Atlantic Provinces

The 2026 ATA registered shoot schedule for the Atlantic Provinces is now available on www.shootatlantic.com. You will also find the complete Atlantic Provinces shoot calendar that lists the major trap, sporting clays and skeet shoots being held in eastern Canada.

Pre-squadding for the 2026 Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot opens June 1 on sosclays.com. The shoot will be held at the St. John’s Rod and Gun Club near Holyrood, NL, Sept. 3-6. A warm-up Big 50 shoot is being held Sept. 2, and the registration desk will also be open for the provincial shoot. This year’s shoot program will be available soon. Stay tuned to our website for updates.

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

Connecticut

Greetings to you all.

We just wintered through record-breaking weather across the country. Getting your home and gun clubs cleared out is nothing short of heroic. I can’t wait for warmer weather. Winter leagues are well underway, and I commend all of you who go out to shoot in all Mother Nature has to offer.

The CTA held their January meeting, and plans are coming together for this year’s state shoot to be held at the Hartford Gun Club in East Granby June 26-27. The program book is also in the works, and anyone wishing to place an ad in the book may contact me for more information. This is not only a chance to advertise but support the shoot and book.

It is with sadness that I tell you of the passing of longtime past president and great supporter of our sport, Ben Giaquinto. There will be a shoot in his honor and memory at the Hartford Gun Club May 3.

Please let me know of any news or highlights you would like to share in this column. I would love to hear from you! Contact me at [email protected].

Kind regards and stay warm!

Cheryll Pittera

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada.

On Christmas Eve 2025 my wife alerted me to a parcel that was left at the door. It was very official on the face of it. Here is what the official message was:

“Dear Mr. Shaw.

It has come to our attention that you recently had your finger trapped in a firearm. This is technically considered reckless use of a firearm and you could potentially be charged under the Criminal Code of Canada Section 86(1). As a first-time offender, we have supplied you with the following item to practice proficiency, should you need to free yourself from such a predicament in the future:

A Chinese finger trap

The intention of this item is to enable you, a first-time offender, to familiarize yourself with the feeling of a finger trapped in an object, such as a firearm. We hope this will encourage you to avoid this reckless behavior.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Chief Firearms Officer of Canada”

My wife was very alarmed and thought we may be going to jail. (Last month I explained how my thumb got trapped in the action of my semi-automatic hunting rifle, and I was about to head to emergency at the hospital.)

Long story short, this was a prank from my brother-in-law. Again, careful where you stick your thumb. You know what happened to little Jack Horner, but not always can you pull out a plum from a Christmas pie.

Strange things happen in the trapshooting offseason. Hurray back spring!

Paul Shaw

ATA Delegate

Alabama

Other than a couple of small one- and two-event shoots, trapshooting has been slooooooow here in Alabama. If you haven’t made repairs, adjustments or replacements, now is the time to do them. Just in case you didn’t know it, the 2026 rulebooks are out.

Joke of the month: It has been right at two years ago when Henrietta’s husband died, and now she has decided to move into a nursing home. One day after she was leaving the dining room, she ran into the event coordinator and one of the local young pastors in her community. After all the introductions took place, the pastor told her that he would have a service there two or three times a week and would love for her to attend. Henrietta told the pastor that she would love to come, and if he needed any help, she could help him. The event coordinator and the pastor looked at each other with a puzzled look and asked Henrietta what she meant. After all, Henrietta was 94 years old. With a grin on her face, Henrietta said, “Well, I have a little bit of experience with sermons because my third husband was a preacher.” The young pastor told her he appreciated it, but he would get with her if he needed anything. Then the pastor opened the can of worms when he asked her, “How many times have you been married?” Without batting an eye, Henrietta replied, “Four! First time to a banker, second time to a world-renowned pianist, third time to a preacher and the fourth time to a funeral home owner.” The pastor was floored. Then Henrietta told him, “I was preparing for my final days here on earth . . . one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready and four to go!”

Word of the month: Madge: A state of wedlock that any preacher can put you into, but only a lawyer can get you out of. “Seems like a lot of madges end in divorce these days.”

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!

Recently I have been asked, “How can I make it into the Trap & Field Magazine?” Good question. A few ways come to mind, with the first being that 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, AAA or 27-yard line status. If you achieve any of these feats, please let me know. I can’t give you proper props if I don’t know.

ATA attainment awards and honorable mentions: 25K doubles, Lorrie Valois Bumsted; 27-yard pin, Ben Schumpert.

I apologize for not having an article last month, but I had a big change in my life. We have made Silver Dollar our new home, moving from Ormond Beach (across the state). I hope I never go through another move in my life.

Again this year, a Wounded Warrior non-registered shoot was held at Silver Dollar in January. For more information about the Wounded Warrior organization, please visit woundedwariorproject.org.

Mike Reynolds

ATA Delegate

Kentucky

At the time of this writing, most of our beautiful state is covered in snow and ice. Despite such cold circumstances seeming endless, the swing of shooting season will be here before you know it. It is never too early to make preparations for the upcoming shooting season. Be sure to keep check on kytrap.com for any updates regarding the Kentucky State Shoot, which is taking place July 1-5 at Central Kentucky Gun Club in Berea. This year there are two host hotels, the Quality Inn and Tru by Hilton in Richmond, both of which have been generous enough to offer a reduced rate. Book your stay through the link provided on kytrap.com to ensure your discount. Also keep an eye out for pre-squadding information, as squads and positions often fill up fast. We hope you make plans to attend.

Unfortunately there are no shoots to report on at this time, but I look forward to seeing Kentucky shooters atop the leaderboards very soon. Good luck and safe travels!

           Jack Holland

For ATA Southern Zone Vice President Dan Ryan

Mississippi

Hello to all from Mississippi, birthplace of Kermit the Frog.

I have always closed my Trap & Field Delegate reports inviting everyone to come down and visit Mississippi clubs, telling everyone how good winter shooting is down here in the Deep South. Well, for once I was wrong. I think Canada has gotten tired of the cold up there and is now sending it way down south. As I write this, it is January, I am looking at winter storm warnings stretching from Texas all the way across the south and up into New England. Up north, they get this all the time and are probably not worried about it as much as we are, laughing at us down here for cleaning out all the milk and bread in the grocery stores, and bragging on how they can drive in the snow. I have seen photographs of trapshooters who have shoveled paths to the trapline and are firing away at targets in snow as high as their armpits. That is dedication, and my admiration for getting out there.

For those who were in the path of these winter storms, I am hoping you fared well without losing electricity or damage to property. Unfortunately, I know many were hit hard by these storms.

As mentioned, contrary to my normal comments about shooting in the winter, weather-wise, this has not been a good month for shooting at Capitol Gun Club in Jackson. Up until this week, it has not been cold; it has been rain. It seems we get five or six clear, sunny days and on the day of our scheduled shoot we get rain. It has happened several times. It appears the Mississippi Gulf Coast had far better than the rest of us, judging by their reported scores.

The Coast Rifle and Pistol Club had their regular, monthly December 2025 shoot. Below are the results:

Singles (13): Donald Webb, 96; Charlie Boggs, 94; Michael Beverin, 88; Jeff Gable, 87; William Hardison, 86; Nico Scalco, 84; Robert Evangelist, 82; Brian Harmon, 81; Doug Burkart, 80; James Comer, 79; Bill Penn, 78; Janet Bryant, 63.

Handicap (10): Dennis Whitlock (24), 89; James Comer (20), 86; Donald Webb (27), 85; Bill Penn (20), 82; Jeff Gable (20), 82; Janet Byrant (19), 81; Doug Burkart (20), 76; Nico Scalco (20), 71; Michael Beverin (25.5), 69; Brian Harmon (25), 57.

Doubles (5): Donald Webb, 89; Nico Scalco, 65; Robert Evangelist, 61; Janet Bryant, 59; Doug Burkart, 38.

Coast Rifle and Pistol Club monthly January shoot.

Singles (13): Lenwood Sawyer 91, Mark Huneycutt 82, Dennis Keith, 81; Jeff Gable, 80; Travis Dann, 79; Brian Harmon, 79; Wade Monroe, 78; Richard Bryant, 78; James Comer, 75; Janet Bryant, 72; Richard Elkins, 72; Doug Burkart, 69; Bill Penn, 65.

Handicap (8): Travis Dann (23), 89; Dennis Keith (19), 77; James Comer (20), 75; Doug Burkart (20), 71; Janet Bryant (19), 69; Jeff Gable (20), 67; Mark Huneycutt (20), 65; Richard Elkins (20), 59.

Doubles (3): Donald Webb, 82; Travis Dann, 82; Brian Harmon, 60.

By now, in March, the weather should be improving for everyone. Come down and see us at the Coast Rifle and Pistol Club in Biloxi, Capitol Gun Club in Jackson, Whitetail Ridge Outdoors in Blue Springs and Starkville Gun Club.

Good luck and good shooting as spring shoots are starting.

Bill Burke

ATA Delegate

North Carolina

Now that March is upon us and the worst of the winter has passed, it’s time to get ready for the upcoming spring shoots. North Carolina’s Bostic homegrounds is once again hosting the South Carolina State Shoot combined with the North Carolina Hall of Fame Shoot. The dates are April 29-May 3. Last year’s shoot was a big success, so come and join the fun! There are camper spaces still available and lots of relatively inexpensive hotel rooms nearby.

Our North Carolina State Shoot will be held at the above homegrounds June 6-14. This shoot seems to grow a bit each year, and I hope you can make it. May and June are truly beautiful times to visit the Carolinas. Bostic is about an hour’s drive from Biltmore House, the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Flat Rock Theater and Carl Sandburg home. Chimney Rock is about the same distance as is the Sierra Nevada brewery. Lots to see and do other than shoot.

Feel free to contact me for help or information at [email protected].

Bob Schultz

           ATA Delegate

South Carolina

Hello from the Palmetto State!

As I write this update, we are facing a winter storm of ice and snow. Mother Nature is taking a shot at the south, which is promising to be monumental. I hope everyone is prepared and stays safe during the storm.

Shooting has continued in South Carolina, and we have a gentleman, Rich Gadbois, who shot his second 100 straight during the singles event at Mid Carolina in Orangeburg Jan. 17. Rich started shooting in 2023 and is a lifetime member of the ATA. Congratulations Rich, and I hope to see you break another 100 straight soon.

We have scheduled our Hall of Fame Shoot for April 11-12 at the Greenville Gun Club, Greenville, SC. Our 2026 Hall of Fame inductee is Wayne (Bo) Adair. Bo began shooting trap in 1965 and is a member of the Spartanburg Gun Club. We look forward to honoring his shooting career in April.

The South Carolina State Shoot will be held at the North Carolina Homegrounds April 29-May 3. We will throw 1,300 targets over the five-day event. We hope you will consider adding our state shoot to your calendar for the 2026 shooting year, and we promise you an excellent tournament.

South Carolina clubs are continuing to host Big 50s and 300-bird events and would love for you to participate. Thank you all for your support of our sport.

Hope to see you shooting soon.

Teresa Knight

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

Hello from the winter wonderland of Tennessee (never thought I would say that). I hope everyone is having a very happy New Year! Welcome to the end of cold, nasty weather . . . hopefully. As I write this, it has been a taxing winter with more than our fair share of rain, snow, sleet, ice and wintry mix. I for one will be happy to get a jump start on spring and get out of the cold stretch. I’m praying for a spring warm-up and the opportunity to go out and shoot a few clay targets.

Our local tournament season is about to get into full swing, so check your ranges and see what their tournament schedule is. You should be able to find a few registered shoots near you. Wipe the dust off those trap guns and get out and shoot a little practice, hit some tournaments and gear up for the upcoming season. If you like to travel and are looking for a good place to go that is warm and puts on some great shoots, you might want to work a trip to Odessa, FL, and the Silver Dollar Shooters Club into your shooting schedule. The Silver Dollar is hosting the 46th Southern Grand American March 8-15. They put on a great shoot and a visit to the Dollar is always a fun time. If you can’t work those dates into your schedule, you have another opportunity to visit them March 17-22 for the annual Florida State Shoot. Both shoots are an awesome chance to get to enjoy some warmer weather, shoot some good targets, fraternize with friends and maybe even eat a little seafood while you are there. Who knows, if you’re lucky, you might bring home some hardware!

If you haven’t had the chance to hit the range yet, don’t forget to check out your equipment and get everything in working order. Clean and lube those guns, check your shell inventory and restock the shooting bag. If you need a few new items, now would be the time to make those purchases and get prepared before you take off on the tournament trail. Like the Boy Scouts have always said . . . be prepared.

Well, that’s a wrap on this month. Get out there and enjoy the opportunity to shoot. Thanks for your support of the ATA and all you do to further our sport. Take care, be safe, and I hope to see you at an upcoming shoot.

And remember, the rulebook is your friend. Please read it.

Mark Cantrell

ATA Delegate

Kansas

As we launch another exciting year of registered trapshooting, I’m honored to congratulate our Kansas shooters who earned spots on this year’s ATA All-American Team, based on last year’s performance during the 2025 target year. These marksmen represented Kansas with consistency, determination and excellence throughout the 2025 target year: open second team, Bruce Davis, Emporia; veteran first, Rob Taylor, Manhattan; and senior vet second, Kenneth (K.J.) Johnston.

Kansas State Team members for 2026, based on last year’s performance, are as follows:

Men’s first—Eddie Johnson, Harlan Campbell Jr., Caleb Fischer, Drew Hamel, C.L. Fulton. Men’s second—Don Shepman, Brandon Miller, Stephen Schartz, Dakota Clark, Tyson Adams. Women’s—Michaela Baalmann, Morgan Domme, Jennifer McBee, Deb Richter, Jessica Heckel. Sub-junior—Kale Schroeder, Clayton Bartlett. Junior—Devon Helget, Cody Sherbon, Martin Loecker, Colby Clark. Veteran—Rob Taylor, Jeff Cuer, Fred Smith, Lester Sims. Senior vet—Kenneth (K.J.) Johnston, Brian Smith, George Rapp, Mark Russell.

Earning a place on the State Team is a high honor and not only follows ATA guidelines but KTA requirements as well.

Congratulations, shooters!

Mark your calendars. The KTA will host 20 days of registered ATA shooting this year: Spring Shoot, April 24-26; Kansas State Shoot, June 8-14; ATA Southwestern Grand American, Sept. 6-13; and Kansas All-Zone Shoot, Oct. 2-4. These shoots are cornerstone events of our Kansas trapshooting calendar—excellent opportunities to shoot registered targets, chase averages and compete alongside shooters from across the state as well as the United States.

I’m incredibly proud of our Kansas shooters—from those who earned All-American and KTA State Team honors to every competitor who shot targets, improved averages and supported our sport throughout 2025. The strength of Kansas trapshooting continues to show on state grounds, at local clubs and across the nation.

Remember to pre-squad early, support your local clubs and pursue excellence and sportsmanship in every event.

Good shooting!

Caleb Fischer

ATA Delegate

Louisiana

Toby Bancroft Memorial Gun Club held its first shoot of the new calendar year Jan. 10 with 22 attending. Thanks to our regulars plus our new Hamburg, AR, shooters, Terry Bolden and Tex and Joy Hollis, for joining us. We had a new ATA member, Bruno Zavala, join us. Please welcome him when your paths cross. As to local conditions, it was another less than perfect day. It was cloudy, windy and in the mid-50s, which for us here in Louisiana makes it, weather-wise, not too enjoyable. Caleb Coody took top honors in singles with 97. The rest of the group couldn’t catch him, but Tex Hollis tried with a 95 and Brooks Barnett with a 90. By the time handicap arrived, the wind had really picked up, and the targets were dancing and jumping to make them a real challenge. Brooks Barnett overcame the challenge with an 88 followed by Steven Skipper with 85; the rest we won’t bother to mention. Two doubles squads followed all anxious to finish up the day. Jim Jenkins led the field with 88, with Tex Hollis breathing down his neck with 87. Barnett was a little way back with 84. Louisiana AIM provided a lunch of pulled pork sandwiches and baked beans prepared by Ms. Terry Barnett, which was good, as always, and just what the day needed. Thanks to Chuck Traylor, Amie Skipper and Donny Sanders as well as all the others who scored and kept the houses loaded.

TBMGC held a second shoot in January on the 17th, with 12 participating. It was another of those cold, windy, cloudy days, but our shooters stuck it out. Steven Skipper took top honors in singles with 92 followed up by Brooks Barnett and Caleb Ezernack with 90s. Avery Dumas was able to claw out an 85 in the terrible conditions to lead in handicap followed by Barnett with 82 and Maddox Schulte with 81. Dumas also took charge in doubles with 89 trailed by Barnett with 85 and Ezernack with 82. Scores overall were not pretty with the low light and wind. Thanks again to Todd Dumas, Amie Skipper and Terry Bolden for loading the houses and scoring. Ms. Terry Barnett provided wonderful soups for lunch, which were perfect on the cold day.

Spring has arrived in Louisiana, which means the Louisiana State Shoot is just around the corner. Our team here has been hard at work getting everything ready for you. Toby Bancroft Memorial Gun Club will host the shoot once again April 30-May 3 in West Monroe. Pre-squad opened March 1. It’ll be here and gone before you know it.

Check out our website, www.latrap.org. There’s information on registered shoots of interest to our shooters, the scores/winners of our Louisiana shoots, and information on all the gun clubs in the state that host registered shoots.

Jim Jenkins

ATA Delegate

Texas

Howdy from Texas!

I hope everyone is ready for spring, I know I am. As I write this, Texas and most of the country is iced in. I hope you are reading this in good weather.

There has not been a lot going on shooting-wise, that is why I did not even submit an article last month. In doing so, I did make a mistake and left out mentioning the Texas Zone 2 Shoot, which was held at El Paso Skeet and Trap Club Oct. 25-28. Because this was my error and it got noticed by numerous people, I am going to make a complete list of winners.

On Friday, the Darin Clawson Singles was won by Dalton Jennings with 99. Other winners were: AA, Trent Melton, 98; A, Kevin Merrell, 96 (over Kevin Clark 25-24 to 25-23); B, Ernie Harbison, 96; C, Renee Prado, 86; D, Jennifer Willson, 86; ladies’, Codi Waters, 94; junior, Paul Benedict, 94; sub-vet, Billy Hopson, 98; veteran, Mike Lefevre, 98; senior veteran, Eddie Nichols, 90.

Darin Clawson Handicap was won by Billy Hopson with 96. Other winners included: 19-21, Ramon Ibarra, 90 (over Codi Waters); 22-24, Kevin Cannon, 94; 25-26, Kyle Bristow, 89 (over B.W. Kennedy 20-19); 27, Billy Healy, 95; ladies’, Michaela Lefevre, 91; junior, Paul Benedict, 86; sub-vet, Dave Ayers, 94; veteran, Billy McFarlen, 91; senior veteran, Eddie Nichols, 82.

Eddie Harbison Doubles was won by Jake Hamm, 99. Other winners were: AA, Darin Clawson, 94; A, Drew Fryman, 95; B, Kevin Cannon, 91; C, Ramon Ibarra, 89; D, Jason Johnson, 79; ladies’, Michaela Lefevre, 87; junior, Paul Benedict, 84; sub-veteran, Billy Hopson, 95; veteran, Mike Lefevre, 93; senior veteran, Michael Thomas, 84.

Saturday’s championship singles in-zone winners were as follows: high gun, Richard Leos, 198; AA, Trent Melton, 194; A, Cooper Caswell, 195; B, Larry Madrid, 190 (over Ernie Harbison 25-22); C, Kody Sanchez, 191; D, Jordyn Clark, 181; ladies’, Pamela Ayers, 185; sub-junior, Daniel Sandoval, 160; junior, Paul Benedict, 194; sub-veteran, Darin Clawson, 195; veteran, B.W. Kennedy, 193; and senior veteran, Jimmy Moore, 188.

Out-of-zone winners were as follows: high gun, Dalton Jennings, 198; AA, Jeff Renegar, 197; A, Kevin Merrell, 193; B, Codi Waters, 188; C, Steve Higgs, 177; D, Britt Mullennix, 175; ladies’, Michaela Lefevre, 195; sub-veteran, Billy Hopson, 191; veteran, Mike Lefevre, 187; and senior veteran, Michael Thomas, 177.

On Sunday, championship doubles in-zone winners were: high gun, Ramon Ibarra, 94; AA, Trent Melton, 89; A, Richard Leos, 93; B, Cooper Caswell, 91; C, Kevin Clark, 86; D, Jimmy Moore, 82; ladies’, Pamela Ayers, 74; junior, Kody Sanchez, 88 (over Paul Benedict 22-21); sub-veteran, Darin Clawson, 88; veteran, B.W. Kennedy, 80; senior veteran, Charles McCleary, 92.

Out-of-zone winners were: high gun, Jake Hamm, 99; AA, Dalton Jennings, 96; A, Drew Fryman, 97; B, Kevin Cannon, 94 (over Kevin Merrell forfeit); C, Gino Prado, 93; D, Trish O’Connor, 82 (over Jason Johnson forfeit); ladies’, Codi Waters, 92; sub-veteran, Billy Hopson, 96; veteran, Mike Lefevre, 86; senior veteran, Michael Thomas, 89.

Handicap Championship in-zone winners were: high gun, Richard Leos, 95 (over Cooper Caswell forfeit); 19-21, Paul Benedict, 88; 22-24, Cooper Caswell, 95; 25-26, Ruger Clark, 88; 27, Andrew Blore, 86; ladies’, Pamela Ayers, 90; sub-junior, Juan Jimenez Jr., 77; junior, Kody Sanchez, 90; sub-veteran, Kevin Clark, 89 (over Dave Ayers forfeit); veteran, B.W. Kennedy, 83; and senior veteran, Charles McCleary, 92.

Out-of-zone winners were: high gun, Billy Hopson, 96; 19-21, Jason Johnson, 90; 22-24, Kevin Cannon, 93; 25-26, Mike Lefevre, 89; 27, Dalton Jennings, 94; ladies’, Michaela Lefevre, 87 (over Codi Waters forfeit); sub-veteran, Percy Caraballo, 79; veteran, Billy McFarlen, 94; senior veteran, Michael Thomas, 86.

In-zone HOA honors went to Richard Leos with 657, and Dalton Jennings took out-of-zone with 673. HAA looked very similar with Richard Leos’ 386 for in-zone and Dalton Jennings 388 for out-of-zone.

For Friday’s events, El Paso gives an award to the five highest HOA scores from Texas and New Mexico.

New Mexico posted a 1,294, composed of Kevin Cannon, 279; Mike Lefevre, 278; Billy Healy, 275 Eddie Nichols, 249; and Tommy Messer, 213. Texas won with a total of 1,413, composed of Billy Hopson, 289; Dalton Jennings, 285; Drew Fryman, 284; Jake Hamm, 280; and Darin Clawson, 275. So until next year, the bragging rights belong to Texas.

I want to thank El Paso Skeet and Trap for putting on another good shoot. The staff there works hard to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

If you have anything you’d like included in a future article, please email me the details, and I’ll do my best to feature it in the next update. Be sure to visit the TTA website (shoottta.org) for additional news and a list of upcoming events across Texas.

As always, I encourage everyone to volunteer at your local club and support our youth shooters. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me or any of the current TTA officers—we’re always happy to help!

Again, thanks for your support, and I will see you at the next one. I can be reached at [email protected].

Billy Hopson

ATA Delegate

California

Hello, fellow shooters.

California has a little bit of a lull in the winter months, despite being sunny California. We have had a few shoots over the last few months, along with those Big 50s and the league shoots.

September had five shoots, and in October there were six, with November and December being fairly quiet due to the holidays. January backed it up with four shoots available.

This is also the best time to start planning your shoot year. Get a calendar and pull up the CGSTA calendar and start looking at which shoots you plan on hitting. Check out what it takes to make your State Team. Take your calendar and plan where you need to go to make that happen. I challenge all of you to try and find a club you haven’t been to before and see if they have any shoots coming up. Secondly, go back to a club you may not have visited in some time and see what’s changed.

There are a ton of great shoots ramping up for the calendar year, including the Spring Grand in Tucson, which is very popular for California shooters; the California State Target Shoot in Kingsburg, where you have a chance to get your state shoot targets paid for; and the Golden West Grand quickly followed up by the California State Shoot in June.

Make sure all of your memberships are current and paid. Results for the majority of our shoots in California can be found on the SOS clays website. If there are some standouts, please get them to me so we can give them a shout-out on what they have done or accomplished. If you have pictures of the shoots or of the accomplishments people have done, please send those to me as well at [email protected].

Keep shooting!

Chayton Vega

ATA Delegate

Hawaii

It’s been a long time since there has been anything in Hawaii’s trapshooting realm noteworthy to write about. I’m sitting on the plane in Hilo waiting for boarding to complete, so I can return to my home in Honolulu. It’s just shy of 210 miles as the crow flies. A long and expensive way to travel for a 50-50-50 ATA registered shoot, but this was a very special shoot. No trophies, buckles or prizes, but it was the first ATA registered tournament for the newly formed Hawaii Island Trap & Skeet Club. It was a fun time and a valuable learning experience for those guys, as we look forward to their hosting of the 2026 Hawaii State Shoot June 4-7. A special room rate at a local hotel is in the works, and the availability of shells is good. The shoot program is in the works. The best of luck to them, as we lost Hawaii’s oldest trap club last year.

           Elton Miyagawa

           ATA Delegate

Idaho

Hello, Idaho shooters. I don’t have a whole lot to report since we are still in winter and there have been no registered shoots for a while. But . . . the days are getting longer and spring is slowly approaching. We had a very mild winter in the southern part of the state, but now it seems to be dragging on.

That being said, shooting just picked up tremendously. The Camas Prairie League has started. The first week had (get this) . . . 916 scores submitted! For those who are unfamiliar with the league, it is a 10-week-long league consiting of 26 gun clubs from Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Shooters must shoot “cold gun” every Sunday. Shooters only have to be a member of their club to submit scores. The competition is overseen by the Camas Prarie Trapshooting Association, and the league will culminate with the 72nd annual Camas Prairie Handicap shoot in Walla Walla, WA. This is still the largest single ATA shoot in the Pacific Northwest, hosting about 300 shooters. Now to be clear, you don’t have to be a Camas League shooter to go to the big ATA shoot. You just won’t be eligble for a league trophy. And this shoot is large enough that there are All-American points offered.

There should be several shooters completeing target attainment milestones at this time, including Guy Johnson who should complete his 100,000th lifetime ATA target.

Let’s hope for nice weather.

Leonard Wehking

ATA Delegate

Nevada

Bright sun and mild winds greeted shooters at Clark County Shooting Complex (CCSC) for the First Sunday Social Shoot Dec. 7. More than 30 shooters closed out the year’s First Sunday Shoot calendar with three events—50 handicap, 50 singles and doubles comprised the program.

In Event 1 handicap, Murray Dominguez took first place with 47 and received a half-yard punch. Event 2, 50 singles targets were next up. Merle Acampora and Ken James took advantage of the good conditions to smash all 50 targets. James and Jack Wang broke 46 each to claim Event 3 doubles. In addition to the events, lucky shooters shot off afterwards for cash prizes.

Nevada State Trapshooting Association (NSTA) Vice President Linda Hand added a fun element to the First Sunday Shoot program. At every First Sunday Social Shoot throughout the year, shooters were given a raffle ticket as they signed up. Shooters deposited those tickets into a box each month. At the last Sunday Social Shoot of 2025, shooters’ names were drawn from those tickets. The winners of the drawing then shot off for hundreds of dollars in cash prizes. Melvin Tabion won the year-end shootoff and the top cash First Sunday prize.

The First Sunday Social Shoot has grown substantially during 2025 and continues to expand. Thanks to Linda Hand, Ken James, NSTA and all those who make this shoot possible.

The following Saturday, Dec. 13, the championship rounds of the very competitive Nevada State Trapshooting Association Race for the Buckle tournament were held at CCSC. The tournament was the culmination of Big 50 events held once a month throughout the calendar year, with the exception of October (state shoot.) The Race for the Buckle is the brainchild of current NSTA President Greg Pink. He created the shoot in 2018. His goal seven years ago was to present a shoot that would encourage shooters to participate each month in a Big 50 tournament. The Race for the Buckle Big 50 was born. Since then, hundreds of shooters have participated in the Race for the Buckle events. In 2025, 82 adult shooters entered at least one Buckle shoot over the 12 months, along with 18 juniors and sub-juniors. Monthly, approximately 50 shooters participated in each shoot, totaling more than 500 entries for the year.

Currently, nine monthly tournaments are held at Clark County Shooting Complex in Las Vegas, and, in addition, during the heat of the summer, two Big 50s are held at Lincoln County Trap Club in Pioche. Shooters earn points throughout the year by winning events in their ATA category. The championship rounds held each December determine the winners based on who has accumulated the most points in each category, including the open category.

This year’s year-end winners were: ladies’, Lelia Tabion; open, Carlos Rodriguez; sub-vet, Michael Petrisko; veteran, Clayton Phillipp; senior vet, Joe Atkin; junior, Angel Diaz; sub-junior, Juan Carlos Rodriguez; overall champion, Ken James.

On Jan. 17, the Race for the Buckle began again, with monthly tournaments through December 2026. Good luck to everyone.

Until then, let’s remember it’s a game. Have fun out there!

An additional note is that Clark County Shooting Complex is now serving food on site from the Hot Shot Cafe. Please contact the Shooting Complex for cafe hours.

           Danny Talbot

           ATA Delegate

 

Utah

Well, it has been an extremely mild winter so far this year in Utah. Usually clubs in our part of the world do not schedule tournaments during the winter months due to snow and freezing temperatures; however, they certainly could have this year. All the same, we are looking forward to even better weather this spring and the opportunity to head back to the clubs that we all love.

The Spring Grand is on a lot of folks’ minds as their next shoot. Tucson will once again be hosting the event. I think we may see quite a few Utah shooters venturing south. The 50th Spring Grand will be held Feb. 23-March 1, and hopefully we will see more than the 25 Utah shooters who attended last year.

Congratulations to the Utah State Team that was just announced. Bobby Street had a .9345 composite average to secure the captain’s position. Travis Oakey, Quint Sudbury, Jace Penney and Robert Hight rounded out the top five on the open team. Madilynne Scott was the ladies’ captain with a .9361 composite average. Former ATA President Ed Wehking posted .9005 to captain the veteran’s team, while Robert Green and Austyn Oakey were the senior veteran and junior captains with averages of .9235 and .9117, respectively. Austyn was also named Rookie Of The Year for Utah.

Please keep in mind that the first registered shoot of the new year will be held at Purgatory Clay Sports March 20-22. The following weekend, March 27-29, Spanish Fork Gun Club will also have a shoot. We hope that both of these tournaments are well attended and that there are some incredible scores shot.

Until next time, shoot straight!

Sharred Oaks

ATA Delegate

Washington

Most of the country is caught in a deep freeze. I hope by the time you read this, you will all have spring fever and are getting out for some trapshooting as ATA shoots resume. I have taken a crack at the winter league, but by the time I get used to being all bundled up, I won’t need to anymore. That is my hope anyway.

We are getting geared up for the Camas Prairie Handicap this month, and plans for the WSTA Championships at the Walla Walla Gun Club are taking shape. The Colton Gun Club has held their February registered shoot, and we have several coming up after the Camas through spring and summer months.

I know a few of our residents headed south for the Spring Grand and the Winter Chain. Keep an eye out in Trap & Field to see how our Evergreen State shooters have done in the Arizona sun.

We were saddened by the recent passings of two Colton Gun Club members, Dave Miller and Charles “Chuck” Randle. While both were Idaho residents, they were fixtures at the Colton club and were known in eastern Washington circles as well, as there is so much opportunity for ATA registered shooting close to the Washington-Idaho border. Dave was a constant at the Lewiston Gun Club before it closed, and he was seen all over the grounds during Camas and Idaho state shoots. Chuck was an Idaho Hall of Fame enshrinee, and I was honored to be asked to say a few words for his induction during the 2018 Idaho State Shoot. These old-timers had many great stories from many years in our sport. I think the storytellers have done a lot to keep the game and its history alive. They will be missed, but not forgotten.

There will be a lot more to talk about as we thaw and the ATA targets start flying more frequently. Until then, maybe you can get someone out to your club and get them started.

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

WSTA Director

Atlantic Provinces

To all gun club managers, it’s time to start planning for the upcoming trapshooting season. To register your ATA shoot dates, submit an ATA Registered Shoot application to the Atlantic Provinces secretary, Janaya Nickerson, for approval. The application is available on www.shootata.com.

Here are some dates to keep in mind if you’re planning your 2026 trapshooting travel schedule.

The 2026 Canadian Trapshooting Championships will be held June 25-28 at the Edmonton Gun Club in Edmonton, AB.

The St. Thomas Gun Club in St. Thomas, ON, will be the Canadian site for the ATA Eastern Zone Shoot. The shoot runs July 16-19.

The Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot will be hosted by the St. John’s Rod and Gun Club near Holyrood, NL, Sept. 3-6.

The Canadian Trapshooting Association is planning another Coast to Coast Shoot in September. The 2025 tournament was a huge success, with 258 shooters from clubs across Canada participating in the one-day, 300-target satellite shoot. The final details are still being ironed out. Stay tuned to www.shootcanada.ca for complete details.

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

Massachusetts

Greetings, Massachusetts shooters.

It is with great pleasure we welcome two new clubs to the roster to throw registered targets. Uxbridge Rod and Gun at 560 West St., Uxbridge, and Methuen Rod and Gun at 240 Tylee St., Methuen. Thank you, Tom Huber (Uxbridge) and Jason Greene (Methuen), for your hard work to make this possible. Keep an eye on the MATA schedule for some upcoming events at these new facilities.

March represents the beginning of the registered target season here in Massachusetts. On March 14, there will be a Marathon at Hopkinton Sportsmen’s Association. Also on March 28, there is a scheduled marathon at Uxbridge Rod and Gun. Both of these events are great early-season opportunities to get some practice and log some targets!

Lastly, congratulations to our 2025 State Team: Robert Nihitila Jr., .9551; Roman Barrett, .9291; Michael Lombardy, .9285; William Rychlik, .9141; Paul Donovan, .9033; Robert Platt Jr., .8995; Thomas Brooks, .8945; Doug Divello, .8922; Michael McIntyre, .8824; Tom Huber, .8771; Steve Miller, .8749; Thomas Monahan, .8749; Richard Nihtila, .8738; Steve Manos, .8662; Christopher Monterotti, .8635.

Great shooting, guys! Best of luck in the 2026 target year.

Hopefully the warmer weather will be here soon. See you all out on the field.

Bill Rychlik

For ATA Delegate Robert Nihtila Jr.

New York

Greetings from New York. I hope everyone stays safe and warm during the winter season. Please be careful when driving on the winter roads.

I am afraid to say that we have lost two friends of the New York State ATA, Dale Dupre and Curt Evans.

Dale Dupre was the trapline personnel supervisor for years at the homegrounds in Bridgeport. Dale did a wonderful job supervising the scorers and trap loaders. Dale had to retire from being the supervisor when a medical issue caused him to lose his left leg. However, he did return after a few years and performed scoring. As always, Dale did an excellent job. All of us on the board of directors of the New York State ATA wish to express our sympathy to his family and friends on his passing. Dale will be missed.

Curt Evans, son of New York State ATA Hall of Fame member and 1986 Grand American Handicap champion Larry Evans, has passed away. Curt was 64 years of age. Even though he did not participate in ATA tournaments, he did shoot trap at many local leagues. I shot with Curt often. He was an excellent bowler and was a union electrician who traveled all over the country performing jobs. Curt’s mother, Marna, was an excellent ATA trapshooter also. The board of directors of the New York State ATA wish to express our deepest sympathies to Larry and Marna Evans and Curt’s entire family on his passing.

For everyone’s information, the board of directors of the New York State ATA have voted to expand by one day, the Empire Grand American, the New York State Shoot and the Northeastern Grand American. These three shoots will now be six days instead of five. The Empire Grand will be May 5-10. The New York State Shoot will be July 7-12. The Northeastern Grand will be Sept. 8-13.

The New York State ATA will host the ATA Eastern Zone at the homegrounds at Bridgeport July 16-19.

Posted on the ATA webpage was the state rebates for dues and daily fees for the 2025 target year. New York received a rebate of $8,826. That amount was eighth throughout the country.

If anyone wishes to have something placed in one of these articles, you can contact me at [email protected] or phone at 585-519-9543. Please stay safe and healthy. May God bless.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada.

I am writing this article a couple of weeks before Christmas, and you will not read it until February. A lot can change by then. I therefore do my best to cover issues that are of relevance both now and when it is read. Tough job sometimes, but here we go.

With the up-to-the minute posting of shoot results (for major shoots at least), any interested person can get all details instantaneously. Two months later it is ancient history. I acknowledge outstanding results, however, when I can. Readers often tell me they learn things through my articles that they may not otherwise know.

The nice thing about most trapshooters is they are multi-dimensional on issues that may not be directly tied to trapshooting. For many on both sides of the border, these are uncertain times, and it does impact on things like affordability of our sport. Many are concerned about the security of their job if they have one and also concerned about the issues facing their children and grandchildren.

Our local trapshooting clubs and our OPTA are doing their best to make registered trapshooting more affordable and exciting, but the future of our sport is currently, at least, being negatively impacted. All of our comrades in ATA trapshooting need to continue to rejuvenate our sport. Hats off to all of you who are helping make a difference.

Paul Shaw

ATA Delegate

Kentucky

By the time you’re reading this, hopefully springtime should be closing in, and with it many more opportunities to shoot. While the cold months slow down shooting, there are still many clubs that have remained active with both registered shoots and non-registered competition throughout the state. To keep track of upcoming shoots in Kentucky or any given area, be sure to check out the “Clubs & Shoots” tab on shootata.com.

There aren’t any shoots to report on in the last month, but the 2026 Kentucky State Teams were recently released. Congratulations to all who made this year’s State Teams, and congratulations to our state average leaders: Keith Ditto (singles and handicap) and Jordan Foley (doubles). To view the full list of the 2026 Kentucky State Teams, please visit kytrap.com.

Keep in mind the 2026 Kentucky State Shoot will be July 1-5, with the AIM program taking place June 30. We look forward to seeing you at one of the finest gun clubs for a great shoot. For more information about the state shoot, you can once again visit kytrap.com. Please keep our neighboring states in the Southern Zone in mind when making your shoot schedule, as many of the clubs throughout the southeast throw amazing targets and hold great shoots as well.

Good luck and safe travels in the weeks to come!

           Jack Holland

For ATA Southern Zone Vice President Dan Ryan

Mississippi

Hello from the Magnolia State, home of America’s Music.

Deep into winter and looking forward to sunny days, my mind drifts to times past, shoots and people I have met in school, the Army, people I worked with, and trapshooters.

I’ve heard it said that everyone has a story. Some stories are written with words, some famous for well-done deeds, others tell their story by a life well lived, some are told or passed on by family or friends.

Everyone has a story about where they were born, lived, worked and high and low points in their life. More stories are perhaps a hunt with friends, targets shot, events on and off the trap field, shooting in the rain, wind or snow or all at the same time, the best score shot, shooting with someone famous, shooting at the Grand American in Vandalia. These stories are like chapters in a book, and we usually have several chapters.

When you talk to trapshooters, most have a story about a gun, a particular one from the past, like your first gun given to you by your father or granddaddy’s old Browning Sweet 16, or perhaps a gun bought at Sears Roebuck that went everywhere you went. Winchester Model 12s and other pump guns usually bring up memories and stories of times past. Nearly always there is a trap gun, a gun bought and sold, and a gun you wish you still had. These stories are like the chapters in a history book.

Traveling around to state shoots and the Grand American, we meet many people. I’ve heard stories of shoots with much success and some not, past Grands, shoots in Vandalia and guns. An interesting one was meeting a young man who was shooting his grandfather’s Remington 3200 and Browning BT-99. The young man’s mother had a gunsmith bring them back to their original quality, and the young fellow was using them to good result. It is a heartwarming story.

Your trapshooting stories and other life stories are valuable and worth sharing with others, especially your family, the younger ones. They are for others who have similar experiences, a connection to enjoy and share. When people share their stories, they reveal a little bit of themselves. Whether those stories are grand or humble, serious or humorous, events won or lost, each one is a tapestry of a life.

Never a day ends, never the old year ends, but someone thinks of someone, old days, old times, old friends, stories that never end.

I often write of the good weather we have down south in the winter, making trapshooting fun even in December through February. Well, it didn’t work out so well for the December monthly shoot at Capitol Gun Club in Jackson. It was canceled due to thunderstorms and rain in the forecast. It happens. So, unfortunately there are no scores to report. Wait until next month.

I had a short deadline to get the Coast Rifle and Pistol Club’s December’s scores, so I’ll try to get them in next month’s issue.

Come see us down here in the “Sip,” where the skies are mostly blue, most of the time, and the people are friendly. We’d love to have you shoot with us.

Bill Burke

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

Well, here we are . . .

We are in the homestretch. I can smell warm weather just around the corner. Soon the temperatures will start creeping up, and the trap range will be calling. It’s time to break out that stored shooting equipment and check it over to make sure everything is in top-notch working order. Clean out the cobwebs and oil up those firearms. Look over your other equipment as well. Make sure those ear plugs still maintain a tight seal, inspect your shooting glasses and lenses; be certain the frames are up to speed and the lenses are in good shape and free of scratches. It might be a good time to add a lens color to your collection. Maybe pick up that light tint that you’re going to need for your 2026 evening shootoffs. Also, be sure to check your shooting bag and make sure it is well stocked with the necessary supplies. Lens wipes . . . check. Shooting towel . . . check. Choke tube lube . . . check. You know what you need, and every shooter carries different accessories. Just make sure that the supplies you need are stocked up and ready to roll once the shooting begins.

You might want to start looking for a few local shoots to hone up that form and get yourself ready for the 2026 tournament season. Check with clubs near you and see what they have to offer. You might be able to pick up a few extra registered targets, and maybe even go to a venue that you have never attended before. Check out the Official ATA Shoot Directory in each Trap & Field issue and see what shoots are occurring in your particular area. Practice all you can prior to those big shoots, and hopefully that will go a long way to improving your scores when it counts.

Speaking of shoots, if you are looking for warmer weather and a great shoot to attend, you may want to check out the 46th annual Southern Satellite Grand American that will be held at the Silver Dollar Shooters Club in Odessa, FL, March 8-15. The Silver Dollar is a great venue, and this Satellite Grand really helps kick off for the shooting season each year. Well attended and worth the effort, you can’t help but enjoy the location, the weather and the shoot when it comes to the Southern Grand. Load up the wagon and head south to the Dollar. I can assure you; you won’t be disappointed.

That pretty much wraps things up for this month. As you get out and about and start practicing and attending those shoots, I wish you good luck and hope you travel safely. Shoot well, and thank you for supporting the ATA.

And always remember, the rulebook is your friend. Please read it!

Mark Cantrell

ATA Delegate

Louisiana

Toby Bancroft Memorial Gun Club’s Dec. 13 shoot had 19 in attendance. It really wasn’t a very good day for shooting. Heavy fog, clouds and a little rain shower sort of dampened the spirits, and it felt colder than the actual temperature. Nevertheless, the group was able to bang away and enjoy breaking some targets. Lunch was good with Fritos pie being served, which warmed us very well. Our good friend from Missouri, Dennis Whitlock, showed up again; hopefully, he’ll be able to join us for future shoots. Several south Arkansas shooters joined us for the first time. Welcome to Nathan Pearson, Drake Terry, Gauge Pepper, Jep Pippen and Craig Fritz. They are 4-H shooters who were shooting their very first ATA targets. Whitlock took singles honors with 97, with Jenkins losing the flip after a 97 also. Steven Skipper and Webb Phelps followed with 93s. Whitlock continued his winning ways in ’caps with an 87, winning the flip over Brooks Barnett. Everyone else was far behind. The crowd had dwindled to just three for doubles. Jenkins, Whitlock and Barnett finished with 89, 88 and 87, respectively. Thanks to Chuck Traylor, the Skippers and the Barnetts along with the others who helped score and load houses. It was very much appreciated.

Well, spring for us in Louisiana is just around the corner. One more cold month, and we’ll be seeing things greening up and the winds starting to blow. I hope you all are ready because the big fun is coming shortly. Do you have all your shoots lined up? I’m personally working on getting mine scheduled and hotel reservations made. The Spring Grand and the Florida State Shoot are just next month for those who have the time to attend. They are always a good start to the new calendar year. The Louisiana State Shoot will be held in West Monroe at the Toby Bancroft Memorial Gun Club April 30-May 3. Pre-squad will open March 1. Come join us if you want to enjoy a nice shoot. We’re small but fun!

Check out our website, www.latrap.org. There’s information on registered shoots of interest to our shooters, the scores/winners of our Louisiana shoots, and information on all the gun clubs in LA that host registered shoots.

Jim Jenkins

ATA Delegate

Missouri

As I write this, we are getting ready to start another new calendar year. As far as the ATA goes, we are already in the new target year. Hopefully you have set some goals for the target year. Have you set goals or made resolutions for the new calendar year? With the increasing prices of just about everything related to shooting sports, it’s difficult to remain positive that things will get better anytime soon, but we need to remain positive that someday it will. One of my goals is not to worry as much about what the future brings and concentrate more about how I can make today better than yesterday. That’s sort of the mindset of most of us when we are on the line shooting, or at least it should be.

I am a little late in recognizing the AIM shooters this year, my apologies. On behalf of the MTA Board of Directors I would like to recognize and congratulate the following AIM shooters who made the 2026 AIM Annual Teams.

AIM All Star Teams: Junior gold—Derick Gerding, Noah Lauritzen. Junior—Hunter Alver, Grady Fallert, Thomas Burton, Maddox Shulte. Sub-junior—captain Tyler Burton, Max Billings, Eleanor Schweizer. Pre-sub—Harrison McKinney, Wade Otten.

AIM All-Zone Teams: Junior gold—Millicent LaBoube, Roy Warner III. Junior—captain Tanner Strubinger, Colton McKinney, Jackson Graeler. Sub-junior—Parker Robinson. Pre-sub—Amon Depew.

AIM All State Teams: Junior gold—captain Barrett Paulson, Alexander Hill, Ryder Peterson, Caleb Pierce, Kody Johnson. Junior—captain Adrec Keetman, Christian Koch, Logan Hart, Brady Anderson, Noah Innes. Sub-junior—captain Caitlyn Kalmer, Rachel Houlihan, Tyler Gerdes, Parker Lewis, Garrett Whisenant. Pre-sub—captain Kayden Smith, Andrew Kalmer, Max Vancil, Nicholas Gilbert, Leah Otten.

A great deal of thanks goes out to David Hart, our MTA youth director and 2025 MTA president, as well as all the coaches and parents who make time to get their shooters to practice and shoots during the year.

It’s difficult to come up with items this time of the year to report on, so if anyone has anything they would like to have reported on or has any concerns, please reach out to me at [email protected] or 816-863-9003. In the meantime, in these up-and-down temperature swings that we seem to be going through, when you can, please make a visit to your local gun clubs. I am sure they will be glad to see you come and shoot a few rounds. NKJV Psalms 3:8—Salvation belongs to the LORD, Your blessing is upon Your people.

Shoot often, shoot well and be safe!

Stephen Ricketts

ATA Southwestern Zone Vice President

Idaho

Well, I’ll start off with some sad news.

Charles Randle, a longtime Idaho shooter and a member of our state Hall of Fame passed away Dec. 3. He was 94. He was inducted into our state Hall of Fame in 2018. My records show he was shooting registered targets as early as 1958 and had amassed well over a quarter of a million targets! During his career he made the ATA All-American second team and the Idaho first and second team numerous times. Some of his contributions to the sport include helping new and youth shooters. He donated guns and shells to many of the youths as well as trap machines and voice calls to various clubs in Washington. He exemplifies some of the people that make our sport great.

You can find his obituary at www.shortsfuneralchapel.com/obituaries/charles-randle.

This month I’d like to write another biography about a longtime shooter who has shot registered targets all over the state for 60+ years. Many of you know Guy Johnson, who started shooting in Lewiston as a youth, and he now resides in Boise. He still acts like a youngster! He remembers the first time he ever shot at a target. He remembers it because he was nine years old and hit nine targets. He really enjoyed it, so his father bought him his first trap gun (a Model 31 Remington) when he was 13, and he paid back the $175 it cost by mowing lawns and hand setting traps.

His first registered shoot was the famous Camas Prairie Shoot in 1965. He won the sub-junior singles trophy with 173, shooting that same Remington which he still has today.

Trapshooting has been a big part of the Johnson family for four generations. The Father’s Day Shoot at Nez Perce has been one of the annual Johnson family participations since 1965. It is so steeped in family tradition, that his son flies in from Arizona every year to compete for the parent-child trophy.

Guy has won at least five category state singles championships. He says he might have more except he often had the “one target” syndrome, losing by one either in the main event or one in the shootoff.

One story I like of Guy’s was in a singles marathon he had a 200 straight (his first), and on his next hundred he had a “blooper,” with the wad clearing the barrel, giving him a lost target for a 99. Thus he missed a 300 straight while watching the shot dribble out of his barrel and the wad landing a few feet in front of him.

Guy is well known for his “bent barrel” trap gun. It’s an 870 Wing Master with a 34-inch barrel that has an obvious bend to make it shoot higher. Anyone standing 20 yards to the side can see the bend. He shot that gun for 47 years. He had to re-bend the barrel periodically because he shot it so much it would eventually straighten out. One of the methods Guy used for bending the barrel was to pry it over the spare tire of his 1972 Grand Torino. (I wouldn’t have the nerve). It seemed to work for him, and this was the gun he used to best me in competition many times. It was also the one that he nearly had the 300 straight with.

Guy currently serves on the Idaho Trapshooting Hall of Fame Board of Directors and on the Idaho Shotgun Sports Museum Committee located at the Boise Gun Club. He is a regular historian and has a whole book full of newspaper clippings from the days when they printed trapshooting scores (including weekly Camas scores) in the local newspapers. Nowadays it’s on the web or in Trap & Field Magazine. Guy and his wife Elicia annually contribute financially to the Idaho State Shoot He is a die-hard and nostalgic member of our sport and is just a few targets away from 100,000 lifetime ATA targets. Thanks, Guy, for keeping our sport going strong.

On a final note, we are getting ready to start up the Camas Prairie League. By the time you read this, we will be well into it with more than 800 participants, and we’ll have an idea of who’s at the head of the leaderboard!

Leonard Wehking

ATA Delegate

Montana

Winter has officially hit northwest Montana with single digits and a white Thanksgiving. With the general hunting season ending, meat shoots, fun shoots, Big 50s and black light shoots have kicked into high gear across the state, welcoming all to partake in the trapshooting festivities.

To the west, the 406 Clay Target Team (AIM youth) introduced a five-week fundraiser of Friday Night Cosmic Lights to the Flathead Valley. The concept was a success, headlining the front page of the local newspaper. Thompson Falls Trap Club and Plains Trap Club have meat shoots on the calendar, and Missoula Trap Club hosted a Big 50 under the lights and a Ladies’ Fall League.

East of the Divide, the Triangle Area Meat Shoots (Fairfield, Choteau, Augusta, Great Falls) are in full swing with the weekend schedule packed through the first of April. Chinook Rod & Gun Club hosted a Halloween blacklight shoot, and the Denton, Helena and Butte trap clubs also capitalized on the cooler temps to host groups to fun shoots with meat prizes.

Montanans looking to hold on to the warmer weather for a bit longer made their way to Las Vegas and Tucson. NSTA stepped it up again with top-notch hospitality, awards, after dark games and a great time. Members of the MSTA showed up at the Autumn Grand to win, and scores reflected just that. Congratulations to all who attended both events.

AIM Western Zone medals have been delivered, and Montana was well represented. D.J. Waldo joined a group of five 99s for shared junior gold HOA. Jaden Schreckendgust claimed junior gold Class B runnerup with 95. Aiden DeLong tied for junior gold Class C winner/runnerup with 95. Ryan Fleming and Nick Doty were also in a group of five 99s for shared HOA junior third. Gabriel Boucher tied for junior C runnerup with 97, and Vin Stevens tied for junior D with 97. Mason Baker and Jacob Cesnik were in a group of four 97s for shared sub-junior third HOA. Gabe Allen and Jeremiah Perkins tied for sub-junior AA third with 93. Blake Vogel and Corbin Vogel claimed sub-junior Class A third and sub-junior B third, respectively. Joseph Barone and Axel Hedman won outright sub-junior Class C winner (95) and pre-sub HOA victor (87). Junior gold team HOA winners were 406 Clay Target Team. Members were Nathan Lemos, Joseph Barone, Aiden DeLong, Kimber Boll and Tucker Morin. Junior gold team HOA runnerup included Blane Olson, Jaden Schreckendgust, Ryan Fleming, Julian St. Marie and John Hartle. Junior gold team HOA third-place winners were Brady Edgren, Troy Crenshaw, Anthony Lasa, Corey Thurston and D.J. Waldo (both also of Team 406). Hats off to you all!

Andrew Kelly

ATA Delegate

Nevada

The spectacular 77th Nevada State Trapshooting Tournament is in the books. What a shoot, and what a party it was. More than 500 shooters from 38 states and two Canadian provinces threw lead at over 600,000 targets during the 10-day shoot, held at the Clark County Shooting Complex (CCSC) in Las Vegas. Gold giveaways, silver giveaways, Annie Oakleys, cosmic trap, Back Fence Shootout, silver shootoffs and more kept gun barrels hot. There were free lunches, free dinners, ice cream trucks and free drinks. More than 5,000 free meals were served to shooters and friends. Further, shooters and friends enjoyed evening poker tournaments, bingo tournaments and even a Halloween party. There was a special event with more than $40,000 that was won in the championship handicap. It was an amazing 10 days of shooting and activities.

State shoot event winners were covered comprehensively in the Nevada State Shoot Trap & Field article in the January issue. However, a few mentions are appropriate here. There were some great winning scores posted by resident shooters in the championship events. Jon Slinker bested all Nevada shooters with 97 to claim the doubles title. Jon also won the HAA with 386. In the championship singles, Rich Bullard smashed 199 to become singles champion. The Handicap Championship was claimed by up-and-coming new shooter, Harry Terzian, with 96.

HOA winners were: high gun, Kyle Hoffmeyer; runnerup, Jon Slinker; AAA, Evan Martin; AA, Jack Wang; A, Eli Walker; B, Carlos Francisco Rodriguez; C, Angel Diaz; D, Oscar Diaz; sub-junior, Juan Carlos Rodriguez; junior, Orion Cooper; Lady I, Jasmine Hicks; Lady II, Deb Main; sub-vet, Bullard; veteran, Kenneth D. James; senior vet, Danny Talbot.

HAA winners included: champion, Jon Slinker; runnerup, Bill Daniels; AAA, Wang; AA, Mark Dagher; A, Carl Hoffmeyer; B, Carlos Rodriguez; C, Sam Ford; D, Terzian; sub-junior, Juan Carlos Rodriguez; junior, Cooper; junior gold, Austin Santellan; Lady I, Hicks; Lady II, Main; sub-vet, Bullard; veteran, James; senior vet, Talbot.

In addition to the many activities, gold, silver and myriad trophies given away to shooters, the Nevada State Trapshooting Association (NSTA) did many things to attract new shooters to the tournament. For example, free ammunition was provided to every junior and sub-junior, both residents and non-residents, who wanted to shoot the championship singles event. The ATA provided free annual memberships. Because of these efforts, several new shooters joined the ATA and participated in the events.

One such shooter is 11-year-old Westley Fitzpatrick of Las Vegas, who shot his first ATA registered targets at the state shoot. He returned a week later to shoot the NSTA First Sunday Social Shoot. Westley participated in the After School Trap League and the Silver State Clay Breakers programs.

In other November action, the First Sunday Social Shoot was held on the second Sunday of the month because of the state shoot running into November. Forty-four shooters decided to sharpen their skills Nov. 9 at the First Sunday Social Shoot at CCSC. In the handicap, Leticia Slinker and Sean Steele were high with 47s. In the singles, Talbot, Merle Acampora, Leticia and Jon Slinker, John White and Wang all broke 50 straight. Jon Slinker won the doubles with 48.

Next, at the Nov. 22 NSTA Race for the Buckle Big 50, 46 shooters faced cold desert winds and intermittent rain at CCSC. Singles winners were James, Jared Steeley and Don Mayhall with 49s. The winds got colder and stronger for the handicap. Mike Petrisko won the doubles with a very respectable 47 given challenging conditions.

The coveted Race for the Championship Buckles was decided and awarded at the NSTA Big 50 Dec. 13 at CCSC.

In the meantime, let’s remember it’s a game. Have fun out there!

           Danny Talbot

           ATA Delegate

 

New Zealand

First of all, thank you to everyone who traveled to the Nov. 29-30 shoot at Taupo Trap Club. A great time was had by all. A few results from the weekend:

Saturday, Event 1, 50-pair doubles: A, Roger Bidois, 92; B, Ben Thomassen, 81; C, Bill Harkness, 81. Event 2, 50-pair doubles: A, Bidois, 89; B, Vinny Butcher, 80; C, John Harkness, 87. Event 3. 100 singles: A, Grant Nilsson, John Harkness and Steven Pearson, 97; B, Glen Raymond, 94; C, Harkness 90. Sunday, Event 4, 100 singles: A, Warenn Le Pironnec, 97; B, Graeme Williams, 97; C, Bill Harkness 94. Event 5, 100 handicap: Darryl Remnant, 93 (got punched half a yard!); Dave Cundy, 92; John Harkness and Graeme Williams, 90. All done by 2 p.m. Great effort by all to make the shoot flow quickly.

Glen Raymond, Grant Nilsson, John Harkness and Graeme Williams ran 50s in the singles events, so they got long run badges from the ATA.

           Paul Basten

           ATA Delegate

Utah

Winter in Utah can be a challenge, to say the least. With icy roads, freezing temperatures and mountains of snow, shooting trap gets pretty low on most people’s priority lists. This year, December was extremely warm for our part of the country, and while there was only one registered shoot on the schedule, I am sure many folks took advantage of the nice weather to head out to their gun clubs for some extra practice days.

Purgatory Clay Sports had their Dec. 6-7 tournament, and the turnout was very good. In the Event 1 singles, Steve Johnson and Joe Atkin each broke scores of 99 to top the leaderboard. Bobby Street broke 97 and was high by four birds in the mid-day handicap, while Casey Fitzgerald had a five-target lead to win the doubles with 97. On Sunday Jon Slinker (NV) took home the top prize with 93, and Jaxson Johnson broke 96 in the Event 5 handicap. The final event of the weekend was a handicap that saw Jim Wilson and Jared Steeley each break scores of 92 to lead the way.

Special congratulations go out to Utah’s shooters who made the All-American Teams for their 2025 shooting performances. Pam Wright was named to the Lady II first team with 1,426 points. She was the only Utah shooter to earn first-team All-American status. Sean Hawley and Leslie Hight were named to the open and Lady I second teams, while Kooper Freston and Grayson Stuart made the sub-junior and junior gold second teams. Scott Syme and Joe Sudbury became members of the sub-veteran and senior veteran second teams with their 2025 shooting performances. Congratulations to all!

Looking forward to spring, Purgatory Clay Sports and the Spanish Fork Gun Club will be hosting shoots in March. Ogden Gun Club and Spanish Fork will be throwing registered tournaments in April, and Ogden, Spanish Fork and Helper will all have shoots in May. Please go out and support these clubs this coming spring.

Hopefully everyone had a great holiday season and are looking forward to a wonderful 2026.

Sharred Oaks

ATA Delegate

 

Washington

Is spring almost here? After a mostly mild, rainy and windy December, we were hit with a big blast of winter the day after Christmas. With the Colton Gun Club hosting the first registered shoot of the new year in February, it seems to make those thoughts of spring stand front and center. We will be preparing for the Camas Prairie Handicap next month then the shooting season really gets rolling in April and May. After the winter months, we are all more than ready to hit the road to all the region’s clubs for ATA targets.

The WSTA winter directors meeting was held in Ritzville Dec. 13. As of this writing, the decision as to where the state shoot will be held has not been determined yet. By the time you read this, we will have a host site secured and information posted on shootwsta.com. With the rising cost of targets, trophies and labor, the board has been negotiating with bidding clubs to get the best value and provide top-notch experiences for shooting participants. Of course, the best support for the WSTA Championships is provided by the shooters who attend and have a good time. Bring a friend, a new shooter or a shooter who has been sitting out for a while and wants to get involved again. With your help and program entries, we will make it a successful shoot June 25-28. We look forward to seeing you!

The board of directors would like to thank Frances Tully for taking on treasurer duties for the association with the departure of Brian James after many years of service. Frances’ retail management experience and her shooting endeavors make her a perfect fit. You may have seen her photo a few times while collecting trophies.

Dr. Laura Winkel has stepped up again to help with trophies and the silent auction for this year’s state shoot. Laura needs no introduction, as she’s graced the pages of Trap & Field as a multi-time state champion and All-American. Love of trapshooting is why shooters like Laura and Frances give back through volunteerism, and it is very much appreciated.

We have another honoree to be inducted into the WSTA Hall of Fame this June as well. I’m not going to let the cat out of the bag just yet, but you will not be surprised, as this competitor has an impressive list of accomplishments in just over 20 years of trapshooting and no doubt many more to come. I’ll drop more hints as time goes by, as I get more of this shooter’s history down on paper and a proper tribute ironed out.

I should have much more to talk about in the next installment as the ATA targets fly more frequently. Until then I will keep cranking shells out of the loader and preparing to see you all at clubs all over Washington.

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

WSTA Director

Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces.

To all gun club managers, if you haven’t already done so, it’s time to start planning for the upcoming trapshooting season. To register your ATA shoot dates, submit an ATA Registered Shoot Application to the Atlantic Provinces secretary, Janaya Nickerson, for approval. The application is available on www.shootata.com.

If you’re considering attending a regional Canadian or the national shoot, here are some shoots to consider.

The Canadian Trapshooting Championships will be held at the Hamilton Gun Club located near Stoney Creek, ON, June 26-29. A warm-up shoot is tentatively planned for June 25. Visit shootcanada.ca for complete shoot details.

The Ontario ATA Provincial Shoot starts two days after the Canadian Championships on July 1 and runs to July 6 at the St. Thomas Gun Club, located near London, ON. Hamilton and London are about 150km apart so not much extra travel is needed to attend both if you have the time and are interested in shooting at two of the top facilities in Canada.

The St. Thomas Gun Club will also be one of the venues for the ATA Eastern Zone Shoot, which is being held in a satellite shoot format this year July 17-20. The other host club is the PSSA Homegrounds in Elysburg, PA. Visit the Ontario Provincial Trapshooting Association webpage (ontariotrap.com) for more information on their shoots.

The Québec ATA Provincial Shoot is scheduled for July 25-27 at the Club de Tir de Valleyfield located near Saint-Stanislas-de-Kostka, QU. Visit the Québec Provincial Trapshooting Association at atvq.com for shoot details.

And to wrap up the 2025 target year, our Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot returns to the Highland Gun Club near Yarmouth, NS, Aug. 28-31. A warm-up shoot will also be held Aug. 27. Stay tuned to the Atlantic Provinces Trapshooting Association webpage for more details.

Dates for the ATA Grand, the Satellite Grands, and the Zone Shoots are available on www.shootata.com and in Shoot Directory. Those shoots have been some of my most memorable stateside—especially the 2013 Grand. Unfortunately the current exchange rate of 40% makes it much more expensive for Canadians to attend shoots in the U.S. However, if you are able to attend a shoot stateside, you need to apply for your ATF Form 6 NIA. The form has been updated, so make sure you submit the latest version.

Good luck in 2025.

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 York

Hello from New York. I hope everyone is doing well. I hope everyone had a happy holiday season and a happy New Year. I know that I did.

I am sorry to say that New York has lost another shooter, and I have lost a good friend. Joe Benoit of Rome passed away Oct. 21 at the age of 79. Joe began registering targets in 1974. During his career, he registered 253,700 singles, 175,500 handicap and 158,850 doubles targets. Joe was a member of the prestigious 500,000 registered target club of the ATA. He was standing on the 25-yard line. He was also a past member of the board of directors of the New York State ATA. Joe always had a smile on his face and loved to kid everyone. I shot many times with him at the Grand American when it was held in Vandalia, OH. Joe’s wife Nancy is also a good friend, and she is a member of the New York State ATA Hall of Fame. The board of directors of the New York State ATA wish to express our deepest sympathies to Nancy and Joe’s entire family on his passing. He will be missed by all of us.

Congratulations to New York State ATA eastern zone Vice President Sal Schiavo for running his first 100 straight in singles on Oct. 13 at Mt. Pleasant Sportsman’s Club. Good going, Sal, and nice shooting.

The high averages and the New York State Teams were announced for the 2024 target year. Dan Fadden was the high singles shooter with a .9844 average. Jenna Euscher was the high ladies’ singles shooter with .9718. Andrew Goodwin was the high handicap shooter with .9038. Finally Josh Buchiere was the high doubles shooter with .9257. Congratulations, everyone, and well done.

The High Average Teams include: Men’s first—Dan Fadden, .9262; James Flint, .9169; Chad Landon, .9070; Josh Buchiere, .9005; Gary Hoysradt, .8985. Men’s second—Edwin Johnson, .8952; David McMasters, .8946; Thomas Walter Jr., .8938; Mark Johnson, .8935; Vincent Barranco, .8902. Men’s third (honorable mention)—Dennis Bobbette, .8889; Martin Gawron, .8840; Brian Luther, .8828; Joe Regan, .8684; Kenneth Woodworth, .8656. Women’s—Heidi Womer, .9020; Jenna Euscher, .8850; Tammy Wildenstein, .8519; Becki Reitz, .8412; Debbie Lineman, .8274. Sub-junior/junior—Andrew Goodwin, .8840; Alex Tucker, .8755. Veteran/senior veteran first—Bob Edwards, .9257; Urban Womer, .9219; Dave Cichelli, .8960; Don Alderson, .8937; Keith Miranda, .8918. Veteran/senior veteran second—William Wallis, .8778; Michael Waschitz, .8834; Joe Morsch, .8501; Randy Lineman, .8467; Jim Woodhams, .8447.

Congratulations to all team members on a job well done. Continued success with your fine shooting.

Please stay safe and warm during the winter season. Please drive carefully when driving on the winter roads.

If you are traveling down south or out west for the winter season, please proceed carefully and safely. Enjoy yourself.

Anyone who wishes to have something written in one of these articles, please feel free to contact me at 585-519-9543 or [email protected]. Please stay healthy, safe and in good spirits. May God bless you all.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada.

When this article appears in Trap & Field Magazine, it will be a new calendar year (the target year started on Sept. 1, 2024). Winter leagues are midseason, and I want to remind our shooters and clubs that for a one-time fee, all league targets can be registered at the end of the league. These targets don’t impact on your average but only on adding to your overall target attainment. I estimate that only 10 to 15% of league shooters shoot ATA registered targets. It would be nice to get more target shooters engaged.

When I take a cross-section of our Ontario shooters, the vast majority are category shooters, and there are predominantly senior vets, vets and sub-vets followed by ladies (I and II) and finally a few are in one of the junior categories (junior gold, junior, sub-junior). There are an increasing number of our shooters who are retired from their jobs/careers. Trapshooting is a large part of their lives, and this keeps them active, mentally alert and focused—especially those who have a competitive spirit. These recreational trapshooters enjoy the sport but resist registering their targets because they see no personal benefit. We continue to welcome them into the ranks of registered trapshooting, but they need personal motivation.

And now I come to the challenge of exercise. Everybody, especially retirees, need regular exercise. It is amazing how muscle atrophy can set in when muscles are not regularly used. During the intensive shooting season when you shoot several times a week and especially when you shoot tournaments of 200 to 300 targets per day, the muscle tone eventually comes back, but it may take a while, and scores suffer in the interim. That is why many trapshooters, especially older ones, join exercise clubs, gyms, walk dogs, etc. Even walking helps a lot.

Personally I used to be very active in sports—soccer, hockey, baseball, fishing, hunting, and the list goes on. COVID changed things for many, including myself. It became difficult to play sports because of distance separation, etc. so I spent almost all of my time working (as a lawyer). A sedentary lifestyle became a problem and makes it increasingly difficult to re-engage in active exercise.

So I am trying to walk several times a week, and my Australian Sheppard, Lexie, is my eager trail companion. The walking trails in and around Collingwood are spectacular. For me, it helps if I have an understanding of the amazing things that nature has provided, which most (including me) would simply take for granted or not pay any attention to. I have included two photographs that I recently took while walking on one of the trails. The first photograph is what looks like a large boulder, which meant very little to me until a nearby sign explained what it was all about. I never knew much about glacial debris, but this boulder is what is called a “glacial erratic”. Eighty thousand years ago, glacial ice covered what we now know as Canada and as far down as New York City and Boston. Then it started to melt and left large quantities of boulders, sand, rock and cobble (glacial till). The melting water formed the basis of the Great Lakes. Many of you in Ontario, other provinces and in the northern states may already be aware of this phenomenon. I sent this information to my son Drew, who lives in Calgary, AB. He regularly practices trap at the Calgary Gun Club, which is minutes away from Okotoks, AB, where there is a huge glacial erratic “Big Rock”. Garry Hill, longtime member of our ATA Central Handicap Committee, lives in Okotoks.

In trapshooting one fundamental principle is to stay focused and be cognizant of surroundings (direction of wind, distractions, etc.). I guess the same principle can be applied to walking, running and bicycling as well.

Get lots of off-season exercise, so you can be better prepared for the start of the competitive trapshooting season.

Paul Shaw

ATA Delegate

Pennsylvania

Happy New Year! Even though we are at the beginning of the 2025 calendar year, the target year is already a third of the way completed. I’d like to start the year off with recognizing our 22 members of the ATA All-American Team. Leading our Pennsylvania shotgunners were Deborah Ohye-Neilson, captain of the Lady II team (26th time as a team captain) and Ian Darroch, finishing third overall on the open team. Our first team members include Nicole Hood, Lady I; Marcy Plunkett, Lady II; Tucker Nystrom, sub-junior; Joseph Breck IV, junior; and Sheldon Hostetter, senior vet. Second team members are Chris Vendel and Brandon Deal, open; Bethany Breighner, Katelynn Decker, Caitline Bonser and Clare Schaffer, Lady I; Donna Natcher, Lady II; Leonidas Neifert, sub-junior; Brandon Hood, junior; Eugene Leoni Jr., sub-veteran; and Kenneth Darroch, Frank Pascoe, Richard Milbert, William Natcher and Steven Miller, senior vet. Congratulations to all for an outstanding and consistent year.

Our Pennsylvania State Teams have been finalized as well, with Ian Darroch holding down the high combined average in the state with a .9703 composite average, leading to his being named captain of the open team. Ian also had the high men’s averages in handicap with .9514 and doubles with .9678. Singles machine, Brandon Deal, led the state with a .9928 singles average. Ladies’ high average winners were Deborah Ohye-Neilson with .9809 in singles, Katelynn Decker with .8926 in handicap, and Nicole Hood with .9419 in doubles. Deborah also had the high composite average of .9307 to claim the ladies’ team captain title. Captains of our other teams were Joseph Breck IV, .9272, junior/sub-junior; Ken Darroch, .9318, veteran; and Sheldon Hostetter, .9169, senior vet. Congratulations to all of our high average leaders, team captains and team members. To see the full list of State Team members, visit the PSSA website at www.pssashotgunning.org.

Target numbers have been released by the ATA for all clubs for the 2024 target year. There were 721 clubs in the U.S. that registered targets during 2024, and the PSSA finished with the third highest total with 1,943,400 registered targets thrown. Only the World Shooting and Recreational Complex and the Cardinal Center threw more targets. As a state, Pennsylvania had 54 clubs registering targets with a total of 3,439,375. Only three states had more than three million targets, with the other two being Illinois and Ohio. Of our 54 clubs, we had eight clubs throwing more than 50,000 targets and two more than 100,000. Leading the number of targets thrown was Bradford Gun Club with 165,450, while North End Rod & Gun Club ended with 110,425. The other clubs with over 50,000 were Valley Gun & Country Club, 83,700; North Side Sportsmens Association, 80,300; Greater Jackson Township Sportsmens Association, 77,900; Bedford County Sportsmens Club, 72,300; Ruffsdale Gun Club, 54,600; and Glen Rock Shooting Club, 52,200. Congratulations to all of the above clubs as well as all of the clubs and volunteers who turn out every week to support our target shooting at all of our clubs in the state. I’ve been to several clubs in the state this past year, and the teamwork from all of the members and volunteers has been a tremendous attribute in making all of our clubs successful. The endeavors of these volunteers stretch much farther than just the shoots themselves, as they range from ground and building maintenance, non-registered shoots, leagues, practice, social activities, kitchens and so much more. I personally appreciate all of the efforts put forth from so many and the welcoming atmospheres at all of the clubs I had the opportunity to visit this past year. Hopefully I’ll be able to visit even more in 2025.

Some changes will be taking place at the PSSA this coming year in regards to shoot dates. This will be the lineup for PSSA shoots in 2025: Keystone Open, May 16-18; Colonial Classic/Pennsylvania State Shoot, June 7-15; Pennsylvania Grand, July 4-6; ATA Eastern Zone, July 17-20; PSSA Summer Championships, Aug. 15-17; and Westy Hogans, Sept. 19-21.

The Westy Hogans will be a trial shoot in September, as everyone is aware of the labor situation that is present after the beginning of the school year. We have had several shooters indicate that they are willing to score a few rounds and/or load traps in order to have the Westy back in September. We will be relying on that willingness to have the shoot in September. If we have enough willingness, the idea is that help should not be required for more than three to five rounds per event. Again, this will be a trial as to whether we keep it in September for future years. More details will be posted on the PSSA website.

There are several other activities that will be taking place during the shoots and prior to shoots that are still in development. As those items come to fruition, updates will also be posted on the PSSA website.

Finally I would like to recognize Brian Zick of Hallstead on two milestone accomplishments. At the end of September, Brian made the 27-yard line while shooting at Silver Lake. The following week, while shooting at his home club of Hallstead-Great Bend, Brian attained his 25,000th registered handicap target. Congratulations, Brian, and best of luck on your next 25,000.

Steve Ross

ATA Alternate Delegate

Alabama

Happy New Year!

In the South, trapshooting has slowed down for the winter months. There are still shoots going on at some of the local clubs, so if you can, please support them. Also now is a good time to do some maintenance work, if needed, on your shotgun, shooting bag, glasses, etc.

Mark your calendar for the Southern Grand at the Silver Dollar March 9-16.

Joke of the month: A man was sitting on a bench outside a department store waiting for his wife. As he sat there, he was looking at a picture of a car on his phone, and he was crying.

When his wife came out of the store, she walked up to him, looked at him and asked, “Why are you crying?”

He showed her the phone and asked, “Do you remember this car?” She replied, “Yes, I do.”

He then asked her, “Do you remember the night your father, the judge, caught us in the backseat of the car?”

With a slight grin, she replied, “Yes.”

He then asked, ”Do you remember when he stuck that double barrel shotgun in the back window and pressed it against my head and said, “Boy, you’ve got two choices, you can marry my daughter, or you can go to prison for 20 years!”

Confused, she looked at him and said, “Yes, I do, but why are you crying?”

He replied, “I would have gotten out of prison today!”

Word of the month: Everwhichaways: To be scattered in all directions. “You should have been there when the train hit that chicken truck. Them chickens flew everywhichaways.”

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!

Recently I have been asked, “How can I make it into the Trap & Field Magazine?” Good question. A few ways come to mind, with 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, AAA or 27-yard line status. If you achieve any of these feats, please let me know. I can’t give you proper props if I don’t know.

The shooting season is upon us. We just completed National Trapshooting Day (and month), Cancer shoots (Shoot for the Cure and Cancer fundraiser for the Advent Health Care Foundation) and the FTA Fall Championship (see shootscoreboard.com for results). And survived two major hurricanes! All of the above shoots outperformed last year’s shoots in attendance and money raised. I have never seen such unity between fellow shooters. The FTA completed their summer singles league and has started a fall handicap league. See FloridaTrap.com for winners. On that same line, Chuluota, Flagler, NAS Jax, Palatka and Volusia Gun Clubs squared off with a Gun Club League. It appears that NAS Jax is leading with five points with Volusia in second with two points. I’ll keep you posted on this one.

ATA attainment awards and honorable mentions: 27-yard recognition, Larry Crismond and Lew Carns; 100K singles, Jake Jacobs; 25K handicap, Lorrie Bumsted Valois; first 25 straight, Charlie Nelson, Victor Fluxa, Luke Garvey and Jack Scudder (Jack’s 25 was in handicap); and 100 straight, Dax DeMena, Jake Hooper and Lew Carns.

A special shout-out goes to Jack Krouskroup and Don Kerce for their recruiting efforts. Jack, among other things, is responsible for team “Flagler Fillies” (Pamela Adams, Eileen McNamee, Marian Stone, Sandy Hunsuckle and Nina Loper). Don Kerce for all of the new AIM shooters. With efforts like theirs, the future of trapshooting looks bright.

ATA Rule of the Month:

Section IV, J. 18. While not prohibited, the practice of resting the muzzle of a shotgun on a shooter’s toe is not advised and discouraged. At no time shall the muzzle of a gun be rested on a shooter’s toe or ground while the action is closed.

Mike Reynolds

ATA Delegate

Kentucky

Kentucky shooters have continued to perform well at various shoots across the country over the last month. At the Nevada State Shoot, Dwayne Wilson and Herbert Lewis shot well, winning several trophies. In the Singles Championship, Herbert Lewis carded a perfect 200, giving him non-resident AAA honors, while Dwayne Wilson’s 199 landed him the non-resident sub-veteran trophy. At the Autumn Grand, Aaron Willoughby capped off a strong week with a 96 in the Handicap Championship that earned him runnerup honors.

The dead of winter is the perfect time to plan out shoots for the upcoming target year. Once again the 2025 Kentucky State Shoot will be held July 2-6 at Central Kentucky Gun Club in Berea. More information about the state shoot can be found at kytrap.com. The 2025 Southern Zone Shoot will be July 18-20 with telephonic sites, including Central Kentucky Gun Club, Coast Rifle & Pistol Club and Silver Dollar Shooters Club. We hope to see everyone at these tournaments and many others in the coming months.

Good luck and safe travels to all in the coming weeks.

Jack Holland

           ATA Delegate

Mississippi

If you look for it hard enough, there is a moral to every story. I am not a psychologist, never had a lesson, but I think you can see at least a couple of profound lessons in the following story:

There I was, sitting at the bar staring at my drink, when a large, trouble-making biker stepped up next to me. He grabbed my drink and gulped it down in one swig. “Well, whatcha gonna do about it?” he said menacingly. I burst into tears. “Come on, man,” the biker said. “I didn’t think you’d cry. I can’t stand to see a man crying.” “This is the worst day of my life,” I said. “I’m a complete failure. I was late to a meeting, and my boss fired me. When I went to the parking lot, I found my car had been stolen—and I don’t even have insurance. I left my wallet in the cab I took home. I found my wife with another man, and then my dog bit me. So I came to this bar to work up the courage to put an end to it all. I bought a drink, dropped a poison capsule in it, and was sitting here watching the poison dissolve. Then you show up and drink the whole thing! But enough about me,” I said, wiping my tears. “How’s your day going?”

Look at that again, both from the biker’s standpoint and the drinker’s standpoint. I will leave you with it.

The calendar has cranked over to a new year. Wow, how fast time flies these days. It seems only a few days ago we were finishing up our state shoot, and then “pop” and we were off to the Grand and “snap, crackle” and it was Christmas. Time stands still for no one, but, boy, I sure wish it would slow down a little. We have been in the 2025 target year for four months, and now we are rolling into the 2025 calendar year. I hope everyone is staying well and registering targets as you can.

The winter months are difficult on our Mississippi shooters, the same is true for other mid-south states. While the weather may be snowier and colder in other regions, it is not wetter or wetter/colder/wetter/windier/wetter than here.

Don’t wait until the last minute to try to build targets to avoid penalty. I know the Mississippi State Shoot target count to avoid penalty will be the same as last year: 1,000 singles, 500 doubles or 1,000 handicap targets in the current and previous target years combined. We are very lenient for target numbers, and thus all shooters should make it if they get out and hustle a little. Get on out there and support your local clubs and build your target counts in the process. If you look around, there are several excellent places to shoot ATA targets in Mississippi. Capitol Gun Club in central Mississippi, Starkville Gun Club and Whitetail Ridge in northeast Mississippi and Coast Rifle and Pistol Club in south Mississippi all have monthly trapshoots set on the ATA calendar. Visit the ATA site for dates and programs.

Again I am going to remind you about equipment maintenance. Do not put off any needed adjustments, additions, repairs and/or cleaning your guns and equipment may need. Do not wait until just before important shooting events to catch up on preventative maintenance, cleaning and lubrication. Having things ready will generally result in a more harmonious outcome.

The 2025 Mississippi State Trapshoot will be May 22-25 at Capitol Gun Club, located between Jackson and Clinton. Preparation of the program has started, and shoot plans are being made. Please make plans to attend and support the shoot and the efforts of those working to put this all together.

Everyone, be safe, and I look forward to seeing you on the trapline.

Will McCarty

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

Hello from the Palmetto State!

I am once again excited to recognize shooting achievements in our South Carolina information. The first is for William (Bill) Patterson, 25,000 singles targets shot. Bill began shooting in 2016, and his home club is Horry Chapter Wildlife Action Gun Club in Galivants Ferry. Our second shooter is Trinity Morris for her shooting recognition on the 2025 AIM All-State South Carolina Junior Team High Singles Averages. Trinity’s singles average for 2024 was .9240. Trinity began shooting in 2020 and shoots primarily out of Mid-Carolina Gun Club in Orangeburg and Partridge Creek Gun Club outside of Charleston. Congratulations, Bill and Trinity, on these achievements.

Another shooter I would like to recognize for a personal achievement is Dave Vosseller, who also shoots out of Partridge Creek Gun Club. On Nov. 16, while competing at Mid-Carolina Gun Club, Dave shot his first registered 25 straight in the singles event. He then followed that accomplishment up with his first registered 25 straight in the handicap event. Congratulations, Dave, on a day of great shooting and one to certainly remember.

We had two South Carolina shooters, Garry Welch and John Pendergast, who traveled to the Dixie Trap & Gun Club in Mathews, AL, for the 2024 Fred Jensen Rebel Yell Oct. 26-27. Both shooters came back to the Palmetto State with trophies: Garry won veteran trophies for Event 2 Preliminary Handicap and events 4 and 5, combined 200 handicap targets, and John won Class C doubles in Event 3.

The South Carolina Trapshooters’ Association has announced the dates for our Hall of Fame Shoot, April 5-6 at the Greenville Gun Club, and our state shoot, April 30-May 4 at the North Carolina Homegrounds. We hope you will consider these two shoots for your shooting season, and we look forward to seeing you there.

I hope you all have a wonderful 2024-2025 shooting season, and thank you all for your support of our sport.

Hope to see you shooting soon.

Teresa Knight

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

Welcome to 2025. I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

I’m proud to announce the 2025 Tennessee All State Team, based on 2024 composite averages: Robert Smith, .9631; Mitchel Loveless, .9623; Caleb Clayton, .9601; Colby Lancaster, .9535; Brady Duren, .9486; Jacob Duren, .9410; Hallie Jacobs, .9341; Richie Bolin, .9300; Clint Parson, .9241; Hunter McCoy, .9241. Categories: open, Benjamin Bradley .8580; Lady I, Mikayla Dickson, .9115; Lady II, Kathryn Cooper, .7813; sub-junior, Alexander Gannon, .9271; junior first, Drew Hoekstra, .9162; junior second, Trevor Lance, .9073; junior third, Casen Stewart, .8907; junior gold first, Colton Phillips, .9395; junior gold second, Heath Whitney, .9267; sub-vet, Rick Sweeney, .9237; veteran, Mike Burnette, .9227; senior vet, Walter Kern, .9079.

Read the rulebook, please.

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

Billy Cook

ATA Ex-Officio

Louisiana

There’s not much to report on, shooting-wise, due to very small crowds and shoot rainouts.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season. Happy New Year to all! It’s time to start looking forward to this new year’s shoots. They’ll be starting in earnest before we know it. Get your equipment cleaned up, tuned up and ready to go.

Check out our website www.latrap.org. There’s information on registered shoots of interest to our shooters, the scores/winners of our Louisiana shoots, and information on all the gun clubs in Louisiana that host registered shoots. Feel free to drop me a note to [email protected] if you have any news or comments you would like highlighted.

Jim Jenkins

ATA Delegate

Missouri

Merry Christmas and happy New Year to everyone. I hope you met or exceeded at least some of the goals you set in 2024 and now on to 2025. As I write this report, Thanksgiving is still in the rearview mirror. While we all may not agree on political issues as citizens of the United States, we have so much to be thankful for. For instance, how many countries around the world can enjoy shooting sports and hunting as we do here in the U.S.? I am also thankful for all the friends I have made around the country because of my travels related to clay target shooting, as I am sure that a lot of you have as well. I also want to take this opportunity to thank all the gun club management and staff for all the hours you put in so that we, the shooters, can enjoy the sport of clay target shooting. So many of the smaller clubs are all volunteer help and receive no compensation for their hard work. Please give them a kind thank you for all they do the next time you see them.

Since I missed my report last month, I am now playing catch up. It’s that time of the year to recognize shooters who have attained some of their goals, such as making All-American Teams, the best of the best in the ATA. On behalf of the MTA Board of Directors, I want to congratulate the following Missouri shooters who were selected for the ATA All-American Teams: open first, Zachari Nannini; open second, Patrick Hopson; Lady I first, Anna Rawe; Lady I second, Hanna Hopson; sub-junior second, Grady Fallert; junior first, Andrew Herbig; junior second, Charlie Stone; junior gold first, Jordan Ziercher; junior gold second, Wyatt Newby and Ian Kutilek; sub-veteran first, David Deitch; sub-veteran second, Marvin Beumer; veteran second, Steven J. Fuller and James K. Frost; senior vet first, Gary Gooch; chairshooter, Ziggy Tkaczenko, captain.

On the state level, the results are in for the 2025 Missouri state teams. Again, on behalf of the MTA BOD, I would like to congratulate the following shooters who made the teams:

Men’s—captain Zachari Nannini, Patrick Hopson, Curtis Biggerstaff, Justin Ballantyne, Habe Darr. Ladies’—captain Hannah Hopson, Marin McKinney, Anna Rawe, Millicent LaBoube, McKenzie Albers. Sub-junior—captain Grady Fallert, Grayson Bradshaw, Levi Carden, Adrec Keeteman, Keeton Johnson. Junior—captain Thomas Burton, Andrew Herbig, Charlie Stone, Derick Gerding, Braden Elbert. Junior gold—captain Jordan Ziercher, Wyatt Newby, Ian Kutilek. Sub-vet—captain David Deitch, Marvin Beumer, Michael Brown, Richard Thompson, Steven Charles. Veteran—captain David Hull, James Frost, Steven J. Fuller, Rick Fuller, Bob Glatz. Senior vet—captain Gary Gooch, G. Runyon, Jack Morris, David Smith, Troy Ellis. Chairshooter—captain Ziggy Tkaczenko.

While registered shooting is pretty much over until next spring, there are still clubs around the state that host fun shoots, derbies or just plain old practice shooting. Now more than ever, all of these clubs need your support. Most of the clubs are throwing fewer targets each year. Let’s face it, targets in the air are what keep the doors open at these facilities. You don’t miss what you have until it’s gone. While KCTA is not gone, just shut down from the tornado damage, this year has been very difficult to get in some shooting between the registered shoots; that’s my excuse for this year, lol. While it looks like most of the hurdles may be behind KCTA, it still may be a while before the clubhouse is rebuilt and the facility once again has targets in the air. If you have not been thanked for the donations that have been made to aid in the rebuilding of the clubhouse, I personally want to extend a thank you for doing so. As I said earlier, most all gun clubs rely on the support of the shooters to stay afloat.

NKJV 1 Thessalonians 4:16—Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

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

Shoot often, shoot well and be safe!

Stephen Ricketts

           ATA Delegate

Texas

Howdy from Texas!

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

I want to start off by recognizing Tim Nester, who made a monetary donation to the Amarillo Gun Club. Mr. Nester has been shooting for more than 20 years and has recently begun taking lessons from Trapshooting Hall of Famer Britt Robinson. He is retired and wanted to contribute to the Amarillo Gun Club to improve the trap program and the state and zone shoots. The gun club was formed in 1905 and is now in its third location. The current location was acquired in 1954 and needs several updates. I mention him in this article because I want him to know how much everyone appreciates his donation. I also understand that he is a veteran, so thank him for his service.

I want to mention Percy Caraballo from New York. He came down to Texas and attended several shoots, including Old San Antonio Gun Club, Ft. Worth Trap and Skeet, and El Paso Trap and Skeet. From there I believe he attended the Autumn Grand, so he has been on the go. We really appreciate him coming to Texas and shooting with us, and I really enjoyed visiting with him at El Paso.

The Texas Zone II shoot held in El Paso went off smoothly. The targets were good, and the food there is some of the best you will find. Thanks to Richard Leos and everyone else at El Paso Trap and Skeet for their hard work; they never disappoint.

Texas was also well represented at the 2024 Autumn Grand with the third most attendance of any state behind Arizona and California. Congratulations to all the winners and especially to the 2024 Autumn Grand handicap champion, J. R. Long, with a 96 and also to Jake Hamm, who had his first 100 in doubles. Several other Texas shooters had strong showings. For a complete list of the winners, please visit our website listed below. Yaani-Mai Gaddy has been doing a fantastic job of keeping the website updated and recognizing everyone who won trophies.

If you have anything you would like me to mention in this article, please email me with the details, and I will do my best to include it in the next one. Be sure to visit the TTA website (shoottta.org) to see other news and upcoming events. As always, I would like to encourage you to volunteer at your local club and support youth shooters. Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me or one of the current TTA officers. We will be glad to help.

Again, thanks for your support, and I will see you at the next one.

Billy Hopson

ATA Delegate

Idaho

Well, I’ll start off with some sad news.

Charles Randle, a longtime Idaho shooter and a member of our state Hall of Fame passed away Dec. 3. He was 94. He was inducted into our state Hall of Fame in 2018. My records show he was shooting registered targets as early as 1958 and had amassed well over a quarter of a million targets! During his career he made the ATA All-American second team and the Idaho first and second team numerous times. Some of his contributions to the sport include helping new and youth shooters. He donated guns and shells to many of the youths as well as trap machines and voice calls to various clubs in Washington. He exemplifies some of the people that make our sport great.

You can find his obituary at www.shortsfuneralchapel.com/obituaries/charles-randle.

This month I’d like to write another biography about a longtime shooter who has shot registered targets all over the state for 60+ years. Many of you know Guy Johnson, who started shooting in Lewiston as a youth, and he now resides in Boise. He still acts like a youngster! He remembers the first time he ever shot at a target. He remembers it because he was nine years old and hit nine targets. He really enjoyed it, so his father bought him his first trap gun (a Model 31 Remington) when he was 13, and he paid back the $175 it cost by mowing lawns and hand setting traps.

His first registered shoot was the famous Camas Prairie Shoot in 1965. He won the sub-junior singles trophy with 173, shooting that same Remington which he still has today.

Trapshooting has been a big part of the Johnson family for four generations. The Father’s Day Shoot at Nez Perce has been one of the annual Johnson family participations since 1965. It is so steeped in family tradition, that his son flies in from Arizona every year to compete for the parent-child trophy.

Guy has won at least five category state singles championships. He says he might have more except he often had the “one target” syndrome, losing by one either in the main event or one in the shootoff.

One story I like of Guy’s was in a singles marathon he had a 200 straight (his first), and on his next hundred he had a “blooper,” with the wad clearing the barrel, giving him a lost target for a 99. Thus he missed a 300 straight while watching the shot dribble out of his barrel and the wad landing a few feet in front of him.

Guy is well known for his “bent barrel” trap gun. It’s an 870 Wing Master with a 34-inch barrel that has an obvious bend to make it shoot higher. Anyone standing 20 yards to the side can see the bend. He shot that gun for 47 years. He had to re-bend the barrel periodically because he shot it so much it would eventually straighten out. One of the methods Guy used for bending the barrel was to pry it over the spare tire of his 1972 Grand Torino. (I wouldn’t have the nerve). It seemed to work for him, and this was the gun he used to best me in competition many times. It was also the one that he nearly had the 300 straight with.

Guy currently serves on the Idaho Trapshooting Hall of Fame Board of Directors and on the Idaho Shotgun Sports Museum Committee located at the Boise Gun Club. He is a regular historian and has a whole book full of newspaper clippings from the days when they printed trapshooting scores (including weekly Camas scores) in the local newspapers. Nowadays it’s on the web or in Trap & Field Magazine. Guy and his wife Elicia annually contribute financially to the Idaho State Shoot He is a die-hard and nostalgic member of our sport and is just a few targets away from 100,000 lifetime ATA targets. Thanks, Guy, for keeping our sport going strong.

On a final note, we are getting ready to start up the Camas Prairie League. By the time you read this, we will be well into it with more than 800 participants, and we’ll have an idea of who’s at the head of the leaderboard!

Leonard Wehking

ATA Delegate

Montana

Winter has officially hit northwest Montana with single digits and a white Thanksgiving. With the general hunting season ending, meat shoots, fun shoots, Big 50s and black light shoots have kicked into high gear across the state, welcoming all to partake in the trapshooting festivities.

To the west, the 406 Clay Target Team (AIM youth) introduced a five-week fundraiser of Friday Night Cosmic Lights to the Flathead Valley. The concept was a success, headlining the front page of the local newspaper. Thompson Falls Trap Club and Plains Trap Club have meat shoots on the calendar, and Missoula Trap Club hosted a Big 50 under the lights and a Ladies’ Fall League.

East of the Divide, the Triangle Area Meat Shoots (Fairfield, Choteau, Augusta, Great Falls) are in full swing with the weekend schedule packed through the first of April. Chinook Rod & Gun Club hosted a Halloween blacklight shoot, and the Denton, Helena and Butte trap clubs also capitalized on the cooler temps to host groups to fun shoots with meat prizes.

Montanans looking to hold on to the warmer weather for a bit longer made their way to Las Vegas and Tucson. NSTA stepped it up again with top-notch hospitality, awards, after dark games and a great time. Members of the MSTA showed up at the Autumn Grand to win, and scores reflected just that. Congratulations to all who attended both events.

AIM Western Zone medals have been delivered, and Montana was well represented. D.J. Waldo joined a group of five 99s for shared junior gold HOA. Jaden Schreckendgust claimed junior gold Class B runnerup with 95. Aiden DeLong tied for junior gold Class C winner/runnerup with 95. Ryan Fleming and Nick Doty were also in a group of five 99s for shared HOA junior third. Gabriel Boucher tied for junior C runnerup with 97, and Vin Stevens tied for junior D with 97. Mason Baker and Jacob Cesnik were in a group of four 97s for shared sub-junior third HOA. Gabe Allen and Jeremiah Perkins tied for sub-junior AA third with 93. Blake Vogel and Corbin Vogel claimed sub-junior Class A third and sub-junior B third, respectively. Joseph Barone and Axel Hedman won outright sub-junior Class C winner (95) and pre-sub HOA victor (87). Junior gold team HOA winners were 406 Clay Target Team. Members were Nathan Lemos, Joseph Barone, Aiden DeLong, Kimber Boll and Tucker Morin. Junior gold team HOA runnerup included Blane Olson, Jaden Schreckendgust, Ryan Fleming, Julian St. Marie and John Hartle. Junior gold team HOA third-place winners were Brady Edgren, Troy Crenshaw, Anthony Lasa, Corey Thurston and D.J. Waldo (both also of Team 406). Hats off to you all!

Andrew Kelly

ATA Delegate

Nevada

The spectacular 77th Nevada State Trapshooting Tournament is in the books. What a shoot, and what a party it was. More than 500 shooters from 38 states and two Canadian provinces threw lead at over 600,000 targets during the 10-day shoot, held at the Clark County Shooting Complex (CCSC) in Las Vegas. Gold giveaways, silver giveaways, Annie Oakleys, cosmic trap, Back Fence Shootout, silver shootoffs and more kept gun barrels hot. There were free lunches, free dinners, ice cream trucks and free drinks. More than 5,000 free meals were served to shooters and friends. Further, shooters and friends enjoyed evening poker tournaments, bingo tournaments and even a Halloween party. There was a special event with more than $40,000 that was won in the championship handicap. It was an amazing 10 days of shooting and activities.

State shoot event winners were covered comprehensively in the Nevada State Shoot Trap & Field article in the January issue. However, a few mentions are appropriate here. There were some great winning scores posted by resident shooters in the championship events. Jon Slinker bested all Nevada shooters with 97 to claim the doubles title. Jon also won the HAA with 386. In the championship singles, Rich Bullard smashed 199 to become singles champion. The Handicap Championship was claimed by up-and-coming new shooter, Harry Terzian, with 96.

HOA winners were: high gun, Kyle Hoffmeyer; runnerup, Jon Slinker; AAA, Evan Martin; AA, Jack Wang; A, Eli Walker; B, Carlos Francisco Rodriguez; C, Angel Diaz; D, Oscar Diaz; sub-junior, Juan Carlos Rodriguez; junior, Orion Cooper; Lady I, Jasmine Hicks; Lady II, Deb Main; sub-vet, Bullard; veteran, Kenneth D. James; senior vet, Danny Talbot.

HAA winners included: champion, Jon Slinker; runnerup, Bill Daniels; AAA, Wang; AA, Mark Dagher; A, Carl Hoffmeyer; B, Carlos Rodriguez; C, Sam Ford; D, Terzian; sub-junior, Juan Carlos Rodriguez; junior, Cooper; junior gold, Austin Santellan; Lady I, Hicks; Lady II, Main; sub-vet, Bullard; veteran, James; senior vet, Talbot.

In addition to the many activities, gold, silver and myriad trophies given away to shooters, the Nevada State Trapshooting Association (NSTA) did many things to attract new shooters to the tournament. For example, free ammunition was provided to every junior and sub-junior, both residents and non-residents, who wanted to shoot the championship singles event. The ATA provided free annual memberships. Because of these efforts, several new shooters joined the ATA and participated in the events.

One such shooter is 11-year-old Westley Fitzpatrick of Las Vegas, who shot his first ATA registered targets at the state shoot. He returned a week later to shoot the NSTA First Sunday Social Shoot. Westley participated in the After School Trap League and the Silver State Clay Breakers programs.

In other November action, the First Sunday Social Shoot was held on the second Sunday of the month because of the state shoot running into November. Forty-four shooters decided to sharpen their skills Nov. 9 at the First Sunday Social Shoot at CCSC. In the handicap, Leticia Slinker and Sean Steele were high with 47s. In the singles, Talbot, Merle Acampora, Leticia and Jon Slinker, John White and Wang all broke 50 straight. Jon Slinker won the doubles with 48.

Next, at the Nov. 22 NSTA Race for the Buckle Big 50, 46 shooters faced cold desert winds and intermittent rain at CCSC. Singles winners were James, Jared Steeley and Don Mayhall with 49s. The winds got colder and stronger for the handicap. Mike Petrisko won the doubles with a very respectable 47 given challenging conditions.

The coveted Race for the Championship Buckles was decided and awarded at the NSTA Big 50 Dec. 13 at CCSC.

In the meantime, let’s remember it’s a game. Have fun out there!

           Danny Talbot

           ATA Delegate

 

New Zealand

First of all, thank you to everyone who traveled to the Nov. 29-30 shoot at Taupo Trap Club. A great time was had by all. A few results from the weekend:

Saturday, Event 1, 50-pair doubles: A, Roger Bidois, 92; B, Ben Thomassen, 81; C, Bill Harkness, 81. Event 2, 50-pair doubles: A, Bidois, 89; B, Vinny Butcher, 80; C, John Harkness, 87. Event 3. 100 singles: A, Grant Nilsson, John Harkness and Steven Pearson, 97; B, Glen Raymond, 94; C, Harkness 90. Sunday, Event 4, 100 singles: A, Warenn Le Pironnec, 97; B, Graeme Williams, 97; C, Bill Harkness 94. Event 5, 100 handicap: Darryl Remnant, 93 (got punched half a yard!); Dave Cundy, 92; John Harkness and Graeme Williams, 90. All done by 2 p.m. Great effort by all to make the shoot flow quickly.

Glen Raymond, Grant Nilsson, John Harkness and Graeme Williams ran 50s in the singles events, so they got long run badges from the ATA.

           Paul Basten

           ATA Delegate

Utah

Winter in Utah can be a challenge, to say the least. With icy roads, freezing temperatures and mountains of snow, shooting trap gets pretty low on most people’s priority lists. This year, December was extremely warm for our part of the country, and while there was only one registered shoot on the schedule, I am sure many folks took advantage of the nice weather to head out to their gun clubs for some extra practice days.

Purgatory Clay Sports had their Dec. 6-7 tournament, and the turnout was very good. In the Event 1 singles, Steve Johnson and Joe Atkin each broke scores of 99 to top the leaderboard. Bobby Street broke 97 and was high by four birds in the mid-day handicap, while Casey Fitzgerald had a five-target lead to win the doubles with 97. On Sunday Jon Slinker (NV) took home the top prize with 93, and Jaxson Johnson broke 96 in the Event 5 handicap. The final event of the weekend was a handicap that saw Jim Wilson and Jared Steeley each break scores of 92 to lead the way.

Special congratulations go out to Utah’s shooters who made the All-American Teams for their 2025 shooting performances. Pam Wright was named to the Lady II first team with 1,426 points. She was the only Utah shooter to earn first-team All-American status. Sean Hawley and Leslie Hight were named to the open and Lady I second teams, while Kooper Freston and Grayson Stuart made the sub-junior and junior gold second teams. Scott Syme and Joe Sudbury became members of the sub-veteran and senior veteran second teams with their 2025 shooting performances. Congratulations to all!

Looking forward to spring, Purgatory Clay Sports and the Spanish Fork Gun Club will be hosting shoots in March. Ogden Gun Club and Spanish Fork will be throwing registered tournaments in April, and Ogden, Spanish Fork and Helper will all have shoots in May. Please go out and support these clubs this coming spring.

Hopefully everyone had a great holiday season and are looking forward to a wonderful 2026.

Sharred Oaks

ATA Delegate

 

Washington

Is spring almost here? After a mostly mild, rainy and windy December, we were hit with a big blast of winter the day after Christmas. With the Colton Gun Club hosting the first registered shoot of the new year in February, it seems to make those thoughts of spring stand front and center. We will be preparing for the Camas Prairie Handicap next month then the shooting season really gets rolling in April and May. After the winter months, we are all more than ready to hit the road to all the region’s clubs for ATA targets.

The WSTA winter directors meeting was held in Ritzville Dec. 13. As of this writing, the decision as to where the state shoot will be held has not been determined yet. By the time you read this, we will have a host site secured and information posted on shootwsta.com. With the rising cost of targets, trophies and labor, the board has been negotiating with bidding clubs to get the best value and provide top-notch experiences for shooting participants. Of course, the best support for the WSTA Championships is provided by the shooters who attend and have a good time. Bring a friend, a new shooter or a shooter who has been sitting out for a while and wants to get involved again. With your help and program entries, we will make it a successful shoot June 25-28. We look forward to seeing you!

The board of directors would like to thank Frances Tully for taking on treasurer duties for the association with the departure of Brian James after many years of service. Frances’ retail management experience and her shooting endeavors make her a perfect fit. You may have seen her photo a few times while collecting trophies.

Dr. Laura Winkel has stepped up again to help with trophies and the silent auction for this year’s state shoot. Laura needs no introduction, as she’s graced the pages of Trap & Field as a multi-time state champion and All-American. Love of trapshooting is why shooters like Laura and Frances give back through volunteerism, and it is very much appreciated.

We have another honoree to be inducted into the WSTA Hall of Fame this June as well. I’m not going to let the cat out of the bag just yet, but you will not be surprised, as this competitor has an impressive list of accomplishments in just over 20 years of trapshooting and no doubt many more to come. I’ll drop more hints as time goes by, as I get more of this shooter’s history down on paper and a proper tribute ironed out.

I should have much more to talk about in the next installment as the ATA targets fly more frequently. Until then I will keep cranking shells out of the loader and preparing to see you all at clubs all over Washington.

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

WSTA Director

Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces.

Trap clubs around the Atlantic Provinces have been quiet this fall, as shooters have shifted their focus from the trap fields to the hunting fields. Seems like many trapshooters are taking full advantage of the nice fall weather to hunt moose, rabbit, grouse, waterfowl and ptarmigan.

The Petitcodiac Sportsman’s Club, the Highland Gun Club and the St. John’s Rod and Gun Club participated in the inaugural Coast to Coast Shoot that was organized by the Canadian Trapshooting Association. On Sept. 13, 258 shooters at 17 clubs from across Canada participated in the 300-target tournament. It was a great shoot with some unique administrative challenges, including a four-and-a-half hour time difference between clubs on the east and west coasts. That meant that the British Columbia clubs were just starting as clubs in the Atlantic Provinces were finishing. Congratulations to HOA champion James S. MacLean of Alberta, who took the tie-breaker win over Alberta’s Garry Hill. Lynn Smith, also from Alberta, won the ladies’ HOA and Saskatchewan’s Jackson Fennell took the junior HOA. Complete results are available on www.shootcanada.ca.

The St. John’s Rod and Gun Club’s Memorial Shoot was scheduled for early November, and the club added the Bob Nightingale “Two Box” event to the shoot. Bob was a longtime club member and ATA shooter who passed away earlier this year. He was one of the more seasoned and veteran shooters at the club when I joined in 1998 and helped me transition into the organizational side of things in my early days. Bob was also a competitive shooter and active club member who was always available with advice and to lend a hand with club projects. Bob developed heart problems a few years ago, and shooting 100-target events became too much for him physically. When he had the energy, Bob would show up with two boxes of shells, shoot two rounds, have a chat, enjoy his time at the club then head home. A “Two Box” event seems very appropriate.

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

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a happy New Year.

I can be reached at [email protected].

Andrea Bassan

ATA Delegate

Connecticut

Greetings, shooters!

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. The annual meeting of the CTA was held in October. President Noelle Feucht and Secretary Anne Freestone were unanimously reelected as were newly-elected Treasurer Glenn Van Moffaert and Vice President Bob Hruskocy. Association club shoot dates for the 2026 season were selected as well.

I am excited to announce this year’s Connecticut State Team achievement winners: Dave Bicknell, Randy Fairchild, John Russo Jr., Matt Wahl, Russ Gann, Jeff Swiderski, Dave DeGregorio, Marty Palmer, Hani Hafez, Jim LaFrance.

Congratulations to all! Please visit the CTA website cttrap.com for a complete list of high averages by category and shooting schedules for next year.

I wish you all the very best for a very happy Hanukkah and merry Christmas!

Cheryll Pittera

ATA Delegate

New York

Hello from New York. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the holiday season. I know that I am.

The Multi-State Shoot was conducted Oct. 17-19, and the New York State ATA participated in the event at the homegrounds in Bridgeport. The turnout for participation was excellent, and New York State led in shooters against the other 10 states during the first five events. In Event 1, New York had 56 shooters; Event 2, 45; Event 3, 30; Event 4, 62; and Event 5, 37. New York tied with Pikes Peak Gun Club with 30 shooters in Event 6, and in Event 7, New York State had 34 shooters, one behind Brittany Shooting Park. This was an excellent turnout at the homegrounds, which we never expected. Thank you to all those shooters who participated. New York State plans to participate again next year.

Some target attainments to mention. Mike Waschitz has registered 100,000 handicap targets. James F. Wright has fired at 100,000 singles targets. Joe Morsch has shot at 75,000 singles targets. Tom Lander has registered 50,000 singles targets. Attaining 25,000 singles targets are Beverly Davies, Steve Demerac and Sari Rasas. Finally, registering 25,000 doubles targets are Joe Regan and David Kestler. Good going, everyone, and keep registering those ATA targets.

I would like to mention ATA shooter Robert Lauer. Rob has been registering targets since 1995, and he has told me that he now has some failing health. Some of Rob’s accomplishments are: 100,000 registered targets combined, and he has had two 200 straights in singles, one at the Westy Hogans and one at the Eastern Zone. Both were at the PSSA Homegrounds in Elysburg, PA. Rob has a New York State silver pin for breaking a 100 straight at the homegrounds. Rob made the 27-yard line at the Connecticut State Shoot. His high score in doubles was 98 at San Antonio, TX, at the Southwestern Grand. Rob’s first 100 straight was at Connecticut. Rob has all the trophies for these achievements. He also has trophies from smaller shoots with 100 straights. Good shooting over the years, Rob.

To all, please have a happy holiday season for you and your families.

Anyone who wishes to have something written in one of these articles, please feel free to contact me by phone at 585-519-9543 or email me at [email protected]. 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 in late October, registered trapshooting is over for now and will start up again in the spring of next year. Many registered trapshooters are participating in non-registered leagues. Participation numbers, initially at least, are trending upwards. As usual, only a small percentage of league shooters also shoot registered targets. The fall is quite busy for many shooters. Lots go to the hunt camp up north doing maintenance work and readying the camp for the big show. Then when the seasons open, the hunt is on for moose and/or deer, and there are lots of partridge that can be harvested by a light gauge shotgun like a .410 or even a .22 caliber rifle.

We used to travel to Moosonee and then down the Moose River to set up on the mud flats. But the “wavys” (small geese) tasted like mud. Local migratory game birds—ducks and “Canada” geese—are plentiful locally and taste great. They should because they eat the best of foods. I stopped hunting migratory game birds a number of years ago because I won’t harvest them and waste the meat, and few people want to cook and eat wild game anymore. This is disappointing to me because wild game is the best. To illustrate this, a number of years ago a young girl in eastern Ontario had a medical condition which resulted in her not being able to eat any meat products commercially available because of the hormones and other additives in processed meat. She needed the protein but couldn’t get it from any domestic meat source. She could, however, consume wild meat. Nobody in her family were hunters. She was stuck. A conservation club I belong to found out about this young lady’s plight and offered to organize a hunt day and give her all the game we got. It was the middle of winter, and rabbit hunting was tough. Nevertheless, we got quite a few snow hares, cottontails and a few big jack rabbits. The genuine “thank yous” from this little girl and her parents made it all worth it. Don’t let anyone tell you that wild game is second rate; it isn’t. True Native Americans always used to give thanks to their religious deity and cherished the flesh that this animal provided for their sustenance. Domestic or wild, keep in mind that a living animal was killed to feed us. It is easy to overlook this when meat is acquired from the grocery store or in the wild. Marksmanship is always important. In some places in Europe, if you only wound an animal who eventually suffers and usually dies, then you are in deep trouble and your hunting privileges are often revoked.

As with trapshooting, accuracy is paramount. You have the skills. Use them both for trapshooting and hunting if you are a hunter.

Paul Shaw

ATA Delegate

Alabama

Christmas is right around the corner, and I wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year! Have a healthy and safe one.

It’s that time of the year when your trapshooting season starts slowing down or comes to a screeching halt. Now is a good time to work on some of your equipment. I know all of y’all clean your firearm after every shoot, but now is a good time to really clean it. Check out your choke tubes, tighten any screws that are loose, check out your pad and if needed, replace it.

Joke of the month: What’s the difference between swine flu and bird flu? One requires oink-ment, and the other requires tweet-ment!

Word of the month: Munts. The 12 units into which the calendar year is divided. “Ah hadn’t seen Bob in about three munts.”

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!

November was upon us, and you know what that meant. It was shoot’n season in Florida. Yeehaw! So find a club and start shoot’n (https://shootata.com/Shoots-Clubs-States-Zones/stateID/FL or see Shoot Directory in this issue).

Recently I have been asked, “How can I make it into the Trap & Field Magazine?” Good question. A few ways come to mind, with 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 status or the 27-yard line.

Year-end stuff

Florida members of the All-American Team: Lady II first team, Lorrie Bumsted Valois; junior first, Cody Meredith; sub-veteran first, Carl Chadwell (captain); senior veteran second, Mark Zauhar; and chairshooter, John Ent Jr.

The Florida State Teams have been calculated, but you will have to wait until the Florida State Shoot to see who made the team (I might be able to be bribed to tell sooner).

Congratulations, Alex Riera, on 50K singles.

Imperial Polk Gun Club was a 2025 Gun Club Fund recipient.

Oct. 1-31 is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Florida trapshooters, seasoned and novice alike, showed up in full force to help support the cure for not only breast cancer but all types of cancer, and it was awesome. I was at the Silver Dollar Shooters Club participating, but that was by no means the only club. It seemed like a record number of shooters showed up this year. I was on Squad 31, so you figure five people per squad times 31 (and I don’t think I was on the last squad), at least 155 shooters plus family members, so we are talking at least a couple of hundred folks turned up to support the cause. I want to express appreciation to all of the help and volunteers who made the Breast Cancer Awareness Shoot successful. If it weren’t for y’all, none of these kinds of events could happen.

Saturday, the day before the cancer shoot, the Knights of Columbus put on a trapshoot, and it was the dangdiest thing. I didn’t know much about the Knights of Columbus, so I Googled them. They are a global fraternal service organization for Catholic men founded in 1882. The organization is guided by the principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. I saw all of that. I attached a few very interesting pictures of the clergy. Tell me what you think. Their were miles of smiles from all the participants.

ATA Bylaw:

Section XIII, G

(Effective Rule Changes)

3. Any load with a velocity greater than 1,290 FPS (Feet Per Second) with maximum shot charge weight of 1 1/8 ounces, or 1,325 FPS with a maximum shot charge weight of one ounce, or 1,350 FPS with a maximum shot charge weight of 7/8 ounce or less, as measured in any individual shotshell. These velocities are maximum, and no individual shotshell shall exceed these limits for the designated shot charge weight. In addition, no load containing more than 1 1/8 ounce or any shot larger than No. 7 1/2 can be used. Shot charge weights are maximum, and no charge weight may exceed the weight amount by more than 3%. Steel shot in No. 7 maximum size No. 6 (equivalent to No. 8 lead) will be acceptable as long as velocity criteria are the same as for lead shotshells.

Mike Reynolds

ATA Delegate

Mississippi

From trapshooting friends in Mississippi to all, merry Christmas. May your days be merry and bright. Happy New Year, wishing all your targets fly straight. Have a wonderful holiday season.

Like all youngsters, I eagerly waited for Christmas and opening presents. The best gifts were bicycles and electric trains. Now, years later, we sometimes get a Christmas present while shooting trap. Sometimes we think we’ve missed a target and are surprised when the scorer sees a chip come off the bird. There are times though that the opposite happens. Instead of a present, we get “ashes and switches and bowlegged britches.” For me, it’s the “ole miss a target, so go ahead and miss the next one too.” It’s Mr. Grinch, “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch,” showing up and stealing targets, just like presents from the Whos in Whoville. It seems to happen mostly when everything is working well.

Mississippi news: the Fall Classic was held at the Coast Rifle and Pistol Club in Biloxi Oct. 16-19. As usual, it was an excellent shoot in nice, early fall weather with a total of 70 shooters from nine states coming together to enjoy the shoot and the beautiful Mississippi Gulf Coast. Nine events were featured with 1,000 targets over the four days. Along with nice trophies for the warm-up and preliminary events, an outstanding trophy package was provided for the championship events, consisting of 42 silver coins. Each day a continental breakfast and scrumptious lunch were provided for all in attendance. Certainly a good time was had by all.

The Coast Rifle and Pistol Club appreciates all who attended from near and far away. All are invited to next year’s Fall Classic. Keep your calendar clear for mid October, the week after the Crusin’ the Coast classic car event. Information and schedule will be published well in advance.

Fall Classic champions and runnerups: Warm-Up Singles, Michael Beverin, Brooks Barnett. Warm-Up Handicap: Barnett, William Burke. Warm-Up Doubles: Lewis Knack, Barnett. Preliminary Doubles: Jonathan Baker, Knack. Preliminary Handicap: Wade Emerson, Baker. Preliminary Singles: Knack, Barnett. Championship Singles: Baker, Maddox Schulte. Championship Doubles: Baker, Knack. Championship Handicap: Emerson, Tony Kirk. Winners in class and category can be found on shootscoreboard.com.

Congratulations go out to Joy Hollis for shooting her 100,000th target and making Lady II All-American. We are very proud of you, Joy, and know your many friends are also.

Fall is nearly over; the first day of winter comes on Dec. 21. Although doves, deer, ducks and football may slow things down here in the deep South, trapshooting continues with mild temps and sunny days. Come on down and shoot with us; we’ll be glad to see you at Capitol Gun Club in Jackson, Coast Rifle and Pistol Club in Biloxi, Starkville Gun Club and Whitetail Ridge Outdoors in Blue Springs.

Bill Burke

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

Hello from the Palmetto State!

It is with sadness that I report to you the passing of a South Carolina trapshooter, John R. Stillwagon Sr. John passed away Oct. 4 at the age of 82. He began his shooting career in 1971 and has registered targets of 241,150 in the three disciplines combined. John was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame in 1997 and won numerous titles in South Carolina as well as out of state.

South Carolina had 40 shooters attend the 2025 Dixie Grand Oct. 7-10, held at the North Carolina Homegrounds in Bostic. South Carolina had 11 shooters who won trophies as follows: Event 1 singles, Mike Roth, D, 97. Event 2 handicap, Doug Stenback, winner, 98. Event 3 doubles, John Pendergast, C, 93. Event 5 doubles, Garry Welch, D, 91. Event 6 doubles, Kenny Inman, vet runnerup, 96, and Neil Alexander, senior vet runnerup, 96. Event 7 handicap, Welch, senior vet, 90. Event 8 doubles, Pendergast, C, 93. Event 11 Singles Championship, Thomas Campbell, A runnerup, 195; Tom Elbertson Jr., B, 193; Shawn Speakman, sub-vet runnerup, 196; and Gary Olson, senior vet, 196. Event 12 Handicap Championship, Trinity Morris, junior gold, 97, and Olson, senior vet, 96. HAA, Alexander, B, 373, and Roth, D, 357. HOA, Roth, D, 860. Congratulations to you all and thank you for representing South Carolina so well.

Fall is here and our South Carolina clubs are continuing to host Big 50s and 300-bird events and would love for you to participate. Thank you all for your support of our sport.

Hope to see you shooting soon.

Teresa Knight

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

Well, by now the weather is very chilly, and winter is just around the corner. Waterfowl seasons are in full swing, and deer are coming out of the rut. This would be a great time to get out into nature and experience all the grandeur that our creator has provided for us. It’s an awesome time to get outside . . . it’s getting cold, but not too cold. Put on some warm clothes and get out there and enjoy all the splendor of the great outdoors.

Most of us have put away the trap guns for the time being, but here in Tennessee we still have some champions to acknowledge. The Hog Heaven Gun Club had their annual Fall Festival shoot Sept. 18-21, and we had a few Tennessee shooters who took home championship trophies. Several other shooters walked away with class and category accolades, but these guys were the best of the best: Event 2 handicap, James Williams, winner, 96; Event 5 singles, Cade Harvey, winner, 98; Event 8 handicap, Harvey, winner, 97; Event 10 handicap, Levi Biles, winner, 97.

We would also like to call out Mike Burnette with the top HAA score for all Tennessee shooters with 378 and Seth Wolfe, who led all Tennessee contestants with 1,017 in the HOA. Great shooting, guys. Congratulations to everyone who took home a trophy. It’s great to see so many folks shooting and competing this far into the fall. Keep it up.

Well, shooting will take a back seat to other activities as we move deeper into the cold months. What can we do to further our trapshooting abilities? You can always practice those gun mounts. Repetition builds strength, and mounting that gun in the same place every time helps establish that much needed muscle memory. If you have the space, maybe invest in a wall chart. Practice on that baby will certainly help to hone your gun pointing capabilities. Even a little work with the exercise band can tone those muscles and keep you in shape to mount that shotgun 300 times per day come spring shoots.

What else can you do in the off-season to boost your trapshooting prowess? Buy a new gun of course! The downtime in the colder months can be an awesome time to shop for a “new to you” used scattergun, as many times you can find a good deal during the off-season when sellers are motivated to move their products. Or if you really feel froggy, you can dive right in and have that custom gun built to your anatomy and specifications. Taking the plunge in the off-season affords you the opportunity to make that purchase, have the gun built for you, and still be ready to hit the range with your new “custom” unit once the spring shoots commence. Sounds like a plan.

Whatever you do during the upcoming colder months, take care and be safe . . . we’ll be back on the range before you know it.

And remember, the rulebook is your friend. Please read it!

Mark Cantrell

           ATA Delegate

Louisiana

Red Chute held its first shoot of the new target year Sept. 27. A sparse crowd of three participated. Jim Jenkins, Mike Lawler and Sean Taylor enjoyed the nice day.

Oh, what a day was the statement of the day by the participants at Toby Bancroft Memorial Gun Club Oct. 11. Sixteen showed up to enjoy the day. New shooters Morgan Ewing, Alex Eaton and Blaze Steele, along with returning shooter Andrew Ewing, joined us with their families. It’s always nice to have new shooters join us. Our regulars, Donny Sanders, Amie Skipper, Steven Skipper, Brooks Barnett, Doyle Brooks, Lillie Graves, Natalie Brooks, Maddox Schulte, Jaxon Tucker, Caleb Coody and Fred Rogers, were there too. So, what were the results of the beautiful day? Well, our friend Caleb Coody blew everyone away with a 99 in the singles. The closest challenger was Donny Sanders with 96 followed by Andrew Ewing and Jim Jenkins with distant 93s. Andrew Ewing shot his first 25 straight. Coody continued his dominance with a 93 in ’caps with Jenkins not being able to catch him with 91 and Sanders and Brooks Barnett close behind with 90s. But Jenkins was able to overcome in doubles with 94, although with lots of chips, over Coody and Sanders with 90s.

Congratulations to Thomas Smith IV. He attained the AAA-27-AAA award for having a 98.7% average in singles, 27-yard handicap and a 96.57% average in doubles for the 2024-2025 shoot year. He’s the only shooter from Louisiana to have ever received this award.

Louisiana sent quite a few shooters to Mississippi Coast Rifle and Pistol Club’s Fall Classic Oct. 16-19. The Coast hosts a really nice shoot there in D’Iberville. They will be the host of the 2026 Mississippi State Shoot this next May. Those attending were Brooks Barnett, Anderson Bellanger, Dalton Brooks, Natalie Brooks, Avery Dumas, Alex Eaton, Barklay Emmons, Landry Hayes, Mason Hayes, Aiden McCartney, Daniel Peacock, John Pollard, Leo Ragsdale, Brian Richmond, Coran Richmond, Donald Sanders, Maddox Schulte, Amie Skipper and Steven Skipper.

Those who won some bling were: Brooks Barnett, Event 1 Warmup Singles, 97, runnerup; Event 2 Warmup Handicap, 95, winner; Event 3 Warmup Doubles, 93, runnerup; Event 4 Prelim Doubles, 92, C; Event 5 Prelim Handicap, 93, fourth; Event 6 Prelim Singles, 98, runnerup; Event 7 Championship Singles, 188, sub-junior; Event 8 Championship Doubles, 90, sub-junior; Event 9, Championship Handicap, 87, sub-junior; HOA, 933, winner. Dalton Brooks, Event 7 Championship Singles, 181, junior gold; Event 8 Championship Doubles, 91, junior gold. Avery Dumas, Event 7 Championship Singles, 192, junior; Event 8 Championship Doubles, 92, junior. Maddox Schulte, Event 7 Championship Singles, 191, runnerup after shootoff; Event 9 Championship Handicap, 91, junior. Donny Sanders, Event 8 Championship Doubles, 92, senior vet. Steven Skipper, Event 9 Championship Handicap, 87, sixth after shootoff.

As you can see, Brooks Barnett had a heck of a shoot. Congratulations to all the participants and winners.

Merry Christmas and happy New Year to all of you. I hope your shooting is going well and your averages are better than you hoped. I’m personally starting to look forward to all the upcoming shoots, as I make my plans for which I’ll attend. The options are great since there are so many good ones available.

Check out our website www.latrap.org. There’s information on registered shoots of interest to our shooters, the scores/winners of our Louisiana shoots and information on all the gun clubs in Louisiana that host registered shoots.

Jim Jenkins

ATA Delegate

Missouri

It’s been a busy month at MTA Gun Club with the Fall Handicap and then the Multi-State Challenge winding up registered shooting this season. For those who made it to both shoots, we saw some of the best weather during the Fall Handicap and some not so good weather for the Multi-State Challenge. Sometimes we just must take the good with the bad and move on.

This year’s Fall Handicap started off with a spike in attendance on the first two days then leveled off for most of the rest of the shoot. The MTA board made some significant changes to the format for the shoot this year, and it seems it may have paid off. With the current trends, having flat attendance is considered a win. The overall attendance this year was up almost 5% over last year’s entries. Did I mention that the weather was probably the best I have ever seen for the entire week? Several great scores were posted during the shoot, with Keith Ditto posting a 100 from the 27-yard line and Steve Maltzan breaking 99 from the 26. There were also a few 98s and 97s recorded in the handicaps throughout the week. Congratulations to junior shooter Colton Schutte on breaking 200 in the Singles Championship and winning the champion trophy, with Keith Ditto taking the runnerup position. In the Doubles Championship, Tyler Marshall took the top trophy with the lone 100, Congrats, Tyler. This year’s handicap champion was Andrew Tilford over Keith Ditto with 98 in the program, Congratulations, Andrew.

A special thank you to Marg Graf of Graf and Sons for your generosity in sponsoring the fish fry on Friday evening. Thanks to all the sponsors and vendors that support MTA; please keep them in mind when considering your next purchase. On behalf of the MTA Board of Directors, management and staff, we want to thank everyone who attended this year’s shoot and look forward to seeing you again next year. Thanks to our manager Chip Stamper and those who helped put on the black light shoot on Friday night; it was well attended.

On to the Multi-State Challenge, which saw three of the four seasons in three days at the MTA. At least we didn’t have any snow. Friday started off where the Fall Handicap left off weather-wise. Saturday, well, that was a different story. A strong system moved in early morning and brought rain with much lightning. A couple of the other locations also had threatening weather, so a decision had to be made. The 11 clubs that made up this shoot decided to make it fair to those who had to alter their program by eliminating the handicap on Saturday and by taking it out of the HOA. There was a total of four clubs that did not shoot the event, while the rest decided to continue to shoot for their club trophies. This shoot is unique, covering a wide area spanning three time zones and stands a strong chance that weather conditions could come into play. In the end everyone worked together to make it fair for those affected by the weather. Congratulations to Riley Kaufman, Singles Championship winner, shooting at Brittany. He posted a 200, along with Collin Hewing and Mason Bartlow, also shooting at Brittany. Our doubles winner was Clinton Phipps, shooting at Pikes Peak, Congrats, Clinton. The handicap winner Scott Obenchain with a near perfect score of 99; he also shot at Pikes Peak. Congratulations, Scott, aka, Mr. Pink. This shoot is gaining some attention, and we have had others asking to join in. One of the big questions that remains to be answered with certainty is what the best time for a shoot like this is, spring or fall?

Hopefully it’s not too long of a winter, and everyone gets a chance to break a few targets now and then during the off-season. Your local gun clubs need your patronage to pay the bills. If anyone has any questions or concerns, I may be reached at 816-863-9003 or at [email protected].

Shoot often, shoot well and be safe!

Stephen Ricketts

ATA Southwestern Zone Vice President

Texas

Howdy from Texas!

I hope everyone is having a good holiday season.

The Texas Zone 3 shoot was held on the last weekend in September at Iowa Park Trap Club. The people at Iowa Park always work hard to make everything go smoothly, and this time was no exception. The weather was good, targets were good, and the food and company were even better. Troy Collier won in-zone singles winner with 198, and Pat Stacey took out-of-zone with a perfect 200. They also won the championship doubles, with Troy posting a 95 and Pat a 99. Troy went on to win in-zone Handicap Championship with 94, and Dalton Jennings was out-of-zone high gun with 96. Needless to say, Troy was both in-zone HAA and HOA champion, while Pat Stacey and Dalton took the out-of-zone HAA and HOA wins, respectively.

The Multi-State Challenge just finished up, and there were three locations in Texas: Waco Skeet and Trap, Amarillo Gun Club and El Paso Skeet and Trap Club. Some of the Texas winners were as follows: Event 1 Gipson-Ricketts Preliminary Singles, sub-veteran, Mike Whitaker (Waco), 99. Event 3 Indiana Gun Club/Dead Pair Gear Preliminary Doubles, Lady II, Yanni-Mai Gaddy (Waco), 82; sub-veteran, Whitaker (Waco), 96. Event 4 DuPont Krieghoff Singles Championship: Lady II, Gaddy (Waco), 188; sub-veteran, Darin Clawson (Waco), 199; veteran, Ronny Beard (Waco), 198. Event 6 Remington Championship Doubles, A, Randy Burton (Amarillo), 93. Event 7 Shoot The Moon Handicap Championship, Lady I, Michaela Lefevre (El Paso), 93. Kingen Gun Club HOA, sub-veteran, Billy Hopson (Waco), 657. Kingen Gun Club HAA, Lady I, Lefevre (El Paso), 369; sub-veteran, Hopson (Waco), 377.

If you have anything you would like me to mention in this article, please email me with the details, and I will do my best to share it in the next one. Be sure to visit the TTA website (shoottta.org) to see other news and upcoming events in Texas. As always, I would like to encourage you to volunteer at your local club and support youth shooters. Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me or one of the current TTA officers. We’re always glad to help!

Again, thanks for your support and happy New Year! I will see you at the next one. I can be reached at [email protected].

Billy Hopson

ATA Delegate

California

Hello, California shooters. I hope the new target year is kicking off a great year for everyone.

There have been numerous shoots that have taken place over the last two months of the beginning of the target year. Please reference the CGSTA page and go to the calendar to find dates for the shoots. We have had them all over the state with Stockton Gun Club, Redding Gun Club, Redlands club, the Santa Ynez club hosting the Roger Craine Memorial Shoot, Yreka and the Golden State Shooting Center, Kingsburg Gun Club, the Santa Maria shoot, the SLSA Mudslide shoot, and the Kingsburg 400 handicap. These are happening almost weekly. Please check the CGSTA calendar and go find a club where you have never shot before. I am sure I have missed some shoots as well, but if you are not using SOS Clays, please reach out to me and send results, pictures or milestones achieved.

We have had some notable moments at several of these clubs.

Golden State Shooting Center ATA member Ken Harvey achieved his first 100 straight in singles. Congratulations, Ken.

Sunnyvale Gun Club ATA member Ian Wilson attained his 27-yard punch. Congratulations, Ian.

We also had four California shooters make the All-American teams as follows: open second team honors go to Colton Tucker and Chayton Vega. Alice Wiebe has achieved sub-junior second team honors, and Ethan Prescott rounds it out with second team junior gold. Congratulations, that is some hard work.

There are still plenty of wonderful shoots to attend, including the Spring Grand in Tucson.

For results on the above mentioned shoots, those can typically be found on SOS Clays, and larger major shoots can typically be found on shootscoreboard.com.

Chayton Vega

ATA Delegate

Idaho

First of all, I apologize for missing last month’s article. Sometimes time flies by faster than a right-hand target from Post 5, and next thing you know there’s no do-overs.

Second, I’d like to quickly recognize one of our shooters. Once again Scott Abo joined the 20,000-target league for last season. I think this is Scott’s sixth year in a row.

Anyway, our registered shooting season is done here in Idaho. As you read this in your favorite reading chair, Christmas is either a few days ahead or a few days past. Hopefully you received something that will get you a good start in the Camas Prairie shoot coming up in January. It could be shells or long underwear. Both are important in January!

So this month I want to try something different. Occasionally I would like to do a personal profile on randomly picked people in our state. This one is about a man named Casey Stoddard. Casey lives in Osburn, near Wallace, ID. He was shooting trap way back in the 1980s and had a partner he shot with a lot. Both are/were great shooters, and his partner went on to be inducted into the Idaho Trapshooting Hall of Fame. Meanwhile Casey took 20 years off from shooting and dedicated time to his family. During his hiatus he had a daughter named Cari, who subsequently started dating and eventually married a young trapshooter who was becoming recognized as another great shooter from the north. Well, Cari and new son-in-law had a baby boy named Hudson. Casey decided that if his son-in-law was going to teach Hudson to shoot someday, he would like to get back into shooting, so he could shoot with the family. Casey took up the sport again eight years ago with fervor to enable him to shoot with the grandson. He traveled everywhere and quite often shot with the son-in-law. I personally have shot with Casey multiple times, and he has been on the Idaho team several years at the Grand American.

So who are his son-in-law and these people I cryptically mentioned? Well, his shooting partner Darin Williams had a son while he and Casey were shooting, and his name is Grant Williams. About the time Grant was born, Casey took his 20-year sabbatical. Grant later dated and married Cari, and of course Grant was making a name for himself in the shooting world. Baby Hudson inspired Casey to get back in the game.

Casey’s desire to regain his competitive edge has paid off. This year Casey Stoddard made the All-American veteran second team. Congratulations, Casey. We are proud of grandpa! As the famous Paul Harvey would say, “And now you know the rest of the story!”

Son-in-law Grant will be inducted into the Idaho Hall of Fame this year and has been on the State Team for the past umpteenth year. Hudson has just broken his first target.

Now there is Williams and Stoddard blood out there for the rest of us to contend with. Also, Grant’s brother Garrett Williams is starting to shoot occasionally again, and he’s no slouch!

Leonard Wehking

Idaho Delegate

Montana

With the changing of the leaves, trapshooting throughout Montana is also winding down. Reflection on events over the last several weeks provides an opportunity to give a shout-out to the many who rose to the occasion and gave it their all. In August, about a dozen Montana ATA members made the trip to the 2025 Grand American in Sparta. Emi Smith and Gunner Cesnik competed in the Champion of Champions, and Jacob Cesnik (youth shooter for the Billings Young Guns) had a fantastic run. This young man won a Class D trophy (194) in the Clay Target Championship and gained one-and-a-half yards from his performance in the Handicap Championship (97), where he also clenched sub-junior third, plus he claimed D runnerup in the HOA.

In September, the Helena Trap Club hosted the Women’s Shooting Sports Association (WSSA) end of the season Shotgun Sisterhood weekend with a huge turnout of ladies (90+) from all around Montana. Special event speaker and mental trainer Dawn Grant joined in the festivities, sharing her knowledge on focus, the zone and tackling the game.

The Annual Zip Eaton Memorial Shoot returned to the Helena Trap Club over the Labor Day weekend with sunshine in tow. Daryl Shehan and Ted Kronebusch kicked off the long weekend with perfect 100s in the singles. Jeremiah Perkins (junior shooter) was high in the handicap event (98) and doubles (98). On Day 2, Dave Vicevich and Robert Kelley were headliners at the top of the leaderboard (192 each). Chris Cainan and I were high for the singles with perfect scores (100 each). Handicap high scores (97 each) belonged to the trio of Dave Hoback, Douglas Rentz and Kelli Kennedy. Day 3 handicap events placed Tim Jones II high (98) in the first go and August Doherty, Trip Bick and Zach Bachini high (97 each) in the second.

The Missoula Trap Club was the hotspot for the ATA Day weekend west of the divide. Travis Frizzell (Idaho) made the journey and was high in handicap with a perfect 100 followed by another handicap win (98). Macie Schreckendgust (junior shooter for Team 406) scored her first 25 straight and claimed short-yardage (95), while Ryan Fleming (junior shooter for Team 406) was high in singles (197).

Havre hosted their annual Iron Man Fun Shoot in October with two categories offered—Iron Man (No. 25, 16 yard; No. 25, 21 yard; No. 25, 24 yard; No. 25, 27-yard wobble; No. 50, 27-yard doubles) and Captain America (No. 25, 16 yard; No. 25, 21 yard; No. 25, 24 yard; No. 25, 26-yard wobble). Matt Sasaki was crowned the 2025 Iron Man, and Jim Kuka was declared the 2025 Captain America champ.

The 2025 MSTA All-State Team was announced:

First team—captain Seth Duclos, .9316; Emi Smith, .9301; Ryan Miller, .9263; John Brothers, ,9258; Tyler Wagner, .9164. Second team—David Vicevich, .9160; Jeff Wagner, .9153; Don Gibson, .9101; Jesse Perkins, .9098; J.D. Kent, .9090. Categories—Mason Baker, sub-junior, .8704; Ryan Fleming, junior, .9028; Rayelynn Brandl, ladies’, .8775; Greg Knuepel, vet, .8753; William Camus, senior vet, .8750.

High average winners are: Tyler Wagner, singles, .9747; Emi Smith, handicap, .9241; and John Brothers, doubles, .9524. Congrats to all!

Registered target season is officially over in Montana, though winter trap games are just beginning. You can bet everyone is looking forward to meat shoots, cosmic nights and leagues to carry us all through until spring.

Andrew Kelly

ATA Delegate

 

Nevada

At this writing, shooters from Nevada and across the country are anxiously awaiting the 77th Nevada state trapshooting tournament. The Nevada State Shoot was held Oct. 27-Nov. 2 at Clark County Shooting Complex (CCSC) in Las Vegas. As of late September, with a full month to go until the first day’s national anthem is played, there are more than 1,000 shooters pre-squadded in total for the three championship events, and more coming in every day. The shoot offered 1,500 registered ATA targets, All-American points and resident/non-resident trophies in every event. In addition, hundreds of ounces of silver were won by all levels of shooters throughout the state tournament. Free lunches, free dinners, shooter special event, and 400 ounces of silver to the Handicap Championship winner were just a few of the things happening at the state shoot. The events didn’t end with the day’s registered shooting. A full agenda of afternoon and evening activities were just getting started when the program events concluded each day. There were poker tournaments, bingo tournaments, cosmic trapshooting and shooter games, along with free dinners and beverages. View the complete program for the schedule and details at nvtrap.com.

Leading up to the state shoot, Sept. 5 began the Nevada fall trapshooting schedule in earnest with the First Sunday Social Shoot.

Thirty-nine shooters enjoyed perfect autumn weather at CCSC for the Sept. 7 First Sunday shoot. Always competitive shooter, Jon Slinker, broke 48 to win the handicap. Dale Erickson and Jeff White were second with 47s. Terry Barkey, Slinker and Melvin Tabion were all perfect with 50 straight in the singles event. Wayne Nelson and Gary Rusch won the doubles with 46 apiece. The First Sunday Social shoot is designed to be a place where new shooters can get valuable experience without undue pressure. For example, new ATA member Dillon Le Clercq is a fine new shooter who is learning the game quickly and who has participated in the last two First Sunday shoots. Dillon is one of more than 60 Nevada youngsters competing in the After School Trap League at CCSC. The After School Trap League is organized and managed by shooting complex director Steve Carmichael. Many of these young shooters from the After School Trap League, as well as the long established youth shooting program, the Nevada State Claybreakers, are getting involved in the ATA and NSTA shoots as they learn the game.

Next on the month’s agenda, the Nevada State Trapshooting Association Fall Handicap was held at Clark County Shooting Complex Sept. 14-15 and drew over 40 participants. Shooters shot up to 500 handicap targets during the two-day tournament. Winners were: Event 1, Murray Dominguez, 98; Event 2, James Eichler, 97; Event 3, James Schooler, 97; Event 4, Mark McDowell, 97; Event 5, Schooler, 97. A great lunch was provided by Roadkill Grill. Many thanks to White for making the contact and arrangements.

Finishing off the month’s tournaments, the NSTA Race for the Buckle Big 50 was held Sept. 27 at CCSC. Fifty-two shooters competed for the coveted Buckle Race points. Jack Wang won the HAA with 146. Danny Talbot was second with 140. Breaking all 50 singles were Stephen Bell, Merle Acampora, White, Slinker, Ken James, Wang and Jerry Harms. Wang broke 48 to win the handicap. Danny Talbot, Leila Tabion and Mike Dame were second with 47s. The doubles was contested under dark skies with a swirling south wind. Wang won again with 48. Gary Rusch and Dale Erickson were second with 46s. Many shooters lingered after the events to enjoy the camaraderie. The Race for the Buckle will conclude with the December 2025 Big 50 to be held at the Clark County Shooting Complex.

Until then, let’s remember that it is a game. Have fun out there!

           Danny Talbot

           ATA Delegate

Washington

Holiday greetings from the WSTA. I hope this finds you well and able to enjoy the season with family and friends. Maybe many of you have spent your recreational time by filling your freezers with game from the fall hunting season and various meat shoots in the region this time of year. I’ve seen some photos of your hunting harvests, and I congratulate you for your successful endeavors. We are also preparing for spring and some ATA targets. Maybe it’s just me, but the years are getting shorter, a product of the aging process, I suppose.

The WSTA directors meeting has been held, and details are being put together for the next state shoot as well as the rest of the tournaments in Washington in 2026. As always, I remind you to contact our secretary Erin Bauer to help with adding dates and shoots at your clubs. We encourage all clubs to put targets in the air and each of you to try shooting at a club you haven’t visited before. If nothing else, I can promise you’ll make more friends and have a great lunch. I will try to have details of the WSTA plans for the coming year included in an upcoming issue.

Several months ago we were saddened by the loss of Pat Lane. Pat and her husband Duane were known all over the Northwest during their years traveling from one shoot to the next. Duane was a formidable shooter, and Pat was always there with him. Duane passed several years ago, and shortly after that I was able to talk to Pat about the book she authored, “Trapshooters, or I Had a Fly on My Barrel.”

In the late 1970s Pat had an idea while on their way home from a weekend shoot. The vision she had was to interview shooters, get to know them better and inform the trap community about their life stories and shooting history. After several years of visiting, taking photographs and writing, the book was published in 1983. I had the privilege to know some of these folks before my trapshooting career started, and others after I started making the rounds in our sport. My family farmed across the fence from Elmer Morlan, one of Pat’s subjects for the book. Others I got to know from doing just what Pat did, visiting in the clubhouse or at the gun rest rack while on deck for the next trap. The book and the stories point out the various backgrounds we come from with one common theme, that all were hardworking, generous folk who loved the great sport of trapshooting. A reccurring sentiment expressed by many of those showcased was this, it’s the people that keep us on the circuit. Shooters encouraging and helping others has been common practice ever since this game started. We may forget about some of the trophies stashed away to make room in the house, but it seems the friends and stories are never forgotten. Just listen as you arrive at your next shoot, and you’ll see what I mean.

I have access to several copies of this good read. I might be able to get you your own copy if you are interested. I know it will make for some great conversation when we meet at the club next. Having some of this history printed and bound between the covers of “Trapshooters or I Had a Fly on My Barrel” is a true blessing.

Rest in peace, Pat.

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

WSTA Director

Atlantic Provinces

Hello from the Atlantic Provinces.

The Highland Gun Club in Nova Scotia, hosted another great Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot over the Labor Day weekend. Fifty-one shooters from Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Florida and New Jersey attended the four-day, 800-target competition. The weather cooperated nicely, and shooters had near-perfect shooting conditions for the entire tournament.

As is normally the case, club volunteers kept shooters fed very well. The lunch menu included haddock, lobster, swordfish, venison burgers, seafood chowder, rappie pie (traditional Acadian dish) and deli sandwiches for those with more modest taste buds. Scallops, smoked herring, fresh Ontario corn and clams were on the mid-afternoon snack menu. And for those with a sweet tooth, a selection of homemade cookies and muffins were baked fresh every day that would rival any bakery. And the ice cream treats from the local ice cream shop were amazing.

Congratulations to Troy Coldwell for another great shoot, winning the doubles, handicap, HAA and HOA championships. In the Singles Championship, Doug Blades edged Coldwell by one target to claim the provincial title. The pair swapped places in the doubles, with Blades claiming the runnerup spot.

In the Handicap Championship, Stephane Benard of Quebec took open champion with 94. Troy Coldwell and Jamie Leblanc tied for resident champion with 92s. Coldwell’s shootoff win gave him the Handicap Championship and puts him back on the 27-yard line. Leblanc was handicap runnerup.

Complete shoot results are available on www.shootatlantic.com.

AP secretary Janaya Nickerson and I met New Jersey shooters Jim Lavelle and Kolleen Adams at the Canadian Trapshooting Championships in Hamilton, ON, earlier in the summer. Janaya suggested to Jim and Kolleen that they consider attending the Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot. “You’ll have a great time,” Janaya told them. Jim and Kolleen shared a few emails with us before our shoot, and they were all set to attend.

I told Jim that we’re all friends here and that they should make themselves feel at home. And that they did. The American flag was proudly flown, and Jim and Kolleen wore big smiles for the duration of the shoot. It was also great seeing the pair striking up conversations with new people every time I saw them. Thanks for attending, Jim and Kolleen. You’re welcome back any time.

Jim and Kolleen also won a couple of awards for their shooting. Jim placed fourth in the APTA Preliminary Handicap, and Kolleen won open Lady II in the Singles Championship.

As I was writing this month’s article, I received an email and letter from Jim and Kolleen. Apparently, we made a bigger impression on them than I thought. Thank you, Jim and Kolleen, for your kind words. Their letter is full of thanks, praise and heartwarming remarks for everyone who made their visit to the Atlantic Provinces memorable and a little easier. Their letter also reminded me of something my buddy Pete told me a long time ago. You treat people the way you want to be treated.

The 2026 Atlantic Provinces ATA Provincial Shoot returns to the St. John’s Rod and Gun near Holyrood, NL, next year Sept. 3-6. We won’t have rappie pie, but we will have fish stew, savory moose dishes, deli sandwiches and of course put on a well-run shoot with great targets.

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

Connecticut

Greetings, all.

I hope you are all enjoying the warm weather we have had this early fall. Fairfield County Fish and Game hosted on Sept. 7, with Dave Bicknell breaking a perfect straight to take the singles event. Randy Fairchild and Jim LaFrance were right there with scores of 99. Fairchild held the high-gun score of 97 in the handicap.

The Fin Fur and Feather Club held a tournament Sept. 14, where Bicknell was the lone straight in the singles again followed by five scores of 98 from Brandon Goldhammer, Russell Gann, Scott Lydem, John Russo and Kevin Conroy. The handicap high of 96 was posted by Jim LaFrance, with Kevin Conroy breaking 94.

The Margolis Memorial Shoot was held by the Hartford Gun Club Sept. 21, with Antonio Lobo claiming the singles award with a perfect run. Gary Hoysradt followed with 99. Matthew Kinney was the handicap winner with 94. While no one hit the CTA Handicap mid-50 this season, many came so close. It will be exciting to see what happens next season as it grows. It has been a great season and congratulations to all the winners, participants and clubs who worked so hard to make the experiences great.

It is with much sadness that all of the New England shooting family lost a fine lady of our sport with the passing of Barbara Jaye. Barbara was cashier for many of the shoots, and her warmth, kindness and grace will be so missed. My thoughts and prayers to her husband Mike and family.

As always, if you have anything you wish for me to share in this letter, I would love to hear from you at [email protected].

Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving!

Cheryll Pittera

ATA Delegate

New York

Hello from New York. I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the cooler weather.

The 40th annual Northeastern Grand American, which was held Sept. 3-7 is now history. The weather, for the most part, cooperated.

Herbert Lewis was the singles champion with 199 and a shootoff with Dennis Bobbette and John Kirksey. Dennis was runnerup, and John was sub-veteran champion.

During the Doubles Championship, Nickolas Gibbs was champion with 95, and Jonathan Hannahoe was runnerup with 92. In the Handicap Championship, Peter Brissette was high gun with 92 plus shootoff with Dennis Bobbette, who was runnerup.

Finally, Gibbs was the high-all-around and high-over-all champion with 380×400 and 941×1,000. All trophy winners can be viewed on the New York State ATA website and in Trap & Field Magazine.

During the annual meeting of the New York State ATA on Sept. 4, elections were held. Robert Oswald was reelected as president, Cathy Flint as secretary, and Cam Zuller as treasurer. In the western zone, Chris McEwen is the vice president, and directors are Tom Walter, Brenden Backus and Forrest Davies. In the central zone, Chris Pollichemi is vice president, and directors are Wayne Wilcox, Brian Luther and Mike Rice. Finally, in the eastern zone, Sal Schiavo is vice president, and directors are Vince Barranco, Percy Carabello and one other director to be filled later. Jonathan Karp remains as legal counsel.

During the New York State Shoot in July, Todd Hosbach and Dennis Bobbette were reelected as ATA Alternate Delegates, and I remain as ATA Delegate.

The New York State ATA Board of Directors would like to thank all those who helped during the tournament. Thanks to Ray Greb, Don Neilson and Aaron Pollack for handling classification. Thanks to the other ATA Eastern Zone Delegates and Alternates, along with volunteers, for handling shootoffs. Thanks to Vince Valois for handling trap mechanic duties. Thanks to Mary Zuller for taking care of the kitchen, Michelle McEwen and Terri Oswald for handling the trophy counter and Don Rada and his staff for managing squadding and cashiering. As always, thanks to ATA treasurer Wayne Morris and Joyce Morris for the shootoff computations and guidance and the trap line personnel.

To be inducted into the New York State ATA Hall of Fame during the state shoot next July will be New York State ATA secretary Cathy Flint plus Bob Griffin.

Congratulations to New York State ATA Board of Director Brenden Backus for registering his first 100 straight in singles during the Livingston County Trap League ATA Roadrunner Marathon Sept. 13. Brenden posted the 100 at Mumford Sportsman’s Club. Well done, Brenden!

Some target attainments to mention: James Dries and Tom Gersitz have registered 25,000 handicap targets. James Sepenoski has registered 25,000 singles targets.

To all, please have a happy Thanksgiving holiday to you and your families.

Anyone who wishes to have something written in one of these articles, please feel free to contact me by phone at 585-519-9543 or email me at [email protected]. Please stay healthy, safe and in good spirits. May God bless you all.

Dave Cichelli

ATA Delegate

Ontario

Greetings from Ontario, Canada.

I would like to congratulate our junior gold shooter Chris Tsementzis, who was Ontario’s only All-American for accomplishments during the recently completed target year.

Our Ontario registered targets were higher than most of us can remember. Having three point shoots helped a great deal—our OPTA Championships, the Canadians and the first ever Eastern Zone satellite shoot.

What the upcoming year participation numbers will be is anyone’s guess. I have talked to Delegates south of the border who tell me people in their state are still shooting but much less, and there is trending toward Big 50s and non-registered small competitions and practice. That will probably be the same in Ontario. Shooting has become very expensive; the economy and financial situation is uncertain, and in Ontario, many people are worried about keeping their jobs. The impact of tariffs is hitting some people very hard. There are some financial analysts who predict that Canada and U.S. may be in for a recession. I hope they are wrong. Several indicators do concern me, however. Personal debt levels have risen, and default on loans is on the rise. I have friends in the automotive industry (car dealerships) who tell me the cost of vehicles is higher than they have ever seen, and people, even with bad credit, can finance them with little down with little chance of being able to pay for them. That is only one indicator.

My shooting has been in the toilet for a couple of years now. I used to be a AAA-27-AAA shooter, who for many years was hard to beat. No longer and probably the biggest factor is chronological advancement. For the last few months, I have been cleaning out my pole barn. I have literally hundreds of trophies that were meaningful to me when I won them, but nobody wants them—not family, not friends, not staff. They won’t even take them at the local thrift center, charitable outlets—nobody. Consequently, I had little choice but to take them to the landfill site—hundreds of them. It is for this reason that I have been a strong advocate of trophies that have intrinsic value. Nobody is going to refuse to take silver coins or wafers—they have everlasting value.

The late great Leo Harrison III is reported to have melted down his pewter trophies and sold pewter. Nobody wanted the trophies. We can’t blame the trophy suppliers; they pay a sponsorship amount to the ATA with the expectation they will be able to provide trophies for ATA events. The quality of trophies is not what they used to be. When I first started shooting, trophies, for example, Americases and other expensive items were common. But what do we expect? We now have trophies for all the classes and categories as well as champion, etc. For those who have won very few trophies, they probably love it and likely display it. But after a while, you may display a few, and the rest get stored, and unfortunately, sooner or later, they probably end up in the landfill. Again, intrinsic value trophies are in my opinion best.

When I enter competitions, I always declare AAA-27-AAA, even though my scores reflect significantly lower classes. Why do I do this? For me, I have won so many AAA-27-AAA trophies that a trophy in a lower class would not be meaningful to me, and I would be depriving a shooter in that class who would appreciate winning a trophy. I guess the way I look at it, I would rather not win a trophy at all than get one I wouldn’t want. Maybe I will be back on track at the top class, but hope springs eternal.

When I attended the 2025 Trapshooting Hall of Fame induction dinner, I was approached by the selection committee and told I would be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2026. I was humbled. Obviously, my selection was based on the shooter I once was, not the shooter I now am. It is quite an honor to be recognized as a member of this prestigious group, and I truly appreciate it.

Good shooting to all of you in the new target year!

Paul Shaw

ATA Delegate

Alabama

Before you know it, Thanksgiving will be here.

I hope each and every one of you will have a great time together with family and friends.

Shooting is starting to slow down across the country, so if you can’t make it to a big shoot, get out and support your smaller clubs.

Joke of the month: An older couple stayed at each other’s throats ever since they got married. The neighbors heard every minute of their arguing back and forth. The husband was heard almost every day telling his wife that when he died, he was going to haunt her for the rest of her life.

At the age of 98, the old man died. At the end of the funeral, the neighbors still worried about the wife and what her now deceased husband used to tell her. A group of the neighbors approached the widow woman and asked her if she worried about what he used to tell her. The wife said, with a little smirk on her face, “No, I’m not worried. I buried him upside down and pointed him in the right direction!”

Word of the month: Give up to be: Generally conceded to be. “He’s give up to be the crookedest lawyer in the whole state of Mississippi.”

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!

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

Year-end stuff

Florida members of the All-American Team: Lady II first, Lorrie Bumsted Valois; junior first, Cody Meredith; sub-veteran first team captain Carl Chadwell; senior veteran second, Mark Zauhar; and chairshooter, John Ent Jr.

The Florida State Teams have been calculated, but you will have to wait. (I might be able to be bribed.)

Florida had no 20K targets (or more) shooters this year.

2025 Gun Club Fund winner: Imperial Polk Gun Club.

Miami Dade Shooting and Sport Club are ATA members again. Check shootata.com for shoot dates.

Fellow Fugarwees, we are getting the tribe back together. Please email me your info, so I can get in touch with you about the Fugarwee Pow Wow and golf scramble at Silver Dollar. If you are a current member and have not picked up your hat, you have one waiting.

Funny stuff (to me anyway):

I heard a kid at the gun range say he shot a man with a paintball gun just to watch him “dye!”

Do gun manuals have a troubleshooting section?

A joke doesn’t become a joke until it is full “groan!” and lastly, I have a chicken proof lawn, “it is impeccable.”

More better stuff next month.

AtA Bylaw:

Section VI The ATA Handicap System

1. Reviews
2. Assigned yardage increases
3. A member may appeal an assigned yardage increase by writing to the ATA office, to the attention of the Executive Director, after having shot 500 targets at the assigned yardage. After receiving a reduction based on such an appeal, for any further reduction, 1,000 additional registered handicap targets must be shot.
4. There will be no yardage increase by shooter request beyond 25 yards. Subsequent to a shooter receiving a requested increase in yardage, he/she will be ineligible for normal 1,000-target review reductions below that yardage assignment for a period of two years from the date the yardage was assigned.
5. The only persons authorized to increase a member’s handicap yardage are member(s) of the Central Handicap Committee or voting member(s) of the Executive Committee. A Delegate may recommend a yardage increase on behalf of the shooter; however, it must be approved by a voting member of the Executive Committee or a member of the Central Handicap Committee.

Mike Reynolds

ATA Delegate

Kentucky

At the time of this writing, a new target year has begun. Be sure to keep in mind any category changes that have occurred now that the target year has changed. There are several local and regional shoots going on throughout the fall months, so be sure to head out and support your local club while meeting this year’s target requirements.

This year 11 Kentuckians made the All-American teams, with Keith Ditto, Herbert Lewis, Andrew Tilford, Andre Veazey, Maverick McClure, Wyatt Keller, Jack Holland, Trey Wilburn, Kevin Polson, Robert Dyer and Clayborn Hunter Jr. all placing in their respective categories. Congratulations to all.

As always, good luck and safe travels over the next month.

           Jack Holland

For ATA Southern Zone Vice President Dan Ryan

Mississippi

Do Trap Machines Dream of Throwing Hard Lefts?

This title is a takeoff from a science fiction book written by Philip K. Dick titled, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” If that doesn’t sound familiar, it was made into the movie “Blade Runner.” In the movie, androids had become almost human.

So what does this sci-fi story have to do with trapshooting? Nothing except my amusing thought that there are android trap machines in the bunkers that always seem to know what post I’m on, especially throwing hard lefts and rights when I’m on the corners. This happened recently at a state shoot, when on Post 1, the fanatical machine threw me five hard lefts in a row, followed by two more on Post 2 just for more irritation. In a shootoff at this year’s Grand, leading by a target, my last five targets were all hard left angles. Luckily I broke all five, but it confirmed that perhaps there are android trap machines down in those bunkers.

In many conversations about shooting trap, when talking about missing targets, the subject often moves to the hard angles. Sometimes it’s a screamer to the left or right, sometimes just a lazy move to the target, sometimes it surprises because despite your best effort, your mind lets a little thought slip in, and concentration drifts away. The last one is what sometimes gets me, concentration and focus.

These lapses have made me work on focus, mind in the game, concentrate, see the target, shoot the target. Focus, I think, is much of the difference between the good scores at the top of the scoreboard and ones below. Working on this at my home club, I’ve begun to start on Post 1 to sharpen focus from the start and develop a positive, determined mindset that I will hit every target. Being afraid of missing is trouble from the start. Focus on every target, keep the distractions out, and each target becomes a little time “in the zone.”

Thinking further about technology, androids and the increasing use of artificial intelligence, will they be useful to trapshooters? How will the future trap field look in the future?

Congratulations to Joy Hollis from Mississippi. It’s been a good year for Joy. She was recognized in July for shooting her 100,000th target and most recently selected for the 2026 All-American Lady II second team. Way to go, Joy! We are proud of you and love your tomato gravy.

In October, the Coast Rifle and Pistol Club in Biloxi will have had their Fall Classic shoot. Over the years it has become a “classic,” a very nice shoot. Stand by for the scores in next month’s article. Additionally, CRPC throws registered targets on the third Saturday of each month.

Capitol Gun Club in Jackson throws registered targets every Thursday and the first Saturday of each month. Other clubs in Mississippi throwing targets are Starkville and Whitetail Ridge clubs.

Come shoot with us. Our winter weather is usually mild, and you’re sure to receive a warm welcome.

Bill Burke

ATA Delegate

North Carolina

Well, shooters, it looks like another summer has come and gone. By the time you read this, fall will be in its full colors. More than likely the Dixie Grand will be over, and those of you who travel will be looking forward to either the Nevada State Shoot or the Autumn Grand in Tucson.

Because of the business relationship I have with so many clubs across the country, we are finding that shooting practice is way down at most clubs. Understanding that the cost of ammunition and targets, not to mention groceries, has gone higher in the past couple years, it’s no wonder that people are shooting a bit less. However, I do encourage you to support your local clubs. By volunteering and helping out, you can reduce the cost of labor and keep the cost of shooting down.

For those of you who participated in the Dixie Grand American, we thank you for coming, and hopefully you all had a good time. Thankfully, no hurricanes this year.

Bob Schultz

ATA Delegate

South Carolina

Hello from the Palmetto State!

Fall is an exciting time of year, and I’m sure we are all looking forward to cooler weather, football and the beginning of our 2026 shooting year. Make sure you start the 2026 shooting year off on the right foot by reviewing the revised ATA Rules, By Laws, Policies and other Shooter Information booklet and that you are aware of any changes enacted for 2026.

I’m excited to recognize a South Carolina shooter for the achievement of combined 100,000 target attainment, Thomas Campbell Sr. Thomas began shooting in 2004 and currently shoots primarily out of Spartanburg Gun Club. Congratulations on this achievement, Thomas.

South Carolina had five shooters attend the 2025 Hog Heaven Fall Festival Sept. 18-21 in White Pine, TN. South Carolina shooters who won trophies at the shoot were Terri Campbell and Bill Patterson. Congratulations to both of you for representing South Carolina so well.

The 2026 shooting year has begun, and I hope you all will get out and shoot at your local clubs. South Carolina clubs are continuing to host Big 50s and 300-bird events and would love for you to participate. Thank you all for your support of our sport.

I hope to see you shooting soon.

Teresa Knight

ATA Delegate

Tennessee

Salutations from Tennessee!

Fall is upon us, and we are staring down the barrel of winter. Many folks will be taking to the woods and waters to pursue their favorite wild game species. For those of you who use your shotguns for things other than clay targets, good luck and be safe out there.

The 2026 All-American team members have been announced, and we would like to congratulate the Tennessee shooters who made the list. Your hard work and commitment to the sport have paid off.

Here are the 2026 Tennessee All-Americans: Mikayla Dickson, Lady 1 second; Channing Garrett, sub-junior captain; Cade Harvey, sub-junior first; Clint Parson, junior second; and Tyler Honnold, junior gold first.

Congrats to all, and here’s to hoping to see you all there again next year!

Rumor has it that one of our own had the highest average for one discipline of all ATA members for the 2025 season. I would like to congratulate Caleb Clayton for leading the pack with the highest singles average in the country for 2025 with a .9969. This is an outstanding accomplishment and certainly deserves to be called out . . . way to go, Caleb!

For those of you who are starting to plan your travel for the 2026 season, here are the state shoot dates for the Southern Zone: Florida, March 17-22; Georgia, April 23-26; South Carolina, April 29-May 3; Mississippi, May 21-24; Alabama, May 28-31; North Carolina, June 3-7; Tennessee, June 11-14; Kentucky, July 1-5; Virginia, July 1-5; and West Virginia, July 8-12.

Also, another shoot to note, the Florida Trap Association will hold the 36th annual Fall Championship shoot at the Silver Dollar Shooters Club in Odessa, FL, Nov. 7-9. This might be a good opportunity to enjoy some warmer weather and break a few targets.

Well, that about wraps it up for this month. I hope everyone has a few shooting opportunities before the weather really gets cold. Shoot when you can; it certainly can’t hurt!

Remember, the rulebook is your friend. Read it, please!

Mark Cantrell

ATA Delegate

Louisiana

Mill Creek Gun Club added an additional shoot on Aug. 30 to finish out the 2024-2025 shoot year. Thirteen showed up on Labor Day weekend to shoot 100 doubles and 200 handicap followed by an Annie Oakley. MCGC enjoys mixing up the target mix to allow shooters to get needed targets. Caleb Ezernack took doubles honors with an 87 during a windy event. Jim Jenkins followed with an 86 and Cole Maestrini with 85. Dalton Brooks and Jenkins tied for the top spot in the first handicap with 91s. Maddox Schulte and Thomas Smith were breathing down their necks with 90s. Smith and Brooks led the field in the second handicap with 93s followed by Schulte with 89. Three rounds of Annie Oakley were shot, and what a blast that was. We were all laughing at the shots by the end.

And just like that, we’re in a new shoot year . . .

Louisiana is proud to announce the selection of Doyle Brooks as an eight-time All-American and Thomas Smith as a second-time All-American. Congratulations to both of you on this great accomplishment.

TBMGC hosted the first Louisiana shoot of the new year on Sept. 13 with 18 shooters in attendance. It was hot for September with nary a breeze to help. Caleb Coody swooped in from Arkansas and posted a perfect 100 in singles. What a great way to start a new year. Donny Sanders continued his good shooting with 99, and Jim Jenkins posted a 97. Sanders blew the competition away with a 95 in handicap. Thomas Smith followed with a 93 and Mike Lawler with 92. Coody took top honors in doubles with 94 followed by Jenkins with 89. Thanks to all the people who helped score and load the houses. Shoots would be much harder to run without your efforts.

MCGC hosted their first shoot of the new year and their last shoot of the calendar year on Sept. 20. Brooks Barnett smoked the competition in singles with 95 followed by Mitchell Lemley with 88 and Steven Skipper with 85. Barnett continued his winning ways in ’caps with a 95, and Lemley followed with 92. Lemley and Skipper tied for top score with 87s in doubles, with Lemley winning the coin flip. Dalton Brooks followed with an 85.

It’s now November, and it’s a wonderful time of the year in Louisiana. This is one of my favorite months. I’ve enjoyed a few fires in my fireplace, which is good for my soul. Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which is by far my favorite holiday of the year. All the hunters are in full swing with both deer and duck seasons in full blast. I hope you will give thanks on the big day for your families and friends as well that we here have the opportunity to enjoy this chosen sport of ours.

Check out our website, www.latrap.org. There’s information on registered shoots of interest to our shooters, the scores/winners of our Louisiana shoots, and information on all the gun clubs in LA that host registered shoots.

Jim Jenkins

ATA Delegate

Missouri

Out with the 2025 target year and in with 2026. Most set goals for the next year in January when we trapshooters should begin much sooner with the new target year beginning Sept. 1. State Teams, All-American Teams, or is your goal to shoot better than last year?

Good news for those of you who have shot at KCTA in the past, the doors are open, and targets are in the air after a long year-and-a-half hiatus following the tornado damage. The first registered shoot in nearly two years on Aug. 30 brought 80 shooters to kick off registered shooting again. Thanks to the KCTA staff for their work making this happen in a short amount of time after getting possession of the clubhouse and grounds again.

Kansas Trapshooters Association hosted the Southwestern Grand Sept. 8-14 with many great scores posted. There were 25 shooters from Missouri who made the trip to the KTA, with 11 shooters winning a total of 44 trophies during the tournament. Thanks to the KTA staff for all their hard work putting on this shoot.

MTA Gun Club in Linn Creek hosted the MYSSA Fall Classic on Saturday, Sept. 27 with 508 entries in the trap portion and 120 shooters who shot the sporting clays event. Needless to say, it was a busy day, along with getting ready for the upcoming Fall Handicap. Check back next month for the results; there should be some really great scores posted with the weather forecast of nearly perfect weather. If anyone has anything they would like to have reported on, or has any concerns, please contact me at [email protected] or 816-863-9003. NKJV 1Thessalonians 5:15—See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good for both yourselves and for all.

Shoot often, shoot well and be safe!

Stephen Ricketts

ATA Southwestern Zone Vice President

Oklahoma

ATA trapshooting has completed another shooting year, and another has begun. I hope everyone met goals and have set new ones. According to the scores I’ve seen posted, I assume many of you were satisfied with last year’s accomplishments. Several Oklahoma shooters closed the shooting year at the Heartland Grand. In the Event 9 doubles, Shelby Skaggs broke 99 for Lady I champion. In the Event 12 singles, Tad Nicholson posted a perfect score and finished AA winner after shootoff. In the same event, John Nicholson captured his class trophy with 99. In the Singles Championship, Skaggs was Lady I champion, and she received HAA and HOA honors. Randy Hill was winner in his class in the Singles Championship and class HAA and HOA as well.

A few weeks later, Oklahoma started the new shooting year at the Southwestern Grand at the KTA. Tom Richey was there and shot well. He posted some good scores and brought home trophies. It’s always good to see Tom at the shoots. In the Caesar Guerini Prelim Handicap, Michael Gates crushed 96 for junior high gun. In the Doubles Championship, David Bacon II broke 96, winning A class. Mike Goold was vet runnerup in Sunday’s handicap after breaking 96. Goold also received HAA and HOA honors in his class.

Congratulations to all 2026 All-American team members! Ten Oklahoma shooters earned their spot on a team. Shelby Skaggs and Kya Funkhouser both earned their places on the Lady I first team; Shay Skaggs, Lady I second; Michael Gates, junior first; Kaden Kennedy, junior second; Clay Laughlin, junior gold first; Pat Stacey, sub-vet first; Randy Hill, sub-vet second; Ron Bliss, veteran first; and Stanley Crawford, senior vet second. Good shooting, Oklahoma! Also, congratulations to all Oklahoma State Team members. They have been selected and posted on our website. Congratulations, David Bacon II, Jim Waite and Shelby Skaggs. Each attained a combined total of 100,000 ATA targets. Also congratulations to Tom Richey on attaining 25,000 doubles targets, Stanley Crawford on attaining 75,000 doubles targets and Corbin Grybowski on attaining 50,000 handicap targets. The ATA and the OTSA appreciate your dedication to this game. Keep on shooting!

Jeff Trayer

ATA Delegate

Texas

Howdy from Texas!

I hope everyone is shooting well.

First, I would like to congratulate 10 of our Texas shooters who made All-American for 2026: Jake Hamm, open second; Jennifer Rutger, Lady I second; Yanni-Mai Gaddy, Lady II first; Patricia Todd, Lady II second; Jerri Webb, Lady II second; Mike Whitaker, sub-veteran first; Billy Hopson, sub-veteran second; Jeff Webb, veteran second; Marvin Allbright, Jr., senior vet second; and Larry Tagtmeyer, senior vet second. Great shooting!

I also need to mention the three Texas shooters who made the “20K Mega Target Member” list. The top Texas shooter was Ronald Todd with 22,650 registered targets in 2025. Just behind him is Yanni-Mai Gaddy with 22,600 and Patricia Todd finished with 20,100 targets.

Texas Zone 5 shoot was held the first weekend in September at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio. We had some extreme heat on Friday, then some strong winds on Saturday with some rain and a lot of rain on Sunday. Steve Dusek took the in-zone singles title, and Darin Clawson took out-of-zone champion, each with 199. In the doubles, Hagen Weber took zone honors with 97, and Trent Melton won out-of-zone after a three-way shootoff with Darin Clawson and Drew Fryman, all with 94s. Ty Schuenemann shot a 95 for in-zone champion, and David Gross won out-of-zone with 92. Congrats to all the winners and thanks to Zone 5 officers and NSC staff for a good shoot, as always.

The Southwestern Grand just finished up in Kansas, and Texas was, once again, well represented. A list of the winners is as follows: Event 1 Jim Kuhn Singles: AA, Jake Hamm, 100; C, Michael Slater, 98; C runnerup, Yaani-Mai Gaddy, 93; D runnerup, Kelly Watkins, 95; senior vet, Larry Tagtmeyer, 99. Event 2 Kreem Kup Handicap: fifth, Hamm (27), 92. Event 3 Fred Smith Doubles: runnerup, Hamm, 97; C runnerup, Slater, 85; D runnerup, Watkins, 81. Event 4 MTS Custom Coating Doubles: runnerup, Hamm, 99; C, Slater, 89; C runnerup, Ray McNeice, 89; sub-veteran runnerup, Whitaker, 96; senior vet, Marvin Allbright, 95. Event 5 Mid Kansas Ag Seed Singles: B, Gene Messick, 99; C runnerup, Slater, 94; D, Watkins, 98; sub-veteran runnerup, Billy Hopson, 98; senior veteran, Tagtmeyer, 100. Event 7 Straight Line Steel Singles: C, Slater, 98; sub-veteran, Hopson, 100. Event 8 Fichers Irrigation Handicap: fourth, Hamm (27), 97; sub-veteran runnerup, Hopson (27), 94. Event 9 Steve Taylor Doubles: winner, Whitaker, 99; runnerup, Hamm, 99. Event 9 Cross Wind Casino Singles: sub-veteran runnerup, Billy Hopson, 100. Event 11 Elite Concrete Handicap: runnerup, Slater (22), 98; senior veteran runnerup, Tagtmeyer, 94. Event 12 Dead Pair Gear Doubles: winner, Hamm, 98; C runnerup, Slater, 93; sub-veteran runnerup, Hopson, 96. Event 13 SOS Clays Hall of Fame Doubles: runnerup, Hamm, 98; Lady II runnerup, Gaddy, 85; sub-veteran, Hopson, 98. Event 16 Browning Singles Championship: AA runnerup, Zachery Garrett, 197; B runnerup, Buddy Huff, 196; sub-veteran, Hopson, 98. Event 17 Hickory Hollow Doubles Championship: sub-veteran, Hopson, 98; veteran runnerup, Troy Collier, 97; senior veteran, Robert Youngblood, 97. Event 18 Winchester Handicap Championship: runnerup, Scott Watkins (23), 96. High-over-all: champion, Hamm, 1,166; C, Slater, 1088; sub-veteran, Hopson, 1,151. Thanks again to Yaani-Mai for putting this list together and posting it on Facebook, so I could steal it.

If you have anything you would like me to mention in this article, please email me with the details, and I will do my best to share it in the next one. Be sure to visit the TTA website (shoottta.org) to see other news and upcoming events in Texas. As always, I would like to encourage you to volunteer at your local club and support youth shooters. Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me at [email protected] or one of the current TTA officers. We’re always glad to help.

Again, thanks for your support, and I will see you at the next one!

Billy Hopson

ATA Delegate

California

Hello, California shooters. I hope everyone has had a great end of season shoot year and an even better kickoff to the new target year. Please make sure you have renewed all of your memberships to the organizations you belong to. The ATA as well as the CGSTA memberships all are set to renew on Sept. 1. Please either renew prior to your first shoot or at your first shoot.

There was some fun stuff taking place before the end of the target year. Most notably were the Western Zone Shoot and the Grand American in Sparta, IL. The Western Zone took place concurrently at 12 clubs in multiple Western states. There were more than 714 shooters spread out over the clubs. The top three clubs by trophy count were as follows: Spanish Fork, UT, with 30 trophies; Butte, MT, with 24; and Rio Oso, CA, at the Golden State Shooting Center with 20. If you would like to see a more specific breakdown on trophies and scores, please go to shootscoreboard.com and locate the Western Zone Shoot.

The Super Bowl of trapshooting takes place every year at the Grand American in August before the target year ends. Numerous states and countries make the exodus to Sparta to compete with the best of the best. The World Shooting and Recreational Complex should be on everyone’s bucket list at least once. There were 35 California residents who made the journey to Sparta. Of those 35 shooters, nine came home with a trophy or trophies. Those shooters are as follows in no particular order: Alice Wiebe, Deanna Schooler, Chayton Vega, Colton Tucker, David Alarcon, Ethan Prescott, James Schooler, Rich Davis and Travis Seymore. You can find a more detailed breakdown of what events they won on the shootata website under the Grand American scores tab. Congratulations to all of our shooters. Since the target year has ended, we have had some notable moments. Kingsburg Gun Club hosted the September 400 Handicap. Two junior shooters out of their home club of Kingsburg shot scores that earned both young men punches to the 27-yard line. The Alternate Delegate Gary Beer was in attendance to congratulate both young men.

Another well-known shoot that takes place every year is at the Santa Lucia Sportsmen’s Club, and this is another 400 handicap event and is called the Mudslide. This shoot also draws a nice crowd. They have a lot of fun. The notable event here was a father-and-son pair. Ethan Prescott, a junior gold, took the HOA by shooting a 376 out of 400—pretty impressive with all targets being handicap and Ethan being a 27-yard shooter. Great job, Ethan. Not to be outdone, Ethan’s father Ron Prescott earned his final punch to achieve 27-yard line status. Congratulations, Ron. That is a wrap for now. I hope to see everyone out there shooting. Remember, we may be California, but we have some great shoots and shooters in our state. Thank you.

Chayton Vega

ATA Delegate

Nevada

First, circling back to the Western Zone Shoot, we’ve learned that Nevada had three Zone-wide winners.

Sub-junior Colin Schwartz won his category in the Singles Championship with a blazing 198 and won HAA sub-junior with 384. Merle Acampora won C class Event 1 singles for the Zone with an almost perfect 99. Melvin Tabion won third place in the championship handicap with a very strong 98 and shootoff. Congratulations to these fine shooters.

Starting off the month at Clark County Shooting Complex, 24 hardy shooters endured the 100º+ weather to participate in the First Sunday Social Shoot Aug. 3. Melvin Tabion broke 48 and received another punch in the handicap. Gary Rusch and Ken James won the singles race with 49 apiece. James came back to win the doubles with 45.

Later in the month, winners of the Big 50 at the Lincoln County Trap Club in Pioche included: singles, Ken James, 50; handicap, Melvin Tabion, 48, who received his third yardage punch in 30 days; and doubles, Carlos Rodriguez, 47.

Meanwhile at the Grand American, in Sparta, IL, several Nevada shooters represented the Silver State well. Grand American attendees from Nevada included Leticia and Jon Slinker, Rich Bullard, Lucci Kern, Jack Wang, Joe Hanley, Greg Pink and Clayton Philipp.

Next on the August agenda was the non-registered LuAnn Bunn Memorial Shoot on Aug. 23. LuAnn recently passed. She was a beloved member of the Nevada clay target community. The memorial shoot was organized by Linda Hand with support from many others. The shoot was composed of three events. Twenty-five slider trap, 25 American skeet and 25 5-stand targets were thrown. All proceeds went to LuAnn’s family; $16,000+ was raised. More than 40 sponsors stepped up to provide items for a silent auction and raffle, which was facilitated by Pat O’Neil. Lunch was provided by Roadkill Grill. Targets and help were donated by White Flyer and Clark County Shooting Complex. Scorekeepers and trap help all volunteered their time. The event was supported by many ATA shooters and others who had known LuAnn. Originally, it was thought the shoot might draw 25 to 30 shooters. However, shooters came from all disciplines and three states, totaling more than 80 participants.

The event was a great coming together of the Las Vegas shooting community to honor LuAnn Bunn, a special person who touched the lives of many.

This month we round out our look at famous Nevada gun clubs from past years with a look at Sage Hill Gun Club, which was just outside Reno, NV.

Sage Hill was a spectacular shooting venue that hosted world famous shoots and shooters from 1989 to 2014. Darlene Bullard was the central figure in ownership and management of the club. The gun club encompassed 155 acres and included 28 traps, six skeet fields and a full sporting clays layout. In addition, facilities included a full bar and restaurant.

It would have been no easy task to make a gun club of that magnitude run so successfully for so many years in the relatively small market area of Reno. To do so, Darlene and her crew attracted national shoots and shooters from around the country and beyond.

Sage Hill put on the Western Grand as well as its signature shoot, the Golden West Grand, many Nevada state shoots and others. In addition, local, state and national sporting clays and skeet tournaments were held at Sage Hill. There was always something happening in Reno when Sage Hill was operating. Further, many accomplished shooters were associated with Sage Hill. One is our good friend and arguably the most accomplished currently active Nevada shooter, Rich Bullard. Of course, Rich is Darlene’s son. However, according to Rich, during most of the operational years of Sage Hill, other life responsibilities directed his attention elsewhere. Rich indicates he actually had relatively few opportunities to shoot tournaments at the home location during those years. A successful businessman, Rich now finds time to travel the country shooting. Gregarious and outgoing, Rich is a great ambassador for Nevada trapshooting. Wherever he goes, Rich is always working to spread the word about the many opportunities for Nevada trapshooting. An extremely accomplished shooter, Rich has been an ATA All-American six times and been on the Nevada State Trapshooting Team 17 times. He has broken 200 in singles many times and has multiple Grand Slams. Rich was recently inducted into the Pacific International Trapshooting Association (PITA) Hall of Fame. Many thanks and good luck to him in the future.

We are all looking forward to the 77th Nevada State Trapshooting tournament Oct. 27-Nov. 2. See nvtrap.com for details.

Finally, I mentioned in a previous issue that the ATA Board of Directors was considering a change in the age requirements for veteran and senior veteran categories. That rule change did not pass the final vote. The age for veterans remains 65 years old, but not yet 70. Senior veterans are those shooters 70 years old and older.

In the meantime, let’s remember, it’s a game. Have fun out there!

           Danny Talbot

           ATA Delegate

Washington

Hello once again from Washington. I hope this finds you all well and enjoying your fall season. It seems the year has flown by as we prepare for Thanksgiving and the Christmas and New Year holidays.

ATA action is pretty much done in Washington until the Colton Gun Club hosts a one-day shoot in February, and then we will gear up for the Camas Prairie Handicap in March. The fall and winter months are of course busy with meat shoots and telephonic leagues. Shooters in these parts always seem to find ways to keep the clubs busy, even if it means shoveling snow, freezing or raining. Once breaking clay gets “in your blood,” it seems that nothing gets in the way. I’m hoping to spend a week at the Autumn Grand, where I won’t have to deal with any of those scenarios.

The off-season does give us a chance to catch our breath to plan the next state shoot and get the rest of the ATA registered shoots at various clubs on the schedule. Finding non-conflicting weekends can sometimes be a challenge, but we seem to keep a busy spring and summer season filled up. If you haven’t shot at some of the clubs offering shoots in the remote places of our state, you are missing out. Othello, Colton, Marlin, Coulee City and Spangle all put on good, well-organized weekend shoots with great food and hospitality. One lucky shooter will walk away from each of these with a WSTA Handicap buckle as a trophy, and the Magnum options in the handicap events are a tempting draw as well.

We are fortunate to live where we can get to shoots in Washington and north Idaho fairly easily within a few hours of driving time. What could be better than a trapshooting road trip? Not much in my mind. Trapshooting travels have been a great way to see a lot of country during my career, and I’m sure that holds true for many of you as well. So get those scatterguns tuned up and your shells loaded and let’s be ready for a great 2026! Of course we will have time in the offseason to get somebody else started at our game. I hope to see many of you in the upcoming year.

Shoot straight and keep your powder dry.

Sean Lewis

WSTA Director

Wyoming

Welcome to the Shooting New Year! I’m receiving several applications for the 2026 State Team. Good luck to all who worked hard to make the required number of targets. That in itself is accomplishment, let alone to keep your average up enough to be one of the top shooters in each group.

I hope everyone has great start to the new year, and I hope to see a lot of you through the winter months. Congratulations to Gene Robinson on reaching 25,000 singles targets. Well done. Also congratulations to Kim Ideen on making the All-American Lady II team. If I skipped anyone, let me know. That’s all for now.

Ron Miller

ATA Delegate