Florida

It’s January 2019, and all clubs in Florida have scheduled a registered event. Some clubs are conducting Big 50 shoots, others have weekend traditional 100-bird races. Robinson Ranch will be conducting its annual Marathon Shoot Dec. 29-Jan. 6. At Silver Dollar the FTA has scheduled the Florida Hall of Fame Shoot Jan. 18-20. This is a fantastic tournament followed by an induction ceremony, celebration and banquet. The induction ceremony always becomes a roast of the inductee(s). The other big tournament scheduled at Silver Dollar will be their annual Open Money Shoot Jan. 23-27. Silver Dollar SC adds approximately $30,000 to this shoot. This is added money, so you do not need to play any options in order to take home some cash. Be sure you take a look at the program on Silver Dollar’s website. While you are there, Silver Dollar made it very easy for you to get reservations at some of the fine hotels that offer very good shooters’ rates. This is a shoot where many trapshooting All-Americans from around the United States and Canada will come, not only to win some money, but also capture some All-American points. Just a refresh on All-American points: if this tournament has a Competition Factor 3, then the champions get 10 points multiplied by three for a total of 30 points. Champions do include winners in each category.

Here are the other Florida clubs that will hold registered shoots during this month: Volusia Co. S&T, Flagler, Sarasota, Tallahassee, South Florida SC, Gulf Coast Clays, Hurlburt, Imperial Polk Co., Chuluota and Gulf R&P. I have not heard from Indian River, as the last notification I received was that their registered trapshoots were suspended until further notice.

It may be a time to review handicap punches. In Big 50 shoots, a shooter breaking all 50 handicap targets will receive a punch; if the Big 50 has 15 or more shooters, than the high score in the Big 50 will also receive a punch. The Big 50s follow the same earned yardage as a 100-target handicap event.

I received some photographs on the new Palm Beach Co. SP from our FTA past president Joe Loitz. The photos showed the ongoing construction of the new buildings. This prompted me to take a look at the FWC website and review photos and updates that FWC has posted. This next paragraph that I copied has all the details that I was curious about:

“Construction on the restrooms, administrative building and supporting structures at the Palm Beach County Shooting Sports Park is under way and expected to be complete in late spring 2019. When finished, this state-of-the-art facility will safely support the needs of hunters, hunter safety students and target shooters. The park, one of the largest shooting sports facilities in Florida, will meet growing demand for target shooting opportunities with five rifle and handgun ranges; five Olympic trapfields; six American trapfields; nine skeet fields; and a 14-station sporting clays course. As soon as permitting is obtained, bid winner Leisure Construction will begin work on the trap and skeet fields and complete the 200- and 300-yard rifle ranges. A timeline for completing the rifle and handgun ranges will be available May 2019.”

The website is Myfwc.com; search for Palm Beach County Shooting Sports Park. Photos, funding and timelines are all available for viewing. This multi-discipline shooting park is a project administered by Florida Wildlife Commission, using monies from the Pittman-Robertson Federal Aid Act.

Please advise me of items that may interest Florida trapshooters. I can be reached at [email protected] or 321-427-6553.

Larry Grenevicki

ATA Delegate

Kentucky

Since the Dixie Grand, there has not been much trapshooting going on except at the monthly shoots in Evansville, Nashville, Blue Grass in Lexington and Central Kentucky at Berea. The Autumn Grand in Tucson saw only two Kentuckians attend, Aaron Willoughby and Justin Miller. In western Kentucky we have been busy with Friends of NRA fundraisers and practice for high school teams.

The Kentucky Trap League recently announced the dates for the 2019 state shoot. It will be held at the KTL Homegrounds near Berea July 2-7. Also, the KTL recently posted the 2019 state teams:

Men’s—captain Keith Ditto, Gerard Hoots, Bobby Fowler, Trey Wilburn, Ricky Fryman, Aaron Willoughby, Donnie Sherrard, Tony Willoughby, Doug Cox, Michael Castle. Women’s—captain Melissa Tracy, Hannah Simpson, Deanna Horn, Martha Humphrey, Linda Cox. Sub-junior—captain Daniel Everett, Austin Miller, Lukas Blane Cissell, Drew Wyatt, Elijah Wilson. Junior—captain Connor Richardson, Tristen Miles, Dawson Horton, Hunter Plewke, Nathan Hartsell. Veteran—captain Robert Dyer, Gerald Shockley, Wayne Hale, Jack Futch, Donald Isham. Senior veteran—captain Clayborn Hunter, David Riddle, Royce White, Larry Woosley, Vernon Anderson.

The state’s high-average leaders were Ditto in singles and handicap at .9969 and .9600, and Michael Witt in doubles at .9742.

The KTL announced it is offering two $1,000 scholarships, one to a high school senior and one to an eligible college student. Details are available on the KTL website.

Until next month, shoot when you can and the weather allows. Take a young person with you if you can. Let me know of any news you want to share with your fellow trapshooters at [email protected], or call 270-227-2262. Stay healthy and smoke as many targets as possible.

Vernon R. Anderson

KTL Board member

Mississippi

Happy New Year to our Mississippi trappers! It is indeed midwinter, and the sunny South has its share of cold snaps and intermittent warm spells. Both Coast R&PC and Capitol GC continue to throw the bulk of ATA Mississippi trap targets. We welcome shooters from all over and hope you will join us. Contact John Oren (Coast) or Jerry Tharp (Capitol) for details on our shooting schedules.

It is not too early to begin planning your shooting schedule as the new calendar year gets into full swing. Capitol GC will host the Mississippi State Shoot May 23-26, and Coast R&PC will be one of four host sites of the ATA Southern Zone Shoot (TBA). Go to the ATA website for a detailed listing of all our Mississippi shooting dates.

Happy trappin’!

Jerry Tharp

ATA Delegate

North Carolina

I hope all of you had a merry Christmas and are having a great beginning to the new year. There are lots of exciting things coming up this spring, too. Our Hall of Fame Shoot at the NCTA homegrounds in Bostic will again be in April, and that’s not far off. The Southern Grand in Florida will precede that at the end of March.

Buckhorn GC hosted a wonderful Toys for Tots shoot in November, and reports were that not only were lots of toys donated, but there was good shooting by some of our juniors and sub-juniors. Keep up the good work!

On a sad note, Earl Scripture, a North Carolina resident and longtime friend of many NC shooters, passed away in November. Earl was a great shooter and won numerous trophies in his career. His friends here in NC will no doubt miss his great storytelling ability and an uncanny knack for remembering people’s names. He is survived by his wife Belinda. RIP, Earl.

I would like to thank Jason Dancy, Jeff Allen and all the other coaches and parents for their work with SCTP and AIM. We had more junior and sub-junior participation in 2018 than ever before! Keep up the great work, and let’s make 2019 even better!

I can be reached at [email protected] or 828-693-3833. Shoot well and often.

Bob Schultz

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

It’s time to report our state team. We have some new names this year:

First team—captain Randy Knight, Jay Willson, Ed Clarke, Tyler Morris, Rodney Raines. Second team—Gary Olson, Carl Schultz, Frank Ketron, David Barron, Donnie Pigg. Categories—Lady I, Jen Willson; Lady II, Teresa Knight; sub-vet, Gary Ferguson; vet, Doug Stenback; senior vet, Jim Faber. Congrats to all; keep up the good shooting.

Jan Slough has reached 50,000 singles. Keep breaking them, Jan.

Here in the South we have a chance to keep shooting, although sometimes the cool wind keeps the eyes and nose running. We have a number of clubs that are having monthly and Big 50 shoots, so support them. When the state shoots roll around, you’ll have your game going. I’m making plans for the Southern Grand in March followed by the Georgia State Shoot the first of May then our state shoot the middle of the month. See you there.

I can be reached at [email protected].

Jim Faber

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

Happy New Year. I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and your 2019 resolutions are all attainable.

I need to mention some major accomplishments by Tennessee shooters at the 2018 Grand American. The Trap & Field Handicap winner was Brooke Barnett with 100 straight from the 27-yard line. In the same event, Bill Hardison shot at and broke his 100,000th handicap target. In the President Jim Jones Handicap presented by Perazzi, the winner was Chandler Brown with 100 straight from the 27-yard line. This feat completed Chandler’s ATA Grand Slam, and he became only the sixth Tennessean to accomplish the Slam. Wayne Mayes broke 100 in doubles in August 1988 for Tennessee’s first Slam, George Reese Sr. broke 100 from the 27 in September 1994, Steve Williams broke 100 from the 27 in August 1997, Mitchel Loveless had 100 from 27 in March 2005, and Charles Morrison Jr. ran 200 singles in August 2007.

January is a good time to be deciding which 2019 state shoots you plan on attending. These are the proposed dates that the ATA Southern Zone Delegates discussed at our August meeting: Florida, March 19-24; Georgia, May 2-5; South Carolina, May 15-19; Mississippi, May 23-26; Alabama, May 30-June 2; North Carolina, June 5-9; Tennessee AIM, June 11-12 followed by the state shoot June 13-16; Kentucky, July 3-7; Virginia, July 3-7; and West Virginia, July 11-14.

Read the Rulebook, please.

Check out our website at Shootattn.com for more info.

For questions or further information, contact me at [email protected] or 731-217-9957.

Billy Cook

ATA Delegate

Virginia

First, I’d like to wish all Virginia shooters and their families a happy New Year. Hopefully this will be a great year for all of us.

Congratulations to Ted Carwile for making the ATA senior vet All-American second team. That’s quite an accomplishment, and it’s not the first time for Ted.

The lists for the Virginia state teams and top shooter lists have been published and are on the VTA website. In addition to those listed, there were quite a few very good averages, but the shooters didn’t have the minimum requirements for the teams.

The VTA board met in November and chose the dates for the VTA shoots next year. The Hall of Fame Shoot will be June 1-2. The choice of this weekend was driven by the need to complete the AIM league and by school graduations around Winchester. The graduations drive both the availability of shooters and the availability of workers in the area. The VA State Shoot will be July 3-7, with the WV State Shoot the following weekend, also at Winchester. The Old Dominion shoot will be Sept. 21-22.

George Hafkemeyer

ATA Delegate

Colorado

The Clock on the Wall or Farewell to a Friend—I was sitting in a small, darkened room waiting for my eyes to dilate so my vision and cataracts could be checked. As my eyes adjusted to the low light, I began to see a clock materializing on the wall. Even though I was less than five feet from the clock, I couldn’t seem to focus on its face. All the numbers were in the wrong place, and the hour and minute hands were wrong as well. At first I feared my vision had suddenly gotten worse or my dyslexia was acting up again, but then I noticed the second hand was actually moving counterclockwise. As I observed the clock closer, I realized the numbers were actually written in reverse so the clock would appear to be reversing time. The clock couldn’t actually reverse time, but just think how wonderful it would be if it could. Talk about changing the world!

Thinking about time running backwards caused my thoughts to start drifting backwards as well. They floated back a few days to a memorial shoot we had for Steve Saruwatari, a recently departed ATA and league shooter from the Western Slope of Colorado. For those of you who didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Steve and for those of you who did, please bear with me as I try in my humble way to tell you a little about him and his memorial shoot at Grand Junction TC.

I met Steve some 20 years ago at a registered shoot in Delta, where we happened to be on the same squad. Steve was fairly new, and I had been shooting for just a few years. I was having a good day, and Steve was having a bad one. As we went from trap to trap, Steve asked me questions about how to shoot trap, and I, with my limited knowledge, answered him as best I could. We became fast friends and squadded together whenever possible.

Steve became a good ATA shooter, but his job and finances confined his schedule mostly to western Colorado. He excelled in league shooting, where he was a fierce competitor and became one of the best.

His story doesn’t need to be embellished or have any decorative details added, as evidenced by the very large group who showed up at the memorial. In addition to many friends and family, there were ATA, league and skeet shooters. There must have been over a hundred people there to honor and say farewell to Steve.

In all the years I knew him, I never heard him say anything cross about anyone. He was always the first one to stop and ask if you needed help, and he was always there when any work was to be done. If you were having a bad day, Steve would show up with his warm smile and quiet voice and in no time have you smiling as well. While Steve wasn’t what the world would consider a learned person, he knew much about people and how to get along with them. That is what made him such a great friend and ambassador at every trap club he went to. In short, Steve was the kind of person we all try to be and in the end, wish we had been.

The day of Steve’s memorial shoot was perfect and turned out to be special. No wind, great light and perfect temperature, which led to high scores. What more can you ask for? It was the type of day all shooters dream of.

With as good as the weather and scores were, what most impressed me was the tranquil camaraderie that existed between the two gun clubs, Delta and Grand Junction. It was as though Steve Saruwatari, our friend and ambassador, was still on the job. Thank you and farewell, Steve.

Halloween Goblins or Little Angels—At the Autumn Grand at Tucson T&SC, I was sitting in front of my computer writing this very article when through the open screen door of our motorhome, my wife Joyce and I heard what sounded like a small person’s voice. Being hard of hearing as well as an old curmudgeon, I ignored the noise and continued to write. Joyce went to the door to see who was there. What greeted her was Stacy Rehor with her two small angels Hadley and Everest in tow. Everest was content to ride on mom’s hip. Hadley, dressed like a small angel or perhaps a butterfly, was bouncing up and down so fast that I thought her tiny wings might cause her to achieve lift-off. With some coaxing from mom, she finally settled down enough to say what must have been “trick-or-treat.” Then in what seemed like only the blink of an eye, she was off excitedly bouncing her way to the next RV. What a special treat this was for all of us empty nesters at Tucson.

Tom T. Hall was right when he sang there’s only three things in this world that’s worth a solitary dime: “Old Dogs, Children and Watermelon Wine.”

Autumn Grand—It seems a lot of Colorado shooters traveled south to shoot in warmer weather. There were 34 last time I counted. For those of you who couldn’t make it, you missed a good one. I hope to see even more of you at the Spring Grand.

On Wednesday night Joyce and I were invited to a get-together. There was a gas fire ring, and we all dragged our chairs around it and began to solve the world’s problems. (A gas fire ring is today’s version of yesteryear’s campfire, without all the smoke).

I watched the flames and listened to shooters tell about good and bad squads they had shot on over the years. They talked about the characteristics of a good squad. According to these seasoned shooters, a good squad is on time and ready to take the line as soon as it’s their turn. It is good-natured, but no goofing. It has a good rhythm and ticks right along to keep the tournament moving. They talk quietly, if at all, when behind a squad that is still shooting. They come together quickly to resolve any issues that may arise, such as correcting any miscalled birds. They never reset targets unless it becomes necessary. (As I listened, I thought these are the things we should teach to our league shooters, for many of them will become ATA members.)

I didn’t say much for I was somewhat mesmerized by the flickering flames of the fire. But then I realized these seasoned shooters had just described the squad I was shooting on: Bob Hall, Bob Hardenburger, Chris Larson and Gordon Ross. Without question, it was one of the best squads I had been on for some time.

I hope everyone had a good holiday season.

Irv Effinger

ATA Delegate

Missouri

All good things come to an end sooner or later. We enjoyed some fantastic weather this fall until the beginning of November, and then Old Man Winter came early. Activities at the gun clubs have slowed significantly.

By the time you are reading this, we will have made it out of 2018 and into 2019. I hope you were able to celebrate Christmas with family and friends while remembering the real reason we celebrate.

While the target year began in September, the new calendar year begins in January and is the time that most set new goals they want to achieve. I have yet to set mine; how about you? Now is a good time to get all of your maintenance done and all those empty hulls reloaded.

I almost never get any feedback from shooters or gun club managers. If you have any concerns or have something you would like to have reported on, please contact me at 816-863-9003 or [email protected]. Stay warm, be safe and shoot well!

Stephen Ricketts

 ATA Delegate

New Mexico

Here it is after Thanksgiving. I hope everyone had a great time. By the time this is published, it will be time to start shooting again. Hobbs and Alamogordo will have a shoot in April. I hope to see you there. I hope the weather warms up by then. We have been cold and windy. It looks like a long, windy season.

Bob Leibel

ATA Delegate

Oklahoma

Congratulations are in order for the following shooters who made the Oklahoma state trap team for the 2018 target year:

Men’s—Chance Fleming, .9546; Pat Stacey, .9513; Jeff Trayer, .9199; Nathan Lemke, .9130; David Bacon II, .8903. Lady I—Shelby Skaggs, .9376; Abagail Colton, .8931; Vickie Farmer, .8882. Lady II—Rose Shaffer, .9133; Mikie Hooper, .8346. Sub-junior—Josh Stacey, .9147; Brayden Bliss, .9113; Klayton McGee, .8993; Jacob Diller, .8748; Blakely Barnett, .8517. Junior—Colt Quisenberry, .9368; Clay Laughlin, .9191; Jared Marshall, .9050; Colton Ables, .8847; Trever Damron, .8750. Junior gold—Corbin Grybowski, .9605; Josh Casteel, .9076; Zane Arnold, .9035; Clay Galbreath, .9005; David Bacon III, .9003. Sub-vet—Rick Bliss, .9472; Charles LeadingFox, .9373; Ron Bliss, .9355; Ken Isenberg, .9285; Mike Grove, .9262. Veteran—Robert Rimer, .9388; Bill Dean, .9136; Rick Shaffer, .8934; Terry Piquet, .8812; George Wise, .8292. Senior vet—Gary Nichols, .9171; William Dayton, .9093; Verlin (Doc) Koper, .9004; Jon Guy, .8912; Larry Slape, .8786.

OTSA’s National Trapshooting Day Shoot was held Oct. 28 after being canceled from the previous date due to heavy rain. It was a beautiful day, and six squads competed facing a north wind. Jeff Trayer’s 97 won him champion in the singles after reverse score with Kya Funkhouser. Her 97 won sub-junior. Kya won the handicap with 93, and she was excited to find out she had won lady Rookie of the Year (.8618 on 10,400 targets). Rick Bliss and Nathan Lemke both broke 94s in the doubles, and by reverse score, Rick was winner, and Nathan won Class A. Nathan was the male Rookie of the Year (.9130 on 13,000 targets).

Ada’s Big 50 shoot on Oct. 27 had good weather, good attendance and good scores. Austin Palmer won the singles with 49, and Colton Ables was next with 48. Colton won the handicap with 46, and Vickie Farmer was next with 45. Colton won the doubles with 46, and Clay Laughlin was next with 45. Ada’s Tuesday evening Oct. 30 shoot had a three-way tie of 46s. Greg Belcher, Joe Anglin and Mike Grove split first-place money.

OTSA also held their Big 50 shoot on Oct. 27, and again they had beautiful weather and good scores. Tex Hollis won champion with 49. Dennis Patrick and Brian Northup’s 48s were next. In the handicap, Funkhouser and Northup had 48s, with Paul Hooper and Dennis breaking 46s. In the doubles Dennis had 49 and Bill Dean 46.

Oil Capital GC’s Big 50s were held over the summer, spring and fall, ending in an awards dinner with fried catfish, baked beans and all the trimmings plus dessert. Pete Wedelin won A with 490, Ray Galli won B with 485, Jim Waite won C with 468, and Jack Long won D with 446. In the handicap, 18-22 was won by Larry Slape with 463, and 23-27 was won by Terry Piquet with 478. Buckles were awarded for the 500 and on the HOA 1,500. In the 1,500, Billy Pierce won champion with 1.414, runnerup No. 1 was Piquet with 1,411, and runnerup No. 2 was David Bacon with 1,400. To finish off the evening, they shot wobble skeet and deep yardage protection shoots.

During the winter months, Bartlesville SC will conduct their Big 50 shoots.

Duncan GC held a board meeting Nov. 1, where registered shoots for the upcoming year were discussed. Some new members have stepped up offering to help, so it was decided to keep the shoot dates, except for February. They decided to put more emphasis on March, April, May, September and October shoots. They will also continue to host 4-H regional shoots. They plan to rework traps this winter and make target presentation better for next year. Duncan can use our participation and help to keep everything going smoothly.

Ada held their club shoot Nov. 3, and Clay Laughlin won the combined trap and skeet with 94. A new young shooter, 11-year-old Creede Booth, won novice in a three-round shootoff. Lowell Leach celebrated his 83rd birthday during the shoot.

The next day, Nov. 4, Shawnee Twin Lakes TR held their club shoot with Robert Rimer and Bill Dean in a tie. With a flip of a coin, Dean was declared the winner.

OTSA’s Nov. 11 derby shoot had cool weather and a north wind. Lemke’s 49 was high in the singles, and Dean’s 48 was next. In the handicap Northup’s 46 was first, Bennie Livingston’s 44 was second, and Dean’s 43 was third. Lemke’s 45 was high in the doubles, and Brian’s 42 was next. Cashlin Smith, a new shooter, broke 45 in singles and shot her first-ever round of doubles, breaking seven or eight pair.

Plans are being made for the 2019 Oklahoma State Shoot, which will be May 28-June 2 at the homegrounds at El Reno. We will have both in-state as well as out-of-state trophies. Again we will have the AIM shooters’ miss-and-out 1-2-3 that has become so popular. It is free to all AIM participants. Flats of shells will be awarded to the winner of Traps 1, 2 and 3. Also I plan to take a group picture of the AIM shooters and furnish each a free copy for their trapshooting scrapbook. The time will be in the state shoot program. I will do the same thing for the nine Oklahoma All-Americans immediately following their shootoff.

On Nov. 10, 300 Army soldiers returned to Ft. Sill from South Korea. Another batallion will replace them. Let’s keep the firefighters and hundreds of families who lost everything during the California wildfires in our prayers.

Tim Deister

ATA Delegate

Texas

I hope each of you had a blessed holiday season with family and friends. It would be a good time to say a prayer for our service men and woman who didn’t get to spend time with their families. They are protecting our freedoms in foreign countries and serving in harm’s way for us.

Shooting has wound down in much of Texas now. That is sure true here in the Panhandle. I know our south Texas clubs are still shooting. Make your plans to go shoot with our friends there.

It’s not too early to start making plans to attend the Texas State Shoot in Amarillo the first week in July. Also, Texas will have three host three sites for the Southwestern Zone this year: Ft. Worth, El Paso and Amarillo July 14-16. This is the first time (to my knowledge) that Texas has had three locations. It would be great if we could get our numbers up this year.

I could preach about the rulebook, releasing pre-squads you are not going to use, being courteous to the trap help, thanking the volunteers, but I’m not going to. I know, I know, you are extremely disappointed. I’ll try to make up for it in a later column.

I didn’t have much to say, I just wanted to make sure my column was longer than my good friend Bob Leibel’s, the Delegate from New Mexico. If you have news, let Princess or me know. (That’s please, of course.)

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

Jerry O’Connor

ATA Delegate

Alberta

Winter is upon us, and trapshooting in Alberta is retired until next April or May.

The winter circuit is under way again, and Art Peyton started out with a splash at the Nevada State Shoot, winning numerous trophies and over 200 All-American points. It was good to see Don Checkel back shooting after successful cataract surgery. Don picked up his first trophy of the year in Vegas, so he is off to a good start.

We had 11 shooters from Alberta participate in the Autumn Grand in Tucson. We had a few winners from Alberta. Ron McConnell shot well and was close in most events.

We were sad to hear of the passing of longtime shooter and supporter Arnold Norgard of Claresholm. For years Arnold was the center of club activity. His hard work and dedication to the sport will be missed by all.

The ATA Western Zone is initiating a new shooting opportunity to register targets and earn Lewis option money. The Western Big 50 program is now rolling in several states in the northwestern U.S. It is a program initiated by the club that involves 50 singles, 50 handicap and 50 doubles, all registered targets under the ATA Big 50 program. Lewis options are available on each of the above and also on the HOA. Shooting is a single day or multiple days, every third week of the month. Scores are amalgamated from each participating club and summarized for the Lewis options, which makes for nicer payouts than at a small single shoot. We will be looking at the opportunity in Alberta to make this happen where clubs are interested. It is a great way to have shooters introduced to registered shooting in an informal club atmosphere.

Remember, we have the provincial trapshooting championships happening in Calgary this year. Make your plans and book holidays early; it will be a good shoot. We have had more interest expressed this year than ever from shooters in the U.S. wanting to attend our Alberta Provincials.

Also, the change of date for the ATA Western Zone to June 28-30 in Edmonton this year should make this a good addition to our provincial lineup in June.

If you have news or information about your club, please let me know.

Garry Hill

 ATA Delegate

Arizona

And Grand it was! The Autumn Grand at Tucson was just about perfect in every way. There were 571 shooters who came from 47 states and provinces, up exactly 3% from last year. Arizona (naturally) led the pack, followed by California, Texas and Colorado; Hawaii and Massachusetts were the most distant points. Weather could not have been better. It was warm and practically cloudless, and the winds were light, although it did kick up a little on the last day. Everything was just as promised: mild temperatures, soft breezes, beautiful ladies, handsome men (well, at least the beautiful ladies is true), world-class competition, super targets and Arizona hospitality.

In case you have been asleep for the last couple of years, the times they are a-changing. The young’ns and the ladies are taking over. The Singles Championship featured a Lady I shooter, Stacy Rehor (CO), and a junior, Hunter Howe (WY), who was the winner. Ben Larson (CO) won the handicap, and most astounding of all, one of our own, junior Tomi Ownby from Scottsdale, tied Harlan Campbell with a perfect 100 in the Doubles Championship. One of her squad members told me that her targets were just inkball after inkball. Tomi is a senior at Chaparral High School and has her eye on attending the University of Alabama and joining their shooting team. She is a member of the Ben Avery Clay Crushers. Our youth programs are really paying off.

Arizona first reared its head during the class doubles in the preliminary events. Randy Stiarwalt topped D, Karen Bergman’s 97 was high in Lady II, and Jim Copsey led all veterans at 99. The class singles immediately followed, and some familiar names came to the fore. Jim Sharp, Gerry Williams and Vince Bianco, our newest Hall of Fame nominee, all tied at 99. Gerry won the carryover. Karen picked up where she had left off the day before with a Lady II-winning score of 99. Sandy Luchetta won D at 95. Friday ended with the Preliminary Handicap, and Rick Durkee bested the other 25-26 shooters with 95. In Saturday’s Singles Championship, Williams won the tough AA class with a 99 and then four 25 straights in the shootoff. Rex Adams tied in the 22-24 field but lost on a forfeit in Sunday’s handicap.

Grand week began with 100 singles. Steve Smoot fell just short in a carryover for the Class D crown, and David Calandra suffered the same fate in 22-24 in the following handicap. Tuesday started with the Premier Singles, and two young men from Prescott, while not winners, gave it their best. Eleven-year-old Wyatt Pizinger’s 95 earned him a shootoff for sub-junior, and his 15-year-old brother, Nathanial, came oh-so-close in junior with 97. I have the pleasure of knowing both, and they are a great addition to the Arizona trapshooting scene. Dick Goerlich tied for the sub-veteran crown but lost out on the carryover. The Yuma Doubles concluded Tuesday’s shooting, and Greg Cobbs tied for AA but also was a carryover victim.

Wednesday brought some more Arizona winners. Karen shot the only 100 in Lady II; Brent Epperson, now officially from Arizona, not only ran the hundred, but he did it again in the carryover and won veteran, while poor Dick Goerlich, despite his 100, got squeezed out in sub-veteran. Rob Ritter lost out on the D title in carryover. Event 15, the Pleasant Valley Handicap, showed the depth of our squad. Bud Rupe took 18-21—I would love to know how many times Bud has been to the winner’s circle; start counting—Steve Haynes’ 98 won 22-24 and was good for a punch, and Tim Robb came back with a roar after a one-year layoff. His 98, shot from the 27, took veteran, echoing the line from “Hello Dolly”: “It’s nice to have you back where you belong.”

Thursday featured the Double Adobe Doubles, and Dan Forbes turned in a stellar performance with a 97 and then another 97 in the carryover to take B. In the Tucson Singles another Arizona name popped up. Isaac Smith, a student at Embry Riddle and a member of the Prescott Bird Busters, came in with a 99, tops in junior. Barry Firth broke all 100 in the same event, tying for both Class A and veteran, but that was his last singles for the tournament, so there was no carryover. The day ended with the Garden Canyon Handicap. Steve Johnson won the 27-yard group with 97, and Forbes did it again, his 96 and 25 straight in the shootoff earning him the 22-24 trophy and a punch.

Two Arizona shooters, Copsey and Bergman, entered the winner’s circle in Friday’s Tucson Class Doubles. Jim’s 99 put him on top of veterans in a tough field, and Karen was the high Lady II at 96. Forbes also made a run of things in Class A but lost out in carryover. Then came Saturday’s Singles Championship, and we had two class champs and two runnerups. Eric Binger won C by breaking all 25 in shootoff, and William Simons won D, nosing out Andy Wachtel by one. (Those lessons from Charlie are really working). Karen went straight in overtime for the runnerup spot in Lady II. Sunday opened with the Doubles Championship, and it was here that Tomi tied Campbell. Karen lost the Lady II title by one and finished as runnerup. Everything concluded with the crown jewel, the handicap, and Cobbs finished fourth in a very strong field. Robb tied for vet and ended up in second place, while Barry Roach, who was very consistent during the entire shoot, lost out by one in A.

Around the state: Casa Grande has joined in the Western Zone Big 50 competition. It features Zone-wide options and a Lewis class. The shoot consists of 50 each singles, doubles and handicap. January’s date is Monday, the 14th. The Western Zone Big 50s started in October; it is unique to the West and has become very popular. Let’s bring some of that option money back to Arizona.

Tucson, Double Adobe, Casa Grande, Ben Avery, Rio Salado, Lake Havasu and Cochise all have registered shoots in January, and the Arizona Chain is in full swing. Check aztraps.com for the exact dates.

I hear that it is getting mighty cold a little bit north of us. Put away those down jackets, lined boots, weird-looking winter hats, snow blowers and shovels, put an end to aching backs, and come on down to the Grand Canyon State. It’s warm and friendly here. See you on the line.

John Bergman

ATA Delegate

Oregon

The 2019 Swearingen all-star teams, based on 2018 performance, have been announced. Sponsored by the late Merv Swearingen to give recognition to the high-average shooters in Oregon, the awards are presented annually to the five shooters with the high overall averages. In addition, the top five shooters in each ATA discipline and the top shooter in each special category receive pins and plaques to commemorate their achievements. Target minimums of 1,500 singles, 1,200 handicap and 800 doubles are required to qualify. Since Merv’s passing, these prestigious awards have been sponsored annually by past president and past ATA Delegate John Adams.

All-stars—John Adams, .9561; Ryan Costanti, .9284; Cole Costanti, .9220; Lonny Brown, .9213; Chase Costanti, .9073.

Singles—Ryan Costanti, .9824; Adams, .9820; Dex Tourville, .9757; Cole Costanti, .9723; Brown, .9613. Handicap—Adams, .9389; Bob Robertson, .9171; Cole Costanti, .9143; John Dollar, .9068; Chase Costanti, .8996. Doubles—Richard Shrode, .9825; Robertson, .9513; Adams, .9473; John Chesebro, .9363; Brown, .9194. Veteran—Daniel Joseph, .8053. Senior veteran—Tourville, .9012.

The annual winter meeting of the OSATA Board of Directors was held in late September at the Portland GC. Mike Mann was again elected president, Adams was elected vice president, and Julie Spindler accepted appointment to the position of secretary-treasurer. This was the first winter meeting in more than 40 years conducted without the presence and sage advice of Daro Handy. Daro has served the shooters of Oregon as a board member, officer, committee chair and ATA Delegate for longer than most can remember and has earned a heartfelt thank you as he enters a well-earned retirement from the administrative side of the OSATA.

Much of the discussion was centered around the blossoming youth shooting movement in all corners of the state and the continuation of the three-zone format within the state. Medford GC in southwest Oregon was selected as the site for the 2019 Oregon State Shoot May 31-June 2 as well as the Oregon southern zone shoot April 13-14 and the ATA Western Zone Shoot June 28-30.

Oregon’s AIM program is growing and is expected to be in full swing again this spring. There are a few exceptionally dedicated AIM members who continue to register targets each month through the winter. If you are interested in joining our youth program AIM team, contact Ryan Costanti.

Oregon has also jumped on board with the Western Zone Big 50s program and has the Medford GC currently participating and looking to have several more clubs join in the coming months. Please let your local club know if you would like to participate in this monthly program. It’s a lot of fun and allows you to register additional targets at a fraction of the cost, while competing against other shooters in the Western Zone.

Shoot straight.

Ryan Costanti

ATA Delegate

Utah

The Huntsman Senior Games, held at Purgatory CS, was once again a lot of fun. This week-long adventure of shooting 850 targets, which includes sporting clays, 5-stand, skeet, wobble trap, singles, doubles and handicap, was very well run and didn’t have any equipment malfunctions. All workers are volunteers and are well trained and extremely cordial. I must commend the following folks for jobs well done: Troy Bowler is gun club manager, John Freeman is shooting sports coordinator, and Steve Wood is club president. All were very visible, helpful and receptive to ideas.

Previous Huntsman shooting sports coordinator, Harold Curry, made an appearance several times and renewed old friendships. Harold was the original brain behind the shotgun sports portion of the Senior Games and spent 10 years at the helm. In fact, he is being inducted into the Huntsman Senior Games Hall of Fame. Let me assure you, this is a very big deal and quite an honor. My congratulations go out to you, Harold.

Next came the Nevada State Shoot held at Clark Co. SP. If you have never been to this facility, you really need to visit it when you are in the vicinity. It is one of the most premier shooting locations I have ever seen. Archery, rifle, pistol, sporting clays, trap, skeet . . . you name it, they offer it. All first-class digs with clubhouse, sports shop and restaurant. The trap range has 20 houses with 20 skeet field overlays. All trap and skeet houses are well constructed from brick/block material.

The Nevada state association, headed by president Dean Shepardson, ran a very efficient shoot, with events starting on time every day and targets being set very well. Weather the entire week was nothing less than spectacular. Daytime temperatures were in the low 80s with very little wind.

I attended the annual meeting and received some very good comments on the USTA website www.utahtrap.com. Russ Roberts commended us for how we post our shoot programs and have our scores reported within a couple of days after a shoot ends. He also pointed out other information that we had available on our home page. This is all a reflection on Mark Scholes, our webmaster. Thanks, Mark!

Utah had 16 shooters in attendance, and most shot well and brought home some booty. Brad Spencer won the non-resident veteran singles title with 199 plus extras. Also picking up hardware were Joe Sudbury, Grayson Stuart, Bobby Street and Steve Ottesen. As a side note, Grayson’s father Mike put down his pom-poms and picked up his gun and shot his first-ever registered ATA targets. He put up some very respectable scores. Welcome, Mike! I am sure if he needs lessons that Grayson can give him a few pointers.

On a final note, the Western Zone just completed its first Big 50 Zone-wide option shoot. This is just another way for shooters to enjoy the Big 50 program but play the options on a Zone-wide basis. Several clubs around the Zone held Big 50s during October, and it was met with success. The intent of the program is to get more people involved in ATA without having to shoot 100 targets of each discipline. I am hopeful that several of our clubs will take advantage of this program. I have posted a link on the USTA website under “News” for more information. If anyone has questions regarding this program, please give me a call or e-mail me. My contact information is on the USTA home page.

Ed Wehking

ATA Western Zone Vice President

Iowa

Well it’s cold, and there’s not much shooting going on in Iowa, but we are getting closer to the high school kids getting geared up for their spring shooting season. A lot of ATA shooters are doing their part to help kids get a start. Anything we can do will help our sport for the next generations of registered shooters to have a place to come back and shoot later. Remember to support your local clubs the best we can. Many new clubs are started strictly for the high school kids as well as college shooting. In Iowa we have certified over 15 clubs in the last two years to throw registered targets.

I want to say congratulations to everyone who made the Iowa state team, and I wish you all the best this coming target season.

I hope everyone had a safe and good New Year. The Iowa State Shoot as well as the Heartland Grand are two shoots you will not be disappointed in attending and supporting. We in Iowa thank everyone in state and especially those making the trip from out of state who make our shoots what they are. Stockdale GC was working on the Heartland Grand for this year within weeks of the 2018 shoot being completed. Dale is in preparations to grow his shoots and make the Heartland Grand a premier Satellite Grand to attend. Anyone who attends his shoots knows the quality and hard work of the people who put them on. The scores from this year’s Heartland Grand were simply awesome.

The Iowa State Shoot will be better this summer as well. The board was working on ways to improve electricity to campers, as well as Internet access throughout the site. Issues with broadcasting scores was addressed as well as a target-setting committee. The board of directors will make the Iowa State Shoot the premier state shoot to attend for 2019, so please make plans to attend.

Heath Kasperbauer

ATA Delegate

 

Minnesota

Greetings from the North Star State! It has been unseasonably cold in late November as I write this, and hopefully when you read this column in the January issue, it will at least be normal—even though early January in Minnesota is no walk on the beach.

In my October article, I mentioned Chantelle Merchlewitz winning the $40,000 Krieghoff at the Hall of Fame banquet. See the December issue of Trap & Field to hear all about the hilarious story.

Speaking of raffles, we received our supply of 2019 Gun Club Fund raffle tickets. The grand prize is an HT RS Trap Combo. Proceeds from the raffle go to benefit the ATA Gun Club Fund. This money is distributed to gun clubs in each Zone (that apply and are selected) to benefit programs at the local clubs. Tickets are $20. Please consider purchasing a ticket to support this worthwhile cause. Dean Walker, Pete Walker, Randy Jones or I will have tickets available for purchase next summer.

Sad news was received that Ken Koester passed away Oct. 11. Ken was a real outdoorsman as well as an avid trapshooter and was a positive influence on many young shooters in northeastern Minnesota.

Remember that even though it is wintertime in this part of the world, jackpot shooting continues: Minneapolis GC on Saturdays, Buffalo GC on Sundays, Minnesota SC in Zimmerman on Sundays and Del-Tone Luth also on Sundays. Go to the Minnesota TA website for more information about the jackpots or for contact information for the clubs.

Finally on a personal note, about the time you receive this issue of Trap & Field, I will be traveling to Anchorage and then flying 700 miles out in the Bering Sea on a sea duck hunt. If you believe some of my naysaying friends, this will be the last you ever hear from me, but I plan on returning safe and sound with many tales of the trip. You can always contact me at 507-456-2000 or at [email protected].

Paul T. Cyr

For ATA Delegate Dean Walker

North Dakota

Winter is here, and there is not much shooting going on in North Dakota. Trapshooters are reminiscing of last year’s accomplishments, making plans for the new year, or maybe loading a few shells to be ready when the opportunity to shoot again shows up. Congratulations to the North Dakota shooters who made the All-American team: Melissa Woodworth, Lady II first; Lou Ann Munson, Lady II second; and Bob Munson, senior vet first. It takes a lot of good shooting and many miles of travel to be an All-American. It was Melissa’s first time to make the All-American team.

The all-state teams were announced. Once again Jason Folvag was the top shooter in the state with the high average in all three disciplines: .9904 in singles, .9435 in handicap, and .9762 in doubles. The following is a breakdown of the teams and overall averages:

Men’s first (requirements: 2,000 16s, 1,500 handicap, 1,000 doubles, three ND clubs)—Jason Folvag, .9663; Pat Bosh, .9466; Perry Weiner, .9348; Chad Gerloff, .9296; Wayne Unruh, .9155. Men’s second—Tom Polkinghorne, .9143; Mark Kaffar, .9142; Todd Wendel, .9102; Doug Walker, .9082; Brian Knutson, .9074. Women’s (requirements: 1,000 16s, 1,000 handicap, 500 doubles, three ND clubs)—Melissa Woodworth, .8803; Gabby Fischer, .8682; JoMarie Knutson, .8390. Sub-junior (requirements: 500 16s, 200 handicap, 200 doubles, no club requirement)                 —Kordell Kraft, .8613; Alden Pudil, .7731; William Gebhardt, .7649; Rebecca Morstad, .7173. Junior (requirements: 500 16s, 200 handicap, 200 doubles, no club requirement)—Chris Morstad, .9145; Jacob Schempp, .8902; Ordale Morstad, .8840; Blaine Howard, .8785; Blair Kuhnhenn, .8753. Veteran (requirements: 1,500 16s, 1,000 handicap, 500 doubles, three ND clubs)—William Suda, .9266; Michael Nordback, .9163; Bob Reis, .9002; John Forbes, .8977; Don Ackerson, .8756.

Congratulations to all the shooters!

The state shoot will be held July 18-21 at the Capital City GC. For a complete listing of the 2019 ND shoot schedule, refer to the NDTA webpage at www.ndtrap.com.

I’ll be wintering in Arizona. Hopefully you have plans to attend a warm-weather shoot somewhere this winter too. See you down the line.

Tim Kaffar

ATA Delegate

Wisconsin

“Hey, Gene, I want to thank you for the delivery of the ribs last night,” I said to Gene. “I might have won some events, but having friends do special things for each other makes shooting even better.” Saturday after singles I was invited to enjoy ribs at Gene’s cookout. I said I couldn’t come, but thank you for the invite. Later in the evening I was in John Hardin’s building when his phone rang, and it was for me. I said thank you again but wasn’t able to come over to eat. About 30 minutes later, Ron showed up to Hardin’s building with nine ribs, special delivery. Gene and Ron, thank you so much. The ribs were delicious. Trapshooting friends are the best.

Congratulations to the shooters who shot and won trophies in Tucson. Weather was really great, and it was a well-run shoot by staff. Charles Noel won trophies in four events. Sandra Jo Jack had six wins, and, yes, missed a last target for a 99. Tom Lewic (I apologize for the misspelling of your name in a previous article) took home two trophies, both in handicap. Douglas Proulx, Alan Arner, Gerald Demulling and Bill Boyd were trophy winners.

Wisconsin has announced their all-state team members for 2018. Congratulations to all who have shot their way to this achievement:

Men’s—George Hass, .9590; Dwight Fitzsimmons, .9556; Jon Denman, .9523; Gerald Demulling, .9513; Gerald Tenor, .9443; Dan Haag, .9416; Mike May, .9361; Shawn Lepple, .9290; Keith Lehmann, .9283; Tate Barwald, .9274. Women’s—Cathy Wehinger, .9341; Sandra Jo Jack, .9203; Janet Reding, .9005; Karlie Klas, .8923; Carol Keeley, .8604. Sub-junior—Robert Gropp, .8889; Hunter Knotwell, .8811; Logan Denman, .8731; Kendra Doberstein, .8132. Junior—Devin Doucette, .9038; Cody Barwick, .8786. Veteran—Mike Nawikas, .9375; Bill Simonar, .9243; Don Mittag, .9167; Ken Beutler, .9083; Andy Hall, .8993. Senior veteran—Bruce Wiegmann, .9230; Dwight Paulin, .9177; Ed Borske, .9137; Don Chrapla, .9117; Steve Keeley, .9077.

High-average award winners were George Hass, singles, .9910, 1,900 in-state targets; handicap, Hass, .9310, 1,900 in-state targets; and doubles, Dwight Fitzsimmons, .9742, 2,600 in-state targets.

Congrats to everyone!

Remember to thank the volunteers at your trap club, lend a hand, and most of all keep smiling—the snow will be gone soon.

Please e-mail me at [email protected] with information that you would like to share.

Sandra Jo Jack

for ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring