Around The ATA – June 2023
Around the ATA
Information for Around the ATA is provided to TRAP & FIELD by state and provincial ATA Delegates and/or their designated representatives.
Shooters and local officials: Please inform your ATA Delegate of news about shooters and clubs in your area.
Illinois
Hi, everyone. I have to begin with some sad news. Three Illinois shooters have passed in the last few weeks. Steve Cameron, Gary Bridgewater and Murl Peradotti are no longer with us. All three were good men and great shots. Gary and Steve won state championships back in the day. It bothers me when we lose guys like this. If my shooting career is a mosaic picture, these gentlemen are stones that have fallen off the picture and start to diminish it.
I’m excited to tell you about a club I shot at for the first time a few weeks ago. Round Grove SC has been at its location since 1950. It is just a few miles off Route 70 at the Martinsville exit. It has two fields that are clean and well run by volunteer labor. The whole place is handicap accessible. You shoot into a pine tree background over a slough of a lake. I really enjoyed myself there because of the friendly, relaxing atmosphere at the club. If you are looking for somewhere to shoot, check them out; you will not regret it.
The reason I was invited to shoot at Round Grove was that two shooters, Avery Curry and Marc Granrath, two good friends, both shot their 100,000th singles target on the same squad. I was thrilled to be there and congratulate them. The following shooters are close to Milestones, and I’m sure will have reached them by the time you read this: Richard Epley, 25,000 handicap; Granrath, 25,000 doubles; and Sue Staker, 50,000 handicap targets.
How about we bring a little fun back into trapshooting? Most ATA shooters do not shoot all three events at a trapshoot. There is a lot of downtime when they could be shooting if there was something fun to shoot. At a large tournament, take the bank that no one wants to shoot and have fun side events. Throw a 50-bird, non-registered pump gun, SxS or sub-gauge event. Have a Lewis class or a purse of some variety. A small club could throw a 50-bird derby on Saturday with purses and a potluck. Sporting clays did this, and it became so popular that these events are now being registered. I think you would find a lot of shooters doing this if it was available.
I want to give you an update on the Hall of Fame. I naively thought that putting together a legal contract, so we could build, would be a simple, quick process. Boy, was I wrong. Surveyors and lawyers move glacially slow in Macoupin County. I just got the contract signed two days ago, as I write this. This has shortened construction time, so we will not have a building up by the state shoot. We will have the concrete pad poured, so you can see the dimensions of the building. Construction of the building will take place after the state shoot. I’m sorry about this, but it’s the best we could get done.
I need to take a moment to thank the Mohr family for their generosity to the ISTA with the terms of the contract. We are leasing the land for 99 years at $1 per year. If they ever sell the land, we get our full construction costs back after the sale. When you see the Mohrs, be sure to thank them.
By the time you read this, the Illinois State Shoot will be upon us. I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the shoot. Good luck there and at any other shoots where you compete this season.
Bill Duncan
ATA Delegate
Indiana
Greetings, Indiana shooters!
It is tough to believe it is June already. By the time you’re reading this, the ITA zone shoots will have concluded, and hopefully all three shoots had fantastic weather. I will have the results in next month’s article. A big thanks goes out to everyone involved at Vincennes GC, Roachdale GC and St. Joe Valley CC for being such gracious hosts this year.
I look forward to seeing everyone at the 129th Indiana State Trapshooting Championships July 18-23. The ITA Board of Directors and countless volunteers have been hard at work to make sure this year’s shoot is a success and enjoyed by all. There have been many improvements and projects at Indiana GC this year. Our new, much needed, public address system should be up and running, and the ITA office has been expanded and remodeled. Make sure to check out the Indiana State Shoot program as soon as it’s available for everything going on besides the normal events, including our second annual cornhole tourney, all the great events and offers from the ITA Spectator Experience, and out always popular miss & out event. I have even heard talk about throwing a 50-bird, non-registered special event one evening under the lights . . . stay tuned for details about that!
Hopefully many of you have made plans to attend the ATA Central Zone shoot July 28-20. There are nine host clubs in the Central Zone, including Indiana’s very own Evansville GC. This is always a great shoot and great time at a fantastic club.
Be sure to check out our website, indianatrap.com, for updates on registered shoots going on around the state.
Don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything or would like to have anything included in this article for Indiana. My e-mail is [email protected].
Jason Barnett
ATA Central Zone VicePresident
Iowa
Hello, Iowa trapshooters! Its good to see everyone out and enjoying the good weather and spending time with old friends and meeting new ones, all while enjoying their favorite sport, trapshooting!
I was talking to Kenny at the Ottumwa Ike’s the other day, and he wants to invite everyone to their monthly shoots this year, held the first Sunday of the month, now through October. Also be sure to make plans to attend their 61st annual Honor Shoot next month, July 2. This year’s honoree is someone I’m sure you all know and have seen many times over the years, Del Skroh. Del shoots many places and can regularly be found at his home club, High Lakes GC in Afton. Come on out and congratulate Del and enjoy a great day of trapshooting at the Ottumwa Ike’s in Ottumwa.
Our Iowa State Shoot is just around the corner, and the directors and staff have a great shoot planned for you this year. This year’s shoot has a $10,000 handicap jackpot, so be sure to check it out in the program. Our Iowa AIM State Championship will be held on one day this year, July 18, and I am looking forward to seeing all our youth contestants on this great day of competition.
If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. Until next month, stay safe, and I’ll see you on the range.
Steve Glasgow
ATA Delegate
Minnesota
Greetings from the North Star State. Okay, so you are tired of hearing about the weather in Minnesota. You can skip over the next few lines and start reading again in the second paragraph because we have had a really, really long winter in most of the state. The latest, and hopefully the last, snowstorm of the season occurred April 20 and 21 and closed schools and delayed the start of school in many places. Most of the northern third of the state received about eight inches. Enough, already. Needless to say, it has raised havoc with our spring high school shooting season.
When you receive this story in your June Trap & Field, many of you will be getting ready to go to Owatonna for the first big Minnesota shoot of the summer. The shoot is no longer called the Cabela’s Shoot, as they have chosen to end their sponsorship. As an auxiliary board member at the club, I suggested that an appropriate new name for the shoot would be the Spring into Summer Shoot since spring may very well have sprung by then, and summer is only 10 days away from the conclusion of the shoot. Whatever the name, the Owatonna GC promises to roll out the welcome mat for all shooters and their families. The usual Saturday pork loin supper will be served to all. If you still need a camping spot, check with Jay at 507-383-1655 or with me at 507-456-2000.
The weekend following the Owatonna shoot, the Minnesota zone shoots will take place. The northern zone will be held at Del-Tone in St. Cloud June 17-18, the central zone will be a one-day shoot in Forest Lake beginning June 17 with the 18th reserved as a rain day, and the southern zone will be held in Fairmont on the 17th and 18th. If you have not received your program by the time you see this, you can get the information you need on the MTA website.
The state shoot is July 4-9 at the Shooting Park in Alexandria. Shooters are reminded that this year the Youth Day will be July 4. Marathon targets will also be thrown that day for anyone who would like to shoot or needs targets to avoid penalty. Camping fees were due May 1, but there may be some open spots if you still need a spot. Contact Cindy Townsend at the club.
The Hall of Fame Banquet will be held on Friday, July 7 at the Shooting Park. The event will be catered, and tickets will be $30 per person. The caterers will need a count by July 5, so if you want to attend, make plans to purchase a ticket early in the week. This year’s inductees are John Berning and Curt Peterson.
The Minnesota State Shoot raffle is being held again this year. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased from any MTA director. Five firearms will be given away, and you do not need to be present to win.
The entire state shoot program is now on the MTA website.
Minnesota had three shooters win trophies at the Florida State Shoot at the Silver Dollar in Odessa, and they were all multiple winners. Abigail Malecha won two junior awards, while Glen Lonneman swept the non-resident sub-vet doubles awards as well as the sub-vet HOA. George Pappas won both the HOA and HAA for non-resident veterans, and his 98 led the entire field in the Event 9 handicap. Congratulations to all.
On a sad note, longtime Minnesota shooter Dennis Vlasak passed away at his home in Shieldsville April 15. Our deepest sympathy to Jason and the rest of the family. Look for Denny’s complete obituary in a future issue of Trap & Field.
Paul T. Cyr
For ATA Delegate Randall Jones
Ohio
With the Mid-American and the Ohio zone shoots in the books, it’s time to look forward to the Ohio State Shoot. Congratulations to everyone who took home trophies at the Mid-American at Middletown SC. The weather was a little bit on the nasty side with a little wind and rain. It is always a great way to kick off the season with good friends and a well-run shoot.
Congratulations to everyone who made their respective zone team at the zone shoot. I’m looking forward to the friendly zone competition at the state shoot. While attending the state shoot, please remember to visit all the sponsor vendors that help make the Ohio State Shoot one of the best in the country. As a lot of you know, there is no more shot curtain at the Cardinal Center. The strong storms in the winter and spring took its toll on it. I would like to take a minute and thank the staff at the Cardinal Center and the board of directors for all their hard work to make it all happen. Everyone, shoot well, and we will see you on the road.
Mike Blair
ATA Delegate
Wisconsin
Lately I have been seeing too many of our fellow shooters completing their careers. I am saddened to say that Darel Kohn Jr., a friend of mine, completed his career. He was a staple at Tucson T&SC. With so many shooters from Wisconsin attending the shoots in Tucson, I wanted to pass on my condolences to the family of Darel. You will be missed there.
Wisconsin pre-squad is loaded. With so many trapshooters wanting to shoot at our state shoot, we are blessed to have so many who want to travel and enjoy what we have to offer. From reading our state board minutes, it looks like there is not enough help to make the shoot run smoothly. If you or a spouse or friend want to work at the shoot, please let our state know. Last year I shot then I scored, then I passed the pencil onto the next squad. All five shooters from other states wanted to score. That tells you that we are all in this together.
