Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces.

The shoot program for the 2023 Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot is now available on www.shootatlantic.com. This year’s shoot is being held at the Highland GC near Yarmouth, NS, Aug. 31-Sept. 3. If you are planning to attend, check the program and website for pre-squadding, hotel, ammo ordering and general shoot information.

The following is mostly for visitors from outside the Atlantic Provinces. Our shoot regularly attracts folks from abroad, and I always encourage visitors to take some time, before or after the shoot, to explore our beautiful part of the world.

The town of Yarmouth is located approximately 300 km south of Halifax, NS. Anyone flying into Nova Scotia should fly into the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. From there, it’s approximately three-and-a-half hours, depending on which route you take. There are plenty of things to do and see along the way, and I would strongly recommend making it a day trip.

The South Shore route is known for breathtaking views of the coast; it’s 40+ lighthouses and home of the famous racing schooner Bluenose. The drive will take you through the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Town Lunenburg, Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse, Liverpool, Mahone Bay, Shelbourne and the Black Loyalist Heritage Centre in Birchtown. Lobster meals won’t be hard to find.

The route through the Bay of Fundy and the Annapolis Valley is known for the highest recorded tides in the world, vineyards, wineries, fruit orchards, agriculture and historic towns like Grand Pre, Windsor, Digby and Annapolis Royal. This will be harvest time, so stop at a roadside market for fresh corn, apples, pears and other delicious fruit. Whale watching tours out of Brier Island are also popular.

If you are traveling from New Brunswick, you can drive or take the ferry from Saint John to Digby. There’s also a ferry from Bar Harbor, ME, to Yarmouth for anyone traveling from the U.S.

Visit Nova Scotia Tourism (novascotia.com) for more information on how to get there and what to do during your stay. You can also reach out to me if you need some help or have any questions.

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

Well, we are in April in the Garden State when you get to read this, and so far, there has not been any appreciable snowfall. I am writing this Feb. 23, and I hope I don’t jinx you guys.

“Mea Culpa,” when I wrote the February article, it was following the December NJSTA meeting, and at that time, the host club for the southern zone, which takes place May 5-7, was Pine Valley. Since the December meeting, it was decided by the NJSTA board that there will be two host clubs, Pine Valley and Ground Swipers. Resident trophies will be shot off for those New Jersey residents residing in the southern zone at both locations. There will also be open trophies available for zone and non-zone shooters at Pine Valley, Ground Swipers and NJCTC in Fairfield. The Fairfield location will also be open Friday, May 5 for those shooters wishing to compete for the open trophies for the first time this year.

The New Jersey Trapshooting Hall of Fame will be inducting two shooters June 3 at 4 p.m. at the Pine Belt facility. The first inductee is Peter Frederiks; he will be inducted posthumously. I would like to thank Pete’s widow Tess and trapshooting friends Bruce Peterson and Bud Lawton for helping me write the following.

Peter was born in February 1942 and grew up on a farm in Three Bridges. Growing up working the farm with his dad, Pete grew fond of John Deere tractors and always admired them when he came across one during his adult years. He graduated high school and joined the Navy during the Vietnam War. After completing his four years of duty, he attended Rutgers University under the GI Bill. Upon graduation, Pete relocated to Rosemont, just outside of Flemington, where he bought a house and opened a machine shop a mile down the road, which he owned for the next 40 years. As business went on, he had great years and slow years, and during all that time, two of his workers stayed with him for the last 25 years, and when it came time to retire, he turned the business over to them.

Pete married his first wife Rose and had three daughters. His wife passed away in 2010. Pete remarried in 2013 to Theresa (Tess) Chamberlain, who accompanied him to shoots up and down the East Coast and out to the Grand in Sparta. Speaking of Grands, Pete had just received a patch for attending 45 Grands in a row. Pete was on the “Last Squad” at the Vandalia facility back in 2005. He, along with Ed Yanchok, the past New Jersey ATA Delegate, and other shooters purchased the last squad in an eBay auction.

During Pete’s ATA tenure, he resided in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, with his business in New Jersey. While living in New Hope, he became a member of the board of directors at Flourtown Sandy Run, where he oversaw registered ATA shooting. Pete won trophies at the Grand, ATA Eastern Zone, Dixie Grand, Southern Grand, Pennsylvania Grand, Jersey Cricket, New Jersey State Shoot, Delaware and Pennsylvania. He competed in Hawaii a few times and Alaska once. He was on the New Jersey State Team in 1999 and 2015. Pete joined the ATA in 1972, and from then until 2020, he registered 541,425 singles, 122,700 handicap and 253,350 doubles targets, totaling 917,475!

Pete was well liked by all in his community of Rosemont. Pete was home with his wife Tess when he had a heart attack. When the 911 call went out, there were 15 vehicles responding between EMTs and Police. Pete was liked by all. He died in March 2020.

As mentioned earlier, Pete was predeceased by his first wife Rose and two of his three daughters. He is survived by his wife Tess and daughter Claudine. Claudine, the remaining daughter, was a junior trapshooter when growing up and resides in Florida. His wife Tess Frederiks also resides in Florida.

He is being inducted into the New Jersey Trapshooting Hall of Fame for his shooting ability and contributions to the sport over the years.

Pine Belt will be having their Marathon Weekend; April 1 will be 500 singles and on the 2nd will be a handicap marathon, which will consist of 300 targets. On April 15 they will be having a 250-pair doubles marathon. In all marathons, a shooter may shoot all or just a part of each marathon. So save the dates to get your minimums for the year.

Steve Ottrando reported that the Mallard TC will be holding their 16th annual Easter Pie Shoot April 8. Shooting starts at 11 a.m.

Ground Swipers is having a shooting clinic April 8, where they will be going over gun safety, gun fit, shooting equipment, shot patterning, foot positions on the five shooting posts, and the three shooting disciplines. On April 16 they will be having a registered shoot of 100 singles, 100 handicap, and 50 pair of doubles.

Pine Valley will be having their annual Quarter Grand April 15-16. The following week, on the 22nd, they will be having their annual Youth Shoot. Again this year Ricky Marshall will be holding a clinic there on the 20th and 21st and will be on hand on the 22nd to congratulate the winning teams and hand out trophies.

Also check your local gun club to see when they will be having their ATA registered shoots. The target requirements for everyone, except shooters over 70, will be 500 singles, 500 doubles and 500 handicap targets and a total of 1,000 of each, when combining the 2022 and 2023 target years. Shooters over 70 will need 300 singles and 300 doubles in 2023, so as not to be penalized to a higher class at the zone shoot in May, or the state shoot in June. There is no target requirement in handicap for shooters over 70.

On a sad note, Guillermo (Gill) Parra passed away Jan. 22; he was 68 years old. Gill passed away suddenly from a post-surgical complication. He was a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist and worked with trauma victims. He joined the ATA in 1981, and during his career, he registered 17,050 singles, 10,400 handicap and 5,050 doubles targets. Coming off the line one day, he had this to say about shooting trap. “This is the best therapy!”

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

Joe Sissano

ATA Delegate

New York

Greetings from the New York State and happy Easter. I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe and healthy.

As I write this article at the end of February, not much is happening in the registered trapshooting world in New York.

There are a couple of things I would like to mention that I took off the ATA webpage. The first item is:

“Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) officials notified Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) officials that legislation could be introduced in the upcoming session that would give the IDNR the authority to offer many state properties for bid, possibly to include the World Shooting and Recreational Complex (WSRC), Sparta, IL.

“If the IDNR decides to offer the WSRC for bid, the process of creating a bid package will take many months, if not years.

“The current period of the lease agreement between the ATA and IDNR for the use of the facility will continue through 2026 and will be honored and very possibly extended, no matter who owns the property. If more information becomes available, it will be relayed by the ATA.” The World Shooting Complex in Sparta hosts the Grand American and the U.S. Open each year.

The second item is:

“Protect Illinois Communities Act (weapons ban)

“The act was signed into law by the Illinois governor on Jan. 10, 2023.

“The law bans the sale and purchase of listed semi-automatic weapons labeled by some as ‘assault weapons,’ .50 caliber rifles and large-capacity magazines, as well as various devices that effectively convert other weapons into something identical to one of the banned weapons.

“There have been several lawsuits filed in state and federal courts disputing the legality of the act.

“Lawsuits have resulted in temporary restraining orders, halting implementation of the act.

“Shotguns—Some semi-automatic shotguns have been banned if they have any of the following cosmetic features: pistol grip, thumbhole stock, grenade launcher, fixed magazine that exceed five rounds, or detachable magazines.

“If implemented, the act will have little, if any, effect on shotguns used for clay-target shooting.”

It has been posted on the ATA webpage that camping reservations are now available for the 2023 Grand American.

Please remember that the New York State ATA is hosting three tournaments at the homegrounds in Cicero for 2023.

The first tournament will be the 19th annual Empire Grand American May 10-14.

The 162nd New York State Shoot will be July 5-9.

Lastly, the 38th Northeastern Grand American will be Sept. 6-10.

The ATA Eastern Zone Shoot will be hosted at the Pennsylvania homegrounds in Elysburg July 20-23.

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. May God bless you all.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada.

As I write this article, I have just returned from the Spring Grand in Tucson, AZ.

Management for this event was typically fabulous, but the weather did not cooperate. With the exception of one day, it was cold and windy to the point that many fine shooters had very disappointing results. One day there was snow on all of the vehicles.

Obtaining premium ammunition proved to be a challenge. In spite of all of this, Lloyd Beecraft shot strong doubles, culminating in winning the championship doubles during prelim week with 100 straight and shootoff. Other Canadians also made their presence known: Patrick Lamont from Manitoba and Art Peyton from Alberta both won championship events. Ontario had about a dozen competitors.

I had an opportunity to attend one of our regular Ontario winter league shoots—a league that has the Galt SC as a regular host. I am told that league participants are down from years ago, as they are everywhere. Attracting and retaining junior shooters is a challenge. The volunteers who organize and manage these shoots are invaluable. People, like Ron Wallace, supervise the squad deployment; tabulate results, both for individuals and teams; calculate Lewis options; etc. My thought is, who is going to step up and replace the Ron Wallaces in the future? If you have volunteers, appreciate them and thank them.

Oops, somehow, I miss-diarized doing a recent article for my Delegate report. Sorry about that.

Meanwhile, when you receive your April Trap & Field Magazine, Ontario will hopefully have shed most of its snow, and spring shooting will be underway.

Good shooting!

Paul Shaw

ATA Delegate

Alabama

The bad storms are gone for now; the trees are budding, the flowers are blooming, the weather is pleasant, and grass is growing. Some of the local clubs are holding shoots, so get out there and support them.

Congratulations to our own Allison Parson! Not only is she the state’s top Lady I trapshooter, but it seems she is also a very good deer hunter. Toward the end of the regular deer season here in Alabama, Allison harvested a hefty 10 point buck, which might get her in the Boone and Crockett Club record book!

Joke of the month: Quotes from the past . . .

“The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.”

“Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you are aboard, there is nothing you can do about it.”

“I am so old that my blood type is discontinued.”

“Always be nice to your children because they are the ones who will choose your retirement home.”

“First you forget names, then you forget faces, then you forget to pull your zipper up, then you forget to pull your zipper down.”

“I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a lot more as they get older, and then it dawned on me—they’re cramming for their final exam.”

“Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.”

“You know you’re getting old when you can pinch an inch on your forehead.”

“I don’t do alcohol anymore—I get the same effect just standing up fast.”

Word of the month: Mere: A reflective glass. “Mere, mere on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”

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 him or her for their service.

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

Wayne Sartwell

ATA Delegate

Florida

Hello all from the most Southern, Northern State!

Florida trapshooting is in full swing, and there are just too many shoots for me to post who did what. Please refer to Gun Club Scores in this issue or ShootScoreboard.com.

As a side note, if I had won more in these shoots, I probably would be more inclined to post the scores! Just say’n.

Recently I have been asked, “How can I make it into the Trap & Field Magazine?” Good question. A few ways come to mind, and the first being you or your gun club representative contact me about your outstanding achievement. Another is by ATA recognition. For example, shooting your first straight or making AA or AAA and the 27-yard line status! But as you can see by these articles, sucking up works too.

Shout-outs and congratulations

It is my pleasure to announce this year’s Florida State Team. Please help me congratulate:

Men’s first—captain Juston Trimback, John Farina, Brendan Doorly, Rick Manning. Men’s second—Scott Somero, Jim Cummings, Lew Carns, Mike Cieslik, Dax DeMena. Ladies’ first—Lorrie Bumsted Valois, Criona Doorly, Alberta Brooks, Charlene Muzzy. Ladies’ second—Lillian Romania, Ruth Flayderman, Delia Sippel, Paula Keim. Sub-junior—Cody Meredith, Jackson Hunter, Hunter Machovina, Wyatt Gebhart, Jordan Brooks. Junior—Hector Rangel, Stetson Lee, Alexander Formhals, Daniel Anthony. Veteran first—Lewis Knack Jr., Jerry Bryant, Alex Riera, Lewis LaRoche, Donald Keith. Veteran second—Patrick Larsen, Jimmie Ballard, David Muzzy, Mike Reynolds, Rob Aguilera. Senior vet first—Kay Ohye, Jack Schumpert, Donald Kerce, William Dayton, Kenneth Sippel. Senior vet second—William Bezubiak, Dominic (Butch) Romania, Ed Medley, John Helm, Dennis McCarthy.

More congratulations to Lorrie Bumsted Valois and Lewis Knack for making the ATA All-American Team. A huge congratulations goes to Cody Meredith for being only one of three Trap & Field Rookies of the Year. I would have to extend that congrats to Cody’s parents Jodi and Richard for hauling him all over creation (see February 2023 issue). Another congrats goes to Jim Cummings for finally getting that 100 straight pin. Since that first 100, he has gone on and repeated. Good shoot’n, Jim! Please see photo of Alternate Florida Delegate Dax DeMena presenting Jim his 100 straight patch and exchanging it for the 99 straight patch Dax presented him at the Grand (inside joke between them).

ATA news

Kolar Raffle tickets. Please see me or your gun cub representative to purchase your Kolar Raffle tickets. Each ticket is $20. Someone is going to win, and it might as well be you (or me)! Trapshooting Hall of Fame Krieghoff tickets are also available.

Shoot Station App. If you are not using this app yet, you might want to start. It is the official mobile application for the ATA. It has the ability to enter current scores now, so you are always up to date. This app is really handy for when you are trying to determine your last 1,000-target average for classifying. It has the ability to tell you your current average for each discipline, your last 1,000 targets, your last 500 and 400 targets. Makes it easy.

For shooters who constantly decline handicap reductions, did you know you can ask your Delegate to have a D code added to your file, which freezes reductions for a year.

Lastly I want to give a big thank you to all of the unselfish folks who give their time freely helping and getting things done at our gun clubs. It is incredible the effort that is put out. Those traphouses don’t clean and load themselves. So the next time you visit a gun club, and if your are able (time and health), offer to help or at the very least give them a big heartfelt “I appreciate what you do.” Newer and younger shooters may be eager to help but maybe don’t know they would be welcome to help. Show them!

ATA rule for the month

SECTION XIII STANDARDS FOR TRAPHOUSES, TARGETS, TARGET SETTING

I want to start from D and go through F because this seems to be the biggest issue and complaints.

1. TARGETS. No target shall measure more than four and five-sixteenths (4 5/16) inches in diameter, and not more than one and one-eighth (1 1/8) inches in height. A target shall not weigh less than 95 grams or more than 105 grams with an allowable variation of plus or minus five grams per target lot. A target lot is defined as all targets with the same production number.
2. FLIGHTS AND ANGLES. Singles targets shall be thrown not less than 49 yards nor more than 51 yards. Distance measurements are on level ground in still air. Targets shall be between eight feet and 10 feet high, when 10 yards from Point B. The recommended height is nine or 9 1/2 feet. The height at a point 10 yards from Point B is to be understood to mean height above an imaginary horizontal straight line drawn through the post and Point B. (See the alternative to setting by distance, setting by speed, in Section F, following.) Target height may also be set based on the height of the target at 10 yards as measured above the level of the trap arm in the house rather than the height as measured from the No. 3 shooting station. This is the recommended procedure at facilities where the installation of traps in the houses is inconsistent as to height. Point B is defined as the intersection of a line measured one foot, six inches from the outside vertical wall (farthest from the shooting stations) of the traphouse and the center line of the trap house. If the trap machine manufacturer specifies a dimension other than one foot, six inches, that dimension may be used in construction of the traphouse. Clubs constructing new traphouse and fields should use the same Point B measurement as their existing fields to keep all fields as consistent as possible, provided the same trap machines are being used. In singles shooting, the trap shall be so adjusted that within the normal distribution of angles as thrown by the trap, the right angle shall not be less than 17 degrees measured to the right of center (3BF), and not less than 17 degrees measured to the left of center (3BF), with a total angle between outside target limits of not less than 34 degrees. (See Diagram II) Trap machines shall be adjusted so as to throw not less than equivalent angles. Where terrain allows, a visible stake may be placed on the center line of the trap on the arc of a circle that has a radius of 50 yards and its center is Point B (Point F, Diagram II). To help in determining legal angles, stakes may be placed on the arc of a circle that has a radius of 50 yards and its center is Point B. One stake should be placed where a line drawn through Point A and Point B intersects this arc, and another stake placed where a line drawn through Point C and Point B intersects the arc. These lines and stakes will assist in determining the required angles, but it is to be understood that the angle specifications apply when the target is from 15 yards to 20 yards from the trap rather than where the target strikes the ground. However, no target is to be declared illegal unless it is significantly outside normal parameters (e.g., more than 10 degrees outside normal). In doubles shooting, targets shall be thrown not less than 44 yards nor more than 46 yards. Distance measurements are on level ground in still air. Targets shall be between eight feet and 10 feet high when 10 yards from point B. The recommended height is nine or 9 1/2 feet. The height at a point 10 yards from Point B is to be understood to mean height above an imaginary horizontal straight line drawn through the post and Point B (See Diagram II). The trap shall be adjusted so the angle of target spread is not less than 34 degrees. (See the alternative to setting by distance, setting by speed, in Section F, following.) Target height may also be set based on the height of the target at 10 yards as measured above the level of the trap arm in the house rather than the height as measured from the No. 3 shooting station. The 17 degree angle will appear to be a straightaway from a point 3 1/2 feet to the right of Post 1; the 17 degree angle will appear to be a straightaway from a point 3 1/2 feet to the left of Post 5. This 17 degree angle refers to the flight line of the target from the house to 15 or 20 yards out and can be used for singles, handicap and doubles targets.
3. RULES FOR THE USE OF RADAR GUNS AND CHRONOGRAPHS TO SET TARGET SPEED. There are two types of radar guns, high-power and low-power. The practical difference between them is that high-power guns work reliably from the 16-yard line and low-power guns do not. High-power guns (Decatur, Stalker, most “police radar guns” and similar) may be used at the 16-yard line. The trap oscillation is stopped, and the target measured is a straightaway. The gun is pointed horizontally. The correct speed for a singles or handicap target is a minimum of 42 mph, maximum 44 mph. The correct speed for the right target of a doubles pair must be a minimum of 39 mph, maximum of 41 mph. Low-power guns (SportRadar, Bushnell, and similar) are to be used at the back of the traphouse and at the level of the top of the traphouse. (Holding the gun higher than that will lead to a target which is too fast.) The trap oscillation is stopped, and the target measured is a straightaway. The gun is pointed horizontally. The correct speed for a singles or handicap target must be a minimum of 42 mph, maximum of 44 mph. The correct speed for the right target of a doubles pair must be a minimum of 39 mph, maximum of 41 mph. When a radar gun is used from inside the house, the correct speed for a singles or handicap target must be a minimum of 44 mph, maximum of 46 mph. The correct speed for the right target of a doubles pair must be a minimum of 41 mph, maximum of 42 mph. A chronograph is to be used as close to the trap as practical and tipped up at approximately the same angle as the height of the target. The correct speed for a singles or handicap target is 67 ft/sec minimum, maximum of 70 ft/sec. To set doubles with a chronograph, set a singles target to 76 ft/sec minimum, maximum 79 ft/sec. and then switch the trap to throw doubles without changing the spring tension. Note: target speed may be set by distance as above or by speed as determined by a radar gun or chronograph. Target must be set by measured speed or distance.

Please see my picture of the average set single/handicap target speed at Silver Dollar.

I will try to keep all of you informed and entertained with what’s going on in Florida. I want to especially recognize shooters and clubs.

My e-mail is [email protected].

Mike Reynolds

ATA Delegate

Mississippi

The windy month of March has gone “out like a lamb,” and it is time to start shooting in earnest. Yes, the good shooting weather is here, and there’s plenty of shoots to go around. I hope your schedules are firm and your calendars are marked. Here in Mississippi, we are already geared up for some good shooting, good weather and good times.

A 600-target, two-day Catfish Trapshoot on April 1-2 at Capitol GC in Jackson is a good warm-up for the upcoming Mississippi State Trapshoot in May. There is no pre-squadding, so come on and join us for some good trapshooting, Southern style. It’s a money shoot, no trophies; just good old-fashioned trapshooting at its finest.

As for the shoot we’ve all been waiting for, plans for the Mississippi State Trapshoot are fast coming to fruition. Pre-squad is open now and closes May 20. The shoot dates are May 25-28. We highly recommend that you get your motel accommodations, if needed, in the Clinton area. From there, it’s a nice ride up the Natchez Trace to U.S. 49 North and then a short hop to County Line Road, then to Billy Bell Road and finally to Capitol Gun Club Road. There will be some vendors on the grounds to include a food vendor. It’s a 1,000-target program and includes both resident and non-resident trophies. If you miss this one, you’ve missed a good one.

If you don’t get enough of Capitol GC at the state shoot, just come on back in July for Capitol’s flagship trapshoot, the Rebel. It’s July 8-9 and features another 600 targets. Like the Catfish, it’s a money shoot, no trophies. We’d love to see you back at Capitol for another great weekend. It’s a summertime shoot with good targets, good trapshooting and only one guarantee—it will be hot!

I’ll wrap this up with a plug for our Gulf Coast trap buddies. Coast R&PC in Biloxi has graciously agreed to host a Southern Zone Trapshoot site. What a venue they have for this event. I don’t know everything they have up their sleeve, but I can bet it will be good. Plus, you get to play the game we love in a setting just made for trap. Dates are July 21-23. The coast also offers the finest seafood cuisine, great accommodations, entertainment galore and so much more. Don’t wait! Get on board now.

I don’t know about you, but I am proud of our Mississippi trappers. They’re great shooters, great friends and great people. Happy trappin’!

Jerry Tharp

ATA Delegate

North Carolina

By the time you read this, shooting will be going strong in North Carolina. Our Hall of Fame Shoot in late April usually draws a pretty good crowd, and we certainly would like to invite shooters from other states to come and join us. I’d also like to congratulate Al Bost for attaining his 25,000 ATA singles pin. He accomplished this at Watauga GC in Boone. Al has been a regular shooter at most of the western North Carolina gun clubs and is a great supporter of our youth program here in the state. All of us in North Carolina appreciate your efforts and contributions to youth shooting.

Please come and see me at the Hall of Fame Shoot or the NC State Shoot for raffle tickets, which benefit the Trapshooting Hall of Fame. They are giving away a Krieghoff K-80 Trap Special! Also I have the ATA Kolar Combo raffle tickets available. Please enter the Spot the Shot contest at your or our state shoot or Satellite Grand Americans. It’s free, and the first prize is $1,000 cash to be drawn at the Grand American in August.

North Carolina managed to send one shooter, David Snyder, out to Tucson for the Spring Grand. Apparently the weather kept a lot of folks away, as it was cold and windy throughout the shoot.

Our state shoot will once again be held at our North Carolina homegrounds in Bostic. The dates are June 7-11. Please come and join us for the best targets and friendly people!

If you have any questions regarding North Carolina shooting, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].

Bob Schultz

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

The weather has been the news—rain, beautiful days, rain and wind, beautiful days.

Have to remember it’s late winter-early spring. Flowers blooming and pine pollen turning everything yellow. Soon we’ll be complaining about the heat.

The shooting news is Big 50s. There are a couple of clubs holding 300-bird per day shoots but quite a few that are holding multiple Big 50s each month.

Our southeastern zone is about to start the shooting season. The Southern Grand is in two weeks, followed by our Hall of Fame Shoot. Next is North Carolina Hall of Fame, Georgia State Shoot then our state shoot starting May 17. I hope to see you at all of them.

Please keep Dave Reynolds and Jerry Tuten on your prayer list.

See you soon at the upcoming shoots.

Jim Faber

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

The first of April seems to be the beginning of trap season in Tennessee. Many local clubs host their first monthly shoot plus Nashville and Morristown are having weekly Big 50 events.

Hog Heaven GC at White Pine, TN, will host the Mike Seitz Memorial Shoot April 13-16. Check out their website at www.HogHeavenGC.com for more info.

South River GC at Covington, GA, will host the 100th Georgia State Trapshoot April 27-30. Visit their website at www.gatrap.com for more info.

On a sad note, Linda Fenwick of Millington passed away Jan. 28; she was 55. Her husband Keith, as well as sons Tristan and Drake, are trapshooters. She was always helping at the Memphis GC as well as the state shoot. We will miss her this year.

Read the rulebook, please.

For more info, visit our website at shootatatn.com. You can reach me at bcook@shootata.

Billy Cook

ATA Southern Zone Vice President

Oklahoma

Paula and I were able to spend a couple of months in Arizona this winter. Casa Grande holds a five-day shoot they call the Spring Grand Warm-Up the week before the Spring Grand in Tucson. We enjoyed shooting there. We found many new friends, good people and a well-managed club. The green targets were a unique experience and remarkably visible against the background. When we arrived on Friday, David Bacon and Doc Koper were already going strong. Bacon was winner in his class in Friday’s singles and again in Sunday’s doubles. Koper was high gun of his yardage group on Saturday with 93.

At the Spring Grand, 23 Oklahomans attended, bringing home 35 trophies! Here are a few highlights: Clay Laughlin and Brayden Bliss both shot well and brought home most all of the junior gold trophies. Second-year ATA shooter Brody Pryor earned two sub-junior awards. Stuart Hart was sub-vet winner in the Event 18 handicap. After breaking 199 in the Singles Championship, Pat Stacey prevailed after seven boxes of shootoff, winning AAA runnerup. John Nicholson was victor in his shootoff for Class C HOA. Tad Nicholson crushed 99 in the main event Sunday, finishing with third place. You can see all scores and trophy winners in this issue and at shootscoreboard.com.

The Oklahoma State Shoot is now just around the corner, May 30-June 4. Hope to see you all there!

Jeff Trayer

ATA Delegate

Texas

It will be April when you read this in Trap & Field. I sure hope the wind has stopped by then. I know the Panhandle is known for its March winds, but this is February. The wind has been blowing since the first of January. I’m not talking our normal wind at 10 to 20 mph with gusts to 25. We have had day after day of winds of 30 to 40 with gusts in the 60 mph range. I’ve lived here all my life, and I don’t remember anything like this (of course I don’t remember much).

How many of you have never visited the new TTA website? Well, neighbor, that’s too many. You can visit our website at shoottta.org. I want to give a huge thank you to Yaani-Mai Gaddy. Yaani has done 99% of the work on the new website. She maintains it and also does all the updates. She is a genius on this, but I’ve been trying to teach her to speak some Texan, and she is dang slow on that. Yaani, thanks for all you do.

This is a reminder for all past TTA presidents, past secretaries and past treasurers, if you desire to continue serving as a TTA director, you must communicate that in writing to the current secretary of the TTA. To make this as simple as I can (no, I didn’t say simple things for simple minds), “no letter, no vote.” There will be a form posted on the website shoottta.org.

I would like to ask all Texas shooters to pass the word that in-state and out-of-state trophies for Events 2 through 11, 13 and 14 will be awarded. There will also be All-American points on these same events. Event 12 will be the Wolf Chase. This event is benefitting the Texas Trapshooters Association’s scholarship program. I urge you to enter this fun event and help us provide scholarships to our young shooters. If this event doesn’t appeal to you, please play the Scholarship Lewis purses and help us provide scholarships to our kids.

I want to remind you of two big shoots at the Waco T&SC. First is the Texas vs. Illinois Challenge Cup. This shoot will be held April 21-23. Please come and shoot and help Texas win the challenge trophy. Also, the following weekend at Waco is the Zone IV shoot. The dates are April 28-30. The crew at Waco does a fantastic job running the shoots. If you don’t believe me, show up and check it out for yourself.

It must be Sunday morning because I’m going to preach to you now. 1. Read the rulebook. 2. Release any pre-squadded positions you will not be able to use. 3. Have an up-to-date average card. 4. If you receive a computer-generated yardage reduction and do not plan to accept it, please refuse it online or call the ATA office and let them know you are refusing the reduction. 5. If you would like a yardage increase, all you have to do is contact me, and I can make it happen. Keep in mind that if you request a yardage increase, you will not be eligible for a yardage reduction for two years. 6. I do not do Messenger. 7. Volunteer at your local club. It will make you have a greater appreciation for those who volunteer, and it may just make you feel better about yourself. Church is out.

I want to thank J. R. Long for sending me some news from the Spring Grand in Tucson. The following are Texas shooters who either won or tied for trophies: Mike Whitaker, Jeff Larkin, Jerri Webb, Matt Nicol, Michael Turner, Dennis Register, Don Rackley, Larry Tagtmeyer, J. R. Long and Jennifer Rutger. Way to go, Texans.

If you have news, please let Princess or me know about it, so I can include it in these ramblings. Please see No. 6 above. You can e-mail me at [email protected], snail mail to 907 S. Main St., Hereford, TX 79045 or call me 806-679-6889.

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

Jerry O’Connor

ATA Delegate

Arizona

The Spring Grand—Well, it was not what you might call Chamber of Commerce weather. Some days were nice, some were okay, and a few made you think that Armageddon was coming, and I was the guy, who after deep meteorological research, promised everyone 71° temperatures and moderate wind. Mea culpa. We did have 744 shooters from 45 states and provinces, with California leading the out-of-state contingent. Hey, come to think of it, maybe they brought the crummy weather with them, I wouldn’t be surprised. Next was the Dakotas and then Colorado and Minnesota, all desperately looking to escape the winter up north. Attendance was down from last year—a sign of the times, the cost of living is going up and up. On a positive note, I was stopped a number of times by shooters telling me just how well the shoot was run. That was no shock, after all it is Tucson; nobody does it better.

The Flagstaff Hundred began the Preliminary Days, and Jim Copsey was locked and loaded. He shot a 100 straight. Unfortunately Jim lost the senior veteran crown on a carryover. In Event 2, the Yuma Handicap, Gerry Williams was in his usual form, winning in a shootoff. The Garden Canyon Doubles closed things out on Wednesday, and it was Sophie Nostrom in Lady I. You will see Sophie’s name more than once, and more than twice.

It was doubles again on Thursday morning, and two of our doubles specialists stood out; Jimmy Heller won AA, and Doug Simms found the time to top all in Class A. The Prescott Singles, Event 5, features two 100 straights. Don Williamson tied for AA, but the carryover did him in, while Williams triumphed in senior vet. It was Gerry again in the windy class singles, and Williamson finally did it. Don and Walter Allen were tied in AA, with Don winning the carryover. Sophie continued her winning ways (just wait) taking Lady I in the Preliminary Handicap, and then her sparkling 98 in the class doubles won Lady I again. Don triumphed in Class A, Jimmy Heller topped all in veteran, and Williams finished out a fine Arizona day with a victory in the tough senior vet group.

The Tucson Singles Championship was another triumph for our side. Williamson’s 199 was the event high gun, Gerry won AA, Sophie dominated Lady I, and George Herget was the C winner. Sunday was a championship event double header. Sophie took Lady I in both events, beating our Kaitlin Quan in the doubles and in the handicap also. Allen was the B doubles champ, and Karen Stingl left the golf links just long enough to win the Lady II doubles title. Now here are two shockers: Sophie won the Lady I high-over-all, and Williams did likewise in senior vet. Jimmy Heller also made his mark, taking the AA HOA.

Monday was the start of Grand week, and Sophie shifted from high gear to overdrive. She tied for Lady I in the Preliminary Singles, won the Preliminary Handicap, tied in the Premier Singles, won the Yuma Doubles, was the runnerup in the Tucson Class Singles, won the Tucson Doubles Championship, and was runnerup in the Doubles Championship, Singles Championship and Handicap Championship, plus she took the Lady I HOA and HAA titles to boot. What a tournament!

Now, that’s not to say that other home boys did not have some outstanding results, they sure did. Tim Robb arrived in town over the weekend and promptly won senior veteran in the Preliminary Singles with a perfect 100 straight. He followed that right up by taking the handicap. Tim and his twin brother Jim Copsey tied in the Doubles Class Championship, with Jim taking the carryover with 99. Tim was also the senior vet high-over-all champion.

In Event 15, the Premier Singles, David Landwerlen shot a 99 and then four 25s in the carryover. Those 25s gave David the Class AA trophy in Event 19, the Tucson Singles Championship. He also won the 25-26 yard group in the Pleasant Valley Handicap and was the Tucson Doubles Class runnerup. I have been warning you about David for some time. Now you know why.

Then there was Gabriella Romero. She tied for Class A in the Tucson Singles but was a carryover victim. No worries, however, Gabriella was the junior runnerup in the Preliminary Handicap and Handicap Championship. We all know just how hard the junior category is.

Darvin Thomas also had a fine shoot. He won Class A in the Tucson Singles Class Championship, was B runnerup in the Doubles Championship, and took Class A in the Singles Championship.

Allen, who shot consistently well, was veteran runnerup in the Doubles Championship. Brian Link finished as C runnerup in the Singles Class Championship, our president, Greg Holden, took senior vet in the same event, while doubles whiz, Doug Sims, was the Yuma Doubles senior vet winner, and Mark Mattson tied for sixth place in the Handicap Championship.

I would also like to mention Isabella Ricca. She shot next to me in the Singles Championship, and for some reason, that did not seem to disturb her. Isabella ran the first 100 and finished with a 198. That put all of us old guys on the squad to shame.

Around the state—April marks a slow-down of activity in Arizona; all of our visitors are gone until the fall, but there is still plenty going on. Ben Avery has a two-day shoot April 15-16, as does Tucson April 22-23. Pleasant Valley’s season opens April 29-30. Ben Avery does it again May 6-7, and Casa Grande goes on May 13. Rio Salado holds a doubles marathon April 20 and a singles marathon May 4, and Casa Grande shoots Big 50s every Monday.

A personal note—At the Spring Grand American I informed the ASTA board that I will be stepping down as Delegate at the conclusion of our state shoot. I don’t believe that people should remain in any office in perpetuity, and after eight years, it is time. I only wish that some of our politicians would follow the same practice.

It has been my honor and pleasure to serve as your Delegate. Karen and I have made some wonderful, lifelong friends, and I truly believe that trapshooters in general, and Arizona shooters in particular, are very special people. All of you have my sincere appreciation and gratitude. Thanks a million for everything and break ’em all. We will still be around and looking for chips on your birds.

John Bergman

ATA Delegate

Idaho

I saw in Trap & Field Magazine that Grant Williams from northern Idaho made the open first team and Maggie Blackstead from southern Idaho made the Lady II second team. Congratulations to both for making the All-American team!

Other news in the region, I heard Roger Anderson passed away recently of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Roger served on our state ATA board for a number of years and was our president for three of those years. He had since moved to Montana and stayed active as a trapshooter. As I was gathering more information on him, I learned that Rod Sheets had also passed away spring of last year. He had also served on the state board for many years and is in the Idaho Trapshooting Hall of Fame. My condolences to family and friends.

Well, we are just around the corner from opening trap season. Orofino has the first registered shoot in Idaho on March 4. Then of course the Camas Prairie Handicap is the middle of March. Although it is held in Washington, it originated in Idaho so it’s still “in the family” of Idaho shoots. After being competition free since last fall, some Idaho shooters just couldn’t stand waiting for these shoots and went to the Spring Grand in Tucson to get an early start on the trap season. A few other Spud Heads thought Tucson was too close, so they went to Hawaii to shoot. Meanwhile the rest of us are practicing in the cooler temps, and our traveling friends won’t be acclimated when they get back. So there!

As promised in last month’s article, we’ll discuss flight angles and how the rules read in ATA and PITA.

In ATA when the angles are set, the normal distribution shall not be less than 17 degrees right or left of a straightaway from Post 3. The total limits of the outside targets should be a minimum of 34 degrees. The 17-degree angle will appear to be a straightaway from a point 3 ½ feet in from Post 1 and Post 5 at the 16-yard line. This is for singles, handicap and doubles. Also the target only has to go 15 to 20 yards from the house on this line. After that the wind can do what it wants. Notice that the rule says “minimum”. It also says that no target is illegal unless it’s outside the norm by more than 10 degrees. A club could throw wider targets like in the earlier years, but they could also become unpopular. More extensive reading is on pages 47 and 48, ATA Rulebook 2022.

PITA uses references to the old hand-set traps using “two-hole” terminology. (Read the “A history of hand-set traps” in T&F, November 2022, by ATA President Ed Wehking.) It goes on to say for modern machines, the minimum angle will be a straight away from “Post 1 1/2 and Post 4 1/2”. In other words, 4 1/2 feet in from either side. You see a lot of shooters when setting targets stand directly in the center to see the straightaway. Using this rule, the angles would be about 1.2 degrees less than the minimums for ATA. Who can tell? The maximum spread would be a straightaway from Posts 1 and 5. This give a maximum spread of about 42 degrees (eight degrees over ATA minimum but still less than max).

So there you have the terminology difference. I think all of the clubs have their machines set to satisfy both organizations. Many of the new machines have pre-set spacer bars to set the angles on single and handicap, and the doubles finger sets the angle automatically. Centering, leveling and rising/lowering the field is all you have to worry about. Why is the terminology different? I don’t know. Next month I’ll think of something else I don’t know to talk about.

Leonard Wehking

ATA Delegate

Nevada

In the last few months, Nevada has added three shooters to the 27-yard line. In December longtime shooter George Marchesi posted a 96 in Purgatory, UT, to get his last half-yard. In January Tina Shigemura got her punch in Vegas. Danny Talbot got a yard-and-a-half at consecutive Vegas Big 50s in January and February to return to the back fence. Old hands Marchesi and Talbot are former 27-yarders, and Shigemura is a very competitive Lady II shooter who earned her pin for the first time. Congrats to all three for their fine performances. Not old, just very experienced!

Local Vegas shooter Jack Wang recently got punched to the 23-yard line. At the Arizona Hall of Fame Shoot in mid-January, Wang was high in the Event 3 doubles with 95, shot a very fine 196 in the Event 10 championship singles and was the all-around winner, pacing all shooters with 382. Good shooting, Jack!

Utahn Joe Atkin shot a 290 to take the 10-ounce silver bar top prize in February’s Big Silver Shoot Out. Wang and Dale Erickson (Utah) were close at 281, taking the 22-24 and 25-26 yardage groups. Greg Holden shot a 279 to earn long-yardage honors.

Speaking of handicap yardage, recent events have shown the importance of knowing your responsibility to register and shoot at the correct yardage. It is up to you to know your yardage and report it correctly at registration. Failure to do so and shooting at an incorrect yardage can and probably will result in your scores being disqualified. You earn your punch at the time you shoot a qualifying score, not when the yardage is changed on the ATA website. If you shoot frequently, particularly if you shoot in PITA events, make sure you are straight on your yardage every time you show up at an ATA shoot. For reference, I encourage all shooters to familiarize themselves with Section VI, C of the ATA rules.

Upcoming Vegas shoots include the Spring Doubles Marathon on April 1, which feature 500 dubs and two separate HOAs on the first 300 and last 200. May 13 is the monthly Big 50, and the Spring Handicap will be held May 20-21. I hope to see you all there.

Until next time, keep shooting!

Russell Roberts

ATA Delegate

New Zealand

The Ross Card Memorial Shoot took place in February. This shoot is our annual memorial for Card, who got ATA shooting started in New Zealand. Ross passed in February 2007, and we’ve held the memorial every year since 2008.

Ross’ family has been very supportive of the memorial over the years, starting with having a cup engraved that is presented to the winner each year, and their name gets engraved on it. Mary, Ross’ wife, also made a very generous cash donation to the prize pool each year up until she passed.

Talk about luck with the weather again this year, the North Island had a series of tropical storms with never seen before flooding in Auckland and a series of road closures with slips and trees down, sadly with a tremendous amount of damage to residences and businesses.

With an additional storm forecast, the mayor of the Thames Coromandel area declared a state of emergency, which encompasses our club location for the weekend of Feb. 4-5 with this shoot scheduled for the 4th. Fortunately it bypassed the country, and we ended up with just a slightly overcast day with a lot of fine patches and no wind.

Winners included: Class A, Wayne Merrie, 196; A runnerup, Grant Russell, 181; B, Rob Anderson, 184; B runnerup, Ian Evans, 172; C, Dale Speedy, 184; C runnerup, Mark Ross, 180; C third, Glenn Ramsay, 179.

A big thanks again to the Thames crew for the great job keeping the grounds in their usual manicured condition.

Thanks to Ian Evans coming in early to set up the fields, to Wayne Merrie for running the office as well as he and Mike Hirtzel helping with target-setting, to Glenn Ramsay for organizing the kitchen for lunch, to Bob James just in for the day refereeing and scoring, all the members who helped keep the traps loaded as well as helping with packing up at the end of the day.

With good organization, we had all the options, prize money and winners presentation completed by 3 p.m.

 Paul Basten

 ATA Delegate

Utah

As I write this article during the week of Feb. 21, the weather report calls for 18 inches of snow over the next few days. The mountains (ski resorts) are expecting three feet! This much snow is a blessing as well as a curse. We have been in a drought here in Utah for the last three years. The bad part is the wildlife is suffering. There has been so much snowfall in the northern mountains of Utah that deer, elk and moose have moved into the neighborhoods in the east part of Salt Lake City in search of food.

I just returned from the Spring Grand in Tucson, AZ. This year could have been better for determining whether attendance is still on the downswing. The weather was terrible—cold and windy. The wind gusts were 40 to 50 mph for a couple of days. On the championship doubles, I counted only 16 scores in the 90s. In the preliminary handicap, I counted only 20 scores in the 90s.

I counted about 23 Utah shooters who made the trek south, hoping for greener pastures, but alas, no such luck. On the last day of the shoot, I visited with ATA Past President Paul Shaw from Ontario, Canada. He told me he couldn’t wait to get home to warmer weather!

Several Utah shooters brought home some bling and bragging rights. Sadly I was not one of them. Be sure and check out the scores in this issue and on shootscoreboard.com.

Up next is the Arizona State Shoot, Southern Satellite Grand, Florida State Shoot and Purgatory GC’s three-day shoot in late March. I hope to see you soon at one of the local tournaments.

Ed Wehking

ATA President