Bonners Ferry Gun Club Winter League begins

On Jan. 7, 2024, the annual trapshooting leagues at the Bonners Ferry Gun Club had a soft opening as the club and the high school trap team started their league season with the beginning of the 8-week Spokesman-Review Trapshoot.

This year marks the 106th year the S-R has held the annual winter leagues. The league started Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, and runs for eight weeks, ending Sunday, Feb. 24, 2024. Each week, BFGC, along with gun clubs all over the Inland Northwest, submit their top four scores for a total score out of 100. The gun club is competing in the Division III category, the women’s category, and the Duke’s Claybusters will compete in the youth category.

The scores submitted for the S-R shoot for week 1 were 84-100 for Division III, 75-100 for the women’s class, and 79-100 for the DCB.

In the local leagues, shooters compete for the best score out of 50 birds. The first 25 are shot from the 16-yard line, and the second 25 are shot from a handicap position. The handicap is determined by a score shot on the singles line plus two. Shooters must then stand at that yardage on the trap field for the best overall score of 50 birds.

In preparation for the local leagues, all shooters shot 50 birds. The weekly scoresheet for the DCB is Joe Campbell 34, Charlotte Holman 23, Linus Holman 36, Sebastian Holman 31, Trenton Myers 40, Cora Nichols 30, Noah Nichols 31, Kelsey Noble 23, and Garrick Patty 40. Because there was a tie, the club counted back from the end of the scoresheet to the last bird missed to determine the winner. Trenton Myers won the week on the countback.

The weekly scoresheet for Jan. 7 for the adult shooters is Bill Bustillos 37, Kristie Campbell 36, Melanie Campbell 42, Ron Campbell 34, Michael Compton 33, Gene Frederickson 28, Dean Nelson 36, Dennis Smith 27, Charley Runnion 31, Amanda Myers 40, and Mike Pruitt 30. Melanie Campbell won the week in the overall.

After the league shoot, the shooters all enjoyed playing Annie Oakley. Despite the heavy snow, all had a great time, and several shooters went home with an extra pack of meat or cheese. At BFGC, Annie Oakley is played with three guns up. All shooters line up behind the trap field, so approximately at the 28-yard line away from the trap house. The first three shooters raise their guns to begin the game. The first shooter then calls for a bird and shoots. If the first shooter hits it, the next person in line becomes the caller. If, however, the first shooter misses, the second shooter gets a chance to break the bird, then the third. If all three shoot and miss, the second shooter becomes the next caller, but if the second or third shooter breaks the bird, the first or the first and second shooters are eliminated. If a shooter shoots out of turn or shoots at a bird broken by a previous shooter, they are eliminated as well. Once the end of the line is reached, the order wraps back around to the beginning and continues until the set number of shooters is left standing. They then win a prize.

The week of Jan. 14, in addition to the S-R league, BFGC also started the 10-week Camas Prairie Trapshooting Association leagues and our local Bonners Ferry Gun Club leagues. The Camas Prairie League takes the number of participants into account, so BFGC only gets to submit their top 3 scores.

Temperatures were bitter cold, plunging into the negatives before the windchill. Many shooters held fast and came out to compete regardless. Scores were affected by the frigid temperatures. BFGC submitted the following scores: S-R Division III 168-200, and the Camas score was 64-75. DCB scores were 144-200 in the S-R and 54-75 in the Camas. Locally, Jerry Schilling won Class A with a score of 39-50. Dean Nelson won Class B with a score of 29-50.

The women’s team took a hit as there weren’t enough participants to submit a full score, knocking them out of the running for the S-R shoot, and the DCB started the Camas in 10th place with a 54-75.

Weekly scoresheet: Bill Bustillos 39, Kristie Campbell 36, Melanie Campbell 37, Ron Campbell 35, Michael Compton 19, Gene Frederickson 21, Dean Nelson 29, Jerry Schilling 39, Amanda Myers 29, and Mike Pruitt 24. For the DCB, Joe Campbell 27, Trenton Myers 37, Kelsey Noble 21, and Garrick Patty 39.

The week of Jan. 21, the weather returned to tolerable temperatures for winter shooting, and more participants came out to enjoy the sport. The scores for Division III were 257-300 for the S-R and 68-75 for the Camas. The DCB overall score for the S-R was 225-300 and in the Camas, they scored 62-75. Melanie Campbell won Class A and Dean Nelson took B Class for a second time.

Weekly scoresheet: Bill Bustillos 39, Kristie Campbell 39, Melanie Campbell 40, Ron Campbell 38, Gene Frederickson 23, Amanda Myers 37, Dean Nelson 33, Mike Pruitt 20, Charley Runnion 28, Jerry Schilling 34, and Dennis Smith 33. For the DCB, Charlotte Holman 22, Linus Holman 34, Sebastian Holman 31, Trenton Myers 36, Cora Nichols 35, Noah Nichols 31, Kelsey Noble 23, and Garrick Patty 40.

Bonners Ferry Gun Club winter hours are Saturday at 10 a.m. for youth and any shooter after youth leagues, and Sunday at 10 a.m. Feel free to come on out and shoot with us, and don’t forget, shoot straight and keep your powder dry!

Kristie Campbell is the club secretary of the Bonners Ferry Gun Club.