Wisconsin clubs have been open all winter. Some days the weather was absolutely miserable. One of those days was at the Blair SC. The traphouses are set on top of a hill, and the view is very beautiful looking at rolling hills for miles. But on top of the hill the view might be awesome along with the weather conditions that rolled in that day. With 100 targets to be shot, the weather for the squad I was on got worse after each shot. We were on our last post, and I waited for Don Wagner to shoot his last target for me to take a photo of the squadmates. Look at the photo and tell us, “You all are nuts.” Along with the snow, the wind blew the snow sideways. Did we have fun? Heck yes, heck no, heck yes because that is what we do in Wisconsin.
Looking through shootscoreboard.com, I did not find any shoots to report about our Wisconsin shooters attending.
It is June now, and clubs are in full swing all over the state. Possibly you would like to report something to me that would be worth reading by our state shooters. E-mail me at [email protected].
Remember to help at your local club. There is so much more that you can do there besides shoot at clay targets.
Have a wonderful, safe summer of trapshooting. Keep smiling because I am.
Sandra Jo Jack
For ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring
Atlantic Provinces
Hello from the Atlantic Provinces.
Anyone attending this year’s Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot at the Highland GC in Yarmouth, NS, should note a program change. This year’s shoot is a four-day, 800-target competition and starts a day earlier than normal. The change was made to ensure we finish shooting all events in a timely manner over the club’s three program traps. This year’s shoot begins on Thursday, Aug. 31 and wraps up on Sunday, Sept. 3 after the Handicap Championship. The Highland GC will open on Wednesday, Aug. 30 for the Sponsor’s Challenge Shoot, and registration will also be available for all events. A shoot program with the hotel rate and ammunition ordering information is available on www.shootatlantic.com.
Good luck to all shooters attending the Canadian Trapshooting Championships later this month at the Brandon GC in Brandon, MB, June 29-July 2. The club is also hosting a doubles marathon June 28 and will have registration open for the shoot. Complete shoot details and a shoot program is available on www.shootcanada.ca.
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
New Jersey
Well, we made it to June here in the Garden State. The 2023 New Jersey State Shoot just finished on the 4th of this month. Hopefully you were able to make the drive down to the Pine Belt facility in Shamong to compete or just to see old friends.
Pine Belt held their marathons in the beginning of April; Mother Nature had other ideas for shooting on Saturday, the 1st, with heavy rains in the area, so the 500-bird singles marathon was pushed back to April 2. Robert Jarvis led the way in the singles marathon. The 250-pair doubles marathon was led by Marc Invidiato on April 15, and Thomas Richards led the 300-bird handicap marathon April 16.
Pine Valley had their annual Quarter Grand April 15-16. Scott Kalnas was near perfection with 199. Robert Hofman led veterans; Robert Kappe, senior veteran; Greg Menshoff, A; Vincent Barranco, B; Gilbert Pleczynski, D. Sunday’s singles was again won by Kalnas; Ray Grab, B; David Cossaboon, C; and Steven Quinn, D. The doubles was led by Kalnas; second, Zac Wojnar; third, Dan Biggs; fourth, Vince Barranco; and fifth, John Cavalli. The handicap was won by Dave Cossaboon; veteran, Robert Hofman; senior veteran, Steven Quinn; ladies’, Elizabeth Carson; 26-27, Kalnas; 24-25, Barranco; 22-23, Ed Polini; and 19-21, Steven Ligato.
Pine Valley held their ninth annual Youth Shoot April 22. The Fredrick Stars & Stripes Team won the first-place team category, the Lower Providence Team came in second, and the Lehigh Valley Scholastic Team came in third. The singles event was won by Iver Gustafson II, handicap was won by Cole Cervantes, and Gustafson won the doubles too. Joseph Breck IV won the HAA trophy. The entire list of winners will appear in a future issue.
The shooting season here in the Middle Atlantic States will be giving you places to shoot each weekend until the end of the 2023 target year. The Pennsylvania State Shoot main competition starts Wednesday, June 14 and goes through Sunday, Father’s Day, the 18th. It is then onto the Maryland State Shoot, which is June 21-25 at the Thurmont homegrounds. It is then back to Elysburg for the Pennsylvania Grand.
Remember to mark your calendar; we have the NJSTA-sponsored Garden State Grand July 14-16 at the Pine Belt facility in Shamong. That is followed by the ATA Eastern Zone Shoot, back at Elysburg, July 20-23.
Robert Jarvis just recently attained 25,000 singles targets, so if you see him congratulate him!
On a sad note, Rocco DiPaolo passed away a few months ago; he was 80 years old. Recently he had been living in Old Bridge. He originally grew up in Newark NJ, where his family ran a bakery. He was an avid pigeon shooter here in the United States and in Europe. He would travel with his close friend John Tirelli. Rocco joined the ATA back in 1968. During his career, Rocco registered 25,575 singles, 20,650 handicap and 13,800 doubles targets.
Joe Sissano
ATA Delegate
New York
Hello from the New York State. I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe and healthy. Now that the warmer weather is here, I hope everyone is out shooting plenty of registered targets.
I am sorry to say the I have learned of the passing of the wife of New York State ATA Hall of Fame member Mike Mincel. Mike’s wife passed away this past winter in Florida. The officers and board of directors of the New York State ATA would like to express our deepest condolences to Mike and his entire family on the passing of his wife.
Some target achievements to report. Joe Morsch has registered his 25,000th doubles target. Eddie Cotton now has a combined total of 100,000 registered targets. Also Salvatore Barone registered a combined total of 100,000 targets. Good going and keep it up!
As I write this article, the 50th New York state eastern zone shoot will be held as a telephonic shoot at Whortlekill GC and Peconic River SC April 29-30. Once I receive the results, I will pass them along to you in another article.
The 50th New York state central zone shoot will be held June 10-11 at Toad Harbor GC. The events will be 200 singles on Saturday and 50 pair of doubles and 100 handicap on Sunday. We hope you all plan to attend.
The 50th New York state western zone shoot will be held June 17-18 at Hamburg R&GC. Once again the events will be 200 singles on Saturday and 50 pair of doubles and 100 handicap on Sunday. We hope you all plan to attend.
Please remember that the 162nd New York State Shoot will be held at the homegrounds in Cicero July 5-9. For your information, the state shoot has been reduced from a six-day event to a five-day event.
If anyone is interested in becoming a gunsmith, it has been posted on the ATA website www.shootata.com that a scholarship is being offered for anyone interested. The amount of money is $2,500. Details about the scholarship and the application are on the website. The application must be postmarked by July 1.
If anyone would like to have something written in one of these articles, please contact me at [email protected] or phone me at 585-519-9543. Please stay healthy, safe and in good spirits. May God bless you all.
Dave Cichelli
ATA Delegate
Alabama
The weather here in Alabama is getting just right to get out and support your local gun club.
As you read this article, Alabama has completed the state shoot, and results can be reviewed online. A complete write-up will be in a future issue of Trap & Field Magazine.
If possible, do a little bit of traveling and go visit and shoot at other clubs. Every club offers a different background.
The ATA Southern Zone Shoot will be July 21-23 at Coast R&PC in Biloxi, MS, Silver Dollar in Florida, and Berea in Kentucky. I hope everyone can make it to one of these sites to do some fine shooting.
Read the rulebook!
Joke of the month: Here are some more signs from around the country.
“My stomach is flat; the “L” is just silent.”
“Why am I the only naked person at this gender reveal party?”
“If you want to impress me with your car, it better be a food truck.”
“Commas are important:
No more tequila . . . no, more tequila.”
Word of the month: Comin’ up a cloud: An approaching storm. “Stay close to the house. It’s comin’ up a cloud.”
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 him or her for their service.
If you need my help or have any news to report, contact me at [email protected].
Wayne Sartwell
ATA Delegate
Florida
Hello all from the most Southern, Northern State!
Florida trapshooting is in full swing, and there are just too many shoots for me to post who did what. Please refer to Gun Club Scores in this issue or shootscoreboard.com.
Recently I have been asked, “How can I make it into the Trap & Field Magazine?” Good question. A few ways come to mind, with the first being you or your gun club representative contacting me about your outstanding achievement. Another is by ATA recognition. For example, shooting your first straight or making AA or AAA or the 27-yard line status!
Shout-outs and congratulations
Congratulations to the following folks for their monumental milestones in registering targets: Mark Zauhar, 500,000 combined; Ralph Bennett, 100,000 combined; Bill Bezubiak, 100,000 doubles; Gary Rickard, 100,000 combined; Dan Brandreth, 25,000 handicap; and Howard Dailey, 25,000 singles. Great accomplishments!
It was the best of times It was the worst of times . . . literally! Thanks for all who participated at the Southern Grand and the Florida State Shoot. As I said, “It was the best of times!” I always get anxious and excited when March comes around because I know the big shoots are here. This year was no different. The weather and the turnout were great. The Florida state shoot attendance exceeded last year by 400+ entries (2022-2,610, 2023-3,017). This year the young guns for Florida were on their game and shot the top three scores on Saturday’s championship singles (Hector Rangel, 199; Dax DeMena,197; and Matt DeBord, 196). But the old folks got ’er done in handicap (Bill Bezubiak, 97; James Price and Charles Fleming, 95). Doubles were mixed in ages with the older guy (Lewis Knack, and not-so-old Matt Trammell tying with 97s and the young guy DeBord with 95). Again, great job!
“It was the worst of times” . . . well, not really, but could have been if not for the unselfish help that was provided by our members. You know who I am talking about. Thanks all you guys for helping with classifying, handing out trophies, helping as referees, scoring, helping with the weenies on Saturday and Sunday and in general. Good job!
Of course we have to thank Silver Dollar for all of their long, long hours of making this a successful shoot. I would like to give names in particular, but I can’t risk leaving someone out. So again, thanks, all!
For shooters who constantly decline handicap reductions, did you know you can ask your Delegate to have a Code D added to your file, which freezes reductions for a year?
ATA Rule of the Month, By-Laws
ARTICLE III, Section 3: Annual Members (b) A membership as an Annual Member shall be evidenced by a membership card, the form of which shall be determined by the Board of Directors or Executive Committee. Annual memberships are effective on the date the application is completed and membership fee paid. Intentionally falsifying information on the membership application will render it void. (See ARTICLE IV, Section 1: Elections). An Annual Member shall not be qualified to cast a ballot for a State or Provincial Delegate or Alternate Delegates until properly qualified in accordance with these By-Laws.
I will try to keep all of you informed and entertained with what’s going on in Florida. I want to especially recognize shooters and clubs.
My e-mail is [email protected].
Mike Reynolds
ATA Delegate
South Carolina
A much better report this month. Let’s start with the achievement report. Roger Smith has reached 75,000 singles, and Dave Laliberte has reached 100,000 total targets. Now that the shooting season is wide open, we should have more achievement listings.
Our Hall of Fame Shoot started out under rainy skies but finished in bright sunshine. Congrats to Gary Ferguson for his induction, well earned. Great attendance, especially with the rainy start. On the downside, there was a bug, either food or airborne, that caused serious intestinal problems. More than 30 people, including myself, were affected. Real bummer.
Next years’ inductee will be Milon Campbell. Congratulate him when you see him. Milon was also elected president of Spartanburg GC. Again, congratulations are in order. Also help Milon out; offer your services around the club. Most all of our clubs operate on volunteer help.
We’ve had a wet spring. Greenville had to cancel five of their Big 50 shoots. Mid Carolina got affected as well. The North Carolina Hall of Fame Shoot had some rain on Saturday. It’s tough to get out in the rain to shoot. I have made up my mind that I’ll only intentionally shoot in the rain at my own state shoot. Maybe a sign of old age or intelligence?
As I write this, Georgia State Shoot is going on. I hope a lot of trophies come back to South Carolina. Our state shoot will be history by the time you read this. I’m hoping for good weather. Getting to the ATA Southern Zone Shoot will be more difficult for SC shooters this year, as the North Carolina homegrounds will not be part of the telephonic system. Kentucky will be the closest.
Shoot well, and shoot often.
Jim Faber
ATA Delegate
Tennessee
The Southern Zone has four state shoots in June. Alabama is June 1-4 at Mathews. North Carolina is June 7-11 at Bostic. Tennessee will have the AIM Championship June 13-14, followed by the Tennessee State Shoot June 15-18 at Nashville. Pre-squad is available for free April 11-June 14. Dinner on the grounds Saturday evening is compliments of TSTA. West Virginia is June 28-July 2 at Virginia Homegrounds-Winchester GC, Stephenson.
Don’t forget the 76th ATA Southern Zone Shoot is July 21-23 at Berea, KY; Silver Dollar at Odessa, FL; and Coast R&PC at Biloxi, MS.
The 124th Grand American Trapshoot is Aug. 2-12 at Sparta, IL.
The 25th Dixie Grand American is Sept. 26-Oct. 1 at Bostic, NC.
Hopefully I will see you in Nashville.
Read the rulebook, please.
For more info, visit our website at shootatatn.com.
You can reach me at bcook27@shootata.
Billy Cook
ATA Southern Zone Vice President
Missouri
Well, the shooting season is pretty much underway, with most of the clubs in Missouri having had at least one registered shoot by now. I can’t say that the weather hasn’t cooperated very well, but, hey, it’s an outdoor sport! The MTA Gun Club at Linn Creek hosted the first all-zone shoot April 15-16, with 185 shooters attending at least one event in some cool windy conditions. Missouri is split into three zones, eastern, central and western, and in the past held their shoot at a club in their respective zone. The decision was made this year by the MTA board to host one shoot for all zones, which seemed to be a success. Each zone shot for their own trophies, which were belt buckles to the zone winners. The zone winners of high gun and A through D classes in the Singles Championship from each zone compete during the Singles Championship at the state shoot for the honor of zone team champions. Doing the same thing every year and expecting a different outcome doesn’t work anymore. Sometimes you have to try something different to see if it will increase participation or hurt it. The MTA board will review this shoot strategy and decide about next year sometime in the near future.
The annual Paul Larsen Memorial High School shoot was held at MTA April 29, with 927 high school aged shooters attending from around the state. All shot 100 singles targets in the not quite as cool but windy conditions. Did I mention that we have had a lot of windy conditions here in Missouri this year? Oh well, as I have been reminded and said before, it’s an outdoor sport. I watch these young shooters, as I travel the line, while they are shooting, and they don’t seem to care about the weather conditions. They just want to bust some clays. My hat’s off to all of the coaches and parents who devote time and resources to organize practices and get the shooters to shoots. This shoot always precedes the Missouri State Shoot and gives the MTA staff a chance to get ready for the upcoming larger week-long shoot.
As usual, if anyone has anything they would like to have reported or has any concerns, please contact me at [email protected] or 816-863-9003. Proverbs 16:9—A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps. 2 Corinthians 5:7—For we walk by faith, not by sight.
Shoot often, shoot well and be safe!
Stephen Ricketts
ATA Delegate
New Mexico
There are friends and there are families. Then there are friends that become family. It is called the “trap family.” There are crazy ones, misfits, rebels, troublemakers, jokers, and the list goes on. Regardless, we laugh, smile, banter, congratulate, tease, encourage, inspire, teach, motivate and sometimes cry (mostly at the stupid straightaway . . . lost).
April 15 and 16 we all came together to promote a new club in Clovis, NM. Clovis Wingshooting Complex hosted its first ATA registered shoot. Many shooters turned out, and we all had a wonderful time, thanks to all the help and participants to make this shoot happen.
Congrats go out to the winners. April 15 singles winners were: Billy Healy, high gun, 93; Madyson McFarland, junior, 94; Chantry Stermer, Lady I, 88; Gary Sherrod, veteran, 93; Greyson Bollinger, A, 94; Jordan Hisel, B, 93; Ross Kohler, C, 90; and Kohen Hudman, D, 85. Handicap winners were: Bryce Merrill, high gun, 88; Angelo Scoili, 19-21, 87; Enrique Jackson, 22-24, 84; and Sherrod, 25-27, 86. Double winners were: Healy, high gun, 90; Bollinger, junior, 89; Samantha Rainsdon, Lady I, 83; Sherrod, veteran, 84; Jamie Anderson, AA, 89; Ray Duke, B, 89; Ronald Hieronymus, C, 88; and Hudman, D, 89.
April 16 singles winners were: Healy, Dalton Jennings and Anderson tied for high gun with 100 straight; Merrill, junior, 98; Stermer, Lady I, 92; Jerry Wright, A, 99; Jordan Hisel, B, 97; McFarland, C, 96; and Scioli, D, 96. Handicap winners were: Swayde Campbell, winner, 96; Kimber Beevers, 19-21, 93; Wright, 22-24, 91; and Bollinger, 25-27, 94. Double winners were: Merrill, Bollinger, Dillon Lopez and Campbell tied for high gun; Beevers, junior, 90; Stermer. Lady I, 80; Wright, veteran, 86; Jennings, AA, 92; Randy Burton, A, 87; Duke, B, 82; Hieronymus, C, 90; Hudman and Scioli tied for D with 84.
Samantha Rainsdon
ATA Delegate
Texas
It seems like I just finished my article for May, and now it’s time to write one for June. The older I get, the faster time goes, and yet there are people who say death slips up on you. The average life expectancy for males in the U.S. is 77.28 years. I’m sure getting closer to that in a hurry.
Texas shooters, we are going to need your help next year at the Texas-Illinois Challenge Shoot. Texas kinda got their butt spanked this year. Part of that was the weather in Waco, but we still need your help. So make your plans to shoot the Texas-Illinois Challenge next year.
Please mark your calendar for these upcoming shoots. The Zone I Shoot will be held at Amarillo GC June 16-18. Amarillo GC will also host the Texas State Shoot July 4-9. Ft. Worth T&SC, along with Amarillo GC, will host the ATA Southwestern Zone July 14-16. Both of these clubs do a great job of hosting shoots. They will be well run, and you will be glad you attended.
More on the Texas State Shoot: There will be in-state and out-of-state trophies. There will be All-American points on 1,300 targets. You can check out the program on the website shoottta.org. There are motels listed in the program that give shooter rates. Hope to see y’all there.
I’ve got one of those never famous “fatman attaboys” to pass out today. Mr. Ronald Todd has now shot 25,000 singles targets (you guessed it, no one let me know if it was dead or lost). Shame on Ron and Patty.
I sure ran out of things to write about in a hurry. I guess I’ll have to talk about the rulebook now. I will do my best to always have some of the newest and greatest rulebooks with me. If you want one, just let me know. The rules are for everyone and should be enforced each time an infraction occurs. It is also your responsibility to know and see that the rules are enforced all the time. If you have a rules question when on the firing line, stop shooting and ask for an official. Don’t fire another shot because then it may be too late. If you have pre-squadded and are not going to use that position, please call and release it. If you receive a yardage reduction because of the 1,000-target review and you don’t plan to accept it, please notify the ATA office. If you would like to have your yardage increased, all you have to do is contact me. That little book that you don’t read says you “must have,” not that you should have, an up-to-date average card. I will be out and about this year doing classification, so take this as your warning.
