Illinois

I am writing this in late April, and I am amazed, as everyone else is, at the shutdown of shooting across the country. I was at the ATA website and saw page after page of cancellations and postponements. I think there is no doubt that this will be a year where we will not shoot as much as we expected. If worse comes to worst, and we are forced to stay close to home, then please try to support the local clubs in your area. They are going to need your support more than ever.

The Southern Grand in Florida was able to take place in March, and several Illinois shooters did well. Hannah Martin won Lady I Preliminary Doubles. Bill Jordan won C in the class singles. In the Christiansen Handicap, Hannah Miller won the event and Mike Dennis topped the veteran category. In the Handicap Championship, Mike Jordan led the senior veteran category.

Steve Brink is about to shoot his 75,000th singles target and Denise Stultz her 50,000th handicap. Ian Lawrence placed second in the all-around junior category. Many other Illinois shooters made the lists of their respective categories. Good shooting, everyone; you make us all proud.

I am now going to talk about something near and dear to my heart,a new Illinois Hall of Fame. When the Illinois State Shoot moved to Brittany SP in 1999, a small room was built in the corner of the clubhouse. Because we have such a long and rich history in Illinois, we have outgrown the space. The Illinois Board of Directors has voted to raise money to build a bigger and better building next to the ISTA building at Brittany. You can go to the ISTA website to see a drawing of the building we are planning. With the economy shut down now, I know money is tight, but please consider donating in the future, when you can, to help us. Next month I’ll talk about the ways you can donate money.

Bill Duncan

ATA Delegate

Indiana

Greetings, Indiana shooters! As you read this in early June, I certainly hope we are finally back to shooting trap. To say it has been an odd spring would be quite an understatement. I am overwhelmed at this time with the restrictions that continue to be put in place on our normal activities that I have always taken for granted.

Please continue to monitor any shoot information on the Indiana trap website www.indianatrap.com. The ITA is doing our best to try to utilize as many communication platforms as possible to get word out to our shooters on which clubs are and are not shooting around the state, but our website will always have the most updated info available.

It is certainly our intention to still hold the 2020 Indiana State Shoot as scheduled on July 7-12 at Indiana Gun Club. I imagine there are going to be some necessary social distancing changes this year, but I am sure we can get past that and have the best shoot possible, considering the circumstances we are dealing with right now.

As I am sure most of you are aware by now, Indiana lost one of the best friends trapshooting has ever had on April 16 with the passing of Edward Voliva. Ed was the 1977 ITA president and a longtime member of the Indiana Trapshooting Hall of Fame, amassing 336,475 registered ATA targets since starting in 1960. It would be impossible to attempt to describe the contributions and benefits Ed has provided through the years to trapshooting in Indiana. I will be always grateful for the time I got to spend with him the past few years at the Central Zone shoots at Evansville. My condolences go out to John and the entire Voliva family, as well as all of Ed’s extended family at the Evansville GC. He will be forever remembered.

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]. I hope to see many if not all of you very soon at a trapshoot somewhere!

Jason Barnett

ATA Delegate

Iowa

Hello, Iowa trapshooters! Well, here it is June, the grass is green, the weather is great, and we all have entirely too many shells for this time of year. What’s up with that? Well, don’t despair, the Iowa State Shoot is just around the corner.

The COVID-19 virus has definitely changed many things and many lives. Simple things and activities we once took for granted now seem so very important and special. But we as Iowans, and all Americans, will overcome this as we have in the past, move forward, and emerge stronger than before. Thank you to all our great clubs and trapshooters for your support and understanding while we work through these difficult times.

Make plans now to attend the Iowa State Shoot July 21-26 at our homegrounds in Cedar Falls. We are going to start the week off with preliminary events on Tuesday, just so you can get warmed up and back in the groove, and HOA will begin on Wednesday. Please check the state shoot ad in this issue for the events each day. Also all AIM contestants, make plans to attend the Iowa AIM State Shoot held July 24-26 in conjunction with the Iowa State Shoot.

Make plans to get out and support your local club, and stay safe! See you at the state shoot.

Steve Glasgow

ATA Delegate

Michigan

The lockdown here in Michigan continues. I hope things are getting back toward normal when you are reading this. With no shooting, registered or otherwise, going on, I turned to the 2019 Average Book to learn a few things.

Michigan had two members of the 2019 Mega Target group. Grand Haven’s Dave Schultz registered 25,350 targets. Clark Lake’s Bill Hagerty shot 20,950 registered targets. That’s a lot of shooting. Congratulations, guys!

Counting all the targets from all the clubs in Michigan, 1,498,725 ATA targets were registered in the 2019 shooting year.

In singles the high averages among the women were Jacque Snellenberger, Ava Larson and Leslie York. The top four men were Frankie Galonis, Jim Creighton, Keith Heeg and Ken Sims.

In handicap the high averages were the same trio in the same order for the women. The top four men were Jonathan Stockwell, Frankie Galonis, Kevin Ford and Gordy Wellsandt.

For doubles the top women were Jacque Snellenberger and Leslie York. The top four men were Michael Berry, Keith Heeg, Moe Rinke and Skylar Clark.

At the close of the 2019 target year, Larry Grubbs had 198,100 registered singles targets, closing in on the 200,000-target pin.

Stay safe, and I plan to see every one of you on the line.

1. B. Lewis

ATA Delegate

Minnesota

Greetings from the North Star State! Unfortunately the coronavirus continues to dominate the news as I write this in late April. Shooting was at a standstill until last week, when the governor loosened the shelter-at-home rules and allowed golf courses and shooting ranges to be open. Our gun clubs in Minnesota have taken a cautious approach as they try to allow shooting while maintaining social distancing. Minneapolis has asked that you call ahead for an appointment in an effort to avoid crowds. In Buffalo, Wally was trying to come up with a plan to fit their situation. For a time it will take if you are hoping to shoot. As far as summer shooting goes, much of that remains up in the air as each state is trying to figure out how to navigate the concept of social distancing and running a state or local shoot as their respective state governments decide at what point to ease the state back into something that passes for normal, whatever that will be going forward.

In Minnesota, state shoot plans are proceeding, although the start of pre-squadding has been postponed. As I write this, the state zone shoots scheduled for the third weekend of June at Monticello (north), Beaverbrook (central) and Owatonna (south) are going to proceed as scheduled.

The Owatonna GC board met May 5 to decide the fate of this year’s Cabela’s Shoot. Some of the options considered were canceling the entire shoot or shortening it to two days.

At this time our neighboring states have not made any decisions on their state shoots, so for those of us who like to travel to North or South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin or Nebraska, it is wait and see before we come up with a summer schedule.

The EC met by teleconference on the weekend of April 18-19, and each member received an e-mail summarizing their plans for the Grand. Information concerning the ATA can always be found on the website shootata.com.

On a sad note, past MTA president Ron Baker passed away during April after a lengthy battle with cancer. Ron was an IT person for UNYSIS for many years and was very computer skilled. He enjoyed maintaining his website that dealt with shooting sports until his health issues prevented him from continuing.

Hopefully we will be planning a full summer shooting schedule as you read this. I can be reached at 507-456-2000 or at [email protected].

Paul T. Cyr

for ATA Delegate Randall Jones

Nebraska

As I am writing this article, we are still in the COVID-19 pandemic stay-at-home order, with a few states starting to open up. The NTA is still planning on hosting the Nebraska State Shoot June 24-28 in Doniphan. This is all dependent upon our governor giving us approval to host the shoot. Check the NTA website www.shootnta.com for status updates on all shoots.

If we are able to host the tournament in June, please be aware that we will be asking shooters to take extra precautions to keep our staff and other shooters safe and healthy. We will be also be taking extra safety measures throughout the shoot and on the grounds to keep us all safe.

If you need an RV spot, please contact Joy Trim at [email protected] for availability. At this time, there are a few openings. We have done construction work on the east RV spots. There will be some areas without grass, but next year it should be great.

If you need any more information, please feel free to contact Joy Trim or Jim Kerr at [email protected]. Stay safe and healthy.

Joy Trim

NTA Secretary-Treasurer

Wisconsin

I got a call from Gary Reynolds the other day; he was bored and needed to laugh a bit. He was still in Florida, watching the rain with nowhere to go during the social distancing time. But we did end up laughing about the drone that landed in a tree in his yard. What the heck was a drone doing scanning his neighborhood from 1.5 miles away? When the owner came for it, he said it did not have a camera; well, that did not sit well with Gary. Words exchanged that made me laugh, but no laughing from the dude.

By the time this article comes out, I am praying I will be in Vernal shooting the Western Grand. In the meantime I have been doing gun lifts at my Terry Jordan wall chart and watching a video that Target Shotguns shares now and then to keep you and me inspired.

Today I went to my local Eau Claire R&G to take photos of the clay targets and wads on the ground for making a photo puzzle for you to find the difference between the two. I hope you have fun with it. Take a look at it in the June issue of Trap & Field and see if you can find the differences.

When I was in Florida, I had taken a photo of Paul Becker. Such a happy moment—Paul was doing what he does best . . . food, entertainment and making others feel special.

Lots of clubs have been sitting idle for some time now and will still need your volunteering for the future. Help out when you can. Not only does it help the club, but it will help you to contribute, giving you something to feel good about and something to do.

Kevin Doerring just put a post on Facebook that his wife will buy him a gun if he gets 10 shares. Thanks for the laugh, Kevin. Also he wants to get the word out that the state shoot is still on, along with zone shoots, as of this publication date. Our state is very lucky to have Kevin as our Delegate with so many years of dedication.

My friends, please be safe and healthy. Keep smiling, because I am. I want to see everyone on the shooting line soon.

Sandra Jo Jack

for ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring

Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces. Preparations for the 2020 Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot scheduled for Sept. 3-6 in Yarmouth, NS, at the Highland GC continue tentatively for the moment. The Highland GC and the APTA will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation in all four Atlantic Provinces in the coming weeks and will make a decision on our ATA Provincial Shoot that is in the best interest of everyone’s safety, health and well-being. The final decision will be largely dependent on provincial regulations and restrictions with regards to public gatherings, travel and social distancing measures. The latest shoot information will be available on shootatlantic.com.

On the national scene, the Canadian Trapshooting Association has canceled this year’s Canadian Trapshooting Championships due to COVID-19 concerns and restrictions that would have made it very difficult to conduct the shoot. Originally scheduled for June 24-28 at the Edmonton GC in Alberta will not be rescheduled for 2020. The Edmonton GC will host the 2021 Canadian Trapshooting Championships. Complete shoot details and information on trapshooting in Canada is available on shootcanada.ca.

There is some good news coming from the Atlantic Provinces this week as I write this article in late April: public gathering restrictions, social distancing measures and the overall COVID-19 action plan put in place by health officials appear to be working. Officials have even started to talk about plans to lift restrictions but are cautioning residents that it will be a slow process.

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

Andrea Bassan

ATA Delegate

New Jersey

First off, I’d like to make a shout-out to all our first responders and health care workers throughout the country who have sacrificed a lot through this pandemic. Without you on the front lines, I can’t imagine where we’d be!

It’s April 23 as I’m sitting down composing this month’s contribution. Here in New Jersey, like most of the country, trapshooting is currently a fond memory. The National Park Service closed the Gateway National Recreation Area, which consists of beaches on Jamaica Bay and Staten Island in New York and Sandy Hook in New Jersey. The Sandy Hook Unit is 4,688 acres of land, bay and ocean waters in Monmouth County. The governor closed all state parks, and local governments shut down their parks, lakes and beaches. I guess they thought it was a good idea to keep us safe. So locally I see more and more people walking and bicycling on our roads and streets.

Don’t tell anyone that I ventured out during the quarantine (with a face mask made from an old Federal ammo shirt that I cut up) to pick up the 2020 New Jersey program from the Howell TC. I had called Gene Salomon to ask if he had some extras, and he told me where I could find them in the clubhouse. Hopefully by now everyone has one. The books were mailed to all out-of-state shooters who attended our state shoot last year, and all trap clubs in state were given a supply to distribute to the in-state shooters. I’d like to congratulate Doug Bracher on doing a great job putting the program together, getting the artwork for ads from our local vendors, dealing with the printer, and coordinating corrections from our “proofreaders” Steve Ottrando and Tony Pietrofitta. A great job by all!

As you are aware, an enormous number of shoots across the country have been canceled due to the virus. Here in New Jersey, our 2020 New Jersey State Shoot did not occur in May as it had been planned. The NJSTA Board of Directors decided to move it to July 16-19 at Pine Belt in Indian Mills. Since registered shooting has been nonexistent for the last few months, all target requirements will be waived for those not having any registered targets, and last year’s averages will be used, along with known ability. Those shooters who have enough targets will be classified accordingly, along with known ability.

The 2020 southern zone shoot at Pine Valley that was canceled for May 1-3 has been rescheduled to coincide with the 2021 northern zone shoot dates of Sept. 25-27, 2020, at Pine Valley and the northern zone in Fairfield at NJCTC.

The Garden State Grand that was scheduled for July 17-19 has been moved to October, and the President’s Shoot has been canceled for this calendar year.

For all you old-timers out there: I was talking with Bud Lawton recently and asked him about Lillian Niederer. He mentioned that he had had lunch with her recently and she was doing okay. Lil was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame back in 2002; it seems like only yesterday.

On a sad note, Peter Frederiks died suddenly of a heart attack on March 25; he was 78. Pete lived in New Jersey and Pennsylvania during his shooting career. He owned and operated a machine shop for over 40 years in Flemington and then in Rosemont. Since returning to New Jersey about five years ago, Pete lived just down the road from his shop in Rosemont. He joined the ATA in 1972 and registered 975 singles targets, and by November of 2019, he had registered 541,425 singles, 122,700 handicap and 253,350 doubles targets for a total of 917,475—what a feat. Pete had to stop shooting in November due to rotator cuff issues. He will be missed on the trapline. He is survived by his wife Tess and two daughters.

John Fuller passed away April 4 at home surrounded by his family; he was 82. John was born in Newark, grew up in Bloomfield, and lived in Cedar Grove and North Caldwell before moving to Parsippany in 2009. John served in the Army prior to joining the workforce. He was a line mechanic at the Ford Motor Company. Being familiar with mechanics and motors. John was a natural for maintaining all the trap machines at the North Jersey CTC in Fairfield for as long as I can remember. He established his own work trailer right next to the clubhouse trailer. It was crammed with tools, spare parts and the like. Besides being the official trap mechanic, he served on the board of directors for the club. John joined the ATA in 1987 and registered 24,700 singles, 17,500 handicap and 10,800 doubles targets. He was more of a worker at the club than a shooter. He was predeceased by wife Noeline and grandsons Jason Edward Maglio and Sgt. Derek Tra McConnell. Survivors include daughters Siobhan Fuller-McConnell and Yvette Maglio and her husband Brian, his sister Barbara Mercer, seven grandchildren, and nieces and nephews. Due to the current crisis, a private, family service was held, and there will be a celebration of life at a future date.

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

Joe Sissano

ATA Delegate

New York

I am wishing everyone health and wellness. During this time as I write this article, we are still in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, and I hope everyone is staying healthy and in good spirits during this trying time. As I am sure it is with you, it is very difficult to spend time away from family, comply with social distancing, and being unable to shoot trap.

Because of the pandemic, many shoots have been either postponed or canceled. For us in New York, we had to reschedule the Empire Grand American. The Empire Grand will now be held July 20-22. On Monday the events will be the Singles Class Championship, Preliminary Handicap and Doubles Class Championship. On Tuesday the event will be the Singles Championship. Finally, on Wednesday, the events will be the Doubles Championship and Handicap Championship. We had to cancel the six original events that were going to make up the first two days of the Empire Grand.

Right after the Empire Grand, we in New York will roll into the ATA Eastern Zone Championship. The dates will be July 23-26. The only change in the events are that the preliminary events that were originally scheduled for Wednesday have been canceled due to the rescheduling of the Empire Grand. The events starting on Thursday through the end of the Eastern Zone on Sunday will be the same as normal.

Please keep following the ATA web page, www.shootata.com, for current information on the status of shoot cancellations and other information regarding the coronavirus that affects the ATA.

Please keep up with our New York State ATA webpage, www.nysata.com, for listings of ATA shoots that are taking place and cancellations. Cathy Flint, our state secretary, does a tremendous job of keeping the webpage up to date.

On the New York State ATA webpage, the following was posted: “HOMEGROUNDS UPDATE 4-17-2020. We hope you and your loved ones have been safe and healthy! It has been a horrific past several months that we all have faced. Getting back to a normal way of life is in the very near future.

“Opening of the homegrounds will depend on our state lifting their already in-place restrictions. With this in mind, we would like to start the projects already listed in a previous article from the president. Yes, we are still looking for donations in any size, shape or manner. The fence, traphouses and new shelters need dark green paint. We have some, BUT we need a lot more. We already have volunteers who are ready to start painting the fence.

“Once we get started, the need for additional volunteers will be to disassemble the old shelters, pour concrete, and fabricate the new shelters. Some of you may have some free time available, so we can use you.

“Our main goal is to have as much of the several projects completed before our state shoot. We will let everyone know when the projects will begin via the website/Facebook.

“Thanks again for your past and present support—Larry Daigler, western zone VP.”

Just as a reminder, the New York State Shoot, at the time of this writing, is still scheduled for July 7-12. We will advise if there have to be any changes.

If anyone would like to have something written in one of these articles, please contact me at [email protected], or phone at 585-519-9543.

Please stay brave, healthy and in good spirits. Please be strong. May God bless.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada. As I write this article in late April, Ontario is in COVID-19 lockdown. Only essential businesses are open. Getting food entails long line-ups and social distancing. Eating establishments are restricted to take out and delivery. Our gun clubs are closed.

Staying in one’s home is proving to be difficult for many. Some can work from home; others are walking the floors. People report going to bed as early as 7 p.m. In Ontario lawyers are considered essential (for some this may be considered quite an oxymoron). We are busy but are utilizing masks, gloves, space separations, etc.

I finally had an unplanned day, which was the good news. The bad news was there was nowhere to go. My wife Bev and I stood in line at Costco, did some necessary shopping, and came back home.

Ontario needs to (safely) get back to work. Businesses in our area, across the province and beyond are already toast, and others are likely to never open again. Same thing I expect across the board in Canada, the U.S. and beyond.

Hopefully gun clubs will open, and we can get back to registering clays, but when?

In this age of anxiety, fear and uncertainty, we see the very best in people, and regrettably, sometimes the very worst in people.

We will get through this.

Paul Shaw

ATA Eastern Zone Vice President

Pennsylvania

I hope this article finds everyone in good health and out of a “stay-at-home” status. Most recently the PSSA, as well as other clubs throughout Pennsylvania, had to make decisions regarding their shoot schedules. The PSSA decided to cancel the Keystone Open, which was to be held in mid May. As of right now, the decision on the status of the Pennsylvania State Shoot is pending until a determination is made as to the reopening of PA businesses and other activities. Currently the stay-at-home order is in effect until May 8. The state shoot decision will be made by May 14 and will be communicated via the PSSA website and Facebook page, which you will already know by the time this article is in print. Should the shoot be postponed, mark the dates of July 29-Aug. 2, as the Summer Championships will be then and will be the new dates of our state shoot.

Even through the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, Carlette Proukou is still planning the seventh annual Save-a-Pair for Breast Cancer Awareness events, which hopefully will take place July 2. Last year’s event raised more than $48,000 that was distributed to all Pennsylvania counties through the Susan G. Komen affiliates of Greater Pennsylania, Philadelphia and Twin Tiers. To date, this event has raised a total of $195,468, thanks to many generous donors, shooters and organizers.

Last year there were 253 shooters taking aim at 50 pink White Flyer targets during the shooting portion of the activities. Each participant received a T-shirt, door prize ticket and a goodie bag, with all items donated by shooters and businesses. Awards were handed out to four classes as well as a gun option that was awarded by random draw; again, all items were donated to help the cause.

In continuing with the theme of generosity, a silent auction was held to allow shooters and guests to bid on various donated items, and a food stand was set up for the shooters and guests in which many of our vendors and shooters provided. The final activities of the day concluded with the Mr. Pink pageant and live auction. There were eight contestants vying for the title of Mr. Pink, with the infamous “Heidi” securing the crown, sash and pink shoe trophy. What a sight to see! Again, a big thank you to all the generous donors, participants and organizers for putting together a fun, relaxing day that helps benefit a worthy endeavor.

Until we can meet again in person, stay safe and keep an eye on the PSSA website and Facebook page for any further developments.

Steve Ross

ATA Alternate Delegate

South Carolina

This column is going to be abbreviated due to lack of shooting. Most of us haven’t picked up a shotgun since the Southern Grand in Florida. Our local clubs have been closed. Just this week Belton opened for practice. Mid Carolina is holding their first Big 50 today. Greenville and Spartanburg are still closed, waiting on the governor to loosen up one more notch. We’re hoping for next week.

I have sad news for me and upstate shooters, My brother Dave passed due to cancer. He was known as “Brother Dave,” and the name stuck because that’s how I would introduce him. He shot several of our state shoots and at Greenville whenever he visited us. Damn, I miss him. He started me shooting trap.

We have rescheduled our state shoot to July 22-25. I hope you can join us. I hope to have some shooting info next month.

Jim Faber

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

As I write this article, it is April 23. You will read it the first of June. Hopefully things will be somewhat back to normal by then. However, if you are planning to go to a shoot that’s very far from home, I would advise you to call ahead.

North Carolina is being postponed, with a new date yet to be determined as of press time.

Tennessee is scheduled June 16-17 for the AIM State Shoot followed by the state shoot June 18-21.

Since I’m not too sure about the events for the next couple of months, let’s check out the accomplishments of Tennessee shooters in the past few years.

I haven’t listed these in several years, so now might be a good time to name the shooters who have attained AA-27-AA. The requirements are to maintain a 97% singles average for the year, finish the year on the 27, and maintain a 93% average on doubles.

Started in target year 1986.

1986—Robert Hedrick

1987—Wade Frazier, Kenneth Neal and Jim Spencer

1988—Joel Herring

1989—Michael Sampson

1990—John Crosser and Bennie Schade

1991—Michael Burnette

1993—Richard Hall, Jeffrey Hauskin, George Reese Sr. and Wayne White

1994—Steve Donoho and Steve Hart

1997—Mitchel Loveless

2001—Rob Caldwell

2002—Jason Crouse, Charles Morrison Sr. and Charles Morrison Jr.

2003—Joe Donaldson

2006—Vernon Thomas, Carson Rider and Donald Smith

2008—Chris Grissom and George Reese Jr.

2013—Robert Smith

2014—Joe Dement and Garrett Sweeney

2015—Chandler Brown, Tristian Fenwick and Dillon Tosh

2016—Walter Kern, Justin Osborn and Hayden Zeigler

2017—David Besieger and Richie Bolin

2018—Caleb Clayton, Hayden Jacobs and Hunter Morton

2019—Seth Cooper

AAA-27-AAA requires a 98% singles average for the year, finish the year on the 27, and maintain a 96% average on doubles.

Started in target year 2000.

2002—Mitchel Loveless

2004—Charles Morrison Sr.

2005—Charles Morrison Jr.

2007—Mike Burnette

2016—Garrett Sweeney and Dillon Tosh

2017—Robert Smith

The Grand Slam requirements are 200×200 singles, 100×100 doubles and 100×100 from the 27-yard line. First accomplished in 1964 by Dan Orlich and No. 2 by George Snellenberger in 1965.

No. 65—Wayne Mayes, July 15, 1988

No. 160—George Reese Sr., Sept. 23, 1994

No. 208—Steve Williams, Aug. 10, 1997

No. 333—Mitchel Loveless, March 16, 2005

No. 381—Charles Morrison Jr., Aug. 11, 2007

No. 493—Chandler Brown, Aug. 7, 2018

No. 501—Robert Smith, Aug, 17, 2019

To reserve your RV spot for the state shoot, e-mail [email protected] or call 615-742-5297.

The Southern Zone Shoot, July 16-19, will be held at four locations: Central Kentucky GC, Berea; Dixie T&S, Mathews, AL; North Carolina Homegrounds, Bostic; and Silver Dollar SC, Odessa, FL.

The 2020 Rulebooks are 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 [email protected].

Billy Cook

ATA Southern Zone Vice President

Arkansas

I pray everyone is doing well. In this uncertain time, I believe we will come out of this pandemic stronger.

Earlier this year at the Black River GC in Corning, Luke Wheeler shot his first 100 straight! Congratulations, Luke!

By the time you read this, hopefully shooting will be back in full swing. Be sure to support your local gun clubs; they miss you. See you at the range soon.

Zechariah 14:9—And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.

I can be reached at [email protected].

Robby Pennock

ATA Delegate

Colorado

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever Will Be Will Be

I have been asked by some lady Trap & Field readers to write a story that someone who doesn’t shoot could relate to. You have told me how you enjoy the monthly stories as they are but wish I would write a story that was a little less trap and a little more field. I figured this was the perfect time. I hope this is close to what you ladies had in mind.

On a warm, lazy summer day in 1956, Ruby Darling, a young teenage girl, lay on the freshly cut lawn in front of her home. Ruby was on her stomach with her legs bent at the knees so that her black and white saddle shoes and white bobby socks pointed skyward. Ruby, in a white cotton blouse and light blue pedal pushers, was dressed as most teenagers would have been in the early to mid 1950s.

This was a slower time; rock and roll was in its infancy. Dewy-eyed teenage girls dreamed of teen idols like Ricky Nelson, Paul Anka, Fabian, Bobby Darin and Elvis. Elvis Presley first appeared on the Ed Sullivan show Sept. 9, 1956.

Ruby had been watching a ladybug for some time as it crawled to the top of a blade of grass then down the back side. The ladybug would disappear into the grass then reappear as it came crawling up the next blade of grass. And so it went, up and down as it went on its way. Ruby noticed the small, colorful red bug with its black polka dots never stopped or slowed as it continued on its way. Ruby also noticed that while much time had passed, very little forward progress had been gained in the giant up and down maze of green grass.

Ruby figured at the bug’s rate of speed and the little forward distance being covered, it would take many days or even weeks for the bug to get anywhere. Feeling sorry for it, Ruby decided to pick it up and place it in the garden. Ruby changed her mind when she remembered the new hit song from the movie, “The Man Who Knew Too Much.” Sung by Doris Day, the song was titled “Que Sera, Sera.” Ruby was surprised when the ladybug crawled to the top of a blade of grass, where it split its shell revealing its tiny wings. Ruby watched in amazement as the little bug started beating its wings, lifted into the air and headed straight toward the garden. Ruby realized that unknown to her, ladybugs had a built-in Plan B and didn’t need her help.

Smiling to herself, Ruby rolled over onto her back then lazily stretched out on the soft green grass and began to look up at the puffy white clouds. As she searched the clouds for familiar shapes, she began to softly sing the song “Que Sera, Sera.” As she sang, she let her mind wonder at the meaning of the song and how it related to life itself. Ruby quietly sang, “When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother what will I be? Will I be pretty? Will I be rich? Here’s what she said to me. Que sera, sera, whatever will be will be. The future’s not ours to see. Que sera, sera.” Spotting a cloud floating high overhead that with a little imagination looked like a puffy white rabbit, Ruby wondered if she was pretty. She had asked her mother, and her mother assured her she was a very pretty girl.

In her mind’s eye she could see herself in the full-length mirror that hung on the wall in her bedroom. Even though she wasn’t a tall girl, it seemed to her that her legs were too long and her knees were a little knobby. Her mother had assured her that the freckles under her eyes and across her nose would disappear with time, just as hers had when she was a young girl. Ruby supposed her mother was right, for the freckles had lightened up some in the past two years.

Ruby scarcely took notice when an old car loaded with boys honked its horn as it sped by then squealed its tires as it rounded the corner at the end of the block. As soon as the car disappeared, Ruby returned to her cloud gazing and began to sing the second verse of the song. “When I grew up and fell in love, I asked my sweetheart, ‘What lies ahead? Will we have rainbows day after day?’ Here’s what my sweetheart said. ‘Que sera, sera whatever will be will be. The future’s not ours to see. Que sera, sera.’ ”

Ruby wasn’t sure about the meaning of the second verse. She knew very little about love; she had asked her mother about it, and her mother had told her not to worry about it, saying she would know when it happened. Ruby would, as sometimes teenage girls did, daydream about a knight in shining armor riding on a white steed. The knight would swoop in, pick her up and race out across the hot desert sands of some exotic foreign land. Not knowing of the changes in her, Ruby wasn’t sure why she was having such daydreams. She had noticed some of the boys were starting to look at her, but she hadn’t paid them much notice because mostly they were rude and obnoxious. It seemed to her all they wanted to do was stick a frog in her face or yank on her ponytail.

The barking of a distant dog brought Ruby back to earth, where she began to sing the third and final verse of the song. “Now I have children of my own. They ask their mother, what will I be? Will I be handsome? Will I be rich? I tell them tenderly. ‘Que sera, sera whatever will be will be. The future’s not ours to see. Que sera, sera.’ ”

Now, having children was one of the last things on Ruby’s mind. She could hardly even imagine it. All she knew was when the time came, she hoped she would have a better answer for her children than, “Que sera, sera.” Of course we all know there isn’t really a better answer, for none of us has a crystal ball. “Que sera, sera whatever will be will be” is not only the best answer, it is the only answer.—The End.

Boy, if only we had had a crystal ball a few months ago. Like many of you, I have been quarantined in place for much of March. As I write this, it is March 30, and I just learned the quarantine has been extended until the end of April. I’m starting to see why some are calling it a lockdown instead of a quarantine. I have made a lot of phone calls to shooters around Colorado, and for the most part, they seem to be holding up very well. I did sense some pent-up hostility by some, and a little cabin fever by others. Most have cleaned and oiled all of their guns. Some say there are no longer any empty shotshells around the house; all have been reloaded. I fear when this is over, the orange dome targets are going to take a beating. Many shooters are going to find themselves standing in line at their local gun clubs, waiting to whack some orange domers. Many, me included, plan to take out our frustrations and aggressions on those unsuspecting targets. This way we will be helping our clubs as we unwind from our ordeal.

Others said to unwind they plan to buy more toilet paper, saying they hadn’t seen a full roll in over a month. Looks like the TP shortage might last a little while longer. Be careful, for those who hoarded too much may be out to unload and do a little price scalping. I heard some scalpers have gone so far as to unroll and separate the layers of TP then reroll them into two rolls. There must be a better way to make money.

Some said as soon as the quarantine was over they plan to return their borrowed pets, while others said it was too late for they had fallen in love and planned to keep them. I suspect most pets will be kept, for shooters tend to have big hearts.

All I can say is be careful, be safe, and be aware, for I’m sure all manner of scams are on the way. There are lots of unscrupulous people out there who are looking to make a profit off the unwary among us. So stay alert, and I will see you at some ATA shoot soon.

Ruby leaves you with this: Patience is the only foundation on which to make one’s dreams come true.—Franz Kafka

Irvin Effinger

ATA Delegate

Missouri

Finally, spring is here, and the shooting weather is upon us. However, most of us still are unable to enjoy time on the trapfields. As you know, restrictions placed on various areas due to COVID-19 around the country have limited our time together and kept targets from flying. It looks like we are beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel here in MO. As I stated last month, a lot of difficult decisions had to be made regarding the cancellation and postponements of shoots. Hopefully that is about to come to an end, and we can resume some normalcy in our shooting lives. There are still many unanswered questions regarding shoots. If your club uses PreSquad or some other means to register for shoots, please take advantage of it. It is going to be exceedingly difficult for gun club managers to predict the attendance at shoots for a while. How much help will be needed, how many fields will be needed, and so on are the big questions. If the club is asking for shooters to give them some idea on who is going to attend ahead of time, please let them know! The ATA website is posting daily information on shoot cancellations and postponements. I pray that by the time you read this, we are shooting again, at least in small groups and soon in large groups, such as state shoots and the Grand.

If anyone has anything that they would like to have reported on or has any questions or concerns, please contact me at [email protected] or 816-863-9003.

Shoot often, shoot well, and be safe!

Stephen Ricketts

ATA Delegate

New Mexico

I hope everyone is doing well There isn’t much going on in state with everything shut down. I don’t know of any shoots going on in May. Our state shoot is being moved to July 9-12. It will be the same time as the ATA Southwestern Zone. We are hoping to shoot both at the same time. We are still working on that; hopefully everything will be open by then. If the state shoot and SW Zone are shot together, Silver City will not host the SW Zone. Hobbs’ June 6-7 shoot is still planned, but we will have to see how many people can be in one place. I hope to see y’all at a shoot. Take care and be safe.

Bob Leibel

ATA Delegate

Texas

Who would have ever dreamed that the United States, and the world for that matter, would have been brought to their knees by a virus? I am hopeful that by the time you read this article in June, that has all changed. Please be mindful of the restrictions applied by our mayors, governors and our president.

As you would expect, there is no shooting news to report. With some of the state shoots canceled, this means there will be no elections, and present officers and Delegates must continue to serve. Be thoughtful of our ATA officers who have some very important decisions to make. There are many “what if” scenarios that have to be considered. Many changes may have to be implemented. This takes much time and planning. Please be patient and support the changes they deem necessary in these difficult times.

I’m sure that with all the time you have now with little shooting going on, that everyone has been reading the Rulebook. I know many of you stop reading when I start preaching about the Rulebook. So hidden in this part is a win-a-free-box-of-shells. The first person to text or call me with the date and place of the first Texas State Shoot wins a free box of shells. Now read the Rulebook.

Please stay safe. When you are staying safe, you are helping keep everyone else safe as well. If you have news, let Princess or me know. You can call or text me at 806-679-6889. You can also e-mail me at [email protected].

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

Jerry O’Connor

ATA Delegate

Oklahoma

This is Monday, March 30, and trapshooting in Oklahoma has come to a screeching halt. I would like to be writing about shoots held yesterday, but there were none. Oklahoma clubs on city- or state-owned property were ordered closed, and the other clubs have also closed through April or beyond. Ada’s March 15 shoot was the last one held in Oklahoma. In a short period of two weeks, we went from one case of COVID-19 to 481 and 17 deaths. By April 10, this went up to 1,794 cases and 88 deaths. During this time Governor Kevin Stitt and city mayors established a shelter-in-place order for all Oklahomans to stop the spread. Oklahoma City is often referred to as the “Crossroads of America” where I-35 and I-40 intersect. Oklahoma City is equal distance from Los Angeles and New York and within 500 miles of 71 million people. Most say the pandemic will get a lot worse here before it gets any better, and only time will tell. April 15 shows 2,263 cases and 123 deaths. All of this is happening at a time when trapshooting in OK was showing an upswing.

The 1969 Average Book showed 600 OK shooters. There were 29 clubs in Oklahoma, two of which did not throw registered targets. One of these was the FAA trap range in Oklahoma City on Will Rogers Airport property. They had two traps (facing south) and would have shooters standing in line on Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday evenings for shooting practice. During the winter months they shot 50-bird derbies. From this, only six clubs survived several years ago, and we fell to 237 shooters. We have now built back to 15 trap ranges and more than 300 shooters. Some of the recent clubs coming on board are the Tulsa GC, Red Dirt GC, Anadarko GC, Hennessey GC, Skaggs TR, Alfala GC and the new Cimarron Trap Range in Boise City. Some of these are single trap ranges, but they all provide our youth shooters a place to form teams and shoot practice. They can also hold Big 50s. A growing single trap club can become a two-trap club, like the Red Dirt GC has done over the winter. Trap & Field shows we have 24 new OK shooters from September to January. The largest increase we see is our youth shooters, and a large number of these are girls. Last year several made the state trap team, and a couple became All-Americans. At last year’s state shoot, all three of the championship events were won by our youth shooters. Last year Oklahoma had 12 All-Americans, the most we have ever had in one year.

Let’s all think ahead to when we can go back to shooting trap. We cannot afford to lose what we have gained. Clubs will need all the support we can give them to survive. Almost every shooter has been involved in the operation of a trap range at one time; if not, now is the time to start. Leave the target-setting and classification to those experienced in doing so. Even these jobs can be volunteers. Others can volunteer to help with jobs such as stamping entrance forms, squadding, writing out squadsheets, making out bulletin scoresheets, checking score sheets as they come in, and even scoring. Before the shoot starts, help move targets to load the traphouses, and voice pulls need to be set up. You can help move the voice pulls for handicap and doubles. You can help hustle squads at the big tournaments. You can help set up lunch and even help clean up after lunch. I find helping is contagious; start putting out the voice pulls or moving them, and you will find others helping.

April 23 we are at 3,017 cases and 179 deaths in Oklahoma due to the coronavirus. The Oklahoma State Shoot has been rescheduled for July 6-9 (Monday through Thursday, right before the ATA Southwestern Zone competition July 10-12 at OTSA in El Reno).

Remember to thank all the men and women in health care who have put their lives on the line to save lives and keep us safe. There are many others who have adjusted their lives and businesses in order to help us through this pandemic. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of them.

Tim Deister

ATA Delegate