Alberta

It is very quiet on the trapshooting scene for Albertans right now. The only registered shooting activity is on the Winter Chain in Arizona. Art Peyton shot well at the Pin Shoot in Tucson this past weekend. He ended up taking runnerup in singles with 199 and also in the doubles with 97 and the all-around. Ron McConnell also did well, taking senior vet in the singles after a perfect shootoff. Our top lady All-American, Diane Peyton, is sidelined until June with a broken wrist . . . too much ice time with the grandkids!

We have good news for our 2019 provincial. LeeAnn and Bill Martin, combined with Heather and Bert Brumwell, will be putting up $5,000 each to allow us to offer our purse and prize package that is second to none. Say a big thank you to these special people when you get a chance. Their generosity helps make our sport great and our tournament fun and exciting!

Bayer has again stepped forward as well, providing the APTA $5,000 to sponsor the banquet at the provincial. Please support Bayer however you can for this generous support they have given us over the past number of years.

Also remember to get your tickets for a chance to win a new Perazzi High Tech on the ATA gun club draw. Tickets are $20 U.S. each, and the winner will be drawn at the 2019 Grand American. I will have tickets available at our provincial as well as other club shoots in Alberta throughout the summer.

I’m looking forward to seeing many of you when spring rolls around.

           Garry Hill

           ATA Delegate

Arizona

A few good reasons to come to the Arizona State Shoot March 19-24 at Tucson T&SC:

1. Got the late-winter blues? Bake that chill out of your bones and get a tan while enjoying shooting. You can’t lose. Average temperature 76°.
2. Tucson is a world-class, professionally run facility with 50 fields, a great background and plenty of parking.
3. Good Competition Factor. Last year it was a No. 4.
4. Friendly people—we love our winter visitors. They are a very important part of Arizona trapshooting.
5. Same prizes and trophies for in-state and out-of-state shooters.
6. Average temperature 76°.
7. $28,000 in added money and prizes.
8. Great food—Tiny’s and the Casino Del Sol are right around the corner, good in-house catering, and don’t forget our annual (free) dinner Saturday night.
9. Arizona is very, very gun friendly. We all pack!
10. Six days of shooting.

One final note about the state shoot: Our annual meeting will take place Sunday, March 24 at 8 a.m. This is your opportunity to make suggestions; voice opinions or concerns; vote for ASTA officers, the Delegate and the Alternate Delegate; and hear the latest news. We are always on the lookout for dedicated people to run for the ASTA board or other offices. The hours are long, the pay is low, but it is your chance to keep Arizona trapshooting at the very top.

Around the state: I will not say much about the Hall of Fame Classic, as Betty Sackett has written an article about it, but the Classic was a rip-roaring success. We had 191 shooters from 30 states and provinces. The shoot was a well-deserved tribute to Vince Bianco.

Casa Grande kicked off the 2019 Winter Chain Dec. 27, and Dan Forbes and Ben Hunchak did not waste any time. Both had 100 straights in the opening singles. Greg Spiczka, our Rookie of the Year, won C, and Gage Byers took junior. Dan and Greg made another trip to the winner’s circle in the following handicap, with Dan taking 25-27 yards and Greg 19-21. Brett Hardesty won junior. Art Hammer, who sure knows how to think in numbers larger than one, was the C champ in Thursday’s doubles. Darrell Goen topped all in D Friday morning in the doubles. Next up was singles, and Greg Spiczka, moving up to B class, took that, while John Owenby won D. Rosie Kingery was the high lady, and Hardesty added to his collection of junior crowns. The day ended with the handicap, and Stella tied for high veteran but lost on a coin flip. Ben Hanchuk shot another 100 straight Saturday morning, beating all other AA shooters; John Hardman prevailed in C, Steve Guth did likewise in D, and Brett took junior. Stella did not need a coin flip to win vet in the ’caps this time, but Steve Guth did in senior vet. Tim MacDonald won 22-24, and Hardesty took junior. Doubles ended the day, and this time Steve Stella lost his winning touch in the flip for veteran despite tying for high gun. Kaitlin Quan won B, and Gary Leiser was tops in C.

Monday was New Year’s Eve, and Ben Hunchuk ended the year right with another hundred in singles. New Year’s Day featured Rosie Kingery taking the ladies’ in the singles, and Guth came oh so close but lost C on a flip. The shoot ended with the ’caps, and Bud Rupe finished things off with a win in the 19-21 group. Everyone who I talked with told me that this was the way to spend the holidays.

One other event marked the shoot. McKenna Martin celebrated her 16th birthday. Hey, juniors, this is a young lady who has her priorities straight!

Lake Havasu also started the New Year with a bang Jan. 11. (Sorry for the pun, but I could not help myself). Wallace Buckner was singles high gun. Bob Sawyer, who has put a tremendous amount of time and effort in reviving trapshooting at the club, was the runnerup and senior veteran champ. Darvin Thomas took AA, David Lee Baker B, David Vance C and Bryant Fitzgerald D. Denise Shute was the high lady, Tyler Ingram topped all sub-vets, and Shannon Stebbens prevailed in veteran. Handicap followed and was won by Bryant, with Denise coming in second. Denny Neff came through in 22-24 as did Gregory Gebolys in 25-27. Doubles closed things out, and Thomas was the winner followed by Bob Sawyer and Denny Neff. Denny also won the HOA.

Upcoming shoots are Tri-State March 29-31, Casa Grande April 5-7, Mohave April 6-7, Rio Salado April 8 (singles marathon), Double Adobe April 7-8, Ben Avery April 13-14, Rio Salado April 22 (singles marathon), and Tucson April 27-28. See you on the line!

John Bergman

ATA Delegate

Idaho

Well, believe it or not, spring is around the corner, and the Idaho State Shoot is just a few months away, so start loading up your favorite shells and get out there to your favorite gun club and start practicing. Remember the state shoot dates, May 24-27 at the Pocatello GC. We look forward to seeing you there.

If you’re not aware of what’s happening in the Western Zone (Idaho is in that Zone), then you’re in for a big surprise. It’s called the Western Zone Big 50. The results of each shoot are posted on the ATA’s website shootata.com, so you can see your name when you place and check out how much money you have won. The events include singles, doubles and handicap, and you can pick the events you want to shoot. If your club is shooting these events anyway, encourage your club leadership to get it going ASAP. It is a great opportunity to register ATA targets. This could help you build up your average so you don’t have to shoot penalty class or yardage at your next big ATA shoot.

Are you wearing hearing and eye protection? You should because you could suffer severe injuries while shooting. You don’t need to buy expensive shooting glasses, but they need to be shatter resistant. Your ears will suffer damage from repeated loud noises over time. (My lovely wife reminds me that I have hearing issues. Or maybe it’s just the husband thing that I have selective hearing.) If you don’t have shooting glasses and ear protection at a shoot, you will be asked to get into compliance by your friendly ATA Delegate. It is for your own safety.

The Idaho state ATA team has been announced. The one thing I was concerned about with the team selection was that there were no qualifying junior shooters named. So what are we going to do to correct this issue? Trap clubs of Idaho, I challenge you to encourage those parents to get their young children out there and shooting more often. They are the future of trapshooting; it’s in your hands. I will personally be offering nice silver buckles for any junior shooters who make the 2019 state team. There is your goal to support our youth!

I will be at the Spring Grand in Tucson, AZ, and the Arizona State Shoot to be held at the Tucson T&SC in March. I hope to see more Idaho shooters at these events. We have some great shooters in Idaho that can hold their own, so get out there and make smoke!

           Bob Clement

           ATA Delegate

New Zealand

The new ATA target year is well under way here in New Zealand, and summer is in full swing. Participation in ATA shooting is growing, with shooters realizing the benefits of single-barrel shooting. New Zealand is part of the Commonwealth, which predominantly shoots the DTL discipline. DTL shooting allows two shots equal value in several events, but one of the main events, Point Score, gives more points for a break with the first shot—so someone who is a proficient single-shot shooter has a better chance of prevailing.

We have also gotten another club on the North Island: Taupo Clay Target Club is getting set up to hold registered ATA events, hopefully within the next couple months. A bank of fields has been marked out to ATA specifications, and Ron Thomassen has imported a Pat-Trap and kindly installed it at the club, which will allow a more precise pair of doubles to be thrown. For a number of years, registered ATA events have been thrown at the Thames club, which is not far from Auckland, the main city on the North Island. Taupo is located about the middle of the North Island, so it will be a welcome addition for the members who live closer to that area. We also have a club on the South Island holding registered ATA shoots.

So far this summer we’ve had a mostly good run of weather, with a few rainy days prior to Christmas. A lot of areas in the central north island are drying out and starting look like they could use a day or two of rain.

Our first shoot for the new target year in September is usually one of our regular 100 singles, 100 handicap and 50 pair of doubles shoots. We try to offer sponsored events spread through the target year.

Our annual Ron Thomassen sponsored doubles shoot is in October. We ran three classes, A, B and C, this year. Grant Preston won A and high gun for the day. Ron’s son Ben won B, and Ian Mackie was C winner.

Our annual provincials championship with 100 singles, 100 handicap ad 50 pair of doubles is held in November. Grant Preston was champion in singles, Jarrod Mudford in handicap and Tim Fuller in doubles. Tim also won HAA.

Most gun clubs hold a more social program for their Christmas shoots, sometimes a varying style of shooting or a mixture of events and/or increasing yardages in the shootoffs. They are an opportunity for the clubs to put on a more social day for members and guests with great lunches. While they may be more social, The competition is still fierce with hams, turkeys, meat packs, etc., for prizes. For our ATA Christmas shoot, we run three classes with 150 singles shot in three rounds of 50 at a reduced cost, including lunch, with the same type of prizes usually going down to 15 places, so it’s unlikely you go home with nothing.

The next shoot in February is the memorial for Ross Card, who got ATA shooting started in New Zealand. This year will be the 11th annual memorial event. His wife Mary is still very generously sponsoring the shoot, and the NZ ATA also contributes to the added money pool. Singles was Ross’s favorite discipline, so the memorial is 200 singles shot 100 in the morning, and the second 100 after lunch. We are very fortunate to have a volunteer, Nola Leonard, who comes in to run the kitchen for most of our shoots and provides great lunches that are on par with a nice cafe. They have been known to take your mind off the job on the back half of the event.

A couple of our regular ATA shooters will be attending the Spring Grand this year, with a number of our members talking about attending the Grand again.

Thanks again to our signature sponsor www.newzealandhuntingadventrures.com. The owner Heath Smith very kindly donated the trophy hunt that the ATA auctioned last year.

I can be reached at [email protected]. Good shooting!

Paul Basten

           ATA Delegate

Utah

The new calendar year has begun, and as is generally the case in January, it is cold! Therre’s not a lot of shooting going on right now; turkey shoots are things of the past, as are the holidays. There are a few leagues happening, as well as a few fun shoots. With the new year comes new hopes and dreams, as well as new goals or the renewal of old goals that were never achieved. Whatever the case, this is the time of year that one can stay inside and work on one’s mental game. You can also practice gun mounts, so you and your gun feel like you are “one.” This is a good practice to do so that your gun doesn’t feel like a 2×4 when you mount it for your first shoot of the year.

I recently returned from an Executive Committee meeting in Sparta, IL. Our meeting was in the ATA offices, so we didn’t even visit the Shooting Complex. As far as the meeting went, The ATA is sound financially and made a profit last year (not a massive profit, but still a profit). Plans are already under way for next year’s Grand American. Sponsors are being contacted, trophy packages are starting to come together, and the program is in its infancy. The state of Illinois is very happy with the Shooting Complex, and future funding seems secure. The economic impact it brings to the local communities is huge. The potholes on Cardinal Road (the main road into the Complex), have been filled and the road repaved.

