both made it into shootoffs, with Jesse having an exciting time winning A doubles in the championship and B high-over-all. Doug Leong also had numerous good scores, including a 95 in the preliminary handicap which earned him senior vet runnerup. Trevor Dawe was the only Albertan in the run for a singles championship. His 199 and 24 in shootoff did not win a trophy, but he did pick up the B all-around award.

While things are quiet on the trapshooting front in Alberta right now, it is time to read the programs and make plans to attend the Canadian Championships, ATA Western Zone and Alberta Championships. These three major shoots combined with the many club shoots will make it a busy year.

The Canadian in Edmonton will likely be the largest shoot in the West this year, as early indications are for good attendance from across Canada.

The Western Zone in Edmonton this year will feature a $3,000 added money all-around Lewis with no entry fee—another good reason to attend.

The Provincial in Calgary will have a great shooting program, and feature induction of three honored shooters into the Alberta Hall of Fame: Diane Peyton, Larry Ivany and Trevor Dawe.

I hope to see you at all three of these major events and many of the club shoots scheduled for the year. If there are things you would like to have published in this article, please give me a call or let me know by e-mail.

Garry Hill

ATA Delegate

Arizona

What a month! It’s hard to know where to start, but let’s go with the big one—the Spring Grand. I do not have the official figures, but the championship events were up about 2% over last year. Maybe some of it was the weather. It was near-perfect during the main week, with lots of shorts and T-shirts on the line. It is great to get out of your winter duds. The prelims could have been a little bit better; however, nothing to stop you from shooting. I had the opportunity of refereeing a number of shootoffs, and it is really humbling to watch the very best. One was for the preliminary all-around won by Harlan Campbell Jr. In the doubles alone, Harlan shot five consecutive 100s, then dropped all the way down to 99, and finished with another 100.

I doubt if the shoot could have been run much better. Up to 12 banks were used with four traps per bank and everything was finished by the early evening. Kudos to all at Tucson!

Arizona shooters made their presence felt, but we have had stronger shoots. First up was Karen Bergman with a 100 straight in singles on the second day, taking Lady II on a carryover. Vince Bianco won the preliminary AA doubles championship with a neat 98 plus 19 in shootoff. Tim Robb took veteran in Monday’s singles with a 100 followed by three 25s in carryover. Don Jensen won 25-26 runnerup in the day’s handicap. In the same event, Bob Sawyer beat all other veterans. On Tuesday Ken Mlynarz, Robb and Charlie Wachtel broke 100 apiece to tie for trophies, while Allen Kasovic came through in D with a 99. (By the way, was that Charlie’s dad Andy that I saw shooting?) Joe Henderson brought Arizona some needed glory in Wednesday’s Yuma Doubles with a victory in B, and that old doubles pro, Darvin Thomas, won A in Thursday’s Class Championship. Junior Canyon Ferris, who had a strong shoot, lost out by one in the same event.

Now you have all heard of the Flying Wallendas; how about the Shooting Mlynarzes? (More on them to come). Bob’s 96 plus 17 in the shootoff gave him the Class B title in the main doubles. In the Caesar Guerini Handicap, Colton Hartley triumphed over a strong junior field. Was the competition tough in the Spring Grand? Well, in the Singles Championship, 25 shooters finished with a 199 or 200.

My squadmate, Ken Mlynarz, completed one of the most difficult tasks in trapshooting: a Grand Slam. That’s 200 straight in singles, 100 in doubles and a 100 from the 27-yard line. His perfect score in handicap on Feb. 5 at Ben Avery was the clincher. Couple that with a 98 in doubles in the morning and a 199 in singles the day before, and you have a pretty good weekend of shooting.

Around the state

The Winter Chain came to Tucson Jan. 24-29 along with a good crowd. Ed Hutchison won Class C in the opening singles, and Michael Smyth took Class D. Patricia Carter was high lady in the following day’s singles with a nice 97, and Gerry Williams topped all vets at 94 in the ’caps. In Friday’s singles, Don Jensen shot a perfect 100, as did Gerry, and Richard Luckett emerged in Sunday’s handicap as senior vet winner.

There was some pretty good Arizona shooting at Ben Avery’s Winter Blast Feb. 1-5. Ron Schroer tied for 25-27 in the opening handicap, and he was at it again in the doubles with a 98, high score for senior vets. Ken Mlynarz also shot a 98, winning AA. Wayne Thompson and Bob Mlynarz tied for B, and Sherry Schatz won C. The next day started off with doubles, and Ken was high gun with a 97. In Friday’s handicap, Jesse Zamora prevailed in the 18-21 group as did Howard Rinehart in 22-24. On Saturday Dan Vogel (MT) broke all 200 singles. Falling one short was Ken Mlynarz. Kaitlin Quan showed her stuff with a 198, winning ladies’, and Michael Judges came through in D class. Sunday was doubles and handicap, and Arizona competitors were right there. Jay Alderman led the doubles at 99, edging out both Ken Mlynarz, who won AA, and Karen Bergman, high Lady. Colton Hartley tied for B, and Roger Combs was high in C with a fine 97. In the handicap, Judges prevailed in 18-21, beating out Kenton Fogle on a forfeit, and Ken Mlynarz posted his Grand Slam 100 from the 27.

Feb. 5 was a busy day up and down Arizona, and Tri-State held their popular Big 50. All winners in the opening singles were Arizona folks except for veteran. Ed Lovelace shot the only perfect 50 and won C. The Handicap featured two 49s by senior vet Billy Johnson and veteran Steve Despenas. In the doubles, it was all Arizona again. Despenas had a 47 for high gun, followed closely by Lovelace. If you are looking for a well-run shoot with great people in the western part of the state, Tri-State’s the answer.

Casa Grande had their Pre-Spring Grand Warm Up Feb. 7-12. It was a well-attended affair with a good mix of in- and out-of-state competitors. More than one person contacted me to say how well it was run, complete with the usual Casa Grande hospitality. Things started off Tuesday with the singles, where Ron Schroer won senior vet. In the ’caps, Roland Jones took veteran, and Jay Alderman and George Miller tied for senior veteran. All three received a one-yard punch. Jay was doubles high gun at 98, and Art Hammer prevailed in D. Wednesday’s doubles saw Schroer winning AA, and Steve Smoot beat all in C in the day’s singles. Thursday Howard Rinehart won B singles with a 98, while Tom Schmidt was C runnerup. George Miller came through in handicap, winning the always tough senior veterans division. On Friday Sharon Swanson beat the other ladies in doubles, Dennis Keith took the D singles trophy, and Ken Mlynarz was high in the 25-27 group. Event 15 was 50 pair of doubles, and Ken Vanderpool nailed C with a 94. In Sunday’s doubles, Kelly McDaniel won C, Robert Pike D, and Wayne Ward senior vet. B shooter Steven Haynes and senior vet Tom Strunk were tied in their respective singles groups but were nosed out in the end. Richard Grubb suffered the same fate in 22-24 ranks.

Next up: the state shoot, and remember how our juniors ran off with just about everything last year

John Bergman

ATA Delegate

Utah

I remember years ago when I lived in Vernal, a friend told me that once we reached February, the end of winter was in sight. I didn’t believe it then, and I don’t believe it now. We do have a few state shoots popping up here and there soon, so maybe the end is in sight after all.

As most of you have heard by now, we lost Brent Cloward in early January. Brent was one of the guys who always had a smile on his face and enjoyed a good laugh. I remember shooting on his squad at my first-ever Huntsman Senior Games; we had a lot of fun at that shoot. Brent started shooting trap in 1983 and amassed just over 95,000 targets throughout his career. He served as president of the Utah State Trapshooting Association for several years

Those of us who shoot at sporting clays and five stand lost another friend in Brent McNee. Brent had a sterling career in the Utah Air National Guard, where he was a marksman on the pistol team. I first met Brent at the now-shuttered Holladay GC, where he shot skeet and five stand with my father. After my father passed away, every time I saw Brent at Lee Kay SC or at Last Resort GC, I would get a warm feeling because the sight of him would make me remember my father and the good times I had growing up.

