Kentucky

There has not been a lot of trapshooting going on locally except regional shoots at Nashville and Evansville. However, the 2020 Autumn Satellite Grand just concluded in Tucson, with several Kentucky shooters participating. The Autumn Grand was well attended, considering the circumstances, and saw Donnie Sherrard and Aaron Willoughby lead the Kentucky contingent with HOA scores of 1,146 and 1,144, respectively. Kevin Polson followed closely with 1,129. Justin Miller shot very well in several events and posted his first 100 during the Singles Championship. Newcomer Kenny Wyatt shot well in several events and won B class in the championship singles with his first 199.

Four clubs around the state reported holding registered shoots: Cumberland Co. SC, Montgomery Co. F&GC, Pikeville Sportsmen’s T&SC and South-Central Trap at Monticello.

The Kentucky Trap League recently announced the state teams for 2021. High average leaders: for doubles, Trey Wilburn, .9800, and for handicap and singles, Keith Ditto, .9590 and .9947, respectively.

Open team—Keith Ditto, Gerard Hoots, Aaron Willoughby, Henry Winn, Ricky Fryman. Lady I—Melissa Tracy Marr, Caroline Hope, Sharon Patrick, Sara Williams. Lady II—Martha Humphrey, Linda Cox. Sub-junior—Andrew Collins, Drake Reynolds, Troy Crass, Jack Holland, Garrett Tucker. Junior—Elijah Wilson, Tristen Miles, Drew Wyatt, Taylor Whitley, Brady Lawson. Junior gold—Bobby Fowler, James Malin, Nickolas Jessie, Reid Winn. Sub-vet—Kevin (Tank) Polson, Donnie Sherrard, Michael Castle, Clark Hamons, Tony Willoughby. Veteran—Joe Neyer, Wayne Hale, Jack Futch, Steve Everly, Donald Isham. Senior vet—Robert Dyer, Larry Woosley, David Riddle, Gerald Shockley, Vernon Anderson. Chairshooter—Bobby Bilbrey.

The KTL officers and board members met at the Ray Hahn Trap Range Oct. 24 to start planning the 2021 Kentucky State Shoot. It looks like it is going to be bigger and better than ever, hopefully.

As always, if you have news that you want to share with your fellow trapshooters, please e-mail me at [email protected] or call 270-227-2262. Until next month, have a happy and healthy New Year’s and go shooting every time you get the chance.

Vernon R. Anderson

KTL Board Member

North Carolina

The good news is the 2020/2021 trapshooting season is half over. By now we have a president, hopefully, and the COVID-19 vaccine is being distributed and is bringing life back to some semblance of normalcy!

With all the shoot dates jumbled around last season, it was confusing at best where to go and how to travel. Not to mention where to stay and where to eat! Fortunately we were blessed with a fantastic NCTA board who worked tirelessly to put on the state shoot, ATA Southern Zone Shoot and Dixie Grand. Jim Wilson and the Hall of Fame Board of Directors worked right alongside the NCTA people and provided the guidance and expertise of many years of running shoots in NC. When you see these folks, please tell them thanks for all their efforts on our behalf.

We are looking forward to a “normal” schedule of shoots at the Bostic homegrounds this year in NC. Our Hall of Fame Shoot will be in mid April, our state shoot in early June, the Southern Zone Shoot in July, and the Dixie Grand American in early October. Please try to support our smaller clubs when they have Big 50s or weekend shoots. These shoots are the backbone of the ATA and serve to make a little money for the host clubs. Hopefully this year I’ll be able to get to some of the eastern clubs and shoot with my friends from downstate.

Note the rule changes regarding target-setting in this year’s rulebook. Speed changes will allow for slight variations as the day progresses and will make things a bit easier for target-setters. The rulebook is available on the ATA website www.shootata.com.

I’m looking forward to seeing all of you at Bostic or some of the local shoots. Stay warm and shoot when you can. If you need to contact me, please e-mail [email protected].

Bob Schultz

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

After the flurry of shoots that came all at once due to the reschedules from the bug, it’s been pretty quiet. Monthly shoots are all back on at most clubs. Greenville has taken note from Mid Carolina by having a Big 50 every Thursday and charging practice rates for the targets. Great program.

We had our state shoot planning meeting with few changes. The program will be the same as last year: 1,200 targets, Wednesday through Sunday in the middle of May. Let’s hope the bug dies, and we all have our vaccinations. We’re planning to have our fish fry, so cross your fingers on deleting the social distancing.

We have some shooters close to target achievement milestones, but with the slowdown, they’re not quite there.

Happy New Year. I hope Santa was good to you and yours. I hope the bug will die out and that year 2021 will be healthy and happy to all.

Jim Faber

 ATA Delegate

Tennessee

Happy New Year. Let’s all hope 2021 will be different from last year.

In last month’s article I forgot to include the trophy winners from the Dixie Grand in October. So here they are: Mike Burnette, Ralph Dudley, Emma Grace Mathews, Tyler Honnold, George Reese Sr., William Sharp, Maynard Brooks, Tim Fields, Jacob Duren, Brayden Morris, George Reese Jr., Brady Duren, Shannon Hopkins, Logan Meadows, Chandler Hinson, Jacob Harmon, Landon Meadows and Ashlyn Forester.

The Autumn Grand winners from Tucson in November are Brady Duren, Jeffery Duren, Honnold and Mathews. Congratulations to all the winners.

Read the new rulebook, please.

For more info, check out our website shootatatn.com. You can reach me at [email protected].

Billy Cook

ATA Southern Zone Vice President

Arkansas

Welcome, 2021! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. I know that deer and duck season have taken over Arkansas, but our shooters will soon be back at it with a vengeance. With that being said, I would like to say congratulations to the Arkansas 2021 state team:

Men’s first—Logan Henry, Woody Barnes, Caleb Coody, Jim Cooper, Dalton Lamons. Men’s second—Alan Julian, Randy Lamons, Kurt Armstrong, Trent Green, Bronson Castleberry. Sub-junior—Jayden Dalton, Logan Applegate, Luke Clayton, Brayden Tarantino, Chet Orick, Landon Chandler, Gilbert Palmer, Isaac Gregory, Wren Washburn, Braydon Smith. Junior—Rhet Baxley, Mason Burris, Luke Yagos, Coby Hollis, Jax Goad, Clayton Walters, Kody Rogers, Cameron Cox. Veteran—James McMahan, Tommy Hall. Senior vet—Larry Hicks.

Don’t forget to check out our new ASTF webpage, arkansastrapshooting.com. I look forward to seeing everyone on the trapfields soon!

Matthew 18:20, KJV—For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Robby Pennock

ATA Delegate

Missouri

I had the opportunity and took it to make the trip to Tucson for the Autumn Grand. While I have been there many times in the past for work and a few times to shoot, I had never made it in the fall before. While the weather was not bad, it was not as warm as everyone tells me that it usually is (was it because I was there that week?). All in all, it was a pretty decent week compared to other parts of the country during that time.

There were 15 shooters from Missouri who made the trip this year, and one in particular had a fairly good week. Hunter Spruill brought home eight trophies and was in the thick of things in the Singles and Doubles Championships with perfect scores in both events. Good shooting, Hunter!

Wayne Fullerton, Anna Rawe and Troy Ellis each won a trophy. Many Missouri shooters were in contention for trophies via carryover and shootoffs and fell a little short. Good shooting, anyway! With all of the COVID restrictions, it took some fun out of the shoot, as Tucson T&SC was required to cut back on some of the usual activities. At least they were able to have the shoot; we should all be thankful for that. Thanks to all of the TTSC management and staff for a well-run shoot.

While he is not from MO but is an awfully familiar face at quite a few of the shoots at MTA, congratulations to Keith Ditto, the All-American open first team captain! Congratulations to the following MO shooters who made the 2020 All-American teams: open first team, Zachari Nannini; junior second, Austin Stoner; junior gold first, Hunter Spruill; junior gold second, Ethan Boyer; sub-vet first, David Deitch and Marvin Beumer; sub-vet second, David Wommack; veteran first, Gary Gooch.

The MTA Board of Directors and management would like to thank everyone who attended our shoots this year. What looked to be a pretty bleak year back in March turned out to be one of the busiest years condensed into a few months. A lot of long hours and hard work were put into making the shoots a success. I can tell you that plans are being made for some much-needed improvements at the MTA homegrounds; again, stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

With all that has happened this year, there is still much to be thankful for. Things may not always turn out as we planned or would have liked, but we should always look ahead to a better tomorrow. This is the time of year that we give thanks for what we have. It is also the time of year that we celebrate the greatest gift to mankind. Luke 1:11—For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Remember the real reason for the season. Merry Christmas and happy New Year! If anyone has anything they would like to have reported or has any concerns, please contact me at [email protected] or 816-863-9003. Shoot often, shoot well, and be safe!

Stephen Ricketts

ATA Delegate

Oklahoma

Oklahoma shooters worked hard to qualify for state teams in spite of problems caused by the pandemic. Congratulations are in order for the 2020 Oklahoma trapshooting teams:

Open—Pat Stacey, Nathan Lemke, Brian Stoa, Jeff Barker, Kevin Nanke. Lady I—Shelby Skaggs, Abagail Colton. Lady II—Rose Shaffer, Mikie Hooper. Sub-junior—Christopher Diller, Breegan Barnett, Kenyon Bert, Reese Hightower, Dakota Sliger. Junior—Klayton McGee, Kya Funkhouser, Josh Stacey, Jacob Diller, Brayden Bliss. Junior gold—Corbin Grybowski, Samuel Arrington, Trever Damron, Grant Nanke, Colton Ables. Sub-vet—Jeffrey Trayer, Ron Bliss, Dennis Patrick, Mike Grove, Tim Mount. Veteran—Robert Rimer, Bill Dean, Billy Pierce, Pete Wedelin, George Wise. Senior vet—Gary Nichols, Paul Hooper, Verlin (Doc) Koper.

Jeff Barker was the male Rookie of the Year, and Zoe Trayler was the female Rookie of the Year. Out of 54 new shooters in the 2020 target year, only four men and three women qualified.

Oil Capital held their last registered shoot of the season Oct. 18. Justin Cavett won champion in the singles with 99, and with 98s were Billy Pierce and Larry Slape. Rob Martin won the handicap with 92, and Larry was next with 91. Justin won champion in the first round of doubles with 93, and Jeff’s 85 was next. In the second doubles event, Jeff won champion with 95, and Justin was next with 94. Justin won HOA with 368, and Jeff was next with 359.

On Monday morning, Oct. 25, was the start of a severe ice storm in Oklahoma. Freezing rain started to accumulate on trees that had not lost their leaves yet. The added weight with leaves took down huge limbs and trees that fell on power lines, taking down hundreds of power poles. In some neighborhoods, trees and limbs littered yards, driveways and entire streets, trapping people at home until it could be cleared. On Wednesday it was reported that over 388,000 were without power. It will be months before all the debris can be cleaned up. Entire towns lost power, and it was estimated that 30% of Oklahoma was without power. Even the Survivor Tree at the OKC bombing memorial lost a large limb, and other limbs had to have stilts to prop them up. Crews from 10 states came to help repair the damage. On Nov. 2 there were still 120,000 without power. With the presidential election the next day, Governor Kevin Stitt assured everyone all election sites would be up and running.

On Nov. 1 Ada was able to hold their annual club shoot, and they had 23 shooters. Lowell said they normally have more than 40. Clay Laughlin won HOA with 94, Creede Booth won youth with 83, and Aubrey Steward won novice. Larry Higgs won trap with 46, and Don Bowers won skeet with 47. Don also introduced Zoe Trayler as the 2020 Oklahoma female Rookie of the Year.

Shawnee held the first Winter Derby on the same day, Nov. 1. They had 11 shooters but normally have about 30. Mike Grove won the singles with 48. Randy Hill won first place in the handicap with 41, George Wise won second place with 40, and Tim Mount and Mike Grove tied for third with 39. Tim also won the doubles with 45, and Randy Hill won C shooting his new gun.

An interesting note on the derby shoots: Pat Thomason sent an e-mail that Iowa Park GC will now have derby shoots during the winter months, with entry and payback like ours. Shooters enjoy these, and it gives them something to shoot for. Every year we gain several new registered shooters from the derbies. Also, clubs need all the revenue they can get during the winter months. I would encourage all clubs to consider these shoots. At one time there were four gun clubs in Oklahoma holding these shoots, on alternate weekends.

OTSA’s Nov. 8 shoot turned out to be very windy, and only eight shooters braved the conditions. Spencer Scotten won the singles with 47. John Ewing and Mikie Hooper tied for first place in the handicap with 46s. Second place was won by Rex Pinkington with 45, and Paul Hooper won third with 44. Nathan Lemke won the doubles with 42.

Rose Shaffer let me know that both she and Rick had contracted the coronavirus. Oxygen intake was a problem for both, with Rick being worse off. He first went to the ER in Enid and then was transferred to the Stillwater Medical Center. I called them on Nov. 25, and they are both at home doing well, but the virus has left them very weak. It will take some time to get their strength back. We all wish them well. They can use our prayers.

On Veteran’s Day we paused to express our deepest thanks to the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve in our military.

Mike Grove has reached 25,000 handicap targets.

Tulsa held their registered shoot Nov. 9, and Jeff Trayer won the singles with 98, the first doubles event with 89, and the second doubles with 92. Billy Pierce won the handicap with 92.

Oklahoma has lost another one of our shooters. Milo Day passed away Nov. 13 at the age of 91. At the 1955 Oklahoma State Shoot, Milo won the Doubles Championship, shooting a Model 12 pump gun. Milo was a life member of both the ATA and OTA organizations.

Milo began his registered shooting career in 1954, shooting only 100 singles that year and breaking 96. During his career he shot at 189,700 targets: 102,500 singles, 35,150 handicap and 52,050 doubles. Milo was a good friend of Roger Jack, owner of Firearms Sports, and assisted him for years in the business. Our sincere condolences go out to Milo’s family.

At Shawnee’s Nov. 15 derby shoot, Bennie Livingston won the singles with 47. Tim Mount topped the handicap with 44, and Randy Hill led the doubles with 44.

Steve Blackburn won Ada’s Tuesday shoot with 45.

At the Nov. 22 OTA derby, Nathan Lemke won the singles and the doubles with 46s. Randy Hill topped the handicap with 41.

The November issue of Trap & Field is full of Oklahoma shooters’ pictures. Kya Funkhouser, Clay Laughlin, Dakota Sliger, Kenyon Bert, Rick Shaffer, Gary Nichols and Abagail Colton are all recognized.

In the last 30 days the coronavirus has become much worse across the country. With the holidays coming up, it will spread even more. We must all do our part to curb the spread until vaccines are available to us. Say a prayer for the overwhelmed health professionals working to save lives.

Tim Deister

ATA Delegate

Texas

It’s two days before Thanksgiving as I write this, and I pray that each of you and your family are healthy and happy. You won’t be reading this until the new year of 2021. I hope the new vaccines for COVID-19 have proven very successful and the loss of lives from this terrible virus has started to decline. The year 2020 has proven to be like no other in the 73 years I have been on this earth.

January is not a good month for shooting in the Texas Panhandle. Amarillo GC does host a registered shoot every month, weather permitting. The people in south Texas are able to shoot year-round for the most part. If you are lucky enough to live there, burn some powder.

No one has sent any news for me to report on, so I won’t. I really wish some of you would send me some information, so I can have some news to put in this column.

Please start making your plans to attend the Southwestern Grand hosted by the National SC in San Antonio. As you know, they were unable to host the Southwestern Grand in 2020 because of COVID-19 restrictions in place at that time. The National SC had done a tremendous amount of work getting ready for the tournament. This work and more, I’m sure, will carry over to the 2021 shoot. It is very important that the shooters in Texas support this shoot. The income that the Texas Trapshooters Association receives from this shoot is an extremely important part of our Texas State Shoot trophy package. Please make plans now to be at the Southwestern Grand. The dates for this shoot are April 6-11. Please help make the 2021 Southwestern Grand the best one ever. Give ’em a chance to prove to you the changes they have made to make this shoot the best ever.

Now for the part of the column the three of you readers are waiting for: “The things that really p**s me off.” There were five of these things originally, and then I added another one. For those of you who struggle with math, I’m going to give you the answer. That would make a total of six because five plus one equals six. See how easy that was. I’m not trying to make this hard, but I’m going to add another one. To save your brain I’ll help you, six plus one equals seven. Here is the list:

Not reading the rulebook and knowing the rules.

Not having an up-to-date average card.

Not releasing pre-squadded positions.

Not being on time for your squad.

Not being courteous to the trap help.

Not volunteering when you know something needs doing.

Not contacting the ATA office and refusing reductions that you don’t plan to take.

Since we just talked (actually I wrote and you read) about lists, let me tell you about another. It’s the no up-to-date average card list. I now keep a list of shooters who show up at classification with no up-to-date average card. All I can say is that I don’t think you are going to like making my list for the third time. Some of you will learn the hard way, and sometimes that is the only way people learn.

I hope your New Year is blessed and happy. Please stay safe. This is a terrible virus we are struggling with now. Even if you don’t agree with the guidelines that the CDC has asked us to do, please do them for your family and friends.

Once again I ask if you have news, please let Princess or me know, and I will share it with our trapshooting family. You can snail mail it to me at my new address (907 S. Main St., Hereford, TX 79045). You can call me at 806-679-6889 or e-mail me at [email protected].

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

Jerry O’Connor

ATA Delegate

Arizona

The Autumn Grand American—how about some good news in this age of COVID? We had more shooters than last year, not by a lot, a grand total of three, but we were up. They came from the usual places: California, Texas, etc., but also from Florida, Maryland, Alaska, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and 20 from the hallowed ground of Ohio, and that’s without almost all of our Canadian friends.

The weather? It was warm and windy during preliminary days, but near-perfect for Grand week. At classification and cashiering, it looked like a convention of bank robbers with all of the masks. To tell you the truth, there were some old friends who I did not recognize, but everything ran with the usual Tucson efficiency on the line and in the office. Nobody does it better, and the word has obviously gotten around.

The first event of the preliminary days was the Tucson Singles, where Rick Durkee and Bill Medlicott tied for high gun in Class A. Not wasting any time, Bill won the 22-24 group in the Tucson Handicap, which directly followed. Event 4, the class singles, had three Arizonians at the top of their respective classes or categories: the aforesaid Mr. Medlicott (Class A), Britt Dalton (AAA) and Karen Bergman (Lady II). Unfortunately all fell victim to the dreaded carryover. Mr. M., however, won 22-24 in the Preliminary Handicap. That event produced another Arizona winner; Mark Hopkins took the 19-21 title.

Now you know that it was just a matter of time until the name Gerry Williams popped up, and it did just that in the Singles Championship. He bested all other senior veterans. Jeff Mervin won B class, and Clay Merson lost out in a shootoff for C in the Doubles Championship. The Handicap Championship closed out the preliminary days, and two Arizona shooters came through on a rather windy day. Lloyd Koty was event runnerup with a fine 96, and Randy Stiarwalt won the 22-24 group. The top senior vet in the high-over-all was Gerry Williams.

Then it was on to the Autumn Grand American, and we got off to a flying start. The Preliminary Singles was up first, and Dalton was the AAA winner. Medlicott, won Class A, and Mark Yarbro and Stiarwalt tied for B but were done in on the carryover. Dalton then demonstrated why the Dalton gang is so feared. His 100 straight in the Premier Singles plus four perfect additional rounds led AAA. He then fell just one short in the shootoff to decide the 27-yard crown in the Prescott Handicap. Medlicott suffered the same fate at 22-24. Williams restored Arizona’s place at the top in the tough senior veteran category.

We were also well represented in the Ben Avery Singles, Event 14. Britt again won AAA, but this time it was not so easy. His perfect 100 was matched by Canyon Ferris, who dropped one in the third carryover round. Steve Williamson lost out by one in A, and despite their perfect 100s, both Williams and Doug Sims were done in by the carryover in senior vet. The same fate fell to Ferris once more in the Casa Grande Doubles. Despite an outstanding 99, he lost to Sean Hawley and Harlan Campbell via carryover.

Thursday started with the Double Adobe Doubles, and Dalton’s 100 stood on top of AA, while Darvin Thomas lost out by one in veteran. It was followed by the Tucson Singles Class Championship, and there was Britt again. His 100 plus six 25s in carryover topped a formidable field in AAA. Medlicott won Class A, acing out Koty by one. Jim Dremler was the C runnerup; Max Peevyhouse lost sub-vet on a forfeit, while Jim Sharp and Joe Henderson, despite shooting perfect scores, got squeezed out in the senior veteran carryover.

Friday’s first event was the Tucson Doubles Class. Yarbro, shooting early, was the only Arizona winner. His 93 topped all others in C. Then came the Caesar Guerini Pre-Handicap Championship, and our guys made a pretty good showing. Dalton was event runnerup, Stiarwalt lost out on a forfeit, Thomas was the veteran runnerup, and Gerry W. swept all of the other senior vets.

Saturday featured the Singles Championship, and Steve Stella did not fool around. His 198 tied for high in Class A, and two 24s in the shootoff earned him the runnerup spot. Another bright spot for Arizona was 13-year-old Wyatt Pizinger of Chino Valley and a Prescott T&S stalwart. Wyatt won the runnerup spot in D with a 191.

Karen Bergman, who had been hiding in the bushes (only I knew where she was), burst onto the scene with a victory in Sunday’s Lady II Doubles Championship; meanwhile Wyatt, who shot only the championship events, won the runnerup spot in sub-junior with a shootoff.

Then it was time for the Handicap Championship, and Arizona finished in a blaze of glory. Don Williamson and Casey Crawford shot 98s and finished in fourth and fifth place. Dalton came in seventh. Over in Lady II, it was an all-Arizona final. Patricia Carter and Karen Bergman tied at 95, with Patricia winning the shootoff for the title. We then had the same thing in senior vets, with Williams, Joe Henderson and Steve Williamson finishing in a dead heat at 97. Steve’s 24 won the shootoff, and Gerry was runnerup.

It was a great Autumn Grand. The only thing missing was too many old friends. If you did not make it to the Autumn Grand, you can make it up Feb. 9-21 at its big brother, the Spring Grand American. For many years, the Spring Grand has been one of trapshooting’s premier events. Why? Here are some reasons:

There is no better facility in the country than Tucson—great background, plenty of parking, and professionally run.

Average high temperature in Tucson for February is 68.5°.

Arizona hospitality—we love our winter visitors, and they just keep coming back.

Pima Air & Space Museum, the Aircraft Boneyard at Davis-Monthan AFB, and the Arizona-Senora Desert Museum are all nearby and must-sees.

Great food—Mexican, Southwestern, steak and gourmet.

The Casino Del Sol is right around the corner with special trapshooter rates.

Arizona is the most gun-friendly state in the nation.

Arizona is the place to get rid of those wintertime blues. So put away the snow shovels, heavy gloves and boots, enough with the chills, come on down, you won’t want to leave. We will be waiting for you with a smile on our faces. And do not forget about the Arizona Chain. It runs up and down the I‑17/I-10 corridor with continuous shooting at Ben Avery (Phoenix), Casa Grande and Tucson from Jan. 1 until the Arizona State Shoot March 23-28, this year at Tucson, plus our great local clubs, such as Double Adobe, Lake Havasu and Tri-State.

Around the state: The only recent results that I have are for Casa Grande’s Big 50 on Nov. 16. Robert Will Pike led all Arizonians with a perfect 50 in the opening singles. Charles Chapman and Randy Winch were not too far behind at 48. In the handicap, Will was tops again with a solid 48. He has become one of a long line of outstanding junior shooters from Arizona. Ron Schroer’s 45 beat all other senior vets (who made up the majority of competitors). He then finished on top in the doubles, missing only one for a 49 and besting shooters from North and South Dakota, Oklahoma, Montana and Nebraska, not to mention a bunch from Arizona.

Registered shoots from Jan. 15 to mid February include Jan. 17 at Tri-State; Jan. 20-24, Casa Grande’s Kick Cabin Fever Shoot; Jan. 26-31, Winter Chain Pin Shoot at Tucson; Feb. 2, 250 pair of doubles at Casa Grande; Feb. 3-7, Casa Grande’s Spring Grand Warm Up; Feb. 4, singles marathon at Rio Salado; Feb. 6, Big 50, Lake Havasu; Feb. 6-7, Double Adobe; Feb. 9-14, Spring Grand Preliminary Days, Tucson; Feb. 14, Tri-State; and Feb. 15-21, Spring Grand American, Tucson. Don’t forget Big 50s most Mondays at Casa Grande.

See you on the line!

John Bergman

ATA Delegate

California

Trapshooting in California is still being severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Many of our clubs are still under state mandate to remain closed to any organized shooting events, while others don’t have any shoots planned until they resume their regular schedules again in the spring.

Jerry and Marcia White, the parents of 2020 California Trapshooting Hall of Fame inductee Danny White, recently donated a program from the 36th Grand American Trapshooting Tournament to the California Trapshooting Hall of Fame. The 36th Grand American was held at Dayton, OH, Aug. 19-23, 1935. I thought everyone might be interested in learning some of the differences in costs, ammunition and classifications between 1935 and today. I also tried to use the same wording as contained in the program, so you’ll see words such as branded, plated, drams, and yardage mark.

The ATA handled the sale of all shells used at the Grand. Low-price shells were 63 cents per box, plus two cents sales tax. Branded shells were 77 cents per box, plus three cents sales tax. Plated loads were $1.16 per box, plus four cents sales tax. There were no restrictions on copper shot, but all loads were limited to 3 1/8 drams of powder and not over 1 1/4 ounce of shot. There wasn’t anything mentioned in the program about a limitation on the size of shot that could be used. Obviously there have been numerous changes over the years regarding ammunition requirements for shooting ATA targets.

The classification system for 16-yard singles events was based on six classes (AA through E). AA was 96% and over, A was 93 and under 96, B was 90 and under 93, C was 87 and under 90, D was 84 and under 87, and E was under 84. Handicapping was done using an equalization system based on handicap average and known ability. Sixteen yards was under 84.50, 17 yards was 84.50 to 85.50, with each yard increasing by one point until arriving at 27 yards, which was 94.50 to 95.50 (per the program). Between 1900 and 1932, only two shooters won the GAH shooting as far back as the 23-yard mark. During that same time period, 21 GAH champions shot between the 16 and 19, while 10 shot between the 20 and 22. In 1933 Walter Beaver won with a 98 from the 25. From 1900 to 1934, only two shooters won with scores of 100. There were 1,100 entries in 1929, which was the only year to exceed 1,000 participants. All of this was accomplished using 22 trapfields, 16 for the regular events and six for practice.

The Clay Target Championship of North America was held on Wednesday, Aug. 21, starting at 8:30 a.m. Entrance, targets, trophies, class purse, state sales tax and the ATA fee came to a total of $12.50. The winner received $250 and a wristwatch. The runnerup received $150 and a wristwatch.

The Doubles Championship was Aug. 22 and was held as four events, 15 pair and 10 pair, alternating. I might be dating myself a little, but that’s how we shot doubles at our state shoot when I started back in the mid 1980s. All fees for the Doubles Championship came to $10 and included two purses (Class and Ford Plan). There were three classes based on doubles average and known ability. Class A was 84% and over, B was 70 to 84 and C was under 70%. The event champion won a wristwatch, and the three class champions won a bowl. There was one trophy awarded for longest run, and a prize of $100 was offered for the first 100 straight in doubles.

The Grand American Handicap was held Aug. 23. The entry fee was $20 and was broken down as follows: targets, trophies, state sales tax and ATA fee: $5; event money, $8; Ford purse, $2.50; and high gun and yardage money, $4.50. The GAH champion received a Diamond Medal and $500. Runnerup received a bowl and $400. Third place received a bowl and $300. Fourth place received a chop dish and $200. Fifth place received a vegetable dish and $100. The high “professional” received a medal. There were 10 yardage trophies (vegetable dishes) and $100 for each yardage mark, divided high guns 50, 30, 20. Considering there were only 10 yardage trophies, it only makes sense that 25-yard mark was the back fence during the 36th Grand American Trapshooting Tournament.

Based on the above information, it would cost somewhere between $52.90 and $61.70 (entry fees and ammunition) to shoot the three championship events at the 36th Grand American Trapshooting Tournament. That was a pretty healthy sum of money, considering that America was just emerging from the Great Depression.

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane as much as I did. Thanks again to Jerry and Marcia White for this extremely informative addition to the California Trapshooting Hall of Fame.

Shoot well!

Steve Cloyd

ATA Delegate

Idaho

It appears as if many shooters are already out shooting a lot of trap in spite of the horrible COVID-19 virus. In all of my years of trapshooting, I do not remember such a disruption to the sport of trapshooting as this virus.

I am considered to be in the high-risk group, and if you have read any newspapers, watched any TV or listened to any radio, I am sure you have had your fill of this deadly virus news. Furthermore, I loved our home when we built it eight years ago, and now it has turned into a place where I am dreaming of getting back out from, on the road and shooting more trap for the 2021 target year. Idaho has been a very big rural agriculture state, claiming to produce approximately one-third of all of the spuds (aka potatoes) grown in the United States. (By the way, we think they are the best spuds grown; yes, we are a little prejudiced!)

I have to admit that this virus has me concerned; if you contract the virus, you might have hardly any symptoms at all, or it could kill you. I was in Casper this year at the Wyoming State Shoot and ran into an old friend, Dean Shepardson, who I served with on the Nevada State Trapshooting board. I shook his hand and talked for a little bit, only to hear that after his return to his home in southern Nevada, he had been hospitalized and died in the hospital suddenly. Dean was a relentless hard worker and loved the sport of trapshooting along with his lovely wife; he will be missed.

Another shooter friend from Montana, Lynn Darrold Sorlie, had contracted the virus and was hospitalized for several weeks and then put on a ventilator. Lynn passed away Nov. 20. I loved shooting with Lynn, always a gentleman, a great sportsman, and fun to be around. Lynn will be greatly missed by all.

I didn’t write this article to talk about this virus, but I wrote it when I realized how fragile our lives are and how much the shooters I have shot with and become friends with mean to me and is one of the most important features of this sport to me. Some shooters become an important part of our lives as we get to know them, and that is what I miss most about not shooting. Sure, we want to beat them on the line, but after the last shot is fired, we enjoy their acquaintance and stories, real sportsmen and sportswomen!

It seems as if we will finally get a vaccine to stop this virus, the sooner the better for me.

The Idaho state ATA shoot will be coming up at the end of May over Memorial Day and will be held at the Pocatello GC. Pocatello is a super club with a lot of great scores there. The club leadership is second to none. They want you to enjoy yourself and shoot great scores. Pocatello GC has agreed to be one of the sites for the Western Zone shoot in mid July, dates to be finalized. This is a shoot that is well run and managed. Give Pocatello your support; you won’t regret it!

Shooting Tip: I find that some shooters buy a gun and start shooting the new shotgun right out of the box. My suggestion: if you don’t know how to determine your point of impact for that shotgun, get with some experienced shooters and make sure you know where it shoots. A trip to the patterning board is a good place to start.

Bob Clement

 ATA Delegate

Nevada

Greetings from the state of Nevada! As the newly elected Delegate, I’d be remiss if I did not take a moment to recognize the outgoing Delegate, Joe Hanley. Joe doesn’t make a lot of noise, but if you shoot trap in Nevada, you have benefitted from his efforts. From donating added money to helping run shoots, Joe has been the unseen hand, always helpful, always pushing to make the sport better. He’s also a pretty fair hand with a trap gun! In this year’s Grand American Handicap, Joe posted a 97, good for ninth place and a one-yard punch. Joe is not riding off into the sunset, as he’s currently hard at work expanding the very successful Western Zone Big 50 program. If you see Joe at a shoot, take a moment to say hello and thanks.

The 2021 Nevada State Shoot was a success. Despite COVID issues, 259 shooters from 28 states, including 60 from Nevada, enjoyed mostly sunny weather, and the scores reflected the great shooting conditions. Kudos to the NSTA board and the line staff who put on a great shoot.

Nevada may just have a rising star in sub-vet Ken James, who had a great state shoot. He won the singles and doubles championships and narrowly missed out on the trifecta as the runnerup in the ’caps, losing in a shootoff to James Upton. Earlier in the week, he won or tied in two other events. He took the all-around crown as well as sub-vet high-over-all. Ken started shooting registered targets in 2008 at the old Las Vegas Gun Club, then had to take a few years off to battle cancer. After triumphing over the Big C, Ken came back in 2019 and has steadily improved to become the super-competitive shooter he is today. He was last seen posting a 99 in the Event 11 singles at the Arizona State Shoot. Congratulations, Ken, on your great shooting!

If you’ve shot anywhere in Nevada, you’ve probably heard the name Rich Bullard Jr. An “in it to win it” shooter, Rich won the high-over-all at this year’s shoot . . . for the eighth time! Quite a feat and no surprise as he won it last year also.

Congrats also to Nevada shooter Bill Daniels, who in his day job is the Western regional sales manager for White Flyer. Bill recently posted his 25,000th doubles target.

Kudos to the four hardy Nevadans who made the sojourn to this year’s Grand: Hanley, Bullard, Jeff White and James Upton. White was third in D class in the Event 20 Kubota Doubles. Hopefully next year we’ll have COVID out of the way, and more Nevadans will shoot the Grand American. Mark your calendars for the 2021 Grand Aug. 4-14.

Annually the ATA publishes its 20K attainment for the target year list. Californian James Huynh, frequently seen at shoots in Nevada (and just about any other location where registered targets are in the air), made the list for the second consecutive time. He was fourth this past year with 28,500 targets. That’s 114 flats. His ammo supplier is very happy! Congrats to James for supporting the ATA as both a shooter and official of the CGSTA. Take a look at the list, linked on the front page of the ATA website. You will probably see a number of shooters you know. From California to Florida, folks are out there shooting!

I’ll close for this month with a question: Have you ever been on a squad where an issue comes up, someone says “the rulebook says . . . ” and you find out later that it doesn’t? I offer a twofold solution: 1) Read the rulebook, then read it again! 2) Read Dave Kaiser’s House Rules article every month in Trap & Field. You can read the rulebook on the ATA website or contact the office, and they’ll send you a hard copy. Knowledge is power!

Until next month, keep shooting and enjoying our great sport!

Russell Roberts

ATA Delegate

Utah

The Nevada State Shoot, scheduled at its normal time of Oct. 20-25, had 21 Utah shooters in attendance. If you have never been to the Clark Co. SC, you should put it on your list of clubs to visit. It is a first-rate facility. There are ample RV parking, 23 trap and skeet fields, a 5-stand course, and two sporting clays courses. Also, there are rifle ranges from 50 up to 1,200 yards plus pistol ranges and archery as well.

Weather for the week was very nice . . . until Sunday. Seems we can never escape the strong winds that often funnel through the area. Everyone thought they had escaped the usual strong winds, even though they had been forecast. Sunday morning started beautifully, with warm air and calm wind. A lot of people hurried in to sign up for what appeared to be a nice day. It was as if a cruel joke was being played by a higher being. As soon as the national anthem was completed and shooters called to the line, the calm air suddenly turned violent. The doubles was shot in 30-mph winds, mere child’s play compared to the 40- to 45-mph winds during the Handicap Championship.

Next was the Arizona State Shoot at the Ben Avery CTC Oct. 28-Nov. 1. If you remember, this shoot had been slated for late March. In fact, the preliminary day was in the books when the county decided it would be prudent to cancel the event due to COVID-19. For you “old-timers,” Ben Avery CTC was once named Black Canyon GC since it is located off Interstate 17, known as the Black Canyon Freeway. The weather was good, as were the scores. The next Arizona State Shoot should be back on its regular schedule in late March next year.

The very next week (Nov. 5-15) was the beginning of the Autumn Grand (Satellite Grand) at Tucson T&SC. First was prelim week followed by Grand week.

Once again Utah shooters (23) let their presence be known. A lot of bling was brought home to the Beehive State. Weather wasn’t as warm as it usually is this time of year. Mornings were in the 40s, with the afternoon reaching the 60s and 70s and finally making 80 the last day. I shot in a long-sleeved shirt most events, and my cutoff shorts never made it out of the suitcase.

Be sure to check out all the scores for these shoots on shootscoreboard.com.

I am sorry to report that Danny Kirkham passed away in November. He began his ATA career in 1991 but had not registered targets since 2007.

With any luck at all, as far as shooting goes, next year may return to normal, whatever normal might be. With all the lockdowns because of COVID, there aren’t many turkey shoots being held this year either. Heber had one Nov. 28, after Thanksgiving.

With very little going on right now as far as shooting goes, it is a great time to relax and enjoy the holidays with family and friends. Just don’t get too close to each other! It is also a good time to start planning which shoots you want to attend next year. Whether small local shoots or large state and Satellite Grand shoots, get them on the calendar.

My friend Joe Sudbury came up with a novel idea. As Christmas approaches, have a fun shoot where everyone brings an old trophy they have won and are willing to part with. The top shooter gets to pick what trophy they want and so on down the line. Almost like a white elephant gift exchange.

Be safe and spend time with the people who matter the most.

Ed Wehking

ATA Western Zone Vice President

Washington

I hope this finds you after a good holiday season and hopeful for the New Year. The year 2020 wasn’t one we will forget. I’m betting all of you shotgunners out there will be raring to go and burning up all the ammo you didn’t get to use last year, and that we are going to have a great year of trapshooting ahead of us.

We had the fall meeting of the WSTA directors in Ritzville on Halloween day and started ironing out plans for the 2021 state shoot and registered shoot schedule here in the Evergreen State. The WSTA championships will be held at the Walla Walla GC June 24-27. The Spokane GC will host the Northwest Grand and an abbreviated version of the Inland Empire Handicap to close out their historic run at the current site. The Colton GC will be a site for the ATA Western Zone Shoot in July as well as shoots in February, June and September. Shoots are also scheduled for Marlin, Odessa, Othello, Coulee City and Malden-Pine City clubs so far. It is shaping up to be a good year for ATA action. Your club may still schedule shoots and Big 50 events. I know I spend a lot of time promoting the Western Zone Big 50 program in my letters, but we are still encouraging your clubs to give it a try. They are great for getting some more targets on your card and supporting the WSTA, ATA and the Western Zone, along with getting more involved with this great sport. The first big shoot of the season will be the Camas Prairie Handicap in March at Walla Walla, and it is always a great time.

I just returned from the Autumn Grand. Washington had a pretty good showing at Tucson T&SC for this event. There were at least four squads’ worth of shooters from our state, and some trophies were brought home. The Schlimmer family of Alan, along with sons Carson and Garrett, had a good week while bringing home hardware. Congratulations are in order to Alan on making the 27-yard line. Watch out for the Schlimmers on the back fence this year. Be sure to watch Trap & Field for photos and scores posted by Washington competitors at the Autumn Grand. My highlight was shooting a handicap event with a young lady who eventually took home the singles title with 200 straight plus overtime rounds as well as making it closer the fence in handicap. I made friends with her and her dad during the shoot, which I believe is one of the bonuses of my trapshooting travels. You’ll see who I’m talking about as you turn the pages.

Once again I’d like to remind you that we may still be faced with some COVID safety protocol as we move into the new year. Ways to make it easier as we get started will include paying ATA dues online, pre-squadding for bigger shoots, and making sure you are early for the classification and cashiering lines to keep office and lobby crowds down. A little preparation before we all show up will go a long way toward keeping things moving swiftly and smoothly toward getting clays flying and having fun as we know how to.

I’m looking forward to seeing you at the clubs and on the line this year. Until then, I’ll be cleaning guns, loading shells and marking my calendar. Please remember to take a kid or new shooter to your club and show them the joy of trapshooting. Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

ATA Alternate Delegate

Wyoming

Hello, and I hope everyone is doing well. The only shoots happening in Wyoming right now are turkey shoots. These can be a lot of fun, and I hope you can attend a few.

Several shooters traveled south to compete. Eleven shooters from Wyoming attended the Arizona State Shoot. Thirty-one Wyoming shooters attended the Autumn Grand. Hunter Howe won the junior handicap championship, and Brett Gara won the sub-junior handicap crown. You can find the rest of the scores on the usual sites.

Enjoy the holidays, and I look forward to seeing you.

Nico Elardi

WSTA Director

Illinois

I want to start this month talking about the Illinois All-American team members. We don’t have as many as we usually do in a normal shooting year. COVID totally messed up an Illinois shooter’s ability to make the team. In spite of this, we still had shooters persevere and get the job done. Chase Horton made the open first team, Hannah Martin the Lady II second team, and Janice Rigler the Lady II second team. Ian Lawrence is captain of the junior team, Garrett Helms made the junior gold second team, Dan Staker and Dave Dressler the sub-vet second team, Mike Dennis and Frank Payne the veteran first team, and Charlie Bickle the senior veteran first team. Finally, Ziggy Tkaczenko is again captain of the chairshooter team. Congratulations to all of you! You showed us how it’s done in tough circumstances.

I was looking at results of the Autumn Grand and saw several Illinois shooters did very well. We all like to shoot and win, but we also really enjoy hanging out with our friends. It has got to be fantastic to be able to do this with someone who is your friend who you also love. Illinois is blessed with many couples, such as Brenda and Mike Dennis, Sue and Dan Staker and Valerie and Paul Rogers who shot at Tucson. We also have many parent-child teams, such as Harvey and Jeremiah Schultz, who also shot at Tucson. Sharing this great sport with each other has got to be the ultimate shooting experience, and I enjoy watching and rooting for all of you.

Sadly I have to talk about the passing of another Illinois shooter. John Engel was a linchpin shooter here in Illinois. He was seldom the best shooter at a shoot, although he did break 100 straight in handicap at the Peoria Gun Club years ago. John was the guy who thinking about seeing him as you loaded up your car to go shoot made you smile and look forward to getting to the club. His friendship was contagious, and not having him at shoots leaves a hole that will be hard to fill. My condolences go out to all the family and friends of John.

Get your guns cleaned and your ammo ready to go because spring is right around the corner.

Bill Duncan

ATA Delegate

Iowa

Happy New Year, Iowa trapshooters! I hope this finds all of you healthy and well and enjoying the great weather we are having. Congratulations to our Iowa state trapshooting teams, and also to our Iowa All-Americans. Be sure to check out our website for all the names and a lot more info.

I want to congratulate all our Iowans who attended the Autumn Grand American. Trophy winners I have from championship week include Cole Henning, 25-26, Prelim Handicap; junior, Garden Canyon Handicap; junior runnerup, Tucson Class Doubles; plus the junior titles in the Singles Championship, Doubles Championship and all-around. Breydon Paxson’s trophies included 27-yard in the Prelim Handicap plus junior in Premier Singles, Prescott Handicap, Yuma Doubles with 100 straight, Pleasant Valley Handicap, Casa Grande Doubles, Double Adobe Doubles, Caesar Guerini Prelim Handicap and HOA. Lori Wickman captured Lady II in the Prelim Handicap, and Keegan Kendall won junior in that event. Terry Palmer earned the vet title in the Premier Singles and held on in the shootoff in the Ben Avery Singles to capture the vet title. Lexi Henning in the Double Adobe Doubles took Class D honors, Class C in the Tucson Class Doubles, and in the Caesar Guerini Prelim Handicap prevailed in shootoff to capture sub-junior runnerup. In the class singles, Alan Nicholas was AA winner, and Ben Schlatter was junior winner outright with 100. Ben also captured junior runnerup in the Caesar Guerini Prelim Handicap and Class A in the HOA. In the Garden Canyon Handicap, 19-21 winner was Brian Wilkins. Raylee Bishop took Lady I honors in the Prelim Singles, Lady I winner in the Pleasant Valley Handicap, and Lady I in the Caesar Guerini Prelim Handicap with 97. But she didn’t stop there! In the Singles Championship, she shot a 200 straight then went on to break another 100 to win the championship! In the Handicap Championship, she held on in the shootoff to win the Lady I title, and then got category honors in the HAA. Way to go, Raylee, and congratulations to you and all the winners! I’m sure you all agree we have a very talented group of young shooters.

In Iowa this time of the year, the weather doesn’t do much to get a person in the shooting mood. This is the perfect time to make sure you have all your membership dues paid, both ISTA and ATA. Having this done saves time down the road. Many of the club managers are staying busy with derbies, being there for practice rounds and doing maintenance and upkeep. Get out and support your local club and volunteer to help in any way needed. Who knows, it might make you feel better about yourself!

Until next month, if you have any items you would like to see in this column, feel free to contact me. As always, I can be reached at [email protected]. Stay safe, and I’ll see you on the trap range.

Steve Glasgow

ATA Delegate

Michigan

It’s early January, and if it’s like most Januaries, my New Year’s resolutions are already a thing of the past. Ken Smith, MTA president, reports that planning for a successful shooting year in 2021 at Mason is progressing well. In addition to the Spring Team Shoot, Great Lakes Grand, Michigan State Shoot and Fall Team Shoot, the board of directors is planning to be one of the host sites for the ATA Central Zone Shoot. I’m not yet certain about the dates, but I think they will be July 31-Aug. 1.

For many years, the MTA was a host site for the Central Zone every three years, with a site in northern Ohio and one in northern Indiana picking up the other two years. It’s been about 13 or 14 years since the Central Zone has been shot at Mason. This Central Zone Shoot is a telephonic shoot with sites all around the ATA Central Zone. It should not be confused with the Michigan zone shoots.

In Michigan we divide the state into zones, which can be found near the back of your Schedule of Invitational Events booklet. In June of each year, one club in each zone will hold a zone shoot and establish a zone team, which gets some free targets at the state shoot. There is a set of trophies at the state shoot for the high zone team. In 2019, at the last state shoot, the high zone team was from the Upper Peninsula.

All the trapfield lights at Mason are down. One set was damaged when they fell, and the rest were taken down to prevent damage. Getting them back up is totally dependent on funding in 2021. It may be that there will be no shootoffs under the lights at Mason in 2021.

As we get ever nearer to widespread distribution of a vaccine for this really nasty virus, please remember the new adage, “Think positive and test negative.” I hope to see you on a trapfield soon.

1. B. Lewis

ATA Delegate

Minnesota

Greetings from the North Star State! When you receive this copy of Trap & Field, Christmas will be history, and if ever we are hoping that a new year will bring new hope of better times (and better scores), 2021 is that year. Winter came early to much of the state, as we had snow almost everywhere at some time in October. Thankfully, in the northwest we have had several dustings of snow followed by thaws, so we still have bare fields as I write this on the two days after Thanksgiving. Hopefully you were able to enjoy some time with members of your family at Thanksgiving, even though you were encouraged to reduce the size of your gathering and wear a mask, etc.

On Nov. 18 the governor of Minnesota issued an executive order effectively shutting down gun clubs in the state for 30 days. I got a note from Wally Shelstad saying that the Buffalo GC would be closed through Dec. 19 due to Executive Order #20-99. Wally said the annual turkey and ham shoot as well as jackpots 11, 12, 13 and 14 have been canceled. For those shooters in the Buffalo area, this has been particularly disappointing, as the weather for November (and looking ahead to December) has been quite nice. The governor obviously is trying his best to get a handle on the COVID-19 flare-up that has occurred in our state and the entire upper Midwest in recent weeks. Keep checking the Buffalo GC website as well as the MTA website for updated information on the clubs that are throwing jackpots (St. Cloud, Minneapolis, Zimmerman), or call the club for details. The phone information is available on the MTA webpage.

The December meeting of the MTA board was postponed and moved to April. If you have something for the agenda, you can contact Matt Bickell or Shawn King to get your items on the agenda.

A big congratulations to Bernie Merchlewitz Jr. for winning the Autumn Grand Doubles Championship with 100 in the program and 80 in shootoff. Four others broke 100. Durand Wagner hit 99 but ended without a trophy in that event. In the Singles Championship, Bernie was AA champ with 199 (and also won AA trophies in the HAA and HOA), and Leo Brand was sub-junior runnerup after 196. A total of 15 Minnesotans participated in some part of the event.

Until next month, stay safe. I can be reached at 507-456-2000 or at [email protected]. Until next time, keep your head down. Randall Jones’ contact information is available on the MTA website.

Paul T. Cyr

for ATA Delegate Randy Jones

North Dakota

We just got back home from the Autumn Grand a few days ago. It was a great shoot, but things were different due to the coronavirus. Everyone’s temperature was taken, workers and participants, as they entered the gate. Masks had to be worn inside the clubhouse. Clubhouse food service was available. Although some of these measures to keep us safe seem extreme, they need to be followed if we are going to be able to continue to shoot. Employees and volunteers administering these measures must be cooperated with and treated with respect.

There were six North Dakota shooters who participated in the Autumn Grand: Marv Hanson, Orrin Johnson, Tim Kaffar, Brian Larson, Mike Nordback and Bill Suda. Only Suda was able to bring some hardware home, winning Class A in Event 17 doubles and Class A runnerup in Event 20 doubles. Kaffar got in two carryovers and Johnson one carryover in singles.

The annual NDTA Board of Directors meeting was held in October. It was decided to change the format of the state shoot so the championship doubles will be shot on Friday. Only the championship handicap will be shot on Sunday. It was also decided to keep the full non-resident trophy package. Delvin Zahn (Zap) and Truman Nelson (Sisseton, SD) will be inducted into the NDTA Hall of Honor. Kaffar will be inducted into the NDTA Hall of Fame at the state shoot in July. The state shoot will be held at the Capital City GC in Bismarck July 22-25 with youth day Wednesday, July 21.

The NDTA is saddened by the loss of three “big names” in North Dakota trapshooting. Jim Schumacher, 2001 Hall of Honor inductee, passed away Oct. 20 at the age of 86. Duane Reister, who served the NDTA for four years as secretary-treasurer (1986-1989), and NDTA president for five years (1991-1995), passed away Nov. 13 at the age of 82. Jim Kempel, 2007 Hall of Fame inductee, passed away Nov. 19. See the  the Completed Careers section for more details.

Stay safe, and hopefully we’ll see you breaking clays in 2021.

Tim Kaffar

ATA Delegate

Ohio

With the new year here and 2020 behind us, I hope everyone is well. With Christmas over and all the presents open, everyone is ready to get out and try all the new toys and guns they got. Now is the time to make plans for your shooting season. When doing so, make sure to include your state zone shoot, the Ohio State Shoot and ATA Central Zone Shoot. Hopefully 2021 is a better year, and we can have all our shoots as scheduled. With that being said, everyone, please stay safe and well, and we will see you at a shoot.

Mike Blair

ATA Delegate

Wisconsin

By this time you read this article, there will either be snow on the ground for you to play in or your toes will be in the sand enjoying the warmth. I am sad to pass on that there will not be CWTA shooting at the clubs this winter. The clubs I am sure made the decision that fits them best. Some of the clubs are not large enough to host the number of shooters inside, especially if the weather is bad and you need to go inside to warm up. This might be a chance for you to contact the club and see if some deep cleaning or indoor repairs need to be tended to.

The year 2020 brought a lot of changes to shoots with postponements and cancellations. Even through all of this, the shoots that I went to were well attended.

Wisconsin members on the 2021 All-American teams (based on 2020 performance) are open second, George Hass; Lady II first, Sandra Jo Jack; sub-vet second, Marvin (Pete) Rustad; and senior vet second, H. John Duwe. It takes a lot of time and drive to achieve these positions. Congratulations to all, and best wishes for next year.

Now for the Tucson T&SC Autumn Grand. Remember, the Spring Grand is in February, and you might want to attend for some getaway from the cold at Tucson.

Preliminary week was a bit of a challenge, with the wind picking up, but at least it was warm/shorts weather. Mark Sacia won a 25-26 trophy. At the 27-yard line, Tate Barwald shot an impressive 97 to win. Sandra Jo Jack collected three event wins.

Grand week was a much better time. Weather turned cooler but less windy. Pete Rustad shot a nice score to win handicap sub-vet to start the week, Cheryl Demulling won Lady II singles with a perfect 100, and Sandra Jo Jack won in nine events, including Lady II in the Singles Championship (with 199), HOA and HAA. Kevin Kastenschmidt won a handicap 19-21 trophy, along with Gerald Demulling in the same handicap event. Gerald took another veteran handicap trophy with 98. Barwald won a AA singles trophy, Donald Labarge captured the A class Singles Championship, along with John Halambeck, B, 198; and Cheryl Demulling, runnerup with 198.

I am looking forward to seeing all you happy friends at the next shoot. Take care and keep smiling . . . I am.

If you want to submit information for here, please e-mail me at [email protected].

Help at your club, volunteer, make a difference, make a point to do something good. Kevin, thank you for all you do volunteering for Wisconsin, and thank you to all who will be helping with the 2021 year.

Sandra Jo Jack

for ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring