ESTEVAN - The Estevan Trap Shooting Club has produced numerous provincial and national champions over the years, but members will tell you the best part is the opportunity to make new friends while developing their skills.
The trap shooting club has about 70 members. They meet at the Estevan Wildlife Federation’s grounds south of the city on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. for practices and socializing.
“You get to come out and enjoy yourself and have some fun, and for the ones that want to go on to registered shoots, they get to practise and hone their skills,” said president Reg King.
Members travel to about 10 registered shoots a year at the club, provincial and national levels.
He started trap shooting when he was a teenager. He took a few years off, but then rediscovered his love of the sport when his son Logan attended the Estevan Wildlife Federation’s conservation camp in 2014. A shooting day is part of the camp each year, and Logan enjoyed the trap shooting element.
Reg said it’s a great parent-child sport.
“I’ve seen mothers and children shoot, so it’s a really family-oriented sport,” said Reg.
It can be a difficult sport, depending on the whether conditions. If it’s windy, the targets will bounce around. Heat and cold will also affect the targets.
Reg is a big fan of the social element. Everyone is freally friendly, willing to help out and give advice.
“New shooters are always welcome, and experienced shooters are always giving their best tips to the new shooters,” said Reg.
Prior to attending the conservation camp in 2014, Logan had handled a firearm. But the shooting day is one of the highlights of the camp, and he fell in love with trapshooting.
“I had a good start to it, and I did well with it. It’s always been a fun sport. It’s something fun that not everyone does, either.”
Logan would like to see more young people involved with the sport. There are only about three from Estevan, and only five or six in the province.
“We’re hoping to get the word out so that more people can come out and shoot and enjoy the sport,” said Logan.
Logan brought home the 200 Target Junior Gold Singles Champion earlier this year with a score of 199, a personal best score. He won several provincial titles earlier this year, including one with his father.
And earlier this year, he competed in a central zone shoot that involved two provinces and 10 U.S. states, which gave him a chance to see how he would do against some of the best shooters.
Logan encourages people who are new to the sport to keep practising, and they could get to a high level pretty quickly.
“When I got into it, I always wanted to shoot provincials and that sort of thing, but I never really knew if I was going to keep on with it, or how well I’d do with the level of competition,” Logan said.
Clarence Durr, who was the president of the club for about 20 years, is one of the long-time members. He was bringing his son Michael down to the range for shooting, watched him shoot for a year or two, and decided to take up the sport.
Durr started shooting competitively in 1993.
“I like the other shooters that I get to associate with. I like the sport and meeting other people,” said Durr.
Some people get really competitive. Durr says he doesn’t shoot at the level he used to, as his reflexes and eyesight dropped off a little.
Durr did win a national championship last month, winning the prestigious 100 target Canadian Handicap Championship with a score of 99.
He said that’s partly because he just had a cataract fixed.
“That day (of the shoot) I was able to relax and keep my mind focused,” said Durr. “A lot of it is the mental game.
Durr has previously been a provincial runner-up for the singles championship.
“Every shooter has their good days and wins their class. There are up to five different classes, so everybody competes against their equals, based on their average.”
Durr believes he can remain in the sport for a few more years. There are lots of competitors who shoot into their 80s.
“We may not shoot long days, but there’s usually 300 targets in a day at most shoots, with singles, doubles and handicap. You don’t have to shoot all of the events. You can just shoot one of the three, whichever one you choose. Whatever you enjoy doing.”
The club recently had a two-day shoot, in which they shot 100 singles, 100 doubles and a 100 handicap each day. In addition to the local contingent, there were shooters from elsewhere in the province and into Manitoba.
In Class A singles, Barry Gordon of Brandon, Man., was first with a score of 98. Reg King took Class B singles with a 98, and Dwane Mushumanski of Birtle, Man., won Class C with an 86.
In handicap, Jason Sparwood of Virden, Man., was first with a 95, shooting from a distance of 22.5 yards. Alick McMillan of Kronau was the runner-up with a 91, shooting from a distance of 23.5 yards. He won flip with Reg King, who was shooting from 20 yards.
In doubles, McMillan of Kronau won Class A with a score of 91. Durr won Class B with an 89. And Gordon took Class C with an 89.
Singles sees competitors shoot at 100 clay targets, with a score for how many they connect with from a distance of 16 yards. The 100 handicap sees them move back to anywhere from 19 to 27 yards, based on their ability. And the 100 doubles has two targets released, and the shooter has to pick off both.