My condolences go out to the families of both of these gentlemen.

As promised last month, here is a reminder of a few of the rules that are regularly overlooked. One that is frequently broken is changing posts with a shell (live or empty) in the gun. Some people forget they have shot five shots and go ahead and load the gun, and then when they are told to change posts, they fail to remove the shell. Another very common one is for those shooting an over/under barrel for singles events who like to keep an empty shell in the unused chamber so they don’t load the wrong barrel. It is okay to have a “snap cap” inserted as long as it is fluorescent orange. Both these rules are addressed in section IV, I, 10 and 13.

By my observation, probably the most commonly broken rule is when changing posts, the shooter moving from Post 5 to Post 1 walks in front of anther shooters. Normally the person going from 5 to 1 doesn’t do this on purpose, but the other shooters try to be courteous and back up, thus almost forcing him/her to break the rule (in International shooting, this would be an automatic disqualification). This rule is covered under section IV, I, 12.

I encourage everyone to read and review the rules every year. The way I view the rules is that there are “protocol rules” and “safety rules.” All need to be followed, but let’s never compromise safety.

Another thing I promised was to do a small piece on little known facts or useless tidbits. Here goes:

Most of us in Utah know Pete Martin and his sweet wife Lori, whom together have contributed a great deal to our sport. When I lived in Vernal and first got to know Craig Hart and Bill and Petey Martin, I always assumed Petey’s name was in fact “Pete.” One day at the Nevada State Shoot in Las Vegas, I went to the scoreboard and saw that a Carl Martin had shot very well. I went to the Martins’ camp and asked them who Carl was. They all pointed to Petey. His brother Bill, never short on words, proceeded to tell me the story of how Petey got his name. As a child, Carl’s mother called him “Sweetie,” and his little sister tried to call him by this term of endearment as well but couldn’t pronounce it; instead it came out as “Feetie.” So for 20+ years, Carl was known as “Feetie” by friends and family. One day Bill and Feetie were at an oil well with a company hand when Bill turned to his brother and said “Feetie, get a shovel and jump down in that hole and clean it out.” The company hand chimed in and said, “Yeah, Petey, get down in that hole and clean it out.” This brought an extremely large guffaw from Bill, and from that day forward, our beloved Carl Dale Martin (aka Sweetie and Feetie) became known as “Petey.”

As Paul Harvey would say, “Now you know the rest of the story!”

Ed Wehking

ATA Delegate

Washington

Spring is here, and hopefully you are all enjoying some nice weather while shooting at some ATA targets. Winter seemed to linger here in the Northwest, so a lot of shooters are looking forward to shedding the heavy coat and gloves in order to don their shooting vests and sun visors.

Trapshooting will be in full stride as this issue hits your mailbox, with the Camas Prairie Handicap in the books and the Northwest Grand at Spokane GC about to get started. Following will be shoots at Marlin, Odessa and other various clubs scattered about the state. One of my goals is to shoot ATA targets at the clubs I haven’t been to due to scheduling conflicts in the past. With that in mind, I’d like to challenge every ATA shooter in Washington to attend at least one shoot at a club they haven’t visited, or one thrown by a club they haven’t visited in a while. Take a new shooter with you, too. I know they would be happy to see you, and some great memories can be made.

Plans for the Inland Empire Handicap should be about ironed out by now, so we are all looking forward to attending this historic shoot at Spokane GC again this May. Between the Inland and Washington State Shoot there are a lot of targets flying, so come check our area out. We’d love to meet you out-of-state shooters!

