Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces.

The ATA registered shoot season is in full swing on Canada’s east coast. Check out the full shoot schedule and results on www.shootatlantic.com.

The gang at the Highland Gun Club are busy with preparations for this year’s Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot. Kenny, Aubrey and Clyde have been working hard on the club grounds and traps; Janaya and Doug have everything in place to welcome shooters, and I hear there’s seafood on the menu. If you’ve never been to Canada’s east coast, there’s no better time than now.

If you’re low on your target count, there’s still plenty of registered shoots in August to meet the target minimums for this year’s shoot. And, remember, have your ATA scorecard up to date or print your scorecard from the ATA website when registering for the shoot. It makes the classifier’s job much easier.

Enjoy the rest of your summer.

For more information on the Atlantic Provinces Trapshooting Association, feel free to contact me at aabassan@gmail.com or visit shootatlantic.com.

Andrea Bassan

ATA Delegate

Connecticut

Greetings, shooters.

After a rainy and cool start to the season, the summer heat has arrived. Some of the hottest temperatures on record ushered in the month of June, and there wasn’t much time to acclimate.

The Connecticut State Shoot is now in the books, and what a great shoot it was. I want to thank all for the hard work and effort given by the CTA and Hartford Gun Club for making the shoot a success. There were 222 total shooters in attendance. Connecticut held 136 residents and 86 out-of-state attendees. High-all-around competition began on Saturday, and congratulations to Fred Andrulat, who was the in-state singles champion with 199. Bob Nihtila Jr. (MA) and Michael Lombardy (MA) tied for non-resident with 197s. Deciding the winner by coin flip, Lombardy was awarded the singles title. Tony Lobo was the resident doubles champion with a field-high 98, and the non-resident title went to Buddy Driscol (VT) with the same. The Event 6 handicap champion resident score of 97 landed senior veteran Joe Wheeler the honor from the 27-yard line. In non-resident, junior William Rychlik (MA) posted 93 from 24.5 yards to earn his title. Joe Wheeler also claimed HAA champion as well as the HOA title. Congratulations to all, and many thanks from the CTA for choosing to attend the Connecticut State Shoot. For a complete list of all the winners, you can go to www.shootscoreboard.com.

It has been great to see all of you out supporting the local registered shoots this season. If you have any highlights, news or achievements you would like for me to share in this letter, don’t hesitate to contact me at cap145@yahoo.com.

See you on the line.

Cheryll Pittera

ATA Delegate

Delaware

I would like to start by thanking the fine folks who helped make our 122nd Delaware State Trapshooting Championships a success. First, the New Jersey State Trapshooting Association and the Pine Belt Sportsman’s Association for their cooperation and providing us with a great facility to hold our shoot. Secondly, I would like to thank Bob Miller of Millers Gun Center for his continued support and for providing us with the T-shirts to give to the shooters. If you have the opportunity to shop at Millers Guns in New Castle, DE, I would highly recommend it. I would also like to thank Don Rada Cashiering, along with Paula and Fred Branscome, for working tirelessly behind the scenes in the entry building. Finally, and most of all, I would like to thank the shooters who traveled from near and far to shoot with us and enjoy the camaraderie on Memorial Day weekend. There were 273 shooters from 12 states, including shooters from as far away as Georgia, Arkansas and North Carolina. Shooters like Dalton Lamons from Trap & Field Magazine and his father Randy, as well as Caleb and Connor Mathis and their families. Thanks for making the trip; it was a pleasure meeting and shooting with you. I can’t forget our target-setting crew. Nick Hughes and Dave Dulin from the Maryland State Sportsman’s Association along with our very own Ed Meeks were there bright and early every morning to get the more than thankless job done every day in very windy and less than favorable conditions. In the clubhouse you may have met a very fine lady doing a fine job, making sure that all the winners got the correct trophy. She’s been shooting targets and winning trophies for 47 years. That fine lady would be Patricia Rust, our Sussex County director. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my wife Patty and the outstanding job she did at the raffle table every day selling raffle tickets and interacting with the shooters. Thank you, my love.

All of this comes together by the hard work of a few people who pour their hearts out to make this shoot happen every year.

At our annual meeting this year there was a bit of shuffling the deck going on. Our secretary-treasurer Daryl Tull has been hanging in there with us for quite a few years now. An accident has left him unable to continue in his role. The DTA truly appreciates his years of service to our association and to the sport and sincerely hope he is able to heal from his injuries. Thanks, Big D.

In order to stay within our bylaws, our president, Fritz Carlsten, stepped down to accept the role as secretary-treasurer and Alternate ATA Delegate. I accepted the nomination for president and ATA Delegate. All other officers stayed the same, with the exception of Larry Rust, who declined the nomination for reelection. Fortunately a new shooter attending his first-ever state shoot stepped up to accept the nomination for director at large. Thank you, Jeremy Blades, for your help. I am very much looking forward to working and shooting with you in the future. And to your son Luke, we’re glad to have a sub-junior among us because you are the future of the sport.

To all other Delaware shooters, we are in need of your help. There are a few seats on the board of directors, and I really need to fill these seats. If you care about the future of the DTA and trapshooting in Delaware, please contact me.

Congratulations are in order to our champions. Fritz Carlsten was able to capture four of the five main events—doubles, handicap, HAA and HOA—and I was lucky enough to win the singles. Congratulations to all of our open champions as well and thank you for sharing your time with us.

A big thanks goes out to all those who scored and worked the line, keeping long hours until shootoffs were finished. Excellent work that was truly appreciated.

We’re all looking forward to next Memorial Day weekend, so we can do it all again, even better than last year. We sincerely hope you all will join us again and bring a friend.

As always, you can reach me at shtgunjohnny@aol.com or at our website at dtatrap.org.

John Patchell

ATA Delegate

New York

Hello from New York. I hope everyone is doing well and shooting plenty of registered targets.

Some target attainments to mention. Patrick Duffin has registered 25,000 singles targets. Kenneth Fagnani and Nicola Gabriele have fired at 50,000 singles birds. Finally, Todd Hosbach and Jim Woodhams have registered 75,000 singles targets. Great going, folks, and keep registering those targets. Well done.

The Pennsylvania State Shoot and Colonial Classic were held at the PSSA homegrounds in Elysburg June 7-15. The following New Yorkers won trophies: Ian Darroch Handicap event, August Yeomans, Lady I; Ian Darroch Doubles event, Urban Womer, veteran; Katelynn Decker Handicap event, Yeomans, Lady I runnerup; Nicole Hood Doubles, David McMasters, sub-veteran; Urban Womer, veteran, and Mike Waschitz senior veteran runnerup; Trap & Field Handicap event, Robert Grant, fourth, and Yeomans, Lady I; State Team Singles event, Michael Goltry, veteran; PSSA HOF Handicap event, Yeomans, fifth; Past Presidents’ Singles event, William Compton, non-resident veteran; and Kenneth Fagnani, non-resident senior veteran; Attorney General Doubles event, Urban Womer, non-resident winner; Joshua Buchiere, non-resident A, and Vincent Barranco, non-resident B; Singles Class Championship, James Flint, non-resident AA; Elysburg Handicap, non-resident fifth, John Cook; Doubles Class Championship, non-resident B, Mike Waschitz, and non-resident D, Joseph Tagliavia; Krieghoff Handicap, Robert Fredericks, non-resident third; Rosario Scalici, non-resident eighth, Tucker Distefano, non-resident sub-junior; and Jessica French, non-resident Lady 1; Singles Championship, Chad Landon, non-resident AA runnerup; Edwin Johnson, non-resident A; Robert Fredericks, non-resident B; Mike Waschitz, non-resident B runnerup; Robert Grant, non-resident C; Rosario Scalici, non-resident D; Becki Reitz, non-resident D runnerup; Tucker Distefano, non-resident sub-junior; Curt Robbins, non-resident sub-veteran; and Heidi Womer, non-resident Lady I runnerup. Doubles Championship, Jim Kenyon, non-resident A runnerup; Donald (Scotty) Grossman, non-resident B; Urban Womer, non-resident veteran runnerup; Dave Cichelli, non-resident senior veteran runnerup; and Heidi Womer, non-resident Lady I runnerup. Handicap Championship, Gary Hoystradt non-resident seventh; David Gonyeau, non-resident veteran runnerup; Anthony Valvo, non-resident senior veteran runnerup; and Heidi Womer, non-resident Lady I runnerup. Non-resident high-all-around, James Flint, AA; Becki Reitz, D; and Heidi Womer, Lady I. Non-resident high-over-all, Kenneth Woodworth, C runnerup. All trophy winners can be viewed on the PSSA website and in a future issue of Trap & Field Magazine. Nice shooting by everyone.

Don’t forget the 2025 Northeastern Grand American will be held at the New York State ATA Homegrounds Sept. 3-8. All of us from the New York state ATA hope you plan to attend.

Anyone who wishes to have something written in one of these articles, please feel free to contact me by phone at 585-519-9543 or email at Trapshooterdavec@yahoo.com. Please stay healthy, safe and in good spirits. May God bless you all.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada.

At the time of writing this article, we are only weeks away from Ontario hosting the first-ever satellite (Eastern) Zone Shoot to be held at Pennsylvania and the St. Thomas club in Ontario. I went to the Pennsylvania State Shoot and talked to the team there who will communicate with St. Thomas on all shoot details. At the actual Zone Shoot, I will be in Ontario, and Alternate Delegate Lloyd Beecraft will be in Pennsylvania to discharge Delegate duties, attend meetings, etc. and to help ensure the two shoot venues interact as efficiently as possible. To my knowledge, I was the only Ontario shooter at the Pennsylvania state competition. Canadians are worried about the impact of tariffs, job security, high currency exchange rates (about $1.37 U.S. for every Canadian dollar). Shooting by Canadians in the U.S. is expected to continue to pose problems for some time.

And now for some sad news: When I gave my farewell speech to the ATA Executive Committee and staff after being ATA President, I followed tradition and gave everyone an item of memorabilia (mine was sourced from the Hudson’s Bay Co., HBC). I also did a brief quiz, and very few knew the Hudson’s Bay story, with the notable exception of then VP David Rhoads, who was very knowledgeable about this company and its background.

It is the oldest corporation in all of North America founded on May 2, 1670, in London, England. The founders were Radisson and Groseilliers (notable explorers, fur traders, etc.). Its charter granted the right of “sole trade and commerce” over an expansive area (Rupert’s Land—of what is now Canada and large parts of the USA).

HBC was the de facto government in this massive land holding for 200 years. It controlled the fur trade throughout most of this area and sold or traded a wide variety of products (fabric, muskets, ornaments, staples, etc.) and, of course, the iconic HBC blanket. The beaver furs from Rupert’s Land were some of the finest in the world and were sought after by clothiers/furriers in Britain, where the beaver hat was very treasured and expensive. Trading posts and some forts were sprinkled across Rupert’s Land—firstly at coastal locations and then well into the interior. The HBC monopoly was eventually challenged and undermined.

You may have heard of the phrase “mad as a hatter.” This is fact based, as mercury was used in the fur/felt making process. The resulting poisoning resulted in neurological damage (madness).

On a personal note, I hunted geese in James Bay for many years. We would take the train from Cochrane to Moosonee on the Moose River. You had to take a freighter canoe if you wanted to go to Moose Factory Island, which for centuries had an HBC trading post that serviced a great geographic area. The HBC store was still there. Of interest was one of the original fur presses. It had solid vertical end posts about five to six feet apart. Natives, coureurs de bois, etc., would surrender their furs, and they would be piled and squeezed by the fur “press.” The vertical height of the massive pile of fur pelts was measured, and products could be acquired from the factory store, depending on the vertical height of the pile of furs. Muskets were coveted and took a lot of pelts. The HBC, in an effort to increase its profitability, manufactured muskets with much longer barrels. These larger barrels did not enhance the firearm’s performance. It just increased the price.

They say all good things come to an end. On June 1, 2025, the HBC ended its run as a department store chain in Canada, including closure of all 80 HBC stores and the termination of more than 8,000 employees. Apparently, it could no longer compete profitably. On the liquidation, the Court approved Canadian Tire to acquire the iconic HBC logo, etc., including the HBC blankets.

Times change. Big box retailers everywhere have disappeared. Online sales are one of the major reasons. The world lost a company that lasted more than 355 years.

Have a great Grand.

Paul Shaw

ATA Delegate

Alabama

I hope everyone is having a great time at the Grand. If you missed it, shame on you. In the following months, Trap & Field will be having numerous articles on all of the events.

Joke of the month: Signs across the country:

When bees move into a new hive, do they have a house swarming party?

The inventor of the doorbell did not own a dog.

The first person to hear a parrot talk was probably not okay for several days.

If a cookie falls on the floor and you pick it up, that’s a squat, right?

It amazes me how much “exercise” and “extra fries” sound alike.

Word of the month: Kindly: sort of. “When Ed’s line broke, and he lost that big bass, he just looked kindly pale and sick.”

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 wasartwell@charter.net.

Wayne Sartwell

ATA Delegate

Florida

Hello all from the most Southern, Northern state.

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, AAA or the 27-yard line status. If you achieve any of these feats, please let me know. I can’t give you proper props if I don’t know.

Happy New Year (for trapshooters)!

September starts our new shooting year, and our shooting average slates are wiped clean. This year I/we can all become AAA-27-AAA shooters, right? So, what are we going to do differently this year that will make us better shooters than all the previous years? I know I can improve with a different gun (more expensive) and possibly going to a release trigger . . . and maybe trying different hold points and a broader choke or a tighter choke . . . and maybe different ammo? Oh, wait a minute, that is the same thing I have done for the last 10 years (all that stuff). So maybe I’ll just stay doing what I’m doing and shoot what I’m shooting for once and see if that works. What do you think?

Any Florida Fugarwee Indians reading this, please contact me. We are going to make the tribe “alive” again. If you know of an eligible prospect for the Fugarwees, let me know. If you were a Fugarwee High Chief from 2014 or later, please contact me.

FTA Bylaw

Article VI. Eligibility For Hall of Fame Members: A prerequisite for induction into the Hall of Fame shall be one of the following:

Section 1. Shooting merit. For individual, collective and outstanding shooting achievement over a given period of time, candidates shall meet the requirements on one of the following:

1. Five major ATA championships in either 16-yard, handicap, doubles or a combination of these events.
2. Significant championships on preliminary days at the Florida State Shoot or the Southern Zone Shoot and Satellite Grands and the Grand American.
3. Three championships, as mentioned previously, and five major FTA championships in either 16-yard, handicap, doubles or a combination of these events. The FTA championships that qualify are the champion or runnerup in either 16-yard, handicap, doubles or a combination of these events at the Florida State Shoot, Spring Championship, Summer Championship or Fall Championship.

Section 2. Administrative excellence. For exceptional, outstanding and unselfish work in the administration of Florida trapshooting over a period of many years. Such efforts must be undertaken in a voluntary manner and cannot involve the receipt of a salary or the earning of profits for administrative support in the trapshooting field or industry.

Mike Reynolds

ATA Delegate

Kentucky

I am writing this article one week before opening day of the 2025 Kentucky State Shoot. I cannot wait to see everyone and shoot at one of the best gun clubs in the nation. Hopefully next month I can report more good news about many great milestones, achievements and other accomplishments of Kentucky shooters at the state shoot and many other shoots throughout the region.

Over the last month many tournaments have taken place, and Kentucky shooters have performed extremely well. Kentucky has been represented at the U.S. Open^® and Buckeye Classic as well as the Kansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Ohio and Arkansas state shoots. Since the full trophy report of Kentuckians would nearly fill a page, a few highlights include: Andy Tilford winning the U.S. Open^® Singles Championship with 200; Kevin Polson winning non-resident high gun in the Tennessee state singles, HAA and HOA; Henry Winn claiming the top non-resident spot in the Tennessee state doubles with 100; Drake Reynolds and Herbert Lewis carding 200s in the Illinois state singles, with Reynolds claiming non-resident junior and Lewis taking out-of-state runnerup; Trey Wilburn earning non-resident sub-vet in the Illinois state doubles with a perfect 100; and Keith Ditto winning top non-resident honors in the Ohio state Prelim Handicap with 100. These were just a few of the amazing scores put up by Kentucky shooters over the last month, and I look forward to seeing many more next week at Berea.

           Jack Holland

For ATA Southern Zone Vice President Dan Ryan

Mississippi

On Saturday, May 24, I was shooting 16-yard singles in the Mississippi State Shoot and shazam, on Sunday morning I was the Mississippi ATA Delegate. And now, I am writing a state report for Trap & Field. I wish I could remember what I learned in my creative writing class too many years ago.

Writing this article is like the first event I shot at the Grand American, nervous as a second grader in the school play, hoping I would not forget my part. After a few targets, everything was good, just like shooting at home, but with a lot more people. Hopefully, after an article or two, this bit of stage fright will be gone.

Have any of you tried using AI for looking up information or writing? Trying to draft this article, suffering from writer’s block, and trying to write something of interest, priming the pump you might say, I did something I thought I would never do. Looking for help to get me started, I asked ChatGPT about trapshooting. Once I got into it, I felt comfortable using it for a subject which I am familiar with, and help it did. I already knew everything it generated, but it did get me started. What follows was not generated by AI but are my own words and thoughts.

Sometime in 2014, one of my very good friends said, “Why don’t you try shooting some trap?” Shooting had been all skeet up to that point. I did and at once became hooked on the sport, mainly shooting with friends at my home club. Later, after beginning to attend shoots away from home, I thought trap was all about competition, champions, and class and category winners. Over the years that changed. Shooting good scores is still part of the game, but there is much more to trapshooting. Making friends and enjoying the camaraderie of old friends and catching up on family and happenings since the last meeting became the fun part of the shoots I attend.

As this is published, the Grand American is underway or over. As I wrote this, way in advance, I was thinking about and looking forward to walking the east and west vendor rows, seeing pallet upon pallet of shells in the shell house, eating lunch at the various food vendors, walking onto the first post in the first event entered and shooting that first target, and most of all, as mentioned, finding old friends on the trapline. When over, it will be another Grand in the books, and the end of another good year of shooting trap.

Down here in Mississippi, the weather is typically good for shooting year-round. Fall weather is great, winter cold spells occur, but are usually brief and comfortable, warmer temperatures are not far behind. Spring is spectacular, and summer days are usually hot, but many can be tolerable. It is worth a visit to any of our clubs. You will find the Coast Rifle and Pistol Club in Biloxi a fine trapshooting facility in the middle of a Gulf Coast playground. Monthly shoots are always on the calendar, and next year CRPC will host the Mississippi State Shoot. You are sure to have an enjoyable time. Further north is Capitol Gun Club in Jackson, shooting weekly Big 50s and monthly shoots. Plenty of registered targets are available with these shoots. Additionally, there is the Starkville Gun Club and Whitetail Ridge Gun Club in the northern part of the state. Come and shoot with us.

Bill Burke

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

Hello from the Palmetto State!

I’m excited to start this report off featuring a shooting achievement for a South Carolina shooter, Dennis Jones. Dennis has reached the milestone of 100,000 combined targets with 36,950 singles, 37,050 handicap and 26,300 doubles for a current total of 100,300. Dennis began shooting in 1992, with a few year breaks along the way, and he currently shoots out of the Greenville Gun Club. Congratulations, Dennis, on this great achievement.

South Carolina had five shooters attend the Alabama State Shoot May 29-June 1. The shoot started off on Day 1 with heavy downpours, which lasted through the singles and handicap. The rain eased off and gave a break to the shooters for the Event 3 doubles. The rest of the tournament was dry, and the number of shooters increased. Thanks to the Alabama State Trapshooting Association: Tim Hall, Bill Wilbourne Nick Ross and Delegate Wayne Sartwell for a great tournament. Thanks also to Bill and Becky Parson for their Southern hospitality to all of the shooters at the Dixie Trap Club. Trophy winners from South Carolina were Terri Campbell, Randy Knight, Teresa Knight and George Powell. Congratulations to you all.

North Carolina State Shoot, June 4-8, was held at the North Carolina Homegrounds. Thirty-four shooters from South Carolina participated in the shoot. Congratulations to the following South Carolina shooters who were trophy winners: Phil Bagwell, Terri Campbell, Thomas Campbell, Larry Herrman, Jim Holcombe, Kenny Inman, Frank Ketron, Gary Olson, George Powell, Ricard Scholz, Stanley Sparta, Doug Stenback, Kevin Stephens, Chad Taylor and Tammie Wilkins. Thanks to the NCTA Board of Directors: Marty Hill, George Sudderth, Donna Cornett and all of their zone directors for a great shoot.

Tennessee State Trapshooting Association held their state shoot June 6-15 at the Nashville Gun Club. Three shooters from South Carolina braved the two-lane I-40 to make this state shoot. Thanks to the TSTA board: Robin Smith, Richie Bolin, Rick Sweeney, Billy Cook and all of their area directors for a great shoot and the fish fry. Trophy winners were Randy and Teresa Knight.

South Carolina clubs are continuing to host Big 50s and 300-bird events and would love for you to participate.

Hope you all are enjoying the 2025 shooting season and thank you for your support of our sport.

Hope to see you shooting soon.

Teresa Knight

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

Greetings from Tennessee. This will be my initial pilgrimage as a Trap & Field contributor for the great state of Tennessee, so please bear with me. Trap season is in full swing, and I hope everyone is getting around to all the shoots and having a great time. The Grand American is upon us, so it’s time to get with the program.

I would like to congratulate the champions from our Tennessee State Shoot, which was held June 12-15 at the Nashville Gun Club: singles, Cade Harvey, 200; handicap, Jacob Sexton, 97 (23 yards); doubles, Colby Lancaster, 99; HAA and HOA, Caleb Clayton, 392 and 977.

Congrats as well to Kevin Polson, our non-resident singles winner with 200 (and NR HOA and HAA accolades to boot); Henry Winn, doubles, 100; and Aaliyah Thomas, handicap, 98 from 23.

We had a great turnout, and attendance was comparable to last year’s state shoot. Our AIM numbers were down very slightly, but we still had an outstanding event. Congratulations to all the AIM trophy winners.

I would also like to extend kudos to our 2025 Tennessee All-American shooters: Mikayla Dickson, Channing Garrett, Tyler Honnold, Brady Duren and Clayton.

Great job to all who qualified.

Now it’s time for another Grand. Safe travels to all. Good luck, have fun and shoot straight.

Remember, the rulebook is your friend. Please read it.

Mark Cantrell

ATA Delegate

Louisiana

Twelve Louisiana shooters traveled to the Mississippi State Shoot May 22-25. Attendees were Brooks Barnett, Danny Batten, Doyle Brooks, Natalie Brooks, Jim Jenkins, Donny Sanders, Al Sikes, Amie Skipper, Steven Skipper, Thomas Smith, Chuck Traylor and Jaxson Tucker. The weather was very nice with sunshine and cool temperatures. The shoot barely missed the bad storms that moved in Sunday night after everything was over. It was great to see all our friends there. Some of our trophy contenders were:

Thomas Smith: Zeke Yeager Warmup Doubles, AA, 95; Casey Construction Prelim Doubles, winner, 98 plus carryover; Sawyer Real Estate Prelim Singles, AA, 99; Singles Championship, sponsored by SFB Life Insurance, junior gold, 197; Doubles Championship, sponsored by Owens Insurance, winner, 98; HAA, lost AA in shootoff after 382.

Donny Sanders: Casey Construction Prelim Doubles, B, 93; Bob Case Prelim Handicap, long yardage, 94; Sawyer Real Estate Prelim Singles, runnerup, 100 (Go, Donny); Singles Championship, sponsored by SFB Life Insurance, lost senior vet in shootoff after 192; Doubles Championship, sponsored by Owens Insurance, senior vet, 94; Handicap Championship, sponsored by Judge Edwin E Benoist, lost senior vet in shootoff after 89.

Doyle Brooks: Singles Championship, sponsored by SFB Life Insurance, chair, 176; Doubles Championship, sponsored by Owens Insurance, chair, 80; Handicap Championship, sponsored by Judge Edwin E. Benoist, chair, 81; HAA, D, 337.

Steven Skipper: Casey Construction Prelim Doubles, lost D in a carryover.

Congratulations to the above shooters. While the rest of us weren’t in trophy consideration, we still had a great time.

Mill Creek Gun Club held its monthly shoot May 31. A nice little group of 15 participated. Luke Maestrini, Thomas Smith and Chuck Traylor all tied in singles with 98s, followed by Caleb Coody with 97. Good shooting, guys. Handicap honors were taken by Smith with 95 (oh so close to getting that desired punch) followed by Coody with 92. Thomas Smith also took doubles with 97 and left everyone else in the dust.

I attended the Alabama State Shoot May 29-June 1. As always it was great seeing, visiting, and shooting with friends that I don’t get to see often. I had a great time. You might want to put it on your list of states to shoot. Alabama, like Louisiana in our state shoot, was tormented by Mother Nature on Thursday’s handicap and doubles events with heavy liquid sunshine, but thank goodness, the winds were not terrible. For those who haven’t experienced shooting in the rain, it’s quite the effort. Besides just staying dry (yeah to rain gear), the hardest thing is keeping one’s glasses clear. But then drying up one’s gun is needed afterwards too and can be quite the effort. Friday also had some rain during the singles events for mostly one squad. I personally missed these raindrops, but how unlucky that one squad could be.

Mill Creek scheduled a 300 handicap marathon for June 7. Fifteen participants attended, and with four squads required due to yardage constraints, the marathon was cut back to 200 targets. Thomas Smith, gun club manager, had some tree pruning performed around the field, and the background was vastly improved. This club once had a large oak tree adjacent to the field, which provided wonderful shade, but storms had knocked it down. I can tell you it was sorely missed during the shoot with the summer heat and high humidity. Dalton Brooks took high-gun honors during the first event with 94 and received a half-yard punch. He was followed by Thomas Smith breathing down his neck with 93, Jenkins with 92 Avery Dumas and Steven Skipper with 91s. Doyle Brooks, who is breaking in a new gun, had a 90, so it appears that the new gun is doing well. The second event saw Thomas Smith and Jenkins lead the pack with 94s, and they received their half-yard punches. Dalton Brooks and Skipper followed closely with 93s. Dumas was right behind with 92. Several AIM shooters were present, and it was nice to see a couple of the fathers, Wes Tucker and Keith Richmond, join in the shooting. As a reminder, if you hold a handicap marathon, read the rules regarding combining the number of different shooters in multiple events with less than 15 participants to determine the yardage increases. See Section VI, D, 7 in the rules.

Thomas Smith and Steven Skipper traveled far and attended the Illinois State Shoot June 9-16. On Wednesday Thomas won out-state junior gold in Wednesday’s Baker Farms Doubles with 97. On Friday Thomas won out-of-state junior gold in Friday’s Winchester Class Doubles with 99 and non-resident fourth place with 96 in the Illinois Memorial Handicap. The 96 earned Thomas a half-yard punch, which moved him back to the 27-yard line for the first time. Congratulations, Thomas! On Saturday in the White Flyer championship singles, Thomas won non-resident junior gold runnerup with 199. On Sunday Steven won out-of-state D in the championship doubles.

TBMGC held its monthly shoot June 14. With thunderstorms forecast, 15 decided to take the risk and shoot. Cole Maestrini and Jenkins shot the high score in singles with 98s, followed closely by Sanders with 96. Maestrini continued his good shooting in handicap with 93, with Sanders following with 92 and Dumas with 91. The thunderstorms rolled in on the last of the ’caps, and several shooters got soaked. The first squad of doubles missed the storms, but the second had to delay their second 50 while another thunderstorm passed through. Caleb Coody swept in from Arkansas with the storms and blasted a 96 in doubles, with Sanders continuing his good day with 92 and leaving all others far behind. Sanders had an HOA of 280 with Coody right behind him with 279.

Louisiana was represented by 15 shooters at the Arkansas State Shoot in Jacksonville June 18-22 under full summer hot weather. Those in attendance were Thomas Smith, Amie Skipper, Steven Skipper, Sanders, Jenkins, Dumas, Coran Richmond, Keith Richmond, Barnett, Jaxson Tucker, Cole Maestrini, Andy Waldo IV, Chuck Traylor, Lillie Graves and Doyle Brooks. Our Louisiana shooters love to attend Arkansas’ state shoot since it’s close to our homes and Arkansas shooters are like siblings to ours, with so many attending our state shoot. Arkansas has a shot curtain, which contains the shot in a specific area and keeps it from traveling further into an undesired area. This was the first time for several of our shooters seeing a curtain.

Some of our trophy contenders were:

Thomas Smith: Aaron Throckmorton Prelim Doubles, lost junior gold by one target in carryover after 94; Concept Agri Tek Doubles, winner, 97; White Flyer Singles, junior gold, 98; Austin Scrogin Memorial Doubles, junior gold, 98; Doubles Championship, out-of-state winner, 100 straight (This was Thomas’ first 100 straight in doubles.); Singles Championship, junior gold, 198 after a shootoff for high gun; high-over-all, AA, 1,029×1,200.

Donny Sanders: Concept Agri Tek Doubles, B, 92; Remington Handicap, senior vet, 90; White Flyer Singles, senior vet runnerup, 97.

Jim Jenkins: Remington Handicap, vet, 92.

Doyle Brooks: Remington Handicap, chair, 73; White Flyer Singles, chair, 86; Austin Scrogin Memorial Doubles, chair, 78; Doubles Championship, chair, 74; Bella Vista Sportsmans Club Lisle Stevenson Handicap, 58; Singles Championship, chair, 145; Handicap Championship, chair, 76; high-all-around, chair, 295.

Chuck Traylor: White Flyer Singles, vet, 100.

Brooks Barnett: Handicap Championship, sixth, 91.

Congratulations to the winners. I’d say Louisiana was very well represented. Thomas, Donny and Doyle continued their winning streaks. But several others, including Dumas, Barnett and Steven Skipper, shot very good scores that were just out of the money.

So, with his first 100 in doubles, Thomas Smith has two of the three requirements for his ATA Grand Slam. With his recent move to the back fence, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before his grand finale.

I hope everyone got pre-squadded for the Grand with the posts they desired. I personally was waiting at the opening bell to get online and grab the spots I wanted. Oh, how exciting it is in anticipation of attending, seeing all the sights and soaking in that which is the Grand. It’s hard to believe that by the time you are reading this, the Grand will be happening. How the shooting year flies. I’ll have Louisiana’s statistics here in a couple of months.

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.

Jim Jenkins

ATA Delegate

New Mexico

By the time you read this, some of us will be at Sparta for the Grand American. Thanks to all who contributed, donated and volunteered to make our New Mexico State Shoot a remarkable success. Even Mother Nature was good to us this year.

A special thanks to ATA President David Rhoads for traveling far and wide to attend our state shoot and all others in the Zone. It was an immense pleasure to shoot with you.

Here are the state champions: singles, Chase Dobrinski; doubles, Justin Weber; handicap, Aidan Riley; high-all-aound and high-over-all, Dobrinski. For more event winners, please visit our website nmtrap.com for the full list or see the story in this issue.

We congratulated and gave out our State Team trophies with lots of clapping, hooting and hollering to show our praise to the shooters.

Following, we celebrated our Hall of Fame inductees, Justin Weber and Jamie Anderson. Congratulations to both of you. See the great photos on our website at nmtrap.com and their bios in this issue with the New Mexico State Shoot story.

We followed up with a fantastic turnout for the awards on Saturday night’s attendance. Thank you for being part of this record-breaking celebration. At the end of the long shooting day, it is a wonderful way to relax and enjoy everybody’s company.

Another New Mexico fact is that Capulin Volcano is so tall that four states can be seen from the top at 8,000 feet: Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

           Samantha Rainsdon

           ATA Delegate

Missouri

Before you know it, the largest trapshoot of the year, the Grand American, will be here. Where did June go? It began for me working with the best of the best at the U.S. Open^®. For those who have not had the opportunity to work with the ATA staff during the U.S. Open^® or the Grand, you are missing out. These folks really care about the job they do and put forth a tremendous amount of effort to provide the shooters with the best experience possible. The weather was some of the best I can remember, and the scores were as well, along with strong attendance. The ATA staff use this shoot as a shakedown to get ready for the Grand and to test any changes that may be implemented during the Grand. Be sure to thank them for their hard work; they will appreciate it.

For those who have never made the trip to Sparta, IL, in August for the Grand, it should be on your bucket list for this year, if not soon. While the accommodations in and around the Sparta area are limited, there are still places to stay within reasonable distance to go back and forth. Bring your favorite shotgun, and if nothing else, get a few rounds of practice while making the rounds visiting all the vendors. Hope to see you there.

Just a quick update on the status of KCTA. The clubhouse is nearing completion and is expected to be turned over to the club in the near future. Stay tuned for information on the kctraps.com website for more information. I have been in discussions with a couple of smaller clubs in Missouri regarding hosting registered shoots. I don’t want to make any promises that I cannot keep, so I will hold back until a decision has been made by the clubs. Just like a lot of other states, we have fewer clubs throwing registered targets. I have some ideas and would like to hear some of your ideas to get more clubs throwing registered targets. If anyone has anything they would like to have reported on or has any concerns, please contact me at srickett@sbcglobal.net or 816-863-9003.

Shoot often, shoot well and be safe!

           Stephen Ricketts

           ATA Delegate

Oklahoma

Summer has arrived, and trapshooting season is in full swing. Here in Oklahoma, we are happy to have things dry out some; from April to June we received nearly 30 inches of rain. It seems the rainy weather has come to an end, but before you know it, I’m sure we will once again be praying for rain.

Despite all the rains and stormy weather, the 126th Oklahoma State Shoot is now in the past and was indeed a good shoot. As usual the grounds were prepared in top condition. Thanks to shoot management, our staff, SOS Clays and board members, the entire week was smooth. And I must say thanks again this year to our trap help and scorekeepers. They kept the houses loaded, and scorekeeping was the best you’ll find. Our attendance continues to rise, up another 10% this year.

At our annual membership meeting, we recognized All-American Team members and awarded State Team members. Congratulations to all of you; it takes a lot of hard work, dedication and expense to make these teams, keep it up. Also, congratulations to Hall of Fame inductee Jim Black. We appreciate all Jim has done for this sport, the OTSA and local clubs. Take time to read Jim’s Hall of Fame bio. It is impressive. Paul Hightower updated us on our AIM shooters and recognized accomplishments. We truly have some amazing kids in Oklahoma.

Shooting began Tuesday at the OTSA homegrounds, and high scores were posted. Nathan Lemke started the week with a perfect score in singles. Newcomer Rodney Shedd shot well all week, posting solid handicap scores and taking home his share of buckles. Kelly Thacker broke 98 in the Farm Bureau Handicap. Cash Moore crushed a solid 96 in Wednesday’s handicap. In the state Singles Championship Jacob Diller posted a walk-off score of 200. Clay Laughlin was our doubles champion, breaking 99, and Brad Pryor’s 98 earned this year’s handicap crown. Clay was also HOA and HAA champion.

Oklahoma shooters have done well in neighboring state shoots as well this spring/summer. At the Louisianna State Shoot Brad Pryor was runnerup in the Event 2 handicap, breaking 94. Brody Pryor took third in the Event 5 handicap then junior champion in the Sngles Championship with his 195. In Sunday’s Handicap Championship Kooper Pryor broke a third-place score. Brody and Randy Hill were both champions of their category.

Kya Funkhouser dominated her category at the Missouri State Shoot, claiming Lady I HOA. Rylon Arnold posted several perfect scores in singles events at the New Mexico shoot. And Oklahoma shot well at the Kansas shoot again this year. In the Singles Championship, class or category champions were: Clay Laughlin, Pat Stacey, Cam and Kya. In the Doubles Championship John Nicholson posted a 96 and won A class, and after winning his shootoff, Cam took home his class trophy. Sunday’s handicap was a tough game in strong winds, nevertheless Nate Hickey, Rusty Colten, Chance Fleming, Shay Skaggs and Clay all shot well and trophied. Kaden Kennedy and John Nicholson were both HOA winners in their class, and Kya took home Lady I. HAA class or category winners were Rod Oyler, Cam, Shay, Clay and Pat. Very good shooting, Oklahoma!

Thanks again to all who attended our state shoot. I hope to see everyone at the Grand. If anyone has any shooting news, results, shooter accomplishments, milestones, club improvements, upcoming shoots, etc., please call, text or email 918-932-4029 or jtrayer22@hotmail.com.

Jeff Trayer

ATA Delegate

Texas

Howdy from Texas!

I hope everyone has been shooting well.

Amarillo Gun Club wrapped up the final zone shoot in Texas for the 2025 target year in June. Like every other zone shoot, wind was a factor. Despite the wind, the targets were good, and there were some good scores. Congratulations to Cooper Jennings for winning the in-zone HAA title. As usual, the shoot ran smoothly, and it is a good test for the state shoot, which is held there in July. A complete list of the results of this and all other zone shoots from 2025 can be found on the TTA website.

Speaking of Amarillo Gun Club, I hope you have read the article about them in the May edition of Trap & Field. It is a well-written article and tells a lot of the club’s history. It mentions the Panhandle Championship, which is the second longest running ATA shoot in the U.S. behind the Grand American.

I see Texas has been well represented at shoots across the U.S. Many attended neighboring Southwestern Zone state shoots and have been bringing home some hardware.

I would like to encourage everyone to plan on attending the Southwestern Grand in September. It is held at KTA, and, as always, you can plan on good targets and a very well-run shoot. I hope to see everyone there.

If you have anything you would like me to mention in this article, please email me with the details, and I will do my best to share it in the next one. Be sure to visit the TTA website (shoottta.org) to 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’re always glad to help.

Again, thanks for your support, and I will see you at the next one.

Billy Hopson

ATA Delegate

Idaho

Well, the trend seems to be continuing for some of our Idaho shooters. Immediately following the Idaho State Shoot, the Western Grand was held at Vernal, UT. Eleven Idaho shooters departed Pocatello and went straight to that shoot and fairly dominated much of it. Again, it was our young shooters who carried the load.

Bruce Bradley, a junior from northern Idaho, won both the Doubles and Handicap Championships. He also won the HAA with a 397×400. In the HOA he took junior, just one target out of first place, with 1,075. In addition, he had several 100 straights, one in singles and two in doubles. All in all he took at least seven trophies.

Blake McCuthcheon, also a junior from southern Idaho, smoked 200 clays in the Singles Championship. While he didn’t win in the shootoff, he still took the junior trophy home.

Now, remember a young man named Weston Andersen? Another junior shooter. I wrote about him a few times. He’s technically not an Idaho shooter, but he lives less than two miles inside the Oregon border. His home gun club is in Idaho, so we consider him one of our family. He travels and shoots with the Bradley family a lot. Well, he was also on top of the leader board for both adult and junior categories. He finished just two targets behind Bruce in the HOA.

Between Bruce, Blake and Weston (again, all juniors), they all held positions in the top 10 of 239 shooters in the HOA. Unbelievable! Idaho is proud of these guys.

Also worth mentioning, at this shoot, Weston hit 100 straight from the back fence. A few weeks later at the Utah State Shoot (also at Vernal), he completed his ATA Grand Slam by popping a perfect score in the doubles.

That’s all for now.

Leonard Wehking

ATA Delegate

Nevada

A rare phenomenon greeted the 30 or so shooters who participated in the First Sunday shoot at the Clark County Shooting Complex (CCSC) May 4. For the first time in recent memory, shooters competed in the rain. However, rain and wind aside, shooters posted some great scores. Joe Hanley won the handicap with 44. Hanley and Ken James didn’t let the rain bother them in the singles, as both left only one target for 49s. Always tough shooters Carlos Francisco Rodriguez and William Hare topped the doubles with 42. Shooters appreciated Tracey Petrisko and husband Mike coming all the way from Arizona to cashier the shoot.

A week later, shooters tested their yardage skills, May 10-11, as the Nevada State Trapshooting Association (NSTA) held the annual 500-target Spring Handicap. Five handicap events of 100 targets each challenged shooters at their respective assigned yardage. Blue skies, warm temperatures,and manageable winds greeted shooters for the Spring Handicap. Greg Holden bested shooters with a 91 to win Event 1. Joe Hanley won Event 2 with 93. Melvin Tabion topped Event 3 with 94. Jack Wang was high in Event 4 and the HOA. Colorado 27-yarder Scott J. Obenchain won Event 5 with 91. In addition to lots of great shooting, several fun milestones were achieved and celebrated during the Spring Handicap. Russ Roberts got inches away from a personal goal of attaining 200,000 registered ATA targets at the Spring Handicap. His friends decided to mark the occasion with a cake party. Russ will achieve the 200K mark very soon. Along with the cake party, two shooters achieved their first 25 straight during the Spring Handicap. William Hare and Juan Rodriguez both hammered all 25 for the first time. Congratulations to both on their achievements.

Later in the month, shooters competed for the coveted Race for the Buckle points in the NSTA sponsored Big 50. Natalie Nishio-Chang and Leila Tabion both had just one error and posted 49s to win the singles race. In doing so, Natalie broke her first-ever 25 straight. Kevin A. Allen and Brandon Buchholz each broke 47s to garner top handicap honors. Both received a one-yard punch for their efforts. Danny Talbot and Jon Slinker smashed 46 windy doubles to win Event 3.

This month we look back at another great Nevada gun club of the past, the Las Vegas Gun Club (LVGC). The LVGC was known throughout the years, until its closing in 2009, as the Flamingo/Sahara/Mint/Landmark, and finally, the Las Vegas Gun Club. LVGC is fondly remembered by many shooters as “the old club.” The LVGC opened around 1950 and operated for almost 60 years under the various names mentioned above. The club was located near Floyd Lamb Park in northwest Las Vegas. The facility offered a full bar and restaurant and threw excellent targets. Casinos owned and operated several of the major gun clubs in Nevada from the 1950s to 1980s, the LVGC location being one of them. LVGC was a major destination for local and out-of-town shooters from its beginning in the 1950s until 2009, when it closed. I was fortunate to attend many shoots at the old LVGC throughout the years, starting back when it was known as the Mint Gun Club. The shoots were big events with big money, cars given as prizes, salmon bakes, raucous shooter auctions and more. Options and purses paid well. I recall my squadmate winning $600 for a 25 straight during one blustery Mid-Winter tournament. We all had a nice dinner on that 25. Some of the big shoots, such as the Mid-Winter tournament, saw more than 800 shooters compete. At one point, the club had 30 trap fields, although that was reduced to about 15 fields in later years to accommodate a sporting clays layout. As an example of the money shooters vied for at those shoots, below is a program from the 1977 Nevada State Shoot, held at the LVGC, then known as the Mint Gun Club. Notice that $20,000 open added money was available. If we put $20K in 1977 into a valuation calculator for 2025, we see that the added money today would be an astounding $140,000. Targets were $12.50 per hundred at the 1977 state shoot. Of course, hotel and casino sponsorship of the shoots made those numbers possible.

Steve Carmichael, current director of the Clark County Shooting Complex, took over management of LVGC in 1990, until it closed in 2009, largely due to residential encroachment. When Steve took over the LVGC, he was no stranger to trapshooting. By then, Steve had been an All-American 13 times, he had won the Grand American High-All-Around three years and had been on the U.S. Army Shooting Team from 1967 to 1970. Under Steve’s direction, the club achieved the very difficult task of being an international trapshooting destination, and at the same time, catering to hundreds of local shooters. For example, the weekly trap league often boasted 70 teams. The LVGC was a great gun club and is missed by many. The LVGC legacy is seen in the successful shotgun leagues and registered tournaments held today throughout Nevada.

Speaking of big shoots with lots of money to be won, a reminder that the 77th Nevada State Trapshooting tournament is coming up the end of October. Time to secure camping spots and hotel rooms is now. They are going fast. You don’t want to miss this shoot.

See nvtrap.com for details.

Until next time, let’s remember it’s a game.

Have fun out there.

           Danny Talbot

           ATA Delegate

 

Utah

Since we last talked, Spanish Fork held its annual Memorial Day Shoot. There was great weather for a change at this shoot, quite often on Memorial Day weekend in Utah, with rain, sleet, snow and wind. There was a good turnout, and the scores were satisfactory.

Next came the Western Grand in Vernal. As I have said numerous times, Sean and Stacy Hawley do a great job of running a shoot. Sean will provide you with the best targets he possibly can under the current weather conditions. As in Spanish Fork, the weather was good. In the afternoons, there would be the occasional thunderstorm move in from the south/west and create challenging winds. There was a stretch of rain one afternoon for about 30 minutes that put a damper on a few scores.

There were shooters from 24 states and one Canadian province. Utah had a good showing in the winner’s circle. The groups that shone from Utah were the Lady I and II categories. Lady I stars were Leslie Hight, Madi Scott and Shalako Gunter. Shalako won the Lady I singles title with 199 and 75 extras.

Madi shot several personal best scores during the week (doubles), and she earned three punches in handicap events for scores of 95, 96 and 96. She received a scholarship to Missouri Valley College in Marshall, MO. Her scores have increased significantly over the last year—way to go, Madi.

Lady II stars were Pam Wright and Jackie Love. Pam led her category numerous times, while Jackie won the Lady II handicap championship.

Next came the Tooele Gun Club annual shoot. The weather was very warm and a little breezy. Turnout was good, and scores were also good.

On a sad note, Bill Martin of Vernal passed away at home on May 26. Bill has been a significant supporter of trapshooting in Utah as well as in many other states and one Canadian province. Rest in peace, Bill.

Ed Wehking

ATA Delegate

Washington

As I’m writing, June is almost gone. The Washington State Shoot starts tomorrow, and the weather looks promising with forecasts of temperatures not to exceed 90. That might sound too warm, but it’s better than 100. Shooters started rolling in today, and we are confident the next four days will result in a successful 2025 edition of the WSTA Championships. Of course it is eastern Washington which means we will have periods of “slight breeze.”

Coulee City, Marlin and Colton clubs have all had successful shoots leading up to this weekend in Walla Walla. Othello Rod and Gun Club has held their annual shoot as well. By the time you read this, the Western Zone will be behind us and some of our Evergreen State shotgunners will be on their way to the Grand American. Washington has made quite a mark on the Grand trophy list in recent years, and we hope the trend continues.

I’d like to share with you some of my favorite things about the day before a state shoot. One thing is everyone coming together and starting to see the fruits of their labor start to take shape. This is especially true for WSTA director Shara Green, as she just finished the cherry harvest on her farm and is starting to prepare for the pear crop to be ready. We also get time to visit with some folks we may not have seen for a year. Those of us who have been around awhile rehash tales from shoots past. “Remember when Bob broke the 100 from the back fence and didn’t buy the magnum option?” “How about the time Bill broke 99 in the championship doubles only to have a 100 come in on the last squad?” Of course stories about hot years, rainy years and the previously mentioned “breezy” shoot are always brought up. We also take the time to remember those who aren’t with us anymore. If a trapshooter takes nothing else away from decades of involvement in our sport, there will be great memories and lifelong friendships.

A big shout-out is due to our sponsors. We have had some great new contributors to our program this year and some more than generous donations for out silent auction. These are very much appreciated. Please support these sponsors and let them see some return on their investment.

I’m sure there will be some exciting news from the state shoot in the next installment. I might even have to include some highlights from our first annual cornhole tournament

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

WSTA Director

Wyoming

Summer has arrived, 92º in Wyoming is just a little too warm for me. I hope everyone had a great state shoot. I’ll post the winners next month.

Congratulations to Glen Helling on reaching 50,000 singles. Congratulations to John Harris on attaining 25,000 handicap targets and to Paul Piaia on reaching 50,000 doubles. All are great milestones.

I would invite any of the Wyoming shooters who would like to submit ideas or an article for this section to email them to me, and I’ll see what we can do.

Ron Miller

           ATA Delegate