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.
Eastern Zone
Eastern Zone
Atlantic Provinces
Hello from the Atlantic Provinces. As we’re still in the middle of winter here on the east coast of Canada, most shooters are taking time to reflect on last year while eagerly waiting for the 2018 trapshooting season to begin. Most clubs in the Atlantic Provinces scale back activities in the winter months, so shooters take the time to mentally and physically prepare for the upcoming season.
Some use the hunting season to stay in top form, while others take advantage of the various trapshooting training aids and instructional videos and read the helpful articles in TRAP & FIELD. Others plan midwinter getaways and attend shoots stateside in the warmer climates. A group from southwestern Nova Scotia are doing just that and are getting a head start on the rest of us by attending the Spring Grand—an annual trip for those shooters for the last number of years. Good luck, shooters.
While recapping last year’s season, it is worth noting that shooters from the Atlantic Provinces represented well at the 2017 Canadian Championships. The 2014 Canadian handicap champion Doug Blades shot his personal best in the Canadian Singles Championship, with his 199 claiming the open top trophy. The 2014 Canadian open singles and doubles champion Troy Coldwell captured the Champion of Champions and the singles AA open award, as well as the doubles runnerup. Janaya Nickerson shot her first 50 straight and captured many Lady I trophies. Congratulations also go out to Ken D’eon, Herbie Nickerson (Janaya’s dad) and Aubrey Spinney for winning class trophies in numerous preliminary events, with all three earning handicap yardage.
The Atlantic Provinces’ newest ATA club is New Brunswick’s Petitcodiac Sportsman’s Club (PSC)—an established multi-discipline club offering pistol, rifle, archery and clay-target shooting to their membership. Their one trapfield is relatively modest, but what they lack in size, they make up for in enthusiasm for trapshooting. Local ATA shooter and PSC club director Ron Whitehead was responsible for introducing PSC members to formal trapshooting. In early 2015, Ron started by spearheading construction of their ATA-approved trapfield and shortly afterwards organized an informal trap league. Ron got the PSC started with ATA shooting and held their first annual Invitational Team Shoot (ATA registered) early in September 2016. In winter 2017, the PSC hosted a very successful ATA league. The 2017 team shoot was won for the second year in a row by a PSC team, and with 20 shooters signed up for the 2018 winter league, things are continuing to look positive. This summer the PSC upgraded their trapfield with concrete walkways, with future improvements to include a new Pat-Trap and voice release equipment.
The successes of the PSC have also grown to extend past the local club scene. PSC trapshooters competed for the first time in the Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot this past Labor Day weekend, taking home trophies and awards—all thanks to the efforts of a few dedicated PSC members under the direction of Whitehead. If you’re in New Brunswick on your travels, be sure to check out the Petitcodiac SC, www.sportsmanclub.ca.
For more information on the Atlantic Provinces Trapshooting Association, visit www.aptrap.com. I can be reached at [email protected].
Andrea Bassan
Massachusetts
Deer season goes until the end of the month, and then it’s time to start thinking about the new shooting season. Join a winter league or shoot some practice. Our clubs appreciate all the help we can give them.
At our annual meeting and banquet Oct. 14, election of officers was held. Reelected were Paul Donovan, MATA president; Robert Scott, vice president; Jackie Heller, secretary; and Tom Sirois, treasurer. Two members were inducted into the MATA Hall of Fame: Linda Brodeur and Robert Nihtila Jr. Congratulations to both of you, and well deserved.
Also at the meeting, John Clark passed on to me to be donated to the MATA a beautiful belt buckle. Inscribed on the buckle are the words: Grand American Trap Shoot end of an ERA 1924-2005 Vandalia, Ohio. Thank you, John, from all the members of the MATA.
At our MATA meeting that was held on Nov. 8, our registered shoot dates were set for the 2018 target year, and on Dec. 13, our state shoot was finalized for 2018. The dates will be June 8-10 at Minuteman SC. The Labor Day Shoot for 2018 was also nailed down; dates will be Sept. 1-2 at the North Leominster R&GC, with the same format as last year. Both the state shoot and the Labor Day Shoot will throw White Flyer targets. All this information should be available on the MATA website.
I would like to congratulate the following shooters for making the 2018 state team: Robert Nihtila Jr., .9503; Michelle Archambeault, .9228; Steven Baglione, .9217; Paul Donovan, .9102; Steve Stella, .9064; Matthew Cartisser, .9056; Ed Archambeault, .9051; Jacob Pappas, .8985; Nancy Patterson, .8978; Richard Nihtila, .8972. Robert Nihtila Jr. had the high averages in singles (.9903), doubles (.9585) and all-around (.9503). High handicap went to Cartisser with .9169.
Some of our shooters did very well at the 2017 Northeastern Grand: Nancy Patterson, Sportsman Singles, Lady I; Sportsman Handicap, Lady I; Sportsman Doubles, Lady I; Caesar Guerini Handicap, Lady I; Doubles Championship, Lady I runnerup; and high-over-all, Lady I; Jacob Pappas, Sportsman Doubles, B; Steve Stella, Doubles Championship, A runnerup; Bob Scott, Doubles Championship, B; and Walter Bristol Jr., Doubles Championship, D runnerup.
Massachusetts had 17 shooters at the 2017 Grand American. Trophy winners were Jackie Heller, Matthew Cartisser, Richard Hewett and Steve Stella. Congratulations to all of you. Great job.
