Around The ATA
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.
Central Zone
Illinois
Hello, shooters! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Now it’s time to start the new year with a new attitude. We all know trapshooting is 80% mental. The more positive we are, the better our scores are going to be. So let’s all go into the 2018 target year with a positive attitude and have one of our best years yet! Set your goals for the year (making the state team, going for the All-American team, or breaking our first 100 straight) and take the steps necessary to achieve those goals. Practice and dedication pay off, so support your local clubs and go out and give it your all!
The ISTA is working on moving the Hall of Fame. They are going to add on to the ISTA (registration) building at Brittany on the west end. They are working on becoming a 501(c)3 to accept donations to help get the building going and are just waiting on the state to approve them as an entity. The blueprint is almost complete, and construction will begin when funds are ready.
I’m excited to hear about all of your success stories in the future. Send them in an e-mail to me, and I would love to put them in the article. Happy shooting!
Lauren Mueller
ATA Delegate
Indiana
Happy New Year’s, shooters! I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas and 2018 is off to a great start for all. I wish each of you great success this year, both on and off the trapline.
Hopefully this is only a reminder, but I will be including it in every article this year, just in case you forget . . . the 2018 Indiana State Shoot will be July 17-22.
I have some exciting news about our ITA website www.indianatrap.com. Ryan Clark has served as our webmaster for the past several years and has made the site into a fantastic source for news and information about trapshooting in Indiana. With his return as an Indiana resident, John Voliva has taken on the project of revamping the website with improved looks as well as technological functionality. Make sure you check it out during these cold winter months and get your calendar ready to go once the spring weather arrives. Also for any clubs, e-mail me your shoot programs so they can be added to the website.
The 2017 Indiana all-state teams have been selected. First, congratulations to our high average champions for the year: Jason Seitz, 16s, .9910 and doubles, .9739; and Preston Crandell, handicap, .9400.
The 2017 Indiana all-state teams are as follows:
Men’s open team—Jason Seitz, Eric Shroyer, C. W. Arnett, Devon Harris, Bobby Bolden, John Harden, Gary Scott, Michael Grannan, Ed Budreau, Michael Gooch. Lady I—Christina Byrd, Deborah Stueck. Sub-junior—Bo Redd, Noah Rice, Johnathon Seitz, Rhett Wierenga, Ethan Buck. Junior—Daniel Williams, Kaleb Lanoue. Junior gold—Preston Crandell, Dillen Johnson, Victor Hammond. Sub-vet—Tank Lunsford, Garl Gresley, David Winn, Jeffrey Webb, Mike Williams, Robert Bowers, Thomas Moore, Steven Byrd, Bernard Matthews, Gregg Bauserman. Veteran—Tom Neal, Roland King, Thomas Antczak, Kenneth Heathcoate, Jerry Fosbrink, John Roussel, Michael Welte, Jack Curry, R. Scott Norris, Ben Morriston. Senior vet—Bobby Hubble, Vern Brown, Thomas Rhoads, Michael Stephenson, Jerry Brown, William Tempest, Harold Bowers, Charles Vise, Gene Baxter, Larry Ellis.
For 2018, state team requirements will be the same as for 2017. These are listed in last year’s Indiana State Shoot program. Also a reminder on category determination: if you declare for a category at any point during the target year, that is the category you are eligible for on the state team. If you never declare for a category, you are eligible for the men’s open team.
Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything or would like to have anything included in this article for Indiana. My e-mail is [email protected].
Jason Barnett
ATA Delegate
Iowa
Well, it’s a lovely winter in Iowa! At least we are on the downhill slide to spring and breaking out the guns. I hope to make it out to the Spring Grand this year in Tucson. I hope you all had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year’s.
As I look back in my notebook, it seems like a long time ago that we were in Nebraska in June for the state shoot. Iowa was well represented with over 20 shooters making the trip to Doniphan. This shoot is always one of my favorites of the year, very well run and small enough that we always find fellow shooters and have great conversations at night. Some Iowa shooters shot very well, including Tony Wessel, Victor Brown, Frank Sick, Chris Gardner and Mitchell Burgin.
Congratulations to this year’s state team members—great shooting and thank you for representing Iowa so well.
Elite team—Dale Stockdale, .9616; Terry Palmer, .9589; Tommy Keeshan, .9516; Kenneth Brandt, .9439; Edwin Schlotfeldt, .9393; Gary Stille, .9377; Evan Ingalls, .9370; Monte Kloubec, .9305; Kevin Hartwig, .9297; Danny Meyne, .9267; Larry Bumsted, .9239; Jeff Walters, .9222. Women’s—Kassi Salsbery, .9241; Shelly Heitner, .9190; Alyssa Smith, .8849; Lori Glasgow, .8693; Elizabeth Birchfield, .8682; Beverly Dominacki, .8622. Sub-junior—Drew Baxter, .9263; Wyatt Lindstrom, .9241; Christofer Gardner, .9239; Bryce Wade, .9085; Levi Mills, .8899. Junior—Kyle Coomer, .9124; Sara Simon, .8955; Carson Feeney, .8849; Victoria Fox, .8518; Brandon Nelson, .8397. Veteran—John Hughes, .9530; David Bessine, .9180; Jon Halford, .9176; Louis Segebart, .9139; Hal Myers, .9134. Senior vet—Dean Bright, .9400; Jerry Pierce, .9120; Steve Maltzahn, .9051; Clarence Bahmler, .8919; Jim Pemble, .8912.
Heath Kasperbauer
ATA Delegate
Minnesota
Hello, Minnesota shooters! I have to apologize for not writing this article for a couple of months. Life is definitely in high gear for myself and our family.
This year Minnesota was blessed with tremendous weather, for the most part. Our state shoot had all but one day with sunshine, and shooter turnout was up or down by a handful each day from years prior.
Sally and I have been planning the winter coach training season and have picked the dates. We are looking at four larger schools this year but have seven locations begging for schools. We will have to see how strong our willpower is to have some life of our own. As many of you know, our candle has been burning from both ends for a while now. It is taking a bit of a toll, and we have to think smarter. The NRA Level 1 coach training will begin in January and go through April for our Minnesota schedule. We will post the locations shortly on the www.minnesotashotgun.org site for sign-up. Cost will be $145 per coach. We make nothing on this; the fees are to cover the NRA coaching materials, the binder, range and shell fees, and lunch for our trainees. The course is an intensive 16 hours (12 hours classroom and four hours range time). Once you pass the test and field program, you are an NRA Level I shotgun coach. We hope you don’t stop there. This is the beginning to a long and rewarding experience; there is nothing like the feeling when the person you are coaching finally “gets it.” Many say it was the best time they have had in a long time. Come out and see!
We are pleased to announce that the Shooters Sporting Clays (Marshall) has joined the ATA in throwing registered targets. We certified the fields last summer, and they are good to go. Watch their website for dates and times. Shooters also throws sporting clays throughout the winter. Please support their efforts.
Congratulations to the Minnesota shooters who made it onto the 2018 All-American teams (based on 2017 targets). This is no small commitment. It takes time, travel and some substantial cost and energy to make a team, and we appreciate all the hard work by our Minnesota shooters. The following shooters made these teams: Eric Munson, men’s second;, Scott Gens, men’s second; Dean Neumann, sub-vet captain; Troy Haverly, sub-vet first; Randy Cook, veteran first; William Van Nieuwenhuyzen, veteran second; Curtis Peterson, veteran second; Dean Walker, senior veteran second; Ben Dietz, junior gold first; Colton Langer, junior gold first; and Jack Knaus, sub-junior second.
Alternate Delegates Dean and Peter Walker, along with myself, have been poring over the data to select Minnesota all-state teams. Not a really easy task. Watching for four Minnesota clubs, the required target minimums, and declaration of category at the Zone or state shoot makes it a little harder. Some of the data was a head-scratcher and made for good fodder and discussion at the state meeting in December. Although we relaxed target minimums to make it easier to make the state team and also allow persons who may not be able to shoot large amounts of targets to have a chance, it didn’t work out that way. It seems the ones who were shooting 2,000 targets just quit shooting when they reached the new 1,500 target level. Others did not really try to achieve a couple hundred more targets for a chance. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty who shoot 5,000 or more targets each year. What too is amazing is how many shoot only a few hundred and still more amazing how many shoot 100 to 200. Out of 1,500 active Minnesota shooters last year, about 70% shoot fewer than 300 targets. After much checking and double-checking, we have come up with the all-state teams for 2017, and we voted on approval at the December meeting. Congratulations to those shooters.
We have also gone through nominations of the Hall of Fame inductees and voted on that at the December meeting. All nominations had to be submitted by Nov. 1. Online forms are on the Minnesotatrap.org site.
Please remember to submit shoot data to Trap & Field magazine for posting. Minnesota could do more of this; a few clubs, like Buffalo, Del-Tone/Luth, Bemidji and Minneapolis do, but others should too.
ATA rules again changed on Sept. 1 with your new target year. Please make sure to check on the new rules at www.shootata.com for the most current copy and pay your 2018 dues if you have not already. If you have downloaded your shoot records in the past, you may not get another paper card in the mail. You must either print your card online or request your card from the ATA. You need a copy of an up-to-date ATA paper card to classify at shoots, so be sure to print or request yours.
As I sit in the duck or goose blinds or deer stands with my wife and watch all those beautiful sunrises and sunsets and wonder of the sights and sounds surrounding us, I cannot imagine what it would be like without that. I have my father to thank for all the hours of commitment he gave me as I was growing up, freezing and covered with mud while showing me the world with nature at the center stage. I get misty-eyed thinking of all those kids who don’t have what I had. Please take a kid shooting, whether trapshooting or hunting. Show them the incredible world we live in. They sure don’t learn it in the city. Grab a few guns, your family members and a few of your kids’ friends, and come out and shoot! Jackpots are going on in Del-Tone/Luth, Buffalo and Minneapolis gun clubs all winter. My dad had a saying, one I never forgot and one that I teach with every breath: “Teach your kids to hunt, and you will never have to hunt for your kids.” It worked for my family!
Our family has been reminded again last evening how fragile life is. The Minnesota trapshooting community offers our sincere condolences to the family of Milton Brumwell of Erskine. Milton was founder and manager of the Erskine TC for many years. Milt passed away Aug. 27. Remember to hug your family members, tell them every day how you feel about them, and let them know they are loved. I do. We are not promised tomorrow, no matter your age, and things happen way beyond our control.
I thank you for the opportunity to be your Delegate for Minnesota. I am humbled at your confidence and work hard for the shooters of our state. Please feel free to contact me at any time. Have a safe and wonderful winter and enjoy the holidays with friends and family. We look forward to when we next meet on the shootoff line somewhere. (A man can wish, can’t he?)
I can be reached at 612-703-6155 or [email protected].
Mark Stevens
ATA Delegate
Ohio
Most shooters are shooting leagues, practice and some registered targets. This is a good time to practice new loads for the upcoming target year and shoot different games at local clubs. I always like a good buddy match, and when things really got interesting, we tried to shoot a three-man buddy.
The all-Ohio team members are as follows: Men’s—Michael Wengerd, Robert Caplinger, Dirk Meckstroth, Patrick McCarthy, Michael Blair, Steve Stedman, Steve Neuman, Richard Zombek, Jim Walker II. Lady I—Summer Gobrecht, Elizabeth Ternes, Elaina McCarthy. Lady II—Peggy Ann Wise, Carole Carney. Sub-junior—Andrew Bush, Adam Bush, Ryan Denes, Austin Pohlman. Junior—Austin Jacob, Brady Welsh, Rodd Spradlin, Brandon Brooks. Junior gold—Ryan Minyo, Justin Carson, Ian Wilkshire. Sub-vet—John Evick, Steve Corwin, Dan Schock, Dean Townsend, Raymond Gajoch. Veteran—Craig Blank, Don Renner, Roger McNamer, Ronald Charniga, Randolph Reinhardt. Senior vet—Kenneth Kamnikar, David Berlet, Michael Roese, John Evans, Clyde Findley. Ohio’s Grandest Shooter: Joseph Charnigo.
I will leave you with the words of a good friend: keep your head down, follow through, and “bust ’em.”
Roger McNamer
ATA Delegate
Eastern Zone
Atlantic Provinces
Hello from the Atlantic Provinces, Canada’s four most eastern provinces and part of the ATA’s Eastern Zone. We are the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. This is the first Around the ATA article for the Atlantic Provinces, so I thought that in this and upcoming articles, I would provide some information on who we are, where we are located, and some historical information that you may find interesting.
Our ATA Provincial Shoot alternates between New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. The Atlantic Provinces Shoot often hosts many from across Canada and the U.S., and we are always known to show all visitors (or “come from aways,” as they’re called here locally) a good time both on and off the trapfield. The Highland GC located near Yarmouth, NS, will host the 2018 Atlantic Provinces Shoot for the first time, and we are extending an open invitation to all across the ATA. For more information, feel free to contact me.
Our shooter profile is similar to other ATA states and provinces with shooters of all ages, various competitive levels and shooting aspirations. Our shooters include Canadian champions and Grand American trophy winners. We have dedicated trapshooters who compete at the local level and those who regularly attend the Satellite Grands, the Eastern Zone and other ATA state/provincial shoots.
The ATA history of the Atlantic Provinces is not well known among local shooters. My research has uncovered that we had at least one ATA shooter from Nova Scotia in the early 1960s, and then sometime in the early 1970s, the Atlantic Provinces was listed in the ATA Average Book. We also know that U.S.-born shooter Harry Willsie played an important role in getting the Atlantic Provinces into the world of ATA shooting. I was fortunate to win the Harry Willsie All-Around Canadian award at the 2013 Grand and was not aware of his contribution to the world of trapshooting until doing some research.
According to the Trapshooting Hall of Fame, Harry was born in Missouri and moved to Canada in 1953 to work in television, public relations and then the sporting goods industry. He won many Quebec provincial, Canadian, Eastern Zone and Grand American trophies, and from all accounts was a great contributor to the ATA and the clay-target sports on both sides of the border. Harry attended his 43rd Grand American and shot the 2002 Grand American Handicap before passing away in 2003, the same year he was inducted into the Trapshooting Hall of Fame. Thank you, Harry, for all your efforts.
Historical tidbit: In 1949, the cod fishery collapsed and the then country of Newfoundland went bankrupt. The British colony had a referendum with options to join the United States, remain a sovereign country, or join the dominion of Canada on the ballot. The latter option won, and we became Canada’s 10th province, merging with the territory of Labrador. Some people still say the vote was rigged and still consider themselves proud Newfoundlanders first, Canadians second.
If anyone has any information they could provide on the inclusion of the Atlantic Provinces in the ATA, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you. For more information on the Atlantic Provinces Trapshooting Association, visit www.aptrap.com.
I can be reached at [email protected].
Andrea Bassan
ATA Delegate
New Jersey
Well, I hope everyone received (or bought) what they desired from Santa Claus last month. I was fortunate to attend the Autumn Grand out in Tucson with squadmates Butch Zeppone and Dennis Delorenzo. While there, I ran into Art Nash, who lived in Jamesburg 15 years ago before moving out west. He looks just the same. I also ran into Bob and Ken Mlynarz from the North Jersey CTC, who moved to Arizona three years ago. I also saw Kay Ohye and Mark Wade, who now call Florida home. Weather was great and the competition fierce as usual at a Satellite Grand. You should put the trip on your “bucket list,” and if you want to shoot in nice weather, I recommend November over February to attend one of the Satellite Grands there (just my opinion).
The Dixie Grand has moved to North Carolina, but don’t change your reservations in Florida if you’ve made them for Jan. 24-28. The Silver Dollar is having a $30,000 added money shoot that weekend. All shooters are eligible; it’s all added money, so no purses or Lewises need to be played to win the cash. Specifics of the program for the shoot should be on the Silver Dollar website.
Langhorne held their annual Shoot for Sight sponsored by the Lions Club Nov. 5. Joe Nuva reported that over $2,500 was raised for a very good cause. He reported that, due to the rain forecast for the day, many shooters remained in their living rooms instead of venturing out. He did report that weather was tolerable and no rain. As usual, the shoot was well attended by New Jersey shooters, and this year the high score of 197 belonged to Steve Siegert. Other New Jersey winners were Doug Bracher, Dick Nagy, Fred McDonald, Art Colabella, Meher Downing and Neil Downing. It was reported that Fred Minus won a trophy (I think he’s a Delaware resident and not a New Jersey resident anymore).
Nov. 19 was a busy day here in the area. The Howell TC held the final leg of their two-shoot tournament to determine the club champion. The shoot was open to all winners and runnerups of their monthly ATA shoots during the target year. The first leg was shot on the 12th, and temperatures were seasonal with no wind to speak of. Leading scoring was Robert Long with 99, Doug Bracher was one back at 98. As Avis used to say in their ad wars with Hertz, being second in sales, was that they “try harder”—and that’s what Doug did on the 19th. Mother Nature had her way with the shooting conditions throughout the tri-state area; the wind was really blowing Sunday with gusts in the 30-mph range. Doug managed a 97 and secured the championship with 195.
I attended the annual Pie Shoot at the Mallard TC Nov. 19. They too were experiencing high winds that day. To be a winner of a pie, you must break the green bird, placed randomly in the stack of orange birds, so there is one winner per squad; if the shooter misses the green bird, the following shooter has a chance to win the pie if he breaks the next regular-colored target. Steve Ottrando reported that he was 3×3 on breaking the green bird and gave two of the pies to non-winners. Steve reported that the shoot was an enormous success with over 100 attendees and 85 shooters. Starting at 11:30 in the morning, it went close to dark that night! The pies were purchased from the Boy Scouts of America Troop #97. They delivered the pies to Steve’s house, and there was a choice of apple, blueberry, shoofly, pumpkin and cherry.
Being human, I couldn’t be in two places at once and couldn’t attend the New Jersey Flyer Championships out at Wing Point in Pennsylvania on the 19th. Being curious to find out who won, I texted Kenny Hassis, who’s a regular at Wing Point, and because of the cold, windy conditions that day, the shoot had been postponed. Hopefully I’ll have news next month.
On a sad note, Daniel Bias of Whitehouse passed away Nov. 5; he was 85. Dan was born in Mahanoy, PA. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard during the Korean War. He worked in the banking industry as a program analyst and retired from Chase Bank in Manhattan in 1997. Dan was a real outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, fly-fishing, gardening and trapshooting. Not being deterred with losing sight in his shooting eye, Dan fabricated an off-set rib so he could use his good eye to continue trapshooting. He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Mary, plus two sons, a daughter, a brother and sister, and an extended family.
If you have an idea for an article or a question, I can be reached at 732-546-7910 or [email protected].
Joe Sissano
ATA Delegate
Ontario
Greetings from Ontario, Canada! As I write this article, I am looking at some of the projected price increases for our sport in the new year. I am told there is a worldwide increase in the price of pitch, which means new production runs of targets will escalate. Clubs will have to absorb these price increases or raise their price per round. Many clubs are sharpening their pencils, but bottom line, the cost of trapshooting will likely increase.
For those of you who attended the 2017 Trapshooting Hall of Fame banquet, you will recall the excellent slide presentation that KayLynn Hamilton (from Pennsylvania) made, which illustrated the history of trap-throwing machines over the years. I believe she told us her father had done a lot of research for that presentation. The cost of those machines, in many instances, were noted, and like most things, there are inflationary influences.
Speaking of the price of products and services, my father, who recently passed at 96 years of age, published a book a few years ago. In one part of the book, he showed the price of some items in 1921, the year of his birth. I suppose in those years, pricing was in Canadian dollars, but for some items, they would have to be in U.S. dollars, as they are U.S. products or services. In actual fact, some items to me appear expensive for being almost 100 years ago. Mass production, technology innovations, etc., likely had an impact.
Cost of living 1921: new house, $7,019; average income, $2,134 per year; new car, $420; average rent, $15 per month; tuition to Harvard University, $200 per year; movie ticket, .15; gasoline, .11 per gallon; first-class postage stamp, .02; granulated sugar, $1 for 15 pounds; vitamin D milk, .58 per gallon; ground coffee, .12 per pound; bacon, .17 per pound; eggs, .11 per dozen; fresh ground hamburger, .12 per pound; fresh baked bread, .10 per loaf.
For 2018, in spite of the cost, save enough of your hard-earned money to enjoy registered trapshooting.
Paul Shaw
ATA Eastern Zone Vice President
Southern Zone
Alabama
I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year’s. As I stated in my last report, I said I would be at the beach when you read this. Well, I am really at the beach while writing this article and looking out over the Gulf of Mexico. The Blue Angels just flew by on one of their many practice flights—what a sight to see! It is like poetry in motion the way they fly inches apart with all the moves they make. If you ever get an opportunity to see them, it is well worth it.
I want to congratulate John White IV for making the All-American men’s first team. I want to congratulate Wayne Sartwell for shooting his first 100 straight at the Dixie Grand. It was a 200-bird event, but he had to pull out and leave early. Way to go, guys; that is great shooting.
I want to welcome our newest club in Alabama: The Cullman Co. SC is just a couple of miles off I-65 near Dodge City. They have one field for singles only and one new field for doubles, handicap and singles. This will help the youth movement in that area, as they will be working with the local schools.
The Rebel Yell was once again a huge success. We had a great crowd on hand, second-largest ever, and nice weather. I can’t wait until next year. If you didn’t make it, put it on your plans for 2018. I can assure you that you will have an enjoyable time.
Read the Rulebook; we all need to learn it. The next time you are on your computer, check out our website. Bill is doing an awesome job of keeping it updated.
Please keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers. Without the men and women of our armed forces protecting this country, we would not be able to enjoy this great sport. When you see a soldier, thank them for their service.
Good luck and good shooting to all; I hope to see you all on the line somewhere soon. If you need my help or have news to report, contact me any time at 205-410-8201 or [email protected].
Fred Jensen
ATA Delegate
Florida
We are into the new year with some great shoots in store for you. The Silver Dollar Open Money Shoot is scheduled for Jan. 24-28. This shoot has $30,000 added money, and the best thing is you don’t need to play any options to win some loot. The turnout is expected to be large, so you may want to consider pre-squadding before it closes around Jan. 15. The program is posted on silverdollartrap.com. This shoot in our home state is one of the largest added money shoots I have come across in my 35 years of registering targets. I just can’t wait for the opportunity to shoot and hopefully win some big bucks. For those needing lodging, look at the hotels that have partnered with Silver Dollar. Just click on the hotel’s website, and within seconds you get availability and cost per night’s stay.
Try not to be in penalty class when you come to this shoot. Clubs in Florida throwing registered targets for you to get your target requirements in include the following: Sarasota, Volusia Co., Flagler, Indian River, Tallahassee, Robinson Ranch, South Florida, Markham Park, Hurlburt, Gulf Coast Clays and Imperial Polk Co. Besides getting your target count, your attendance at any of these clubs gets them some extra revenue.
We lost two fellow trapshooters a little while back. Philip Grzanich of Deland passed in September. Phil was a trapshooter at Volusia Co. S&TC. Louis (Mike) Miller of Deland passed in November. Mike was a regular at Volusia Co. and Flagler Co. May God Almighty keep them by his side knowing that they both will be missed by their fellow trapshooters.
Any news that you would like to share, please contact me at [email protected] or 321-427-6553.
Larry Grenevicki
ATA Delegate
Kentucky
Trapshooting activity has slowed way down around Kentucky. The Kentucky TL held its fall meeting Nov. 4 at the Hahn Ridge TC to discuss issues relating to the state shoot last summer and to begin planning next summer’s shoot.
Two Kentuckians made the long journey to Tucson to compete at the Autumn Grand. Aaron “Steady Eddie” Willoughby shot very well, finishing 14th in a very large and impressive HOA field. Vaughn Helton also made the trip and shot several events well.
Don’t forget how much fun trapshooting is, and our local clubs could use your support.
If you have Kentucky trapshooting news or other news you feel is appropriate to share, please send it to [email protected] or call 270-270-2262. Until next month, wishing everyone good health and many smoked targets.
Vernon R. Anderson
KTL board member
Mississippi
First, let me wish everyone a wonderful New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed a blessed and merry Christmas.
One of our Coast R&PC members, Dr. Robert Travnicek, recently sold his beautiful home and donated his prize safari trophy collection to our club. We have mounted the collection in our new clubhouse, and it is amazing. If you are ever in our area, be sure to come by and see this collection from all over the world.
I traveled to Jackson/Capitol GC for their November shoot. They had a great one, and I commend Tony Honaker for a great win in singles and handicap.
Coast R&PC hosted our first AIM shooters. They shot the Big 50 and had 11 shooters participate. Winners were Tyler Smith, Will Harmon, Kimberly Hillhouse, Jacob Boyette and Scotty Boyette.
In Mississippi Trapshooting Association news, John Oren, our state president, wrote an article about the future of shooting. He made many good points, but the take-away is that we need to think to the future and identify those in younger age groups who would enjoy this sport as much as we all do. The aim is to provide opportunities and times that fit their schedules.
If you get too cold to shoot, come south! We are always so happy to have guests. Good shooting!
Lenny Sawyer
ATA Delegate
North Carolina
Happy New Year! Wishing all the North Carolina ATA shooters the best for the coming year.
We have a lot to look forward to in 2018. The Dogwood Open shoot is now going to be our Hall of Fame Shoot, April 26-29 at the NC Homegrounds in Bostic. Always a good turnout, and now that it’s our first big shoot of the year, I expect a lot of folks will come to compete. Our state shoot will be June 6-10, again at the homegrounds in Bostic. This shoot has been growing each year, and now with the additional fields, we can host more shooters. I’d like to invite all ATA shooters to come—great targets and a fun shoot. Third, we are one of the host locations for the ATA Southern Zone Shoot and again at the homegrounds. July 19-22. Shooters from all over the Southern Zone will be at Bostic . . . come and shoot with us! The Dixie Grand American will be hosted at the NC Homegrounds Oct. 2-7. By all accounts, the first one was a great success. We are planning to have a couple more fields for the 2018 Dixie to accommodate a bigger turnout. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected] for information about these or any North Carolina shoot you have questions about. Our North Carolina website www.nctrap.com has listings for all the club shoots around the state.
Bob Schultz
ATA Delegate
South Carolina
Wow, what a great turnout for Teresa Knight’s Hall of Fame induction; thanks to all who came. Teresa is the first lady inducted into South Carolina’s Hall of Fame, and she is very deserving—two-time Lady II All-American, many0time Lady II state champion and state team member. Congratulations, Teresa!
In the achievement department, we have a good list. Reaching 25,000 singles were Ralph Chaffin, Jim Ivey II and Dennis Jones. Teresa Knight received her 50,000 singles pin, while Jan Slough shot at and broke her 50,000th handicap target. Congrats to all.
The Big 50 program is gaining in South Carolina. Mid Carolina has been the leader with their program. Greenville and Belton have their shoots established. If you want to shoot registered targets, you have numerous opportunities.
I’m sorry to report the death of Paul Conway. Paul was a longtime South Carolina shooter who came here from Pennsylvania. He was our state treasurer for about 15 years, and he hosted our annual planning meeting at his office in Columbia. Paul was an asset to our shooting efforts and will be missed.
The ATA gun raffle features a really nice Kolar this year. See me to buy a ticket.
I hope Santa was good to you and that you have a great New Year. It’s time to start thinking about state shoots—Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia—make your plans now. There have been some pretty good sales on shells; pick some up now.
I have had some folks ask to be moved to the 19- or 20-yard line so they can shoot with their friends. Let me know if you want to change. (No, Rodney, you can’t go to the 20.)
I can be reached at [email protected].
Jim Faber
ATA Delegate
Tennessee
Welcome to 2018. This time of year, most trap guns get a well-deserved break. With both deer and duck seasons going full blast, it is kind of hard to talk trapshooting; however, it is a good time to reflect on 2017.
I am proud to announce the 2018 all-state team (2017 target year), with 13 members making the All-American team, a record for Tennessee. Congratulations to the following shooters (* denotes All-American):
Men’s—Robert Smith, .9639; Mitchel Loveless, .9468; Richie Bolin, .9373; David Beesinger, .9350; George Reese Jr., .9258; Larry Hord, .9226; Joe Dement, .9200; Mark Cantrell, .9173; Stephen Rice, .9037; Will Morrison, .8990. Lady I—Amy Dement*, .9132; Brooke Barnett*, .9081; Savanna Brock*, .9073. Sub-junior—Caleb Clayton*, .9398; Jeremiah Donaldson, .9320; Hunter Morton*, .9284; Hayden Jacobs*, .9121. Junior—Dillon Tosh*, .9652; Garrett Bradford, .9491; Seth Cooper, .9305; Hunter Satterfield*, .9176. Junior gold—Garrett Sweeney, .9632; Hayden Zeigler*, .9591; Chandler Brown*, .9428; Garrett Morrison, .9295; Chase Kobeck*, .8933. Veteran—Steve Williams, .9008; Earl Wills, .8995. Senior vet—George Reese Sr.*, .9033; Robert Terry, .8908.
The following Tennessee shooters have earned AAA-27-AAA pins: 2017, Robert Smith; 2016, Garrett Sweeney, Dillon Tosh; 2007, Mike Burnette; 2005, Charles Morrison Jr.; 2004, Charles Morrison; 2002, Mitchel Loveless.
The following Tennessee shooters have earned AA-27-AA pins: 2017, Richie Bolin, David Beesinger; 2016, Justin Osborn, Hayden Zeigler; 2015, Dillon Tosh, Chandler Brown, Tristian Fenwick; 2014, Joe Dement, Garrett Sweeney; 2013, Robert Smith; 2008, Chris Grissom, George Reese Jr.; 2006, Carson Rider, Donald Smith, Vernon Thomas; 2003, Joe Donaldson; 2002, Jason Crouse, Charles Morrison, Charles Morrison Jr.; 2001, Rob Caldwell; 1997, Mitchel Loveless; 1994, Steve Donoho, Steve Hart; 1993, Richard Hall, Jeffrey Hauskin, George Reese, Wayne White; 1991, Mike Burnette; 1990, John Crosser, Bennie Schade; 1989, Michael Sampson; 1988, Joel Herring; 1987, Kenneth Neal, Wade Frazier, Jim Spencer; 1986, Robert Hedrick.
Tennessee’s membership increased from 1,712 to 1,762 in 2017. Let’s try to increase it even more this year. Invite a friend the next time you go to the club.
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
West Virginia
On June 10-11, 64 shooters participated in the 12th annual West Virginia Hall of Fame Shoot in Moundsville. As usual, weather was beautiful, and the grounds at the Marshall Co. H&FC were in immaculate condition. Larry Lilly and his crew always put together a nice shoot.
After the targets stopped breaking on Saturday, two shooters, Ron Smith and Nick Harden, had both broken 198 for the open singles championship. In shootoff, Smith broke a 99 and Harden a 100, which left Smith with A class. Between hundreds, Doug Damron received his induction plaque into the WVATA Hall of Fame.
On Sunday Cameron Bailey and Darrel Murray both broke 95 during the Bill Young Doubles. After one round of shootoff, Bailey topped Murray to take the top trophy. During the Bill Howdershelt Handicap Championship, Leon Lowther broke 98 from 18.5 and topped the field. Cameron Bailey and Steve Sprout were tied for the all-around with 384s. After a shootoff, Bailey was the victor. The Emerson Lilly Memorial Award is a combination of Events 1, 2 and 4. This year Sprout won the award with 383.
I would like to thank the Marshall Co. H&FC, its board members and everyone who donated trophies and their time to make this such a great shoot.
On July 6-9, 284 shooters from seven states participated in the 97th annual West Virginia State Shoot at Brooke Co. S&FA in Wellsburg. The theme for the week was wet, but it didn’t dampen the attendance.
Cameron Bailey was the big winner, taking home the doubles, handicap, all-around and high-over-all championships. Steve Sprout won his third West Virginia singles championship. On Saturday Sprout, Fred Dague and Scott Ross all broke 198. In the first round of shootoff, Dague dropped one more target than the others, claiming the sub-vet championship. Sprout and Ross then returned to the line and turned in a perfect round each. The next time, Ross dropped one bird on his first post, and Sprout ran out the 25. With that, Ross took runnerup.
In Sunday’s Doubles Championship, Bailey and Todd Sauble led the field with 96s. In the shootoff, Bailey was perfect, claiming the title, and Sauble took the sub-vet trophy.
The Handicap Championship was won outright by Bailey with 97. Out of the 400 championship targets, Cameron broke 386. The high-over-all was also won by Cameron with 962×1,000.
Unfortunately two notable people were missing from the West Virginia State Shoot: Bruce Haislip and Dean Kemp. Over the years, both men have become regulars at the shoot. Bruce was having some health problems at state shoot time, but he was able to train Linda Viderman to take over his duties. Unfortunately, Bruce later passed away. He had been a member of the ATA since 1988. Many of you know Bruce from his years of cashiering at the West Virginia State Shoot.
You would also usually see Dean pulling and scoring, and he was well known for yelling “Bingo!” when all fives were shot on the squad. Dean started registering targets in 1988 and amassed 22,550 singles, 35,850 handicap and 500 doubles targets. Both Bruce and Dean will surely be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Haislip and Kemp families and friends.
If you have any newsworthy information, please write to me at [email protected]. For further information regarding the happenings of the West Virginia ATA, please visit www.wvata.com.
Nick Harden
ATA Delegate
SouthWestern Zone
Colorado
Well, the holidays have come and gone for another year. I have been getting a lot of questions about the Colorado State Shoot. It will be held in Grand Junction this year. Contact John Finochio, 970-241-1159 or the club at 970-245-0780. They should be able to take care of all the camping needs and program information.
The state AIM progam will be getting fired up soon, so check with your local clubs to get information on what programs they might have going this year. You can also contact Mike Peterson, state AIM director, at 719-651-6608 or [email protected].
A reminder to all that when shooting ATA and PITA, you must shoot from the longest yardage earned in either organization (example: ATA 22 yards, PITA 23 yards, you must shoot 23 yards at an ATA shoot). It is also the shooter’s responsibility to have the average card printed and up to date when attending a shoot. Not all clubs have access to the Internet to look up your scores. A reminder to all of you chasing All-American points, the points system has changed, and you should look up the new requirements on the ATA website. Also, there will no longer be reductions to the 18-yard line.
Remember, if your club has anything going on that you would like to get out to the shooters, let me know at [email protected]. See you on the line.
Dan Treat
ATA Delegate
Louisiana
I would like to share a few things that I truly feel thankful for. At the top of my list are God, family and friends, many of whom I have met through the wonderful sport of trapshooting. I would also like to mention all the U.S. service men and women who are defending the many freedoms that so many of us take for granted. I am thankful that I am able to live in a country that allows me the freedom to own a gun and enjoy our wonderful sport. I am thankful that on every morning for a couple of weeks in August, I am able to hear our national anthem broadcast over a PA system, and it warms my heart to see so many people stop what they are doing, remove their caps, cover their hearts, and pay the respect that is due.
By the time you read this, everyone’s 2017 holiday season should be memories, hunting seasons should be winding down, and your thoughts will be leaning toward a return to your local gun clubs and a good start for the 2018 target year.
Just a reminder that many of our clubs have gone to a winter operating schedule; most Louisiana clubs will host at least one ATA event per month, so there should be an opportunity to shoot almost every weekend.
For shoot schedules and contact information, please visit the Louisiana Trapshooting Association website www.louisianatrapshootingassociation.org/index.htm.
Plans are being made, meetings are happening, and things are moving forward for the 2018 Louisiana State Shoot. This event will be held May 3-6 at Toby Bancroft Memorial GC in West Monroe. Please put this on your calendar and plan to attend.
Tickets are now available for the 2018 Gun Club Raffle for a chance to win a Kolar Prestige Trap LP Combo. All proceeds go to the purchase of the gun, and the remaining funds are added to the Gun Club Fund. This raffle is the major source of the funds made available to our clubs.
I am very proud to say that Louisiana had two clubs in 2017 that were recipients of Gun Club Fund grants: Bridgeview GC in Port Allen and Toby Bancroft Memorial GC in West Monroe. In order to perpetuate the goals, mission and values of the Gun Club Fund for this year and into the future, please support this fundraising activity that has already supported Louisiana trapshooting as well as several others.
Tickets are $20 each, and a limited number are available. To purchase, contact your ATA Delegate, ATA state secretary or the ATA office: [email protected] or 618-449-2224 ext. 104. The raffle ends Aug. 10 at noon, and the drawing will be held that night at the Closing Ceremonies of the 2018 Grand American.
Shoot well and shoot often.
Doyle Brooks
ATA Delegate
Missouri
Happy New Year, shooters! We are now officially in wintertime in Missouri, as the registered shoots are pretty much over for a while. I am thankful that I have one of the best gun clubs in the Midwest that is close to where I live and is open year-round. Most of the gun clubs still have leagues and fun shoots during the off-season. Please keep that favorite trap gun handy; you never know when there might be a break in the weather and you can fit in a couple of rounds of practice or a fun shoot. Your club needs your support year-round, especially in the winter months!
In case you have not already seen it, the 2018 ATA All-American teams have been announced. I would like to congratulate the following Missouri shooters on their accomplishments: men’s team, Darrell Farr and David Deitch; Lady I, Samantha Foppe (captain); sub-junior, Cody Crabtree and James Boswell; sub-vet, Marvin Beumer and Steven J. Fuller; veteran, Gary Gooch; senior vet, Tom Rombach and Curt Wakely.
Missouri is fortunate to have so many programs available to youth shooters that it makes it difficult to decide which one to focus on. The AIM program has the most participation of them all, due in part to the dedication of the ATA to promote youth shooting. Congratulations to the following Missouri AIM shooters selected for the 2018 all-star team: junior gold, Zachary Smith; junior, Lucas Rosenmiller (captain), Josh Dintleman, Ethan Boyer, Joseph Leonard, Ryan Loveless and Mitchell Box; pre-sub, Jordan Ziercher. On the all-Zone team: junior, Hunter Spruill (captain), Nathan Davis, Cole Perry and Matthew Meyer. The following were on the all-state team: junior gold, Taylor Houx (captain), William Nelgner, Isaac Kendrick, Jordan Baldwin and Joshua Frasher; junior, Logan Lucas (captain), Josh Taylor, Tom Browne, Branden Laurent and Jake Hoffman; pre-sub, Mason Lucas (captain), Michael Lumetta, Weston Schaeffer, Jake Henry and Joseph Lumetta; sub-junior, Kyle Rybak (captain), Hayden Miller, Bubba Darr, Cole Stephens and Noah Schnelle. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to organize a group of youth shooters, get in practice time and get them to shoots. A big thanks to all the parents, coaches and directors who put in a lot of hours making it happen.
The MTA board has been working on the upcoming 50th anniversary state shoot at the homegrounds in Linn Creek. We are planning to have a great time all week and hope you will mark this shoot on your calendar, May 15-21, and join us for a shoot to remember. Look for more information as we get closer to the date. If anyone has anything they would like to have reported on or any concerns, please contact me at [email protected] or 816-863-9003.
Stephen Ricketts
ATA Delegate
New Mexico
I would like to congratulate Jimmy Kennedy on his 200 straight at the Autumn Grand, winning sub-vet.
For now registered shooting is over for New Mexico and will start again in March. I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and happy New Year. Now we hunt quail until February.
If you have any news, please let me know. You can e-mail me at [email protected].
Bob Leibel
ATA Delegate
Oklahoma
It took several days of hard work to repair damages and salvage what unbroken targets we could from the high winds we had Oct. 13. Out of the four pallets (252 cases) of targets, we were able to save only about 65 cases. These were set aside for practice only. This $2,500 loss has to be made up, and going into the winter months, it will be hard to do. One picnic table was lost to the winds, only remnants of it were found. The safety fence by the first skeet field has been repaired and put back up.
The 50-bird winter derby shoots kicked off Nov. 5 at Shawnee Twin Lakes TR and alternate every other Sunday with the OTSA SP. These dates will be listed on the shoot cards, and all clubs will have a supply of them. These shoots are a way for experienced shooters to keep their competitive shooting going all winter long. They are also a good way to introduce new shooters to competitive shooting on a squad. These shoots generate several new registered shooters every year. Anyone interested in trying these can call me for details at 405-417-2236.
Ada’s club shoot Oct. 28 was won by Mike Grove, and the next day he shot Shawnee’s club shoot and won it also. Mike, you might want to consider letting someone else win once in a while.
Ada’s Tuesday evening shoot Oct. 31 was won by Joe Anglin, Bill Shepard and John Ryan, all breaking 49s to split the purse. Lowell has applied to throw a Big 50 Jan. 13. It will start at 10 a.m., and $5 from each entry will be returned in lieu of trophies. It will include 50 singles, 50 handicap and 50 doubles at $15 per event plus daily fees. There seems to be a lot of interest in the Big 50 program. The Tulsa area has done well with these, and now Ada and OTSA SP are trying them. Let the club managers know if you enjoy these programs.
Shawnee Twin Lakes had a beautiful, warm day for their first winter derby shoot Nov. 5. Jim Black, new club president, won the doubles with 46. Mike Meeks and Bill Dean were high in the singles with 49s. In the handicap, five shooters tied for high with 45s: Dennis Patrick, Steve Satterwhite, Paul Hooper, Gordon Sebring and Jack McCanlies.
Ada held their first Big 50 shoot Nov. 11, and 20 shooters shot singles. Zane Arnold won all three events with 49 in singles, 46 in handicap and 49 in doubles. Ada’s Tuesday evening shoot Nov. 14 was won by Joe Anglin and Mike Grove with 43s. Clay Laughlin broke his first 100 straight Sept. 4 at the Heartland Grand. Pat Stacey has now registered 75,000 singles on his way to becoming a Trapshooting Hall of Fame inductee.
OTSA SP held their first winter derby shoot Nov. 12. Cool weather and north winds kept attendance low. Justin Cavett was high in the singles with 49. Mike Cook is starting to shoot his new gun well and won the handicap with 47. Nathan Lemke was high in the doubles with 38.
Shawnee’s Nov. 19 derby shoot had good weather and attendance. Kenneth Green and Gordon Sebring were high in the singles with 49s. Terry Johnson won the handicap with 47, and Mike Meeks’ 45 led the doubles.
Ada’s Tuesday evening shoot Nov. 21 was won by Collin Rindal with 47.
This is the time of year we spend with family and friends. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday season. While we enjoy the holidays, let’s be thankful for the military and law enforcement who protect all of us.
Tim Deister
ATA Delegate
Texas
I hope this New Year brings joy, happiness, good health and God’s blessings on each of you. I won’t get into New Year’s resolutions because if I’ve ever made one, I’m sure I never kept it. If I had made one and kept it, I wouldn’t be as fat as I am now.
I do have some news to report instead of just my normal stuff (I’ll get to that later in the column). Richard Leos got his final punch to the 27-yard line at the Zone II Shoot in El Paso. Also at Zone II, Dalton Jennings shot at and broke (I assume he broke it, he doesn’t miss many targets in any event) his 50,000th doubles target. At the same shoot, 12-year-old Ruger Clark ran his first 25 straight. Can you remember when you broke your first 25 straight? Boy, I can (and it was a very long time ago). It is a major accomplishment when you first start shooting. Last, but certainly not least, Drew Fryman shot at and broke his 25,000th handicap target. Congratulations to you guys and four “atta boys.”
For some of you who may have an interest, one of the best trapshooters of all time will be at Metro GC to give a clinic. Actually he will be there to give two clinics. Harlan Campbell will be there for clinics on March 28-29. The second clinic will be March 30-31. This is a great opportunity to learn from the best. If you are interested in taking either, you can contact Scott Hanes at [email protected]. Don’t miss this chance to improve your shooting.
I have noticed that a growing number of squad leaders are asking to see more than one target before commencing shooting. Page 13 of the Rulebook clearly states that the squad leader may see only one target (or one pair in doubles). The exceptions are if the target or targets are broken, irregular or illegal. Basically this is saying you may see one, and only one, legal target. In shootoffs you may see two legal singles or handicap targets, and in doubles you may see two legal pairs.
I’m sure most of you get tired of me rambling about the Rulebook, but I’m not going to stop. Please read it; who knows, you may learn something.
If you have news, please let Princess or me know. That’s the only way I can get it in my column. You can e-mail me at [email protected] or call 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
Albertans had another successful start to the season in Nevada and Tucson. Art and Diane Peyton both shot well in Las Vegas in what was reported to be the best shoot ever for weather. Between them, they picked up over a dozen trophies in Las Vegas and Tucson and a pile of All-American points, a great start to the season.
Ron Crockford also shot well in Tucson with a 199 in singles and picking up HOA in sub-vet in the prelims. It was good to see the Johnson family enjoying the Tucson weather, and along the way, Nolan picked up four trophies in junior.
Ron McConnell is definitely back in form, shooting 100s every day in singles and great scores in ’caps and doubles. He needs to be tough, as he now competes in senior vet, which is the land of the giants with Kay Ohye, Ray Stafford, Bob Munson and many others who have dominated our sport.
A reminder that the Canadian will be held in Brandon again this year. Book your holidays and plan to attend. The Lamonts and crew put on a great event, and we get to see Pat, probably the best shooter in ATA right now, put on a show!
A reminder as well, the Alberta Provincial will be held in Edmonton July 18-22; this will be concurrent with the Western Zone due to extraordinary date compression this year. This is great value for shooters, as it is a sanctioned situation where you can win more than one ATA trophy in an event. Shooters will be eligible for all the Zone trophies and the no-entry-cost all-around Lewis from the Zone for only the additional Zone fee of $1.50 U.S. per 100, a great deal for shooters who would normally be paying in excess of $30 per 100 if shot in a separate shoot.
A big thank you to Heather and Bert Brumwell for their $10K support of our provincial tournament this year. It allows us to further develop a high-profile shooting event that participants want to attend.
Also a thank you to Bayer Cropscience, who has again stepped forward for the fourth year with $5,000 to sponsor our provincial banquet. Please support Bayer whenever you can for this ongoing significant contribution.
If there are items you wish to be published, please let me know by e-mail or give me a call on my cell.
Garry Hill
ATA Delegate
Arizona
It’s pretty tough to beat perfect, and that is what we had for the Autumn Grand. Blue skies, a couple of overcast days, little to no wind and temperatures between 75° and 85°. Real shorts and T-shirt weather. Attendance was strong, with shooters from 43 states and provinces. There were 129 Arizona competitors, while California, Texas, Colorado and New Mexico topped out-of-staters. In short, it was everything we promised and maybe a little more.
By my count, Arizona guys and gals accounted for 43 wins or ties. Leading the way was Darvin Thomas. I first think of Darvin as a doubles shooter. He won the Doubles at the Grand awhile back, but he is also AAA in singles. Just to prove that point, he took the Autumn singles title with a 200 plus an additional 100 in shootoff. He also ran the hundred in Event 9 and then another 100 in Event 11, the Premier Singles, and shot a 99 in the Casa Grande Doubles, another 99 in the Double Adobe Doubles and a third 99 in the Tucson Doubles Class. Speaking of doubles, Karen Bergman won the Lady II championship (locally known as the Cougar Class), against 23 others. She took Lady II in two other events, Monday’s singles and Tuesday’s Yuma Doubles.
Barry Roach, who seems to fly just under the radar, also had a terrific shoot. All he did was go 100 straight in Event 18, then he won vet in the Caesar Guerini Handicap. I refereed the shootoff, and he beat some mighty fine competitors and finished by winning the veteran title in the championship handicap with 97.
Vince Bianco’s name kept popping up. He lost a shootoff for the preliminary veteran doubles but then went to work. He won A class in Event 9, first tying with seven others at 99 and following up with three 100 straights in the Premier Singles, Ben Avery Singles and class singles. He also finished as vet runnerup in the doubles class with a strong 99.
Wayne Ward, Jim Sharp and Charlie Wachtel also shot 100s in the class 16s. Charlie topped all juniors, and Jim ended as senior vet runnerup. The other Wachtel, Andy, won Class D, and Patricia Carter lost C in a carryover. Charlie then continued his winning ways with a 99 to beat all other juniors in the class doubles.
Let’s not forget Don Jensen’s 200 in the Tucson Singles Championship, John Cleland’s sub-junior win in the class singles, Sandy Luchetta’s 96 to top all other Lady IIs in the Prescott Handicap, her husband Mike taking runnerup in the Class A all-around, and Max Peevyhouse. Max ran the 100 in the Premier Singles to take sub-vet and was runnerup in the championship handicap.
There were many other outstanding Arizona scores, too many to mention. One of the advantages that we have is year-round shooting due to the nature of Arizona and our weather. That brings me to another subject; the Spring Grand American is right around the corner. Preliminary Days start Feb. 14, and the Grand runs 19-25. Together they make up the second-largest shoot in the ATA. Highs average around 70° during that time. If you have shot at Tucson, I don’t need to tell you much, and if you haven’t, you are in for a treat. How about 50 traps in a straight line, every bird in the sky with miles of visibility, parking galore, polite and helpful line personnel? You would be hard-pressed to find a better-run shoot. The Spring Grand will have gunsmiths, stock guys, gun dealers, clothing and good food. Come on down; odds are that it will be a lot warmer than where you are from. Any questions? Give me a call at 928-443-1100.
Around the state: Arizona invaded Nevada for their state shoot and left its mark. Darvin Thomas was high sub-vet in Event 5, the Browning Doubles, and Charlie Wachtel led all juniors. Jim Sharp’s 100 topped all senior veterans in the class singles, and the Wachtel family, Andy and Charlie, shot a combined 196 in the Joe Hanley Handicap, winning 18-21 and junior, respectively. Next up was the Sin City Handicap (you’ve got to love the name). Greg Holden from Kingman was high gun at 98, while Jim Sharp took senior vet, and his grandson Colton Hartley won junior. Then came the Road Kill Grill Handicap, with Greg tying for veteran and Jim winning senior vet. The Singles Championship featured Jim Sharp, who tied for senior, and Charlie Wachtel triumphed in junior. Charlie was also top junior in the Doubles Championship, all-around and HOA. Colton finished strong, winning junior in the Handicap Championship and tying Greg for high Arizona score.
Shoots are coming up in Double Adobe, Tri-State, Rio Salado, Cochise and Lake Havasu as well as the Arizona Chain. A full listing will be found on aztraps.com.
One final note: please do not forget our state shoot at Ben Avery March 12-18. Conditions should be perfect, and we always have a great out-of-state turnout. It is right at the peak of our beautiful spring, and remember, you are always most welcome in Arizona! See you on the line.
John Bergman
ATA Delegate
Montana
Congratulations to the top 10 Montana shooters for 2017: Ciaran O’Neill, .9534; Nick Heard, .9484; Jeff Wagner, .9438; Dale Fisher, .9358; Daniel Vogel, .9320; Taylor Wagner, .9294; Terry Barkell, .9263; William Camus, .9261; J. D. Kent, .9216; Gary Feland Jr., .9192.
At the Autumn Grand in Tucson there were 17 shooters from Montana. We got to enjoy wonderful weather there, while it was cold and snowy in Montana. Many are looking forward to going to Arizona for the upcoming state shoot. Also a bunch of Montanans will return in February for the Spring Grand.
All the Montana shooters are proud of our own Jim Jones from Butte, the new ATA President. Go, Jimmy!
That’s about it for cold, snowy Montana for now. Pray for good shooting weather.
Ted Kronebusch
MSTA Director
New Zealand
Our second shoot of the new 2018 target year was a 200-pair doubles shoot sponsored by Ron Thomassen Logging. As there is very little doubles shooting done in the DTL discipline, which is the discipline predominantly shot in New Zealand, the opportunity to work on their doubles technique was beneficial to all those who participated. The event was won by our new member, Toby Nichol, who is an outstanding all-around shooter and multi-time DTL winner.
The November shoot was our annual provincial championships over singles, handicap and doubles. We are fortunate to have the use of the Thames club to hold our shoots, which is one of the nicest facilities on the North Island. The surrounding hills create a micro climate which has been favorable to us on a number of occasions when the general forecast wasn’t looking good. Unfortunately for our championships, we got the forecast with strong crosswinds and heavy showers. Despite shooting in some of the day’s worst conditions, a new lady shooter, Anja Van De Wetering, managed to post the winning score in singles.
As the seasons are reversed here in the Southern Hemisphere, we are well into spring/early summer. This time of year we get the spring equinox winds, which seem to have been blowing longer this year, making trapshooting at some venues more of a challenge. New Zealand has a relatively small land mass, so we get a lot of wind blowing off the ocean as the land mass heats up. This has also made it challenging lately for those involved in ocean fishing as well as some of the lakes.
A number of people in the trapshooting fraternity in the U.S. have expressed an interest in visiting New Zealand for game hunting, fishing or just touring. It is part of the world worth seeing. We are happy to help provide information to any Trap & Field readers who are considering visiting. One of our major shoot sponsors has a world-renowned free range big game hunting property on the South Island. Anyone interested in game hunting can get some idea of what’s available by looking at his www.newzealandhuntingadventures.com website.
I can be reached at [email protected]. Good shooting!
Paul Basten
ATA Delegate
During the last nine years, Harold Curry has been the driving force behind the shotgun portion of the Huntsman World Senior Games, while Joe Sudbury has won numerous trophies during his eight years of participating in the competition.
Utah
The target year just started up, but registered shooting for the calendar year in Utah is winding down. Helper GC hosted its annual 500-bird doubles marathon, with 20 shooters toeing the line. Next came Cedar City GC’s two-day shoot, which had a small but quaint gathering of shooters. I always like to point out the fact that even on small turnout days, the club probably throws more targets than they would normally throw on a regular practice day. I think one way to make the day more profitable for clubs on small shoots is to have “fun,” inexpensive trophies. An example would be one-pound bags of peanuts, beans, or popcorn. Target costs hopefully would mimic those of a marathon cost per hundred as well.
You can look up all the scores on the USTA website.
All-American teams have been posted on the ATA homepage. Utah had a couple of changes and/or additions from the past year in that Scott McKinnon moved from second team to No. 6 on the men’s first team. Hayden Vandam jumped straight onto the sub-junior first team for his first All-American placement, and Craig Hart also enjoyed first-time placement on the sub-vet second team. Other returning members were Sean Hawley, once again securing second place on the men’s first team; Sharred Oaks, second place on the junior first team; and Grayson Stuart on the sub-junior second team. Congratulations to all.
The Huntsman World Senior Games just ended in St. George, with the shotgun portion held at Purgatory CS at the Southern Utah Shooting Sports Park. The Huntsman Games have been going on for 31 years, with the shotgun portion on a nine-year run. The shotgun portion drew approximately 135 shooters competing in sporting clays, 5-stand, skeet, trap wobble, trap doubles, trap singles and trap handicap. I am happy to say that those registered trapshooters from Utah who competed all medaled in one or more disciplines. Scores by discipline and age group can be viewed at https://seniorgames.net/results/shotgun-sports.
If you have never attended and are 50 years or older, you are missing out on a lot of fun. This year perennial attendee Huch Aoki (Huch has competed in some type of sport in all 31 of the games) once again earned gold in his age class in the trap singles. Huch is 90 years young!
Two people I would like to highlight from the Games are Harold Curry and Joe Sudbury.
Curry has been the driving force behind the shotgun portion of the games and has spearheaded all nine years that the venue has been in existence. Harold is a trapshooter but never raises a gun at the games because he is so busy making sure things come off without a hitch. He is generally busy 10 months out of the year planning the shooting portion. Part of the work he does is round up at least 30 to 40 volunteers to help make sure the games run as smoothly as possible. Considering the fact that the club has four traps and two skeet fields, very few glitches happen during the week. He always has a smile on his face (which gets bigger as the last event draws near) and always thanks the shooters for “supporting us”—“us” being the games. Thanks, Harold!
Joe Sudbury has attended eight of the nine games involving the shotgun portion, and I dare say that he has probably won more medals than any other athlete in all of the games (if not the entire games, certainly in the shooting portion). An average year for Joe is probably eight to nine medals. Besides securing a medal in his age group in most all of the venues, he quite often is high overall in each activity, which garners another medal. He is always the high scorer in all the events combined (HOA), netting one more medal. His total medal count has to be right around 100. Joe is not only a great shooter and ambassador for our sport, but also a great person to boot. Good shooting, Joe!
Ed Wehking
ATA Delegate
Washington
Happy New Year! I hope you have all had a good holiday season. Maybe some shells or reloading components were left under the Christmas tree for you. It’s time for me to start spending some time at the reloading bench for an ample supply of ammo when the ATA targets start flying more often this spring. Things are pretty slow here this winter, but we do find some opportunity to get some trigger time at games shoots and winter telephonic leagues to stay sharp and keep the cobwebs out of our barrels.
I had a great time at Tucson T&SC for the Autumn Grand. Washington was pretty well represented, and I really enjoyed meeting and shooting with folks from all over the U.S. and Canada. If you haven’t attended one of these Satellite Grands, you owe it to yourself to try it. You’ll have some great stories to tell when you arrive home from a trapshooting vacation.
As I write, we are a week away from the annual WSTA directors meeting in Ritzville. We will have the shooting schedule and state shoot program hammered out and ready to share with the shooting world. Please try to support clubs holding ATA shoots scattered all around our state. These are the lifeblood of the WSTA, and these one- and two-day tournaments help keep the clubs going as well as ensuring a great state shoot in which to give back to the shotgunners who chase targets throughout the year. We really look forward to seeing you, and you’ll find shoots at these four-trap clubs a lot of fun.
With the 2018 target year under way, please take time to review the Rulebook to see any changes you may need to know about. There have been some subtle adjustments made, and it is always good to know about them if for no other reason than to keep shoots running smoothly. Make sure your average cards are updated before you get in line at the handicap table. While it is easy and convenient to keep track online and print your own card, there may have not been enough time for scores to be updated if you are shooting on consecutive weekends. It is the shooter’s responsibility to make sure scores are recorded as well as making sure the correct handicap yardage is punched on your card. You may leave for home thinking your score didn’t earn you any real estate, but you might be surprised. It’s important to be handicapped at the correct yardage the next time you walk out on the line.
Congratulations to those who made the Washington high-average teams for 2017. It takes true dedication to the game in shooting the required targets, especially in a year when wet, windy winter weather seemed to linger well into the spring season. John Mullins had a good year while topping the average list in handicap and doubles. T. J. Main found himself on the high average team for all three disciplines and led the singles tally with an average of .9752. Category teams are based on singles targets in Washington, so you’ll see some of our members listed twice. While we saw a surge of youth shooters at larger shoots, we would like to see some more juniors in the ranks, and we didn’t have enough Lady I competitors enter enough events to fill out a team. Lady II was represented well, and these ladies are double-tough on the firing line. Let’s do our part to encourage more kids, wives, daughters and moms to give ATA targets a go. It is great fun, and the more the merrier!
The teams are as follows:
Singles—T. J Main, .9752; Ron Cram, .9658; Garrett Schlimmer, .9616; John Weber, .9615; Lea Hogue, .9614. Handicap—John Mullins, .9258; Jeff Nostrom, .9227; Andrew Gough, .9181; Zane Clausen, .9159; T. J. Main, .9156. Doubles—John Mullins, .9814; T. J. Main, .9553; Travis Iksic, .9540; Jacob Myre, .9458; Nathan Teesdale, .9417. Lady II—Teresa Rebo, .9374; Rosalie Nicholson, .9171; Betty Phipps, .8965; Margaret Kinzel, .8754; Teresa Kohn, .8732. Sub-junior—Austin Warne, .9405; Jacob May, .9093; Nicholas Carpenter, .8921; Zane Carven, .8919. Junior—Ian McGregor, .9307; Haley Clausen, .8210. Junior gold—Garrett Schlimmer, .9616; Andrea Bergstresser, .9506; Jacob Myre, .9491; Carson Schlimmer, .9341. Sub-vet—Lea Hogue and Greg Mayer, .9614; Mike King, .9312; Kevin Myre, .9294; Dale Kinzel, .9258. Veteran—Eric Olson, .9754; William Elliott, .9660; Ron Cram, .9658; Mark Edwins, .9524; Larry Bunch, .9516. Senior vet—John Weber, .9615; Jerry Harms, .9613; David Lang, .9481; Stan Fukuhara, .9480; Kenneth Presler, .9471.
We were saddened recently to hear of the passing of Merlin (Jess) Jespersen. Jess was a regular at shoots at Spokane GC and could be seen shooting events all over the state and was still planning to compete this season. Taking part well into your 80s, as Jess did, is proof that trapshooting keeps one young.
We’ll have more news coming after our directors meeting, so stay tuned. Until then,
shoot straight and keep your powder dry.
Sean Lewis
ATA Alternate Delegate