I wish I had more news, but no one let me know anything again this month. From Texline to Harlingen is 873 miles and from El Paso to Beaumont is 831 miles, and there are things going on in between there. It’s a big state, and I live in the panhandle, which is a long ways from anywhere.
If you have news, please let Princess or me know about it. I might put it in these ramblings. As always, please feel free to call me at 806-679-6889 or e-mail [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
With the closing of gun clubs across the nation due to encroachment, funding, etc., it is nice to be able to report the resurrection of a club and upcoming throwing of registered ATA targets.
I speak of the Mohave SC located in Kingman, AZ. This club last threw registered ATA targets in 2015, but with support of local members and shooters, this club will be hosting the ATA Western Zone Shoot for the state of Arizona this upcoming July. ASTA President Greg Holden and Vice President Steve Bell have been working with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and the current management in order to get the grounds, equipment and facilities up to standards in order to be able to host this shoot as well as become a host for several other shoots throughout the year. With average temperatures being 10+ degrees cooler than Phoenix, this should make for some decent conditions for shooting great scores.
The field currently consists of five trapfields and one skeet field with a second skeet field and 5-stand coming soon. If you are going to be in the area, please keep this club in mind for shooting and look for it on the schedule for upcoming shoots on the ASTA website, www.aztraps.com.
Don Williamson
ATA Delegate
California
The early part of 2023 does not have a lot of big shoots happening in California. We have some of the smaller club shoots as well as a lot of very popular league shoots. That keeps everyone warmed up for the upcoming bigger shoots.
But there are still quite a few shooters heading out of state, and one of the popular places everyone likes to go is Arizona. Not long after the Spring Grand in Arizona comes the Arizona State Shoot, along with some other notable shoots in California. Some stand-outs for California shooters in Arizona are as follows: Event 2, Tucson Handicap, Mackenzie Ludlow, sub-junior, 95. Event 5, Agave Handicap, Ethan Prescott, junior, 97. Event 6, Jumping Cholla Doubles, Ellie Elvarado, Lady I, 94. Event 9, Ocotillo Handicap, Prescott, junior, 94. Event 11, Class Singles Championship, Steven Smith, A, 99; Elvarado, Lady I, 100; David Womack, veteran, 100. Event 12, Preliminary Handicap, Elvarado, Lady I, 92; Prescott, junior, 96. Event 13, Singles Championship, Chayton Vega, non-resident AA, 199; David Womack, non-resident veteran, 199; Michael Silfies, non-resident junior, 199. Event 14, Doubles Championship, Smith, non-resident B, 94. Event 15, Handicap Championship, Johnny Allen, non-resident winner, 98. HAA, Vega, non-resident AA, 385; Allen, non-resident D, 357.
On April 1-2 Kingsburg GC hosts a Win your Targets Shoot for the state shoot. The Event 1 and Event 5 combined winners of each class will receive a certificate for all 16-yard targets at the 2023 state shoot. Event 2 and Event 6 combined winners of each yardage group will receive a certificate for all state shoot handicap targets. Event 3 and Event 4 combined winners of each class will receive a certificate for all state shoot doubles targets. Ladies’, junior and veteran high scores of Events 1-2 and 5-6 combined will receive a certificate for all state shoot singles and handicap targets. HOA on 600 targets high shooter will receive a certificate for all targets for the 2023 state shoot. Winners for targets are as follows: Vega was HOA winner. Other winners were Wade Stanfill, Raegan Huddleston, Bill Vogt, Gavin Blythe, Keith Dodson, Clark Zvonar, Max Workman, Nader Bou Najm and Kyle Farndworth.
On April 22-23 was the Larry Hughes Golden 400 Handicap Memorial Shoot at Santa Maria GC. Jacob Kizirian won the HOA with 358, and Alice Weibe was runnerup after a shootoff with Scott Baker. Other winners were Donnie Curten Jr., Adam Kirchoff, Dennis Craine, Cody Tucker, Ruby Erwin, Butch Phillips, Robert Jeppesen, Brian Neufeld, Scott Baker and Doug Arneson.
Santa Maria threw a lovely shoot and raffled off some beautiful cutting boards, where the proceeds benefited the SMGC kids program.
More great shoots to come in 2023; see you there.
Chayton Vega
ATA Delegate
Idaho
Two articles ago I mentioned Grant Williams and Maggie Blackstead making the ATA All-American Team. I missed recognizing Bruce Bradley, sub-junior first team, and Scott Abo, sub-veteran first team. I apologize to both of them. So all in all, Idaho had four shooters make the team. I sure hope I haven’t missed someone else and have to make another apology!
Western Zone notes: The Western Zone Delegates had their meeting this spring. At that time, our bank balance was $15,944. Remember, this money is for the Western Zone Shoot. (The national ATA portfolio is much larger). So speaking of the Western Zone Shoot, Idaho does not have a gun club hosting this year. If you are interested in attending the Western Zone Shoot, the states and provinces that are hosting are as follows: Alberta (Calgary), Alaska (Chugiak), Arizona (Kingman), California (Kingsburg), Montana (Butte), Nevada (Las Vegas) Oregon (Medford) Utah (Spanish Fork), Washington (Colton) and Wyoming (Cheyenne).
Another topic discussed at the meeting was the rumor (or news) that the Sparta site may go up for sale. If it happens, it won’t be for a number of years. One thing is clear. ATA will not purchase it. It originally cost about $60 million just to construct, and the land was donated. Suffice it to say that we (ATA) don’t have that kind of money sitting around. Just think what our daily ATA fees would be at our normal shoots! This should cause some after-hour conversations at our state shoot. I will definitely give more information then. The ATA President, (aka, my brother that I taught everything there is to know about trapshooting) has guaranteed that the organization will be completely transparent about any news and put pertinent info on their website. Again, Ed assured us that we won’t see any change in the immediate future.
There was a reminder that any clubs interested in throwing Big 50s can get help with pins and buckles, plus ATA grant requests are due July 1. Clubs that are active and conduct ATA shoots can apply for ATA grant monies. To find more information on the Gun Club Fund application, click on Club Resources on the ATA homepage then Supplies, Forms & Resources. Some of these grant monies are raised by the sale of the Kolar Raffle tickets. I have some and anyone can approach me before the Grand to get some.
There wasn’t a whole lot more to talk about from that meeting except Don Williamson is the new Delegate for Arizona and is our Zone treasurer and secretary. Thanks for stepping up, Don.
So here’s a little exit info for Idaho shooters. We have a lot of clubs in the state that throw trap, shoot leagues, etc., but I have no idea how many. We have both private and public clubs, some with just one or two traphouses, and, of course, some with 12. So here’s a question. How many ATA clubs in our state do we have? What is an ATA club? It is one that has been certified by a Delegate, as having legal trapfields and machines. They also have an affidavit on file with the ATA, have an ID number and can register ATA targets. In Idaho we have a number of clubs that have affidavits and are as follows, to the best of my knowledge. Boise, Caldwell, Coeur D’ Alene (new), Cottonwood, Culdesac, Grangeville, Nezperce, Orofino, Pocatello, St. Maries, Troy Deary, Twin Falls, Wallace-Kellogg (recent), and Wood River. Most of these clubs are on our annual calender. Wallace-Kellogg threw their first last year. Couer D’ Alene is working on their first. I believe Saint Maries and Cottonwood have affidavits but havn’t been active for awhile. Rumor has it they are getting back into the business. Let’s support them!
That’s all for now. I’ll see you at our state shoot.
Leonard Wehking
ATA Delegate
Utah
Spring has arrived as far as the calendar goes, yet winter is still here as far as the weather goes.
Purgatory GC held a three-day shoot with a mediocre turnout because of bad weather. Ogden GC’s one-day shoot had a dismal turnout with terrible weather, and near blizzard conditions during the singles event. Spanish Fork GC’s two-day shoot had fair weather but a good turnout. Be sure to check out shootscoreboard.com for all these scores.
A few weeks ago I volunteered at the local gun club to help with a youth shoot on the weekend. This shoot was a USAYESS shoot, not an ATA shoot. There were approximately 350 shooters between the two days. With this many youngsters, the spectrum of talent was very widespread, anywhere from novice to expert. Something I always enjoy seeing at any shoot is when someone breaks 25 straight for the first time. The twinkle in their eyes and their parents’ eyes is priceless. I had one 14-year-old girl who I had given pointers to a few weeks before look me up to tell me of such a feat! She and her parents were beaming.
I have written an article for the May issue of Trap & Field about the Butte Gun Club, Butte, MT. The gist of the article is all about past shoot programs from 1889 until 1933. Past ATA President Jim Jones sent me electronic copies of these programs. I am biased, since I wrote it, but it is well worth the read.
The remainder of this report could fall under one of my favorite categories, “useless trivia.”
I know springtime in the Rockies can be dicey, but this is ridiculous. Cold, rain, sleet, hail, wind, occasional warmth and flooding, akin to 1983.
Forty years ago Utah received record snowfalls. The temps stayed cool until May, then turned hot, creating a perfect storm for flooding.
Many homes and communities sustained significant flooding. Several Salt Lake Valley streams were diverted and were allowed to run down State Street, a central north/south corridor. The street was lined with sandbags, and footbridges were built for pedestrians to cross from one side to the other. Folks were even seen canoeing down State Street. The Great Salt Lake was so full that massive pumps were installed on the west side of the lake, and water was pumped into western salt flats (remnants of Lake Bonneville). The combined pumps could move approximately one million gallons per minute. Now that is a lot of water. This year’s main difference is that the Great Salt Lake is at historic lows. There is no need to turn on the pumps (which are still maintained). However, the flooding of the city may be similar to the past. As we all know, history usually repeats itself. On last night’s news, the lead story was about some homes sliding off steep hillsides due to unstable ground from the moisture content of the soil.
Ed Wehking
ATA President
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