Arizona

The Spring Grand: I have good news and bad news, but a lot more good than bad. So let’s get the bad out of the way. Between the Preliminary Days and the Spring Grand itself, attendance was down by 172 shooters, most of which happened in the preliminaries. Was COVID-19 a reason? You betcha! We went from 51 non-USA competitors to four this year, and many other folks did not want to risk being quarantined upon their return home. The brutal weather in mid America was no help either.

Nevertheless, it was great to see old friends, the competition was fierce, Tucson did their usual superb job, and our weather was, well, interesting. No rain, mostly sunny skies, but the wind took its toll on occasion. However, just about everyone I spoke with said, “It sure beats home. Back there the temperature is minus 10.”

We did have 746 shooters from 41 states and provinces, four of our Canadian friends snuck across the border at Nogales, apparently with the help of a coyote. In addition, there were 76 refugees from California, and here are the cold-country statistics: 47 from Minnesota, 43 Iowans, 42 from the Dakotas, Wisconsin had 40, and Colorado 32. Nebraska, Washington, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana were also well represented. Competitors came from every area of the country. The word is out; Arizona is the place to be when Old Man Winter shows up.

Now how about some results and a pithy comment or two. First, let me say that Arizona shooters more than held their own. Will (not Bill) Medlicott got us started right taking Class A in Event 1, the Flagstaff Hundred. Gerald Detty lost Class C on a forfeit, Jeff Mervin won D, and Gerry Williams was the high senior veteran. In the Yuma Handicap, Jim Copsey tied for high gun with a fine 98 and won veteran in a shootoff. Event 4 was the Phoenix Doubles, and Medlicott did it again, this time taking Class B. Bruce Hobbs won Class AA in the Prescott Singles, while Jeff Mervin lost Class D on a forfeit.

The Casa Grande Handicap was next, and Randy Stiarwalt just missed out in the 22-24 yard group in a two-box shootoff. Event 7 saw Bruce Hobbs coming to the fore once more as his perfect 100 topped all others in Class AA. He then showed his versality by winning 27-yard in the Preliminary Handicap.

Event 10 was the Tucson Singles Championship, and Don Williamson came oh so close. He finished as runnerup in a three-round shootoff. Britt Dalton then made the first of many appearances, losing by one in a shootoff for the Class AAA crown in the Doubles Championship. He quickly made up for that by winning 27-yard in the Tucson Grand Handicap, nosing out Copsey in a shootoff. Meanwhile, Williams was busy beating all other senior vets. Gerry also finished as the top senior veteran in the prelim all-around.

The Spring Grand American started with Event 13, the Preliminary Singles, and it was a good day for Arizona. Britt Dalton won Class AAA with 100 and a perfect round in the ensuing shootoff. Bob Mlynarz lost out in Class A, also in a shootoff, while Ron Schroer’s 100 tied for senior vet. Next was the Preliminary Handicap, and Dalton’s 97 was high in the 27-yard group. Tuesday started with the Premier Singles, and Britt was perfect both in the event and a two-box shootoff for another Class AAA award. Then it was Bob Mlynarz’s turn in a windy Prescott Handicap, where his 95 won 25-26 outright. Tim Robb topped all other veterans in a one-round shootoff.

In Event 18, the Pleasant Valley Handicap, Britt D. finally proved that he was human. He tied for the 27-yard trophy but lost in the overtime. He then fell victim to the dreaded carryover in the Tucson Singles Class Championship, despite his perfect 100 in Class AAA. Jeff Mervin won his carryover in Class D, and Darvin Thomas was high veteran. Williams fell short by one and finished as the senior veteran runnerup in the fourth carryover round. Event 20 was the Doubles Class Championship, and Dalton just missed out in the AAA carryover. Greg Spiczka won Class D.

The first Spring Grand American championship was the doubles, and Karen Bergman won the Lady II title by three birds. Ken Mlynarz was the AA runnerup. Friday ended with the Caesar Guerini Preliminary Handicap, and our senior veterans shined. Williams’ 97 was tops, and Gerald Meyer finished one behind but forfeited the runnerup spot.

On Saturday for the Singles Championship, the weather was bipolar. It was nice in the morning, but the afternoon was windy. I was shooting on a squad with Darrell Goen, and I watched him out of the corner of my eye. He dropped one in the opening 100, but I couldn’t believe his shooting in the second, given the conditions. He finished second among sub-veterans with 197. What a round! No matter what he shoots in the future, I don’t think he will ever top that performance.

It looks as if the same could be said for Steve Stella and Tim Robb. I did not see them, but both had terrific afternoons. Tim’s 197 tied for AA, but he lost in a shootoff, while Steve dropped two in the morning and had a perfect afternoon in the wind. That won him the runnerup title in veteran against some of the best.

The Spring Grand American Handicap champion is a 15-year-old young lady from North Dakota named Evie Janousek. She had the only 100 straight in the event. I had refereed a shootoff that Evie lost, but I left very impressed by her poise and natural ability. Evie put it all together in the championship; just a super performance. In fact, three of the top four scores in the Handicap Championship came from junior shooters. That, ladies and gentlemen, is our future.

Dalton finished fourth, and Greg Holden was veteran runnerup. Karen Bergman won her second title in Lady II, this time in a three-way shootoff. Mary Alby, who had a fine shoot throughout, lost in the overtime. She has become one of the indispensables at Tucson, working the RV desk and as a line supervisor—many thanks! It was a great Spring Grand.

Around the state: We have two new directors on the ASTA. Ron Ballou has taken over from Marty Benko in the southern zone, and Holden has replaced Steve Long in the north. Both have long served Arizona trapshooters and deserve our gratitude for their efforts.

Now how about a pleasant surprise—at this writing it appears that an old favorite, Prescott, will be the Arizona site for the ATA Western Zone July 16-18. Details will follow.

Casa Grande held their Pre-Spring Grand Warm-Up Feb. 3-7 and had a nice turnout. This time of year CG is very popular with shooters seeking a warmer climate, and the list of winners reflects that. That does not mean that Arizona didn’t have its share, though. Ken Mlynarz’s 99 tied for high gun and topped Class A in Wednesday’s opening singles. Allisen Reese then won ladies’ in the handicap. Thursday saw Phil Vasquez winning singles C class. He promptly got kicked up to B for Friday’s event, and he won that with a nice 99. Randall Winch was the high Arizonian in the singles; he did not miss a bird while taking Class A. Steve Smoot dropped only one and won C, while Tony DeSimone was tops in D. Friday’s handicap featured a number of shootoffs, and shooters with the last name of Mlynarz did pretty well. Ken and Bob both shot 93 and tied in the 25-27 group. Fred Frazier didn’t tie anyone; he was high gun with a 94 and was the senior veteran champ.

