Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces.

The Highland Gun Club in Nova Scotia, hosted another great Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot over the Labor Day weekend. Fifty-one shooters from Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Florida and New Jersey attended the four-day, 800-target competition. The weather cooperated nicely, and shooters had near-perfect shooting conditions for the entire tournament.

As is normally the case, club volunteers kept shooters fed very well. The lunch menu included haddock, lobster, swordfish, venison burgers, seafood chowder, rappie pie (traditional Acadian dish) and deli sandwiches for those with more modest taste buds. Scallops, smoked herring, fresh Ontario corn and clams were on the mid-afternoon snack menu. And for those with a sweet tooth, a selection of homemade cookies and muffins were baked fresh every day that would rival any bakery. And the ice cream treats from the local ice cream shop were amazing.

Congratulations to Troy Coldwell for another great shoot, winning the doubles, handicap, HAA and HOA championships. In the Singles Championship, Doug Blades edged Coldwell by one target to claim the provincial title. The pair swapped places in the doubles, with Blades claiming the runnerup spot.

In the Handicap Championship, Stephane Benard of Quebec took open champion with 94. Troy Coldwell and Jamie Leblanc tied for resident champion with 92s. Coldwell’s shootoff win gave him the Handicap Championship and puts him back on the 27-yard line. Leblanc was handicap runnerup.

Complete shoot results are available on www.shootatlantic.com.

AP secretary Janaya Nickerson and I met New Jersey shooters Jim Lavelle and Kolleen Adams at the Canadian Trapshooting Championships in Hamilton, ON, earlier in the summer. Janaya suggested to Jim and Kolleen that they consider attending the Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot. “You’ll have a great time,” Janaya told them. Jim and Kolleen shared a few emails with us before our shoot, and they were all set to attend.

I told Jim that we’re all friends here and that they should make themselves feel at home. And that they did. The American flag was proudly flown, and Jim and Kolleen wore big smiles for the duration of the shoot. It was also great seeing the pair striking up conversations with new people every time I saw them. Thanks for attending, Jim and Kolleen. You’re welcome back any time.

Jim and Kolleen also won a couple of awards for their shooting. Jim placed fourth in the APTA Preliminary Handicap, and Kolleen won open Lady II in the Singles Championship.

As I was writing this month’s article, I received an email and letter from Jim and Kolleen. Apparently, we made a bigger impression on them than I thought. Thank you, Jim and Kolleen, for your kind words. Their letter is full of thanks, praise and heartwarming remarks for everyone who made their visit to the Atlantic Provinces memorable and a little easier. Their letter also reminded me of something my buddy Pete told me a long time ago. You treat people the way you want to be treated.

The 2026 Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot returns to the St. John’s Rod and Gun near Holyrood, NL, next year Sept. 3-6. We won’t have rappie pie, but we will have fish stew, savory moose dishes, deli sandwiches and of course put on a well-run shoot with great targets.

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, all.

I hope you are all enjoying the warm weather we have had this early fall. Fairfield County Fish and Game hosted on Sept. 7, with Dave Bicknell breaking a perfect straight to take the singles event. Randy Fairchild and Jim LaFrance were right there with scores of 99. Fairchild held the high-gun score of 97 in the handicap.

The Fin Fur and Feather Club held a tournament Sept. 14, where Bicknell was the lone straight in the singles again followed by five scores of 98 from Brandon Goldhammer, Russell Gann, Scott Lydem, John Russo and Kevin Conroy. The handicap high of 96 was posted by Jim LaFrance, with Kevin Conroy breaking 94.

The Margolis Memorial Shoot was held by the Hartford Gun Club Sept. 21, with Antonio Lobo claiming the singles award with a perfect run. Gary Hoysradt followed with 99. Matthew Kinney was the handicap winner with 94. While no one hit the CTA Handicap mid-50 this season, many came so close. It will be exciting to see what happens next season as it grows. It has been a great season and congratulations to all the winners, participants and clubs who worked so hard to make the experiences great.

It is with much sadness that all of the New England shooting family lost a fine lady of our sport with the passing of Barbara Jaye. Barbara was cashier for many of the shoots, and her warmth, kindness and grace will be so missed. My thoughts and prayers to her husband Mike and family.

As always, if you have anything you wish for me to share in this letter, I would love to hear from you at www.cap145@yahoo.com.

Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving!

Cheryll Pittera

ATA Delegate

New York

Hello from New York. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the cooler weather.

The 40th annual Northeastern Grand American, which was held Sept. 3-7 is now history. The weather, for the most part, cooperated.

Herbert Lewis was the singles champion with 199 and a shootoff with Dennis Bobbette and John Kirksey. Dennis was runnerup, and John was sub-veteran champion.

During the Doubles Championship, Nickolas Gibbs was champion with 95, and Jonathan Hannahoe was runnerup with 92. In the Handicap Championship, Peter Brissette was high gun with 92 plus shootoff with Dennis Bobbette, who was runnerup.

Finally, Gibbs was the high-all-around and high-over-all champion with 380×400 and 941×1,000. All trophy winners can be viewed on the New York State ATA website and in Trap & Field Magazine.

During the annual meeting of the New York State ATA on Sept. 4, elections were held. Robert Oswald was reelected as president, Cathy Flint as secretary, and Cam Zuller as treasurer. In the western zone, Chris McEwen is the vice president, and directors are Tom Walter, Brenden Backus and Forrest Davies. In the central zone, Chris Pollichemi is vice president, and directors are Wayne Wilcox, Brian Luther and Mike Rice. Finally, in the eastern zone, Sal Schiavo is vice president, and directors are Vince Barranco, Percy Carabello and one other director to be filled later. Jonathan Karp remains as legal counsel.

During the New York State Shoot in July, Todd Hosbach and Dennis Bobbette were reelected as ATA Alternate Delegates, and I remain as ATA Delegate.

The New York State ATA Board of Directors would like to thank all those who helped during the tournament. Thanks to Ray Greb, Don Neilson and Aaron Pollack for handling classification. Thanks to the other ATA Eastern Zone Delegates and Alternates, along with volunteers, for handling shootoffs. Thanks to Vince Valois for handling trap mechanic duties. Thanks to Mary Zuller for taking care of the kitchen, Michelle McEwen and Terri Oswald for handling the trophy counter and Don Rada and his staff for managing squadding and cashiering. As always, thanks to ATA treasurer Wayne Morris and Joyce Morris for the shootoff computations and guidance and the trap line personnel.

To be inducted into the New York State ATA Hall of Fame during the state shoot next July will be New York State ATA secretary Cathy Flint plus Bob Griffin.

Congratulations to New York State ATA Board of Director Brenden Backus for registering his first 100 straight in singles during the Livingston County Trap League ATA Roadrunner Marathon Sept. 13. Brenden posted the 100 at Mumford Sportsman’s Club. Well done, Brenden!

Some target attainments to mention: James Dries and Tom Gersitz have registered 25,000 handicap targets. James Sepenoski has registered 25,000 singles targets.

To all, please have a happy Thanksgiving holiday to you and your families.

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 me 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.

I would like to congratulate our junior gold shooter Chris Tsementzis, who was Ontario’s only All-American for accomplishments during the recently completed target year.

Our Ontario registered targets were higher than most of us can remember. Having three point shoots helped a great deal—our OPTA Championships, the Canadians and the first ever Eastern Zone satellite shoot.

What the upcoming year participation numbers will be is anyone’s guess. I have talked to Delegates south of the border who tell me people in their state are still shooting but much less, and there is trending toward Big 50s and non-registered small competitions and practice. That will probably be the same in Ontario. Shooting has become very expensive; the economy and financial situation is uncertain, and in Ontario, many people are worried about keeping their jobs. The impact of tariffs is hitting some people very hard. There are some financial analysts who predict that Canada and U.S. may be in for a recession. I hope they are wrong. Several indicators do concern me, however. Personal debt levels have risen, and default on loans is on the rise. I have friends in the automotive industry (car dealerships) who tell me the cost of vehicles is higher than they have ever seen, and people, even with bad credit, can finance them with little down with little chance of being able to pay for them. That is only one indicator.

My shooting has been in the toilet for a couple of years now. I used to be a AAA-27-AAA shooter, who for many years was hard to beat. No longer and probably the biggest factor is chronological advancement. For the last few months, I have been cleaning out my pole barn. I have literally hundreds of trophies that were meaningful to me when I won them, but nobody wants them—not family, not friends, not staff. They won’t even take them at the local thrift center, charitable outlets—nobody. Consequently, I had little choice but to take them to the landfill site—hundreds of them. It is for this reason that I have been a strong advocate of trophies that have intrinsic value. Nobody is going to refuse to take silver coins or wafers—they have everlasting value.

The late great Leo Harrison III is reported to have melted down his pewter trophies and sold pewter. Nobody wanted the trophies. We can’t blame the trophy suppliers; they pay a sponsorship amount to the ATA with the expectation they will be able to provide trophies for ATA events. The quality of trophies is not what they used to be. When I first started shooting, trophies, for example, Americases and other expensive items were common. But what do we expect? We now have trophies for all the classes and categories as well as champion, etc. For those who have won very few trophies, they probably love it and likely display it. But after a while, you may display a few, and the rest get stored, and unfortunately, sooner or later, they probably end up in the landfill. Again, intrinsic value trophies are in my opinion best.

When I enter competitions, I always declare AAA-27-AAA, even though my scores reflect significantly lower classes. Why do I do this? For me, I have won so many AAA-27-AAA trophies that a trophy in a lower class would not be meaningful to me, and I would be depriving a shooter in that class who would appreciate winning a trophy. I guess the way I look at it, I would rather not win a trophy at all than get one I wouldn’t want. Maybe I will be back on track at the top class, but hope springs eternal.

When I attended the 2025 Trapshooting Hall of Fame induction dinner, I was approached by the selection committee and told I would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2026. I was humbled. Obviously, my selection was based on the shooter I once was, not the shooter I now am. It is quite an honor to be recognized as a member of this prestigious group, and I truly appreciate it.

Good shooting to all of you in the new target year!

Paul Shaw

ATA Delegate

Alabama

Before you know it, Thanksgiving will be here.

I hope each and every one of you will have a great time together with family and friends.

Shooting is starting to slow down across the country, so if you can’t make it to a big shoot, get out and support your smaller clubs.

Joke of the month: An older couple stayed at each other’s throats ever since they got married. The neighbors heard every minute of their arguing back and forth. The husband was heard almost every day telling his wife that when he died, he was going to haunt her for the rest of her life.

At the age of 98, the old man died. At the end of the funeral, the neighbors still worried about the wife and what her now deceased husband used to tell her. A group of the neighbors approached the widow woman and asked her if she worried about what he used to tell her. The wife said, with a little smirk on her face, “No, I’m not worried. I buried him upside down and pointed him in the right direction!”

Word of the month: Give up to be: Generally conceded to be. “He’s give up to be the crookedest lawyer in the whole state of Mississippi.”

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 or AAA and 27-yard line status.

Year-end stuff

Florida members of the All-American Team: Lady II first, Lorrie Bumsted Valois; junior first, Cody Meredith; sub-veteran first team captain Carl Chadwell; senior veteran second, Mark Zauhar; and chairshooter, John Ent Jr.

The Florida State Teams have been calculated, but you will have to wait. (I might be able to be bribed.)

Florida had no 20K targets (or more) shooters this year.

2025 Gun Club Fund winner: Imperial Polk Gun Club.

Miami Dade Shooting and Sport Club are ATA members again. Check shootata.com for shoot dates.

Fellow Fugarwees, we are getting the tribe back together. Please email me your info, so I can get in touch with you about the Fugarwee Pow Wow and golf scramble at Silver Dollar. If you are a current member and have not picked up your hat, you have one waiting.

Funny stuff (to me anyway):

I heard a kid at the gun range say he shot a man with a paintball gun just to watch him “dye!”

Do gun manuals have a troubleshooting section?

A joke doesn’t become a joke until it is full “groan!” and lastly, I have a chicken proof lawn, “it is impeccable.”

More better stuff next month.

AtA Bylaw:

Section VI The ATA Handicap System

1. Reviews
2. Assigned yardage increases
3. A member may appeal an assigned yardage increase by writing to the ATA office, to the attention of the Executive Director, after having shot 500 targets at the assigned yardage. After receiving a reduction based on such an appeal, for any further reduction, 1,000 additional registered handicap targets must be shot.
4. There will be no yardage increase by shooter request beyond 25 yards. Subsequent to a shooter receiving a requested increase in yardage, he/she will be ineligible for normal 1,000-target review reductions below that yardage assignment for a period of two years from the date the yardage was assigned.
5. The only persons authorized to increase a member’s handicap yardage are member(s) of the Central Handicap Committee or voting member(s) of the Executive Committee. A Delegate may recommend a yardage increase on behalf of the shooter; however, it must be approved by a voting member of the Executive Committee or a member of the Central Handicap Committee.

Mike Reynolds

ATA Delegate

Kentucky

At the time of this writing, a new target year has begun. Be sure to keep in mind any category changes that have occurred now that the target year has changed. There are several local and regional shoots going on throughout the fall months, so be sure to head out and support your local club while meeting this year’s target requirements.

This year 11 Kentuckians made the All-American teams, with Keith Ditto, Herbert Lewis, Andrew Tilford, Andre Veazey, Maverick McClure, Wyatt Keller, Jack Holland, Trey Wilburn, Kevin Polson, Robert Dyer and Clayborn Hunter Jr. all placing in their respective categories. Congratulations to all.

As always, good luck and safe travels over the next month.

           Jack Holland

For ATA Southern Zone Vice President Dan Ryan

Mississippi

Do Trap Machines Dream of Throwing Hard Lefts?

This title is a takeoff from a science fiction book written by Philip K. Dick titled, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” If that doesn’t sound familiar, it was made into the movie “Blade Runner.” In the movie, androids had become almost human.

So what does this sci-fi story have to do with trapshooting? Nothing except my amusing thought that there are android trap machines in the bunkers that always seem to know what post I’m on, especially throwing hard lefts and rights when I’m on the corners. This happened recently at a state shoot, when on Post 1, the fanatical machine threw me five hard lefts in a row, followed by two more on Post 2 just for more irritation. In a shootoff at this year’s Grand, leading by a target, my last five targets were all hard left angles. Luckily I broke all five, but it confirmed that perhaps there are android trap machines down in those bunkers.

In many conversations about shooting trap, when talking about missing targets, the subject often moves to the hard angles. Sometimes it’s a screamer to the left or right, sometimes just a lazy move to the target, sometimes it surprises because despite your best effort, your mind lets a little thought slip in, and concentration drifts away. The last one is what sometimes gets me, concentration and focus.

These lapses have made me work on focus, mind in the game, concentrate, see the target, shoot the target. Focus, I think, is much of the difference between the good scores at the top of the scoreboard and ones below. Working on this at my home club, I’ve begun to start on Post 1 to sharpen focus from the start and develop a positive, determined mindset that I will hit every target. Being afraid of missing is trouble from the start. Focus on every target, keep the distractions out, and each target becomes a little time “in the zone.”

Thinking further about technology, androids and the increasing use of artificial intelligence, will they be useful to trapshooters? How will the future trap field look in the future?

Congratulations to Joy Hollis from Mississippi. It’s been a good year for Joy. She was recognized in July for shooting her 100,000th target and most recently selected for the 2026 All-American Lady II second team. Way to go, Joy! We are proud of you and love your tomato gravy.

In October, the Coast Rifle and Pistol Club in Biloxi will have had their Fall Classic shoot. Over the years it has become a “classic,” a very nice shoot. Stand by for the scores in next month’s article. Additionally, CRPC throws registered targets on the third Saturday of each month.

Capitol Gun Club in Jackson throws registered targets every Thursday and the first Saturday of each month. Other clubs in Mississippi throwing targets are Starkville and Whitetail Ridge clubs.

Come shoot with us. Our winter weather is usually mild, and you’re sure to receive a warm welcome.

Bill Burke

ATA Delegate

North Carolina

Well, shooters, it looks like another summer has come and gone. By the time you read this, fall will be in its full colors. More than likely the Dixie Grand will be over, and those of you who travel will be looking forward to either the Nevada State Shoot or the Autumn Grand in Tucson.

Because of the business relationship I have with so many clubs across the country, we are finding that shooting practice is way down at most clubs. Understanding that the cost of ammunition and targets, not to mention groceries, has gone higher in the past couple years, it’s no wonder that people are shooting a bit less. However, I do encourage you to support your local clubs. By volunteering and helping out, you can reduce the cost of labor and keep the cost of shooting down.

For those of you who participated in the Dixie Grand American, we thank you for coming, and hopefully you all had a good time. Thankfully, no hurricanes this year.

Bob Schultz

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

Hello from the Palmetto State!

Fall is an exciting time of year, and I’m sure we are all looking forward to cooler weather, football and the beginning of our 2026 shooting year. Make sure you start the 2026 shooting year off on the right foot by reviewing the revised ATA Rules, By Laws, Policies and other Shooter Information booklet and that you are aware of any changes enacted for 2026.

I’m excited to recognize a South Carolina shooter for the achievement of combined 100,000 target attainment, Thomas Campbell Sr. Thomas began shooting in 2004 and currently shoots primarily out of Spartanburg Gun Club. Congratulations on this achievement, Thomas.

South Carolina had five shooters attend the 2025 Hog Heaven Fall Festival Sept. 18-21 in White Pine, TN. South Carolina shooters who won trophies at the shoot were Terri Campbell and Bill Patterson. Congratulations to both of you for representing South Carolina so well.

The 2026 shooting year has begun, and I hope you all will get out and shoot at your local clubs. South Carolina clubs are continuing to host Big 50s and 300-bird events and would love for you to participate. Thank you all for your support of our sport.

I hope to see you shooting soon.

Teresa Knight

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

Salutations from Tennessee!

Fall is upon us, and we are staring down the barrel of winter. Many folks will be taking to the woods and waters to pursue their favorite wild game species. For those of you who use your shotguns for things other than clay targets, good luck and be safe out there.

The 2026 All-American team members have been announced, and we would like to congratulate the Tennessee shooters who made the list. Your hard work and commitment to the sport have paid off.

Here are the 2026 Tennessee All-Americans: Mikayla Dickson, Lady 1 second; Channing Garrett, sub-junior captain; Cade Harvey, sub-junior first; Clint Parson, junior second; and Tyler Honnold, junior gold first.

Congrats to all, and here’s to hoping to see you all there again next year!

Rumor has it that one of our own had the highest average for one discipline of all ATA members for the 2025 season. I would like to congratulate Caleb Clayton for leading the pack with the highest singles average in the country for 2025 with a .9969. This is an outstanding accomplishment and certainly deserves to be called out . . . way to go, Caleb!

For those of you who are starting to plan your travel for the 2026 season, here are the state shoot dates for the Southern Zone: Florida, March 17-22; Georgia, April 23-26; South Carolina, April 29-May 3; Mississippi, May 21-24; Alabama, May 28-31; North Carolina, June 3-7; Tennessee, June 11-14; Kentucky, July 1-5; Virginia, July 1-5; and West Virginia, July 8-12.

Also, another shoot to note, the Florida Trap Association will hold the 36th annual Fall Championship shoot at the Silver Dollar Shooters Club in Odessa, FL, Nov. 7-9. This might be a good opportunity to enjoy some warmer weather and break a few targets.

Well, that about wraps it up for this month. I hope everyone has a few shooting opportunities before the weather really gets cold. Shoot when you can; it certainly can’t hurt!

Remember, the rulebook is your friend. Read it, please!

Mark Cantrell

ATA Delegate

Louisiana

Mill Creek Gun Club added an additional shoot on Aug. 30 to finish out the 2024-2025 shoot year. Thirteen showed up on Labor Day weekend to shoot 100 doubles and 200 handicap followed by an Annie Oakley. MCGC enjoys mixing up the target mix to allow shooters to get needed targets. Caleb Ezernack took doubles honors with an 87 during a windy event. Jim Jenkins followed with an 86 and Cole Maestrini with 85. Dalton Brooks and Jenkins tied for the top spot in the first handicap with 91s. Maddox Schulte and Thomas Smith were breathing down their necks with 90s. Smith and Brooks led the field in the second handicap with 93s followed by Schulte with 89. Three rounds of Annie Oakley were shot, and what a blast that was. We were all laughing at the shots by the end.

And just like that, we’re in a new shoot year . . .

Louisiana is proud to announce the selection of Doyle Brooks as an eight-time All-American and Thomas Smith as a second-time All-American. Congratulations to both of you on this great accomplishment.

TBMGC hosted the first Louisiana shoot of the new year on Sept. 13 with 18 shooters in attendance. It was hot for September with nary a breeze to help. Caleb Coody swooped in from Arkansas and posted a perfect 100 in singles. What a great way to start a new year. Donny Sanders continued his good shooting with 99, and Jim Jenkins posted a 97. Sanders blew the competition away with a 95 in handicap. Thomas Smith followed with a 93 and Mike Lawler with 92. Coody took top honors in doubles with 94 followed by Jenkins with 89. Thanks to all the people who helped score and load the houses. Shoots would be much harder to run without your efforts.

MCGC hosted their first shoot of the new year and their last shoot of the calendar year on Sept. 20. Brooks Barnett smoked the competition in singles with 95 followed by Mitchell Lemley with 88 and Steven Skipper with 85. Barnett continued his winning ways in ’caps with a 95, and Lemley followed with 92. Lemley and Skipper tied for top score with 87s in doubles, with Lemley winning the coin flip. Dalton Brooks followed with an 85.

It’s now November, and it’s a wonderful time of the year in Louisiana. This is one of my favorite months. I’ve enjoyed a few fires in my fireplace, which is good for my soul. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which is by far my favorite holiday of the year. All the hunters are in full swing with both deer and duck seasons in full blast. I hope you will give thanks on the big day for your families and friends as well that we here have the opportunity to enjoy this chosen sport of ours.

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 LA that host registered shoots.

Jim Jenkins

ATA Delegate

Missouri

Out with the 2025 target year and in with 2026. Most set goals for the next year in January when we trapshooters should begin much sooner with the new target year beginning Sept. 1. State Teams, All-American Teams, or is your goal to shoot better than last year?

Good news for those of you who have shot at KCTA in the past, the doors are open, and targets are in the air after a long year-and-a-half hiatus following the tornado damage. The first registered shoot in nearly two years on Aug. 30 brought 80 shooters to kick off registered shooting again. Thanks to the KCTA staff for their work making this happen in a short amount of time after getting possession of the clubhouse and grounds again.

Kansas Trapshooters Association hosted the Southwestern Grand Sept. 8-14 with many great scores posted. There were 25 shooters from Missouri who made the trip to the KTA, with 11 shooters winning a total of 44 trophies during the tournament. Thanks to the KTA staff for all their hard work putting on this shoot.

MTA Gun Club in Linn Creek hosted the MYSSA Fall Classic on Saturday, Sept. 27 with 508 entries in the trap portion and 120 shooters who shot the sporting clays event. Needless to say, it was a busy day, along with getting ready for the upcoming Fall Handicap. Check back next month for the results; there should be some really great scores posted with the weather forecast of nearly perfect weather. 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. NKJV 1Thessalonians 5:15—See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for both yourselves and for all.

Shoot often, shoot well and be safe!

Stephen Ricketts

ATA Southwestern Zone Vice President

Oklahoma

ATA trapshooting has completed another shooting year, and another has begun. I hope everyone met goals and have set new ones. According to the scores I’ve seen posted, I assume many of you were satisfied with last year’s accomplishments. Several Oklahoma shooters closed the shooting year at the Heartland Grand. In the Event 9 doubles, Shelby Skaggs broke 99 for Lady I champion. In the Event 12 singles, Tad Nicholson posted a perfect score and finished AA winner after shootoff. In the same event, John Nicholson captured his class trophy with 99. In the Singles Championship, Skaggs was Lady I champion, and she received HAA and HOA honors. Randy Hill was winner in his class in the Singles Championship and class HAA and HOA as well.

A few weeks later, Oklahoma started the new shooting year at the Southwestern Grand at the KTA. Tom Richey was there and shot well. He posted some good scores and brought home trophies. It’s always good to see Tom at the shoots. In the Caesar Guerini Prelim Handicap, Michael Gates crushed 96 for junior high gun. In the Doubles Championship, David Bacon II broke 96, winning A class. Mike Goold was vet runnerup in Sunday’s handicap after breaking 96. Goold also received HAA and HOA honors in his class.

Congratulations to all 2026 All-American team members! Ten Oklahoma shooters earned their spot on a team. Shelby Skaggs and Kya Funkhouser both earned their places on the Lady I first team; Shay Skaggs, Lady I second; Michael Gates, junior first; Kaden Kennedy, junior second; Clay Laughlin, junior gold first; Pat Stacey, sub-vet first; Randy Hill, sub-vet second; Ron Bliss, veteran first; and Stanley Crawford, senior vet second. Good shooting, Oklahoma! Also, congratulations to all Oklahoma State Team members. They have been selected and posted on our website. Congratulations, David Bacon II, Jim Waite and Shelby Skaggs. Each attained a combined total of 100,000 ATA targets. Also congratulations to Tom Richey on attaining 25,000 doubles targets, Stanley Crawford on attaining 75,000 doubles targets and Corbin Grybowski on attaining 50,000 handicap targets. The ATA and the OTSA appreciate your dedication to this game. Keep on shooting!

Jeff Trayer

ATA Delegate

Texas

Howdy from Texas!

I hope everyone is shooting well.

First, I would like to congratulate 10 of our Texas shooters who made All-American for 2026: Jake Hamm, open second; Jennifer Rutger, Lady I second; Yanni-Mai Gaddy, Lady II first; Patricia Todd, Lady II second; Jerri Webb, Lady II second; Mike Whitaker, sub-veteran first; Billy Hopson, sub-veteran second; Jeff Webb, veteran second; Marvin Allbright, Jr., senior vet second; and Larry Tagtmeyer, senior vet second. Great shooting!

I also need to mention the three Texas shooters who made the “20K Mega Target Member” list. The top Texas shooter was Ronald Todd with 22,650 registered targets in 2025. Just behind him is Yanni-Mai Gaddy with 22,600 and Patricia Todd finished with 20,100 targets.

Texas Zone 5 shoot was held the first weekend in September at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio. We had some extreme heat on Friday, then some strong winds on Saturday with some rain and a lot of rain on Sunday. Steve Dusek took the in-zone singles title, and Darin Clawson took out-of-zone champion, each with 199. In the doubles, Hagen Weber took zone honors with 97, and Trent Melton won out-of-zone after a three-way shootoff with Darin Clawson and Drew Fryman, all with 94s. Ty Schuenemann shot a 95 for in-zone champion, and David Gross won out-of-zone with 92. Congrats to all the winners and thanks to Zone 5 officers and NSC staff for a good shoot, as always.

The Southwestern Grand just finished up in Kansas, and Texas was, once again, well represented. A list of the winners is as follows: Event 1 Jim Kuhn Singles: AA, Jake Hamm, 100; C, Michael Slater, 98; C runnerup, Yaani-Mai Gaddy, 93; D runnerup, Kelly Watkins, 95; senior vet, Larry Tagtmeyer, 99. Event 2 Kreem Kup Handicap: fifth, Hamm (27), 92. Event 3 Fred Smith Doubles: runnerup, Hamm, 97; C runnerup, Slater, 85; D runnerup, Watkins, 81. Event 4 MTS Custom Coating Doubles: runnerup, Hamm, 99; C, Slater, 89; C runnerup, Ray McNeice, 89; sub-veteran runnerup, Whitaker, 96; senior vet, Marvin Allbright, 95. Event 5 Mid Kansas Ag Seed Singles: B, Gene Messick, 99; C runnerup, Slater, 94; D, Watkins, 98; sub-veteran runnerup, Billy Hopson, 98; senior veteran, Tagtmeyer, 100. Event 7 Straight Line Steel Singles: C, Slater, 98; sub-veteran, Hopson, 100. Event 8 Fichers Irrigation Handicap: fourth, Hamm (27), 97; sub-veteran runnerup, Hopson (27), 94. Event 9 Steve Taylor Doubles: winner, Whitaker, 99; runnerup, Hamm, 99. Event 9 Cross Wind Casino Singles: sub-veteran runnerup, Billy Hopson, 100. Event 11 Elite Concrete Handicap: runnerup, Slater (22), 98; senior veteran runnerup, Tagtmeyer, 94. Event 12 Dead Pair Gear Doubles: winner, Hamm, 98; C runnerup, Slater, 93; sub-veteran runnerup, Hopson, 96. Event 13 SOS Clays Hall of Fame Doubles: runnerup, Hamm, 98; Lady II runnerup, Gaddy, 85; sub-veteran, Hopson, 98. Event 16 Browning Singles Championship: AA runnerup, Zachery Garrett, 197; B runnerup, Buddy Huff, 196; sub-veteran, Hopson, 98. Event 17 Hickory Hollow Doubles Championship: sub-veteran, Hopson, 98; veteran runnerup, Troy Collier, 97; senior veteran, Robert Youngblood, 97. Event 18 Winchester Handicap Championship: runnerup, Scott Watkins (23), 96. High-over-all: champion, Hamm, 1,166; C, Slater, 1088; sub-veteran, Hopson, 1,151. Thanks again to Yaani-Mai for putting this list together and posting it on Facebook, so I could steal it.

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 in Texas. 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 at texasatadelegate@gmail.com 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

California

Hello, California shooters. I hope everyone has had a great end of season shoot year and an even better kickoff to the new target year. Please make sure you have renewed all of your memberships to the organizations you belong to. The ATA as well as the CGSTA memberships all are set to renew on Sept. 1. Please either renew prior to your first shoot or at your first shoot.

There was some fun stuff taking place before the end of the target year. Most notably were the Western Zone Shoot and the Grand American in Sparta, IL. The Western Zone took place concurrently at 12 clubs in multiple Western states. There were more than 714 shooters spread out over the clubs. The top three clubs by trophy count were as follows: Spanish Fork, UT, with 30 trophies; Butte, MT, with 24; and Rio Oso, CA, at the Golden State Shooting Center with 20. If you would like to see a more specific breakdown on trophies and scores, please go to shootscoreboard.com and locate the Western Zone Shoot.

The Super Bowl of trapshooting takes place every year at the Grand American in August before the target year ends. Numerous states and countries make the exodus to Sparta to compete with the best of the best. The World Shooting and Recreational Complex should be on everyone’s bucket list at least once. There were 35 California residents who made the journey to Sparta. Of those 35 shooters, nine came home with a trophy or trophies. Those shooters are as follows in no particular order: Alice Wiebe, Deanna Schooler, Chayton Vega, Colton Tucker, David Alarcon, Ethan Prescott, James Schooler, Rich Davis and Travis Seymore. You can find a more detailed breakdown of what events they won on the shootata website under the Grand American scores tab. Congratulations to all of our shooters. Since the target year has ended, we have had some notable moments. Kingsburg Gun Club hosted the September 400 Handicap. Two junior shooters out of their home club of Kingsburg shot scores that earned both young men punches to the 27-yard line. The Alternate Delegate Gary Beer was in attendance to congratulate both young men.

Another well-known shoot that takes place every year is at the Santa Lucia Sportsmen’s Club, and this is another 400 handicap event and is called the Mudslide. This shoot also draws a nice crowd. They have a lot of fun. The notable event here was a father-and-son pair. Ethan Prescott, a junior gold, took the HOA by shooting a 376 out of 400—pretty impressive with all targets being handicap and Ethan being a 27-yard shooter. Great job, Ethan. Not to be outdone, Ethan’s father Ron Prescott earned his final punch to achieve 27-yard line status. Congratulations, Ron. That is a wrap for now. I hope to see everyone out there shooting. Remember, we may be California, but we have some great shoots and shooters in our state. Thank you.

Chayton Vega

ATA Delegate

Nevada

First, circling back to the Western Zone Shoot, we’ve learned that Nevada had three Zone-wide winners.

Sub-junior Colin Schwartz won his category in the Singles Championship with a blazing 198 and won HAA sub-junior with 384. Merle Acampora won C class Event 1 singles for the Zone with an almost perfect 99. Melvin Tabion won third place in the championship handicap with a very strong 98 and shootoff. Congratulations to these fine shooters.

Starting off the month at Clark County Shooting Complex, 24 hardy shooters endured the 100º+ weather to participate in the First Sunday Social Shoot Aug. 3. Melvin Tabion broke 48 and received another punch in the handicap. Gary Rusch and Ken James won the singles race with 49 apiece. James came back to win the doubles with 45.

Later in the month, winners of the Big 50 at the Lincoln County Trap Club in Pioche included: singles, Ken James, 50; handicap, Melvin Tabion, 48, who received his third yardage punch in 30 days; and doubles, Carlos Rodriguez, 47.

Meanwhile at the Grand American, in Sparta, IL, several Nevada shooters represented the Silver State well. Grand American attendees from Nevada included Leticia and Jon Slinker, Rich Bullard, Lucci Kern, Jack Wang, Joe Hanley, Greg Pink and Clayton Philipp.

Next on the August agenda was the non-registered LuAnn Bunn Memorial Shoot on Aug. 23. LuAnn recently passed. She was a beloved member of the Nevada clay target community. The memorial shoot was organized by Linda Hand with support from many others. The shoot was composed of three events. Twenty-five slider trap, 25 American skeet and 25 5-stand targets were thrown. All proceeds went to LuAnn’s family; $16,000+ was raised. More than 40 sponsors stepped up to provide items for a silent auction and raffle, which was facilitated by Pat O’Neil. Lunch was provided by Roadkill Grill. Targets and help were donated by White Flyer and Clark County Shooting Complex. Scorekeepers and trap help all volunteered their time. The event was supported by many ATA shooters and others who had known LuAnn. Originally, it was thought the shoot might draw 25 to 30 shooters. However, shooters came from all disciplines and three states, totaling more than 80 participants.

The event was a great coming together of the Las Vegas shooting community to honor LuAnn Bunn, a special person who touched the lives of many.

This month we round out our look at famous Nevada gun clubs from past years with a look at Sage Hill Gun Club, which was just outside Reno, NV.

Sage Hill was a spectacular shooting venue that hosted world famous shoots and shooters from 1989 to 2014. Darlene Bullard was the central figure in ownership and management of the club. The gun club encompassed 155 acres and included 28 traps, six skeet fields and a full sporting clays layout. In addition, facilities included a full bar and restaurant.

It would have been no easy task to make a gun club of that magnitude run so successfully for so many years in the relatively small market area of Reno. To do so, Darlene and her crew attracted national shoots and shooters from around the country and beyond.

Sage Hill put on the Western Grand as well as its signature shoot, the Golden West Grand, many Nevada state shoots and others. In addition, local, state and national sporting clays and skeet tournaments were held at Sage Hill. There was always something happening in Reno when Sage Hill was operating. Further, many accomplished shooters were associated with Sage Hill. One is our good friend and arguably the most accomplished currently active Nevada shooter, Rich Bullard. Of course, Rich is Darlene’s son. However, according to Rich, during most of the operational years of Sage Hill, other life responsibilities directed his attention elsewhere. Rich indicates he actually had relatively few opportunities to shoot tournaments at the home location during those years. A successful businessman, Rich now finds time to travel the country shooting. Gregarious and outgoing, Rich is a great ambassador for Nevada trapshooting. Wherever he goes, Rich is always working to spread the word about the many opportunities for Nevada trapshooting. An extremely accomplished shooter, Rich has been an ATA All-American six times and been on the Nevada State Trapshooting Team 17 times. He has broken 200 in singles many times and has multiple Grand Slams. Rich was recently inducted into the Pacific International Trapshooting Association (PITA) Hall of Fame. Many thanks and good luck to him in the future.

We are all looking forward to the 77th Nevada State Trapshooting tournament Oct. 27-Nov. 2. See nvtrap.com for details.

Finally, I mentioned in a previous issue that the ATA Board of Directors was considering a change in the age requirements for veteran and senior veteran categories. That rule change did not pass the final vote. The age for veterans remains 65 years old, but not yet 70. Senior veterans are those shooters 70 years old and older.

In the meantime, let’s remember, it’s a game. Have fun out there!

           Danny Talbot

           ATA Delegate

Washington

Hello once again from Washington. I hope this finds you all well and enjoying your fall season. It seems the year has flown by as we prepare for Thanksgiving and the Christmas and New Year holidays.

ATA action is pretty much done in Washington until the Colton Gun Club hosts a one-day shoot in February, and then we will gear up for the Camas Prairie Handicap in March. The fall and winter months are of course busy with meat shoots and telephonic leagues. Shooters in these parts always seem to find ways to keep the clubs busy, even if it means shoveling snow, freezing or raining. Once breaking clay gets “in your blood,” it seems that nothing gets in the way. I’m hoping to spend a week at the Autumn Grand, where I won’t have to deal with any of those scenarios.

The off-season does give us a chance to catch our breath to plan the next state shoot and get the rest of the ATA registered shoots at various clubs on the schedule. Finding non-conflicting weekends can sometimes be a challenge, but we seem to keep a busy spring and summer season filled up. If you haven’t shot at some of the clubs offering shoots in the remote places of our state, you are missing out. Othello, Colton, Marlin, Coulee City and Spangle all put on good, well-organized weekend shoots with great food and hospitality. One lucky shooter will walk away from each of these with a WSTA Handicap buckle as a trophy, and the Magnum options in the handicap events are a tempting draw as well.

We are fortunate to live where we can get to shoots in Washington and north Idaho fairly easily within a few hours of driving time. What could be better than a trapshooting road trip? Not much in my mind. Trapshooting travels have been a great way to see a lot of country during my career, and I’m sure that holds true for many of you as well. So get those scatterguns tuned up and your shells loaded and let’s be ready for a great 2026! Of course we will have time in the offseason to get somebody else started at our game. I hope to see many of you in the upcoming year.

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

WSTA Director

Wyoming

Welcome to the Shooting New Year! I’m receiving several applications for the 2026 State Team. Good luck to all who worked hard to make the required number of targets. That in itself is accomplishment, let alone to keep your average up enough to be one of the top shooters in each group.

I hope everyone has great start to the new year, and I hope to see a lot of you through the winter months. Congratulations to Gene Robinson on reaching 25,000 singles targets. Well done. Also congratulations to Kim Ideen on making the All-American Lady II team. If I skipped anyone, let me know. That’s all for now.

Ron Miller

ATA Delegate