I would like to recognize three of our shooters for receiving certificates from the ATA for targets shot: Evelyn Kazen, 75,000 singles plus 50,000 handicap and doubles; Carl Kazen, 100,000 singles; and Ed Archambeault, 50,000 handicap.
I am sorry to report the passing of two of our members. Warren Sentence Sr. from Oxford passed away Aug. 31; he was 71 years old. He was a member of Singletary R&GC. Mr. Sentence shot registered targets from 2000 to 2004 and again in 2014. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Joyce, son Warren Jr., brother Wayne, and family and friends.
Longtime shooter Raymond Freniere Sr. of Oxford passed away Dec. 13. Mr. Freniere was 93 years old. He was a roofer for 45 years, retiring in 1982. Mr. Freniere started shooting registered targets in 1955 and shot until 2004 (49 years). He had shot 94,450 singles, 35,700 handicap and 6,448 doubles for a total of 136,598 targets. Our heartfelt condolences to his wife of 73 years, Ida, daughter Cheryl, and sons William and Raymond Jr. plus family and friends.
I will be shooting some this winter and will look forward to seeing everyone when our registered shooting season starts up. I wish everyone good shooting in 2018. If you have any questions, comments or concerns that I can help with, you can reach me at 413-586-0428 or [email protected].
Remember, have fun.
Dave Russell
ATA Delegate
New Hampshire
Greetings to all from the cold and white North. I know it is still the dead of winter as you read this, but cheer up; we will soon be back to blasting those little orange disks without worrying about frostbite.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the following shooters for making the 2018 state team: captain Mike Blaisdell, Phil Wright, Leo Henriquez, Frank Sampson, Mike Capozzi, Sammy Singh, Felipe Garcia, Gary Littlefield, Eugene Roy and Steven Grady. Further accolades go to Blaisdell for having the high singles and doubles averages and Wright for having the high handicap average.
The NHTA held its annual meeting in early December at Lone Pine HC. It was decided to hold the NH State Shoot at Minute Man SC July 6-8. Officers elected for 2018 are Dan Madden, president; Jim Giarrusso, vice president; Wright, secretary; Jack Cannon, treasurer; and Jason Green, Steve Szczechura and Edie Allyn Page, directors.
I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Jason Green for his stewardship over the NHTA website. Jason took over after the untimely death of Pete Tomaini and has managed the website with great energy and dedication. The results are self-evident, and NH shooters are appreciative of Jason’s work and Peter’s legacy. If you get a chance, take a look at nhtrap.org.
Nicole Pigeon and John Burger are retiring from trophy duties at the state shoot. I want to thank them for their tireless work over the past few years. Don Lee and his lovely wife will be taking over.
Phil Wright
ATA Delegate
New Jersey
During the holiday season, North Jersey CTC donated seven clay bird boxes full of groceries to the local church in Fairfield. The church then either cooks it for the needy or disperses the food to the needy in the area.
Pine Valley held their free holiday party Dec. 16; 80 to 85 shooters and guests were in attendance. The club asked for the shooters to bring in a toy, and they responded in a big way—seven large plastic leaf bags were overflowing with gifts. They were then donated to the Pine Hill American Legion for distribution to the needy—what a great gesture!
Local clubs need your support during the winter months, so even though it’s cold out, try to get to your favorite club and crush a few targets.
The last version of the 2018 state shoot program should be at the printers as you read this. As usual, Rudy Torlini has led the way in getting everything just right before it goes to press. Hopefully this year it will be mailed to those shooters who attended the 2017 New Jersey State Shoot.
So that you can get them in your shoot calendar, the major shoot dates sponsored by the New Jersey Trapshooting Association for 2018 are as follows: southern zone, May 4-6, Pine Valley; New Jersey State Shoot, May 30-June 1, Pine Belt; Garden State Grand, July 6-8, Pine Belt; 2019 northern zone, Sept. 21-23, North Jersey CTC; and the President’s Shoot, Oct. 13-14, Pine Belt.
If you have an idea for an article or a question, I can be reached at [email protected] or 732-546-7910.
Joe Sissano
ATA Delegate
Ontario
Greetings from Ontario, Canada! As I write this, I am sitting in an Ontario Superior Court courtroom waiting for my case to be heard. The wheels of justice appear sometimes to move very slowly. It is stormy and cold outside, hot and dry in this courtroom. Although courtroom work is part of what I do for a living, I can tell you unequivocally that I would rather be waiting on a trapline somewhere for my squad to be called—preferably somewhere warm.
By the time you read this, spring shooting should be just around the corner. In Ontario, we seldom, if ever, register clay targets in winter. Many shoot in winter leagues, and that is very helpful in keeping the gun moving and for hand-eye coordination.
Sorry for the brevity of this article, but my case just got called, and I have to advance the case of my client. Wish me luck.
Paul Shaw
ATA Eastern Zone Vice President
P.S.: It proved to be a good day for my client and me. Some say a bad day on the trapline is still better than a good day at work. I don’t agree. I prefer good days at work and good days on the trapline.
ATA Delegate
Southern Zone
Florida
We just finished some excellent trapshooting in January. I will post the winners next month. February is always a good time to get out and do some serious trapshooting practice. I say this, as March has two of our state’s largest tournaments left on this calendar year: the Southern Grand followed by the Florida State Shoot. February is also a good time to get out and support all those local clubs that will be hosting registered shoots and get registered targets to avoid any penalty classifications.