I’d like to thank George Seubert again for his hard work raising sponsorships and added money for our state shoot in June. As with the Northwest Grand, there will be life memberships up for grabs for junior and sub-junior shooters. Sponsorships for the youth are available to help with entry fees and shells. If you know a kid that you would like to encourage toward ATA shooting, please bring him or her along. For details about youth sponsorships, please contact George Seubert at [email protected]. I can always be reached at [email protected] or in the evenings at 509-397-4756. I think this is a “win/win” for kids and the WSTA. Many times when kids get started at trapshooting, Mom and Dad come along, and pretty soon our sport has become a family affair for them and helps ensure that our game stays strong.

As the shooting season heats up and gets busy, please remember to have an updated average card with you at the handicap table. When shooting consecutive weekends, your scores from the previous weekend might not show up online yet, so it is important to have your scores written down and earned handicap yardage punched to enable fair handicapping and classifying. If you shoot a good handicap score, don’t leave until you have checked with shoot management to see if you have earned yardage. Remember, it’s fun to have a new hole in your card the next time you walk up to the handicap table—not to mention, one of us might take your picture for a report in TRAP & FIELD!

I will be organizing a silent auction to be held during the state shoot. This has been a real success the last couple of years under the direction of Roger Clouse, and I hope I can keep it going and growing as he passes the baton to me. Any club or individual wishing to contribute items is encouraged to do so. Shooting- and outdoor-related items are always a hit, as well as crafts, coolers, wine baskets and many other items. Use your imagination because you never know who might think your contribution to this WSTA fundraiser is just what they need to take home with them.

We hope to see you in the clubhouse and on the line soon! Until next time, shoot straight and keep your powder dry

Sean Lewis

ATA Alternate Delegate

Central Zone

Illinois

Hello, shooters! I hope this article finds everyone well. Weather is breaking, and we’re trading off the cold for rain. I don’t know about you guys, but I’d take rain over cold any day. Hopefully by now everyone has guns oiled and shells bought or reloaded and is ready to get the ball rolling for the summer. Be sure to check your local clubs to find out when they’re throwing targets so you’re all ready for the state shoot in a couple months. The southern zone shoot is in Sparta on Memorial Day weekend, May 27-28, and the central zone shoot is in Peoria June 3-4. So if you want to make the state team and didn’t make the beautiful northern zone shoot, be sure you make it to one of those.

For those of you who love doubles targets, we are adding another 100 to the state program this year. We’ll have the championship doubles on Sunday so the all-around can be shot on just Saturday and Sunday. I am very happy with the addition; I hope you all will be, too. We also will be throwing a handicap doubles fun event (just in case you think shooting them from the 16 is too easy) after shootoffs on Saturday.

Remember, any questions, comments or concerns are welcomed—just shoot me an e-mail at [email protected]. Happy shooting!

Lauren Mueller

ATA Delegate

Indiana

Greetings, shooters! I hope I don’t regret saying this right now in late February when you are reading this in April, but so far we have certainly been blessed with a very mild winter, for sure. With all of these 60- and even 70-degree days in February, I hope many of you have been able to get out and shoot some mild-weather targets when typically you are stuck at home instead of actually being outside. In April, ATA targets start flying all over the state. I encourage everyone to support our local Indiana gun clubs by attending as many shoots as possible. Several clubs are now throwing Big 50 events during the week, and this is a great opportunity to get a lot of targets registered early in the target year. I personally try to get to clubs each year that I don’t typically go to in order to help support these clubs, and I hope that you consider doing the same.

The Indiana central zone shoot will be May 5-7 at Roachdale GC. These are the correct dates; I had the wrong dates listed last month. The state northern zone shoot will be May 12-14 at Fulton County GC, with the southern zone the same dates at Indian Creek SC. The program for each shoot will be 200 championship singles targets on Saturday, with 50 pair of doubles then 100 handicap on Sunday. All three clubs will be having “Fun Day” targets on the Friday; contact each club for details.

The ITA Board of Directors have been hard at work preparing for the 123rd Indiana State Shoot this year at Indiana GC July 4-9. The ITA Spectator Experience will be back for the second year with even more events planned for non-shooters. If you have any questions about the shoot, camping or sponsorship opportunities, let me know.

Also please plan to attend the ATA Central Zone shoot at Evansville GC July 28-30. Keep an eye on indianatrap.com and shootATA.com websites in addition to TRAP & FIELD, as all the shooting schedules are finalized for the target year. Hope to see you all at several of these shoots!

As always, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know at [email protected].

Jason Barnett

ATA Delegate

Ohio

Ohio shooters that traveled down to the Dixie Grand and brought home the bacon were Baird, William; Bush, Adam; Bush, Andrew; Brenner, Roger; Cecil, Tom; Charniga, Ronald; Christopher, Patrick; Dehabey, Mike; Gorman, Brad; Grant, Barbara; Hedrick, Jennifer; Hedrick, Tate; Kocmit, Otto; McCloskey, Edward; Morgan, Louie; Pitstick, Madison; Schlichter, Jeffery; Shields, Kenneth; Stumbo, Ashley; Whyde, George; Williams, William; and Zombek, Richard. Congratulations to all.

At the time of this writing, the OSTA had a meeting scheduled Feb. 25. Therefore, I really don’t have much to report from what I wrote last month. I do know that Kubota is going to have another item in the state shoot this year, but as of right now I cannot report on exactly what the item is going to be. I should have a lot more information to share after this meeting. You might also like to visit the OSTA website.

I hope everyone is enjoying this mild winter, and you are taking advantage of going to the local gun clubs to stay in practice. The Mid-American is coming up in April at the Middletown SC, and the state zone shoots are in May. The Mid-American should be able to have All-American points this year with the reduction of total entries needed for points. Last spring, under the previous minimum, they missed it by just three or four shooters.

I would like to say hello to Pat Christopher and Mark Kroger, who shoot a lot of targets at the Sarasota GC in Florida. I didn’t make it down this year to give you a lesson, but I hope you men are keeping in practice. Pat, if you see my two grandsons, try to help them out.

I will have a lot of information to share with you in the next article, plus I hope to have Ohio’s trophy winners from the Southern Grand and/or Florida state. I will leave you with the words of my good friend: “Keep your head down, follow through, and bust ’em.”

Roger McNamer

ATA Delegate

Wisconsin

I received another postcard in the mail. Ugh, this time it was not as funny as the last one from Wyatt Earp from the Green Bay area. This one was a bit disturbing. Whoever you are, postcard writer, please do not send any more—especially when you do not even sign your real name.

Wisconsin was well represented at the Dixie Grand in Florida. Those of you that are still there or are making the long journey home, travel safe; we want to see you at our Wisconsin shoots. Also, shooters at the Spring Grand in Tucson did very well; lots of winners and lots of fun. Please look at the writeup of the trophy winners in this issue.

Our state shoot will be here before we know it. I hope everyone can attend as it will be a great one again. Jeff with Kolar Arms has donated a gun to be raffled off. Tickets are available for purchase now through Paul Becker ([email protected]), Mark Zauhar and Sandra Jo Jack. When you purchase your ticket, please write on the stub that you read about it in my article. The gun’s value is $19,995, including custom fitting and wood upgrade, and tickets are $100 each.

We are looking for donations for our silent and live auction for Friday night’s WTA fundraiser/fish fry. If you have a donation, please contact Paul Becker. I am still looking for someone to help hand out trophies while Dennis and I are shooting. You get the best job ever: meeting new people! Please consider this for you or maybe a spouse who will be there.

I am so looking forward to warm weather and seeing all of you at shoots. Please remember to help at your local club. Loading targets, cleaning, scoring, or any help will be appreciated. E-mail me at [email protected] with any newsworthy information you want me to write about. Most of all, keep smiling . . . I am.

Sandra Jo Jack

for ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring