Ben Avery - Javelina Shoot - March 3-7

Although rain is forecasted for tomorrow, weather has again been very cooperative with the Ben Avery Shooting complex as it hosted the Javelina Shoot as part of the Arizona Winter Chain Trap Shooting Circuit.  Friday singles had110 shooters registered with most events registering equal or more shooters.  Gerald Wendel led North Dakota shooters in all events he shot although it must be said the North Dakota shooter turnout was light at this shoot.  A number of ND shooters left for home after the Spring Grand.  Bill Suda and Carl Anderson are leaving soon if not already on the road.  The general conversation now includes questions like when are you leaving.  Those here for the winter are generally leaving from Tucson immediately after the Arizona State Shoot in late March unless they plan to shoot the Grand in San Antonio in the middle of April.  If they plan to do that their trap back to North Dakota will be delayed a few weeks as they will go home via San Antonio.

 When I left the Shooting Complex this afternoon I noticed that some shooters were wanting to get ahead of the rain so they were already on their way to Casa Grande for next weeks winter chain shoot hosted by the club in Casa Grande.

  

Gerald Wendel with Garry Hill and Ron McConnell from Alberta. Gerald led North Dakota Shooters in the 200 singles with 194 and 87 in the handicap Friday and 89 in today's handicap. Garry Hill and Ron McConnel weren't saying much about scores. Ron said he dropped a few birds because he just started to use a release trigger. He owns a large pheasant operation and gun club Clays and Feathers in Brooks, Alberta. Garry, when he shot ND occasionally, lived in Saskatchewan. Still owns a farm there, but now lives in Alberta about 90 miles from Brooks. Both are members of Alberta's elite shooting circle. For years Garry traveled to many countries in the World shooting International trap along with Rod Boll and some other Canadian shooters that at one time frequented North Dakota Shoots.

Leonard Raddohl poses for a photo before checking scores in the Office.

Paul Doetsch Ben Avery Registered Trap Shoot manager on a call while Clyde Thompson computer work manager looks on. Paul told me about Ben Avery's long term expansion plans which are exciting. RV facilities are planned for immediate expansion and there is a possibility of an 8,000 square foot club house construction within the next year or two. Funds from the close out of the Phoenix Trap and Skeet Club might become available to help in this construction. Once all of this happens Phoenix will again have a World Class Trapshooting Facility.  It is beginning to look like Phoenix area shooters are getting beyond the loss of Red Mountain and  seeing the possibility of the area again being a class World trapshooting area.

The Munson Handicap Squad on Friday. Bob Munson, Louie Segebart, Iowa; Bob Barker, South Dakota; Annie Munson, Minnesota and Joe Miller, Nebraska. Joe lead the squad with 95 with Louie breaking a 94. On the first half of the 200 singles on Friday Annie broke a 99 followed by a 98 this morning which led our areas shooters and I believe won High Lady.

Ed Christian shows Tom Larkin a shell which wouldn't fire in Friday's Handicap. Ed isn't sure, but he thinks some of the Tucson rain last weekend got his loading components wet resulting in this weekends misfires and "bloopers".  Ed and trapshooting wife Shirley have been to Bismarck a number of times over the years and of course Tom and Ann Dee Larkin have brought their Custom Gunsmithing service to North Dakota many times over the years.

Ashley and Donnie Doetsch Classify, squad and cashier shooters at this weeks Winter Chain Shoot at the Ben Avery Shooting Complex North of Phoenix.

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