Around The ATA – June 2024

Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces.

The Petitcodiac Sportsman’s Club wrapped up their winter league April 25 with singles, doubles and a steak dinner. League organizer Larry Kinden thanked everyone who participated and also gave a special thanks to Dan Pollock, who cooked a delicious lunch on every league day. Danny Boudreau topped the singles standings with an overall 92.5% average, while Terry LeBlanc led the doubles with 88%. Shooting throughout the winter in eastern Canada certainly has its moments, and all league shooters should be congratulated for their determination in keeping active during the cold winter months.

The Canadian Trapshooting Championships are just around the corner, and pre-squadding is now available on presquad.com. The shoot runs June 26-30 at the Vancouver Gun Club in Richmond, BC. The Canada Cap Challenge is back again this year, thanks to very generous sponsors. The no entry fee purse is a provincial-based competition, where the top five scores from each province in the preliminary handicap are used to form teams. The team with the highest combined score takes home the purse and all bragging rights. And in true Canadian form, no shooter is left out. Provincial shooters from any province with fewer than five in attendance form Team Canada. This year’s purse currently sits at $5,000. Good luck, everyone.

The idea for the Canada Cap Challenge originated with the DVine Trap Range in High Prairie, AB. Club operators, Jesse and Lynn Smith, first proposed the provincial challenge in 2022 and have been the major sponsors of the event every year since. This year’s purse is also sponsored by the British Columbia Trapshooting Association, the Vancouver Gun Club, the Canadian Trapshooting Association. and two very generous local shooters. Thanks to all sponsors.

Visit www.shootcanada.ca for a shoot program and complete details on this year’s Canadian Championships.

Pre-squadding opens June 1 for the Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot being held at the St. John’s Rod & Gun Club Aug. 29-Sept. 1. Please note that this year’s shoot will be a four-day, 800-target competition with a Big 50 shoot Aug. 28. Visit www.shootatlantic.com for a shoot program and details on the shooter hotel rate, ammo ordering info and the complete shoot schedule.

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

Connecticut

Greetings from the Nutmeg State.

At the time of this letter, Hamden Fish & Game will kick off the much anticipated shooting season this weekend here in Connecticut. Please visit the CTA website www.cttrap.com for a list of upcoming shoots. I traveled to Quaker Hill Rod & Gun Club located in Oakdale to certify their trap field. Thank you to wonderful hosts Raymond Scott, David and Suzanne Degregorio and Wayne Ripley. They have a first-rate trap field with a really nice background. Congratulations on celebrating their 75th Anniversary this year. Stay tuned to the Connecticut trapshooters Facebook page and the website for their upcoming events. The Connecticut State Shoot is at Hartford Gun Club June 21-23. It’s going to be a great three-day shoot. No pre-squad? No worries! There will be squads available at the shoot, and I hope to see you there.

Shoot well and shoot often.

Cheryll Pittera

ATA Delegate

New Jersey

Well, it’s April 25, and the weather this past weekend was sunny and in the 70s on Saturday, and cloudy and in the 50s on Sunday! Spring is rumored to be on its way here in the Garden State.

By the time you receive this issue, the 2024 New Jersey State Shoot will be in the books. Hopefully you attended and are admiring your new trophy from the shoot.

Pine Belt’s marathon weekend was held April 6-7. The weather could have been nicer; shooters were greeted with blustery wind conditions for Saturday. Bob Jarvis led the field with a very respectable 473, under very trying conditions on the 500 singles targets. Sunday’s 300-bird handicap was a little warmer and not as windy. Fred McDonald was high in the first hundred, and George C. Snyder was high in the second and third hundreds. George was also high for the total 300 handicap targets.

The following weekend was the annual Quarter Grand at Pine Valley. Marc Invidiato was winner in Saturday’s singles with 96, Paul McNair took veteran, John Horgan took senior veteran, and Elizabeth Biggs took ladies’. Sunday’s doubles winner was Scott Kalnas with 97, second was Robert Kappe, third was John Guda, fourth was Chris Cherry, and fifth was William Messeroll Jr. Sunday’s singles victor was Dan Biggs with 99×100. Other winners were Charles Lehmann Jr., A; Stephen Lokos, B; Fred McDonald, C; and John Messeroll, D. Sunday’s handicap winner was Sofia Granata. Other trophies went to: George Snyder, veteran; John Horgan, senior vet; Shirley Pfeifer, ladies’; John Schnorrbusch, 19-21; Gil Dinallo, 22-23; Steve Ottrando, 24-25; and Bob Jarvis, 26-27.

The following weekend, April 20-21, on Saturday was the 10th Anniversary Pine Valley Youth Shoot. The day started out rainy and cold, and by the time it was over, the temperatures were in the 70s and sunny. Sixty-one youngsters were in attendance with their cheering siblings and parents, and from as far away as Maryland. Trapshooting Hall of Famer Richard Marshall Jr. was again on hand to answer questions and present trophies to the winners. Krieghoff International from Ottsville, PA, was also on hand with demo guns that the shooters could try out on the practice trap. The team event was won by Mason Dixon Blue comprised of Joshua Christ Jr., 96; Noah Christ, 94; Isabella Brent, 95; Ryan Martin, 92; and Jeremy Krell, 93. Lehigh Valley Team 1 came in second, and Fredrick Stars N Stripes came in third. Jackson Palmisano was high in the singles event with 98, and New Jersey’s Granata was second with 97. Look for a full write-up on the shoot, with pictures, in a future issue of Trap & Field.

The following day, April 21, was the Cancer Awareness Shoot at Howell Trap Club in Farmingdale. Heather, Butch and son Thomas Salomon all worked the shoot. The weather, as mentioned earlier, was a drastic change from the day before, with temperatures in the 50s and overcast. Despite the weather, the turnout was great for a good cause. There were close to 29 sponsors and numerous donations, which allowed the Salomons to donate all the revenue collected for shooting to the American Cancer Society, totaling $5,000. Since running the club on the passing of New Jersey Trapshooting Hall of Fame inductee Gene Salomon, the facility has seen an incredible transformation for the better. They are open for Big 50s and practice on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and open Friday afternoons and Sundays. You may call Butch and Heather at 908-675-0551 for club and store hours.

Pine Belt held their 500-bird doubles marathon April 21. Fourteen shooters shot the program with Bob Jarvis high in this marathon too.

We have some target attainment accomplishments. Steve Ottrando will be reaching 25,000 registered handicap targets. David Brader will be reaching 50,000 handicap, and Thomas Green Sr. will be reaching 75,000 registered handicap targets. Congratulations.

Remember, the Garden State Grand will be held a week earlier than usual this year, July 12-14, at Pine Belt Sportsman’s Club.

The ATA Eastern Zone Shoot will be held a week earlier also, July 18-21, at the New York State Homegrounds up in Cicero, NY.

Well, this will be my last contribution to Around the ATA, since I started writing them in August 2008. I’ve been the New Jersey ATA Delegate since June 2008, and I feel it’s time for me to retire from that position. It dawned on me that I’ve been in that position for 17 years. I’ve enjoyed writing about the residents of New Jersey each month, in their pursuit of trapshooting perfection, which I will miss most.

Joe Sissano

ATA Eastern Zone Vice President

New York

Greetings from New York. I hope everyone is doing well. I hope you are all getting out there and shooting plenty of registered targets.

We are sorry to say that two New York shooters have passed away recently. They are Joe Caterino and Donde Fabailli.

Joe Caterino of Saratoga Springs passed away Feb. 13 at the age of 98. Joe started registering targets in 1973. During his career, he registered 212,750 singles, 149,475 handicap and 106,450 doubles targets. Joe was standing on the 23-yard line. He became a member of the New York State ATA Hall of Fame, being inducted in 1997, and was on the board of directors for many years. Joe was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, serving during World War II. He received the Purple Heart for his actions during the war. Besides trapshooting, Joe loved to hunt and play golf. All of us on the board of directors of the New York State ATA want to offer our deepest sympathies to Joe’s family on his passing.

Donde Fabailli of Grand Island passed away March 26 at the age of 61. Donde was a member of Sheridan Transit Gun Club on Grand Island. Donde started registering targets in 2010. During his career, Donde registered 18,200 singles, 2,800 handicap and 800 doubles targets. Donde was standing on the 19-yard line. The board of directors of the New York State ATA wish to express our deepest sympathies to Donde’s wife Laurie and his entire family on his passing.

Some target achievements to mention: Donald (Scotty) Grossman has totaled 100,000 combined registered targets. Heidi Womer has shot 50,000 singles targets. Finally, David Kestler has shot 25,000 handicap targets. Congratulations and keep registering those targets.

As I stated in a past article, Richburg Rod & Gun Club used lime green targets for their registered shoot on April 20. This was in preparation for the Empire Grand American in Cicero in May, where lime green targets will be used. More than 11,000 targets were thrown. This is quite a success for the club, especially being only a two-trap club. Excellent.

Please remember that the New York State Shoot this year will be held June 26-30. This is a change because the state shoot is normally held in July. No programs will be mailed out. The program will be posted online at www.nysata.com.

If anyone wishes to have something written in one of these articles, please feel free to contact me by phone at 585-519-9543 or e-mail me at [email protected]. Please stay healthy, safe and in good spirits. May God bless you all.

           Dave Cichelli

           ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada.

As I write this article in late April, our spring ATA season has just begun. Many of us attended the Dianne Wood Memorial Competition at the Crumlin Sportsmen’s Club in London April 21. There was a full program of 100 singles, 100 handicap and 100 doubles. About 16 squads were filled in no time, and to participate, one had to pre-squad. Many more would have liked to have participated, but only pre-squadding was permitted. I think pre-squadding is the way a lot of clubs will be conducting shoots. It is good for shoot management, as they will know in advance how many shooters they will have and can plan accordingly. This can be a problem for some shooters who may not be able to commit to the shoot well in advance, and if the day frees up for them, it is then too late.

Shooting is an expensive sport. When one factors in ammunition, target fees, travel expense, etc., this sport is out of reach for many shooters who are struggling to make ends meet.

For those who can afford it, maybe take a young (or older) person with you to a gun club—pay for their entries and ammunition. You could make someone very happy.

Paul Shaw

ATA Delegate

Alabama

Greetings from the great state of Alabama!

The weather is getting better and warmer, so let’s get out and do some shooting. Other than local shoots and state shoots, next month are the Zone shoots. the Western Zone is July 19-21; Southwestern Zone, July 12-14; Central Zone, July 26-28; Eastern Zone, July 18-21; and Southern Zone, July 19-21. Please read the rulebook.

Joke of the month: Signs on the road: Warning! My alarm tells me you’re in my house. My gun tells me, not for long! Do clouds ever look down on us and say, “That one is shaped like an idiot.” I am a social vegan, I avoid meet. Finally, all my winter fat is gone, now I have spring rolls. Anything I say before coffee cannot be used against me. I was addicted to the Hokey Pokey, but I turned myself around.

Word of the month: Costes: The price of something. “Don’t buy the lettuce if it costes too much.”

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 about to begin winding down our shooting season, and by the time you read this, we will probably have two remaining big shoots (Southern Zone and the Grand American). Please continue shooting at your local clubs and help out when you can.

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 contact me about your outstanding achievement. Another is by ATA recognition. For example, shooting your first straight or making AA, AAA or 27-yard line status.

Moving on elsewhere . . .

Palatka has opened another trapfield (two) and to celebrate (out of the rain), Wayne and Gaye (Kidder) were wed in the clubhouse. This is an awesome couple . . . what the heck, the whole dang shooting community at Palatka is awesome! Where else can trappers and skeeters get along so well? Make no confusion . . . The Mike Reynolds at Palatka is a great guy and all (Gator), but make no mistake he is no me. Sorry, Mike! I have to give a “hell yell” to Ron Criscione for attending the wedding shoot at Palatka. Why? Because Ron is the trapshooting director for Flagler Gun Club. This has to be a first for a Flagler trap director. While I’m on the subject, Ron is really making an effort at Flagler Gun Club to unite and bridge ATA and non-ATA members alike to just have fun. This is not to take anything from Jack (Melvin) Krouskeoup. Thanks for the dedication.

Another one of my favorite trapshooting gun clubs, as y’all know, is Imperial Polk. This month I noticed that a few of the Sarasota shooters showed up for Polk’s monthly shoot. How did they fare? “They sucked!” Not really, I just wanted to say that to get rid of some built-up aggression. Results: singles: B, Rick Mottola; C, Jim Hulskotter; D, Dan Levison. Handicap: 19-21, Bob DeLong; 22-24, Ron Burdick; 25-27, Kenny Steveson. Bob DeLong was the combined winner (singles and handicap). Doubles: C, Kenny Steveson; D, John Helm. Alright, one more observation before I move on.

Volusia Skeet & Trap is in the midst of replacing Traphouse 3. Thanks to Todd Dasso and Chris Hubeck. If it’s not in use now, it will be soon. They recently hosted the Rotary Trap Trapshoot April 6. I’ll try to find winners and outcomes.

FTA by-law of the month:

ARTICLE XIV. STANDING COMMITTEES: At the spring meeting of the board of directors, the president will appoint the members for all standing committees and request volunteers to fill positions that may be open. The secretary shall maintain a list of all members who are appointed to each committee and will provide a copy of this list to all FTA Gun Clubs for information. The following standing committees shall be appointed: (12) (24).

Section 4. Contract Committee. This committee will be composed of all FTA officers. The representatives of the gun club in contention for an FTA-sponsored tournament will be encouraged to participate in the preparation of the contract, which shall be managed by this committee. If a contract is rejected by the qualified gun club, then the same contract will be offered to the next qualified gun club in rotation for the tournament. If the contract is rejected by all the gun clubs, then it must be revised and offered again through the same process until it is accepted by a qualified FTA gun club (2) (8).

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].

Thanks for the opportunity to serve.

Mike Reynolds

ATA Delegate

Mississippi

Summertime is heating up—as always. I hope and pray the mid-South does not encounter the same drought conditions this year as we endured last year. Weather is a fickle thing and will do what it wants, but for my entire life it has been hot and humid in Mississippi in the summertime. I suspect that will hold true this year as well. As you are getting out to shoot in the heat, remember to stay hydrated. Proper hydration does not begin the morning of a shoot, but a couple days ahead of the shoot. Drink plenty of water and utilize liquids that will restore and supply electrolytes to your body. Do a little research, and you will find several alternatives that are high in electrolytes and low sugar. Regardless of what you choose, drink plenty of liquids, wear sunscreen and proper attire for the conditions. Keep your eyes on yourself and fellow shooters for signs of heat exhaustion to include: headache or nausea; weakness or dizziness; heavy sweating or hot, dry skin; elevated body temperature; thirst; decreased urine output. If you experience such signs: give cool water to drink; remove unnecessary clothing; move to the shade or a cooler area; cool with water, ice or a fan; do not leave alone; and seek medical care (if needed). Let’s take care of ourselves and each other.

The next large shoot for our Mississippi shooters will be the ATA Southern Zone. The Southern Zone will be contested July 19-21. Get ready to support the good people and outstanding facilities at Coast Rifle & Pistol. We realize those dates will affect some of our northwest Mississippi shooters who attend the Arkansas State Shoot. Unfortunately, those dates were the ones with the least amount of conflict within our Southern Zone. Arkansas is in the Southwestern Zone.

The 2024 Grand American will be July 31-Aug. 10. I hope to see you there! Mississippi has had great participation from our registered shooters, and I hope we will this year as well.

Upcoming Mississippi shoots: Follow this link https://shootata.com/Shoots-Clubs-States-Zones/stateID/MS to look at upcoming Mississippi shoots. Capitol Gun Club, Coast Rifle & Pistol Club and Starkville Gun Club have monthly shoots set, as usual. Whitetail Ridge is getting back into hosting shoots, so keep your eyes open for that. Let’s all try to get out and support these clubs.

Shooting should be fun, and you should shoot for fun. While doing so, it doesn’t hurt to build target counts to avoid having to shoot penalty class or penalty yardage at larger events.

Remember, “it’s just a trap shoot”—don’t over-analyze and overthink it, just enjoy our sport. Everyone be safe, and I look forward to seeing you on the trapline.

Will McCarty

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

Hello from the Palmetto State!

This column starts with the recognition of a South Carolina shooter who has served our state association for more than 21 years—Jim Faber. Jim joined the South Carolina Trapshooters’ Association (SCTA) board in 2003 as the Alternate Delegate and became Delegate in 2006, serving in that capacity until 2024. He has been a terrific ambassador for our board and state with the ATA. Jim has worked extremely hard to make the SCTA and our board successful and has been an integral member of our board and shooting sport. His leadership for our State Team program has been tremendous. Jim has decided to step away from his duties on the board but not from shooting. If you see Jim, please thank him for all he has done for the SCTA, ATA and our shooting sport.

SCTA started our 2024 shooting year by holding our Hall of Fame Shoot at Greenville Gun Club April 6-7 with the induction of Thomas M. Campbell Sr. Thanks goes to Dan Brigito, Doug Stenback, their volunteers and the SCTA board members for their support in running an excellent shoot. The induction of Thomas was held at 9 a.m. on Saturday followed by the 200 championship singles event. The Doubles Championship and Handicap Championship were held on Sunday. Ten past Hall of Fame inductees were on site to show support for Thomas and the Hall of Fame program. The 2025 Hall of Fame inductee, Phil Bagwell, was announced following the program.

The SCTA held our state shoot April 17-21 at the NC Homegrounds in Bostic, NC. Thanks to the North Carolina Trapshooters Hall of Fame board for working with the SCTA to conduct our 2024 state shoot in conjunction with their Hall of Fame Shoot. Special thanks goes to Jim Hughes, Jim Wilson and Marty Hill, who spearheaded the groundwork on the NC side to help us make the shoot happen, plus countless others on both boards working together to make the shoot a success. Attendance was terrific and up each event until Sunday, when the rains set in. We were honored by having ATA President Billy Cook, ATA Secretary Hunter Galloway and Past ATA President Terry Roush with us during our shoot. The SCTA State Team was recognized during the annual meeting on Sunday: First team—captain Phil Bagwell; Gary Ferguson; Thomas M. Campbell; Gary Olson; Rodney Raines; Teresa Knight, Lady I; Robert Pobiega, sub-junior; George Powell, veteran; Randy Knight, senior vet. Second team—Garry Welch, John Pendergast, Michael Pobiega, Doug Stenback, James Faber. Highest number of targets shot during 2023 was George Powell, reaching 12,000.

South Carolina State Shoot in-state championship winners: Shawn Speakman and John Pendergast, with scores of 195, shot off for the Singles Championship, with Shawn coming out the winner. John Pendergast took the veteran trophy. Brodie Mahaffey won both the Doubles Championship and Handicap Championship with 93 in each event. The HOA went to Thomas Campbell with 913. Other in-state winners during the championship events included Scott Mouzon, George Powell, Kevin Stephens, Terry Lewis, Roger Smith, Jaycee Beckham, Terri Campbell, Logan Epps, Trinity Morris, Tatelyn Benton, Richard Gadbois, Doug Stenback, Gary Ferguson, Richard Pigg, L. J. Hammonds, Melaine Bagwell, Garry Welch, Dennis Jones, Frank Ketron, Stephen Conley, Mark Quarterman and Kenneth Inman. Thanks to all of the shooters who participated in our 2024 South Carolina State Shoot, and we hope to see you all again in 2025.

The SC AIM Championship will be held at the Spartanburg Gun Club June 1. We are looking forward to all youth and AIM shooters to be in attendance for a great time and good shooting.

Hope you have a great shooting season!

Teresa Knight

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

Several state shoots are scheduled for June:

The last two days of the Alabama State Shoot are June 1-2 at Dixie T&S, Mathews.

North Carolina is June 5-9 at NC Homegrounds at Bostic.

Tennessee’s AIM Shoot is Tuesday and Wednesday, June 11-12 followed by the state shoot June 13-16 at TCTC, Nashville.

Twenty-four Tennessee shooters recently attended the South Carolina shoot, which was held in Bostic, NC. Those winning trophies were Tyler Honnold, Channing Garrett, Herman Chandley, Tim Fields, Kaylee Dubois and Robert Smith.

Tennessee recently lost another trapshooter. Glenn T. Welch from Thompson’s Station passed away April 9. The life member was 96 and active from 1998 to 2008 with target totals of 17,250 singles, 11,000 handicap and 1,400 doubles. Mr Welch served as TSTA president from 2001 to 2003. My condolences to his many friends and family.

Read the rulebook, please.

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

Billy Cook

ATA President

Louisiana

I spoke a few articles ago about anticipation for upcoming shoots. For me, it’s begun. I started in the last few days deciding which state shoots I was attending and started pre-squadding as well as making hotel reservations for those. I also started talking to my friends about which ones they were going to attend to do a little coordination. Oh boy, the season is underway. Of course, the shoot with the big anticipation factor is the Grand; it’s just around the corner, you know.

I shot at the Capitol Gun Club in Jackson yesterday, and it was a spring day with some clouds and a cool morning that required a light little jacket and pants. Today I went to Red Chute and shot, and suddenly summer had arrived. Shorts were in order for the first time this year. What a difference a day can make.

Red Chute’s April 7 shoot had the regulars, Ed Gunter, Sean Taylor and Jim Jenkins, show up. Joshua and David Seale dropped by for singles. Jenkins had a 98 for singles followed by Gunter with 93 and Taylor with 91. Ed also took handicap honors with 90 over Jim with 90 and Sean with 87. Jim led doubles with 92 followed by Ed with 88 and Sean with 75. It was just a nice, quick, little shoot. It was supposed to be raining, but that held off and let us enjoy the day.

Red Chute has revised their normal shoot dates to the fourth Saturday of the month. Please make a note of it. Come on out and join them.

Toby Bancroft Memorial Gun Club, TBMGC, had a great turnout of 28 shooters April 13. Thanks so much to the AIM shooter parents who scored and loaded the houses and provided a grand lunch of chicken spaghetti as a fundraiser. These parents will be helping in our state shoot as scorers, which solves one of our biggest staffing problems. In singles Landon Johnston had the high score with 97, followed by Donny Sanders with 96 and Chuck Traylor and Caleb Coody with 95s. Handicap had a three-way high score by Landon Johnston, Dalton Brooks and Avery Dumas with 91s and received a half-yard punch. Cooper Martin and Web Phelps followed with 88s, and Caleb Coody and Bo Shaw with 88s. Doubles was led by Caleb Coody with 98 followed by Donny Sander with 88 and Jim Jenkins with 86. Caleb was high-over-all champ with a 280 followed by Landon Johnston with 271.

Our Louisiana State Shoot, May 2-5, is now finished, and I hope to have the results in the July issue. Thanks to all who came out and supported our shoot. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. We will also have the results of the Louisiana AIM State Shoot held at TBMGC May 18.

Check out our website www.latrap.org. There’s information on registered shoots of interest to our shooters, the scores/winners of our Louisiana shoots, and information on all the gun clubs in Louisiana that host registered shoots. Feel free to drop me a note to [email protected] if you have any news or comments you would like highlighted.

Jim Jenkins

ATA Delegate

Texas

Howdy from Texas!

The shooting season is now in full swing, and the world seems right again!

I want to personally thank everyone who participated in the Multi-State Challenge. This includes not only all the shooters who braved terrible weather but also the gun clubs who worked tirelessly to see that everything went as planned. I don’t think the scores represent the high level of shooters who attended. I know I struggled a lot in the high wind and rain. I am not going to say how bad I shot, but I will say that it seems the only 25s I had were in doubles! I wanted to remind everyone that originally this shoot was the Texas-Illinois Challenge Cup and was intended to attract the best shooters. We thought the best way to do this was by offering cash prizes to the top shooters. Winchester/White Flyer wanted to sponsor a shoot-wide HAA Lewis purse and added $1,000 to sweeten the pot. This year we had several new clubs join, and that required a name change. It also brought the possibility of having All-American points. As I write this, our final entry numbers have not been finalized, but it looks like we met the minimum entries needed for points. We are already making plans for next year and hope it will be even bigger. [See the story in this issue—Ed.]

Next month Texas will have three locations for the ATA Southwestern Zone Shoot. It will be held in Amarillo, El Paso and Waco; try to attend if possible.

I guess that’s about all for now. Be sure to visit the TTA website (shoottta.org) and see other news and upcoming events. As always, I would like to encourage you to volunteer at your local club and support youth shooters. Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me or one of the current TTA officers. We will be glad to help!

Thanks again for your support, and I will see you at the next one.

I can be reached at [email protected].

Billy Hopson

ATA Delegate

Arizona

Summer is just around the corner here in Arizona and the Phoenix area has already experienced a couple of 100º days. This means it’s time to head to the High Country to shoot.

Arizona has a couple of clubs that are a perfect way to escape the heat and enjoy the sport. Two of the more known clubs are the Pleasant Valley Trap Club, located in Young, and the Flagstaff Trap & Skeet Club, located on the Arizona Game and Fish Northern Arizona Shooting Range, just east of Flagstaff. Prescott Trap Club also has started hosting registered shoots.

All three of these clubs host a monthly shoot, and Prescott hosts a monthly Big 50 event. The dates for these shoots, contact for the clubs, and programs can be found at www.aztraps.com/events.

For those willing to brave the heat, ATA targets will be thrown at Casa Grande and Tucson Trap & Skeet Club. These shoots can be found at the ASTA website as well.

In addition to local clubs hosting events, there will be several regional and national shoots coming up that will see attendance by Arizona shooters. We wish these shooters the best and will report on several of these shoots as they take place.

Finally, just a reminder, Casa Grande Trap & Skeet will be hosting the Western Zone Shoot July 19-21. This tournament will be shot in conjunction with other clubs throughout the Western Zone states and will have a Zone-wide HOA Lewis with $6,000 added money with no cost to the shooter to participate. The only requirement will be for the shooter to shoot all the HOA events to qualify.

Good luck to all you Arizona shooters, and we’ll keep an eye on you guys!

           Don Williamson

           ATA Delegate

Idaho

Well, spring is here, and shooting is starting to get hot and frequent. Boise Gun Club had a shoot April 7, and Cottonwood had a shoot April 20. Wood River has a two-day shoot, and Coeur d’Alene has their first-ever registered shoot April 28. I can’t report on them in this article since it’s due to T&F in a couple of days, but I will try to report on them through our Idaho Trapshooting Association Facebook page.

So here’s what happened at the Boise shoot. Crazy winds produced crazy targets, but as usual, winning scores were still very decent. Stuart Welton popped a 99 in the doubles to win A class. Levi Harrison won B; Gene Hunt, C; Kyle Arnzen, D; Chester Carter, vet; Lahoma Turner, ladies’; Blake McCutcheon, junior; and John McNitt, rookie.

In the singles, Waylon Klundt won A with 98, Levi got B with 99, Blake got C class, and Jason Hicks took D. In the special categories, C. Carter and Kent Harris tied for the vet title, Lahoma and Kay Klundt shared the ladies’ trophy, and again John McNitt grabbed the rookie title.

Handicap was a very interesting event with tricky winds. Blake McCutheon and Michael Houser both shot 92s, winning mid-yardage and long-yardage, respectively. (Blake picked up a little more yardage) Tammy Shuyler got short-yardage with 79, Leonard Wehking took vet with 80, Lahoma got ladies’ with 68, and Curt Ohlsen took rookie with 77. As you can see, the conditions were challenging.

But you know what? Even though the scores weren’t great, a lot of the shooters hung out afterwards in the clubhouse and visited. We’ll forget the disappointment of a poor score, but remember the friendship and camaraderie and look forward to another afternoon with our friends. This is what the sport is all about for me.

Meanwhile, the Cottonwood shoot drew about 36 shooters. It’s exciting to see another gun club throwing registered targets. They do throw a lot of league targets and were very prominent in the Camas Prairie League. But this was the first registered shoot Cottonwood Gun Club has had for more than 20 years, and it was a great success. They had $1,500 in added money, a wonderful kitchen for the guests, and immaculate grounds and clubhouse. There were many sponsors for this event, and the club members went out of their way to make it a memorable event. Following are the results:

Singles; A, Dan Thompson, 98; B, Brandon Poxleitner, 94; C, Bill Hanson, 94; D, Lewis Wilmarth, 94; junior, Grant Ingram, 84; and ladies’, Keira Bohannon, 85. New shooter Eric Snoderling broke 81. Not a bad score for a new contestant. I remember some of my first scores and would have been pretty proud of that!

In the handicap, Spud Storey took high gun with 96 and earned a little yardage. Brandon Poxleitner took runnerup, and Keira Bohannon captured ladies’.

In the doubles contest, Dan Thompson took A class with 87, Spud Storey got B with 90, and Jake Wimer grabbed C with 88.

Spud also had the HOA with 279×300.

That’s all for now!

Leonard Wehking

ATA Delegate

New Zealand

The Thames weather gods smiled on us again with a fine day April 6, and just a light breeze over the middle part of the day.

This shoot was 100 singles with two 100-target doubles events. Entrants had the opportunity to shoot one, two or all three events.

Unfortunately we had trap problems, and one of the doubles squads only shot 50 targets of their first event. The other squad only shot the first 100-target event.

Singles: A, Grant Russell, 89; B, Rob Anderson, 94; B runnerup, Garry Robinson, 89; C, Greg Nicholl, 89; C runnerup, Shane Ward, 88; C third, Wynne Steer and Dave Cundy, 82. Doubles, first 100-target event only: A, Wayne Merrie, 89; A runnerup, Grant Russell, 82; B, Rob Anderson, 74; C,

Wynn Steer, 65.

Thanks to Grant Russell for helping with target-setting, Bob James for helping to set up the fields as well as refereeing and scoring, Wayne Merrie for running the office, Glenn Ramsay for providing lunch and refreshments, the kitchen helpers Wynn Steer and Shane Ward, everyone who helped with trap loading, refereeing and scoring as well as clean-up at the end of the day. It’s much appreciated. A big thanks to our Sponsors: the ATA; NZ ATA; Heath Smith, www.newzealandhuntiingadventures.com; Thames Clay Target Club; Ron Thomassen Logging; Target Products Falcon Ammunition; Bidois family; Reloaders Supplies; White Flyer Targets; and Independent Transport Parts for Inox & Lanox fine gun lubricants and cleaners.

The following is from Roger Bidois:

“The Taupo ATA held a shoot over Anzac weekend, April 25-26, comprising of 600 targets over two days. We had 37 shooters turn up for Day 1, and 38 shooters for Day 2. We shot 23,400 targets, which was awesome considering we only had three traps to use.

“I’d like to thank all the shooters who turned up and for their patience, the ladies for preparing the lunches and cleaning, the Taupo Clay Target Club members for manning the bar, and all the shooters who loaded traps and refereed. Without you, this event wouldn’t have been a success, thank you very much. I’d like to thank Ron Thomassen and Paul Basten, who manned the office. This was an awesome effort. A big thanks goes out to the sponsors for Day 1: Bidois Family Trophy Singles, Mudford Cup Handicap, Craftsman’s Sports Doubles. Day Two, Ron Thomassen and another logger who doesn’t want to be mentioned both sponsored the trophy over the singles, handicap and doubles. This would have been one of the largest prize tables I’ve ever seen in my shooting career. See you around the traps.

“The club has recently opened up a new e-mail address. If you are wanting to get in touch, it’s [email protected].”

Results, Day 1: Bidois Family Singles: winner, Karl Lapwood, 99; A, Grant Preston, 98; B, Les Clarke, 94; C, Sheryl Anglem, 90. Mudford Handicap: first, Dave Kahlenberg, 93; second, Brian Hartley, 92; third, Grant Preston, 91; fourth, Ben Thomassen, 90; fifth, Greg Godden, 90. Craftsman Sports Doubles: winner, James Sullivan 94; A, Dave Wordley, 92; B, Jim Dobson, 90; C, Sheryl Anglem, 89; ladies’, Sheryl Anglem; veteran, Dave Wordley; senior vet, Jim Dobson. Day 2, 100 singles, 100 handicap, 50 pair doubles: winner, Brian Hartley, 284; A, Grant Preston, 277; A runnerup, James Sullivan, 276; A third, John Harkness, 275; B, Kim Bergerson, 260; B runnerup, Chris Cassin, 247; B third, Chris Hurring, 244; C, Mike Hirtzel, 257; C runnerup, Sheryl Anglem, 238; C third, Doreen Sanderson, 237; ladies’, Sheryl Anglem; sub-junior, Olie Gair; veteran, Brian Hartley; senior vet, Mike Hirtzel.

What an outstanding job Ron Thomassen, Roger Bidois and Ben Thomassen have done getting ATA shooting back on track at the Taupo club.

A further congratulation is due for all the behind-the-scenes work and organization they did to make the Anzac weekend shoot the fantastic success it was. The weather cooperated, and everyone really enjoyed themselves and appreciated the generosity of the sponsors. The prize pool was really impressive.

Paul Basten

ATA Delegate

Utah

Trapshooting season is in full swing at last. That’s a good thing. Being springtime in Utah, the weather is usually cold, wet and windy, which is a bad thing. But at least we are shooting clay pigeons!

Last month I congratulated Tyler Workman on being named Rookie of the Year by Trap & Field. I also mentioned putting together a list of past Utah Rookies of the Year and their status as I know it.

Before I get into the history of Utah’s award winners, let me digress a little and talk about the roots of the program as a whole, and the All-American team program.

The Trap & Field Rookie of the Year award first started in 1966. Sports Afield Magazine selected the Trap & Field Rookie of the Year from 1966 to 1973. Those making the selections for Sports Afield were probably Jimmy Robinson, Betty Ann Foxworthy and possibly Joan Davis. Since 1973, selections were made by various Trap & Field editors.

Jimmy Robinson was a longtime editor for Sports Afield Magazine. In 1925 he became ATA life member No. 910. In 1927 he started selecting the ATA All-American Teams, which he did alone until 1964. He founded the Trapshooting Hall of Fame and was instrumental in the formation of Ducks Unlimited.

Betty Ann Foxworthy joined the Trap & Field staff in 1956 and was named editor in 1960. Her knowledge of shooters made her a valuable All-America Team Selection Committee member since 1964, along with Jimmy. These two collaborated on the book “All-America Trapshooting Teams” in 1979. As a side note, Betty Ann’s husband Roy was the 1960 Grand American Handicap champion.

*Information on Jimmy and Betty Ann was copied from the Trapshooting Hall of Fame archives.

Utah has had 14 Rookies out of approximately 119 total. With help from the editors at Trap & Field, I am happy to say Utah has the lead. Texas and California are close with 12, and 10, respectively. It appears there have been recipients from 31 states, and one Canadian province. Utah represents 3% of the the states/provinces, yet almost 12% of the total winners. More of my useless trivia from Mark Twain, who was fond of quoting someone saying “lies, damned lies, and statistics.” So take all these numbers with a grain of salt.

Shon Thomas, 1987, deceased. Active from 1987 to 2003 (sporadic after 1991).

Shon was a great guy, tall and very physically built. He shot a Beretta 686 Combo. The gun wore a raw spot on his cheek, which apparently didn’t bother him, as he would finish an event with a very good score yet have blood on his cheek.

I shot with Shon many times. He was a world-class shooter. If he had stuck with the game, he could have been as good as anyone Utah has ever produced.

Stuart Pope, 1990, active from 1990 to 1996. He and his father Tad frequented a lot of clubs. Stuart still shoots fun shoots, and I see him every year at some of the local meat shoots. He can still point a gun very well.

Mike Patterson, 1992, active from 1992 to 1998. The bulk of his targets were shot in 1992 and 1993. I don’t have any information on Mike, other than he was a junior at the time.

Robert Spencer, 1993, deceased. Active from 1993 to 2000.

I know very little about Robert, other than he was rather elderly for a Rookie of the Year, about 55.

Keith Ward, 1997, active from 1997 to 2016, a few years skipped along the way. I was in California during Keith’s heyday. Thus, I never shot with him, to my recollection.

Scott Syme, 2006, is still active. I have shot with Scott many times. Scott started his shooting career with a Browning Combo but very recently switched to Krieghoff. Besides his regular job in the computer industry, he is in the apiary business. In other words, he raises bees and sells honey.

Robert Helms, 2009, active from 2009 to 2014. I recently saw Robert while he was visiting folks at a shoot. He and his wife Becky used to be regulars at the local shoots. They also used Browning shotguns and helped run the Kane Co. Gun Club in Kanab.

Roger Stitt, 2010, occasionally active. He last shot in 2022; however, he told me he planned on shooting some this year. Roger is one of those quiet, unsung shooters. You noticed him most when you looked at the scoreboard. Roger told me he was also an outstanding baseball player. He said he could throw a beeline from centerfield to home plate, until he tore his rotator cuff, thus ending that portion of his hobbies.

Chris Kinder, 2011, still active. Chris won the Utah State Handicap Championship his rookie year with 100 straight. I am not sure what gun Chris started with, but I do know he is currently shooting a Kolar and shoots it well. Chris owns his own HVAC business, yet has managed to find the time to be recognized as one of the Mega Target shooters the last two years, with an excess of 20,000 targets each year.

Ryan Hancock, 2013, is no longer active. He is my nephew, and he really learned to shoot very well. He didn’t shoot much after his rookie year. As with many people, family and work take precedence over hobbies.

Dayle Street, 2015, active from 2015 to 2019. Dayle, like many shooters, has been through several guns. He ended with a Kolar. I had given him some pointers before his first ATA shoot. In his first singles event, he shot an 85. The next day he called to let me know he had broken 100. The hook was set. I have shot with Dale many times and still visit with him quite often.

Brett Despain, 2017, still active. I have shot with Brett many times and visit with him often at the shoots. He flies for Delta Airlines, so he can be absent for a while or around for a while.

Avery Fitzgerald, 2021, is still active. Avery has two sons who also shoot. All three have made the Utah state Rookie of the Year. This family loves to shoot. His wife Brandi is the sister of former Rookie Stuart Pope.

Tyler Workman, 2023, active. I don’t know a whole lot about Tyler other than he is always a contender.

To the best of my knowledge, I have shot with at least nine, maybe 10 of these gentlemen (some of my useless trivia). It is sad to think some are deceased and sad that some have fallen away from the “Church of Trapshooting.” Only half of them are currently shooting ATA. Sometimes life gets in the way of our hobbies.

           Ed Wehking

           ATA Past President

Washington

As I sit down to write this month’s installment, Mother Nature is still having a hard time deciding if it is late winter, spring or early summer. We seem to get any sort of weather from one day to the next, meaning that if you are packing for the next shoot, every type of shooting apparel one owns has to be brought along. By the time you read this, the state shoot will be behind us. It will be June, and personally the only thing I hope not to forget will be a towel to wipe my forehead between posts.

The Camas Prairie Handicap was well attended. As expected in March, we had some wind, some cold, and targets were deceiving. Let’s just say that everyone would have wished for better scores, but it gives us all incentive to do better at upcoming shoots. The Walla Walla Gun Club was a good host, and things ran well, for the most part. There are always some unexpected hiccups with a trap or two or maybe a voice call here and there, but at the first big shoot of the year, we know that some bugs are still being worked out of the equipment. All the representatives of the Camas member clubs that helped to put this shoot on did a stellar job. Thank you all for the hard work and hours spent voluntarily to make it happen.

We hope to see you at the Western Zone next month in Colton, again at Colton in June and September as well as Spangle in the fall. The Spangle Gun Club is in their third year of offering registered targets, with the shoots seeming to be a hit. We are glad to have them with the WSTA. Please support them in their efforts, as they make sure that fun is had when you visit their facility.

Have you ever noticed that someone trying to punch a hole in your smart phone doesn’t do it any good? Well, the solution to the problem is having your average card with you at every shoot instead of just a picture of it on your phone, so we can punch you to your new yardage when you break that great handicap score. Keeping an updated average card is easy, especially when you can find it online at shootata.com. I use this resource regularly to print my averages. The card issued when we pay dues can get filled up pretty easily when we attend a lot of tournaments, but the ATA has made it very convenient to look it up and print. If you haven’t tried it, all you have to do is log on, enter your membership number and create a password. You may see that you’ve been given a yardage reduction, which you can keep or turn down on the spot before you shoot any more birds. I’m suggesting this because it saves mailing costs, and it makes it easier for shoot management. Another plus is that I don’t have to do any math to figure my singles and doubles averages!

We are getting closer to the Grand American, and Washington’s shooters proved the last few years that they are a force to reckon with. I really hope to be bragging about those from the Evergreen State that make the trip to Sparta again this year. Maybe it’s the wind, rain and cold that we have to deal with in the spring that make our shotgunners tough to beat!

Look in a future edition of Trap & Field to see results of state and Zone shoots. It’s a busy and exciting time of year when the ATA season is in full swing in the Northwest with so much news to report. All of this always makes me ask, “Where has the year gone?” Nonetheless it always creates good experiences and memories.

As always, I’ll remind you to take someone out to the club to try trapshooting for the first time and try to help those new to the ATA game as much as you can. Let’s keep this family growing.

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

WSTA Director