Atlantic Provinces

To all gun club managers, it’s time to start planning for the upcoming trapshooting season. To register your ATA shoot dates, submit an ATA Registered Shoot application to the Atlantic Provinces secretary, Janaya Nickerson, for approval. The application is available on www.shootata.com.

Here are some dates to keep in mind if you’re planning your 2026 trapshooting travel schedule.

The 2026 Canadian Trapshooting Championships will be held June 25-28 at the Edmonton Gun Club in Edmonton, AB.

The St. Thomas Gun Club in St. Thomas, ON, will be the Canadian site for the ATA Eastern Zone Shoot. The shoot runs July 16-19.

The Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot will be hosted by the St. John’s Rod and Gun Club near Holyrood, NL, Sept. 3-6.

The Canadian Trapshooting Association is planning another Coast to Coast Shoot in September. The 2025 tournament was a huge success, with 258 shooters from clubs across Canada participating in the one-day, 300-target satellite shoot. The final details are still being ironed out. Stay tuned to www.shootcanada.ca for complete details.

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

Massachusetts

Greetings, Massachusetts shooters.

It is with great pleasure we welcome two new clubs to the roster to throw registered targets. Uxbridge Rod and Gun at 560 West St., Uxbridge, and Methuen Rod and Gun at 240 Tylee St., Methuen. Thank you, Tom Huber (Uxbridge) and Jason Greene (Methuen), for your hard work to make this possible. Keep an eye on the MATA schedule for some upcoming events at these new facilities.

March represents the beginning of the registered target season here in Massachusetts. On March 14, there will be a Marathon at Hopkinton Sportsmen’s Association. Also on March 28, there is a scheduled marathon at Uxbridge Rod and Gun. Both of these events are great early-season opportunities to get some practice and log some targets!

Lastly, congratulations to our 2025 State Team: Robert Nihitila Jr., .9551; Roman Barrett, .9291; Michael Lombardy, .9285; William Rychlik, .9141; Paul Donovan, .9033; Robert Platt Jr., .8995; Thomas Brooks, .8945; Doug Divello, .8922; Michael McIntyre, .8824; Tom Huber, .8771; Steve Miller, .8749; Thomas Monahan, .8749; Richard Nihtila, .8738; Steve Manos, .8662; Christopher Monterotti, .8635.

Great shooting, guys! Best of luck in the 2026 target year.

Hopefully the warmer weather will be here soon. See you all out on the field.

Bill Rychlik

For ATA Delegate Robert Nihtila Jr.

New York

Greetings from New York. I hope everyone stays safe and warm during the winter season. Please be careful when driving on the winter roads.

I am afraid to say that we have lost two friends of the New York State ATA, Dale Dupre and Curt Evans.

Dale Dupre was the trapline personnel supervisor for years at the homegrounds in Bridgeport. Dale did a wonderful job supervising the scorers and trap loaders. Dale had to retire from being the supervisor when a medical issue caused him to lose his left leg. However, he did return after a few years and performed scoring. As always, Dale did an excellent job. All of us on the board of directors of the New York State ATA wish to express our sympathy to his family and friends on his passing. Dale will be missed.

Curt Evans, son of New York State ATA Hall of Fame member and 1986 Grand American Handicap champion Larry Evans, has passed away. Curt was 64 years of age. Even though he did not participate in ATA tournaments, he did shoot trap at many local leagues. I shot with Curt often. He was an excellent bowler and was a union electrician who traveled all over the country performing jobs. Curt’s mother, Marna, was an excellent ATA trapshooter also. The board of directors of the New York State ATA wish to express our deepest sympathies to Larry and Marna Evans and Curt’s entire family on his passing.

For everyone’s information, the board of directors of the New York State ATA have voted to expand by one day, the Empire Grand American, the New York State Shoot and the Northeastern Grand American. These three shoots will now be six days instead of five. The Empire Grand will be May 5-10. The New York State Shoot will be July 7-12. The Northeastern Grand will be Sept. 8-13.

The New York State ATA will host the ATA Eastern Zone at the homegrounds at Bridgeport July 16-19.

Posted on the ATA webpage was the state rebates for dues and daily fees for the 2025 target year. New York received a rebate of $8,826. That amount was eighth throughout the country.

If anyone wishes to have something placed in one of these articles, you can contact me at Trapshooterdavec@yahoo.com or phone at 585-519-9543. Please stay safe and healthy. May God bless.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada.

