Illinois

Hello, shooters! The Spring Grand just finished in Tucson, AZ, and a few stood out among the crowd. It sounds like it was kind of a bummer. Going down to Arizona to escape the cold, just to get snowed on down there as well! Elise Baker went down for the first time and took home seven trophies. Randy Miller won the Pleasant Valley Handicap with 98, and Adam Fabisiak had the high score in the Prescott Handicap with 97. His son Kyle won sub-junior in handicap the following day.

The Illinois Hall of Fame building is ready to be built. We are just looking for donations to get the process rolling. We are trying to reach $130,000 and have quite a ways to go. Any donation will help. If you haven’t seen the floor plan in the ISTA building at Brittany, we are going to have an addition to the ISTA building for the Hall of Fame as well as our trophy room. That should help with picking up trophies at the end of the day.

If you missed the northern zone shoot at Downer’s Grove, you can still make the central zone in Peoria or the southern zone in Rend Lake. Both will be held on Memorial Day weekend (May 25-26). Remember, you have to shoot all 400 targets at a zone shoot to qualify for the state team. Our state shoot will be June 8-16. The 8th and 9th will be our AIM state shoot, and the 10th will be the marathon day to get any targets in that you are short for penalties. The 9th through 16th will be the main week of the shoot. If you are wanting to camp, I do have a large wait list, but contact me at [email protected], and I will get your name added. If you camped last year, you have until May 1 to mail me your check (11374 Prairie Dell Rd, Bunker Hill IL 62014) or to contact me and let me know you still want your spot.

Lauren Mueller

ATA Delegate

Indiana

Greetings, Indiana shooters! Hopefully when you are reading this in April, the weather is finally nice and everyone has had a chance to knock the dust and rust off their trap guns.

Make sure you check out the Indiana trap website www.indianatrap.com for a full listing of all registered ATA shoots being held this spring. It is vital that we trapshooters get out and support our local clubs as much as possible. Many clubs will be hosting Big 50 shoots during the week this season, and these are a great way to get more shooting in and support the clubs.

The following will be hosting the Indiana zone shoots in the month of May; make sure you have these marked on your calendars: Fulton Co. GC, northern zone, May 10-12; Kingen GC, central zone, May 17-19; and Evansville GC, southern zone, May 24-26. Certain to be three great weekends to shoot.

Make sure you have your calendars marked for the 125th Indiana State Trapshooting Championships July 16-21. I look forward to seeing you there! The ITA Directors have been busy preparing for a great shoot. If you need any additional info, especially pertaining to camping, certainly let me know.

I received the following from our ITA Spectator Experience Coordinator Roxie Antczak: “The ITA Spectator Experience Committee is putting together a fun-filled week for everyone! A campsite decorating contest will be included again this year. New this year is a selfie paint-by-number class with Fortville’s Studio 309. There is much more in the works, so be sure to check the ITA Spectator Experience Facebook page for information and updates. Any questions can be e-mailed to [email protected]. Please share this information with your friends and family; they won’t want to miss all the fun!”

Don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything or would like to have anything included in this article for Indiana. My e-mail is [email protected].

Jason Barnett

ATA Delegate

Iowa

Well, as I wrote this at the end of January, we are looking at some of this year’s coldest temps coming in this week. But as you read this, it will be April, so we are definitely on the right end of the countdown. I hope all the snowbirds shot well at Tucson T&SC at the Spring Grand.

Looking ahead, some clubs will be working with the high school kids. If any of you can help volunteer, I know they always appreciate help. We need to keep the kids shooting and help support them the best we can. Not only are they the future of the ATA, but, in my opinion, the biggest thing they will impact are local and national elections. These kids are all going to vote.

Let’s make sure we support our local clubs. Thank you, all who are throwing registered targets. We appreciate all you do above and beyond.

Heath Kasperbauer

ATA Delegate

Michigan

As this shooting season is getting ready to get going in Michigan, it’s a great time to highlight those who have set the bar as the 2019 Michigan state team. It’s pretty cool that for some of these team members, it’s a family affair. There are two parent-child placements: Frank and Frankie Joe Galonis, and Scott and Mike Berry. There were also two husband-wife placements: Rick and Sandy Jensen, and Leslie and Larry York. This year’s men’s and women’s team captains have continued the legacy of their MTA Hall of Fame parents Norris Chadwell and George Snellenberger; Carl Chadwell and Jacque Snellenberger have led the pack on this year’s teams. In addition to the 2019 Michigan state team placement, Bill Hagerty, Jacque Snellenberger and Aiden Blaz made the All-American team also. Congrats on a stellar season of shooting!

Men’s first—captain Carl Chadwell, Frankie Galonis, Hugo Rinke, James Creighton, Jerry Glisson, Larry Litwin Jr., Darryl Hayes, Keith Heeg, Joe Krupa, Steve Olvitt. Men’s second—Mark Bristoll, Scott Berry, Michael Berry, Herbert Lobdell, Jacob Patterson, Larry York, Raymond Nabozny, Frank Clark, Gerald DeHondt, Perry Moore. Women’s—captain Jacque Snellenberger*, Leslie York, Lauralee Heiden, Karen Schreiber-Perlberg, Sandy Jensen. Sub-junior—captain Aiden Blaz*, Noah Garbrecht. Junior—captain Skylar Clark, Lucas Bristoll, Jackson Sokel, Ava Larson, Jonathon Stockwell. Veteran—captain Frank Galonis, Kenneth Sims, Richard Jensen, Carl Meininger, William Hagerty*. Senior vet—captain Kirk Burl, Thomas Hoppinthal, Karl Hampel, Dale Staley, Wilbert Otter.

The Michigan Work Day is April 13. Please find the time, if you can, to come out and join us as we get our homegrounds prepared for this shooting season. Also, get your teams ready for the Spring Team Shoot May 2-5. This is one of the largest team shoots held, and we hope to see you there. Please e-mail me at [email protected] if your club is hosting a special event or you’d like to highlight something great going on in your part of the state so that it can be highlighted. Until next time, shoot well!

1. Darryl Hayes

ATA Central Zone Vice President

Minnesota

Greetings from the North Star State! I returned to the Great White North from what I was hoping would be sunny Tucson and the Spring Grand, but for the most part was disappointed in the weather. While we did not encounter any below-zero weather (thank goodness), we did have record-breaking snow on the morning of the Doubles Championship and generally poor weather throughout Spring Grand week. Two things that you could not find in Tucson during that time were long johns and portable electric heaters! For many of the Minnesotans who made the trip, the weather was a topic of conversation, not only in Arizona, but back at home as the state was hit with several February blizzards that left school districts scrambling to alter schedules and the governor considering allowing for the shortening of the school year attendance rules due to missed instructional days. Snowmobilers and retailers selling snow blowers were doing well, as were those people who move snow in the winter. The ice fishermen had plenty of ice but too much snow in places to get onto the lake. Back in Tucson, Minnesota had 52 shooters at the Spring Grand, fifth most of any state or province behind Arizona (87), California (77), Wisconsin (73) and Iowa (55). Minnesotans did win a few trophies, and I will try to update you about those next month.

The reality of returning home for many of us is that we are still in the grip of real winter, and the hope of an early spring and a return to the trap range is a real dream.

Remember our jackpot shooting at St. Cloud, Zimmerman, Buffalo and Minneapolis. See the MTA website for contact information, times and dates.

As I send this off, I am preparing for a trip to Fargo to get my hip replaced and some relief so shooting will be more enjoyable this summer. You can contact me at 507-456-2000 or at [email protected].

Paul T. Cyr

for ATA Delegate Dean Walker

Saskatchewan

Hello from the Great White North of Saskatchewan, where the winter doldrums have set in, the trap clubs are all under snow banks, and the extreme cold has prevented even the most hardy of shooters from doing any type of clay target busting. But it is the season of snowbirds heading south and the annual Spring Grand tournament. Five Saskatchewan shooters attended this excellent shoot: Brian and Brett Bebeau, Jason Coldwell, Keven Mark and yours truly. The Spring Grand did have some surprises this year. On Friday shooters awoke to a white winter wonderland, as Tucson had a significant snow event, a shock to some of the locals. I felt sorry for the scorers, as they had to endure cold and snow while sitting on a cold chair—very tough, indeed.

Saskatchewan concluded their annual meeting in Saskatoon with the business of the year completed without our president being able to chair the meeting due to a death in the family, but Ron Todd, our administrator, did a fine job of keeping things on track. Kudos go out to Score Ammunition for their continued support of our provincial championships, which this year are in Saskatoon. Our funding levels from lottery earnings will remain the same, so we will be able to fund shooters to attend the Canadian Championships in St. Thomas, ON, as well as our youth programs for the Saskatchewan championships. We await the arrival of spring and some warm weather.

Rod Boll

ATA Delegate

Wisconsin

Arriving at the Tucson T&SC Spring Grand was easy. Leaving the Spring Grand is not usually easy, but this year was different. Surviving the middle days of the Spring (aka Winter) Grand was tough, rough and brutal. All in one day we had wind, cold 32º, 1.5 inches of snow, sleet, and, yes, one peek-a-boo of sun. The week before, weather was good, and now this week the weather is again good. Can we please have a mulligan? The day it snowed, the trap help could not continue in this weather; bless them for trying to stick it out. Management canceled the handicap; smart call. This shoot was very well run by staff and volunteers. Thank you for your time.

One morning in the lunch room, there was a table of card players. Paul Becker was concentrating on the game and laughing about his new claim to fame. Mark Zauhar was happy to help tell the story about Paul bagging a 30,000+ pound brown bear. (Well, their words were that it was a bigger bear than Mark shot.) I was interested in this new trophy, and then they showed me the photo: the 10C traphouse with its wounds. Mark and Paul are two of the happiest friends together and bring joy and laughter to all of the other shooters. And, yes, I did get to shoot on 10C and see Paul’s trophy and was wondering how is he going to get it home to Wisconsin.

John Hardin and Jeff Mainland with Kolar Arms put on a nice pizza evening for the Wisconsin/Minnesota/over-the-pond shooters and others who wanted to join us. Thank you for the happy evening of food and friends. Where there are Wisconsin (61 traveled for this shoot) shooters, there will always be a party.

Wisconsin shooters who won trophies did a great job. I hope I did not miss anyone: Marvin Peter Rustad, Charles Noel (two), Mark Sacia, Bob Ebbers, James Grunewald, Sandra Jo Jack, Gerald Demulling, Cheryl Demulling, Paul Becker, Devin Doucette (three), Greg Arneson and Rich (YZ)_ Weisensel.

I am looking forward to warmer weather. Please take time to help open your local club. Volunteer in any way you can. Most of all, keep smiling . . . I am. If you have any information for me to add, please e-mail me at [email protected].

Sandra Jo Jack

for ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring

Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces. While most trap clubs here go into hibernation for the winter, the Petitcodiac SC’s winter trap league is in full swing and continues to be popular. Club representative Ron Whitehead reports that 18 ATA members are shooting the winter league, which runs from Jan. 5 to May 4. At the end, awards will be presented for top scores and high averages. This is the third year for the trap league, a big draw for the one-trap club.

The Shooter Profile section of the APTA webpage is up and running. Our first profile is John Tucker from Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, NF and Labrador. John is one of the key trapshooters at the St. John’s R&GC. When John isn’t at the club shooting, preparing for a shoot, or working on maintenance projects, he spends his time with family and spoiling his grandson Christian. John is also an avid salmon fisherman and enjoys moose hunting in the fall with his brother Peter. Stay tuned to shootatlantic.com for monthly additions to the Profiles section.

The APTA and Peititcodiac SC are partnering again for a gun lottery. This year’s prize is a Blaser F3 SuperTrap over-under with 32-inch barrels, adjustable rib, adjustable comb, Grade 4 stock and Blaser fitted case. All proceeds will go to promoting trapshooting in the Atlantic Provinces and supporting the initiatives of the Petitcodiac SC and the APTA. A limited number of tickets at $20 each will be printed. Complete lottery details can be found on shootatlantic.com.

Preparations for this year’s Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot continue. Several major sponsors have been secured, and things are shaping up just fine. Newfoundland and Labrador is a beautiful place to visit in the early fall. If you’re looking for a vacation in a scenic and culturally rich locale, Newfoundland is the place for you. If you would like to place an ad in our shoot program, there’s still time. Contact me directly.

The 2019 Canadian Trapshooting Championships will be back to Ontario at the St. Thomas GC June 26-30. Attendance seems to be larger when an Ontario club hosts the annual shoot, and this year is looking to be no different. If you’d like to compete in Canada’s national trapshoot, visit shootcanada.ca for more information and a program.

For more information on the APTA, feel free to contact me at [email protected] or visit shootatlantic.com.

Andrea Bassan

ATA Delegate

Massachusetts

As I start putting this article together on Feb. 3, it got to be 41º this afternoon, compared to well below zero for the last couple of weeks. Hopefully spring weather is just around the corner.

By the time you read this, our registered shooting season will be under way. I try to remind all members around this time to please have your ATA and your MATA dues paid for the 2019 target year. Check your average card, have your singles and doubles averages up to date, along with your correct yardage. This will certainly help out at classification.

Please remember the target requirements that will need to be shot in 2019 in order to make the 2020 state team: 2,000 singles, 1,500 handicap and 1,000 doubles. Plus you must shoot all events of the two championship days (Saturday and Sunday) during the 2019 state shoot.

For this year’s state shoot, I am very pleased to report that all fields used for the championship events will be manned with Pat-Traps throwing White Flyer targets. This will be a four-day shoot with 1,100 targets and will be held at Minute Man SC.

I’m sorry to report the loss of a longtime shooter. Michael J. Falk, 69, died Jan. 8 after a long illness. Michael lived in Lunenburg with his wife Lynne. He was a member of the North Leominster R&GC and a life member of the ATA. Michael first started shooting registered targets in 1973 and shot until 2016. He was ATA Delegate in 1984 and 1985. He shot 91,500 singles, 65,850 handicap and 45,350 doubles targets for a total of 202,700. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Lynne, his family and friends.

Lewis Jacobs of Chestnut Hill, MA, died Jan. 15. Mr. Jacobs was a life member of the ATA and started shooting registered targets in 1990. He shot 22,600 singles, 18,600 handicap and 16,650 doubles targets for a total of 57,850. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Traudl and brothers Stuart and Joshua.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns that I can help with, I can be reached at 413-586-0428 or [email protected]. Remember, have fun.

Dave Russell

ATA Delegate

New Jersey

As I sit here writing this month’s contribution, high winds of 40 to 60 mph passed through the Garden State last night. Many areas lost power due to downed lines. Hopefully all was well where you live.

By the time you receive the April issue of Trap & Field, you should have received your 2019 New Jersey state trapshooting program. All out-of-state shooters who have attended any shoot in New Jersey in the last two years should have received their copy in the mail. All New Jersey shooters should have picked theirs up from their local gun club.

The fifth annual Youth Shoot will be held at Pine Valley April 13. It would be a great time to bring a son, daughter, nephew, niece or just a neighbor’s child to show them the sport you love and how they could be a new part of the ATA.

Steve Ottrando reported that the Mallard TC will he hosting their 14th annual Easter Pie Shoot April 20. Over 35 pies will be up for grabs; all you need to do is hit the green bird. Each squad will have a winner, so make plans to attend. The shoot starts at 11:30 a.m.

The 54th annual Jersey Cricket is scheduled for April 27, starting at the Pine Belt SC for sign-in, breakfast and the first hundred singles, then on to Pine Valley GC for the second hundred singles and lunch, then on to Wilmington TC in Delaware for the third hundred and a sit-down dinner at a local hotel. Gene Moir Jr. hopes to make it three wins in a row, and I’m sure Rick Batesko, who was runnerup last year, may have other plans for this year’s outcome. To get further information on this event, please contact Steve Armstrong at [email protected].

I’m mentioning the New Jersey southern zone shoot now because it’s May 3-5 at Pine Valley GC. Friday will have singles, handicap and doubles, with all trophies being open. Saturday and Sunday there will be both zone trophies and non-zone trophies (an out-of-state shooter is considered a non-zone shooter). Saturday will have 200 singles, and Sunday is 100 handicap and 50 pair of doubles. This year the NJSTA Board of Directors felt that to promote comradery among the northern and southern New Jersey shooters, that there will not be a satellite shoot at the North Jersey facility May 4-5 this year, as in the past.

On a sad note, Lewis Robert Day passed away Feb. 11; he was 75. Lew was born in Atlantic City and resided in Mays Landing and most recently in Dorothy, an unincorporated community located within Weymouth Township in Atlantic County. Lew retired from the Operating Engineers Local #825, where he was a surveyor/equipment operator for 41 years. He was a volunteer firefighter for Mays Landing Fire Company for 26 years. Lew enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid deer hunter and trapshooter. He was an active member of both Pine Valley and Pine Belt clubs, where he spent much of his free time shooting and competing in tournaments. He joined the Amateur Trapshooting Association in 1989. During his career Lew registered 11,150 singles and 500 handicap targets. He is survived by his wife Elsie Cinkowski Day; three children, son Sean and daughter-in-law Joan, daughter Elizabeth Steeleman and son-in-law John, and daughter Kathleen DeRosa and son-in-law Ozzie; nine grandchildren; and a sister Malorie Milne of Egg Harbor City.

If you have an idea for an article or a question for me, I can be reached at 732-546-7910 or [email protected].

Joe Sissano

ATA Delegate

New York

Hello to everyone from New York State. I hope everyone has endured the winter and stayed safe and warm. Now that April has arrived, weather should be turning nicer and registered trap will be beginning. I certainly am ready for the better weather and to start shooting ATA targets. I hope you all are too.

I am sorry to say that we have lost another registered shooter from New York. George W. Morey of Hamlin passed away Feb. 9. George was 78 years of age. He started registering targets in 1983 and during his career registered 95,350 singles and 44,850 targets. His last registered targets were shot at Bradford GC on Sept. 1-2 last year, shooting 300 singles and 100 handicap. George also was an avid hunter and a former officer and member of Holley R&GC. He was a former employee of Eastman Kodak Company. We express our deepest sympathies to his wife Linda and his entire family on his passing.

We are all sorry to hear that men’s All-American team captain Harlan Campbell Jr.’s mother has passed away, just a few weeks after his dad. Harlan Jr. has competed at the Empire Grand American and the Northeastern Grand American at our homegrounds in Cicero many times, and when he shot, he pretty much owned the shoots. Harlan has also given many shooting clinics throughout New York. Our deepest sympathies to Harlan Jr. and his entire family.

The following information was taken from the ATA webpage, and it is from the Nevada Trapshooting Association concerning trapshooting etiquette and is well worth repeating.

“The game of trap (unlike skeet and sporting clays) is less of a social game and more of a game of concentration and focus. Some of the shooting etiquette guidelines listed below are for safety and some are simply just common sense. Even though trapshooters uphold themselves with a high level of seriousness during a round, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for fun and games after the round is over or while in the crowds spectating. Trust me, no matter how serious you are, if you make a mistake like dropping the 25th target during a perfect round, you and your fellow shooters will find plenty of time for jokes and laughter after the round is over. Become familiar with the following suggestions and practice them as often as you can:

“Make sure you are in hearing distance from the field you are assigned to, so when your squad is called, you are there and ready with all of your equipment.

“If you are leading your squad (meaning you are the shooter on Post 1 when the round starts), visually check that everyone is at their post and ready before initiating each round of five shots.

“During the round, if and when you move from Post 5 to Post 1, make sure to look to the leader of your squad and give him/her the thumbs up that you are ready. They may be waiting for you to be ready and set before continuing with their own shot.

“Never move your gun or make a movement before the shooter ahead of you shoots his target. It may distract the shooter.

“Remain on your post, standing facing the trap quietly, until the fifth shooter has fired and then move to the next post.

“At the end of the round, remain still on your last post facing the trap until the last shooter has fired the last shot.

“Do not have a loaded round in your action (regardless if your action is not closed) when walking from one post to another.

“If using a semi-auto action shotgun, make sure your gun is equipped with a shell catcher. No one likes when spent hulls are flung in their face.

“Try not to talk or yell out as you may cause a clay to be thrown outside of your turn if the microphones pick up your voice.

“If using a pump or semi-auto, try not to close or open your action in front of the microphone, as you may cause the machine to throw a target out of turn. Over/under shooters who blow the smoke out of their barrel after shooting could cause the same thing to happen.

“Wait until the end of the round to reach down and pick up empty shells from the ground. Movement from other shooters may distract someone who is lining up for their next shot.

“Be mindful of your barrel. Even though you are working out your follow-through in order to be the next Olympic hopeful, it tends to make people nervous when looking down the smoking barrel of a shotgun that was just fired and swung to the left or right too dramatically.

“When closing your action, make sure to have your barrel pointed down range. Many beginner shooters (more specifically pump action shooters) tend to close their action with gun facing down toward the ground. If an accident were to happen, not only would you most likely take off your own foot, but you could seriously injure the people around you.

“Keeping the above in mind will make you a better squad shooter and prep you for competition shooting. The end goal is for everyone to share common courtesy and in return, experience the same level of enjoyment from shooting.”

Thank you, Nevada Trapshooting Association, for these well-written reminders and tips.

Remember that first up at the homegrounds in Cicero is the 2019 Empire Grand American May 8-12. We hope you all plan to attend this fine tournament.

If you would like to have anything written in Trap & Field in these articles, please e-mail me at [email protected] or phone at 585-519-9543.

If you are doing any traveling, please proceed safely. See you all soon, and good shooting. May God bless you all.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada. As I write this article, I have been following the online results from the Spring Grand in Tucson. It has been quite cold and icy here in Ontario. When I think of Arizona, I don’t think of snow, but that is exactly what I am told the shooters had. I expect that conditions impacted on scores, but notwithstanding, there were some outstanding results—well done. I’m glad to see many Ontario shooters competing.

By the time you read this article in April, Ontario shooters will be getting some practice in and readying for another registered trap season. I want to remind ATA clubs and shooters that each club has been sent a number of free one-year memberships for first-time shooters. Use them. Introduce people to our sport; the challenges, the rewards and the comradery of registered shooting are some of our best-kept secrets; share them!

Paul Shaw

Eastern Zone Vice President

Mississippi

Spring has sprung down here in Mississippi. Our Louisiana and Alabama brethren, and we as well, are in high gear getting ready for our respective state shoots. Our traplines are in full swing as we approach the long, hot days of summer.

For those of you who are heading for the Mississippi State Trapshoot, we’re offering a 1,000-target menu of good ole trapshooting pleasure, southern style. Just go to Presquad.com to sign up. Pre-squadding opens April 1 and closes May 15. Our Mississippi State Trapshoot dates are May 23-26, and it will be held at Capitol GC, Jackson.

I would be remiss if I did not put in a plug for our ATA Southern Zone site down on the Mississippi Gulf Coast at Biloxi July 16-21. Those of you who have shot at Coast R&PC will no doubt vouch for the hospitality and excellent trapshooting they provide. This year we have something to prove; i.e., a successful Southern Zone site can be at a Mississippi venue. Please mark your calendars and plan on attending. I assure you that you will not be disappointed.

Other dates to remember are the Mississippi State AIM Trapshoot June 29 at Capitol and the Rebel Trapshoot, again at Capitol, July 13-14. The Rebel is a Capitol GC flagship trapshoot that has been held there for many years. If you have never shot in the Rebel, we invite you to participate and join this longstanding tradition. You will be glad you did.

We are also glad to announce a new Mississippi trap offering this year. This one is back down on the Coast at Coast R&PC The Gulf States Championships will be in October. Just put it on your calendar and plan on attending. It will be after the Grand American and will be toward the close of this year’s summer shooting season (2020 target shooting year).

Finally, we are fortunate to enjoy our trapshooting activities, a pastime that we all love. Like so many other good things we like to do, it requires a lot of work by a lot of people. My hat is off to those working our traplines, keeping our scores, orchestrating our trapshooting events, and providing the framework for making a longstanding tradition last even longer. We here in Mississippi have our own tradition of trapshooting, and we, too, work to make it last and better than it was before. So when you step on the trapline and get ready to take that next shot, just take a brief moment to remember all the people who make that shot possible and keep our tradition alive and well. You can also show your appreciation by telling ’em thanks.

As we move into another summer of trapshooting fun and good times, good luck and good shooting to all of you. Happy trappin’!

Jerry Tharp

ATA Delegate

North Carolina

I’m writing this in mid February, and we have had nothing but rain for about two weeks! Another week of this, and I’ll be looking for the other Noah (not our resident All-American) and hitching a ride on his ark! It is better than snow, I guess; at least I don’t have to shovel it.

By now the shooting season is upon us, and the Spring and Southern Grands are over. Weather at the Spring Grand was not kind to the shooters . . . snow in Tucson? Hopefully the Southern Grand will have been better.

Most of the North Carolina clubs are in full swing by now, so check Trap & Field for shoot listings near you. Our NC Hall of Fame Shoot will be April 25-28 and should be a good one. Bostic is really pretty in the spring, and weather is normally very pleasant. We are always happy if shooters from other states come join the fun at our Hall of Fame shoot. I hope to see you there.

The NC State Shoot will also be held at Bostic June 5-9. It’s hard to believe this is the 19th shoot at our homegrounds. It will be a good one, so put this on your calendar for the first full week in June.

I want to mention again the spectacular job Fred Redmon is doing on the NC Trap Facebook page and NC Trap website. You can see pictures from years past and pictures of current events and shooters on the Facebook page. The website will keep you updated on state team points and shoots around the state.

See you in Bostic in a couple weeks! If you have any questions regarding the ATA, I’ll be happy to respond. E-mail me at [email protected]. Thanks and good shooting!

Bob Schultz

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

We’ve had rain, rain and more rain. Last week we had 4 1/2 inches in eight days with temperatures in the 30s. Really ugly weather.

By now you have seen our state shoot ad in February’s Trap & Field, full page with some color. I think it’s the best ad we’ve ever had. Kudos to Teresa and Tammie for their efforts. We ran it a month ahead of normal, with the idea of it reaching shooters during their planning stage. We had an improvement with Georgia shooters in 2018; hopefully they will bring some additional shooters this year. We really support their shoot; keep it up. We have retained all the good features in our shoot: Pat-Traps, Drew’s scorers and our famous free fish dinner.

I hope to have the names of South Carolina’s Southern Grand trophy winners for next month’s column. With shooting being slow right now, there are no achievements to list and thankfully no illness or worse to report.

Shooting season is on us. Georgia is the first week of May, our shoot is the middle of May, and North Carolina the first week of June. I hope to see you all there. Good shooting!

Jim Faber

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

We have several big shoots coming up in April. Let’s get the season started off right.

The 40th Southwestern Grand is April 2-7, hosted by the National SC at San Antonio, TX. April 10-14 will be the Mike Seitz Memorial, hosted by Hog Heaven GC at White Pine. April 25-28 is the Hall of Fame Shoot at North Carolina Homegrounds, Bostic.

Congratulations to Issac Sharp for breaking his first 100 straight in singles at Tucson and winning the junior gold trophy.

It is not too early to start making plans to attend the 2019 Tennessee State Shoot. June 11-12 will be the AIM shoot, followed by the state shoot June 13-16, hosted by the Tennessee CTC in Nashville.

Read the rule book, please.

Check out our website at Shootattn.com for more info.

For questions or further information, contact me at [email protected] or 731-217-9957.

Billy Cook

ATA Delegate

Virginia

Congratulations to Bob Brino on his election to the Virginia Trapshooting Hall of Fame. Bob has been shotgun director at the Izaak Walton in Centreville for 25 years and responsible for all shotgun activities at the club. During part of this period, he also served as the trapshooting director at the Fairfax R&GC. One of the Izaak Walton’s most successful activities has been a Crushin’ Clays tournament, jointly sponsored with the Virginia Shooting Sports Association and the NRA. The tournament has been going on for more than 20 years and has raised over $400,000 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Bob also served as vice president and twice as president of the Virginia Trapshooting Association. He has been tireless in his promotion of trap and, indeed, all shotgun sports. His induction is well deserved.

As the weather starts to improve around the state, check out the clubs in your area. Many are holding shoots and Big 50s. Both are a great way to catch up with friends while having fun. Remember, the VTA shoots have minimum target requirements. Now is the time to build up your target counts.

George Hafkemeyer

ATA Delegate

Colorado

Baby, it’s cold outside. Ruby Darling says you best stay in by the fire for a little while longer. I don’t know if Ruby is trying to compete with Punxsutawney Phil or not, but she is predicting six more weeks of winter up in Colorado’s high lonesome.

It looks like parts of Colorado are starting to thaw out and shed their winter coat of snow. This is a good sign, for soon the trap clubs will again awaken and begin to repair all the winter damage. In the high mountain forests of quaking aspen, giant spruce and towering pines, the snow will linger much longer. Writing this makes me think with an elevation of 10,151 feet, Leadville must be the highest as well as one of the oldest traps club in the state, since it has been around since 1906. For you flatlanders, 10,151 feet is just a whisker under two miles high. For those of you who haven’t been to Leadville, try to picture this. Even at this elevation, you are nowhere near the top of the surrounding mountains. Leadville is nestled in a high mountain valley at or near timberline and is surrounded by more than 3,000 feet of rugged granite peaks all well above timberline. With elevations well over 13,000 feet, these rugged mountain peaks (while not quite as high as Pikes Peak just to the south) are very scenic and hold ample snowpack to keep the many local lakes and streams filled and running year-round.

Thinking of snowpack, Jim Moyer told me that even though he had cleared the snow more than once this winter, there was now an additional four feet of snow on top of the traphouses.

Speaking of streams, did you know that Leadville and the surrounding area has some of the best brook and cutthroat trout fishing in the state? At 10 to 12 inches, these frisky, colorfully speckled trout are beautiful as well as fun to catch. Using light tackle in a swiftly moving stream, these lively little fish can be challenging.

Located a short drive from town, Leadville R&GC, like most remotely located trap clubs, is small, with only three trapfields and a small clubhouse, but don’t let that stop you from coming. What the club lacks in size, it makes up for in hard work and determination, along with a heaping helping of friendliness.

Leadville is rich in Old West gold and lead mining history, but this quaint high mountain town, while somewhat commercialized, is still small and friendly. With its old buildings and storefronts, Main Street is much unchanged and is reminiscent of the late 1800s. A walk down Main Street is a short cool trip back in time.

Next summer, when you’re down in the sweltering heat of the black asphalt-paved city, why not pick one of Leadville’s ATA dates and go do some cool high country shooting? Shoot dates are July 5-6 and Aug. 18. Prime shooting time is short at this high elevation, so don’t hesitate; plan your trip now. Go for just a day, or if you can swing it, grab the family, along with a fishing pole, and go a day or so early. There will be plenty of family fishing and high mountain trail hiking, or you could spread a blanket by one of the many babbling brooks and have a cool family picnic. Or you could come up and get in touch with yourself by taking a quiet walk in the forest and spend a little time listening to the quaking aspens and whispering pines.

Downtown hosts many shops and boutiques catering to everything from new items to yesteryears antiques. These shops are bound to be a hit with the ladies and give them something to do while you compete at the trap range. I can think of many worse things to do on a hot summer day. It doesn’t matter if it’s your first time or your 100th, Jim and Rebecca Moyer, Dolores and Bob Semsack, and the rest of the fine people who help run the Leadville TC would be more than happy to see you (Jim Moyer, 719-486-4188).

The many Colorado shooters who came to the Spring Grand in Tucson, AZ, to shoot in warmer weather were sorely fooled this year. Mother Nature unleashed a cold, windy and snowy winter storm that caused many shooters to forgo their shooting plans for a few days. But as they say, the show must go on, so many of us donned what winter apparel we had and braved Friday’s snowy storm. Saturday turned sunny and warmed up some, making hopes soar high as we began to shoot. Colorado had a good showing with 42 shooters who made the trip south.

Don’t forget Golden GC has the ATA Southwestern Zone Shoot July 12-14. Plan to be there.

Ruby Darling would like to leave you with this: the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

Irv Effinger

ATA Delegate

Louisiana

Well, this is turning out to be about the most unusual winter in Louisiana I have ever experienced. We have dealt with almost continual rain. Some of our monthly shoots have had to be canceled due to no attendance because of weather. Hopefully we will begin to dry out soon, as our state championship is coming up.

By the time you are reading this, the 2019 Louisiana State Trapshooting Championship is just a few days away, May 2-5, and will be held once again at the Toby Bancroft Memorial GC, West Monroe.

This will be a four-day, 1,000-total-target event. Thursday, May 2 will be 100 singles, doubles and handicap events with open trophies presented. Friday will be Preliminary Day with 100 doubles, singles and handicap and resident and non-resident trophies. Saturday will consist of a 200-target championship singles event with again resident and non-resident trophies and added money, followed by a fish fry with all the trimmings provided by the Louisiana Trapshooting Association. On Sunday we will wrap things up with a 100-target Doubles Championship, followed by a 100-target Handicap Championship. Both events will have resident and non-resident trophies and added money.

If you are looking for a place to shoot and pass a good time, please consider making your plans quick and come on down and join us.

Pre-squad is open and very much encouraged. Also on Presquad.com you can find a copy of the shoot program, in the event that you have not already received a copy in the mail. Due to the limited number of fields and a max of 120 shooters this year, I encourage all who plan to attend to visit Presquad.com and sign up.

I would also like to congratulate the 2019 LTA Hall of Fame inductee, Donald Sanders. Donny has had an outstanding trapshooting career. He is a two-time state champion, having won the handicap title in 1988 with 97 and the doubles in 2003 with 98. Donny has won 33 trophies at the Louisiana State Shoot between 1988 and 2018. He has also won trophies at the Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas state shoots, including being open winner in the Arkansas Handicap Championship in 1997.

Donny has been an active shooter for more than 30 years. As of September 2018, his lifetime total ATA targets exceeded 175,000. Donny has had numerous placements on the Louisiana state team, including 19 first-team selections.

As outstanding as Donny’s shooting career has been, it is overshadowed by his service to the sport. Donny has filled many roles for the Louisiana Trapshooting Association, including terms as LTA president and vice president and numerous terms as an LTA director.

Donny has been a director of his home club, the Toby Bancroft Memorial GC, for more than 40 years. During that time he has served as trap captain on several occasions and run the registered shooting program for the club.

Perhaps Donny’s greatest service to trapshooting in Louisiana has been his role in preparing the Toby Bancroft Memorial GC to host the Louisiana State Shoot. When the effort to move the state shoot to West Monroe began, the TBMGC had only two functioning trapfields. With his expertise in construction, Donny was instrumental in reconditioning an unused field and building an entirely new field to give the club four traps to host the event. Donny has done a great deal of additional work to improve the facility, particularly the background, by removing a large area of scrub trees and leveling the outfields of some of the traps. It is not an overstatement to say that without Donny, the Louisiana State Shoot could not have been held in West Monroe.

When you come to the state shoot in May, please congratulate Donny and give him all the thanks that he truly deserves.

For additional shoot schedules and contact information for any of the Louisiana gun clubs, please visit the LTA website www.louisianatrapshootingassociation.org/index.htm.

Tickets are still available for the 2019 Gun Club Raffle for a chance to win a Perazzi High Tech Trap RS Combo. Tickets are $20 each, and a limited number are available. To purchase tickets, please contact your ATA State Delegate, ATA state secretary or the ATA office: [email protected] or 618-449-2224, ext. 104. The raffle ends Aug. 9 at noon, and the drawing will be held that night at the closing ceremonies of the 2019 Grand American.

Shoot well and shoot often.

Doyle Brooks

ATA Delegate

New Mexico

Here it is the end of February already, the Spring Grand is over, and they had bad weather in Tucson. That is the way it goes here in New Mexico; we have been having a lot of breeze here, if not wind, until it’s over 35 mph.

There hasn’t been much shooting going on. The 4-H had a shoot in Albuquerque. They had 95 shooters. Weather was windy, but they had fun. By the time you read this, it will be time for our state shoot. Good luck shooting.

Bob Leibel

ATA Delegate

Oklahoma

Work on the state shoot program that started in January continues in February, so programs could be passed out at the Southwestern Grand in San Antonio. Again we traded ads with our neighboring states. Our state shoots are all close together in timing, so the ads benefit all of us. A change to the program this year will be the AIM State Shoot; previously that was held on Tuesday by itself and will now be held in conjunction with the championship events on Saturday and Sunday. Tyler Rindal, Oklahoma AIM director, said in discussion with AIM shooters and parents that a lot of them prefer this. It will allow more parents to get their young shooters to the events without having to take off work on Tuesday. (With 65 to 70 AIM shooters in state, only approximately 40 would compete when the event was on Tuesday.) This will be a trial to see if it allows more AIM shooters to participate. Please let Tyler know your thoughts on this.

Shawnee’s Feb. 3 derby shoot had good attendance with 24 shooters. In the doubles A class was Mike Grove with 44 and Ken Green with 43. B class was Jeff Trayer 46 and Tim Mount with 44; C class Joe Anglin with 41. In the singles A class was Jeff 49; Grove, Bill Dean and Gordon Sebring had 48s. B class Terry Sims 49 and Anglin 48. C class Wayne Loyd 46 and Bill Robinson 44. Handicap was Tim Mount first place, Joe Anglin second place and Loyd third place.

Jeff Trayer told me over the next couple of months they are having some great shoots in the Tulsa area. Oil Capital GC will have an April shoot with a $1,000 payout and a May shoot with a $2,000 payout. Both of these shoots will be a doubles/singles marathon on Saturday and 400 targets on Sunday. Oil Capitol is a really nice facility to shoot at.

OTSA finally had a beautiful day for their Jan. 27 derby shoot, with 60º and light winds. They had a big turnout and great scores. In the singles with 49s were Kenyon Bert, Lyndon Schumaker and Elijah Nanke. With 48s were Bill Dean and Dean Meeks. Handicap leaders were Nathan Lemke, first place with 49; Schumaker, second with 48; and third place with 47s were Nanke, Justin Cavett, Bert and Mike Meeks. Doubles leaders with 47s were Jeff Trayer, Brian Northup and Dean. Meeks’ 45 was next, and Mike Grove had 42. With such a large turnout, it was after 5 p.m. before the shoot was over. I was able to visit with shooters, many of them already making plans to attend the Southwestern Grand, state shoot, Southwestern Zone and Grand American.

Shooting at clubs in-state is on the rise. We now have nine clubs shooting registered targets. This will give us up to 80 registered shoots, when you include the Big 50s. Last year we had 57 shoots. Cut-off date to print new shoot cards was October, and Brian is still trying to get shoot dates confirmed from two clubs.

It was announced Feb. 13 on Channel 9 News that Oklahoma State University will be building a new shooting facility.

Shawnee’s Feb. 17 derby shoot had a cold, north-wind day. This kept the scores low. Jeff Trayer was high in the doubles with 36 and singles with 49, and second in handicap for 36. Bennie Livingston was high in the handicap with 38, and Mike Grove was third with 34.

OTSA’s Feb. 24 derby shoot started off cold but warmed up in the afternoon; five squads competed. Gordon Sebring was the big winner, running 50 in the handicap. Nathan Lemke broke 49 in the singles. Rose Shaffer and Jeff Trayer had 48s in the doubles.

On Feb. 4 the news reported Oklahoma was voted No. 1 for military personnel based on many factors, such as MP cost of living, MP discounts at many businesses of all kinds, MP right to carry, housing, etc. A few years ago when I was in the paint business, several new dorm-style buildings were built at Tinker AFB, and block after block of family units were demolished and rebuilt brand new. Oklahoma as a whole supports a large military presensce across the state. We have Tinker AFB, Vance AFB flight training, Ft. Sill Army Base, Camp Gruber Army Base, Altus AFB, Kegelman Auxiliary Field, Tulsa National Guard Base, Air National Guard at Will Rogers, Naval Air Station at Tinker AFB, Mathew Rex Cox U.S. Naval Ammunitions Depot and the McAlester Army Ammunition Facility. McAlester is huge, covering 44,964 acres with 2,891 buildings, 2,426 igloos and storage capacity of 8,840,559 square feet. You would not believe how many five-gallon buckets of safety yellow paint they use just to put a four-inch yellow stripe around the nose of bombs when they are ready to go (or “hot”). My granddaughter Cassie, who just graduated from ECU College on the President’s Honor Roll, will be employed at McAlester.

The Feb. 15 news reported on a meeting of all the different armed forces at Ft. Sill. A veteran from each branch, all dressed in “original uniforms,” was honored, and it was reported that 500 Marines lined the area in their honor. Thank the military and first responders when you see them.

Tim Deister

ATA Delegate

Texas

By the time you read this, Princess’ birthday will be history. I still want to wish her a very happy birthday. She was ?? on Feb 26, and our anniversary was March 4. Happy anniversary, Princess. I don’t know how or why she has put up with me all these years, but I sure am glad she has. I had to mention all of this because I need all the points I can get.

By the time you read this, I hope you are at the Southwestern Grand. I plan on being there. If I haven’t met you, please come by and introduce yourself. I also hope we have good weather. I understand that the weather was not great in Tucson. I’m predicting wonderful weather in San Antonio, so come on down. I am so excited that warmer weather is coming. The older I get, the more the cold bothers me. If you ain’t old, you probably don’t understand, but you’ll get there, if you’re lucky.

I would like to take this time to thank the officers of the Texas Trapshooters Association. Most of you don’t realize the work they do. There are many man-hours spent by our officers to make better shooting experiences for all Texas shooters: Eddy Anders, president; Donald Adams, first vice president; Don Rackley, second vice president; and Forrest Dermid, secretary-treasurer. There are many other people who work hard for the shooters of Texas. I appreciate each and every one of you who works to make shooting better for everyone.

I know I talk a lot about the rule book (you’re thinking, “Here we go again”). Well, I’m not going to preach today. I would like to ask you to do something for me. The next time you are on the firing line, and something happens that you don’t think is right or you don’t understand, just stop the squad and ask for a referee so you can get a ruling or an answer to your question. It is much better to get it clarified before you continue shooting. Many things can’t be changed after a shot is fired at the next post or you leave the field after your last post.

There are still two zone shoots left for this target year. Zone IV will be at the Waco S&TC May 17-19. Volunteers have really worked hard and done a tremendous job to get trapshooting going in Waco. They would appreciate your support. The other zone shoot will be the Zone I hosted by Amarillo GC June 14-16. The club in Amarillo has made a fantastic about-face in the last two years. Both clubs will run a great shoot. Also Amarillo GC will also be your host for the Texas State Shoot July 2-7.

Please don’t forget the Texas-Illinois Challenge Shoot April 26-28 held at Brittany SP in Illinois and the Waco S&TC in Texas. You don’t have to be from Texas or Illinois to take part. The team you are on will be determined by where you shoot. If you shoot at Brittany, you will be on the Illinois team; if you shoot in Waco, you will be on the Texas team. This will have $2,500 in added money and a $1,500 all-around Lewis purse. Mark your calendars now, so you don’t forget. Go Texas!

Y’all shoot well, y’all shoot often, and y’all have a great time.

Jerry O’Connor

ATA Delegate