Alabama State Trap tournament coming to Dixie Trap and Skeet

For many hunters in Alabama, it's been a great few weeks of turkey hunting! The season has just ended, and hopefully everybody had a good, safe time. For many folks that enjoy spending their time in the outdoors, camping, fishing, and boating are some of the things they get to look forward to this time of year. But don't put those shells down just yet; there's still another sport to look forward to.

Trap shooting is the most popular shotgun shooting sport in the US, with a vast following. Trap shooting involves shooting at a moving target, made of clay. Shooters, usually in a squad of five, stand in an arc behind what is called a trap house. The trap house is where the clay targets are launched from. There are five positions in the arc, with a shooter in each position. When it's a shooter's turn, they put their shotgun to their shoulder, and when ready, call out "Pull!" This lets the trap house operator, or the microphone attached to a signal, know to launch a target, which the shooter tries to shoot down. The targets themselves are brightly colored clay discs. Each shooter takes a turn, and after five turns in the same position, the shooters then rotate to the next position in the arc. Eventually, each shooter will have 25 targets pulled. A scorekeeper sitting behind the shooters keeps track of hits and lost targets, and calls them out after shot. In singles, it's one target at a time, but in doubles, two targets fly out in different directions at the same time.

The sport is very competitive, and constantly growing. Tournaments are held regularly, and there are state-wide tournaments held every year. In Alabama, the ASTA, or Alabama State Trap Association, is a non-profit organization that dedicates themselves to helping ensure safety and fun for all members in trap shooting, with Tim Hall as President. The ASTA sponsors an annual competition for the state, which is held this year at the Dixie Trap Club, owned by Bill Parsons.This year the State tournament will be held from May 29th thru the 31st, so far 180 shooters have signed up for this year's tournament, which is sure to be a blast for everyone involved!

If it seems like it might be a bit overwhelming for someone without a lot of experience, don't worry! There are lots of local clubs that promote trap shooting, like Dixie Trap Club, and Lower Wetumpka Shotgun Sports Club. They are members' clubs, but member fees are always affordable. Much like golf, trap shooting has different classifications for shooters, and the fine folks at these clubs have the right setup for shooters of any level. For more info, feel free to visit www.dixietrap.com, www.lwssc.com, and www.alabamatrap.com!