I am writing this article a couple of weeks before Christmas, and you will not read it until February. A lot can change by then. I therefore do my best to cover issues that are of relevance both now and when it is read. Tough job sometimes, but here we go.

With the up-to-the minute posting of shoot results (for major shoots at least), any interested person can get all details instantaneously. Two months later it is ancient history. I acknowledge outstanding results, however, when I can. Readers often tell me they learn things through my articles that they may not otherwise know.

The nice thing about most trapshooters is they are multi-dimensional on issues that may not be directly tied to trapshooting. For many on both sides of the border, these are uncertain times, and it does impact on things like affordability of our sport. Many are concerned about the security of their job if they have one and also concerned about the issues facing their children and grandchildren.

Our local trapshooting clubs and our OPTA are doing their best to make registered trapshooting more affordable and exciting, but the future of our sport is currently, at least, being negatively impacted. All of our comrades in ATA trapshooting need to continue to rejuvenate our sport. Hats off to all of you who are helping make a difference.

Paul Shaw

ATA Delegate

Kentucky

By the time you’re reading this, hopefully springtime should be closing in, and with it many more opportunities to shoot. While the cold months slow down shooting, there are still many clubs that have remained active with both registered shoots and non-registered competition throughout the state. To keep track of upcoming shoots in Kentucky or any given area, be sure to check out the “Clubs & Shoots” tab on shootata.com.

There aren’t any shoots to report on in the last month, but the 2026 Kentucky State Teams were recently released. Congratulations to all who made this year’s State Teams, and congratulations to our state average leaders: Keith Ditto (singles and handicap) and Jordan Foley (doubles). To view the full list of the 2026 Kentucky State Teams, please visit kytrap.com.

Keep in mind the 2026 Kentucky State Shoot will be July 1-5, with the AIM program taking place June 30. We look forward to seeing you at one of the finest gun clubs for a great shoot. For more information about the state shoot, you can once again visit kytrap.com. Please keep our neighboring states in the Southern Zone in mind when making your shoot schedule, as many of the clubs throughout the southeast throw amazing targets and hold great shoots as well.

Good luck and safe travels in the weeks to come!

           Jack Holland

For ATA Southern Zone Vice President Dan Ryan

Mississippi

Hello from the Magnolia State, home of America’s Music.

Deep into winter and looking forward to sunny days, my mind drifts to times past, shoots and people I have met in school, the Army, people I worked with, and trapshooters.

I’ve heard it said that everyone has a story. Some stories are written with words, some famous for well-done deeds, others tell their story by a life well lived, some are told or passed on by family or friends.

Everyone has a story about where they were born, lived, worked and high and low points in their life. More stories are perhaps a hunt with friends, targets shot, events on and off the trap field, shooting in the rain, wind or snow or all at the same time, the best score shot, shooting with someone famous, shooting at the Grand American in Vandalia. These stories are like chapters in a book, and we usually have several chapters.

When you talk to trapshooters, most have a story about a gun, a particular one from the past, like your first gun given to you by your father or granddaddy’s old Browning Sweet 16, or perhaps a gun bought at Sears Roebuck that went everywhere you went. Winchester Model 12s and other pump guns usually bring up memories and stories of times past. Nearly always there is a trap gun, a gun bought and sold, and a gun you wish you still had. These stories are like the chapters in a history book.

Traveling around to state shoots and the Grand American, we meet many people. I’ve heard stories of shoots with much success and some not, past Grands, shoots in Vandalia and guns. An interesting one was meeting a young man who was shooting his grandfather’s Remington 3200 and Browning BT-99. The young man’s mother had a gunsmith bring them back to their original quality, and the young fellow was using them to good result. It is a heartwarming story.

Your trapshooting stories and other life stories are valuable and worth sharing with others, especially your family, the younger ones. They are for others who have similar experiences, a connection to enjoy and share. When people share their stories, they reveal a little bit of themselves. Whether those stories are grand or humble, serious or humorous, events won or lost, each one is a tapestry of a life.

Never a day ends, never the old year ends, but someone thinks of someone, old days, old times, old friends, stories that never end.

I often write of the good weather we have down south in the winter, making trapshooting fun even in December through February. Well, it didn’t work out so well for the December monthly shoot at Capitol Gun Club in Jackson. It was canceled due to thunderstorms and rain in the forecast. It happens. So, unfortunately there are no scores to report. Wait until next month.

I had a short deadline to get the Coast Rifle and Pistol Club’s December’s scores, so I’ll try to get them in next month’s issue.

Come see us down here in the “Sip,” where the skies are mostly blue, most of the time, and the people are friendly. We’d love to have you shoot with us.

Bill Burke

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

Well, here we are . . .

We are in the homestretch. I can smell warm weather just around the corner. Soon the temperatures will start creeping up, and the trap range will be calling. It’s time to break out that stored shooting equipment and check it over to make sure everything is in top-notch working order. Clean out the cobwebs and oil up those firearms. Look over your other equipment as well. Make sure those ear plugs still maintain a tight seal, inspect your shooting glasses and lenses; be certain the frames are up to speed and the lenses are in good shape and free of scratches. It might be a good time to add a lens color to your collection. Maybe pick up that light tint that you’re going to need for your 2026 evening shootoffs. Also, be sure to check your shooting bag and make sure it is well stocked with the necessary supplies. Lens wipes . . . check. Shooting towel . . . check. Choke tube lube . . . check. You know what you need, and every shooter carries different accessories. Just make sure that the supplies you need are stocked up and ready to roll once the shooting begins.

You might want to start looking for a few local shoots to hone up that form and get yourself ready for the 2026 tournament season. Check with clubs near you and see what they have to offer. You might be able to pick up a few extra registered targets, and maybe even go to a venue that you have never attended before. Check out the Official ATA Shoot Directory in each Trap & Field issue and see what shoots are occurring in your particular area. Practice all you can prior to those big shoots, and hopefully that will go a long way to improving your scores when it counts.

Speaking of shoots, if you are looking for warmer weather and a great shoot to attend, you may want to check out the 46th annual Southern Satellite Grand American that will be held at the Silver Dollar Shooters Club in Odessa, FL, March 8-15. The Silver Dollar is a great venue, and this Satellite Grand really helps kick off for the shooting season each year. Well attended and worth the effort, you can’t help but enjoy the location, the weather and the shoot when it comes to the Southern Grand. Load up the wagon and head south to the Dollar. I can assure you; you won’t be disappointed.

That pretty much wraps things up for this month. As you get out and about and start practicing and attending those shoots, I wish you good luck and hope you travel safely. Shoot well, and thank you for supporting the ATA.

And always remember, the rulebook is your friend. Please read it!

Mark Cantrell

ATA Delegate

Louisiana

Toby Bancroft Memorial Gun Club’s Dec. 13 shoot had 19 in attendance. It really wasn’t a very good day for shooting. Heavy fog, clouds and a little rain shower sort of dampened the spirits, and it felt colder than the actual temperature. Nevertheless, the group was able to bang away and enjoy breaking some targets. Lunch was good with Fritos pie being served, which warmed us very well. Our good friend from Missouri, Dennis Whitlock, showed up again; hopefully, he’ll be able to join us for future shoots. Several south Arkansas shooters joined us for the first time. Welcome to Nathan Pearson, Drake Terry, Gauge Pepper, Jep Pippen and Craig Fritz. They are 4-H shooters who were shooting their very first ATA targets. Whitlock took singles honors with 97, with Jenkins losing the flip after a 97 also. Steven Skipper and Webb Phelps followed with 93s. Whitlock continued his winning ways in ’caps with an 87, winning the flip over Brooks Barnett. Everyone else was far behind. The crowd had dwindled to just three for doubles. Jenkins, Whitlock and Barnett finished with 89, 88 and 87, respectively. Thanks to Chuck Traylor, the Skippers and the Barnetts along with the others who helped score and load houses. It was very much appreciated.

Well, spring for us in Louisiana is just around the corner. One more cold month, and we’ll be seeing things greening up and the winds starting to blow. I hope you all are ready because the big fun is coming shortly. Do you have all your shoots lined up? I’m personally working on getting mine scheduled and hotel reservations made. The Spring Grand and the Florida State Shoot are just next month for those who have the time to attend. They are always a good start to the new calendar year. The Louisiana State Shoot will be held in West Monroe at the Toby Bancroft Memorial Gun Club April 30-May 3. Pre-squad will open March 1. Come join us if you want to enjoy a nice shoot. We’re small but fun!

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

As I write this, we are getting ready to start another new calendar year. As far as the ATA goes, we are already in the new target year. Hopefully you have set some goals for the target year. Have you set goals or made resolutions for the new calendar year? With the increasing prices of just about everything related to shooting sports, it’s difficult to remain positive that things will get better anytime soon, but we need to remain positive that someday it will. One of my goals is not to worry as much about what the future brings and concentrate more about how I can make today better than yesterday. That’s sort of the mindset of most of us when we are on the line shooting, or at least it should be.

I am a little late in recognizing the AIM shooters this year, my apologies. On behalf of the MTA Board of Directors I would like to recognize and congratulate the following AIM shooters who made the 2026 AIM Annual Teams.

AIM All Star Teams: Junior gold—Derick Gerding, Noah Lauritzen. Junior—Hunter Alver, Grady Fallert, Thomas Burton, Maddox Shulte. Sub-junior—captain Tyler Burton, Max Billings, Eleanor Schweizer. Pre-sub—Harrison McKinney, Wade Otten.

AIM All-Zone Teams: Junior gold—Millicent LaBoube, Roy Warner III. Junior—captain Tanner Strubinger, Colton McKinney, Jackson Graeler. Sub-junior—Parker Robinson. Pre-sub—Amon Depew.

AIM All State Teams: Junior gold—captain Barrett Paulson, Alexander Hill, Ryder Peterson, Caleb Pierce, Kody Johnson. Junior—captain Adrec Keetman, Christian Koch, Logan Hart, Brady Anderson, Noah Innes. Sub-junior—captain Caitlyn Kalmer, Rachel Houlihan, Tyler Gerdes, Parker Lewis, Garrett Whisenant. Pre-sub—captain Kayden Smith, Andrew Kalmer, Max Vancil, Nicholas Gilbert, Leah Otten.

A great deal of thanks goes out to David Hart, our MTA youth director and 2025 MTA president, as well as all the coaches and parents who make time to get their shooters to practice and shoots during the year.

It’s difficult to come up with items this time of the year to report on, so if anyone has anything they would like to have reported on or has any concerns, please reach out to me at srickett@sbcglobal.net or 816-863-9003. In the meantime, in these up-and-down temperature swings that we seem to be going through, when you can, please make a visit to your local gun clubs. I am sure they will be glad to see you come and shoot a few rounds. NKJV Psalms 3:8—Salvation belongs to the LORD, Your blessing is upon Your people.

Shoot often, shoot well and be safe!

Stephen Ricketts

ATA Southwestern Zone Vice President

Idaho

Well, I’ll start off with some sad news.

Charles Randle, a longtime Idaho shooter and a member of our state Hall of Fame passed away Dec. 3. He was 94. He was inducted into our state Hall of Fame in 2018. My records show he was shooting registered targets as early as 1958 and had amassed well over a quarter of a million targets! During his career he made the ATA All-American second team and the Idaho first and second team numerous times. Some of his contributions to the sport include helping new and youth shooters. He donated guns and shells to many of the youths as well as trap machines and voice calls to various clubs in Washington. He exemplifies some of the people that make our sport great.

You can find his obituary at www.shortsfuneralchapel.com/obituaries/charles-randle.

This month I’d like to write another biography about a longtime shooter who has shot registered targets all over the state for 60+ years. Many of you know Guy Johnson, who started shooting in Lewiston as a youth, and he now resides in Boise. He still acts like a youngster! He remembers the first time he ever shot at a target. He remembers it because he was nine years old and hit nine targets. He really enjoyed it, so his father bought him his first trap gun (a Model 31 Remington) when he was 13, and he paid back the $175 it cost by mowing lawns and hand setting traps.

His first registered shoot was the famous Camas Prairie Shoot in 1965. He won the sub-junior singles trophy with 173, shooting that same Remington which he still has today.

Trapshooting has been a big part of the Johnson family for four generations. The Father’s Day Shoot at Nez Perce has been one of the annual Johnson family participations since 1965. It is so steeped in family tradition, that his son flies in from Arizona every year to compete for the parent-child trophy.

Guy has won at least five category state singles championships. He says he might have more except he often had the “one target” syndrome, losing by one either in the main event or one in the shootoff.

One story I like of Guy’s was in a singles marathon he had a 200 straight (his first), and on his next hundred he had a “blooper,” with the wad clearing the barrel, giving him a lost target for a 99. Thus he missed a 300 straight while watching the shot dribble out of his barrel and the wad landing a few feet in front of him.

Guy is well known for his “bent barrel” trap gun. It’s an 870 Wing Master with a 34-inch barrel that has an obvious bend to make it shoot higher. Anyone standing 20 yards to the side can see the bend. He shot that gun for 47 years. He had to re-bend the barrel periodically because he shot it so much it would eventually straighten out. One of the methods Guy used for bending the barrel was to pry it over the spare tire of his 1972 Grand Torino. (I wouldn’t have the nerve). It seemed to work for him, and this was the gun he used to best me in competition many times. It was also the one that he nearly had the 300 straight with.

Guy currently serves on the Idaho Trapshooting Hall of Fame Board of Directors and on the Idaho Shotgun Sports Museum Committee located at the Boise Gun Club. He is a regular historian and has a whole book full of newspaper clippings from the days when they printed trapshooting scores (including weekly Camas scores) in the local newspapers. Nowadays it’s on the web or in Trap & Field Magazine. Guy and his wife Elicia annually contribute financially to the Idaho State Shoot He is a die-hard and nostalgic member of our sport and is just a few targets away from 100,000 lifetime ATA targets. Thanks, Guy, for keeping our sport going strong.

On a final note, we are getting ready to start up the Camas Prairie League. By the time you read this, we will be well into it with more than 800 participants, and we’ll have an idea of who’s at the head of the leaderboard!

Leonard Wehking

ATA Delegate

Montana

Winter has officially hit northwest Montana with single digits and a white Thanksgiving. With the general hunting season ending, meat shoots, fun shoots, Big 50s and black light shoots have kicked into high gear across the state, welcoming all to partake in the trapshooting festivities.

To the west, the 406 Clay Target Team (AIM youth) introduced a five-week fundraiser of Friday Night Cosmic Lights to the Flathead Valley. The concept was a success, headlining the front page of the local newspaper. Thompson Falls Trap Club and Plains Trap Club have meat shoots on the calendar, and Missoula Trap Club hosted a Big 50 under the lights and a Ladies’ Fall League.

East of the Divide, the Triangle Area Meat Shoots (Fairfield, Choteau, Augusta, Great Falls) are in full swing with the weekend schedule packed through the first of April. Chinook Rod & Gun Club hosted a Halloween blacklight shoot, and the Denton, Helena and Butte trap clubs also capitalized on the cooler temps to host groups to fun shoots with meat prizes.

Montanans looking to hold on to the warmer weather for a bit longer made their way to Las Vegas and Tucson. NSTA stepped it up again with top-notch hospitality, awards, after dark games and a great time. Members of the MSTA showed up at the Autumn Grand to win, and scores reflected just that. Congratulations to all who attended both events.

AIM Western Zone medals have been delivered, and Montana was well represented. D.J. Waldo joined a group of five 99s for shared junior gold HOA. Jaden Schreckendgust claimed junior gold Class B runnerup with 95. Aiden DeLong tied for junior gold Class C winner/runnerup with 95. Ryan Fleming and Nick Doty were also in a group of five 99s for shared HOA junior third. Gabriel Boucher tied for junior C runnerup with 97, and Vin Stevens tied for junior D with 97. Mason Baker and Jacob Cesnik were in a group of four 97s for shared sub-junior third HOA. Gabe Allen and Jeremiah Perkins tied for sub-junior AA third with 93. Blake Vogel and Corbin Vogel claimed sub-junior Class A third and sub-junior B third, respectively. Joseph Barone and Axel Hedman won outright sub-junior Class C winner (95) and pre-sub HOA victor (87). Junior gold team HOA winners were 406 Clay Target Team. Members were Nathan Lemos, Joseph Barone, Aiden DeLong, Kimber Boll and Tucker Morin. Junior gold team HOA runnerup included Blane Olson, Jaden Schreckendgust, Ryan Fleming, Julian St. Marie and John Hartle. Junior gold team HOA third-place winners were Brady Edgren, Troy Crenshaw, Anthony Lasa, Corey Thurston and D.J. Waldo (both also of Team 406). Hats off to you all!

Andrew Kelly

ATA Delegate

Nevada

The spectacular 77th Nevada State Trapshooting Tournament is in the books. What a shoot, and what a party it was. More than 500 shooters from 38 states and two Canadian provinces threw lead at over 600,000 targets during the 10-day shoot, held at the Clark County Shooting Complex (CCSC) in Las Vegas. Gold giveaways, silver giveaways, Annie Oakleys, cosmic trap, Back Fence Shootout, silver shootoffs and more kept gun barrels hot. There were free lunches, free dinners, ice cream trucks and free drinks. More than 5,000 free meals were served to shooters and friends. Further, shooters and friends enjoyed evening poker tournaments, bingo tournaments and even a Halloween party. There was a special event with more than $40,000 that was won in the championship handicap. It was an amazing 10 days of shooting and activities.

State shoot event winners were covered comprehensively in the Nevada State Shoot Trap & Field article in the January issue. However, a few mentions are appropriate here. There were some great winning scores posted by resident shooters in the championship events. Jon Slinker bested all Nevada shooters with 97 to claim the doubles title. Jon also won the HAA with 386. In the championship singles, Rich Bullard smashed 199 to become singles champion. The Handicap Championship was claimed by up-and-coming new shooter, Harry Terzian, with 96.

HOA winners were: high gun, Kyle Hoffmeyer; runnerup, Jon Slinker; AAA, Evan Martin; AA, Jack Wang; A, Eli Walker; B, Carlos Francisco Rodriguez; C, Angel Diaz; D, Oscar Diaz; sub-junior, Juan Carlos Rodriguez; junior, Orion Cooper; Lady I, Jasmine Hicks; Lady II, Deb Main; sub-vet, Bullard; veteran, Kenneth D. James; senior vet, Danny Talbot.

HAA winners included: champion, Jon Slinker; runnerup, Bill Daniels; AAA, Wang; AA, Mark Dagher; A, Carl Hoffmeyer; B, Carlos Rodriguez; C, Sam Ford; D, Terzian; sub-junior, Juan Carlos Rodriguez; junior, Cooper; junior gold, Austin Santellan; Lady I, Hicks; Lady II, Main; sub-vet, Bullard; veteran, James; senior vet, Talbot.

In addition to the many activities, gold, silver and myriad trophies given away to shooters, the Nevada State Trapshooting Association (NSTA) did many things to attract new shooters to the tournament. For example, free ammunition was provided to every junior and sub-junior, both residents and non-residents, who wanted to shoot the championship singles event. The ATA provided free annual memberships. Because of these efforts, several new shooters joined the ATA and participated in the events.

One such shooter is 11-year-old Westley Fitzpatrick of Las Vegas, who shot his first ATA registered targets at the state shoot. He returned a week later to shoot the NSTA First Sunday Social Shoot. Westley participated in the After School Trap League and the Silver State Clay Breakers programs.

In other November action, the First Sunday Social Shoot was held on the second Sunday of the month because of the state shoot running into November. Forty-four shooters decided to sharpen their skills Nov. 9 at the First Sunday Social Shoot at CCSC. In the handicap, Leticia Slinker and Sean Steele were high with 47s. In the singles, Talbot, Merle Acampora, Leticia and Jon Slinker, John White and Wang all broke 50 straight. Jon Slinker won the doubles with 48.

Next, at the Nov. 22 NSTA Race for the Buckle Big 50, 46 shooters faced cold desert winds and intermittent rain at CCSC. Singles winners were James, Jared Steeley and Don Mayhall with 49s. The winds got colder and stronger for the handicap. Mike Petrisko won the doubles with a very respectable 47 given challenging conditions.

The coveted Race for the Championship Buckles was decided and awarded at the NSTA Big 50 Dec. 13 at CCSC.

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

           Danny Talbot

           ATA Delegate

 

New Zealand

First of all, thank you to everyone who traveled to the Nov. 29-30 shoot at Taupo Trap Club. A great time was had by all. A few results from the weekend:

Saturday, Event 1, 50-pair doubles: A, Roger Bidois, 92; B, Ben Thomassen, 81; C, Bill Harkness, 81. Event 2, 50-pair doubles: A, Bidois, 89; B, Vinny Butcher, 80; C, John Harkness, 87. Event 3. 100 singles: A, Grant Nilsson, John Harkness and Steven Pearson, 97; B, Glen Raymond, 94; C, Harkness 90. Sunday, Event 4, 100 singles: A, Warenn Le Pironnec, 97; B, Graeme Williams, 97; C, Bill Harkness 94. Event 5, 100 handicap: Darryl Remnant, 93 (got punched half a yard!); Dave Cundy, 92; John Harkness and Graeme Williams, 90. All done by 2 p.m. Great effort by all to make the shoot flow quickly.

Glen Raymond, Grant Nilsson, John Harkness and Graeme Williams ran 50s in the singles events, so they got long run badges from the ATA.

           Paul Basten

           ATA Delegate

Utah

Winter in Utah can be a challenge, to say the least. With icy roads, freezing temperatures and mountains of snow, shooting trap gets pretty low on most people’s priority lists. This year, December was extremely warm for our part of the country, and while there was only one registered shoot on the schedule, I am sure many folks took advantage of the nice weather to head out to their gun clubs for some extra practice days.

Purgatory Clay Sports had their Dec. 6-7 tournament, and the turnout was very good. In the Event 1 singles, Steve Johnson and Joe Atkin each broke scores of 99 to top the leaderboard. Bobby Street broke 97 and was high by four birds in the mid-day handicap, while Casey Fitzgerald had a five-target lead to win the doubles with 97. On Sunday Jon Slinker (NV) took home the top prize with 93, and Jaxson Johnson broke 96 in the Event 5 handicap. The final event of the weekend was a handicap that saw Jim Wilson and Jared Steeley each break scores of 92 to lead the way.

Special congratulations go out to Utah’s shooters who made the All-American Teams for their 2025 shooting performances. Pam Wright was named to the Lady II first team with 1,426 points. She was the only Utah shooter to earn first-team All-American status. Sean Hawley and Leslie Hight were named to the open and Lady I second teams, while Kooper Freston and Grayson Stuart made the sub-junior and junior gold second teams. Scott Syme and Joe Sudbury became members of the sub-veteran and senior veteran second teams with their 2025 shooting performances. Congratulations to all!

Looking forward to spring, Purgatory Clay Sports and the Spanish Fork Gun Club will be hosting shoots in March. Ogden Gun Club and Spanish Fork will be throwing registered tournaments in April, and Ogden, Spanish Fork and Helper will all have shoots in May. Please go out and support these clubs this coming spring.

Hopefully everyone had a great holiday season and are looking forward to a wonderful 2026.

Sharred Oaks

ATA Delegate

 

Washington

Is spring almost here? After a mostly mild, rainy and windy December, we were hit with a big blast of winter the day after Christmas. With the Colton Gun Club hosting the first registered shoot of the new year in February, it seems to make those thoughts of spring stand front and center. We will be preparing for the Camas Prairie Handicap next month then the shooting season really gets rolling in April and May. After the winter months, we are all more than ready to hit the road to all the region’s clubs for ATA targets.

The WSTA winter directors meeting was held in Ritzville Dec. 13. As of this writing, the decision as to where the state shoot will be held has not been determined yet. By the time you read this, we will have a host site secured and information posted on shootwsta.com. With the rising cost of targets, trophies and labor, the board has been negotiating with bidding clubs to get the best value and provide top-notch experiences for shooting participants. Of course, the best support for the WSTA Championships is provided by the shooters who attend and have a good time. Bring a friend, a new shooter or a shooter who has been sitting out for a while and wants to get involved again. With your help and program entries, we will make it a successful shoot June 25-28. We look forward to seeing you!

The board of directors would like to thank Frances Tully for taking on treasurer duties for the association with the departure of Brian James after many years of service. Frances’ retail management experience and her shooting endeavors make her a perfect fit. You may have seen her photo a few times while collecting trophies.

Dr. Laura Winkel has stepped up again to help with trophies and the silent auction for this year’s state shoot. Laura needs no introduction, as she’s graced the pages of Trap & Field as a multi-time state champion and All-American. Love of trapshooting is why shooters like Laura and Frances give back through volunteerism, and it is very much appreciated.

We have another honoree to be inducted into the WSTA Hall of Fame this June as well. I’m not going to let the cat out of the bag just yet, but you will not be surprised, as this competitor has an impressive list of accomplishments in just over 20 years of trapshooting and no doubt many more to come. I’ll drop more hints as time goes by, as I get more of this shooter’s history down on paper and a proper tribute ironed out.

I should have much more to talk about in the next installment as the ATA targets fly more frequently. Until then I will keep cranking shells out of the loader and preparing to see you all at clubs all over Washington.

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

WSTA Director