Amelia SS LLC in Yulee is under new ownership/management. From information I received, the new owners are anxious to start all types of shotgun sports. Just to pass on what I know, the new owners/operators are the same folks who manufacture and sell Mueller chokes. As I get more information on this club, I will post it for you. The next new club owned and operated by Florida Wildlife Commission is the Triple N Ranch, St. Cloud. It’s located on Rt. 441 and has very good access from either the coast or central Florida. At this time, it does not have trapfields; it has rifle and pistol ranges and a 19-station sporting clays range. It’s new and very well laid out, with a pro shop that sells sundries and ammo and rents shotguns. If you are curious, just log on to the FWC website. Next month I may have information on a club that will join the FTA and start shooting registered targets.
If you have any questions or suggestions about trapshooting in our state that you feel should be shared, please contact me at 321-427-6553 or [email protected].
Larry Grenevicki
ATA Delegate
Mississippi
Two events were held during December. On Dec. 2 Capitol GC in Jackson hosted a very well-attended shoot. In the 16-yard Event 1, Class A was won by Kim Wilson with 98, and Class B was won by Fred Rogers with 95. Event 2 was handicapped with 15 total shooters. Top shooters were Rogers with 91; 22-24, Jim Porter, 85; and 25-27, Lenny Sawyer, 84. Event 3 doubles had 14 entries. Winner Doug Fortner shot an 89. Other winners were A, Chris Dearman, 83; B, Wilson, 88; and C, Kenny Christmas, 88. The overall high score shooter was Rogers with 274×300. Congratulations to everyone!
Coast R&PC in Biloxi hosted an event Dec. 16. It had some great competition! Winners in Event 1 singles were A, Wilson, 97; B, Ray Collins and Charlie Boggs, 94; C, Keith Crissman, 93; D, Scott Boyette, 96. Event 2 handicap was won by Noah Smith with 88, followed by sub-junior Boyette as runnerup with 85. Jonah Roth SJ shot an 81 to win S1. Ray Collins won L1 with 71, and Keith Crissman won with an 83 for M1. Event 3 doubles win went to Kim Wilson with 94. Class A1 winner Chris Dearman shot an 89, for Class C1 Keith Crissman won with 80. In the final class, D1 Noah Smith won by shooting an 84. Fantastic job by these attendees!
Also in December, the Coast R&PC hosted its first AIM Holiday Invitational youth shoots. Fifteen of these shooters had excellent scores. The AIM program has not only doubled in size over the past year but expanded its reach, now having shooters from Alabama and Tennessee. This program was developed under the leadership of state AIM director Randy Dearman and Mississippi Trapshooting Association president John Oren. Whitetail Ridge GC started a youth trap team last year, along with the 4-H program, which works well with Capitol GC and Coast R&PC. Things are looking up for AIM membership in Mississippi. We are hoping to host a spring AIM shoot. Anyone who knows of a young person who would like to participate in the AIM program, please have them contact Capitol GC, Coast R&PC, Whitetail Ridge, Starkville GC or state AIM director Dearman. We all wish to see this organization flourish over the years to come!
Inviting you all to come visit and shoot in February—the weather should be lovely!
Lenny Sawyer
ATA Delegate
North Carolina
By the time you folks read this, the 2018 shooting year will be half over! It’s cold and snowy now, but come April, our NC Hall of Fame Shoot will be taking place. It’s time to get ready for the four main shoots at our Bostic homegrounds: April for the Hall of Fame, early June for our state shoot, July for the ATA Southern Zone telephonic shoot, and October for the Dixie Grand American.
To get ready for these and other major shooting events, support your local club’s registered shoots and Big 50 events. It’s great competition practice, and supporting the grassroots of your local club is important.
During the winter months, Buckhorn GC and other central and eastern clubs have some small events. You can check the schedules on www.shootata.com or www.nctrap.com.
For those of you who travel, there are some great shoots in Arizona and Florida during the winter. Silver Dollar hosts the Southern Grand American in March, and Tucson T&SC hosts the Spring Grand in February. Both are awesome events, and I hope some of you can go and represent North Carolina!
I’m looking forward to seeing all of you around the state this coming year. I wish you a blessed and happy 2018.
Bob Schultz
ATA Delegate
South Carolina
Hopefully we’ll see a hint of spring this month. Even if the weather is ugly, remember the area state shoots are just around the corner—Florida in March, Georgia the first of May, then ours in the middle of May (the first Wednesday after Mother’s Day).
By the time you read this, we will have had our planning meeting for next year’s state shoot. Most everything should be the same as last year, with a few exceptions. The change in the All-American points will make some trophy changes. The other change is that Donnie Pigg is talking about retiring as president, so there will be some new board responsibilities. Talk to your area representative if you want to contribute your time and efforts.
The next time you see Teresa Knight, congratulate her for her Lady II All-American honor for the third time. Also offer your condolences on her father’s passing.
The Big 50 programs are expanding, with Greenville and Belton having a once-a-month program scheduled. Mid Carolina still has their twice-a-month program. There is plenty of opportunity to get targets in, so you won’t have to shoot penalty class or yardage at the state shoot.
You can reach me at [email protected].
Jim Faber
ATA Delegate
Tennessee
The 42nd annual Spring Grand American is this month, hosted by Tucson T&SC, 7800 W. Old Ajo Hwy., Tucson, AZ 85735. Preliminary week is Feb. 14-18, and Spring Grand Week is Feb. 19-25.
Some interesting facts from the ATA website: 2017 target totals were as follows: No. 1, WSRC, 4,408,175; No. 2, Cardinal Center, 3,346,550; No. 3, PSSA Homegrounds, 2,732,700; No. 17, Nashville Gun Club, 450,750; No. 48, Memphis Gun Club, 215,800; No. 52, Hog Heaven GC, 198,950.
It is time to start making plans to attend the 105th Tennessee State Trapshoot. June 12-13 is the AIM shoot, and June 14-17 is the state shoot, hosted by Nashville GC.
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
New Mexico
Trapshooting in New Mexico will kick off in March. Hobbs will have a marathon March 2, and on the 3rd will be 50 pair doubles, 100 singles and 100 handicap. Alamogordo will have a shoot March 16-18. I hope everyone can make those shoots.
The new ATA Rulebook is out, so it should be looked at for any changes. I know y’all will say I’m sounding like Texas ATA Delegate Jerry O’Conner (ha ha). Have a great year in 2018, and shoot all you can.
Bob Leibel
ATA Delegate
Oklahoma
Shawnee Twin Lakes TR had a beautiful, warm day for their Dec. 3 derby shoot, and attendance was great. On Monday the 4th, a temperature of 76° broke the record set in 1954. Mike Meeks hit 47 for the high doubles score. In singles, Mike Grove broke 49, and right behind him with 48s were Bill Dean, Jack McCanlies and Meeks. Terry Johnson and Randy Farmer led the handicap with 46s. Right behind them were Vicki Farmer, Paul Hooper and Bennie Livingston with 45s. Randy talked to Vickie all through their last 25, and Vickie missed her 25th target, or she would have tied him.
I visited with Roger Finkle, and he told me Red Dirt GC (formerly Sayre GC) had 47 shooters at their turkey shoot and that Anadarko was going to have one as well. He said Larry McDuffy experienced a heart attack during an operation. He is doing well now.
Grove won Ada’s Nov. 28 shoot. Ada held their second Big 50 shoot Dec. 9. It was a cool day with light winds and sunshine. They had 17 shooters, not bad for this time of year. In the singles, Zane Arnold won high gun, Josh Casteel won A, and Colton Ables topped B after 48 each. In the handicap, Lowell Leach was champion with 47, and Collin Rindal’s 46 won junior. In the doubles, Ables was high, and Ryan York’s 41 was second. Ada’s Tuesday evening Dec. 12 shoot was won by Grove with 47.
OTA SP held a ham shoot Dec. 10. Winning shooters were awarded a locally grown 15-pound bone-in ham. Others won money. Short-yardage was won by Tim Mount, and second was Nathan Lemke. Mid-yardage was topped by Ron Bliss, and Bill Dean was second. Brian Northup won long-yardage, and Grove was second.
Plans for the 2018 Oklahoma State Shoot are being formed. Fun shoots are being considered, such as 27-yard doubles and miss-and-out, one-two-three for Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Friday evening will be our Oklahoma All-American shootoff. We have six All-American shooters this year: Pat Stacey, Corbin Grybowski, Robert Rimer, Ron Bliss, Rose Shaffer and Shelby Skaggs. Rimer and Ron Bliss are first-time All-Americans. Make plans to shake their hands and watch them turn the White Flyer Orange Crush targets into orange smokeballs.
Shawnee’s Dec. 17 derby shoot had good attendance and great scores. Grove led the singles with 50 straight. Meeks and Gary Bristol were next with 49s. The handicap was won by Bill Nicholson with 46. Tim Mount, Steve Satterwhite and Meeks’ 44 was next. In doubles, it was Grove with 47 and Meeks with 44.
Oklahoma has lost another great shooter. Larry Taylor from Forgan has passed away. Larry started shooting in 1984 and quickly became a AA-27-AA competitor. Larry won many trophies at the Oklahoma State Shoot as well as a dozen other state shoots and the Midwestern Grand. He completed his ATA Grand Slam on Nov. 9, 1995. He was a member of the Quarter Million Club, having registered 270,000 targets at the time. Larry and Judy were inducted into the Oklahoma Traphshooters Hall of Fame at the 2002 state shoot. They have been on the Oklahoma trapshooting team numerous times. Larry always supported and inspired Judy and her shooting. He was most proud of her at the 1999 Oklahoma State Shoot, where she won all ladies’ titles in every event and the ladies’ HOA. Larry shot a total of 353,350 targets, including 106,900 singles, 126,750 handicap and 119,700 doubles. We will miss him, and our sincere condolences go out to Judy and family.
Another Oklahoma shooter who passed away recently from a heart attack is Stan Parker. Stan was from Edmond and shot a lot at the Oklahoma City GC close to him. Rose and Rick Shaffer said they shot with him often and will miss his company. Stan began his career in 2010, having shot 8,300 singles, 4,600 handicap and 3,150 doubles. Our condolences go out to Stan’s family.
Pictures of Oklahoma shooters continue to show up in TRAP & FIELD. In the November issue, Grybowski is on Page 22; Ellis Toews Page 28; and Rick Bliss, Grove, Daniel Shoaf and Jacob Diller Page 86. In the December issue, Randy and Vickie Farmer are featured on Page 28 under “Additional Grand Winners.” TRAP & FIELD does a great job of covering our sport of trapshooting. They have great shooter pictures, and the magazine has been upgraded with color throughout.
Let’s all pray for the military, law enforcement and the 6,700 firefighters in California who keep us safe.
Tim Deister
ATA Delegate
Texas
Christmas holidays have passed for most people, and I hope it has been wonderful for everyone. We are a little different, as we do ours over the New Year’s holidays. That allows the kids and grandkids to not have to be in such a rush to make it to the other grandparents’. We will have an extra 15 at our house for four to five days. What a great time it will be! As I grow older, I am starting to be much more aware of how fast your grandkids grow up. That should be enough about me and my family to bore you to death.
I was only talking about my family because I have nothing else to talk about. Well, that’s not exactly true. How about we talk about the Rulebook? Right about now there are some of you saying, “Is that all the fat guy can talk about?” Just to answer that question for you, that’s not all I can talk about. I’ll let up on that as soon as you start doing it. Maybe we should start having a Rulebook test before you can sign up to shoot at a registered event. That won’t work because we would have very few shooters. For the very few of you who don’t read the Rulebook, you can skip to the last paragraph.
On Page 7 under Sec. C, 4, it says each shooter should present an up-to-date average card with current data on a member’s shooting ability. Shooters not having their average card up to date may be put in a higher class or otherwise penalized. This doesn’t mean that a card printed from the ATA website is sufficient. This printout may not contain recent scores. The staff at the ATA does a fantastic job of getting scores posted once they receive them. Clubs have eight days from the last day of the shoot to send scores to the ATA office. If you think about it, you will see that a lag of two weeks in the scores being included on the printed average card is possible. Please don’t show up without an average card, hand me your phone, or try and tell me what class you should be in. Follow the rules. If the classifiers put you in an incorrect class or yardage, it is the shooter’s responsibility to get it corrected before shooting. If you don’t get it corrected, you are subject to disqualification. The classification people can’t do their job correctly if you don’t do yours. Okay, close your Rulebook; sermon over.
Send any news you have to Princess or me, please. You can reach me at 806-679-6889, [email protected] or 800 Baltimore Dr. in downtown Hereford, TX 79045. 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
Arizona
A few good reasons to come to the Arizona State Shoot March 12-18: average temperature is 76°. Got those late winter blues? Bake that chill out of your bones and get a tan.
Good Competition Factor. Last year it was a No. 4 with 909 competitors in the championship events. Ben Avery is a world-class, professionally run facility with 16 fields and a great background. The clay target center is part of the largest public range in the country.
Friendly people. We love our visitors. They are a most important part of Arizona trapshooting. Same prizes and trophies for in-state and out-of-state shooters.
Great food. The best burgers in the state are five miles down the road (west) at Wild Horse West, and some real New York pizza is five miles the other way at Ray’s. Like Mexican food? There are a gazillion choices, and for those gourmets among us, Binkley’s, Cartwright’s and Tonto Bar and Grill are close by in Cave Creek. And remember our annual (free) dinner Saturday night. Rumor has it that roast goat might be on the menu.
Arizona is very, very gun friendly. No hassle, we all pack!
Our annual meeting will take place Sunday at 8 a.m. This is your chance to make suggestions, voice opinions or concerns, hear the latest news, and vote for ASTA officers, the Delegate and Alternate Delegate. We are always on the lookout for dedicated people to run for the ASTA board. The hours are long, and the pay is low, but it is your chance to help keep Arizona trapshooting at the very top.
Around the state: Casa Grande held their Thanksgiving Shoot Nov. 24-26 and had a nice, early-season turnout. Bob Mlynarz and Daniel Forbes topped all Arizona shooters with 99s in the opening singles. Handicap followed, and this time Forbes did not fool around. He and Ken Mlynarz beat all other comers at 98. Bob M. stood out in the doubles with 95.
Doubles led off Saturday, Ron Schroer’s 95 took the Arizona prize. Next was singles with Tim McDonald and Joseph Dammann coming through with 98s. Ken Mlynarz finished things as top gun in the ’caps. Sunday featured all three events, and the name Mlynarz kept popping up. First it was Bob tying for high in singles and winning senior vet, then Ken and Ron Schroer tied for A. Charles Chapman was sandwiched in between, taking veteran in the handicap. The feedback was that it was a great shoot under nice conditions. Casa Grande added night shooting on Thursday under the lights. I hear those green targets look as big as Frisbees.
See you on the line!
John Bergman
ATA Delegate
Utah
The Autumn Grand at Tucson has come and gone, as has Thanksgiving. Tucson generally has good weather in November, but this year was unreal. I felt guilty (almost) calling home and telling Joy what the temperature was each day. Approximately 20 Utah shooters made the trek south, and most were not disappointed. The shoot ran very smoothly, as usual, with great targets and great help. Utah’s usual “big dogs” represented the state very well and brought home plenty of bling. Sharred Oaks and Sean Hawley once again had great shoots. Sharred is entering the ranks of junior gold and is not letting old age slow him down one bit. He won the Double Adobe Doubles outright with the lone 100. He also tied for the all-around high score with 397×400. During preliminary week, Sean had a field-high 98 in one of the handicaps plus had a 200 in an early singles event, along with numerous 100s in events of that length.
’Tis the season for meat shoots, with numerous clubs hosting turkey shoots a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving. For the most part, the shoots had good weather with a lot of shooters in attendance. Tooele GC enjoyed such a good turnout, they ran out of prizes! By utilizing a random-draw computer program, club manager John Miller is able to keep the events rolling along at a very fast pace. Tooele tends to have more of a family gathering atmosphere at most of the fun shoots it hosts. These are a great opportunity to invite some anti-gun activist to witness first-hand the fun and camaraderie that takes place.
I received very good reports from the Heber Valley GC on the success of their turkey shoot. This is a club that has been reinvesting money back into the club and receiving a lot of kudos from members. Board member Corey Hardman has donated a lot of time and equipment to the effort, and the club is looking great. Not to shortchange other members, but the entire board has devoted a lot of personal time and money in this endeavor. Because of improvements to the club, shooter participation has increased every day that the club is open.
With the closing of Magna GC, several members of said club took it upon themselves to form Valley Clays and have taken up residence at the Lee Kay Shotgun Center, which is a state-run facility. Valley Clays’ board is comprised of Scott Duran, Alice Wells and Bob Bates. Helping out are Ron Goodrich and Scott’s wife Janae. The handshake agreement that Valley Clays has made with Lee Kay managers (Blanch Smith and Brent Epperson) has been a real benefit to trapshooters in the Salt Lake Valley. The once Thursday night league and turkey shoots at the Magna club are now the Valley Clays league and turkey shoots at Lee Kay. Lee Kay has extended its Thursday night hours to 9 p.m. to accommodate the league, and its Sunday afternoon hours until 3 p.m. on days of fun shoots. Thanks to all involved for making this happen.
Other clubs that have been hosting turkey shoots are Ogden and Nephi. I am sure there are a few others as well.
Have you ever wondered how the trap clubs in Utah get their targets to throw, so we can enjoy ourselves by flailing away at clay pigeons? Well, for the most part, the majority of Utah clubs order through a local distributing company named Last Resort Clays. This business is owned by Joe and Deb Sudbury, but everyone knows that the real brains behind it is Deb. In fact, Bill Daniels of White Flyer Targets has said that Deb is the best thing to happen to White Flyer in this region. Before the closing of Magna GC and Last Resort GC, Deb could be seen registering shooters every Tuesday for fun shoots at the club. She also has a hand in the final tallying of scores for the Browning Six Club Shoot. Deb can usually be seen at the Utah State Shoot helping Joe haul all his trophies home. She always seems to have a smile and a kind word to say. So the next time you see Deb, be sure to thank her for the job she does, so we can enjoy our sport.
Ed Wehking
ATA Delegate
Washington
Hello once again! I’m taking a break from the reloader to write this month’s installment. A few weeks ago I looked around and decided the only way to organize all the empty hulls I’ve hoarded is to fill them back up. Several five-gallon buckets are filled; the next chore will be to box them up so I’ll be ready to go when ATA shoots get cranked up again. One advantage of winter in the Northwest is having a lot of time to load shells, so all I will have to do for a shoot is grab them and go.
We’ve had our winter WSTA director’s meeting, so there are several shoots on the schedule. Starting in February and running into early November, Washington will offer a lot of opportunity to register ATA targets. Spokane GC has scheduled a couple of shoots that had been dropped the last few years, so we are excited about that. One change to the traditional schedule is regarding the site for the 2018 ATA Western Zone shoot. Due to a potential conflict at Spokane GC, the Colton GC will be the site this year. We think this will work well and give shooters a chance to shoot a club they haven’t before. With Colton’s close proximity to Pullman, Moscow and the Lewis Clark Valley, there is plenty of lodging available as well as close-by camper parks in case spots at the club fill up before you make up your mind to go. You may find it enjoyable to try one of the several campsites on the Snake River, all being an easy and short drive to the club.
Plans are set for the state shoot at Spokane, and we are looking forward to a great tournament. As I’ve mentioned before, the WSTA championships will not have to compete with Hoopfest, which opens up a lot of room availability for those wanting to break some clay with us. It may also bring more junior and sub-juniors who may have found themselves playing basketball that weekend. We think it’s a win all around. Juniors and subs get to shoot targets for a reduced rate, so load up the kids.
In addition to the state shoot, there will be extra incentives for youth to shoot the Northwest Grand at Spokane GC as well. Both shoots are a great event for parent/ or grandparent/child pairings and can be a fun way for family members to shoot together. All of the clubs hosting ATA shoots appreciate your support and welcome you to come take a shot at targets in Washington if you haven’t done so before. When it gets too hot down south, the shooting weather will be very pleasant here.
Please remember as you head into the shooting season to have your newest and most updated average card with you. If you use the printable version, check to make sure you have the latest. Having your dues paid ahead of time will help speed things up at the cashier’s window, especially at the Camas Prairie Handicap at Walla Walla in March. Being the first big shoot of the year and the first targets of the season for many, the lines can be shortened and wait time relieved if you take care of some details ahead of time. Be sure to declare any special category at the handicap table if you are eligible and wish to shoot for those trophies.
In the meantime, take time to introduce someone to our game at your home club during one of our winter telephonic leagues or meat and “fun and games” shoots. I know this can work because that’s how I got hooked! I hope you are wintering well, getting some trigger time, enjoyed your holiday season, and got a great start to the new year. You can reach me at [email protected], Delegate George Seubert at [email protected] as well as finding useful information on our Washington State Trapshooters webpage and the WSTA Facebook page. Until next time, shoot straight and keep your powder dry.
Sean Lewis
ATA Alternate Delegate
Central Zone
Illinois
Hello, shooters! Hopefully by now everyone has recovered from the holidays and is getting ready to get back into shooting. I’m sure some of you will be heading down to Tucson or Florida, and I would love to hear how many trophies you brought home! Shoot me an e-mail at [email protected].
By the time you read this, the Illinois Hall of Fame will be a 501(c)3 and can start taking donations. Blueprints for the building are getting their final touches, and construction will begin as soon as the funds are there. Dennis Baker is on the board and will be handling the donations, so if you are interested in donating, please get hold of him. Every little bit helps!
For those of you who are looking to make plans for the 2018 AIM and ISTA state shoots, the dates will be June 9-10 for AIM and June 11-17 for ISTA. I do want to mention that if you want to keep your camping spots from last year, you will have to get hold of me by May 1 to reserve it.
I’m looking forward to another year of great scores and great memories with you all. See you soon.
Lauren Mueller
ATA Delegate
Indiana
Greetings, shooters! Hopefully by the time you are reading this in February, weather is a lot better and you are starting to think about the upcoming shooting season.
The 2018 Indiana State Shoot will be held July 17-22.
Hopefully by now you’ve had a chance to check out our updated ITA website www.indianatrap.com. We have been hearing lots of positive feedback on the new format, and new things are being added all the time.
I wish safe travels and much success for all those heading to warmer climates this time of year to participate in various trapshoots. I’m looking forward to reading your names on the trophy lists!
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
Minnesota
Winter has finally shown up in Minnesota, as reminded by the 7° temperature this morning and the heavy fog across frozen lakes. Hunting is winding down in a couple of weeks, and I will again return to the trapshooting fields.
We had our board meeting for the Minnesota Trapshooting Association Dec. 9, approving the minutes from September so they can be posted on the website financials, ATA Delegate reports, and results for Minnesota state teams to review. Discussion included possible entertainment items at the state shoot, and they are still ongoing. The board approved trophy packages and reviewed the new trophy guidelines from the ATA. All-American points are no longer attached to the trophy but are attached to the top three shooters in each class.
It is very important to renew your ATA membership and get a new paper card on which to keep your scores and records for classification.
The board voted to drop the penalty yardage restriction on sub-juniors, juniors and senior veterans for handicap events at our state and Minnesota zone shoots. The four-club rule is still in effect and target minimums will remain the same as last year for state team consideration.
We made the necessary changes to the shoot card, and the shoots will be posted shortly at www.minnesotatrap.com. It was decided to mail gun clubs shoot cards in March, as most clubs are not open in the winter; individuals cards will be mailed as soon as they are printed.
The Minnesota Youth Shotgun Association has posted the available NRA Level 1 Coach Training scheduled dates on its website
www.minnesotashotgun.org. There will be four sites this year, with 35 to 40 students per site. We had to drop the number of class locations due to other scheduling commitments, but we have raised class sizes by 15 persons. Classes will be offered in Buffalo, Marshall, Owatonna and St. Cloud and are filling fast. Remember that youth ages 15 and up can attend, with the 2018 price set at $145 for the two-day, 16-hour intensive NRA Level 1 Shotgun Coach course. If you are involved with coaching kids for high school trapshooting or adults, this course is priceless, as you will have a lot of the ins and outs of coaching at the end of the weekend.
Remember that Minneapolis is throwing jackpot targets on Saturdays throughout the winter, with Buffalo and St. Cloud throwing targets on Sundays. Please support these clubs. The bills don’t stop when the weather gets cold, so neither should our support. Alexandria is also throwing jackpot targets as weather allows.
Congratulations go out to Walter (Wally) Shelstad (Buffalo) and Roger Lorenzen (Rochester) for being tagged for inclusion in the Minnesota Trapshooting Association’s Hall of Fame in July. Wally was nominated by Eric Munson as a contributing member. Roger was nominated by his son Greg Lorenzen and David Olson as a shooting member. Both gentlemen will be honored at the Hall of Fame banquet July 6 at Alexandria SP.
I thank you for your trust in me to serve as your Delegate. I am available if you need anything; please contact me at 612-703-6155 or [email protected]. Remember, we are not promised tomorrow! Make sure your loved ones know exactly how you feel about them. Do it today!
Mark Stevens
ATA Delegate
North Dakota
The North Dakota Trapshooting Association had its annual fall meeting in December. During the meeting, the 2018 all-state teams were announced. Once again Jason Folvag was the top shooter in the state with the high average in all three disciplines (.9830 in singles, .9345 in handicap and .9633 in doubles). The following is a breakdown of the teams and overall averages:
Men’s first (requirements: 2,000 singles, 1,500 handicap and 1,000 doubles, three ND clubs)—Jason Folvag, .9603; Chad Gerloff, .9450; Pat Bosh, .9388; Perry Weiner, .9331; Greg Vaage, .9227. Men’s second—Brian Mohler, .9226; Blaine Dukart, .9188; Mike Schell, .9133; Wayne Unruh, .9112; Todd Wendel, .9088. Women’s (requirements: 1,000 singles, 1,000 handicap, 500 doubles, three ND clubs)—Cassandra Felber, .8860; Melissa Woodworth, .8612; Jomarie Knutson, .8412; Gabby Fischer, .8287; Arlene Monson, .8125. Sub-junior (requirements: 500 singles, 200 handicap, 200 doubles, no minimum club requirement)—Jacob Schempp, .8907; Matt Wehe, .7993; Aidan Fire, .7988; Kendall Kermick, .7515; Peter Wang, .7478. Junior (requirements: 500 singles, 200 handicap, 200 doubles, no club requirement)—Kyle Kempel, .9262; Dalton Kuster, .9262; Bryar Hanson, .9241; Ben Christian, .9100; Chris Morstad, .9077. Congratulations to all!
Also during the meeting, the 2018 shoot schedule was established. The state shoot will be held July 18-22 at Minot GC. This year we will again be offering a full trophy package for residents and non-residents. Returning to the schedule is The Shooting Park in Horace (Fargo) after several years absent. They will be hosting a shoot June 2-3, with marathon targets available on June 1. For a complete listing of the 2018 shoot schedule, refer to the NDTA webpage at www.ndtrap.com.
Hopefully you have plans to attend a warm-weather shoot somewhere this winter too . . . I’ll be wintering in Arizona. See you down the line.
Tim Kaffar
ATA Delegate
South Dakota
For any of you shooters who are planning to attend the SD State Shoot this summer, our date has changed by one week. The state shoot will be July 11-15 in Sioux Falls at Crooks GC. If you need camping info, e-mail Greg Stahl at [email protected]. If you need any other help, let me know at [email protected] or 605-940-4578.
We had over 500 shooters statewide in our second year of shooting the USA High School Clay Target League last year (that originally started in Minnesota), and it looks like there will be a decent increase in 2018 as more schools climb on board. We have seen an uptick in registered shooting locally with some of the kids and their parents wanting to compete at more events.
Last but certainly not least, I want to congratulate Fred Nagel on his upcoming induction into the Trapshooting Hall of Fame this August at the Grand American. It’s an honor that is richly deserved and rightly earned. Fred follows Al Tomnitz as the only other South Dakota shooter to be so honored. (Al was inducted in 2002.) I’m sure we will have a larger-than-normal crowd of South Dakotans at the Grand this year for the festivities both before and after the ceremony.
Remember to take someone new to the range next time you go shooting.
Bob Felber
ATA Delegate
Wisconsin
Today I will be writing about awareness first, then on to our great state of shooters. You are probably wondering what can we be aware of at shoots that we don’t already know about. Even with all the years we have been shooting, there can always be something we take for granted.
I gave Hunter Morton a ride to the trap at the Autumn Grand. He had all of his gear ((Hunter’s beautiful engraved Kolar even has an “M” for Morton on the trigger guard)—his backpack of shells, glasses, etc. We pulled up to our trap and put our guns in the rack, and Hunter chilled on a bench before taking the line. The squad in front of us was done, so now it was our turn. Hunter went to the gun rack, and his gun was gone.
At this point he, our squadmates and I began frantically looking for his gun. Someone suggested that we start shooting, that Hunter could catch up and and even offered him the use of his gun. “Nope,” I said, “we are not shooting until that gun is located.” The squad hustler was helping look and was ready to call the office after at least 15 minutes of panic-searching. Just then a man walked up to the gun rack and said he had gone all the way back to the vendor area when he realized he had picked up the wrong gun. The awareness that I talked about earlier is: please be aware of what your gun looks like, especially if it is a release trigger and you just went out to the line and shot a pull trigger two times and blamed the trigger for not working. We calmed Hunter down and told him he’d done nothing wrong and to shoot amazing.
The next awareness is, remember to pay for the event. I walked up to the score bench to check my name on the list, and it was not there. Someone suggested that I just fill in my name on the sheet and shoot. I was trying to remember, “Did I pay like I always have done for all these years?” My squad took the line without me as I flew back to the office. Nope, Sandra Jo, you did not pay. The awareness that I talked about earlier is: don’t fill in your name if it is not on the sheet, and most of all, remember to pay.
Tucson was absolutely beautiful for the Autumn Grand. The staff and volunteers were fantastic at doing their jobs, letting us enjoy our shooting; a big “thank you” to everyone who made this happen. Wisconsin was well represented, and many shooters took home trophies. Congratulations to Brent Heikkinen, Don Van De Bogert, Dennis Minks, Gerald Demulling (nice 200, Gerald, in singles), Donald Labarge, Cheryl Demulling, Douglas Proulx, Sandra Jo Jack and Bill Boyd. If I missed someone, please let me know.
Winter shooting on weekends has started, so I hope to see you at the local shoots while freezing our butts off. There are shoots on Saturdays and Sundays around the whole state you can attend. You shooters who are fortunate enough to be down south somewhere shooting, be safe and e-mail me with your BIG wins.
Can you see the future of the shooting going on at the homegrounds? Chops said building permits are filed. Looking for the spring thaw to happen for the building to resume progress. Please look at the WTA website for updates on what is happening and if your help is needed.
I did shoot at Minneapolis GC Dec. 23 for their Christmas shoot, and it was only 16°, but I had fun with friends and won a ham. Jimmy B. came up to me and said that when he gets his TRAP & FIELD, the first thing he does is read my article. Thank you, Jimmy, for the nice comments that you enjoy reading what Wisconsin shooters are doing.
Hopefully you have contacted Amy for a camping spot for the state shoot or other larger shoots at our homegrounds. There are a number of hotels in the area that you can also call for rooms. Remember, rooms fill up early; you can always cancel later if you are not going to attend.
The Spring Grand in Tucson is coming up. See you on the trapline with a smile, or stop by the Kolar trailer to say hi.
Sandra Jo Jack
for ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring
