Sunshine smiles on shooters

POMEROY–The final week of the Camas Prairie Trapshooting competition greeted Pomeroy Gun Club shooters with bright sunlight on the first day of daylight savings and a stiff east breeze. The result was no shooter being able to break a perfect 25 but nine shooters missing one target for scores of 24.

On Saturday of the final weekend the 12-year-old and younger shooters were led by the 21X25 score shot by Rowdy Cole in the 16-yard event. Rowdy also broke the best Handicap score for the youngest shooters with a very nice 23.

In Sub Junior shooting Gunner Magill had the top 16-yard score of 22 and Byron Collier had the top Handicap score of 21.

In Junior competition Brodie Magill led the older kids with a score of 22 in the 16-yard event and he also shot a 22 in the Handicap one target ahead of the 21 by Mason Garcia.

In Adult 16-yard competition nine frustrated shooters broke scores of 24 on Sunday. The list included Buck Geiger, Jim Adams, Larry Bunch, Travis Ledgerwood, Justin Dixon, Lee Koller, Clark Capwell, Caleb Barron, and Beau Blachly.

The top Handicap scores for Sunday were shot by Larry Bunch and Caleb Barron with scores of 24. Buck Geiger, Mitch Ruchert, and Matt Fitzgerald posted scores of 23.

Buck Geiger and Tracy Hanger paced the Continental competition with perfect 25s and Luke Ledgerwood and Richard Madden missed one Target each with scores of 24 as the winds began to subside.

Winds were nearly perfectly calm for Doubles and Buck Geiger seized the moment with the only perfect 50X50 shot by a shooter in that event this year. Jim Adams put up a respectable 48 in the event.

Holly Ledgerwood completed the ten-week shoot by making the Ladies' All-Star team with two 25s. Lindsey Wesche of Garfield had three 25s. Joining Holly with two were Erin Bauer of Colton, Amy Powers of Orofino-Pierce, and Haylee Hamilton of Hermiston.

The Pomeroy Junior Club finished the ten-week season in third place behind Hermiston and Troy-Deary in the 24 Club field. The Senior Club finished in the middle of the Pack in 12th place. Pomeroy's Juniors and Adults were both listed in first place in Division III of the Spokesman Review competition after that eight-week shoot.

Starting Thursday, March 16, the Camas Prairie Handicap at Walla Walla Gun Club will pit shooters from all the Association's 24 Clubs against each other along with other shooters from around Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The shoot will feature a tune up Handicap on Thursday of 100 targets to kick off the event. There will be 100 singles (16-yard) targets, 100 Handicap targets and 50 pair of Doubles on Friday. Saturday will also feature Doubles, Singles, and Handicap and Sunday will have 100 singles and 100 Handicap targets offered. Saturday and Sunday's singles will be combined as a 200-target event and will crown the Camas Prairie singles Champion and various Class Champions. At least 10 Pomeroy Gun Club members plan to attend with a possible squad of youth shooters possible.

The Club will host its annual meeting, fun day, potluck dinner, and BBQ Sunday, March 26 starting at 9 a.m. hamburgers and hot dogs are provided by the Club, and shooters are asked to bring side dishes and desserts.

The ten-week awards will also be distributed at the annual meeting. This event will end the 2023 Winter League.