Arizona

It’s tough to look into the future while writing this, but talking about March means that the Hall of Fame Classic and the Spring Grand American have been completed and that Arizona’s trapshooting season will be reaching its peak with the state shoot. Hopefully we will still be around and that COVID has not gotten us all as the media predicts. Okay, so what’s up in Arizona in March, you ask? Just one of the best state shoots in the country, that’s all! The date is March 15-20 at Ben Avery in Phoenix. Here is a helpful list of why you don’t want to miss it:

1. Average temperature is 76°. Got the late winter blues and think that spring will never arrive? This is the desert folks, not the frozen tundra. So bake that chill right out of your bones and get a tan too!
2. Ben Avery is a professionally run, world-class facility with 16 fields and a great background. The clay target center is part of the largest public range in the country.
3. Good Competition Factor—No. 4.
4. Friendly people—all Arizona women are beautiful, the men handsome and charming, and we love our visitors. They are a very important part of Arizona trapshooting.
5. Same trophies and prizes for in-state and out-of-state shooters.
6. Great food—the best burgers in the West are at Wild Horse West, just five miles down the road. Looking for New York style pizza? Ray’s is five miles east. Like Mexican food? There are a gazillion places to choose from, and for those gourmets among us, Binkley’s and Tonto Bar and Grill are close by in Cave Creek. Our Saturday night annual dinner may not be gourmet, but it’s free. It’s up in the air a little bit though due to COVID, but if it is a go, there are four goats waiting on the Bergman ranch for the main course.
7. Arizona is a very gun-friendly state. No hassle, we all pack!
8. Seven days of championship shooting.
9. Average temperature is 76°.

One word of caution: This a very popular time of year with the spring break and spring training in full swing. Make your RV or hotel reservations early!

Smoke and chips: Our annual meeting will take place March 20 at 8 a.m. This is your chance to greet the state teams, make suggestions, voice opinions or concerns, vote for ASTA officials, the Delegate and Alternates, and hear the latest news. We are always on the lookout for dedicated people to run for the state board. The hours are long, and the pay is low, but it is your chance to pitch in and help keep Arizona trapshooting at the very top.

Around the state: Casa Grande held their always popular Thanksgiving Shoot Nov. 26-28, and had a fine turnout. Singles started things off, and Darrell Goen was the high AZ shooter with 98. Alexis Fernan was next and the top junior, with veteran Steve Stella right behind. Jack Rathenberg tied for the Class B crown. Alexis then turned right around and beat the field in the handicap. I think she just may like those green targets. Mark Mattson then finished as our top gun in the doubles, nosing out Greg Spiczka and Stella.

Doubles kicked things off on Saturday, and Goen’s 94 was the high Arizona score with Ron Schroer next. In the singles, Kaitlin Quan’s 99 tied for high gun and was the best in the state. Spiczka and Stella were one behind. Next was the ’caps, and Fred Frazier left all other Arizona shooters in the dust. Sunday was led off with singles, and we had a bunch of guys hanging around near the top. Goen, who also likes green birds; David Landwerlen; Spiczka; and Mark Yarbro all finished with 97s. Ed Marsden was our best in the handicap. The shoot’s last event was doubles, and out-of-staters dominated; however, Landwerlen came in fourth. I have mentioned David before, as his trajectory is up and up.

Tri-State tried something different on the Dec. 11-12 weekend, an all-handicap shoot. The participants were a combination of home folks, early snow birds, and those trying to escape from the Sovereign State of California. Mike Petrisko led all with a 93 in the first event, followed by Lady I Denise Shute. Event 2 featured Robby Love, shooting on some very familiar territory, while leading all from Arizona. Chris Cusumano was right behind. In Saturday’s final handicap, it was Robby again with Ed Lovelace next in line.

Mike Petrisko, who seems to be a morning person, was high gun in Sunday’s first event, with Denise Shute next, but Denice was just warming up. Her 96 led the field in the second handicap, and then she floored it, shooting a 98 in the final event. Chris Cusumano was the runnerup in Handicap No. 5 and David Schute was second in No. 6. Earlier in the year, Ben Avery had separate days for singles, doubles and handicap, and most everyone agreed it is nice to break the format from time to time.

Speaking of Ben Avery, the women from 2 Lazy 2 put on a three-day event Dec. 10-12, the Elf on the Shelf Shoot. In addition to the usual Arizona suspects, shooters came from North Dakota, Alberta, Ohio, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Nebraska, Iowa, California and Idaho, and this was before the real kickoff of our winter season. Vaughn Hollman led the home boys in Friday’s singles, just nosing out Peter Ardlen. Senior vet Michael Calistro’s 97 tied for tops in the handicap, and Jesse Zamora was No. 2. Stella then led all state shooters in the doubles. Saturday started off with doubles, and there was Jesse again, with Quan right behind. In the singles, Vaughn Hollman and Max Peevyhouse were Arizona’s best; they tied at 98. Kaitlin and junior Malachi Uqualla were one back. The handicap closed things out on Saturday, and four of our gals and guys led the field. Kaitlin’s 94 was high by two; then came Ray Easler and Jesse Zamora at 92, and Stella finished with 91. There were two events on Sunday, singles and handicap. Peevyhouse’s 99 was tops for Arizona, while Frazier, Mark Lacey and Wayne Thompson tied for third. In the ’caps, Quan gave the guys a break and took the day off. Mike Calistro and Ray Easler were the high Arizona guns, followed by Hollman and Frazier.

One highlight of the shoot was the number of junior and sub-junior shooters. They may not have won, but you definitely get the feeling that their time will come.

Around the state: The Spring Grand American at Tucson is Feb. 14-20; Ben Avery will hold a three-day shoot Feb. 26-28; Tri-State has Big 50s Feb. 27; Casa Grande’s Breast Cancer Shoot is March 1-6: Lake Havasu goes March 4; Double Adobe has a two-day shoot March 5-6; Cochise shoots on March 8; Casa Grande’s Pre-State Shoot is March 10-13; and the grandaddy, the Arizona State Shoot is March 15-20 at Ben Avery. In addition, there are Big 50s on Monday at Casa Grande, and a singles marathon the first Thursday of every month at Rio Salado, as well as a doubles marathon on the third Thursday.

Now don’t pine away where it’s chilly and damp, come on down to Arizona and be a champ. See you on the line.

John Bergman

ATA Delegate

Montana

The Montana State Trapshooting Association would like to announce its 2021 all-state team:

First team—captain Ciaran O’Neil, .9628; John Brothers, .9301; Dale Fishe, .9269; William Camus, .9262; Bret Preeshl, .9228. Second team—Daniel Vogel, .9186; Steve Nolan, .9171; Emi Smith, .9158; J. D. Kent, .9144; Andrew Kelly, .9141. Category—women’s, Anita Feland, .9087; sub-junior, Garrett Prom, .8765; veteran, Jeffrey Niewojana, .8640; senior vet, Bill Ellen, .9087.

High-average winners: singles, Ciaran O’Neill, .9919; handicap, David Vicevich, .9280; doubles, Ciaran O’Neill, .9717.

I would like to mention that we lost several longtime Montana trapshooters, including Lewis Hill, Montana Hall of Fame member; Jerry Lane, former Montana state association president; Harless Long, former Montana state association secretary-treasurer.

The Montana State Trapshooting Championships are scheduled for July 6-10 in Great Falls.

           Jim Jones

           ATA Alternate Delegate

Utah

Another year is in the books. To quote the title of an old Western film, 2021 can be viewed as “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.”

The Good:

We were able to attend many trapshoots during the year.

We have a lot of new state team members, in fact, three different families, with three members from each. Be sure to check out the teams on utahtrap.com.

The Bad:

Ammo is extremely hard to find.

Reloading components are also hard to find.

When you can find the above items, you pay a lot more than you did a year ago.

The Ugly:

We lost several good friends over the last year: Earl Harding, Don Harwell and Darren New.

COVID was/is more prevalent than it was a year ago.

The only ATA shoot held in Utah during December was at Purgatory SS in Hurricane. The weather was nice, turnout was modest with only fair scores.

With a couple of months of hibernation to look forward to, remember that even if you don’t go to the local gun club, you can still practice in the comfort of your own home. You can:

Do gun mounts for strength training, plus work on getting the same mount every time.

Visualize breaking targets, always with positive thoughts, not thoughts of missing targets.

Read sports psychology books.

Work on self-hypnosis.

Reload ammo (if you have components).

Set goals for the upcoming shooting season and write them down. This way you can go over the goals again next year and make new plans.

Make a calendar of what shoots you want to attend. Make sure you include your family in this process . . . or you might not have a family anymore.

Last year I proposed that the ATA do some videos on the ATA rulebook and post them on the ATA homepage. The intent is to help shooters better navigate how to join the ATA, how to sign up at shoots, and then some of the rules that all shooters should be well versed in.

With the help of Quint, Justice and Alex Sudbury, I started working on the project in early December. Hopefully by springtime, the end products will be available for viewing.

As an Executive Committee member, one of my duties is that I am the chair of the Rules Committee. Being the chair, I am well aware that many shooters do not want to take the time to read the Official ATA Rulebook. I thought that if we could post videos of some of the finer points from the book, maybe people would become more informed on the rules.

           Ed Wehking

           ATA Western Zone Vice President

Washington

Here we are again, ready to put winter behind us and get back into ATA registered shooting while seeing all of our clay busting friends again. Before we know it, we will be on our way to Walla Walla for the Camas Prairie Handicap, and from there we have a pretty busy shoot schedule.

You’ve heard me say this before, but here I go again. You can save time for yourself, those at the classification table and the cashiers at tournaments if you have an up-to-date average card and your yearly dues paid if you haven’t shot any 2022 year targets yet. The Camas is the first shoot for a lot of folks for the year and the first shoot ever for some. We love to see people experiencing registered shoots for the first time! If you are bringing someone for their first shoot, you can help by showing them how to join the ATA online as well as giving them some instruction as to their average cards, pre-squadding and just the “ropes” in general.

One thing that has been a concern at shoots, as with business in general, is a lack of labor. It seems that help is hard to find, as COVID concerns just don’t seem to go away. We can all help at our clubs or others we visit by just asking how we can lend a hand. Traps need to be loaded or there may be a need for scorekeepers. Running score sheets back to the cashier’s cage, helping clean up spent shells, and on and on and on. We can help clubs pocket a little more profit form their efforts and make each shoot run more smoothly and enjoyably for all while we have fun and fellowship at the same time. Have you ever noticed the one or two trapshooters who seem to be helping at every club you visit? They understand.

We have a busy April and May on the WSTA schedule then we have a lull in the action with one or two shoots in June, the Western Zone at Colton and a shoot at the Malden-Pine City GC in July. Once again I encourage your club to throw some Big 50 events. Establishing averages, getting required targets for high average teams on your card and a lot of fun can be had at these. They can be a great way to keep sharp in between bigger shoots when we have gaps in the schedule. Contact Bruce Skelton if you want to get started and please visit shootwsta.com for a full schedule of events happening in Washington. If you want to fill some of these weekends in June, July and August with more registered shoots at your club, we will be happy to have them.

As I mentioned before, the WSTA Hall of Fame has been moved to Colton, at least for the time being, and I apologize for not having it displayed yet. It seems that things just stack up, and free time gets harder to find. It may look different than it did when at the Spokane GC since its creation, but we will do our best to honor those inducted and preserve our rich history. If you have any old programs, pictures or memorabilia from yesteryear that you think would enhance our Hall of Fame display, please contact me. Veterans and new shooters alike seem to enjoy seeing how things used to be and learning about those who paved the way for the Washington State Trapshooting Association.

If you attend a shoot at the Colton GC or happen to drive by when it is open for business, please check to see if there are any WSTA trophies there with your name on them. We have unclaimed trophies from the last several state shoots there, and we would love to get them to those who earned them.

I hope to see you at shoots all over our state this year, and better yet, all of us at the WSTA would love to meet new participants for the first time. Invite someone out for the day to introduce them to our great sport.

Lastly I want to congratulate all those who made the 2021 WSTA high-average teams. Great shooting! These accomplishments are something to be proud of.

Singles—T. J. Main, 5,200, .9860; Gage Wade Huber, 2,100, .9838; Jon Thompson, 2,100, .9810; Carson Schlimmer, 4,800, .9770; Garrett Schlimmer, 4,600, .9750. Handicap—Gage Wade Huber, 2,000, .9365; Carson Schlimmer, 4,800, .9298; Jessica Pellisier, 1,500, .9181; Rowdy Main, 500, .9120; Steve Freeman, 500, .9040. Doubles—Gage Wade Huber, 1,300, .9546; Bob McLendon, 1,000, .9460; Carson Schlimmer, 4,200, .9433; Aaron Vosser, 1,800, .9394; Tim Hodges, 500, .9280. Lady I—Jessica Pelissier, 1,550, .9460; Tina Sisich, 5,200, .93.60; Sophie Nostrom, 6,800, .9353; Tracy Hanger, 500, .9060; Tricia Schwartzman, 500, .8920. Lady II—Dr. Laura Winkel, 3,900, .9654; Holly Ledgerwood, 2,800, .9329; Deborah Kelly, 2,200, .9123; Linda Bergstresser, 500, .9080; Susan Nattrass, 2,800, .8954. Sub-junior—Jett Corbett, 1,500, .9187; Cory Travis Shearer, 1,300, .8846; Nick McLaughlin, 600, .8467; Clay Carver, 1,500, .8420; Austin Guinn, 1,000, .8130. Junior—Gage Wade Huber, 2,100, .9838; Zane Carver, 1,900, .9195; Lash Corbett, 1,900, .9142; Cody Kuhl, 3,300, .9042; Levi Holmes, 600, .8833. Junior gold—Carson Schlimmer, 4,800, .9773; Aaron Vosser, 2,200, .9714; Racheal Stanley, 800, .9275; Andrea Bergstresser, 1,600, .9100; Haley Clausen, 500, .8888. Sub-vet—John Klingle, 600, .9717; Gordon Grenier, 1,500, .9567; Doug Reimers, 2,200, .9555; Bob McLendon, 1,000, .9460; Eric Slocum, 500, .9440. Veteran—Jon Thompson, 2,100, .9810; Mark Iksic, 700, .9771; Mike Moore, 600, .9767; Steve Freeman, 600, .9700; Zach Keller, 1,100, .9655. Senior vet—Ron Cram, 700, .9700; Stan Fukuhara, 900, .9667; Kenneth Presler, 1,600, .9656; Ron Hull, 600, .9533; Art Fenton, 4,900, .9522.

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

WSTA Director

Illinois

Hi, everyone. I have all sorts of accomplishments and awards to talk about this month. I need to make two corrections, first on the all-state team. Jeremiah Schultz should be second on the open team with a .9357 average, and Payton Wattowa should be fourth on the sub-junior team with .9062. I apologize to both of you for missing you. Good shooting, and keep it up in the coming year!

Michael Hagerty has reached the 25,000 target plateau in handicap. Way to go, Mike! Keep it up in the years to come.

Sadly I now have to talk about one of our shooters passing. Carl Scott recently died after a long trapshooting career. I did not personally know Carl, but after talking to people who did, I feel that it was my loss. Carl shot for years in our northern zone with his BT-99. He was a good shot who reached the 27-yard line at one point. The real measure of a man, however, is how he treats other people, and Carl was liked by everyone. He did not shoot a lot for years because he was busy taking care of his seriously ill wife. Not everyone would be willing to do something like this, and it says a lot about his character. Rest well, Carl! We will miss you.

Now I want to talk about Illinois shooters doing well during Grand Week. I am only going to mention champions and runnerups due to space constraints. I would encourage everyone to check out the October and November issues of Trap & Field for full coverage. You can also read about Illinois shooters doing well in the major autumn shoots. Now let’s get to it. Clay Target Championship: John Upcraft, A runnerup; Daniel Schocke, B runnerup; Marvin Carter, C champion; Ian Lawrence, junior gold runnerup; Ziggy Tkaczenko, chair champion. Doubles Championship: Chase Horton, AAA runnerup; Lauren Dunn, Lady I champion; Tkaczenko, chair champion. Handicap Championship: Ian Lawrence, junior gold champion; Larry Norton, chair champion. All-Around: Jimmy Juban, A champion; Danial Schocke, B runnerup; Randy Miller, vet runnerup; Tkaczenko, chair champion. 1,000 HOA: Steve Margherno, junior runnerup; Lawrence, junior gold runnerup; Mike Dennis , veteran champion. 2,600 HOA: Lawrence, junior gold champion; Tkaczenko, chair champion.

Nice shooting, everyone! I’m proud of all Illinois shooters who shot well at the Grand.

By the time you read this, the big shoots in Florida and Arizonia will be starting up. Good luck to all shooters, not just from Illinois, who participate in these shoots. I think it’s going to be another challenging year, so enjoy yourself as much as you can. ’Til next time.

Bill Duncan

ATA Delegate

Indiana

Greetings, Indiana shooters!

I hope this issue of Trap & Field finds you healthy and your 2022 is off to a great start. I know for me personally the past few months through the holidays have flown by, and I am certainly looking forward to seeing everyone back on the trapfields and at the gun clubs this spring.

I want to extend congratulations to our Indiana shooters who made the 2022 ATA All-American teams! These include Michael Gooch on the open second team, Tank Lunsford on the sub-veteran first team, and Bobby Hubble and Vern Brown, both on the senior veteran second team.

Indiana trapshooting lost a great person on Dec. 21 with the passing of Larry Schauss. I am honored to have had the opportunity to know Larry for many years and to serve with him on the Indiana Trapshooter’s Association Board of Directors. Larry was the southern zone director for the ITA for the past several years and would have assumed the presidency of the organization in 2024. Beyond his contributions to the ITA, I know his passing will certainly leave a void at both the Evansville GC and Boonville GC, where to say he was simply an active member would be a colossal understatement. I know I can’t ever think of a time being at Evansville GC that Larry wasn’t always doing something to help out the club. Condolences go out to his wife Mart and the entire Schauss family.

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

Michigan

As I write this, it’s that vague empty period between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Although many of you may not get this issue until late February (blame the USPS!), it’s worth noting that there are nine Big 50 shoots in Michigan in February. These shoots work really well when it’s cold outside, as you are not outside as long. There are shoots at St. Joseph Co., East Rockwood and Howell, all Big 50s. In March there are only three registered shoots, Dundee, St. Joseph Co. and East Rockwood. A full slate of events starts up again in April, culminating with the Spring Team Shoot April 28-May 1.

As we look into 2022, it may be worth thinking about a few words I remember from a philosophy class I took somewhat more than 50 years ago. The professor said, “Many of you may go on to do great things. Remember that no accomplishment has substance nearly as great as the road taken to achieve it. Men are not creatures of destinations; it is the journey that shapes us all.”

1. B. Lewis

ATA Delegate

Minnesota

Greetings from the North Star State! As I write this, the weather in northern Minnesota is very winter-like. It started snowing last night and hasn’t really stopped. As I tell my friends who like to complain about the cold and snow, “check the calendar and the latitude.” Those two things are normal at this time of year!

The Minnesota Trapshooting Association (MTA) held their December meeting on the 20th. Among the items that were discussed were the mailing of the state zone program, the state shoot program, and setting target prices for the state and zone shoots. Minnesota shooters are reminded of the new and upgraded MTA website that can be found at minnesotatrap.com. If you haven’t been on the site recently, you should take the time to do so, as it really looks good and contains a whole lot of pertinent information. Thanks to Jimmy Bowen for all of his work on the site! The 2022 Hall of Fame inductees at the state shoot will be Randy Cook and Chuck Eckstein. Congratulations, gentlemen! This year’s state shoot will be held at the Alexandria SP July 5-10. Please make plans to attend. The ATA Central Zone will also be held in Alexandria July 29-31.

When you receive this in the February issue of Trap & Field, many of you will be getting ready to make your way to Tucson for the Spring Grand. The shoot runs Feb. 14-20 with the preliminary days beginning on the 9th. If you have never been to Tucson in February and plan to attend, I strongly recommend you bring some warm clothes. Tucson can be beautiful in February, but it does snow some years, and the weather can be very fickle. Hope to see you in Tucson!

On a sad note, we lost Ken Norman in October and Mary Churchill in November. Our condolences to their families. You can read their entire obituaries on the MTA website.

Hopefully the ammunition shortage will ease some as we make our way to spring and the registered shooting season in Minnesota. For those with shells and a warm coat, remember the jackpot shoots at Minneapolis, Buffalo, and St. Cloud. Details are available on the MTA website (see I told you there was a lot of information on the site!) and by calling the club. I suspect that, at Minneapolis at least, you don’t have to call ahead to see if they are shooting after the shoot went on the day after a 12-inch snowfall.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and your 2022 is filled with a lot of big scores.

I can be reached at 507-456-2000 or at [email protected]. Until next time, keep your head down. Randall Jones’ contact information is available on the MTA website.

Paul T. Cyr

For ATA Delagate Randy Jones

Wisconsin

I took the time to really read the December Trap & Field Magazine, and as I was flipping pages, I came across the page Welcome New ATA Members who joined the ATA in October. This got me thinking that every month we have been gaining new members and have not welcomed them. How about welcoming these new members at your club. Maybe even post a welcome note mentioning a new member.

Congratulations to the 2022 ATA All-American teams (based on 2021 performance). Representing our state are: open second team, George Hass, 1,226; Lady II first, Sandra Jo Jack, 2,898; sub-junior second, Robert J. Gropp, 1,299; junior second, Cody Barwick, 1,009; veteran first, Gerald Demulling, 1,563; senior veteran second, H. John Duwe, 829. Having six trapshooters on the list is a great representation for Wisconsin. Congratulations to all. It takes time, dedication, travel and much more to be an All-American.

This past month and a half have been tough on the Wisconsin Completed Careers. It is a very sad time for the family and trapshooting friends that we are in prayer for the family for the sad departure of Kyle Sacia. Those of you who knew Kyle also know Mark his dad, the two were always riding on the cart together at trapshoots. Sending prayers to the family and friends.

The Janesville CC has been saddened with the loss of two board members recently. Tony Kennedy, a board member at Janesville, has given friends and family a lot of memories. Bob Laukant also passed recently. He was on the Janesvile board and a dear friend of Kevin Doerring.

           Sandra Jo Jack

           For ATA Delegate Kevin Doerring

Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces.

The Atlantic Provinces Trapshooting Association gave away five Trap & Field digital magazine subscriptions in a Christmas draw over the holidays. The rules were simple: Any shooter who attended the 2021 Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot automatically received one entry. An e-mail to the Atlantic Provinces also got shooters an additional entry or an entry if they were not able to attend the ATA Provincial Shoot. Congratulations to all winners! Enjoy the Trap & Field subscription.

The winter league at the Petitcodiac SC in Petitcodiac, NB, is a go for another year. This dedicated group are perhaps the only active ATA shooters during the winter months in the Atlantic Provinces. Good on you folks for keeping this popular winter league going strong!

The senior veteran category always attracts stiff competition at our annual ATA provincial shoot, and Newfoundland trapshooter Derm Molloy is always in the mix, winning several Atlantic Provinces senior veteran trophies over the years. Now, at the age of 88, Derm has the distinction of being the Atlantic Provinces’ oldest active ATA trapshooter. He started shooting in 1966 on Kelsey’s Farm in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, and currently shoots out of the Gander R&GC in Gander, NL. Derm has registered a total of 14,350 singles and 7,400 handicap targets and is well known in the local trapshooting scene. You can read all about Derm in the Shooter Profile section of our webpage www.shootatlantic.com.

Unfortunately it does not look promising for the Atlantic Provinces’ shooters who regularly attend the Spring and Southern Grands. Travel restrictions and the latest coronavirus variant make planning ahead for trips south of the border difficult.

But, looking forward to 2022, there are a couple of shoots to keep in mind. On the national scene, the 2022 Canadian Trapshooting Championship are being held at the Calgary FC in Calgary, AB, June 29-July 3. Stay tuned to www.shootcanada.ca for shoot details. The 2022 Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot will return to St. John’s, NL, and the St. John’s R&GC Sept. 1-4. Complete shoot details are available on www.shootatalantic.com.

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

Andrea Bassan

           ATA Delegate

New Jersey

As mentioned last month, things continue to improve at the Howell TC in Farmingdale. They had a holiday get-together Dec. 19 that brought shooters from everywhere. It was reported to me that cars filled the parking lot all the way down to behind Trap 3, a good sign that Butch and Heather are doing things right at their club.

The generosity of the trapshooting community here in New Jersey continued for the 2021 Christmas season. The Pine Belt SC, in conjunction with the Monroe Township Police Department of Gloster County, donated over 150 clothing items this year, surpassing the 100 items last year. The Pine Valley TC in Pine Hill donated 150 toys and food stuffs to the Pine Hill Police Department for distribution to needy families. The Mallard TC made a monetary donation to the Aldersgate Outreach Community Center food pantry.

This time of year, besides fighting the “supply chain issues” of ammo and components, your local club also must deal with the wintry weather and precipitation. When you get your club membership renewal, please send the money in right away, as mentioned earlier, it is a slow season for them and with little money trickling in, the membership fee is a shot to their treasury, to pay utility bills, rent or taxes.

Back in November the Mallard TC held their 14th annual Thanksgiving Pie Shoot. Steve Ottrando reported that for the first time in three years, the weather was just beautiful, entire families of the shooters, came out to enjoy the unseasonable day. There were 4,500 targets thrown that day, and 36 pies were given out.

On a sad note, long time Pine Valley supporter, Garnett (Arnie) Arnold of West Deptford passed away; he was 82. Arnie was a United States Air Force veteran. After leaving the service, he was the owner of Audubon-Cesco Fuel Company and past president of the South Jersey Oil Heat Association. He was a member and past president of the Pine Valley GC. Arnie was inducted into the New Jersey Trapshooting Hall of Fame in June 2013. Arnie had everything to do with the installation of the new kitchen at Pine Valley, along with many other undertakings since then. Arnie was a member of the Amateur Trapshooting Association. During his career he registered 125,100 singles, 37,125 handicap and 10,050 doubles targets. Arnie is survived by his two daughters and two sons. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the Pine Valley GC and/or the American Lung Association.

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

Joe Sissano

ATA Delegate

New York

Hello to everyone from New York. I hope everyone is staying safe and warm during the winter season. It won’t be too long before better weather comes and we can start shooting registered targets again.

I am sorry to say that New York has lost two more registered shooters. John P. Kaysa of Horseheads passed away Nov. 18. John was 78 years of age. He started registering targets in 1971 and had totals of 127,500 singles, 111,295 handicap and 64,440 doubles. His last registered targets were shot in 2018, and he was standing on the 19-yard line. The officers and Board of Directors would like to express our deepest sympathies to John’s family on his passing. He will be missed.

Joseph (Tim) Wylde of Mattydale passed away Dec. 6. He was 89 years of age. Tim started registering targets in 1967. His last registered targets were shot in 2013. During his career, he registered 109,100 singles, 32,600 handicap and 21,600 doubles targets. Tim was standing on the 27-yard line. He was a life member of the NRA and a member of Camillus SC and Bridgeport R&GC. The officers and Board of Directors would like to express our deepest sympathies to Tim’s wife Shirley and his entire family. He will be missed.

Many shooters forget good trapshooting etiquette. I took the following information off the ATA webpage, which was furnished by the Nevada State Trapshooting Association concerning proper etiquette while shooting on the trapline:

“The game of trap (unlike skeet or 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 common sense. Even though trapshooters uphold themselves with a high level of seriousness during a round, that doesn’t mean 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 a thumbs up that you are ready. They may be waiting for you to be ready and set before continuing with their own shot.

“Remain on your post, standing facing the trap quietly, until the fifth person 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 person 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 (This is an ATA rule).

“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 on 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 downrange. A lot of beginner shooters (more specifically pump action shooters) tend to close their action with the 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 the same common courtesy and in return experience the same level of enjoyment from shooting”. Thank you, Nevada Trapshooting Association.”

One shooting etiquette that many shooters do not follow is the ATA rule, No. 14 on Page 16 of the Official ATA Rule Book: “A contestant may hold his/her gun in any position. The contestant must in no manner interfere with other shooters by raising his/her gun to point or otherwise create an observable distraction”. I observe many shooters who raise the barrel of their gun, or even mount their gun, when the person ahead of them is calling for their target or shooting at the target. It is very distracting. You see the movement of the gun and your eye shifts away from the target. You do not know how many targets I have missed when the shooter next to me has done this. I have even seen All-Americans do this while shooting. It is not good etiquette, a distraction, and against the ATA Rulebook. Please be considerate.

The zone shoots to be held in New York State have been announced. First up will be the eastern zone April 30-May 1. The host clubs will be Peconic River SC and Whortlekill R&GC. The western zone will be held at Mt. Morris SC June 11-12. Finally the central zone shoot will be at Pathfinder F&GC July 2-3. I hope everyone from each zone plans to attend their zone shoot.

If anyone would like to have something written in one of these articles, please contact me at [email protected] or phone me at 585-519-9543. Please stay healthy, safe and in good spirits. Please be strong. May God bless you all.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Alabama

I start this month’s article off on a sad note. Eugene Howell of Cullman passed away Dec. 17 at the age of 87. Mr. Howell started shooting trap in 1966, when he was in Ohio working for General Motors Chevy Division. After retiring from GM, he moved to Cullman, AL, and continued shooting trap. traveling to several states. Almost 99% of his travels were with his best friend Jackie Howard. He enjoyed the shooting, he enjoyed meeting people and most of all, he enjoyed eating! Almost everyone who met him always enjoyed him. He registered more than 200K targets. You will be missed, Mr. Howell.

As I write this article, today is the first day of winter, and in 90 days, it will be the first day of spring. If you can, get out there and shoot some winter birds.

Joke of the month: In a recent TV commercial for a local law firm, one former client gave this revealing endorsement: “Until I consulted these guys, I didn’t realize how seriously injured I was!”

Word of the month: Cyst: To render aid. “Can ah cyst you with those packages, ma’am?”

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

If you need my help or have news to report, contact me at [email protected].

Wayne Sartwell

ATA Delegate

Mississippi

COVID-19, Delta variant and Omicron are all too familiar terms and have done their damage here in Mississippi. Nevertheless, trapshooting survives down here in the deep South. In fact we are adding another shoot this year at Capitol GC in Jackson; or rather, reviving and old one. The Catfish Trapshoot is back and will be April 2-3. If you are needing some early spring targets, put the Catfish on your calendar and join us in Jackson for some Southern trappin’ at its finest.

The Mississippi Trapshooting Association’s annual state shoot also returns to Capitol in Jackson this year. Dates are May 26-29 in its usual position over Memorial Day weekend. In 2021 Coast R&PC hosted our state shoot and put on an exhibition as to how a state shoot should be done. Obviously Capitol GC will have a tough act to follow, but the old hands at Capitol are equal to the task. Go to Presquad.com and sign up now for a taste of Southern hospitality and some good old Mississippi trapshooting.

Just to keep your trapshooting sharp and focused, Mississippi also provides monthly trapshoots at two venues. First weekend of the month shoots are held throughout the year at Capitol in Jackson. Mid-month shoots are held at Coast R&PC on the Gulf Coast at Biloxi. Come join us at one or both of these fine venues.

As always, happy trappin’!

Jerry Tharp

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

Okay, fellow shooters, we’re all in the same boat on this ammo situation. Shells and reloading components are tough to find. Shot and wads are available, primers and powder are unabtainium. Work with your club manager –procurer. They may be able to get some shells or components from the wholesaler by using their target order as a wedge. There are shells available at Academy, Walmart and Sportsman’s Warehouse.

You have to check regularly. I have found that Walmart and Academy have avoided price gouging.

Our great weather here in South Carolina allows us to shoot pretty much all year, but the ammo situation has definitely affected monthly and Big 50 shooting. Hang in there; it seems like there is a slight increase in ammo availability. Bird hunting seasons are nearly over, hopefully the manufacturers will produce more target ammo.

By the time you read this, Kevin Stephens will have achieved his 25,000 doubles level.

I hope to see you at the Southern Grand. Keep in mind that the Georgia State Shoot and our state shoot will be about a week earlier than last year.

Jim Faber

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

The Spring Grand American is always a welcome start to the new calendar year because spring can’t be far behind. The 46th annual Grand American starts with Preliminary Week Feb. 9-13 followed by Spring Grand Week Feb. 14-20. This shoot is held at Tucson T&SC, 7800 W. Old Ajo Highway, Tucson, AZ.

On a sad note, Marshall Horn of Bethel Springs passed away Nov. 27. Marshall was the 1994 Tennessee State handicap champion. He broke 99 from the 21-yard line shooting a Browning Humpback A-5. The life member registered targets from 1986 to 2021. He was 81 years old and last registered targets in July, breaking 98, while running the first 75. Those 100 targets gave him a total of 100,000.

Read the new rulebook, please.

For more info, check out our website shootatatn.com. You can reach me at [email protected].

Billy Cook

ATA Southern Zone Vice President