Alabama

Spring is around the corner! With it, weather will be warmer and trapshooters will be hitting the trapline.

If you need to find a shoot in Alabama, stay updated by visiting the Alabama State Trapshooting Association (ASTA) website (www.alabamatrap.com) and the ASTA Facebook page (http://facebook.com/alabamatrap/). Bill Wilbourne has done a superb job of getting these started.

Please keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers. Without the men and women of our armed forces protecting this great country, we would not be able to enjoy this great sport. When you see a soldier, thank him or her for their service.

If you have any news to report or need my help, contact me at [email protected]. Keep loading ’em up and shooting well!

Wayne Sartwell

ATA Delegate

Florida

Greetings, shooters! We have several big events taking place in February on the road to the Florida State Shoot. Now is the time to get out there and get warmed up. I hope to see you on the line.

The FTA Hall of Fame Shoot will be held Jan. 31-Feb. 2. On Feb. 1, during the FTA Hall of Fame banquet, Susie Page and former ATA Delegate Buster Ingram will be inducted into the FTA Hall of Fame for their past and ongoing contributions to trapshooting in Florida. If you see either of them around, make sure to congratulate them on their outstanding accomplishments.

Coming up Feb. 6-9, the Silver Dollar SC will be hosting the Silver Dollar Open Money Shoot. Feb. 7-9 Robinson Ranch will be putting on their annual Handicap Challenge. The Silver Dollar SC will also be throwing the Beretta USA Shoot Feb. 14-16, the White Flyer Target Shoot Feb. 21-23, and the PVA Shoot Feb. 28-March 1.

Florida had a few shooters who received special recognition from the ATA for attaining at least 20,000 registered targets in 2019. Those Maga Target members are Paula Keim, Ruth Flayderman, Lewis LaRoche Sr. and Jack Schumpert.

Please see me to purchase your ATA Gun Club Fund Raffle tickets for a chance to win a beautiful Kolar Prestige Trap LP Combo.

If anyone has any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]. Until then, shoot straight!

Thomas Harrington

ATA Delegate

North Carolina

I’ve come to the conclusion that December (when I’m trying to write for February) really kind of sucks. Oh, I love Christmas and the holidays as much as anyone, and no one has ever called me a humbug! But with the soggy, cold weather and not much going on in the trapshooting world, being enthusiastic about December is really a job for me. I guess the anticipation of the coming shoots in 2020 are excitement enough for now.

The year 2019 was a terrific year for the NCTA. With the exception of the rainy state shoot, the NC Homegrounds in Bostic has proven to be a wonderful venue for the four shoots held there during the year. Our Hall of Fame shoot in mid April is a great way to get the season started, and it’s a beautiful time of year to visit western North Carolina. Our state shoot in early June is a lot of fun and time to get together with old friends and acquaintances. The ATA Southern Zone telephonic shoot in mid July brings in a host of talent from the surrounding states, so you best bring your A+ game to take home a trophy! I can’t say enough about the way the Dixie Grand (Sept. 29-Oct. 5) has progressed to a very serious Satellite Grand. If you are planning on coming, please pre-squad and make your hotel reservations early. Camping gets sold out very fast, so make those reservations now!

By the time you read this, the Florida and Arizona shoots are in full swing. Hopefully you have had an opportunity to visit Silver Dollar or Tucson and thaw out a bit. If you are traveling home in the early spring, there are a lot of clubs in North Carolina which host registered shoots and Big 50s. Check out the North Carolina website at www.nctrap.com for dates and locations. I look forward to serving the shooters again this year and wish you all well. If you have any ATA-related questions or need information about clubs or shoots, please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]. Shoot well and often!

Bob Schultz

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

When you read this, it will be time to make a plan for your Florida and Georgia state shoots. Our state shoot will follow May 13-17. I hope to see you at all of them.

Next time you see Teresa Knight, congratulate her on her All-American Lady II first-team award. If Randy is there, congratulate him for his second-team All-American vet award. Congrats to the Knights.

I’m sorry to report the passing of Mike Harrelson after a year of declining health. Mike was a longtime shooter, a South Carolina Hall of Fame inductee and a member of Spartanburg GC. Rest in peace, Mike.

Doug Stenback has reached 75,000 doubles in the attainment awards.

It’s winter, so the shooting around here has been monthly and Big 50 shoots. Winter solstice has arrived, so daylight is increasing; warmer weather will follow. Keep practicing so you’re ready for the big shoots.

Jim Faber

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

The calendar says it’s February, so that means it’s time for the Spring Grand. The 44th annual Spring Grand starts off with Preliminary Week Feb. 12-16, followed by Spring Grand Week Feb. 17-23, both hosted by Tucson (AZ) T&SC. You can shoot at all or only part of the total 2,600 targets while enjoying the warm southern Arizona weather.

Congratulations to Seth Cooper for earning his AA-27-AA pin for the 2019 target year.

The TN AIM State Shoot will be June 16-17, followed by the state shoot June 18-21. The state shoot will be held at the Tennessee CTC in Nashville. I understand that this year we are adding AAA class in singles and doubles. To reserve your RV spot for the state shoot, e-mail [email protected] or call 615-742-5297.

The 2020 ATA Rulebook is now available online. So read the new rulebook, please.

For more info, check out our new website at shootatatn.com. You can reach me at 731-217-9957 or [email protected].

Billy Cook

ATA Southern Zone Vice President

Arkansas

As we find ourselves in February, the weather is starting to cooperate. It’s time to get those guns out of the safe and cleaned up!

We have been blessed in Arkansas to have many gun clubs; earlier I spoke of the southern Arkansas gun club in Camden. I would like to tell you a little bit about the Blue Rock SC in North Little Rock.

It was established in 1972, just minutes from downtown Little Rock. It is located on the Arkansas River. The club promotes several shooting sports, such as trap, skeet, 5-stand and sporting clays. Blue Rock is also involved in promoting gun safety and good sportsman fellowship.

This past year Blue Rock was devastated by the flooding in Arkansas and has been slowly building itself back up. They were closed for several months and recently opened back up to the membership in September 2019. Its main focus was getting the machines ready for use and a temporary clubhouse. Blue Rock now has almost completed (will most likely be completed by the time you read this) a new storage facility. Plans are in the works for the new clubhouse a little ways into the future. None of this would have been possible if not for the members, donations, volunteer work and time, and members of the shooting community coming together in a time of need.

If you get the chance, I recommend checking out the Blue Rock SC. Be sure to check the website for upcoming shoots.

Don’t forget that it’s the shooters’ responsibility to know the rules. These can be found on the ATA website.

I look forward to seeing you soon!

John 16:33—These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

God bless. I can be reached at [email protected].

Robby Pennock

ATA Delegate

Colorado

Broken Glass Along the Interstate, or an Old Man’s Yarn (Part 2)

The next day they saddled up and rode out of town, following the stagecoach road that led to Carpenter then continued on to Denver. They were surprised to see the hordes of people camped along the road, all the way out to the trapshooting grounds and beyond. They were astonished at what they saw when they got to the competition grounds. On the south side of the road, every hundred feet or so for as far as they could see, was an outhouse. On the north side for as far as they could see was a row of tables every 50 to 55 feet. At the base of each table were four stacks of glass balls about the size of a baseball. Each pyramid-shaped stack had 100 glass balls in it. Leaving their horses tied to some waist-high sagebrush that was growing on the south side of the road, the group of five shooters walked up to the first of 10 sign-up tables.

After paying the $20 entry fee, they started looking around and asking questions. They soon learned the shooting line was just over five miles long, going almost all the way to Carpenter. They also learned even though it was still early, over 2,000 people had already entered. Looking down at his sign-up paper, Craig noticed it said Contestant No. 2,031. When he looked up, he saw there was still a steady line of people coming from both Carpenter and Grand Junction. Being good with numbers, Craig did some fast math in his head—2,031 times $20 equals $40,620. Craig thought, “$40,000+ and still growing. No wonder the small bank has so much money in it.” Craig also knew that $40,000+ was a good number, but it was small compared to the money being paid out for side bets. At 10-to-1 odds, Craig himself had laid down an additional bet of $100, as did most of the others he had seen signing up.

They also learned that many top shooters from back east had signed up, shooters like Doc Bogardus, Hugh Cardiff and Caleb Rice from the Wild West show Wild Times. And from Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley were both there. And just back from Down Under, Matthew Quigley was there as an exhibition long-range shooter, along with the Rifleman Lucas McCain. The Sackett brothers, Tell, Orrin and Tyrell, were also there.

After signing up and learning what they could about the rules of the shoot, they headed back to town. Scotty said, “I’m not sure what they mean about miss-and-out.” Dan answered him by saying, “It’s just what it says, you miss and you’re out.” Scotty then wanted to know what happened if he missed the first ball that was thrown. Art spoke up, saying, “Then you’ll have plenty of time to get the cooking done.” Everyone but Scotty had a good laugh. They all got quiet as they started to think about the upcoming shoot and the pressure that would be on them.

With five miles of shooting line or 26,400 feet divided by 50 feet, they could only handle 520 shooters at a time. Shoot management was counting on most contestants missing right away; therefore, not needing their total allotted time or balls. They knew the shooters who did manage to shoot a hundred glass balls would, with cool-down and clean-up time, need all day to get finished. Anyone with a single-shot or double-barrel muzzleloader shooting black powder would be extremely slow. Those shooting the newer lever-action and break-open guns that shot the new full-length brass shotshells would be much faster. But with over 3,000 shooters already signed up, it was apparent it would be days before the shoot would be over.

Early the next morning, the first wave of shooters took the line, and as fast as the boys with throwing sticks started hurling the glass balls into the air, the shooters started breaking them. With the muzzleloaders as well as the newer guns all shooting black powder, it didn’t take long for a huge thick cloud of smelly gunsmoke to form along the line. Fortunately a slight north breeze caused the smoke to drift slowly rearward, where it would dissipate. As soon as a shooter missed, they were replaced by the next one in line. At the end of the first day, over 800 shooters had been eliminated; 50 had advanced by shooting 100 straight.

By the end of the fifth day, all 3,000+ contestants had either advanced or been eliminated. There was still a lot of shooting to be done because over 400 had broken 100 glass balls. The next day being Sunday, all shooting was suspended, and all businesses, with the exception of the single town restaurant, were closed. Most people were either in church or getting ready to head home. Just outside of town, Ray and Margie, along with Bob and Susan, had just saddled up, intending to head to town to get something to eat, when they heard a loud explosion. When they got to town, they saw sacks of money ripped open and lying in the street. The paper money was being blown around by a soft breeze, while the gold and silver coins just lay shining in the sun. Bob and Ray, with shotguns in hand, joined the federal marshals, who had an unknown number of would-be robbers pinned down in the bank. The shooting continued as four of the bandits, leaving all the money behind, snuck out the back door and headed west along the river toward Utah. The bandits left in the back soon gave up, as more and more people with shotguns, rifles and pistols showed up to help the marshals. The posse soon caught the four bandits who had escaped when they unwittingly entered a box canyon known to the locals as Horse Thief Canyon.

The next day was bright and clear as the 400+ shooters who had broken their first 100 glass balls took to the line. By late afternoon only 50 shooters remained in the competition. Art, John, Scotty and Sue had all missed a ball in their second hundred. The next day once again dawned clear. A crowd of spectators gathered to watch as the last of the shooters took to the firing line. Being the only two women left in the match, Annie Oakley and Diane had drawn a large crowd of well-wishers around them. Not being used to large crowds, Diane was a little unnerved, while Annie, being a statesperson, welcomed the crowd. Annie broke the first ball of the third hundred, followed closely by Diane.

Only six male and two female shooters remained when Bobby missed a ball and was out. Doc Bogardus was eliminated when he missed a ball that flipped out of the throwing stick and flew almost straight up. The next morning only Annie, Diane, Craig, Ray, Dan and Bob, along with Hugh Cardiff, still remained in the running for the $1,000 prize money. With her newfound confidence, Diane, ignoring the noisy horse-drawn wagons of the street vendors, was first to the firing line and easily broke the first glass ball of the day. By midday Ray, Craig, Bob and Dan had all missed a ball and were out, leaving only Diane, Annie and Hugh in the running.

The old man woke up slowly when he heard the voice of someone say, “Mister, are you okay?” Opening his eyes, the old man saw several kids of high school age peering through the open side window of his pickup. The old man figured he must have slept most of the day because all the farm tractors and trailers and most of the kids were gone, along with all of the glass. The old man started his pickup and was saddened when he looked out across the desert and could not see one piece of shiny glass. As the old man drove slowly along the dirt road back to town, he tried to remember who had won the trapshoot, but try as he might, he just couldn’t recall who his grandfather said had won.—The End.

Winter has come to Colorado just as it has to the rest of the nation. And as you know, there’s not much trapshooting in the cold winter months. Most Colorado trap clubs are still open on weekends for practice, and some still have a turkey shoot or two left. But if you want to do any serious shooting, you have to head south to Florida or Arizona.

So I think this would be a good time to talk about the good work the Colorado Hall of Fame has done in the past and is now doing to help advance ATA shooting in Colorado. The Colorado Hall of Fame Committee consists of president Dolores Semsack, VP Dick King, secretary-treasurer Kathleen Starr, Leon Rose, Lori and Gary Linderman, Anne Willoughby and Bob Miller. This dedicated HOF committee made up of fellow CSTA shooters is doing a fine job. This year’s HOF nominee, Paul Dible, is spot on. Be sure to congratulate Paul next time you see him.

Now let’s talk a little about how the HOF committee works. First, remember the committee cannot act until it receives a completed application from you, the shooter. This application should have the name and any information you have on the shooter you feel deserves to be considered. Once received, the HOF application is placed in an active file for five years. The HOF committee convenes twice yearly to add new applications to the active files and to review all old active files. Only shooters whose names are in the active file can be considered for further investigation and nomination. So be sure to pick up an application from any committee member, fill it out, send it in, then wait and see what happens.

The CSTA shooters’ HOF was established as a means to recognize the above-average deeds of Colorado shooters. While one’s shooting ability does and should play a large part in being accepted into the CSTA HOF, it is by no means the only criteria by which a nominee can be judged.

Remember, being involved in club and CSTA politics lessens one’s ability to concentrate on his or her shooting. At any given shoot, there will be many things going on behind the scenes. Those who sacrifice some of their concentration to help run a shoot so that others may focus their entire concentration on the shoot at hand should not be overlooked. This means the best nominees will be those shooters who have shot above average and have gone above and beyond the call to help organize and run ATA, CSTA or local club shooting events. Take it from those who know, there is no better feeling, no greater honor than to have one’s accomplishments recognized by one’s peers.

Ruby Darling leaves you with this: “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the capacity to act despite our fears.”—John McCain.

Irv Effinger

ATA Delegate

Missouri

Happy New Year’s, shooters! Well, that decade went fast; now on to the next one. Things are slow here in Missouri as far as shooting goes. We have had some pretty nice days here and there and came close to setting some record highs during the holidays. I hope it continues to be on the mild side weather-wise.

Missouri lost one of the most generous contributors to trapshooting just before Christmas. Robert L. Burg passed away Dec. 17 at the age of 96. Bob served on the MTA board for nearly 40 years and was a past president, secretary and chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee for most of that time. Bob was not only a contributor to MTA but also the ISTA, donating many trophies and guns over the years. Rest in peace, Bob; you will be missed!

On behalf of the MTA board, I would like to congratulate the members of the 2020 state teams: Men’s—captain Darrell Farr, .9489; Marvin Beumer, .9422; Steven J. Fuller, .9311; David Hull, .9286; Brett Robinson, .9208; Rick McGaughey, .9187; James Frost, .9166; Michael Brown, .9159; David Wommack, .9150; Todd Albers, .9063. Women’s—captain McKenzie Albers, .8747; Kelly Murphy Maijer, .8258; Haley Albers, .7863. Sub-junior—captain Andrew Stone, .9341; Tyler Mudd, .8943; Stephen Loxterman, .8423. Junior—captain Cody Crabtree, .9420; Hunter Spruill, .9367; Bubba Darr, .9233; David Harris, .9204; Chase Perry, .9115. Veteran—captain Gary Gooch, .9305; Troy Ellis, .9093; Dan Alspach, .8975; Robert Osburn, .8830. Senior vet—captain Lyndle Pruett, .9323; Norman Provow, .9179; Robert Rush, .9055; Richard Swindle, .8981; Curt Wakely, .8964.

Not long after the Fall Handicap was over, plans were in the works for the 2020 state shoot. The program should be completed by the time of the next board meeting in January. Look for some changes to the program, as it is being prepared by a new printing company.

If anyone has anything they would like to have reported on or has any concerns, please contact me at [email protected] or 816-863-9003. Shoot well, shoot often and be safe!

Stephen Ricketts

ATA Delegate

Oklahoma

The first NRA Southwestern Trapshooting Championships held in October was well attended, with 186 shooters from 11 states. Oklahoma junior shooter Zachary Piancino won the Singles Championship with 198. Tex Hollis broke 100 to win B in the class singles. This shoot will grow as more shooters put it on their schedules.

Shawnee had a cool, windy day for their Dec. 1 derby shoot. A 35-mph wind kept the scores very low. David Upton’s 46 won the singles. The three high scores in the handicap were Bennie Livingston with 38, Ron Freeman with 37 and George Wise with 36. Mike Meeks won the doubles with 43.

The Ada Nov. 26 Tuesday shoot was cold and windy. Steve Blackburn and Joe Anglin tied with 45s. At the Dec. 3 shoot, Randy Farmer won with 48.

The OTSA Dec. 8 derby shoot was well attended. It was cool and windy with overcast skies. Scores were high, with Bill Dean and Lyndon Schumaker breaking 49s in the singles. Nathan Lemke’s 48 was next. Bill Dean’s 48 won first place in the handicap. Breaking 47s for second place were Dennis Patrick, Kenyon Bert and Nathan. Ron Freeman’s 46 was third. Nathan won the doubles with 49, and Dennis and Ron Bliss were next with 46s.

On Dec. 13 Oklahoma lost another great shooter, Jimmy Brown of Sayre. Jimmy was an Oklahoma shooter and let everyone know it. He wore a black shooting vest with big white letters of “OKLAHOMA” on the back. Jimmy was inducted into the Oklahoma Trapshooting Hall of Fame in 1987 and placed on the state team for many years. He started shooting trap in 1966 and broke his first 100 in May 1969. He won many OK titles, including the singles 10 times and the handicap in 1988. He was part of the record-breaking singles squad in 1971 that totaled 997×1,000. Jimmy, and Britt Robinson broke 200, while Gene Sears, Bill Dunlap and Larry Gravestock broke 199 each. Jimmy won many trophies across the nation as well as the Grand American. He became a AA-27-AA shooter and remained on the 27 throughout his career. He was a life member of the OTA and the ATA. He was also an OTA board member in 1979. He carried a 99% singles average for four years, the highest being .9947. He carried a 98%+ average for 17 years and a 97%+ average for six years. In 2006 he was only able to shoot 400 singles but carried a 98% average on them. In 2007 Jimmy attended the Grand for the last time, where he broke 100 in the Champion of Champions event. From 1967 to 1987 Jimmy never missed the Grand. He was 84 years old. Jimmy’s career totals are 93,150 singles, 92,800 handicap and 59,450 doubles. He will be missed by all, and our sincere condolences go out to his family.

Ada S&TC was host to five schools Dec. 20 trying their hand at trapshooting. Sixty-five high school boys and girls shot one round of 25 targets. There was one 25 and three 24s broken for the high scores. Weather was nice, and everyone enjoyed themselves. Lowell said there was talk of maybe 10 schools competing next time.

OTSA’s Dec. 22 derby shoot was well attended with high scores. Brayden Bliss and Justin Cavett broke 50 straight to lead the singles. Ron Bliss, Nathan Lemke and Dennis Patrick’s 49s were next. George Wise broke 47 for the high handicap score. Mike Meeks’ 46 won second place, and tied with 45s for third were Richard Coit, Ron Bliss and John Ewing. Justin won the doubles with 44. Thirteen-year-old Cashlin Smith broke her first 25 straight. Her favorite event is doubles.

Shawnee had a raw day for their Dec. 15 derby shoot. It was 40º with heavy drizzle all day. You needed windshield wipers for your shooting glasses. Justin Cavett and Bennie Livingston’s 47s were high in the singles. Justin won the handicap with 38 and the doubles with 44. Justin and I visited about the upcoming AIM shooting season.

Ada held their Big 50s shoot Dec. 14, and 17 attended. Lowell said there was a new shooter who had been coming and shooting practice, where he broke 100 just a few days ago. His name is Dr. Grant Corning, and at the Big 50 shoot he joined the ATA, where he broke 49 to win the singles. Wayne Jones won the handicap with 47. Zane Arnold won the doubles with 41. Lowell said they have been averaging 15 to 20 shooters at their Saturday Big 50 shoots, which is not bad for this time of year.

We have started working on the 2020 Oklahoma State Shoot and putting together a program.

Veteran’s Day in Oklahoma is a major event. El Reno students took part in a national project to help veterans by raising more than $15,000. A lady in Oklahoma City started a care package program for veterans in the city’s VA Care Center. She put together 200 packages. What started out small has grown to several Oklahoma Care Centers. Her goal this year was 1,400 care packages to cover more of our veterans. To date, she has over 2,200 packages to cover the VA Care Centers in Oklahoma.

On Dec. 16 wreaths were placed on over 800 fallen law enforcement graves in the state. This was part of a national campaign. Also, on Dec. 16, 200 soldiers of the 964th Air Control Wing returned to Oklahoma from overseas. It was reported that during 2019, 20 of our American soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan. Let’s keep all those who defend our freedom in our prayers.

Tim Deister

 ATA Delegate

Arizona

Here are just a few reasons to go to the Arizona State Shoot March 17-22 at the Ben Avery CTC in Phoenix:

1. Ben Avery is a world-class facility with a great background and 16 traps.
2. Average temperature is 79° with less than a 10% chance of rain.
3. Arizona is the most gun-friendly state in the nation. We all pack.
4. In 2019 there were 439 competitors from 37 states and provinces.
5. Competition Factor 3.
6. Average temperature 79°.
7. $30,000 in trophies and added money.
8. Same trophies for in-state and out-of-state shooters.
9. Free dinner Saturday night.
10. Gourmet food, hamburgers where the juice runs down your arm, and New York pizza, all around the corner.
11. MLB spring training nearby. It’s a hoot!
12. Grand Canyon just a few hours away.
13. You cannot beat Arizona hospitality.
14. Average temperature 79°.

Hey, I am from the Northeast, and I know just how long winters can be. By mid March I had had it with snow shoveling, felt boots, heavy coats and driving in snow. What could be better than basking in the sun and having six days of great shooting among desert mountains? So quit freezing and sneezing and come on down; you won’t want to leave. Any questions, just call the Bergman Travel Agency at 928-443-1100.

Our annual meeting will be held March 22 at 8 a.m. in the central building of the Ben Avery CTC. There will be elections for one ASTA director in each of our three zones, the ATA Delegate and Alternate Delegate. Here is your chance to help run the state association. Be warned that the hours are long and the pay is low, but you do get a nifty cap. Anyone interested, please notify Mark Williams, our ASTA president, 30 minutes prior the meeting. There will be a question-and-answer session and ample chance to make suggestions. After the meeting, the new board of directors will elect association officers.

Around the state: Lake Havasu had 34 shooters at their Nov. 23 event. The scores were not too high, but Mr. Lake Havasu Trapshooting, Bob Sawyer, was high gun in the singles with a nice 98, and Darrell Goen was the Arizona runnerup. Ed Lovelace led all residents in the ’caps, and Darvin Thomas was tops for Arizona in the doubles. Speaking of Lake Havasu, they have challenged Tri-State in their three back-to-back shoots during the winter. The losing club will have to make dinner for the victors.

Casa Grande held what was supposed to be a four-day shoot Nov. 28-Dec. 1, but heavy rain and fog caused Friday to be canceled. Bob Mlynarz was high in the opening singles and handicap. Eric Binger won the Class C singles, and Garry Ream took short-yardage in the ’caps. By Saturday the weather had cleared, and Dan Forbes and Wayne Thompson proved it; each ran the hundred singles. Darrell Goen won C class with 98. Randy Winch was the handicap short-yardage champ, Wayne Thompson won senior veteran in the doubles. Goen once again was the C champ. Sunday it was Ken Mlynarz on top in the opening doubles, Doug Sims was the high vet, and Bob Mlynarz beat back all of the other senior veterans. Doug then went 100 straight in the singles, and guess who took C class? If you said Darrell Goen, you win.

Late February and March is pedal to the metal time in Arizona. Ben Avery has a three-day shoot starting Feb. 28, and Double Adobe goes on the 29th. Please remember it’s leap year, folks. Rio Salado has a doubles marathon March 2. Next up it’s Casa Grande from the 4th to the 8th and again March 11-15. Rio Salado will hold a singles marathon March 16. Then along comes the state shoot March 17-22. Tucson follows up with a five-day shoot March 25-29, and Tri-State closes out the month with a three-day contest March 27-29. Big 50s include Mohave March 4, and Casa Grande March 9, 23 and 30.

See you on the line.

John Bergman

ATA Delegate

Utah

We are officially in the deep freeze of winter. The good thing about the first day of winter is that the days are starting to get longer!

I thought I would discuss a few things that you could do this time of year besides shoveling snow:

Make reservations for the Spring Grand in Tucson, AZ. Practice shooting your gun with a heavy coat on. Practice mounting your gun in your home while wearing your summer attire. This helps so that when the season starts up, Ol’ Betsy doesn’t feel like a 2×4.

Work on your mental game. It is quite common to hear people say our game is 90% mental. With this in mind, why do we practice mechanics 90% of the time? Probably because shooting is more fun than thinking about shooting! Remember, it’s more fun to break those targets than miss them. Mental practice is also cheaper than the real thing. The downside is that your family may think you are crazy when you just sit in your chair doing nothing while appearing to be in a trance.

This is the time of year to set goals for next year. Write your goals down; this way you have a metric to measure them with as the year goes by. Don’t set unrealistic goals, but at the same time don’t make them so easy that you quit tracking your goals. Sit down with your family and friends and keep them apprised of what it is you want to accomplish. By letting your family in on your goals, you can also build in time to do some things they want to do as well. This helps keep peace at home! Keeping the family happy helps keep the mental game sharp. In other words, you’re not distracted by an upset spouse.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this hobby, sport, discipline or what have you, should all be based on disposable income. I have known people who have shot a farm out the end of their barrel, gone bankrupt, written bad checks, and even ruined their family life. If you keep the game fun and try to beat your average, an occasional win will come your way.

As far as getting family members involved in shooting, here are a few basic suggestions:

If they show little or no interest in the game, don’t force them; they won’t be happy and neither will you.

If you buy them a new gun, don’t be afraid to take it to a gun fitter and cut the stock off if needed. An ill-fitting gun will lead to bad scores and a sore face. When you consider the money we spend on this hobby, a few hundred dollars spent on making a gun fit is a small investment. Remember, a gun is nothing more than a tool; make the tool fit. A pretty stock has never produced good scores. Some of the best shooters our sport has produced have had some extremely ugly guns that looked like they had been dragged behind their car or left outside all year long.

Get someone other than yourself to help your loved ones learn to shoot. Personal experience has taught me that one should never attempt to teach your spouse how to shoot, play golf, tennis, throw darts, or any of the hand-eye coordination disciplines!

Ed Wehking

ATA Western Zone Vice President

Washington

Hello once again from the WSTA. I hope you are all surviving the winter well. Those of us who had to stay home the last few months are eager to get back into some ATA action. For those of you lucky enough to pursue some targets in warmer climates, we are looking forward to hearing some shooting stories upon your return. I have been busy at the reloading bench, so I’ll be ready when the registered targets return to the air once again.

The Colton GC will have their traditional shoot in February to kick things off. Then before we know it, the region’s shotgunners will convene at the Walla Walla GC for the Camas Prairie Handicap. Once this happens, we will have many shoots to attend in Washington.

There are some things we can do besides tuning up the shotgun and making sure we have enough ammo. “What else is there?” you may ask. Well, there are a few details we can take care of that make things a lot easier once we all arrive at the clubhouse for the first competition we attend. First of all, make sure you have an accurate and up-to-date average card in your possession. If you haven’t paid your dues for the 2020 target year, you can do so online and save a lot of time at the cashier’s window. If any new shooters from your club are attending for the first time, it is nice to help them with the classification and cashiering process. Remember that we all had to start somewhere, and we didn’t know what we were doing when we showed up for our first big shoot! Some new shooters may not know that they can declare categories for competition, and if a parent is signing up a sub-junior or junior shooter for the first time, they may not know that they need to inform the folks at the handicap table that they belong in a special category.

I encourage you to take advantage of some Western Zone Big 50 programs being offered in your area at various clubs. This way your dues are out of the way and your average card is started before you get to your first big shoot of the year. Before your club hosts a shoot, you may want to check out the new rulebook for any changes implemented for the 2020 target year to make sure target presentation is proper and that there are no grievances to deal with. All of these little things could make the shoots get started on time and run smoothly, so we can have fun breaking some clay.

About the above-mentioned Western Zone Big 50 program: you can now find results online at www.soclays.com. Things are taking shape for this program, and payouts should be hitting your mailbox in a timely manner. A big thanks needs to be given to all of those in the Western Zone who have helped get this started and ironed out the details as we’ve progressed. If your club would like to take part, please contact WSTA secretary Bruce Skelton at [email protected]. I think each club and their membership can only benefit by the opportunity to be involved. It doesn’t take much to get started, so why not?

There will be more news as we venture further into the year, so stay tuned. Watch the WSTA website and feel free to share on our Facebook page so the word can be spread about the happenings at your club. We hope to see you in the clubhouse and on the line. Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

ATA Alternate Delegate

Iowa

Greetings from Iowa! Here we are into February. Spring is almost here (said no one ever)! Even though it is February, shoot dates are being finalized, programs are being prepared, and preparations for the year are in full swing. Many of the local shooters are enjoying the winter derbies at their local clubs, staying in practice as well as seeing old friends and enjoying the shoots. February is also a great time to catch up on your reading, like the ATA Rulebook. Really, folks, it’s okay to read it. It won’t hurt you at all, and there’s some good stuff in there.

Many of our Iowa shooters are enjoying the winter and warmer climate with our friends in the Southern states. Those of you who are, as well as those of us who want to get away, will be attending the Spring Grand American Feb. 17-23 as well as making plans to attend the Southern Grand March 9-15.

Now is a great time to get out and volunteer at your local club and your state organization and help prepare for the upcoming year. Repairs on traps, equipment, buildings and grounds, as well as program preparations, are in full swing. Get out and help—it won’t hurt you. It might even make you feel good!

Please let me know of any news or items you would like to see here. I can be reached at [email protected]. You can also reach me at 641-990-2314. See you next month, and keep shooting.

Steve Glasgow

ATA Delegate

Michigan

This year in February, while there are no registered shoots in Michigan, most local clubs have leagues or practice days, so dress warm and go break some cold clay targets. The first registered shoot in calendar year 2020 is at Dundee March 14. There are two shoots on March 22, St. Joseph Co. and East Rockwood. April has a full slate of shoots with the MTA Work Day on April 18 and the Spring Team Shoot starting on April 30.

An early “heads up” for two one-day shoots at Mason on May 30 and July 25. We will have fields open for singles, handicap, and doubles with shooting starting at 10 a.m. There will be no trophies; just targets at a reduced cost. It’s been years since we’ve done this, and I expect it to be fun, with some figuring it out as we go . . .

The MTA Board of Directors has two unfilled positions and is looking for volunteers. It’s supposed to be a seven-person board, and we are down to five.

Since I last reported on gun clubs, the Monroe R&GC has become certified to throw ATA targets. No word yet on when they will host a shoot.

1. B. Lewis

ATA Delegate

Minnesota

As I write this on Christmas morning, the weather so far this winter has been a welcome change from what we experienced at this time last year. Hunting seasons are nearly complete for the year, and as you read this in your February issue, many of you, including me, will be making plans to leave for Tucson and the Spring Grand. Speaking of weather, hopefully we can have a few more days of Arizona-like weather during the shoot than we did last year.

The annual MTA board meeting was held on Dec. 7. Here are a few of the highlights: the MTA will again have a gun raffle with proceeds benefiting the youth fund (first prize will be a Blaser F3 and second prize a CZ single barrel). Tickets will be $20 and available from any MTA board member or officer. The TV equipment will get an upgrade so the scores will be available in your camper at the state shoot. ASP is working to upgrade the sound system so that announcements will be over the TV as well. Pre-squadding for the state shoot will begin May 1. The next board meeting will be April 25 at ASP.

Remember that even though it is winter time in this part of the world, jackpot shooting continues: Minneapolis GC on Saturdays, Buffalo GC on Sundays, Minnesota SC in Zimmerman on Sundays, and Del-Tone Luth, also on Sundays. Go to the MTA website for more information about the jackpots or contact information for the clubs.

I hope to see many of you at the Spring Grand. Stay warm.

Paul T. Cyr

for ATA Delegate Randy Jones

South Dakota

The 2019 South Dakota all-state teams have been determined, and they are as follows: captain Fred Nagel, .9664; Todd Hanson, .9468; Troy Balk, .9381; Greg Johnson, .9253; Mike Hettinger, .9182; Darby Fast, .9153; Rod Larson, .9133; Wes Warning, .9111; Roger Mastel, .9093; Jason Hanson, .9043. Lady I—Becky Noble, .8761. Lady II—Charon Geigle, .8395. Junior—Coleman Swanson, .9242, Caleb Simons, .9150. Junior gold—Austin Duvall, .9134. Sub-veteran—Dana Edwards, .9421; Mark Policky, .9254. Veteran—Bob Orton, .8873; Rick Puetz, .8723. Senior vet—Dave Thorson, .9248; Bob Barker, .8983.

These are the shooters who met the qualifications for targets shot in South Dakota and also met the target minimums. Congratulations to all, and good luck in the 2020 shooting season.

The South Dakota State Shoot will be held at the Aberdeen GC this year. Dates are July 15-19. If you need info on camping or anything else, contact Jerry Brick at 605-225-6383 or [email protected]. Aberdeen GC is a great place to shoot; try to join us in July if you can.

You can always get in touch with me if you have any questions, and I will try to help: 605-940-4578 or [email protected].

Remember to take someone new to the gun club next time you go shooting.

Bob Felber

ATA Delegate

Wisconsin

Yesterday, Dec. 14, I got a call from Jay Nigbor about trophy expenses. We cleared that up and then he said, “Congratulations.” I said, “For what?” He said, “On being in the Hall of Fame.” “Wow,” I said. “I am so happy. Tell everyone at the meeting thank you.” Rich (YZ) Weisensel was nominated in the contributor category, and I was nominated in the shooter division.

Eau Claire R&GC sent out their December newsletter, and one thing that stuck out to me was that the maintenance jug (a large clear jug that you can put money in) received $336 deposited in October. This brings the grand total so far since 2000 to $10,451. This is a great idea for your club.

They also had the annual largest antlers and tail feather contest with a prize of $25. Brad Goulet tagged a massive buck with bow and arrow, and I won the rifle buck prize.

This time of year there is not a whole lot to report. I hope your Christmas was fantastic with family and friends and Jesus. May your New Year be a great shooting accomplishment year with lots of wins and more wins. Set a personal goal for yourself for the 2020 year. We all can use a little help with our shooting at times. Don’t be afraid to ask someone for help. Volunteer, help out, donate if you can, and most of all, thank your club volunteers for their outstanding work for the club to keep running. Make someone’s day; make a difference! If you e-mail me information you would like me to write about, I will do that. Remember, there is always something going on somewhere in this state other than in my stories. E-mail me at [email protected].

The Wisconsin all-state team has been finalized, and I would like to congratulate all of these fine shooters for representing the WTA in 2019. It takes dedication and drive to shoot as well as they have to get on the team.

Men’s—George Hass, .9575; Dan Haag, .9448; Jon Denman, .9436; Dwight Fitzsimmoms, .9420; Mike May, .9418; Dan Campbell, .9373; Brent Heikkinen, .9332; Larry Heinrichs, .9299; Kevin Doerring, .9255; Dennis Sablak, .9228. Women’s—Janet Reding, .9196; Karlie Klas, .9035; Connie Gresk, .8853; Kelsey Lorenz, .8839; Carol Keeley, .8802. Sub-junior—Hunter Knotwell, .9232; Logan Denman, .9071; Robert Gropp, .9006; Sage McKeough, .8426. Junior—Cody Barwick, .9287; Jacob Wendorff, .9226; Jacob Corallo, .8426; Kendra Doberstein, .7975. Veteran—Gerald Demulling, .9500; Don Mittag, .9270; Tim Curtin, .9235; Ken Beutler, .9199; James Gurkowski, .9016. Senior vet—Mike Nawikas, .9296; Bruce Wiegmann, .9166; Dwight Paulin, .9114; Gary Reynolds, .9089; Don Chrapla, .9014.

High-average winners were singles, George Hass, .9922 on 1,800 targets; handicap, Dan Vukovich, .9320 on 1,500; and doubles, Dwight Fitzsimmons, .9708 on 2,400.

Keep smiling; I am. Thank you for letting me write the monthly articles for you, Kevin. I hope I still have the job for 2020?

Sandra Jo Jack

for ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring