Atlantic Provinces

It has been a snowy winter in the Atlantic Provinces. In Newfoundland, February set the record for the snowiest month since records were first kept in 1942. The St. John’s airport recorded snow on 22 days and a total of 178 cm (70 inches). The yearly total so far is 385 cm (151.5 inches), and needless to say, the trap fields at the St. John’s Rod and Gun Club are buried under a thick blanket of snow. Nova Scotia accumulated 100 cm (39 inches) of snow in February, while New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island were spared from large snow accumulations and received an average amount of snowfall.

The weather often makes the national news, and I’ll get a call or text from friends asking if we’re okay. I normally reply, “Yes, we’re fine. We had a bit of snow and some wind.” To be honest, I’m surprised our house is still on its foundation. Our storms are usually accompanied by wind over 100 km/h (60 mph) which creates blizzard conditions and forces closures and power outages. Living close to the Atlantic Ocean has its good and bad sides, I guess.

Janaya and Herbie Nickerson took a break from lobster fishing and the wintry weather to shoot the Spring Grand in Tucson. Herbie is shooting a new Kolar and getting used to the release/pull setup. Seems like he’s adjusting just fine. Janaya was on her game and earned yardage in two events during the shoot. Janaya is now on the 25-yard line. I’ll have more details on their trip next month.

Members at the St. John’s Rod and Gun Club are busy preparing for the Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot Sept. 2-6. A shoot program, event details, hotel information and ammo ordering information are available on www.shootatlantic.com. If you’re attending the shoot and need ammo, I would strongly advise you take advantage of the ammo pre-order option from our shoot sponsor. Local availability is not normally as good.

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

Andrea Bassan

           ATA Delegate

Delaware

As I’m writing this in the middle of February, we’re recovering from the second major snowstorm to hit “The First State” this winter. There doesn’t seem to be much relief in the way of warmer temperatures in the coming weeks. Hopefully by the time you read this, you have your camping spots reserved for the upcoming shooting season, have blown the cobwebs out of your barrels, and are grinding targets at your local gun clubs in preparation for competition at the 123rd Delaware State Shoot. I sincerely hope you are planning to spend some time with us this Memorial Day weekend. Much preparation has gone into our tournament, by DTA as well as the staff at Pine Belt Sportsman’s Club in New Jersey. Many thanks to Pine Belt and the NJSTA for helping make our shoot a success. Again this year, Millers Gun Center of New Castle will be furnishing T-shirts for all competitors. We ask that in return you visit them for all your shooting needs.

We can’t thank them enough for their continued support. This year, Greg Pink of SOS Clays is sponsoring the SOS Clays Silver Shootout option, where shooters will shoot off for silver prizes. First- and second-place prizes will be provided by SOS Clays and a third-place silver prize will be provided by DTA. We will also have our $1,000 Shoot-Out after the Handicap Championship on Monday. We have opted for an online only program this year. You’ll find it on our website dtatrap.org. We will also have daily 50/50 raffles as well as a special raffle for a one-of-a-kind Molly’s custom belt buckle. Please read the program or postings at the shoot for details. Also in the program are classification instructions and target requirements. Please read them in advance, so you can get your targets in before the shoot, as no one will be reclassified unless there is an error.

Trophies on Day 1 will be provided with the help of Trap & Field Magazine. Trophy winners on Events 1-3 will receive a one-year subscription. This magazine will keep you informed and aware of all things trapshooting, and if you shoot well enough, you might just find yourself on the cover. Most of the prizes for the rest of the weekend will have a seemingly patriotic theme to go along with the 250-year celebration of our country. We hope you will enjoy them.

We ask that you take advantage of pre-squadding with SOS Clays. This will help cut down lines at the squadding window. If you are pre-squadded and have the target requirement, you may be pre-classified. You should receive an email if you are pre-classified. If you are on the grounds or camping at the club, classification will be open Thursday evening for your convenience.

I would be remiss in my duties if I didn’t congratulate Delaware’s solo entry in the men’s second All-American Team: Fritz Carlsten. Fritz suffered with heath issues all season long and even at the Grand American. He is one tough, dedicated competitor. Great work, Fritz; way to hang in there, my friend! Hopefully this year we’ll have some additions to that All-American list.

On Friday of our shoot we will be honoring those who fired their last shot and made their last trip to the gun club.

Donald Coulbourn of Milford passed away at age 89. He was employed by Diamond State Telephone for 38 years. He kept himself busy after retirement with many other endeavors. Donald was a past DTA president. He was a past president of Broadkiln Sportsman’s Association and served on the board of directors of both organizations for many years. He shot 44 years as an ATA member from 1968 to 2011. Donald shot 185,050 registered ATA targets in his career, winning trophies in Delaware, other states and at the Grand American.

We lost Ed Fie on Jan. 23 this year. Ed was a devoted family man, self-employed building contractor and lifelong Delaware resident, who over the last five decades helped change the landscape of Delaware through his projects, like the Grand Opera House and the Big Kahuna that started the revitalization of the Wilmington waterfront. From 1984 to 2009, Ed shot 86,800 registered ATA targets. During his career he served several years as DTA president. During that time he helped transform the DTA into the successful organization it is today.

Linda Brown passed away Jan. 3. She was the loving wife of Alan Brown, president of Wilmington Trapshooting Association. She cherished the time she spent with family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a huge NASCAR and football fan, a member of the Delaware Farm Bureau and a 45-year member at WTA. She could always be found in the clubhouse, serving food and making pleasant conversation or running errands to pick up whatever might be needed to conduct business at the club. She was a mainstay at WTA for as long as I can remember.

These people are representative of the great, caring, giving people of our sport. They are rare, and we could use some more like them in trapshooting. So next time you go to the club, bring a friend or relative who might be interested in making new friends. Because friends are what it’s all about. Shooting is just the glue that binds us all together.

Any questions you might have, please go to our website or contact me through the site. For ATA shooting in Delaware, contact the Wilmington Trapshooting Association at wiltrapshoot.org or look for them on Facebook.

Shoot well, shoot often!

John Patchell

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada.

I want to pay tribute to our lady trapshooters. Although it may bruise some male egos, the truth of the matter is we have some excellent lady trapshooters throughout the categories, and men are routinely trounced. You know some of the excellent shots I am talking about.

In my profession (lawyer), I have had female (and male) assistants who have been the backbone of my practice. This happens in almost all professions and trades. A common comment over the phone (I am told) is, “Do you want to speak to the boss or someone who knows what she is talking about?” When I attend “learn to shoot” club events, it is almost invariably the ladies who get excited. In 2015 when the Pan American Games were held in Toronto, I got a call from representatives of the Canadian Olympic Committee which oversees the Pan American Games. The Committee asked if their staff (both from Ottawa and Montreal) could try some shooting. They wanted to try small bore rifle (at a nearby range) and trap at the Toronto International Trap & Skeet Club. Of course, we accommodated them, and I had a lot of experienced volunteers who helped fit each one with a shotgun and provided direct and immediate supervision because none held a Possession and Acquisition License (PAL). I modified some standard ATA targets to narrow the angles and held a little fun competition for all. The ladies of the Olympic Committee had a blast, most often had never held a gun before, let alone shoot one. They all broke at least one target. Every exploding target resulted in cheers. It is opportunities like this for us in the shooting sports to unveil the best kept secret—shooting is fun, safe, can be recreational and competitive and is accessible to both males and females and all ages. Trapshooting is among sports that have championships that are recognized at the world level.

Anything we can do as ATA shooters to attract and keep new shooters benefits all of us.

I remind shooters that Ontario has two major point shoots in 2026, our OPTA Provincial Championships July 2-5 at the Hamilton Gun Club and our Eastern Satellite Zone Shoot scheduled for July 16-19 at the St. Thomas Club. We welcome trapshooters and their families from other provinces and states. A number of U.S. shooters attended last year. At the time of writing this article, the exchange rate is $1.37 (U.S. for Canadian) which means shooting targets in Canada is a bargain. The ladies find U.S. money goes a lot farther when shopping as well. If you want to come to Ontario and need help in navigating the process, call me and I will be pleased to help.

Paul Shaw

ATA Delegate

New Jersey

Hello to the trapshooting community from New Jersey and all of our friends. My apologies for not submitting articles for the past few months. I was told it would be tough to follow our ATA President Joe Sissano getting these articles done on time, and that proved to be true. I will work harder to submit monthly.

Jersey shooters were extremely busy last year, and I wanted to touch on a few of their accomplishments. I apologize in advance to those shooters I have not written about this time.

One gentleman who has been very busy working for all New Jersey shooters is Robert Jarvis. Bob is the president of the NJSTA and also president of the Pine Valley Sportsman Association. Bob spends countless hours helping to organize the high quality shoots year-round put on by both organizations, by updating bylaws, selecting and buying trophies, producing the state book, updating rules and procedures, all while shooting and traveling to many ATA shoots throughout the country and still able to win many titles.

Here are a few of Bob’s accomplishments from the second half of the 2025 target year: Tucson, AZ—four veteran trophies; Dixie Grand, Bostic, NC—six veteran trophies; New Jersey’s Garden State Grand—doubles winner.

Congratulations for all of your success and thanks for all of your hard work.

Scott Kalnas continues to do battles at the top level of competition. Shoot after shoot he posts top scores. Scott spends a lot of time helping to run shoots at Pine Valley Gun Club in Clemington, NJ. Scott also serves on the board of the NJSTA. Take some time to visit Pine Valley and shoot with Scott.

Pine Valley will be hosting the Quarter Grand April 11-12, as well as the 12th Annual Youth Shoot on April 25.

As the ATA Delegate for this great state I could not be happier to see our own junior from Denville, Andrew DiGiacomo become an All-American and the T&F Co-Rookie of the Year for the 2025 shooting season. Thank you to his parents for the commitment getting Andrew to so many ATA shoots. Young men and woman like Andrew do so much to help promote our sport in this state.

Congratulations to Richard Batesko for his doubles shooting at the Dixie Grand. Rick won the Double Championship and A class HOA.

Barry Ferriolo received senior vet runnerup in handicap.

Congratulations to Keith Barton winning D class doubles in Tucson and fourth place in handicap at the Northeastern Grand.

On a sad note, I need to inform the trap world of the passing of Clifford Leutholt from Browns Mills. Clifford was a New Jersey state and Eastern States Hall of Famer. Cliff was a two-time singles champion. I was told Cliff enjoyed helping anyone on the line if they wanted it or not. He especially enjoyed helping the youth shooters and often helped at Pine Valley during the youth shoot. Cliff was 92 years old.

New Jersey shooters, please get out and shoot at all of the great clubs in our state. After a long snowy and cold winter, all of the clubs need your support. Call an old friend and bring him to the club and remind them how much fun you can have, and how many great people you get to know in the sport of trapshooting.

Everyone, get ready for the state shoot. NJSTA is awarding silver- and gold-plated silver coins for a great trophy package as well as a silver shootout, ammo raffle and much more. Bring the family for a great experience.

Tom Clarke

ATA Delegate

New York

Greetings from New York. I hope everyone stayed warm during the winter season and now that spring has arrived, all will get out and start enjoying the warmer weather and begin shooting ATA targets.

I am afraid to say that we have lost a friend of the New York State ATA. Blaine Jacox of Inverness, FL, and formally of Avon, NY, passed away Feb. 11 at the age of 85. Blaine began registering targets in New York in 1976. During his career, he registered 68,400 singles, 9,150 handicap and 1,500 doubles targets. At the time of his passing, Blaine was standing on the 20-yard line. Blaine was a life member of the same club that I belong to, Mt. Morris Sportsman’s Club, and he was a good friend. Everyone on the board of directors of the New York State ATA wishes to express our deepest sympathies to his wife Myrna and his entire family.

For everyone’s information, the target requirements have been changed for the New York State High Average Teams. The requirements are now 2,000 singles (down from 2,500), 1,500 handicap and 1,000 doubles targets. The in-state target requirements have not changed.

If anyone is interested in reserving a camping spot at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, IL, for the 2026 Grand American, a link has been posted on the ATA webpage for reserving a spot. The ATA webpage is www.shootata.com.

Registered target totals for states have been posted on the ATA webpage for 2025. New York registered a total of 1,080,500 state-wide for the year.

First up for the NYSATA at the homegrounds in Bridgeport will be the Empire Grand American. The dates for the tournament are May 5-10. We all hope you plan to attend.

If anyone is interested in reserving a camping spot at the NYSATA homegrounds for any of the shoots, please contact the state’s Alternate Delegate Todd Hosbach. Todd’s email address is toddhosbach@gmail.com.

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

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 that you or your gun club representative contact me about your outstanding achievement. Another is by ATA recognition. For example, shooting your first straight or making AA, AAA or 27-yard line status. If you achieve any of these feats, please let me know. I can’t give you proper recognition if I don’t know.

Honorable mentions: Mark Zauhar is the 2026 Florida Hall of Fame inductee; Lorrie Bumsted Valois attained 25,000 doubles targets; and Ben Schumpert made the 27-yard line.

This last month Florida has gone trapshooting crazy!

Just in the month of February we have had a name shoot every weekend!

And, we still have the Silver Hair on Wednesdays, Bob’s (Hoyt) doubles on Thursday and now Elmer Ebling has a 50-target shoot during the week. If you add Palatka, Imperial Polk, Flagler, Sarasota weekly shoots, it’s gone mad! Here’s an example, our Florida sanctioned shoots in May and November bring in roughly 65 shooters. We have more shooters at the Silver Hair event. We are around 100 shooters per name shoots, and that’s awesome.

Let me go back to Mark Hall and Palatka. They are a two-trap complex, and they threw an excess of 100,000 targets. And Mark most likely loaded each one. Speaking of loading houses—I don’t know if you know that Diane Foster is the new manager of the gun club, and she is not above loading trap houses. Side note: she is just the right height for loading those houses!

As I am writing this, I am listening to Tommy Harrington on a podcast, and he is doing a great job of promoting Florida and Florida trapshooting. It appears that between the ATA increasing the trophy package by 50% and Tommy and the FTA increasing trophies and cash, it is a great time to be shooting in Florida.

As the Florida Delegate I am in the know of shooters and their scores. This year I have seen such an increase in shooters’ scores, and it makes me proud. Of course I will still cuss at the shooters who beat me, but if I didn’t, they would think I am not paying attention to them.

Good luck, shooters!

ATA Rule of the Month:

PROCEDURE FOR JOINING ATA

1. ANNUAL MEMBERS: Application for Annual Membership may be made online at www.shootata.com by following the membership instructions and payment method or at any registered shoot by filling out an application and the payment of $20 dues to the ATA. Sub-Junior, Junior and Junior-Gold Annual Members shall pay $12 dues to the ATA. A temporary receipt will be given to the shooter upon receipt of a proper application. The temporary receipt should be retained as evidence of payment and be used in lieu of an Average Card until the Average Card is received. The ATA will issue an annual Average Card in the normal course of business. This card will be marked to indicate the shooter’s handicap yardage. Full membership rights are effective upon receipt by the member of the Average Card.

Annual Members have all the shooting rights and privileges of Life Members, but may hold no office in the ATA. Annual Members, who have been active members (e.g., having registered targets) in any two (2) target years, are entitled to vote for the State/Provincial Delegate and Alternate(s), at the annual business meeting of the State or Province.

Annual Memberships are renewable by mail or at any registered shoot. To renew by mail send your complete name, address, including zip code, and $20 ($12 for Sub-Juniors, Juniors or Junior-Gold) to ATA, 1105 East Broadway, PO Box 519, Sparta, IL 62286.

Mike Reynolds

ATA Delegate

Kentucky

Hello, shooters. Unfortunately at the time of this writing, there is not a lot to report on in the shooting world. As warmer weather comes, we will be able to get our shotguns out of their case, but until then, we will have to wait to see Kentuckians atop the leaderboards. Hopefully by the time this issue prints, we are all able to enjoy some warm weather and good times at the gun clubs and at the state tournament just a few months away.

In the meantime, be sure to keep a check on kytrap.com for information about the 2026 Kentucky State Shoot. Be sure to make any hotel accommodations well in advance, and information about our host hotels can be found on the website as well. Also, keep an eye out for pre-squadding as it opens because spots often fill up quickly. Good luck and safe travels in the weeks to come!

           Jack Holland

For ATA Southern Zone Vice President Dan Ryan

Mississippi

Hello from Mississippi—where Coca-Cola was first bottled.

My question for the month is, are you an enthusiastic trapshooting competitor, just shooting for fun, or somewhere in the middle? Part 2 of the question is, have you changed since starting?

It’s interesting to listen to people as they describe their trapshooting experiences or see them while out on the trapline shooting. Most often, it doesn’t take long to decide where along the scale someone places.

It’s natural for us to play whatever activity or game we choose. Mankind has been playing various games and sports for thousands of years. One end of the spectrum involves folks who take part in sports just for the fun of being part of a group or for physical (and sometimes mental) health. The other end is those who play competitively with a strong desire to win.

In trapshooting, on one end of the spectrum is the true competitor who always seems calm, confident, with controlled emotions. Their focus is precise, and it is obvious that inside is a person who desires to be the best. And, at the same end of the scale, but opposite in personality, is the intense competitor who lacks most or all the qualities above. This is a competitor who upon missing throws hulls, grunts out loud, shows emotion or disgust, and sometimes will argue over missed targets or rules. This person can be disruptive to a squad and difficult to shoot with.

Way on the other end of the scale is the nice, likable, “just for fun” shooter whose main purpose in shooting is experiencing the camaraderie of the group and enjoying just being there shooting targets. Shooting well is part of their game, but shooting a high score is not necessary to enjoying a good day at the club. Dig into the background of these shooters, and you may find that in the past many were top of the list shooters and now on good days can smoke targets with the best.

So have you moved along on the scale, and where are you now? It’s interesting to hear trapshooters’ stories. Almost everyone I meet has a tale to tell.

Monthly shoots at Capitol Gun Club in Jackson are on the first Saturday of each month. Big 50 shoots are conducted each Thursday.

Coast Rifle and Pistol Club monthly shoots are held on the third Saturday of the month.

Capitol shoot scores for February:

Singles (10): Bill Burke, 93; Will McCarty, 93; Jim Jenkins, 93; Kenny Christmas, 91; Charlie Allen, 85; Jerry Tharp, 80; Reeves Christmas, 80; Roman Triplett, 74; Fred Rogers, 59; Steve Kane, 57.

Handicap (8): Bill Burke, 84; Reeves Christmas, 81; Will McCarty, 80; Jerry Tharp, 80; Jim Jenkins, 77; Fred Rogers, 76; Kenny Christmas, 75; Steve Kane, 55.

Doubles (5): Bill Burke, 88; Jim Jenkins, 87; Kenny Christmas, 83; Will McCarty, 82; Jerry Tharp, 53.

CRPC shoot scores for February:

Singles (15): Lenny Sawyer, 94; Travis Dann, 94; Doug Burkart, 91; Brian Harmon, 91; Michael Beverin, 91; Joey Smith, 90; Buron Comeaux, 89; James Comer, 88; Jesse Burgher, 86; Robert Evangelist, 80; Jeff Gable, 79; Mark Huneycutt, 79; Thomas E Martin, 78; Janet Bryant, 75; Dwight Gunter, 72.

Handicap (13): Donald Webb, 91; Burton Comeaux, 88; Doug Burkart, 86; Dwight Gunter, 85; Michael Beverin, 84; Joey Smith, 83; Travis Dann, 80; James Comer, 79; Brian Harmon, 79; Jeff Gable, 75; Jesse Burgher, 75; Mark Huneycutt, 72; Janet Bryant, 70.

Doubles (8): Travis Dann, 91; Donald Webb, 89; Jesse Burgher, 83; Brian Marmon, 78; Joey Smith, 72; Dwight Gunter, 71; Burton Comeaux, 68; Robert Evangelist, 56.

Bill Burke

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

Hello from the Palmetto State!

I hope everyone has been mounting their guns and keeping those back and arm muscles in shape. We are definitely ready for spring weather in South Carolina and getting out to break some targets.

I’m excited to share two shooting milestones earned by South Carolina shooters. The first is Gary Olson who has reached 100,000 targets shot in handicap. Gary began shooting in 1974 and currently shoots mainly out of Partridge Creek in Charleston and Mid Carolina in Orangeburg. He serves on the SCTA Board of Directors and is the Hall of Fame chairman. By reaching 100,000 targets in handicap, Gary is now at the 100,000 target achievement in all three disciplines. Congratulations, Gary!

Keith Hylton has also reached a milestone in his shooting—100,000 combined targets in the three disciplines. Keith began shooting in 1975 and participates mainly out of Mid Carolina in Orangeburg. Congratulations, Keith!

I’m excited to share information about a new shooting club which opened in South Carolina, the SCDNR State Shooting Complex in Eastover. The club features eight lighted trap/skeet fields, two conference rooms and a covered patio with a fireplace and seating. They held their first trap tournament on Feb. 14. Shooters are looking forward to additional tournaments coming soon.

We have scheduled our state Hall of Fame Shoot for April 11-12 at the Greenville Gun Club. Our 2026 Hall of Fame inductee is Wayne (Bo) Adair. Bo began shooting trap in 1965 and is a member of the Spartanburg Gun Club. We look forward to honoring his shooting career in April.

The South Carolina State Shoot will be held at the North Carolina Homegrounds April 29-May 3. We will throw 1,300 targets over the five-day event. We hope you will consider adding our state shoot to your calendar for this year, and we promise you an excellent tournament.

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.

Hope to see you shooting soon.

Teresa Knight

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

It’s time! Spring is here, and we have the opportunity to head out to the local club. The weather is warming up, and now is the chance to put in the practice in order to make 2026 a successful shooting experience. The more we practice, the better we will be—theoretically. It definitely helps with your timing, and shooting multiple targets in a day will tone your muscles and sharpen your reflexes, which in turn should lead to better scores. Make sure to practice all the disciplines that you ordinarily shoot in order to stay sharp on each. The more you shoot, the better your muscle memory, and shooting practice will help to create a strong subconscious that knows exactly what to do and how to do it. Now, get out there and shoot some shotshells!

We have a couple of state tournaments coming up this month in the southeast. This is a good chance to throw your gun and shells in the truck and head out to one or both of these and register some targets. The first this month is the Georgia State Shoot, and it will be held April 23-26 at the South River Gun Club in Covington, GA. For details and a copy of the program, visit www.gatrap.com/shoot-calendar/2026-georgia-state-shoot. There will be 1,100 registered targets and $9,219 in added money that is waiting.

Also happening this month is the South Carolina State Shoot. This event will begin April 29 and run through May 3. It will be held at the North Carolina Homegrounds in Bostic. This is a great venue, and the folks from South Carolina really know how to put on a shoot. They will make you feel welcome, and I guarantee the experience will be awesome. You definitely will want to go back. So load up and head to Bostic; you might bring home some hardware, and you might see me there!

Now is the time to get out and shoot every chance you get. Summer is just around the corner, and that means more state shoots, zone shoots, and then the Grand will be right around the corner. Get on the range and practice, practice, practice. Hit the state shoots you can attend. Go to a local club and register some targets. Use every opportunity to hone your skills. You won’t regret it come shootoff time!

I think that’s it for this month. Thank you for your support of the ATA. Safe travels and get out there and shoot!

And remember, the rulebook is your friend. Read it please.

Mark Cantrell

ATA Delegate

Louisiana

On Feb. 25, Toby Bancroft Memorial Gun Club had to cancel their Valentine’s Day Shoot due to lack of available personnel to run it. Life events got in the way.

TBMGC held its second scheduled shoot Feb. 21, with 27 shooters showing up to enjoy the fun, which is a large crowd for TBMGC. It was a great spring day in February with some pretty good breezes helping to make it interesting. New members Jim Ellingburg and James Evan Ellingburg joined us for their first registered ATA targets; welcome to you. Our good friends from Natchez, Fred Rogers, David Huber, Chad Huber and Mary Kate Huber drove over, and it was nice to see them. The Hubers haven’t shot in a while, but as is their norm, they just picked right back up with good scores. Jim Jenkins led the way with a 97 in singles, followed by Chad Huber with 95, Mary Kate Huber with 94 and a whole herd of others in the 90s. Handicap was very challenging with the wind, but Jenkins was able to pull out an 87 followed by “Squishy” Richmond with an 84 and Mary Kate Huber with 83. A good group stayed to fight the wind in doubles. Chad Huber smashed the field with 91 followed by Donny Sanders with 85. The rest were left hanging our heads trying to ignore our scores. Many thanks to all the AIM parents who helped load, pick up hulls and score, what a difference it makes. Multiple thanks to Todd Dumas who has been going above and beyond to fill the trap houses with targets prior to the shoots for several times now.

Our Avery Dumas had her signing ceremony Feb. 22 at the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Rifle Range. Avery will be signing with the University of the Ozarks Eagles shooting team located in Clarksville, AR. All her Louisiana shooting brethren are so proud of Avery. Not only is she a great shot, but she is a great person.

Our Louisiana State Shoot has arrived. We all here are excited for those of you who have chosen to join us. We’re hoping for dry weather, but if that doesn’t come to pass, we know how to handle it. TBMGC will host the shoot once again April 30-May 3 in West Monroe. If you decide to join us at the last minute, get in touch and we’ll do what we can to accommodate you.

Check out our website, www.latrap.org. There’s information on registered shoots of interest to our shooters, the scores/winners of our Louisana shoots and information on all the gun clubs in our state that host registered shoots.

Jim Jenkins

ATA Delegate

Missouri

Greetings to all. I hope everyone is doing well and you are getting ready for another season of our favorite sport of trapshooting. We have had the opportunity to enjoy some pretty decent days here in Missouri every now and then when it was comfortable to shoot without winter clothes. Get those shotguns out and get the cobwebs blown out of the barrel. The shoots are beginning to happen.

The Multi-State Challenge is gaining interest, and we now have a club on the West Coast included in the spring shoot April 17-19, with the Livermore Pleasanton Rod & Gun Club joining the Challenge. While some of the clubs that were included in the fall shoot have decided to forgo the spring shoot, some others have shown interest. Hope to see you at MTA or at least see your name at one of the other locations.

I had a little time this winter to review some of the data from the 2025 target year. We had fewer clubs throwing registered targets last year than ever before in Missouri. I have been in contact with many of the old clubs and have certified some new ones in the last year. One of the most active clubs, KCTA, has been out of commission for nearly two years due to the loss of the clubhouse in the tornado, which by the way is back in operation. Please look at attending some of the shoots at these local clubs as they need your support. If anyone has anything that they would like to have reported on or has any concerns, please contact me at srickett@sbcglobal.net or 816-863-9003. NKJV Galatians 6:9—And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Shoot often, shoot well and be safe!

Stephen Ricketts

ATA Southwestern Zone Vice President

Texas

Howdy from Texas!

At the time of me writing this, shooting is still slow in Texas. The Spring Grand is going full swing in Tucson, and I will be able to give you news on that next month. So I guess the best thing to do is to give some reminders.

This month (April), the Texas Trapshooters Association (TTA) will be holding the Zone 4 Shoot at Waco Skeet and Trap April 24-26. That seems early, but it is the last weekend in April this year. They have 13 traps and hope to keep them all busy with a huge turnout.

In June, TTA will hold the Zone 1 Shoot in Amarillo June 19-21. Amarillo’s new manager, Paul Pedri, who has been there almost a year now, has guaranteed no wind and cool weather for the entire weekend! Just kidding, but I do have my fingers crossed, and I know they will do all they can to keep the shooters happy.

The Texas State Shoot will be held in San Antonio this year June 30-July 5. Royce and his crew at the NSC always work hard to keep everything running smoothly, so make plans to come and shoot with us. While you are here, stay and shoot the ATA Southwestern Zone at one of the two locations in Texas. This year it will be held at El Paso and Waco. I hope to see you there.

If you have anything you’d like included in a future article, please email me the details, and I’ll do my best to feature it in the next update. Be sure to visit the TTA website (shoottta.org) for additional news and a list of upcoming events across Texas.

As always, I encourage everyone to volunteer at your local club and support our youth shooters. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me or any of the current TTA officers—we’re always happy to help!

Again, thanks for your support, and I will see you at the next one. I can be reached at texasatadelegate@gmail.com.

Billy Hopson

ATA Delegate

California

Hello, everyone.

My name is Gary Beer, Alternate Delegate for the state of California. I reside in central California, and the Kingsburg Gun Club is my home club. As the 2026 California shooting season approaches, I would like to provide an update on upcoming events.

April 2026 Shoot Schedule: April begins with two one-day shoots on April 4. The Kingsburg Gun Club will host a 300-target event across all three disciplines, while Oak Tree Gun Club will host a shoot in Newhall.

On April 11, the Twin Rivers Youth Trap Team will host a one-day SCTP/ATA shoot at Old Fishermen’s Club in Modesto, and Redlands Shooting Park will also hold a one-day event. Both tournaments will feature 300 targets. Additionally, the Santa Ynez Sportsmen’s SCTP Invitational will take place April 11-12, with a 200-target singles event on Saturday and 100 handicap targets on Sunday.

The weekend of April 18-19 will feature shoots in all three zones. North Hollywood Sportsman’s Club will host a one-day shoot April 18. The Fresno/Mariposa Youth Team will hold a two-day SCTP event at the Kingsburg Gun Club, and Livermore-Pleasanton Rod and Gun Club will also host a two-day shoot. On Sunday, April 19, Santa Maria Gun Club will host a Big 50.

To close out the month, LA Clays and Sunnyvale will each host one-day shoots on Saturday, April 25. Santa Maria Gun Club will host a two-day tournament that same weekend.

The California Trapshooting Hall of Fame is pleased to announce two inductees for 2026.

Darvin Thomas began his shooting career in California in 1974 and later moved to Arizona in the 1990s. He has accumulated hundreds of thousands of registered targets across California, Arizona and nationwide, earning numerous champion and class champion titles. Darvin was also elected to the Arizona Trapshooting Hall of Fame this year.

Norm Volponi began shooting in the 1970s and was a longtime member of the Livermore-Pleasanton Rod and Gun Club. He became widely known for his exceptional cashiering and squadding abilities, serving at more than 30 gun clubs across the western United States and Alaska over a 26-year career. Norm served as lead cashier for the California State Shoot for many years and famously cashiered the Golden West Grand in Reno, squadding over 1,200 shooters by hand. Norm passed away in 2025, and his family will accept his induction.

Kingsburg Gun Club will begin its six-week Tuesday night Spring League April 7. This non-registered league consists of 75 full squads shooting 50 targets per week with three weeks of singles and three weeks of handicap. The league concludes with an awards dinner in June for shooters and their families. Divisions include registered, non-registered, junior and lady shooters, and the league consistently provides an enjoyable and competitive experience for all participants.

Big congratulations to California shooters, who registered 1,378,850 targets for the 2025 season. This put California in the top 10 among all states.

Also, congratulations to 2026 All-American Team members from California: Colton Tucker and Chayton Vega, open second team; Alice Wiebe, sub-junior second team; and Ethan Prescott, junior gold second team.

The 113th annual California State Shoot is approaching fast. The event is June 24-28. The shoot is held annually at the Kingsburg Gun Club. The Youth Shoot is June 20-21, and the pre-state competition is June 22-23.

For more information on upcoming tournaments, here are the websites for each California club with a shoot in April: oaktreegunclub.com, redlandsshootingpark.com, kingsburggunclub.com, lprg.org; santamariagunclub.org, northhollywoodsportsmansclub.com, laclays.com, sunnyvalegunclub.com, californiatraphof.com.

Gary Beer

ATA Alternate Delegate

Idaho

As I begin writing this article, I’ve been sadly wondering how to begin the first part. Well, here goes. Many of you (at least in the southern part of the state) knew Tharan (Terry) Cook. Sadly, Terry passed away Feb. 12. Terry was one of my favorite shooting partners. He was a handicap fanatic. Sure he shot some singles and doubles, but handicap was his passion. My records show he had 81,625 registered targets of which 49,100 were handicap. That was one event he didn’t miss. Many times he’d travel several hours just to shoot 100 handicap targets. His wife Pauline was his travel partner, and I always enjoyed spending time visiting with them. Terry and I would squad together as often as possible. If Terry saw I was on a single-person squad, he’d resquad just so I wouldn’t shoot alone. He was always considerate that way. When it came to the rules, Terry was one of the most knowledgeable shooters I knew. I think he knew the ATA book as well as my brother Ed Wehking, who chaired the ATA Rules Committee for years. Terry also knew the PITA book just as well. On top of that, Terry read all of the posted Executive Committee meeting minutes. Most people don’t even know where to find those, but they are on the ATA website and Terry would quiz me on the latest meetings. He often knew information before I did. The point of this drivel is just to say, Terry loved trapshooting and all aspects of it. He voluntarily read and studied it more than 90% of the shooters I know. Terry was a true gentleman of the sport and in life. I will miss my friend.

On to other news. Spring is nearly here with Daylight Savings Time starting in less than two weeks. Idaho (at least in the southern part) has had a very mild winter this year with above average temperatures. Maybe this has contributed to an unusually high number of shooters this year.

The Camas Prarie League just finished the seventh week, with 989 shooters entering scores as I write this. Only three more weekends then the infamous Camas Prarie Handicap shoot will be held at Walla Walla in Washington!

To date, Hermiston Gun Club is leading the team scores in the league with St. Maries close behind. Who knows how it will end, but by the time this is published in T&F, the finals will be over as well as the ATA shoot at Walla Walla. Usually my articles are posted on our ISTA Facebook page, and they are very current, so you can always check there for information.

Here’s a reminder that the Idaho State Shoot will be held in Boise over the Memorial Day weekend. You can call the club and get your RV reservations. The RV facilities have been upgraded and offer much more electrical power and parking room.

That’s all for now.

Leonard Wehking

ATA Delegate

Montana

Make no mistake, winter is still in full swing in Montana, and Big 50s are what the buzz is all about for ATA targets. In January, the Dillon-hosted Big 50 posted a top singles perfect score from Jim Holodnick and John Hawkins (50×50). High handicap scores were shot by John Hawkins and Chris Cainan (45), while Jim Holodnick claimed the doubles event (45).

In Butte, there was a five-way tie for top singles score between Jim Holodnick, Rayelynn Brandl, Seth Duclos, Josh Bridgeman and David Hoback (49). Ryan Fleming and David Hoback tied for high handicap (46), Tripp Bick won doubles (48) and claimed HOA (140×150).

Leagues, meat shoots and Big 50s have carried us through the winter months, and rumor has it that spring is on the way. The MSTA shoot calendar is booked, and clubs across the state are prepping for a rock-solid season of fun in the sun! The Shamrock Shootout (Missoula) and Frost Breaker (Billings) are first in the lineup with the Founders Day Shoot (Flathead-Kalispell) following to round out the month of March. Teams from east and west of the Divide will be gathering for the State Team Singles Shoot (Logan) in mid April. Everyone looks forward to this popular event where old and new friends share the line to see who will come out on top and claim the two traveling trophies (200 singles and handicap) to display at their club until we all meet again in 2027.

Montana AIM youth teams are forming, with practice commencing and goals added to the top of every team list. A vast season of opportunities is in the works, and a dynamic platform has been set with challenges, invitationals and rewards on a grand scale that are available for the taking. This will be a season to keep a close eye on our youth shooters as their momentum is on the rise and is sure not to disappoint. Good luck to all in the 2026 target year!

Andrew Kelly

ATA Delegate

Nevada

January shooting was up and going early in the new year with the Nevada State Trapshooting Association (NSTA) First Sunday Social Shoot Jan. 4. Twenty-five shooters competed under partly cloudy skies, with cool—some would say too cool—temperatures. Frequent Nevada shooter, Mike Dame, traveled from Utah and broke 46 to win Event 1 handicap. Mike received his first ATA yardage punch to 20.5 with the winning score. Congratulations to Mike. Matthew Guttman was second with 44. In the second event, 50 singles, Matthew Guttman and Mike Dame switched places from their handicap finish. Matthew had just one target slip away and carded a 49 to win the singles. Mike Dame took second with 47. Event 3 doubles was won by accomplished doubles shooter Jack Wang with 47. Dale Erickson and Ken James were second in the doubles with 43 apiece.

The next January shoot was the initial installment of the 2026 NSTA Race for the Buckle Big 50 Jan. 17 at Clark County Shooting Complex (CCSC). As mentioned in earlier issues, the NSTA Race for the Buckle events are both individual monthly contests and cumulative races that culminate in December when ATA category champions are determined based on points won throughout the year. During the Jan. 17 Race for the Buckle Shoot at CCSC, 47 shooters competed for the buckle points in chilly weather. Temperatures started out in the low 60s, but a cold northwest wind had people scrambling for their jackets by Event 2. Shooters held the line and kept breaking clays.

Dale Erickson won the handicap event with 44. Leila Tabion won the singles with 50 straight and the HOA with 92. Wes Atkin, Dale Erickson and Mike Hanley tied with 44s to garner the doubles in very tough conditions. The temperatures dropped and the wind increased to over 20 mph during the doubles event. Many Nevada shooters used the First Sunday Social Shoot and the Race for the Buckle Big 50 to tune up for the ATA Spring Grand, held Feb. 23-March 1 in Tucson, AZ. More on the Spring Grand in future articles. I encourage everyone to attend the Spring Grand if it fits your schedule. It’s a fun shoot.

Shoots held in February at the CCSC were: Feb. 1, First Sunday Social Shoot; Feb. 7, Big Silver Shootout; Feb. 14, Race for the Buckle Big 50.

In fact, the NSTA provides a very full and complete shooting schedule for shooters from Nevada and many other states throughout the year. NSTA has scheduled over 30 tournaments in 2026, offering more than 40 days of competitions to trapshooters.

In addition, NSTA sponsors four trap leagues that run throughout the year. The Wednesday night trapshooting leagues are an excellent way to introduce new shooters to the game and to involve the casual shooter in some fun competitions. Many of us who shoot ATA registered targets today began shooting in leagues. The leagues offer great camaraderie and a fun competitive environment. Please see nvtrap.com for trap league details.

We are very fortunate to live in a state, where, although we have relatively few shooters by population, we have a very robust shooting schedule. The plethora of shooting opportunities in Nevada are all due to the Nevada State Trapshooting Association and the very hard-working NSTA Board of Directors, under the direction of President Greg Pink. Greg works tirelessly to coordinate shoots within Nevada and interfaces our shoot schedule with other states’ shoot calendars to maximize shooters’ opportunities.

NSTA Vice President Linda Hand is the shoot manager for NSTA. Linda works with other board members to set dates, order trophies and hire scorekeepers. Before it all happens, NSTA Secretary Jeff White secures shoot certificates and schedules each shoot date with the ATA. Board members Corky Peters, Melvin Tabion, Jack Wang and Gary Rusch, along with auxiliary committee members Patrick O’Neill and Larry Gearheart, are often heavily engaged in helping shoots take place.

All this is to underscore the fact the shoots don’t just happen and targets don’t just appear every month. Let’s thank our board of directors and officers for all they do.

Please see nvtrap.com for complete programs of all Nevada shoots. Until then, let’s remember it’s a game. Have fun out there!

           Danny Talbot

           ATA Delegate

Washington

Is it spring yet? We should be enjoying good shooting weather by the time you read this. Our area had a couple blasts of winter in February after a mild January. As the saying goes in the Northwest, “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute!” Watching attendance at the Spring Grand, it seems that many have chosen to escape the frigid Eastern and Midwestern weather to enjoy some Tucson weather. Spokane resident Bob McLendon smashed 100 in singles the day I wrote this, and Washington has a pretty good contingent of contestants at Tucson.

The Camas Prairie Handicap is behind us now, and many shoots are coming up at various clubs in Washington, and a short road trip into Idaho can get a few targets on your card as well. We will be heading back to Walla Walla in June for the Washington State Championships. If you don’t have lodging booked for the Washington State Shoot, you should look into it soon. Hotels fill up fast, as Walla Walla is a vacation destination for many.

I said previously that I would drop some hints as to this year’s WSTA Hall of Fame honoree. He’s a pretty big guy, very happy all the time, and has a father-in law and brother-in-law already in the Hall. Many of you will guess before the next installment, and I’ll make the announcement then.

The state shoot will offer draw score shootoffs, silver shootoffs and the return of the cornhole tournaments that were a big hit last year. If you don’t have fun, it is your own fault! Good weather and camaraderie are waiting for us. I think it will be a great WSTA tournament. Don’t forget to support the sponsors and ATA registered shoots that make this possible. You have plenty of time to take a new shooter out and get them hooked before the state and Western Zone tournaments. Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

WSTA Director

Wyoming

As of this writing, I’m sitting here waiting to shoot at the Spring Grand and hoping the wind doesn’t get any worse. Anyway, I just wanted to throw something out to everyone. This sport is full of fantastic people who are willing to pass along advice (good or bad) or even compliments. For the most part we take it in stride without a second thought. However, once in a while, sometimes more than we know, we may inspire a shooter, be it young or old, in a way we never dreamed of. What a heart-touching moment it is when you find out that you made a person’s life change. So, everyone, think about that when you’re around other shooters who could be looking for guidance.

Ron Miller

ATA Delegate