On Sunday a relatively new shooter made an appearance. Zach Abel won D in the singles. Winch topped all in the handicap, winning 19-21 along the way, and Helen Kisthardt was high lady. Doubles wrapped things up, and we had three winners: Greg Spiczka, C; John Owenby, D; and Jackson, sub-junior.

Mid April to mid May is a great time for trapshooting in the Grand Canyon State. The hot weather has not kicked in, and we have lots going on. Rio Salado has a doubles marathon April 15; Ben Avery goes April 16-18; Tucson’s Spring Festival is April 24-25; Rio Salado has a singles marathon May 6; and Casa Grande holds their Cactus Flower Shoot May 7-9. Don’t forget about Big 50 Mondays at Casa Grande.

See you on the line!

John Bergman

ATA Delegate

California

The state of California has rolled back several of its most stringent coronavirus restrictions, and our clubs are now beginning to resume their normal shooting schedules. I encourage everyone to get out and support the clubs that were not allowed to throw ATA targets through no fault of their own. I would also like to give a special thanks to those clubs that made the necessary adjustments to provide us the opportunity to continue shooting during a very difficult time.

The Spring Grand American was held in Tucson, AZ, Feb. 10-21. The shoot drew a total of 746 shooters, 78 from California. Searching through the shoot results, it looks like 13 California shooters brought home a total of 21 trophies. Veteran Dave Womack collected five, while Gary Bonetti, Audric Scheidel, Edward Duitsman and Jason Varozza brought home two apiece. Eight other shooters managed to secure one trophy. Several other California shooters were involved in either carryovers or shootoffs.

All five of Dave’s trophies were for vet. Dave prevailed in Event 8, Prelim Handicap, 96; Event 10, Tucson Singles Championship, 198 and carryover; Event 15, Premier Singles, 100; Prelim HOA, 1,252; and Event 24, Handicap Championship, 95.

Gary Bonetti was high sub-vet in Event 18 (Pleasant Valley Handicap) with 93 and shootoff and the HOA with 1,047.

Edward Duitsman secured sub-vet runnerup in Event 19 (Tucson Singles Class Championship) with 100 and lost the carryover and was the B class champion in Event 21 (Doubles Championship) with 95 and shootoff.

Jason Varozza was the AAA runnerup in Event 19 after 100 and AAA winner in Event 23 (Singles Championship) with 200.

Ronald McGarr secured the high veteran trophy in Event 9 (class doubles) with 98 and carryover.

James Schooler took the 27-yard trophy in Event 16 (Prescott Handicap) with 96.

Tyler Cassara secured high junior in Event 20 (Tucson Doubles Class Championship) with 98.

Cory Walker was the high sub-junior in Event 21 with 96.

Jacob Ridge was the AA winner of Event 23 after 197 and shootoff.

Michael Sargent was junior gold runnerup in Event 23 with 197 and a lost shootoff.

Justin Schooler placed seventh in Event 24 with 96 and shootoff.

Eddie Woods was the A class winner of Event 19 with 100 and carryover.

Congratulations to all on their excellent shooting accomplishments during the Spring Grand American.

The Redlands SP posts the results of their monthly ATA shoots on their website at redlandsshootingpark.com. If you’re interested in seeing scores or photographs from their shoots, please log in and have yourself added to their contact list.

Stay healthy and shoot well!

Steve Cloyd

ATA Delegate

Utah

The Spring Grand in Tucson is over and had an okay turnout, considering the pandemic as well as the shortage of shells. The extreme storms in the South and Midwest also kept people from traveling to Tucson.

Utah had a contingent of 28 shooters, many of whom brought home trophies. Most notably were Brett Despain, who won the sub-vet doubles title after a shootoff, and Joe Sudbury, who won the veteran singles championship with the lone high score.

Weather at Tucson was sunny and warm, but with winds anywhere from breezy to very heavy. Be sure to check out all the scores and winners on the appropriate websites and in this issue of Trap & Field.

With spring just around the corner (a big corner), we can start shooting at our local clubs. We can anticipate at least one shoot a month from here on out.

Pre-squadding for the Western Grand in Vernal is now open, and the state shoot pre-squadding (also in Vernal) will soon be open. Sean and Stacy Hawley always put on a good shoot. Come and join the fun.

I have been contacted by many people asking about the availability (or lack) of ammunition. We have had the perfect storm for a shortage. The pandemic either caused a total shutdown of some of the ammunition plants or at least a partial shutdown. That, along with the number of gun purchases, the fear of price increases, and the fear of ammo shortages created a self-fulfilling prophecy. No ammunition!

The ammo companies and distributors “think” that by about mid April or May things should be normal, whatever that is.

Those who reload are in the same boat. Components are also in very short supply.

I hope that soon we will be able to say, “Do you remember back when?”

Just because there is a shortage of ammo doesn’t mean you can’t practice. Pull your gun out of the safe and do gun mounts. Practice dry-firing at something across the room. Go through the motions and mental process of shooting 100 targets. It is not easy nor a lot of fun to practice this way, but using the mind as a movie screen and watching every target break does help when you are on the firing line.

Charlie Long’s father, Col. Thomas Long, passed away Feb. 25 at the age of 107. He lived in a suburb of Chicago. He was at Charlie’s induction to the Hall of Fame and was still driving at age 106! He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

A couple months ago, my article highlighted one of our pullers, Bailey Peckham. On March 1 I received a very nice card from Robert Hunt of Plaistow, NH.

He said, “I was so touched and brought to tears by your recent post to Trap & Field about Ms. Peckham. As a squad leader, I always make a point of thanking the scorer at the end of each event. You have correctly pointed out that without these ‘essential helpers,’ we would not be able to compete in a sport we all love so dearly. If you would be so kind as to pass along the enclosed $100 to Ms. Peckham in gratitude for her dedication and hard work on the frontline of this terrible pandemic. God bless us all, and good shooting ahead.”

Sir, you are a true gentleman and a great addition to our sport.

Thanks so much. I will see that Ms. Peckham receives your gift.

           Ed Wehking

           ATA Western Zone Vice President

Washington

There hasn’t been a lot of news from our state since the last installment, but by the time you see this in your mailbox, registered targets should be flying with regularity in Washington. Colton postponed their February shoot one week due to winter deciding to hit early in the month after what had been a fairly mild winter. The Camas Prairie Handicap is in the books, and we are gearing up for the Northwest Grand at Spokane GC. These upcoming shoots will be your last chance to crush some clay at the historic current site of the Spokane GC, so I hope many of you will attend for a nice goodbye to the grand grounds we’ve enjoyed for so long and to anticipate the new facility the club will have to offer.

The COVID curve seems to be heading the right way, and so far all shoots scheduled are a go. Once again I’ll warn of some clubhouse restrictions and protocol we may have to follow, depending on where things stand at each shoot. The important thing is that we will be able to get out there and enjoy our great sport. I can visit from six feet away easily, and I don’t want to hug the guys on my usual squads anyway, so I think the inconveniences we may experiences will be mild at worst.

I want to highlight two young shooters from Washington who made a name for themselves during the 2020 target year. Sophie Nostrom made the All-American second team, shooting in the Lady I category. A. J. Vossen found himself an All-American in junior ranks after his first full year of ATA competition. It takes not only great shooting to do this, which they have done, but a strong dedication to the game and the strenuous travel to attend the qualifying shoots. These young shooters have shown that and more, especially during a season that was anything but guaranteed to happen. Our hats are off to Sophie and A. J. Be sure to congratulate them when you see them and wish them a great trapshooting career in years to come. I think they are well on their way. The encouragement of youth shooting in the Evergreen State seems to be working!

I’d like to mention again that I’ve been given the reigns for the silent auction at this year’s state shoot. Please contact me if you have any items to contribute, and any ideas you may have will certainly be appreciated. With a lot fewer targets tossed in the last year because of the pandemic, this fundraiser may be more important than ever. It will be exciting to see what treasures folks will be packing off with the winning bids after the shoot in Walla Walla this June.

With the winter weather coming late, I was afforded the opportunity to stay in and, you guessed it, reload shells! I emptied out the buckets by boxing them all up and figured, “What the heck, why not make more?” With all the anecdotes we’ve heard over years at the clubs, I thought I’d take the chance to share some of my own regarding reloading. In 23 years of trapshooting, and most of those rounds coming out of my cluttered reloading space, I’ve learned a few things. Following is a list of some of them:

1. The primer tray, powder and shot tubes never run out at the same time, so pay attention, unless cutting open a bunch of potential duds seems like a good pasttime to you.
2. Rather than fighting a machine for hours trying to insert my will on the stubborn contraption, it is easier to make the periodic adjustments shown in the owner’s manual. I did this for many years while working as an auto or farm implement technician, yet somehow stubbornness wants to prevail when it comes to the shell press.
3. Two wads will not fit in a shell casing. (Not telling how I found that out.)
4. No matter how many times you break open the gun, pull the trigger again, and repeat the process, a reloaded shell with a used primer in it will not go off. (Once again, don’t ask.)
5. It is great fun to laugh at my pal’s numerous bloopers, but not so humorous when it’s me with the “extra light” loads.
6. No matter how weak the load seems to be, the wad always clears my barrel, which results in the scorekeeper hollering, “Lost!” The voices of the young gals back there always seem to be louder when calling a miss in that circumstance.
7. Reloading is good therapy and is often a good way to wind down after a stressful work day.
8. Shell recipes will always be a topic of discussion and maybe a source of argument during slack time at a shoot, but if you break 100 straight, one of your buddies is going to ask about the concoction you sent through the tube.

The WSTA is poised for an awesome spring and summer, so we hope to see you joining in the fun and sharing in each other’s accomplishments and milestones. Maybe you can share some of those “secret recipe” reloads of yours to get a new shooter started.

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

ATA Alternate Delegate

Wyoming

There’s not much going on in Wyoming, but that will begin to change in the next few months. There are starting to be some shoots if you are willing to travel. The Spring Grand just finished. Hardy Musselman came away as singles champion with 200 plus extras. 22 Wyoming shooters attended. You can see the scores at shootscoreboard.com and in this issue. Arizona, Texas and Washington have shoots coming up. I hope to make it to at least one of them.

I have started to plan out my summer shooting schedule, something that I think everyone should do. This year may be more difficult than others, COVID may cause shoots to be canceled, but the bigger problem could be an ammo shortage. In the past I have always said shells bought in the winter don’t cost anything in the summer. This year is going to be different; you might have to choose between one state shoot or two to three weekend shoots. Looking for the good in a bad situation, the current circumstance might force us to try other brands and different velocities. With the right mindset, we might find our new favorite.

The Wyoming State Shoot will be in Torrington June 30-July 4. I hope you can make plans to attend. The first shoots in Wyoming aren’t until April, when Douglas, Cheyenne and Gillette will be hosting events. Until then, I hope everyone is well, and I look forward to seeing you.

Nico Elardi

WSTA Director

Illinois

With this column, I have been a Delegate for one year. If you would have told me I would have done this in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, vote to cancel the Illinois State Shoot, and see the Grand move to Missouri, I would have laughed at you. The good news is I have met and been helped by a bunch of wonderful people that make this job so wonderful and unique. I want to send out a big thank you to the shooters of Illinois, and shooters across the country, who have put their trust in me. Representing you has been a honor that has meant the world to me.

The link I talked about last month to donate money to the Illinois Hall of Fame is up and running on the ISTA web page. Please check it out and see the bricks, and how they can be arranged, leading into the new HoF. I realize money is tight, but for one day’s shooting costs, you can make a lasting legacy to honor all the great shooters Illinois has produced through the years.

I have noticed that the number of Illinois shooters was down at the Southern Grand. Given all the problems at this time, this is sadly understandable. I am happy to report the ones that were there shot well. I want to give a shout out to Charlie Bickle, who is shooting his normal great scores. Charlie is a director in the ISTA and a member of the Illinois Hall of Fame. Let me tell you that all of his shooting accomplishments pale beside Charlie the man. You will never meet a nicer, better person. Charlie is one of those people that make shooting fun, and I feel privileged to be able to call him a friend.

Stay warm and healthy.

Bill Duncan

ATA Delegate

Iowa

Hello to all from Iowa! It is so nice to see sunshine, green grass and warm temperatures after the winter we, and most of the states, have seen this past winter.

Congratulations to all 43 of our Iowa shooters at the Spring Grand American in Tucson in February. Preliminary Week saw Danny Meyne winning Class AA and Breydon Paxson winning junior in the Garden City Doubles. In the Casa Grande Handicap, Danny McCoy was the 25-26 winner with 96. In the Prelim Week class singles, Paxson won his shootoff to capture junior honors, and he landed the junior title in the class doubles with 97 and the age-group spot again in the Yuma Doubles with a 100 straight! Breydon went on to win junior runnerup in the Tucson Class Doubles Championship and was the junior winner in the Doubles Championship. The Tucson Grand Handicap and the Prelim Handicap saw Allison Jensen in the Lady I top spot, and in the Prelim Singles, Ken VanOrt took the D trophy. Prescott Handicap sub-vet honors went to Dale Stockdale with 96. Raylee Bishop was back in the winner’s circle in the Yuma Doubles with 99 to capture Lady I and backed it up with another 99 in the Tucson Class Singles to take Lady I there. In the Tucson Class Doubles Championship, David Bessine went to the shootoff line and held on with a 47 to take AA. The Doubles Championship saw Bishop in the shootoffs to capture Lady I runnerup. Allen Anderson held on in his shootoff to take fifth in the Caesar Guerini Prelim Handicap. The Handicap Championship Lady II runnerup trophy went to our ISTA past secretary Lori Wickman, who was also the Lady II Grand week HAA winner. Congratulations, Lori! Grand Week HAA vet honors went to Bessine, and Paxson was Grand Week junior HAA and HOA winner. Congratulations to all of you on these great achievements!

With the warm-up and sunshine, our clubs here in Iowa are busy and ready for a great season. Please get out and support your local club and help in any way you can. Make plans now to attend our Iowa State Shoot July 20-25. We look forward to having you at our state shoot. In the meantime, if you have questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 641-990-2314. Take care, and I’ll see you on the trapline.

Steve Glasgow

ATA Delegate

Michigan

In Late February, we are just under knee-deep in snow. I was shooting some practice at Jackson on Sunday, and between a very cold Pat-Trap and a stiff south wind, one of the shooters remarked that with only another foot of snow, some of the super low targets would disappear entirely. The targets were reset by eyeball (nobody wanted to tromp through the snow drift trying to find the socket to set the T-bar), just in time for the wind speed to increase. With the even lower wind chill reading, shooting stopped, even though one hardy soul suggested two per post and then coming back inside to warm up. That seemed to be too much trouble. Just one of the joys of winter trapshooting in Michigan.

I’m pleased to report that there will be five ATA shoots at Mason this year instead of the usual four. In addition to the Spring Team, Great Lakes Grand, state shoot and Fall Team, the MTA will be a host site for the ATA Central Zone Shoot. So please put July 30-Aug. 1 on your shooting calendar for this event at Mason. This shoot is a great way to warm up for the Grand. Look for the details of this shoot in the MTA shoot programs booklet.

Earlier this month, I was driving to a gun club to shoot with my son, who had just picked up his new shotgun (I won’t give you the brand, but it allegedly has “High Technology” or something similar). I took a back way out of town that I don’t often travel, which took me past the local independent car repair shop. They have eight bays, each with a big roll-up door, and each bay is labeled, so you know which to stop in front of. So, if you need brakes, you pull your car up in front of the roll-up door labeled, “Brakes and shocks” and so on. I still haven’t figured out what that white Tesla was doing in front of the door labeled tune-up.

1. B. Lewis

ATA Delegate

Minnesota

Greetings from the North Star State! I just returned from the Spring Grand. I only spent two weeks in Tucson this year for a variety of reasons, but I made the most of it, as I missed the coldest winter weather while I was gone. Even though it was not terribly warm in Arizona, 60º above was better than the -30 that my friends were experiencing back home.

Forty-seven Minnesotans entered the Spring Grand events; some have been in Arizona for the winter, while others were taking a break from the snow and cold in Minnesota. We had the third-most entries, behind Arizona and California. Among the trophy winners were Scott Steffen, who was the sub-veteran runnerup in the main handicap, and Peter Walker, singles runnerup after a four-round shootoff. Other trophy winners were Rod Tollman, Ali Jean Peterson, Paul Cyr, Bill Van Nieuwenhuyzen, Troy Haverly, Dean Neumann, Bob Newman, Dustin Flattum, Derek Fischer, Curtis Peterson, Durand Wagner, Dean Walker, Steve Schmidt and Bernie Merchlewitz Jr. Some of these shooters were multiple trophy winners. My apologies to anyone I left off this list.

Remember our jackpot shooting at St. Cloud, Zimmerman, Buffalo and Minneapolis. See the MTA website for contact information, times and dates.

Another reminder is that the 2021 state shoot will not conflict with your Fourth of July holiday this year, so make plans to be in Alexandria for the state shoot July 6-11. Youth day will be Tuesday, the 6th. For those planning your summer shooting schedule, the Cabela’s Shoot at the Owatonna GC will be June 10-13, and the Central Zone site for Minnesota will also be in Owatonna July 30-Aug. 1.

On a sad note, many of you have already heard of the death of Kyle Wolfe of Owatonna. Those of you who attended a shoot at the Owatonna GC over the past 25 years or more have undoubtedly met Kyle, as he cashiered our shoots and was club treasurer for many years. He and his wife Becky were very active in many activities in the Owatonna community, and Kyle will be missed at the Owatonna GC.

Finish reloading those shells and get ready for a great summer of Minnesota shooting. As always, you can contact me at 507-456-2000 or [email protected].

Paul T. Cyr

for ATA Delegate Randy Jones

Nebraska

By now you should have received your spring newsletter with our 2021 state teams. Congratulations to all of you who made the state team and won high-gun awards. The awards will be presented at our annual membership meeting on Sunday during the state shoot.

The Nebraska State Shoot will be held June 23-27 in Doniphan. State shoot RV spots are filling quickly, with a growing wait list. Be sure to contact Joy Trim about reservations at [email protected]. The shoot program will be mailed in May and also available on the NTA website, www.shootnta.com.

You may pre-squad on presquad.com starting April 15. Just as last year, we will have a dedicated cashiering window for those of you who pre-squad.

We will know by April 1 if Game and Parks is going to host the Cornhusker Shoot this year. The shoot is hopefully going to be held April 29-May 1 at the homegrounds in Doniphan. Good luck to all of the participants at the 51st annual Cornhusker. Please contact Patti Lacquement for any questions or concerns. The website for updates is www.cornhusker-trap.com.

We will also be a host site for the Central Zone Shoot with our annual Honor Shoot. The dates will be July 30-Aug. 1. Shoot programs will be mailed in June and available on the NTA website.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Joy with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your continued support.

Joy Trim

for ATA Delegate James Kerr

North Dakota

The 2021 Spring Grand is history, and as a result, several North Dakota shooters also made the history book. Evie Janousek posted her first 100 straight in the championship handicap, and what a time to do it, besting the field of more than 550 shooters. What a squad it was! Evie’s 100 straight from Post 1, champion, followed by her younger sister Kate on Post 2 (down only one after 75) and ending up with 96, sub-junior champion. Post 3 was Lynn Miller, also from North Dakota, with 92. Bob Ebbers from Wisconsin shot a 99 on Post 5, winning runnerup honors. Evie also won Class C in the all-around with 385, championship singles Class C with 195, D runnerup in the championship doubles with 90, and Tucson Class Singles C runnerup with 98. Lynn Miller was C runnerup in the championship singles.

Jason Folvag was the Spring Grand doubles champion with 100 and 60 extra targets. He also won the Tucson Doubles Class AAA after 98 plus shootoff and carryover. In addition, Jason won AAA HOA with 1,066, Tucson Class Doubles Championship AAA runnerup with 98, and Caesar Guerini Preliminary Handicap fourth with 97.

All total, 20 North Dakota shooters participated in the Spring Grand and won 20 trophies. The winners included Todd Wendel, Flagstaff Hundred, AA, 100 and Tucson Singles Championship, AA, 198; Louis Kuster, Garden Canyon Doubles, C, 93; Bill Suda, Casa Grande Handicap, senior vet, 96, and Tucson Doubles Championship, A, 96; Bob Munson, Preliminary Handicap, senior vet, 96, and Pleasant Valley Handicap, senior vet, 95; and Chris Morstad, Tucson Doubles Class Championship, A, 97.

Congratulations to Melissa Woodworth for making the All-American Lady II team!

It won’t be long before we’re shooting again in North Dakota, starting with practice and the High School Clay Target League and finally registered shooting in May.

Tim Kaffar

ATA Delegate

Wisconsin

Making it through last year has been a trip I don’t want to take again. Pointing this out is enough to have reflection on the 2021 year of shooting ahead of you.

To start with, Al texted to ask me to share the 83rd annual Gateway GC Spring Shoot at Land O’Lakes May 12-16. Add this to your shooting calendar and go have fun. Remember to make room reservations early.

ATA shoots were not held in Wisconsin this winter, but there were clubs that held weekend “fun shoots.” I was able to attend many of them, and the volunteers worked hard to make them successful. Wisconsin has a great participation of shooters. Hats off to every one of you who braved the cold, snow and wind this winter.

At the 2021 Spring Grand, the number of shooters from the north kept increasing day by day. I think everyone had the same idea . . . get away from the below-zero temps. If you have never attended the Spring Grand, know that the wind can pick up. Congratulations to all shooters who brought home trophies for the two weeks.

Preliminary Week: Francis Freiburger, John Halambeck, Sandra Jo Jack, Bill Boyd and Bob Ebbers. Grand Week was good for Jack, Gerald Demulling, Roger Taylor, Ebbers and John Reeb.

I would like to mention Evie Janousek, junior from North Dakota, who shot the only 100 in the Spring Grand Handicap Championship. She is young, dedicated, and a very pleasant young lady.

Please remember to help out at your local club, help with coaching, be an inspiration to others. Keep smiling; I am.

Sandra Jo Jack

for ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring

Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces. The Petitcodiac SC’s winter league continues through the cold New Brunswick winter. As of mid February, Dan Boudreau leads singles standings by less than 1% over Paul Devereaux. Dan also tops doubles standings. Twenty-one shooters are registered for the league that runs until May 1. Good luck, shooters!

Gun club managers and those responsible for organizing ATA registered shooting at your local club are reminded that the 2021 shooting season is just around the corner, so get your registered shoot applications to Janaya Nickerson, APTA secretary, to start the approval process. A complete Atlantic Provinces trapshooting schedule is available on www.shootatalantic.com under the Club Shoot Calendar section.

The Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot is scheduled for Sept. 2-5 at the Highland GC in Yarmouth, NS. Preparations are under way, and we are planning to host at one location this year. However, we have a satellite shoot format in our contingency planning in case provincial health guidelines and restrictions dictate that we go that route again this year. Stay tuned to www.shootatlantic.com for more information and a shoot program in the coming months.

On the national scene, the 2021 Canadian Trapshooting Championships will be held in a satellite shoot format June 25-27. COVID-19 restrictions across Canada vary and would make a one-club shoot very difficult, if not impossible, to host. Host clubs and shoot details are being finalized. Refer to www.shootcanada.ca for updated information and a shoot program.

Shooters from coast to coast were saddened to hear of the passing of Saskatchewan shooter Rod Boll on Jan. 28. Rod was well known in the trapshooting community and was an accomplished trapshooter. He competed in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in Double Trap and was an ATA All-American, Grand American champion and Canadian trapshooting champion. Rod won all of the Canadian trapshooting championship events, the last of which was the 2019 handicap in a shootoff over son Kahl. Rod also attended the 2016 Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot and won open AA in singles and doubles, plus the Atlantic Provinces Five-Man Team singles trophy along with fellow Saskatchewan shooters Dwight Smith and Dave (Tiger) Williams, Cardinal Godefroy (Quebec) and Richard Bootsveld (Ontario). Condolences to Rod’s family and friends.

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

Delaware

As I write this on Feb 9, the Delaware Delegate has been down a while fighting the COVID-19 virus. Get well soon, John; we miss you at the shoots.

Registered shooting in Delaware has been on vacation over the winter months, but shooting will start again April 11 at Wilmington TA with the annual Silver Buckle Shoot and will follow with the Spring Classic April 24. WTA also has a marathon shoot scheduled for May 2 to help shooters get the minimum targets required for the Delaware State Shoot. WTA will hold the DE State Shoot Warm-Up May 23.

The Delaware State Shoot is scheduled to be held May 28-31 at Pine Belt SC located at 377 West Stokes Rd., Shamong, NJ. This year’s shoot will consist of nine events held over the four-day Memorial Day weekend. The Delaware Trapshooting Association will have the $1,000 shoot-out after the Handicap Championship on Monday, May 31. By the time this is printed, the state shoot program books should be available to pick up at WTA and several other clubs. The shoot book should also be available for download from www.dtatrap.org. Start stocking up on shells now, so you won’t miss out on a trophy at the DE State Shoot because you ran out of ammunition!

Merlynn Wegter

DTA Vice President

Massachusetts

As I put this article together on Feb. 24, spring is in the air. Hopefully this will be more of a normal shooting season. By the time you get to read this, our registered shooting will be under way. I try to remind all members around this time to please have your ATA membership dues and your MATA dues paid for the 2021 target year. Check your average card, and have your singles and doubles averages up to date, along with your correct yardage. This will help get you through quickly at the classification table. Also remember the target requirements that will need to be shot in 2021 in order to make the 2022 state team. They are 2,000 singles, 1,500 handicap and 1,000 doubles targets. Plus you must shoot all events of the two championship days (Saturday and Sunday) during the 2021 state shoot.

All our clubs have their shoot dates set for 2021. Our state shoot was finalized, and the dates will be June 10-13 at Minuteman SC. There will be 1,100 targets available.

Our Labor Day Shoot was also nailed down; the date will be Sept. 5 at North Leominster R&GC. This will be a one-day shoot and will consist of 100 singles, 100 handicap and 200 doubles targets. White Flyer targets will be thrown at both the state shoot and the Labor Day Shoot. All this information should be available on the MATA website.

I would like to congratulate the following shooters for making the 2021 state team:

Robert Nihtila Jr., .9540; Richard Nihtila, .9098; Michelle Archambeault, .9072; Jacob Pappas, .9070; Nancy Patterson, .9063; Robert Platt Jr., .9054; Michael Lombardy, .9010; Mark Giglio, .8994; Vincent Farrell Jr., .8958; Robert Scott, .8957; Paul Donovan, .8944; Bruce Costa, .8782; David Jewell, .8653; Ed Archambeault, .8647; Christopher Monterotti, .8550.

Robert Nihtila Jr. had the high averages in singles, .9941; doubles, .9650; and all-around, .9540. High handicap was Michelle Archambeault with .9031.

I also would like to recognize Robert Nihtila Jr. for making the 2021 All-American open second team for the sixth straight time, and here’s a big one: at .9941, Rob had the second-high ATA singles average for 2020.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns that I can help with, I can be reached at 413-586-0428 (cell), 413-687-7703 or [email protected].

Remember to have fun.

Dave Russell

ATA Delegate

New Jersey

Well, it is Feb. 25, and earlier this month New Jersey saw Winter 2021 up close and personal, with Sparta, NJ, recording a 30+ inch snowfall to lead the state in the February first and second snowfall. Since then, this month has seen below-freezing temperatures with snow, freezing rain and ice falling throughout the Garden State. I think Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so more winter weather will be the norm. One thing is for sure, we did not endure the wrath of the Polar Vortex like Texas lived through.

In my February column, where I wrote about Abe Suydam Sr., I failed to give credit for obtaining his picture and Vandalia wins. Sandy Tidwell, of Trap & Field fame, was very quick to help me with various pictures of Abe that appeared in the magazine over the years, and with the help of Amanda DuVardo, was able to research Abe’s wins at Vandalia. Sorry, ladies, for my oversight, and thank you for helping me gather info on our Hall of Fame inductee this coming June.

Steve Burick, who is our leader in putting together this year’s state program, reported that the first proof has been sent to the printer, and the programs were to be ready by the first of March. Our association president Paul Dimeglio, who is still on light duty due to his recent surgery, volunteered to deliver the state programs to all the association gun clubs. Thank you, Paul. As in the past, non-resident shooters who attended our state shoot last year will be mailed their programs. Residents, when you go to your favorite club, ask for your copy. This year’s target requirements will be listed in the program, and senior veterans (70 years of age or older) will not be penalized for not meeting the shoot target requirements this year.

Steve Ottrando and John Messeroll let me know that Mallard TC in Monroe Township will be starting up their Big 50 again on Wednesdays, beginning April 7 and going through May 12. Their 14th annual Easter Pie Shoot will be held April 3.

As mentioned last month, because of the early shoot dates of April 3-4, Pine Belt will be holding their annual Marathon Weekend with 500 singles on Saturday and 300 handicap on Sunday.

Pine Valley will be holding their annual Quarter Grand April 10-11 with 200 singles on Saturday plus 100 singles, 100 handicap and 50 pair of doubles Sunday.

North Jersey CTC will be holding a State Shoot Warm-up April 25: 100 singles, 100 handicap and 50 pair of doubles.

The annual New Jersey southern zone will be at Pine Valley April 30-May 2. There will be a satellite shoot, only at North Jersey CTC, May 1-2. Trophies this year will be for zone residents and open awards in each event.

We are still looking for a New Jersey resident to fill the second vice president and secretary positions in the NJSTA. Please contact me if interested.

On a sad note, Nyda Wright sent me two obituaries of trapshooters from down her way: Alfio (Fred) Bonaventura of Swedesboro passed away Nov. 12; he was 81. Fred was born and raised in Swedesboro. He worked for and retired from the Gloucester Co. Road Department. He was an avid hunter and outdoorsman and belonged to the Raccoon Club, Quinton, and Delaware Co. SC, across the Delaware River in Media, PA. He joined the ATA in 1993 and registered 25,500 singles, 13,400 handicap and 300 doubles targets. Fred is survived by Frances, his wife of 54 years; daughter Christine and son-in-law Joe Stigliano; and many nieces and nephews.

Christopher Griscom of Bridgeton was killed when a piece of heavy equipment he was working on collapsed. He was 43 years old. He was working at the family’s farm property on Salem-Hancocks Bridge Road in Elsinsboro Township. Chris joined the ATA back in 1989, registering 11,400 singles, 9,400 handicap and 7,500 doubles targets.

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

Joe Sissano

ATA Delegate

New York

Hello from New York, and greetings for everyone. I hope everyone is doing well. Spring has finally arrived, and we all hope the weather will turn beautiful and we can start shooting plenty of registered targets.

As I write this article, I have learned of the passing of four more New York shooters. We lost Robert W. Davies, Patrick R. Bulmer, Robert L. Moore and Michael J. Daskavitz.

Robert W. Davies passed away Jan. 18 at the age of 88. Bobby resided in Lowville. Bobby was a crane operator for the Operating Engineers in Syracuse for many years, retiring in 1994. He was a member of BPOE #1605, Lowville Lodge. He was also a life member of Carthage R&GC and Pathfinder F&GC in Fulton. Bobby was an avid outdoorsman, enjoying hunting, fishing and trapshooting. Bobby started registering targets in 1968 and stood on the 20-yard line. During his career he registered 26,800 singles, 12,350 handicap and 6,910 doubles targets. His last targets were registered in 2005. Our deepest sympathies go to Bobby’s wife Frannie and his entire family.

Patrick R. Bulmer passed away Jan. 25 at the age of 65. Pat worked for General Motors for 30 years, retiring in 2006, and resided in Lockport. Pat was an avid outdoorsman and a member of Western New York Chapter 29 Pheasants Forever. Pat loved spending time with his grandchildren. He began registering targets in 1989 and stood at 26.5 yards. During his career, Pat registered 35,725 singles, 8,700 handicap and 10,400 doubles targets. The last time he shot with the ATA was in 2011. Our deepest sympathies go to Pat’s wife Debra and his entire family.

Robert L. Moore, age 87, passed away Jan. 27 at his home. Bob retired from Dansville Chrysler Plymouth as head mechanic. He was a member and past president of the Perkinsville R&GC and the Springwater R&GC. Bob enjoyed teaching children gun safety and how to shoot. He enjoyed trapshooting, hunting, fishing and sitting on his back deck watching the birds. Bob began registering targets with the ATA in 1975 and stood on the 20-yard line. During his career, he registered 43,350 singles, 18,800 handicap and 6,500 doubles targets. Bob registered his last targets with the ATA in 2007. Our deepest sympathies go to his loving companion, Sandi Wheaton, his children Steve and Cindy, and his entire family.

Michael J. Daskavitz passed away Jan. 28 in his hometown of Lockport. Mike was 81. He served in the National Guard and worked at Harrison Radiator Division of General Motors, where he was an engineer. Mike retired in 1998 after 36 years. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and trapshooting. Mike was married to his high school sweetheart, Dorothy, for 57 years. He was predeceased by her on May 14, 2020. Mike began registering targets in 1999 and stood on the 20-yard line. During his career, he registered 57,725 singles, 33,000 handicap and 23,550 doubles targets. The last year Mike registered targets was 2019. Our deepest sympathies go to his children Jon, Mark and Donna and his entire family.

All of these fine gentlemen will be missed.

The board of directors of the New York State ATA plan on having work parties at the homegrounds in Cicero to make improvements to the grounds. Please follow our webpage www.nysata.com and our Facebook page for announcements on when the work parties will be. If you can help, even for a little bit, it will be greatly appreciated. You can contact either New York State ATA president Jim Wright, western zone vice president Larry Daigler, or central zone vice president Joe Macewicz. Thanks.

Remember that we have three shoots this year at the homegrounds in Cicero. First up will be the Empire Grand American May 19-23. The New York State Shoot will be July 6-11. Finally the Northeastern Grand American will be Sept. 14-19. We all hope you plan to attend.

If anyone would like to have something written in one of these articles, please contact me at [email protected] or 585-519-9543. Please stay healthy, safe and in good spirits. Please be strong. May God bless you all.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada.

In my February article, I explained how I came about choosing the logo for our 2021 Grand American pin, crest, etc. In this monthly article I have reproduced the logo and also a picture of Griggsy. You can see how Trevor Kuhn masterfully created this logo by using Griggsy’s likeness. Trevor is from Alberta, Canada, and has done many of the Grand American logos for Past Presidents, including Wayne Morris, Terry Dean, Jim Jones, Allan Radway and perhaps others. A huge thank you to Trevor.

Griggsy, our Australian Shepherd, was born and raised at the Griggs cattle ranch near Sparta, IL, and was part of a cattle herding family. We picked her up during the Grand in 2012, and she has been such a loyal and loving member of our family. I have owned many dogs over the years but have never experienced one with such intelligence.

She loved traveling, always alert and engaged, watching everything and reacting when she saw other animals. During the darkest days of COVID, Griggsy’s energy, friendliness and personality helped us all cope with the many challenges. At gun clubs she couldn’t wait to greet her many friends (in exchange for petting), but she followed me everywhere. People often commented that even when I was shooting, she kept an eye on me constantly. She became my shadow.

We could hardly wait to have travel restrictions lifted so Griggsy could accompany us on shooting trips. She has always been a great ambassador of our sport—loving everyone and, in turn, being loved by all she interacted with. She became almost a fixture in the New York State classification office.

But instead of celebrating Griggsy’s return to join her many human and canine friends later this year at tournaments, her image will be a memorial tribute. Griggsy died on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, of apparent cancer complications. She had developed a shallow cough, which we thought may have been a small bone lodged in her throat. X-rays were done, and on Jan. 30 the vet informed us that the radiologist identified a three-centimeter tumor on her lung that he diagnosed as cancer. For the most part, she was her usual self, attended the office with me on the following Monday and again on Tuesday, Feb. 2, but when we left to go home, she followed me to the truck very slowly, and for the first time ever, struggled to get in and out of the vehicle. At home she wouldn’t eat but did drink some water. She got drastically weaker and weaker. I called a fellow trapshooter, Bert Blackburn (a retired veterinarian), who had me do a couple of tests on her and suggested that she was probably bleeding internally, and we should get her to an emergency vet clinic immediately. Barrie, ON, was the closest and provided 24-hour care. It was an hour trip. We never made it. Griggsy died en route, but she passed knowing she was with her family who loved her. Had we made it to the clinic before she died, she would have had to go into the clinic unaccompanied by us because of COVID restrictions. She would have been with strangers, afraid, and she was probably full of cancer in other areas of her body.

For those who have lost cherished pets, you have our empathy. They are so much part of the family that their departure leaves a void that will never be filled.

Time will help, I suppose. In spite of our grief, we are gratified that God blessed us with this little creature for eight-and-a-half years. Dennis Hart (New York state official) texted to tell me that when he loses a dog, he says, “God needed a great dog in heaven.”

Sorry for all my painful ramblings here, but now you know that Griggsy’s hopes to reunite with her shooting friends has been postponed.

Paul Shaw

ATA Eastern Zone Vice President

Pennsylvania

Welcome to spring! With a little luck, the sun is shining, the snow is gone, and our trapfields are full. We had two shooters get an early jump on the nice weather when they attended the Spring Grand in Tucson, AZ, recently. Frank Pascoe enjoyed the Southwest weather by winning 10 trophies, including Preliminary HAA and HOA as well as category HOA titles. Also getting in some sun was Chris Vendel, who carted home five wins of his own, including Preliminary Handicap runnerup and category HAA. Nice shooting, gentlemen, and thanks for bringing some warmer temperatures back with you.

I want to give a short update on the status of the Northeast Shooting Complex and the recently announced grant that was awarded to the PSSA. I get asked regularly as to what the plans are with the million-dollar grant and when improvements and sporting clays are going to take place. The simple answer is, as soon as feasibly and fiscally possible. One of the misconceptions with the grant is that most shooters assume the PSSA was cut a check for a large sum, and everything should be moving immediately. That would be wonderful; however, state funding never works that way. The grant will be used for improvements to the current facility as well as to get the sporting clays range developed. But the process is time consuming, subject to state approval for each aspect, and most importantly is a reimbursement for the costs incurred. In short, each step that is taken must be reviewed and approved by the state. Once approved, the PSSA must pay for the improvements/construction, which in turn, is reimbursed through the grant after completion.

As many of you already now, the PSSA is having an annual fundraising ticket sale. Proceeds from the sale of these tickets will go 100% to improvements to the current facility. We have some aging infrastructure that is in need of updating and/or replacement, such as roads, water/sewer and electric. This is a basis to start the process in coordination with the grant. Every little bit helps, so please consider participating in events and programs that will help benefit your PSSA homegrounds. The members of the executive committee and the delegates are more than happy to answer any questions you may have.

If you haven’t been to the PSSA website lately, you’re in for a treat. Ian Fleming has put in countless hours to upgrade our website and make it more user-friendly. The site is easy to navigate, and more items will be added in the future. Our Facebook page continues to be the source of immediate information and is handled by Jeff Graupp. Between these two individuals, news and information can be coordinated to keep our shooters in the know. Thank you both for the continuing efforts to keep our shooters informed.

Steve Ross

ATA Alternate Delegate

Alabama

COVID-19, flu, rain, snow and the lack of ammunition has slowed down some of the trapshooting, but there are a lot of trapshooters out there who are still shooting. Get out there and support your local club.

I want to congratulate John White for making the open second team for the fifth straight time. Good shooting, John! To see the complete list, check out your Trap & Field October 2020 issue.

Read the Rulebook. Read the Rulebook. Read the Rulebook.

Please keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers. Without the men and women of our armed forces protecting this country, we would not be able to enjoy this great sport. When you see a soldier, thank them for their service.

I can be reached at [email protected].

Wayne Sartwell

ATA Delegate

 

Kentucky

If there was ever a good time to go to Tucson in February, it was this year. Those of us who were unable or so inclined to go had to endure the Lord’s Deep Freeze in Kentucky. Kentuckians endured record low temperatures for at least four days straight, along with significant snowfall. However, there were some who did brave the slick roads and terrible weather to attend the 2021 Spring Grand American and were blessed with good weather and many smoked targets. Those included Doug and Linda Cox, Henry and Reid Winn, Bob Carver, Mitch Morris and Aaron Willoughby.

Aaron shot a pair of 97s in the last two handicaps and a 196 in the Singles Championship. Mitch Morris won B class in the Singles Championship as well as his yardage group in the prelim handicap with an impressive 96. Not sure who won what the rest of the week, but all shot really well, and I am sure brought back much hardware to Kentucky.

Now that the weather has broken, get your guns out and start looking for shoots. It will be time for state and Zone shoots before you know it. As always, if you have news you want to share with our fellow trapshooters, e-mail me at [email protected] or call 270-227-2262. I hope to see most of you on the trapline soon. Until then, stay safe, healthy and wise.

Vernon R. Anderson

KTL Board Member

South Carolina

As this is written (late February), we are seeing the first signs of spring; 70º yesterday. One more nice day today then back to winter. I posted a picture on Facebook last week of an ugly day, 39º and a thunderstorm. Terry Dean out of Kentucky offered to trade his 26º and six inches of snow. I had to pass. Guess I’m whining because with the rains and COVID-19, we aren’t getting in much shooting. The good part is that by the time you read this, spring will be here full bore.

Super congratulations to Jaycee Beckham, Trap & Field women’s Rookie of the Year! Jaycee ran her first 100 at our state shoot and another at our Hall of Fame Shoot. She is on our state team as a junior. She has several other titles in AIM and the other youth shooting groups. Way to go, Jaycee; keep it up.

Next issue will have results of our Hall of Fame Shoot. This year’s inductee is Randy Knight. Congratulate him when you see him. We moved the Hall of Fame Shoot to mid April to get away from the cluster of summer shoots. The April shoot has spring shower worries but is ahead of hurricane season.

Most of you know that Doug Stenback had heart surgery for a valve replacement. I haven’t put anything in this column until all is well. The good news is he’s back shooting, thanks to good doctors and your prayers.

I hope to see you at the Georgia State Shoot in late April and at our state shoot the middle of May. We’re back on schedule and will have our fish fry.

Jim Faber

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

Hopefully by now, the ammunition manufacturers have caught up with demand and traploads are readily available. Most local clubs usually start scheduling their monthly shoots in March or April, and this year is no exception.

The 42nd annual Southwestern Satellite Grand at the National SC in San Antonio, TX, is April 6-11.

If you would rather travel east, the Mike Seitz Memorial is April 14-18 at Hog Heaven GC in White Pine, TN.

If you want to travel south, the Georgia State Shoot is April 29-May 2 at South River GC in Covington.

It is time to start booking motel rooms or campsites for whichever shoots you plan on attending this summer.

The Tennessee State AIM Shoot: Tuesday and Wednesday, June 15-16, followed by the state shoot, June 17-20 at the Tennessee CTC in Nashville.

The ATA Southern Zone Shoot is July 15-18 in Berea, KY; Bostic, NC; and the Silver Dollar in Odessa, FL.

AIM National Championships is July 30-Aug. 3, WSRC, Sparta, IL.

The 122nd Grand American World Championships, Aug. 4-14, WSRC, Sparta, IL.

Hopefully all of these shoots are able to be held this year. But as the dates get closer, check with the clubs to be certain.

Read the new Rulebook please. If you don’t have a copy, get on the ATA website, and you can see all 103 pages.

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

Billy Cook

ATA Southern Zone Vice President