Bigger and better 2014 State shoot and other Homegrounds information.

Melinda has addressed, stamped, return addressed and stuffed over 800 questioners.  They are about your experience at the state shoot.  We are asking for a little more information that may be helpful when we are looking for grants.  They went out in the mail today.  So if you attended this years State shoot you should receive one soon.  The responses are important for a number of reasons so please send them back.  We are also going to sweeten the pot a little if you send us your name and email address.  We will have a drawing for five lucky shooters to receive a free entry into any 100 bird event including WTA daily fee's.

There was a BOD meeting last night and we are trying to get some of the minor problems with the shoot this year ironed out.  

We are also talking about things to make the next shoot even better than this year.  One idea that a member brought to us is having a good ole Wisconsin Friday fish fry.  What do you think?  When they mentioned Perch they had my approval.

We (the BOD) will be going to sign a large loan, $1.8 Million, next week.  So things will be going forward this fall.  We will be discussing which things need to be done first or in what order.  We will be meeting with some of the contractors we have used so far.  They all have been terrific to work with and their work has been great.  They also have be near the bottom of the list when it came to prices too.   So as you can see things have been continuing to develop even though if you have been to Rome it don't look like we have been doing anything the behind the scenes work is still going on.

As always if you have any questions or comments contact any Director.  Our contact info can be found on this web site.  My info is   Don Mittag
                                        262 470 2708
                                         donmittag@aol.com
Give me a call.

State Shoot camping 2014

Camping reservations are now being taken by Bill Simonar. It looks like we will be offering the 7 day package at on $210 again this year. We also have 10 and 5 year leases available. Talk to Bill for more information on that. Bill has asked that people email him that way he has a better record. His email address is wjsshoot@aol.com

We are hoping to have both campgrounds complete by next years shoot. One will be for sure. So come one come all to our new homegrounds.

Don

Miss placed Power Cord

During this years State Shoot someone borrowed Rick Teskers 30 foot long 50 amp. extension cord. If you have any information on the missing cord please contact Rick at 262 424 0444. I am sure you camping people know how expensive these are. Rick is sure it was just forgotten when someone packed up but if you have noticed a extra extension cord please call Rick. Thanks

WTA All State Team

The WTA All State Team requirements web page has just been updated with revised information Web Page Link.



The WTA All State Team application can be found at this link. The pdf file was designed to be fillable, saveable and emailable.

Mike P

My thoughts about the 2013 State shoot.

  Well the 2013 State shoot is in the books. I just figured I would post some of my thoughts. I leave for the Grand in a couple of days and I am now rested up after our shoot.

To start out with I was a bit disappointed at the beginning because there were a few things that I had hoped would have been done that weren't.  Things like the campgrounds.  But as the shoot went on, I started getting comments from a lot of shooters that were camping.  The common theme was that even though we had the campers in the parking lot, it was still better than a lot of other large clubs.  And no I am not trying to pick on anyone.  It is just a fact.  We had electricity for everyone, water for everyone and sewer for a few.  We pumped the rest which seemed to be ok for the campers.  With the campers in the parking lots I was a little worried that parking may become a issue.  Well it really didn't.  Next year with the campers in the campgrounds parking will really be easy.  You will be able to park right behind your traps.  Just like it was planned.

  Shade.  We had more tents than most circuses.  Not sure if the shelters will be in yet next year but I hope so.  We are looking at a couple different designs.  

  The landscaping.  (Dust).  Well this too should be done (a lot of it.  maybe not all)  next year.  A lot will have to do with mother nature but I would be willing to bet that it will be 100% better than this year.  Speaking of the dust.  I just can't say enough about the Rome fire dept.  How many communities anywhere would have done what they did to try to help us out and water down a lot of ground.  A big thank you to them. 

  The trap line.  As for the targets I thought they were great.  Most everyone I talked to said the same thing.  We are hoping to have all of OUR machines in next year.  It was truly a wonderful thing that the clubs from around the state did, letting us use some of their machines.  But it is a lot of work and driving to get the machines there.  Taking machines in and out of trap houses is a royal pain.  Our houses aren't to bad because of the way we had them built but some other houses can be ugly for old fat men like me.

  The line help.  We know we need to improve a lot in this area.  We have already started things in motion to do things better next year.  Give us a couple of years to get some experience to our help and like in the past things will get better.

  The office trailers.  They didn't work out too bad.  Next year the Training center should be up and operational and that will make signing up a breeze.  The classifying trailer got really hot a few days but tolerable.  It must have be Kevin and my hot bodies that raised the temp in there. Plus the new building will have indoor plumbing.  With the portable shower and toilet trailer that we rented that really was mostly a non issue.  There seemed to be enough port a johns around that we didn't kill to many bushes.

  Next is just a couple of personal observations.  I was on the grounds 8 of the 10 day prior to the shoot.  I wasn't alone.  There were all kind of people there.  I am not going to name names because I am terrible with names and would forget someone.  So to the dozens and yes I mean dozens of people that volunteered  a big thank you.  On Friday - Sunday prior to the shoot there had to be 30 to 40 people helping out doing everything from filling in some ruts on the fields, leveling, cleaning putting machines in the trap houses, placing trash cans where we needed them and you name it.  So again thank you all.  Until you have done it you don't realize how much mowing it takes to cut weeds on 30 trap field and the surrounding area's.  Then everything needs to be blown off.  Including the mower operator.  

  Then there were the contractors that did everything they could to be sure we had electricity and water to the temporary camp sites.  They went far beyond what I would expect most contractors would have.  If you had been there 10 days prior to the shoot you would have thought that there is no way in the world that this place is going to be ready in time.  Well guess what.  IT WAS.

  And last but certainly not least.  To all the shooters and families and friends that came to shoot or just to see our new home grounds thank you.  Without your support and donations this project would not be possible.  But the project isn't done yet.  We have a long way to go.  So if you liked what you saw.  Please, Please if you can donate anything contact me and I will get you a pledge form or you can find them here on our web site.  Even if you have donated in the past we don't have any rules that say you can only give once. 
  
  Well those are some of my thoughts.  If you have any comments please use our comments section or write or call me.  Contact info is on this site under Directors.  Now is the time so that we can put your comments to work for next year.

Don Mittag

Shooting History

Gordon Horgan has provided a copy of Sporting Holidays from 1937 for your viewing and I found a copy of the 1914 WI State Shoot the names and scores start on the bottom of the 2d column. The link is below.

WTA History page

Mike P

Well here we go.

Well the grand opening is in the morning.  The shooting starts right after that.  The Homegrounds look very impressive.  The campers are rolling in, classification, squadding and cashiering has begun.  Are we ready?  We'll see.  Here are a couple of pictures I took Sunday afternoon.

Looking west.  A few of the campers to the left.

A impressive site.

Our flag pole from a pine on the property.

Still need a place to stay at the State shoot?

I have been contacted by a friend of the WTA that has a house on the 18th hole of the Arrowhead Lakes course Just a few miles from the homegrounds. She has a room for a single or couple. Private bath.  Kitchen privileges, a garage if you like, pool passes to the private pool in the area.  It is a four bedroom.  It also includes breakfast.  The owner will be present and help with any needs that may arise.  The cost is only $80 per night.  She would like someone for at least 4 nights.
If interested please call 1 920 205 9932.
This can work out nice.  I have rented for several years in Sparta Il.  After renting in a home I found that it is way better than a hotel. After a couple years it seems like you are part of the family. Plus the price is better too.  You can't beat $80 a night plus it includes breakfast.

Don

Historical Shoot News

Gordon Horigan has provided a April 10, 1948 copy of the weekly  Sportsmen's Review an Official Publication of the ATA. You may view the entire publication on the History page of the WTA website.
http://www.witrapshooters.com/about-WTA/history.html

Please thank Gordon for providing a segment of Wisconsin Trap Shooting history.

Mike P

Pictures from Chad Blanke

Here are a couple of pictures Chad sent me that he took from the helicopter.
And before anyone asks.  Yes the company that is supposed to remove the piles of stumps is to be there tomorrow.

Electricity

With help of Ron Wahl (top photo) and Jim Kotecki(bottom photo) the power outlets we installed on Sat.  The power is not in the houses yet but will be soon.  When it is we will be ready.

Also this week the west vendor sites have the water and sewer lines in and water pedestals installed.

The wiring to the trap houses has been trenched in but the main power lines have not been connected yet.

Nick Thanos will soon be staining the trap houses.  We picked out some nice purples and pinks.  Three will be paisley.  For those that can figure it out I was kidding.  They will be a darker green.

About 16 of the scorer stands the Rick Tesker donated have been delivered and they look great.  Nice job Rick and crew.

8 or 10 of the trap house doors have been installed.

The biggest hold up right now is the company that is supposed to be chipping the stumps that are piled up in the shot drop area has not been there.  That is holding up the planting of grass.  Even if he is late and we don't have grass the brownish black color of the dirt is a really good back drop to see the target right out of the house.  The piles of stumps will be gone one way or another.


Don

WTA website revision

The website will launch a total redesigned website. It will happen sometime today, Thursday 20 Jun 2013.

If you booked any old website pages there no good. I have a backup copy of the web site just in case.

The new website will have more pages but the navagation bar will allow you to access any page from any page,

Mike P

A few aerial photo's from today 6/6

Here are some aerial photo's taken today 6/6

This is the view from trap 22 except for Pat, the trailer, and the piles of stumps will be gone.

Thirty trap houses in a row.

At approx. 2:50 pm this afternoon the last of thirty trap houses was installed.  I took about 2 3/4 days.  Two of which poured rain all day.  But they are all installed and it is very impressive to look down that line.  For a bunch of guys that had never worked together they did a great job.  I will be posting some of the pictures from the first house installed to the last one today.  Thanks again to all the volunteers.  With out them this would never have happened.  Thanks to John Reeb who saved our butts again today.  And also a big thank you to Dudley and Tammy Larson of Direct Drive tranport, Dan McDermitt of Renolds Crane, Jim Grunewald and Co.  Jim's people were unbelievable.  We checked the first couple of holes and found them to be perfect which allowed  us to just put the houses in without worrying about being level or the correct depth.  They were spot on.

Most of the crew.  There were a couple not in the picture.

From trap 30 looking east.  Look at all the standing water after two days of steady rain.  It was gone in about ten minutes after it stopped.

Trap one looking west.  Looks great.

Some pictures have been removed because a few people have been all upset that we weren't wearing protective gear, and not doing things according to OSHA.  If you have any comments please see TS.com about our trap houses.  I'm tired of being flamed.  Someone else can do it from now on.

WTA Youth Program Information

I just updated some information on the Wisconsin Youth Program. If I missed some thing please let me know and I post it (that goes for any other web page.

I hope the ground crew at the home grounds are "getting it done"

WTA Youth web page

Mike P

Even more great news

This is to report we have even more good news.  Our ATA Delegate and fellow WTA Board member Rick Tesker is the most recent generous member to lend the WTA $71,000 for the purchase of 10 new Pat Traps.  They have been ordered and Rick is going to write a check for them on Monday.  They say they will be ready on July 10th.  Dudley Larson will be taking care of the shipping to Wi.  Thank you both very, very much.  With members such as these the Homegrounds IS becoming a reality.

We will be meeting with the electrical contractor Van Ert and Badger Environmental for the water, sewer, and the crushed stone work this week to discuss what all we can have done with the money we have and the time that is left before the big gig in July.

The trap houses will start going in the ground on Mon. June 3rd.  We can always use more hands as there is a lot of other work the needs to be done.  If you can't help out just stop by and say hi.

And again if you have the means and would like to lend or donate some money to help out getting even more done at the Homeground before the State shoot please give me a call.  262 470 2708 or email me at donmittag@aol.com

The zone shoot at Beaver Dam is looking like a big success.  They had, and I am guessing 120 to 130 shooters for the Single Championship today.  If it had not been for the huge storm that blew threw late this afternoon everything ran very smoothly.

Don

Trap houses on the move

Here are some of the trap houses on the move at the Reeb Farm.  John has been generous enough to pick up 12 trap houses and transport them to the homegrounds.  Dudley Larson is being equally as generous to move the other 18 houses.  Remember these puppies weigh about 22,000 lbs. each.  We will be installing these guys next week in Rome.  Jim Grunewald is going to bring a back hoe to dig the holes and Dan McDermot is bringing a crane to lift them in place.  Thanks to all involved.  It is generosity like this that is making the homegrounds happen.  The last picture is of John just after he lifted a trap house onto one of his trucks.  I always knew farmers were strong.  And that is his lovely wife Jean helping.

Work week in Rome

I received this email this weekend.

"Don I would like to help out with the traphouse installs and work week but I would not like to incur the cost of a week's lodging.  There may be others in the same situation."

"Suggestion for the blog.  Ask if there are those with RV's that might like to take in  overnight guests.  It may encourage more people to come out and participate."

So if there is anyone that would like to take a homeless person in please let us know.  Also anyone that would like to help and needs a place to sleep also let us know.   Dick Otto has agreed to coordinate people  that need a place to sleep and the people with a extra bed.  He can be reached at 1-262-363-1303 or  dickotto@wi.rr.com

We need some workers.

Workers needed.  The week of June 3rd we will be installing the trap houses.  We will also be working in the campgrounds clearing limbs, brush and trees that have fallen during the winter.  Any one available please contact Bruce, Denny or myself.  We will need rakes, pruners, chainsaws, trailers, 4 wheelers , tractors and so on.

Don Mittag

Old WTA shoot programs

If you have an old copy of a WTA shoot program over 50 years old would you please send a copy to the webmaster@witrapshooters.com  , I would like to post it in a history portion of the WTA website. If your club has an old paper copy of local shoot program please consider allowing that program to be posted in the WTA history webpage.

I am also looking for old photo over 50 years old  of local or state level shooters. Please provide a caption of those in the photo.

Mike P
webmaster