With the new year comes some new laws. One of the new laws in many states is an increased minimum wage. Good news for employees, but probably increased target and shell prices for the shooters. It is times like this that I urge shooters to help volunteer at the local clubs. By volunteering, we can help keep costs down and keep enjoying the sport we love.

It is a good time to start planning your shoot calendar for the year. Something that is becoming quite a success is the Western Zone Big 50. The shoot the third week of December had over 130 participants Zone-wide. Hopefully, the program will get larger every month. This is a great venue to shoot if you are just wanting to ease into the season, or just not strong enough to shoot a 300-bird day. The monthly payoffs are being posted on the ATA home page under “Latest News.” I hope more clubs in Utah host some Big 50 shoots.

In March Purgatory holds its three-day shoot, and then the season is off to a rapid start with most weekends having a shoot somewhere. Before you know it, it is summer!

           Ed Wehking

ATA Western Zone Vice President

Illinois

Hello, shooters! It’s getting to be time to get the guns out and start blasting again. Make sure you let me know what’s been going on at your clubs, so I can put it in my next article.

Several people have been asking about the state shoot dates. It is going to be June 10-16.

One big shoot we have coming up is the Texas-Illinois Challenge Cup. I do believe this is going to be a big shoot, so come on down to Brittany SP to help us kick some Texas butt! There will be $1,000 for the all-around champion and $500 awarded to the champion of each discipline (high shooter from either Texas or Illinois). White Flyer has donated $1,500 for a combined Lewis class between the two clubs. It will consist of 200 singles on Saturday, April 27 and 100 doubles and 100 handicap on Sunday, April 28. There will be a traveling trophy for the top five all-around combined scores. You do not have to be from Illinois or Texas to compete.

We also have a new AIM director, Josh Baker. If you have any questions for the upcoming year, you can get hold of him at [email protected]. The AIM State Shoot will be held at Brittany SP June 8-9. There will be 200 singles shot on Saturday, and the handicap and doubles will be Sunday.

Please don’t hesitate to get me some information for the article. I love telling how awesome our Illinois shooters are! Send the information to [email protected]. Good luck, shooters!

Lauren Mueller

ATA Delegate

Indiana

Greetings, Indiana shooters! Is it spring yet? I don’t know about you, but unless you’ve been wintering in a milder climate than Indiana, I bet you are ready for some nicer weather to go shoot some trap targets. It has been a long, cold winter here at the Barnett house, but I look forward to seeing everyone very soon at a gun club!

Before I forget, make sure you have your calendars marked for the 125th Indiana State Trapshooting Championships July 16-21. I look forward to seeing you there!

I finally have the 2018 Indiana all-state teams ready to publish. It was certainly a challenge this year making sure everyone was listed in the proper category. If you see any errors, please let me know ASAP. Congrats go to everyone who made the teams.

Men’s open—Jason Seitz, Devon Harris, Eric Shroyer, Bobby Bolden, Tom Kleyla, George Rezabek, Gary Scott, Michael Grannan, Brian Ingle, Ed Budreau. Lady I—Chrissy Byrd, Jamie Taylor, Ronette Brumfield, Deborah Stueck. Lady II—Mary Lynne Downham, Linda Lovell, Terry Bolden. Sub-junior—Johnathon Seitz, Joshua Rubenstein, Noah Rice, Caleb Coy. Junior—Ethan Buck. Junior gold—Preston Crandell. Sub-veteran—Tank Lunsford, David Winn, Mike Williams, Steve Byrd, George Obren, Gregg Bauserman, Thomas Moore, Stephen Byrns, Bernie Matthews, Bill Mager. Veteran—Tom Neal, Garl Gresley, Ken Heathcoate, Michael Welte, Jerry Fosbrink, Jack Curry, Albert White, Ben Morriston, Jon Roussel, Gene Schneck. Senior vet—Tom Antczak, Vern Brown, Thomas Rhoads, Bobby Hubble, Michael Stephenson, Bill Tempest, Jerry Brown, Gil Huffman, Richard Sholty, Dr. R. Scott Norris.

For the 2018 target year, our high average by event shooter was Jason Seitz for both singles and doubles with averages of .9859 and .9627. For handicap, the high 2018 shooter was once again Preston Crandell at .9386.

Unfortunately I do have some bad news to report that you are likely already aware of: Charles Hazelwood passed back in December. Anyone who was ever fortunate enough to spend time with Charlie knows how much he meant to Indiana trapshooting, and he will certainly be missed. I cherish the conversations I had with him, and he will certainly never be forgotten. I will definitely never mix a batch of Crick Water and not think about Charlie! His wife Jo Anne mentioned to me that they will be having a memorial shoot for Charlie, I believe, on June 22 at Tri-County Coonhunters. Once I get the full details I will pass them along here. My condolences to Annie, Carl and all the Batesville clan.

Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything or would like to have anything included in this article for Indiana. My e-mail is [email protected].

Jason Barnett

ATA Delegate

Iowa

Well, hopefully while you’re reading this month’s article, it’s warming up. Our favorite time of year is coming fast. Hopefully you all wintered well, and some of the lucky ones have enjoyed the winter in warmer states. Everyone, make sure to have your state and ATA dues paid up, as it saves a lot of work at shoots to have this done ahead of time.

Work will begin soon in preparation for the Iowa State Shoot. I get a lot of e-mails concerning the state shoot dates. Please look at the Iowa State Trapshooting Association web page. It’s current and has all the information needed to make arrangements. We are going to have a very good and fun shoot this year. The shoot program was re-worked a little and looks to be one of the best. A tweak in the options was made for the better as well. As everyone at the ISTA works to improve the association, please talk to your zone director or myself with concerns or ideas. We are all trying to make our shoot the best in the country.

I enjoy traveling to many other state shoots. It’s great to see different programs, games, and money shoots. Vernal GC is a great experience for these.

We in Iowa appreciate everyone who travels to support our state shoot, and I look forward to seeing you all soon. Please look ahead for hotel arrangements for the Heartland Grand, as I’m sure it will be another record year for attendance. It’s one of the best shoots I attend every year, and it’s hard to believe that the crew at Stockdale GC can keep improving every year: the food nearly every night, the fun shoots at night, the extra TVs, Pat’s Auto Salvage donations to the fun shoots, and just great people working the shoot from sun up to well after the sun goes down. So please plan to attend the ISTA state shoot as well as the Heartland Grand. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you all. I can be reached at 712-830-2612 or [email protected].

Heath Kasperbauer

           ATA Delegate

Minnesota

Greetings from the North Star State. As I write this, the day before I leave for Tucson, we are experiencing the coldest weather that we have had in 10 years, as the high today is expected to be -20º and the low tonight -37º. Those are not wind-chill values; those are the actual air temperature! I am sure hoping that weather does not follow me too far south. I returned safely from my hunt on St. Paul’s Island in the Bering Sea. I did not shoot a King Eider, but more hunt details in another column.

When you receive your March issue, the Spring Grand will be history, and hopefully many Minnesotans were able to get away from snowmobiling and ice fishing to get to Tucson. I was able to finish officiating on Jan. 25 and get my things packed for the drive to the Southwest.

If you are not able to go somewhere warmer to shoot this winter, remember our jackpot shooting at St. Cloud, Zimmerman, Buffalo and Minneapolis. See the MTA website for contact information and times and dates.

Be sure to check the Trap & Field listing of 2019 state shoot dates, as some are changing one year before the calendar forces some of us to adjust. The Minnesota State Shoot will be held July 1-7 at the Alexandria SP.

Paul T. Cyr

for ATA Delegate Dean Walker

Nebraska

Congratulations to the 2019 Nebraska state team:

Top 10—Richard Marshall Jr., .9690; Dagen Voigtman, .9506; Max Christiansen, .9478; Stanley Welte, .9416; Brock Barton, .9408; Brian Kasuske, .9401; Payton DeTavernier, .9389; Wyatt Kile, .9354; Casey Petersen, .9352; Randy Bartling, .9344. Women’s—Elizabeth Budin, .9271; Paige Denny, .9190; Karlie Hubbard, .9153. Sub-junior—Sean Kile, .9039. Junior—Weston Zolck, .9405; John Deford, .9259; Bryce McGill, .9240; Alex Hunter, .9125; Josh Mulinix, .9118. Veteran—John Burke, .9162; Dennis Grimes, .9074; Michael Abbott, .8970; Mike Brisby, .8879. Senior vet—John Hakola, .9192; James Brown, .9165; Ralph Clark, .9090; James Gelinne, .9012; Lorin Downing, .8771. Remember that applications for the state team are due Dec. 31 of each year.

The high-average award winners are: singles, Payton DeTavernier, .9837; handicap, Stanley Welte, .9242; doubles, Dagen Voigtman, .9584. To qualify for these awards, these shooters participated in the championship events at the Nebraska State Shoot and met All-American target requirements during the 2018 shooting year.

The Nebraska State Shoot will be June 26-30 in Doniphan at the homegrounds. The NTA will continue to give AAA class trophies for both in-state and out-of-state shooters. This year again we are awarding AIM medals for both in-state and out-of-state championship events. The board of directors has implemented a new ATV/utility/golf cart licensing procedure. Information can be found on the NTA website.

For those of you who have received notices from Joy for annual rentals of RV spaces, those must be back to her before March 15. Otherwise they will be rented to people on the waiting list. Renters who have long-term leases must return their postcards before March 15. For people on the waiting list, Joy will not be able to assign open spaces until the long-term renters and leaseholders have replied. If you would like to add your name to the waiting list, please e-mail your RV information to Joy at [email protected].

We will be utilizing presquad.com for pre-squadding this year. It will be opened on April 15. If you want a special squad, this is the best way to ensure you have it.

Joy Trim is continuing to update the new NTA website. The address is still www.shootnta.com. If you see something that needs changed or added, contact her.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Thank you for your continued support.

           John Burke

           ATA Delegate

Wisconsin

Richard (Dick) Otto has left us with some sweet memories of all of his work that will be missed. He, along with Arlene, were two of the hardest-working volunteers for the WTA. Dick was always working at a shoot along with shooting. It’s so hard to know that his smiling face will not be seen at our shoots. God has blessed us with many years of friendship and joy.

Some days I feel like I have nothing to say, then I go to a Central Wisconsin Trapshooters Association shoot at Ashley (look for schedule on cwtatrap.com) shoot. There were 187 shooters, 36 of them new, on this nice January day, 30º out. This was one of the biggest attendances we have had in a long time. Great shooting, great friends and most of all great volunteers.

News coming from the Friends of the WTA, FWTA: a Kolar T/C Max combo to be raffled at the 2019 Wisconsin State Shoot. Paul Becker is organizing this great raffle once again. Only 400 tickets will be sold, for $100 each. The shotgun will be raffled off July 12 at the annual fish fry.

Paul is asking that you look in your gun safe and see if there is a used gun you would like to donate to the raffle night. All proceeds go to supporting the future of WTA. If so, please contact him at [email protected] or John Coniff at [email protected]. If you would like to donate a new item for the raffle/live auction, please let them know ahead of time, so it can be listed.

Please be looking for information about Gateway trapshooting. John Muir has retired from hosting the May and September shoot, but the shoot will continue. It is hard to end a great shoot with friends, so please continue supporting this shoot as before.

Dennis Minks, thank you for your generous donation of a printer/scanner/copier that the WTA was in need of. It is support like yours that keeps the WTA running well.

Florida shooters, you keep having fun while we are freezing up north. Yes, we are jealous! Congrats to Gary Reynolds for your good shooting in the Preliminary Doubles and winning a trophy at the Silver Dollar Open.

Please volunteer at your club or the WTA. We need more reliable, dedicated volunteers like Dick Otto to make this another successful year. Step up to the plate and be that person!

Remember to smile; I am. And take the time to hug someone you love today. E-mail me with any information you would like for me to share at [email protected].

           Sandra Jo Jack

for ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring

Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces. To all ATA gun club managers in the Atlantic Provinces, it’s time to get ready for the 2019 target year. If you haven’t already done so, complete and send your ATA Registered Shoot Application to our provincial association secretary for approval of your registered shoot dates for the upcoming target year. If Big 50s or leagues are your club’s thing, get those applications completed also.

Did you know that all active ATA clubs receive five complimentary ATA memberships for first-time ATA members? Why not plan an early-spring open house shoot and invite shooters to come out and give trapshooting a try? You may just sign up a few new ATA members.

Is your club’s information correct on shootata.com? Go to the Gun Club Login area to verify your club’s details. It’ll be easier for shooters to find your club if the correct information is listed. If you don’t have the login information, contact the ATA and request it. Your shoot dates will also be listed on your club’s page along with any programs and results you upload.

Our trap season is just around the corner. When’s the last time you did some routine maintenance to your club’s traps and voice release equipment? Properly maintained equipment will throw great targets and keep shooters coming back. Check your equipment manuals for more information. It’s also a good idea to have some spare parts on hand in case of a breakdown. Common spare parts include target brushes, target retaining wheel o-rings, limit switches, relays, mics, spare cords and a quantity of the two-, three- and four-pin connectors for the voice release systems.

Be sure to mark your calendars for the 2019 Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot. This year’s shoot will be held Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at the St. John’s R&GC in St. John’s, NF. This year’s shoot committee is looking to build on the momentum started by the Highland Gun Club at the 2018 Provincial Shoot and welcomes all shooters to attend. Several big-name industry sponsors have already been secured, and there will be a vendor’s row on site during the shoot. There’ll be demo guns for shooters to try, ammo, reloading supplies and all the shooting gear shooters need. Complete details can be found on shootatlantic.com.

If you’ll be attending the Southern Grand, track down Monty Petipas, John Tucker and 2018 Southern Grand handicap champion Peter Tucker. The trio will be there representing the Atlantic Provinces and will gladly answer any questions you have about shooting in Canada’s four easternmost provinces.

For more information on the Atlantic Provinces Trapshooting Association, feel free to contact me at [email protected] or visit shootatlantic.com.

Andrea Bassan

ATA Delegate

Massachusetts

I’m sorry to report the loss of a longtime shooter. Michael J. Falk, 69, died Jan. 8 after a long illness. Michael lived in Lunenburg with his wife Lynne. He was member of the North Leominster R&GC and a life member of the ATA. Michael started shooting registered targets in 1973 and shot until 2016. He was ATA Delegate in 1984 and 1985. During his career he shot at 91,500 singles, 65,850 handicap and 45,350 doubles targets. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Lynne and his family and friends.

Dave Russell

ATA Delegate

New Jersey

Freezing temperatures and a stiff wind were the norm for many areas in the Garden State this year in January. Gun clubs experienced early closings or cancellations due to the weather. This time of year is critical for our clubs to bring in enough revenue to meet operating expenses, so please make an effort to practice your shooting skills throughout the winter.

A registered handicap shoot was held at the Silver Dollar in Odessa, FL, Jan. 6. Robert Battista came in second, earning a punch to the 27-yard line for the first time. Congrats, Bob!

During Florida’s Hall of Fame Shoot, Jan. 18-21, Joe Sissano won four trophies and Christine Gasparine won one. At the same club, during their Silver Dollar Open Shoot Jan. 23-27, Joe won three trophies, Bob won two, and Gwen Battista, Bob’s wife, won her first trophy. Congrats, Gwen! RJStuart.com and this issue of T&F has all the details of who won what.

Twenty-eight participants attended the New Jersey Flyer Championships held Jan. 13 at Wing Pointe in Hamburg, PA. Weather was, as expected for January, cold and windy. Tony Escata and Ken Hassis were tied at the completion of the program event. After three rounds of shootoff, Ken dropped one and had to settle for the high vet buckle, with Tony taking the championship award.

Pine Valley kicks off their 2019 ATA shoot program with the Early Bird Shoot March 9-10.

ATA Gun Club Fund raffle tickets are on sale at the North Jersey CTC. This year Perazzi is donating a Trap Combo as the prize; cost is $20 each.

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

Joe Sissano

ATA Delegate

New York

Hello to everyone from New York State. I hope everyone is doing well and enduring the winter weather. Pretty soon it will be spring, and we will be shooting plenty of registered targets. I certainly am ready.

I am sorry to say that we have lost another registered shooter from New York. Howard Hatch of Sharon Springs passed away Dec. 14. Howard was 75 years of age. He began registering targets in 1989. During his shooting career, Howard registered 69,600 singles, 47,550 handicap and 26,600 doubles targets and was at 24.5 yards. Howard was a retiree from the IBEW Local 236 and a Navy veteran. Along with trapshooting, he enjoyed hunting and was an avid outdoorsman. Howard is survived by his wife of 53 years, Viki, who also is an avid trapshooter, and their four daughters, Viki Lynn DelCotta (Peter), Tamie O’Neil (Patrick), Tina Curtis (Daniel), Melissa Sitzer, plus 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Lewis Hatch Jr. and sister Judith Hanson. We extend our deepest sympathies to Howard’s family on his passing.

I am happy to report that my dear old friend Ray Lee is being inducted into the Florida Trapshooting Hall of Fame. Ray’s residence now is Florida, but he lives in his hometown of Jamestown during the summer. Ray was inducted into the New York State ATA Hall of Fame in 2005. I am glad to say that I nominated Ray for his induction. Great going, my good friend.

We are all sorry to hear that Harlan Campbell Sr., father of men’s All-American team captain Harlan Campbell Jr., has passed away. Harlan Sr. was 77 years of age when he passed away on Jan. 7. Harlan Jr. has competed at the Empire Grand and Northeastern Grand at our homegrounds in Cicero many times, and when he shot, he pretty much owned the tournaments. Our deepest sympathies to Harlan Jr. and his entire family on the loss of his dad. [Harlan’s mother Judith passed away three weeks later—Ed.]

Some statistics have been released by the ATA concerning targets thrown during the 2018 target year. I am happy to report that New York State was seventh in the association with 1,941,350 targets thrown across the state. Illinois was first, followed by Ohio, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Iowa, Florida and then New York. Total targets thrown at ATA events were 56,699,974.

For clubs, our homegrounds at Cicero was eighth across the ATA for targets thrown during the 2018 target year with 1,108,225. First was the World S&RC in Illinois, followed by the Cardinal Center in Ohio, the Pennsylvania State Sportsmen’s Association, Tucson T&SC in Arizona, Silver Dollar SC in Florida, the Missouri TA, the Iowa State Homegrounds, then New York homegrounds. Rounding out the top 10 were Michigan TA and the North Carolina Homegrounds.

The top five individual clubs in New York State for ATA targets thrown during the 2018 target year are Peconic River SC with 78,800; Mt. Morris SC, 58,000; Allied SC, 50,700; Sheridan Transit R&GC, 48,850; and Willow Wood GC, 44,850. This is an excellent showing by these clubs.

If you would like to have anything written in Trap & Field in these articles, please e-mail me at [email protected] or phone at 585-519-9543. Thanks.

If you are doing any traveling, please proceed safely. See you all soon, and good shooting. May God bless.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada.

In early January 2019, the Hamilton GC hosted its annual Family Fair shoot. This is a 100-target, non-registered team event. A maximum of six shooters can be on each team, but only the top five scores count.

Weather conditions were cold, and only three two-trap banks were operational. Looking at this superficially, one might think that if there were more banks used, the squads could be processed much faster and not have to turn 100 targets into a day-long ordeal. Many of the scorers had seldom, if ever, scored before. They were cold, but given the conditions, did a fine job. So where did these scorers come from?

I was told by one of the organizers who came from Ft. Erie that every one of the helpers he had to secure all were from the Ft. Erie area. Travel time is at least one hour and 15 minutes each way. The kids had to be up early on this Sunday morning, dress warmly, and work for at most minimum wage. It is really hard to get help these days, and I have experienced that complaint from clubs and organizers right across the continent. Sometimes it isn’t just young folks who we rely upon. Many times clubs call upon older folks who can spend long hours at modest pay doing the essential tasks that are required for the rest of us to be able to participate in and enjoy our sport.

It is easy to complain about trappers and scorers. Try complimenting and thanking them. Squad leaders need to pay attention when there are challenging situations, and sometimes there is little practical choice than to substitute scorers, especially in doubles, where it is easier to get confused. Look at it this way—even experienced shooters sometimes argue over shooting line rule calls. How can you expect the average novice scorer to be on top of everything?

Last year I witnessed a mother sitting next to an adult child, trying to help teach that child how to score. Problem was the adult child could not subtract and had a real challenge adding. The squad I was with was very understanding, and over the course of the competition, that scorer got more proficient and better. You could see the confidence building as if a light bulb had suddenly been turned on. Schooling, especially math class, probably didn’t go so well for this youth and somehow he had been able to get by. Math and academics were probably a big challenge and meaningless. But suddenly it became important to be accurate in adding things up and subtracting zeroes from 25. Reward was a modest amount of pay and doing a job that somebody (us) needed done.

Look around you as you travel from club to club. There is trap help who need the money, and most appreciate the opportunity. If we can help by encouraging and working with these folks, it is a relationship that may be mutually beneficial for years.

Trap help at the Grand is great. Now if we can only figure out how to delay the start of school for a week, so our Grand Week need not start as early.

Paul Shaw

ATA Delegate

Rhode Island

Greetings from the Ocean State. We are in the middle of a mild winter with snow totals well below normal. With a little luck, the second half will be the same, and shooting season will be a little early this year.

The R.I. annual banquet and awards dinner was held Jan. 26 at Macera’s Italian Restaurant, and a great time was had by all. Included in the festivities were the individual high-average awards, state team awards and the 2019 Hall of Fame induction.

A special thank you to all our R.I.T.A. board members and volunteers during the 2018 target year as well as the trap committee members and volunteers at the Wallum Lake and Narragansett gun clubs. Our shooting programs throughout the year would not be possible without your help.

High averages for 2018 are Ron Pedro, men’s singles and all-around, .9774 and .9356; Sue Smith, ladies’ singles, .9390, doubles, .8669, and all-around, .8854; Greg Smith, men’s handicap, .9000; Linda Peckham, ladies’ handicap, .8747; and John Federici, men’s doubles, .9474.

State team members for 2018:

First team—captain Ron Pedro, .9356; Greg Smith, .9330; John Federici, .9266; Louis DiPrete, .9192; Mike Jubin, .9069. Second team—John M. Ruggieri, .8861; Sue Smith, .8854; Rick Riebe, .8828; Dana Greatorex, .8634; Joyce Morris, .8632.

Our 2019 Rhode Island Hall of Fame inductee is Pedro. Ron’s many accomplishments include 14 state titles, including three singles, two handicap, four doubles and five all-around. In 2018 he was Eastern Zone sub-vet champion with 200, has broken 99 from the 27 for third place at the 2017 Grand American, and 100 straight in doubles. Ron has been champion at shoots throughout the Northeast, including New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire and beyond. Ron has held office in the R.I.T.A. and is currently the ATA Alternate Delegate. He has always been available at our state shoot to set targets, load houses and do whatever is required to run the shoot. On behalf of the entire Rhode Island Trapshooting community, we would like to congratulate our newest Hall of Fame member, Ron Pedro.

Our 2019 R.I.T.A. elections of officers and BOD results are as follows: president, Mike Jaye; first vice president, Dana Greatorex; second vice president, Jason DeShaies; and secretary-treasurer, Barbara Jaye. Directors are Greg Smith, Mike Jubin, David Naylor, John Shadoian and John Ruggieri.

Please feel free to contact me by e-mail or on my cell with news of any personal trapshooting accomplishments or milestones. I can be reached at 401-474-0142 or [email protected].

           Louis DiPrete

           ATA Delegate

Alabama

I would like to take this time to apologize for missing the last few months of updates. For those who have not heard, we lost our friend and ATA Delegate Fred Jensen on Dec. 1. Fred’s passing has left a large hole to fill in our state association and the ATA in general. His passion and support for the sport will be very difficult to duplicate.

For those who do not know me, I am Terry Edmonds, Fred’s son-in-law. I was serving as the Alternate Delegate. I am getting up to speed on the responsibilities of being Delegate. I would like everyone to feel free to reach out to me with questions or concerns. The easiest way to reach me is by e-mail.

I, along with Fred’s wife and daughter would like to thank everyone who has reached out to us during this difficult time.

By the time this is published, it will be springtime, and hopefully nicer shooting weather conditions are upon us. I look forward to seeing all of you at a shoot in the near future. Please send me any highlights or information from around the state.

I can be reached at [email protected] or 205-337-7869. Happy trapshooting!

Terry Edmonds

ATA Delegate

Florida

It’s March, and Florida trapshooters have an opportunity to shoot in two large trapshooting tournaments this month. The first will be the 39th Southern Grand American March 11-17. The second will be our Florida State Shoot March 19-24. Both will be conducted at the Silver Dollar. If you need hotel reservations, visit Silver Dollar’s website, as they have hotels listed with negotiated shooter rates. For both these tournaments Silver Dollar will be again offering their signature shotgun shells at a reduced price. The Southern Grand is one of the largest trapshooting tournaments with participation from at least 25 states and several Canadian provinces. Our own state shoot enjoys a great deal of participation from many states, plus it is an opportunity for our own resident trapshooters to attend and compete for a state champion trophy.

In January the FTA inducted two members into the FTA Hall of Fame. A celebration dinner and roast was held at the Silver Dollar golf side clubhouse. A large ice carving sitting on the appetizer table displayed the new inductees’ names. This was a beautiful and wonderful centerpiece honoring inductees Edna Mollohan and Ray Lee. A dinner followed by a customary roast was conducted by the FTA Hall of Fame Committee.

Our Florida state team members have been announced: Alberta Brooks, Sarah Jacobs, Ruth Flayderman, Sonya Maurer, Delia Sippel, Alicia Keim, Theresa Bellerive, Kate Stone, Paula Keim, Kay Ohye, Jack Schumpert, Thomas Mann, Robert Hosch, Stephen Zane Jr., James Beasley, Donald Kerce, Michael Evernham, Randy Richards, Patrick Swartz, Richard Erdely, Mark Zauhar, David Lunch, Jerry Bryant, William Ohrt, William Bezubiak, James Maurer, Michael Brazell, David Canavan, Jake Jacobs, Harry Franklin, Matt Trammell, Matthew DeBord, Lewis LaRoche, Ken Culver, Mark Wade, Bruce Burton, John Farina, Ralph Bennett and Alex Riera. Congratulations to all. The teams and categories can be reviewed in the 2019 Florida State Shoot program.

Some ATA Milestones achieved by Florida trapshooters: Michael Evernham and Karen Harrington received their pins and certificates for 50,000 handicap targets; Charles Bunch, 25,000 handicap; and Bob Hutson and Jake Jacobs, 50,000 doubles. Congratulations to all.

The ATA Executive Committee created a Mega Target Award to recognize those who have shot 20,000+ registered targets during a target year. These 20,000 targets are a combination of all three disciplines—singles, handicap and doubles. This year we have two Florida trapshooters who reached or surpassed that mark. Lewis LaRoche Sr. and Jack Schumpert are to be congratulated.

Don Kerce has accepted a position as a 4-H trapshooting coach. The 4-H club is in Tennessee near where Don spends his summers. I’ve known Don for 20+ years and expect no less than superior coaching of these youths. Thank you, Don, quite an honor for you.

Jack Heckeler has been conducting Big 50 Shoots at Amelia CTC. Amelia was not on our Shoot Card, so Jack provided me with shoot dates until May: March 2 and 9; April 6, 20 and 27; and May 18. See the Amelia website for further information.

I am saddened to report the recent passing of Wilson McMillan of Belle Glade. Wilson was a stable attendee of many shoots throughout the state. He attended the Grand American many times and was always a good competitor. I can only say he will be missed both on and off the trapline. God bless.

           Larry Grenevicki

           ATA Delegate

Kentucky

There were several Kentucky trapshooters who traveled to Florida to shoot the 2019 Silver Dollar Open. The following won at least one event, class or category there: Doug and Linda Cox won several; Johnny Caudill; John Kerr, president of the KTL; and Martha Humphrey. Nolan Hardesty was also a multiple junior category winner. Ronnie Black won an event. Troy Crass, a member of the Calloway Laker High School team, won. Aaron Willoughby placed fourth in the Handicap Championship.

The Spring Grand is coming up in a couple weeks in Tucson. I’m hoping several Kentuckians will decide to join me for this wonderful experience at an awesome facility.

Keep me posted on issues and/or events you want to share with your fellow Kentucky trapshooters at [email protected] or 270-227-2262. Until next month, this is hoping everyone has good health and many smoked targets.

Vernon R. Anderson

KTL Board member

Mississippi

As I look out my window while writing this article, steady rain is being ushered in by a cold front’s arrival from the west and plummeting temperatures along with it. Certainly this is not good trap weather; however, tomorrow is another day, and spring is certainly around the corner. As old-timers would say, “March roars in like a lion and out like a lamb.” The shadows across our Capital GC trapfields are still long but are shortening every day as the sun continues its trek into the Northern Hemisphere.

I hope you have used your winter off-season wisely to reload shells, clean your trap guns and make those off-season adjustments that you had planned. Our clubs have wrestled with their planning and preparation for an outstanding trap schedule as we go into the better shooting months ahead. Outstanding indeed, both Capitol and Coast gun clubs are excellent trap venues and are fast getting ready.

Along with weekly Big 50s, Capitol GC will host the Mississippi State Shoot May 23-26. Yes, that is Memorial Day weekend, but you will still have Memorial Day to celebrate on Monday after the shoot ends on Sunday. Then our AIM shooters take center stage in the first-ever Mississippi AIM Shoot of their on June 29, again at Capitol. Our AIM youth shooters have come a long way from their fledgling days of only a year or so ago, and we are proud to watch their shooting mature and their ranks fill with enthusiastic new trapshooters. On into July, Capitol will again host its flagship Rebel Trapshoot July 13-14. Capitol will keep your trap barrels hot and your shooting eyes keen.

Our Mississippi brethren on the sea are also shooting weekly Big 50s at Coast R&PC. They are offering one of the ATA Southern Zone sites this year July 16-21. I can’t think of much trapshooting pleasure that even equals the great trapshooting facility at Coast R&PC and the surrounding attractions of entertainment venues, fantastic seafood, and other oceanfront pleasures galore. If you attend the Coast R&PC Southern Zone site, I am sure you will want to come back for the Gulf State Championships in October, when the hot summer days are winding down and your trip to the Grand American is well under your belt. It is a new offering at Coast, and I know they will put their best foot forward—they always do. The dates are Oct. 18-20. I am sure you will want to put them on your calendar.

I get excited just writing about all we have to offer. I hope you get just as excited reading about it. As always, our many trappers across this great land and those abroad are always welcome in Mississippi. We hope you will join us for some good ole trapshooting and our famous Mississippi hospitality. Happy trappin’!

           Jerry Tharp

           ATA Delegate

North Carolina

Back in the stone ages when I went to college, we used to call what I’m suffering from now “the Marchies.” Of course winter in Niagara Falls, NY, was a lot worse than the North Carolina winters I have to deal with now. But still, after a couple months of being cooped up and not doing much in the way of outdoor activities, all of us were a bit stir crazy and couldn’t wait for Easter break! I think I’m suffering early stages of “the Marchies” already . . . and it’s only late January as I write this. So I’m really glad that warm weather is upon us and the shooting season in NC will be in full swing in a few short weeks from when you read this.

The Southern Grand and Florida State Shoot are being held in mid March. Silver Dollar is a great place to shoot and begin your warm-weather shooting for 2019. There are clubs in NC that start shooting some registered events in March, so check the listings in Trap & Field for shoots you can attend.

April really starts the main part of our shooting season here in NC. Our Hall of Fame shoot in late April has replaced the Dogwood Open and has been growing steadily. In my opinion, this is one of the nicest times of year to visit Bostic. Weather is warm but not hot, and April is a beautiful time in the foothills with the dogwoods and azaleas in bloom. Start your shoot season planning early and try to attend this year’s Hall of Fame Shoot.

Fred Redmon has started a North Carolina Trap Facebook page. It’s really fantastic, as Fred has been taking pictures around the state for as long as I can remember. So many great memories are posted there. I encourage you first to thank Fred when you see him for all his work on the website and secondly for the effort he puts in the new FB page.

If you have any ATA issues of which I can be of service to you, please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]. I’m happy to answer questions or help you or your club at any time. Shoot well!

Bob Schultz

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

Sorry to start with bad news: I’m sorry to report that Jack Schaub has passed. Jack was a 20-year secretary of the South Carolina trap association. He was well liked by everyone and very meticulous in his SCTA secretarial duties. Jack was an Ohio native who moved to South Carolina on a job transfer. He fit right into the trapshooting group; he will be missed.

In the achievement department: Randy Knight received his 50,000 doubles pin. Gary Olson and Roger Smith were listed with the shooters having shot over 20,000 targets in the 2018 target year. Roger bested Gary for the “most targets shot” award for the first time. Gary had been the award winner at least five years straight.

Our weather has not been normal for us; wind, rain, even a few little iceballs, gray ugly days that result in ugly scores. Hopefully we’ll return to normal South Carolina weather; sunny with a high of 48º is forecast for Belton’s Big 50 tomorrow. Last week’s Greenville Big 50 started sunny and warmed to the 50s, but by handicap time, the sun was gone and the temperature too with light rain and some ice.

I’m looking forward to the Southern Grand at the Silver Dollar in Florida. If you’ve been there, you know there will be wind, sun and maybe a thunderstorm. We’ll see and hope for the best. I hope to see you there or in Georgia the first of May or here in South Carolina the middle of May.

Jim Faber

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

Springtime is just around the corner, but in case it’s a little late this year, why not head south for better weather? The 39th annual Southern Grand is March 11-17 followed by the Florida State Shoot March 19-24. The Silver Dollar SC at Odessa, FL, hosts both shoots.

The ATA will be holding their spring Executive Committee meetings March 10-13 at the Silver Dollar.

Many Tennessee clubs begin their trap season in March; however, Tennessee weather can be just as unpredictable as Florida’s, so if you plan on driving very far, you might want to check with the club for local weather conditions.

It is not too early to start making plans to attend the 2019 Tennessee State Shoot. June 11-12 will be the AIM shoot, followed by the state shoot June 13-16 hosted by the Tennessee CTC in Nashville.

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