It was a September afternoon in 2006 that I decided I would shoot a Sporting Clay course. That same day I decided I would probably never go back to trap shooting. But it was not until I had my first instruction with 2 Gold Medalist Dan Reeves that I set my sights on the upcoming California State Shoot in April of 2007. 
I lost 15 lbs. I worked out on a stair-master every other day and lifted weights twice a week. Drove an hour and a half each way to train with Dan once a week. Then shot an additional 2 days with friends or alone. I entered local competitions from my club at the Winchester Gun Club, to the always challenging Moore & Moore, Vandenburg AFB, Triple B in El Monte California and as far away as Mesquite Arizona.
I pestered
the very best and brightness shooters I knew like Pat Moore and his son Cory pictured here who own and operate Mooore & Moore Sporting Clays www.moorenmoore.com. 
I shot with all the top shooters I could squad with, Tom John, Bryan Laws, Carl Westfall, Dick Griffin, Pete Taylor and David Williams. 
Practiced the "flashlight drill" on the walls of my office. Bought Lanny Bassham tapes. My wife accused me of having a girlfriend, my business partners and friends stopped calling for social events and my dog left home....well not really, plus, began this Blog all in an attempt to keep focused and tuned up. Did it pay off...
When my shooting partner Pete Taylor and I rolled into Camanche Hills it was cold, cloudy and raining! Download MOV01306.MPG You've got to download this weather report from Tom John! We were sitting in the truck shaking our Southern California heads saying "is this what rain looks like"...when a big black ford pick up came roaring up the hill towards us. The driver was none other than California State Champion himself Tom John.
He had come early to check the course conditions and give a couple of new guys a few encouraging words.
The Shoot can easily be condensed into this picture of Pete at station 2 or the squad at station 12 trying to get a look at a pair of targets streaking threw a tree... 
the weather would defiantly add to the challenge. Those unprepared or that chilled easily would be at a disadvantage. 
But this a sport of men and women, some of whom have spent many days sloshing around in the rain and mud and snow on the hunt for ducks and geese from Canada to Argentina. So as I wiped down my favorite hunting gun with a light coat of oil I was grateful to see a pair of geese flying over head calling to me... or laughing at me? To see the ducks crowding around the pond at station 10 and ring necked pheasant's roaming the fields, seemingly unaware of the shooting around
them, kept a smile on my face. If for only a few seconds you still felt connected to nature in this gun fight.
Some 325 shooters, champions all, turned out for the shoot of the year. But it was the Skinner family, the volunteers
and the vendors working together that took this shoot from a club to a world class 
State Shoot. Men such as Larry Skinner, Ron Haynes, Marshall Skinner, 
Sal Hurtado and Monte Pawley that plotted and planned to find the weakness in every man's shooting. After all this is the California State Shoot...did you think you would stumble into this range here in 
Gods country, scoop up the prize and ride off into the sunset without a fight. Many of us realized this toooo late. 
Some of us laughed and only shook our heads glade to be in the company of good men and women on such a shoot. Others recounted tale's of shoots under worse conditions. Still others were angry and sought an outlet to express their poor sportsmanship. I can only speak for the men I was squadded with, Dave Santos, experienced and calculating. Steve Murphy, calm contained sniper with a sweet tooth. Paul Fritz, big bold and sure footed. