Columnist Barb Henderson: Trap, skeet, sporting clays shooting rise in popularity

Barb Henderson

Friday, April 4, 2003 | 9:34 a.m.

Barb Henderson is an outdoors enthusiast, freelance writer and producer/host of outdoors radio television programming. Her column appears Friday in the Sun.

Trapshooting was originated as a substitute for the bird hunter. It allowed the wing shooter the opportunity to maintain marksmanship skills sharp between the bird hunting seasons.

Skeet was designed as another way to practice shooting, before heading out for a day in the field to hunt birds. The clay from the high house flies out simulating birds coming into decoys while the clays flying out of the low house simulate upland game birds being flushed.

Unlike trap and skeet, the sporting clay courses are set up quite differently; the clays offer a variety of patterns that simulate actual behavior of game out in the field.

For the most part, this theory still holds true today, with the exception that some shooters do not hunt.

The three offer their own challenges, yet, all share the same goal for the shooter -- to break clays.

Nevada shooters will soon aim toward scholarships while enjoying the shooting sports.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation announced young trap, skeet and sporting clay shooters from Nevada will be competing for their share of $69,000 in college scholarships as the Scholastic Clay Target Program kicks off its third season.

The SCTP State Trap Championship will be June 14 in Spring Creek.

Last year nearly 40 of the Silver State's top shooters competed in the program representing Golconda, Henderson, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Spring Creek and Winnemucca.

SCTP is the national youth shooting program developed by the NSSF to offer young men and women the opportunity to compete as a team for state and national titles in the clay target disciplines of trap, skeet and sporting clays.

Participants will also vie for an opportunity to train with America's Olympic shotgun coaches as part of the Junior Olympic Development Camp hosted by USA Shooting at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Last year, teams of junior and senior high school students from 40 states participated in SCTP competing in divisions and classes based on age and experience.

To compete, teams must be registered 45 days before the state championship. For more information, please call the National Shooting Sports Foundation at (203) 426-1320.

Outdoor briefs