Wouldn‘t you rather be shooting?

June 20, 2007

Tired of golf? Weary of fishing? Bored of biking? Maybe it’s time you did a little trap shooting to put a charge back in your summer.
Trap shooting is a blast, literally. Locally, shotguns start at around $400, but for $1,000, you can purchase a .12 gauge shotgun that’s been specially-configured for knocking clay pigeons out of the sky. The alternative is using your dad’s old hand-me-down to see if you like the sport.
Recently, Nye’s Trap Range in Kingsley hosted a fundraising shoot for the Grand Traverse Hospice House. Range owner Del Nye has sponsored the event for the past six years in honor of his brother who received hospice care during his final days. This year’s shoot raised close to $4,000 for the service which provides comfort to the terminally ill.
Skeet shooting is more difficult than it looks. You yell “Pull!” and a clay target is automatically launched on an unpredictable trajectory out on the range. You follow it smoothly with your single-shell trap gun, line up the beads just below the target, following along, and “poof!” the clay pigeon disintegrates in a satisfying puff of fragments.
At least, that’s the way it’s supposed to work, but newcomers may find that it’s a lot harder to hit those pesky pigeons than it looks. Count yourself lucky if you knock down a few and remember, tournament-level shooters pump thousands of shells into the field to get the knack.
Trap shooting ranges abound in Northern Michigan with varying fees to participate. Nye’s Trap Range, at 6281 Pierce Road, just east of Kingsley, offers skeet shooting on Wednesdays from 5 p.m. to dusk and Saturdays from noon to dusk at a nice price: just $3.50 for 25 clay target pulls. Call ahead to confirm times and rates at (231) 263-5593.