Pull Together
She toed the line in her first ever trapshooting tournament. Her shotgun loaded with two Winchester AA 12-gauge rounds.
Rigid in her stance, mentally focused, but for some reason, totally at ease, the 14-year-old farm girl from northern Wisconsin, pulled the trigger once, then without hesitation, a second time. Exploding into the clear blue sky was yet another pair of bright orange clay targets.
Sometimes left. Sometimes right. Sometimes straight away, the evasive “targets” shattered into fragments and powder - one after another, after another - every time she yelled "pull.''
With her mother, father, and sister looking on, she reached into her ammo pouch to reload. But it was empty. Call it beginners’ luck, but she had shot her first perfect session – 100 targets in a row – in her first ever tournament, no less!
She was, without a doubt, in a trapshooters’ zone.
And so it goes all summer long at the Wisconsin Trapshooting Association (WTA) Shooting Complex in Rome, Wisconsin.
Well, maybe not with the same level of success as our friend above, but young people from all over the state are taking to the sport of trapshooting like it’s nobody’s business.
In fact, trapshooting is one of the fastest growing sports in America. Its continual growth and expanding popularity are due to the fact that people of all ages, incomes, and abilities can compete. Fourteen-year-old girls shoot alongside sixty-year-old women. Seventy-year-old men may have been in the sport for fifty years, while others may have dusted their first target just last year.
And trapshooters come from all walks of life too. On any given weekend, the parking lot is filled with pickup trucks old and new, SUVs of all makes, sedans foreign and domestic. Even minivans! Behind the wheel (and behind the butt of their shotgun), are millionaires and hourly wage earners. City slickers and country folk. Tough guys and maybe-not-so-tough-guys.
In other words, trapshooting is a sport for anyone and everyone.
The people behind the success of the WTA complex foresaw this trend. Over a decade ago, they purchased a 280-acre plot of forest land on Akron Drive in the town of Rome. Many thought their plans were a little ambitious. Why so big, was a common question. Do you really need 30 trap fields? Will you be able to attract that many shooters?
But they stayed true to their vision, and it’s a good thing. Today, as one of the largest complexes in the country, they play host to numerous events throughout the summer. With a wide variety of experiences including American style trapshooting as well as international-style Olympic bunker trapshooting, there truly is something for everyone.
For those who want to stay awhile, and many do, the complex offers camping with 104 full-service pull-through sites. Obviously, many of their campers are shooters, but many also take advantage of other outdoor activities in and around Rome. Within minutes, they have access to legendary golf courses, ATV and UTV trails, boating on one of many beautiful lakes, or just relaxing in the natural scenic surroundings.
Wanna give trapshooting a try, but don’t know where to begin? Or you don’t have a shotgun? Don’t worry. The fine folks at the Wisconsin Trapshooting Association Shooting Complex and Learning Center have you covered. Their professionals are available for free lessons to get you started. And they’ll even fit you with one of their shotguns to use for the day - free of charge. That’s right, lessons and use of a gun for no extra charge! Now who does that?
Not ready to pull the trigger (pun definitely intended)? Come out and watch one of the many events this summer including the High School Clay Target League tournament June 11-12, the Wisconsin State Shoot July 12-17, or the WTA Wisconsin Fall Classic September 24-25 to name a few.
You will, without a doubt, catch trapshooters’ fever and maybe someday you too will find yourself in a trapshooters’ zone.
The Wisconsin Trapshooters Association Shooting Complex and Learning Center is located at 1312 Akron Drive, Nekoosa, WI 54457. For camping reservations and questions, please call (888) 704-6588.
Written By: Lydell Capritta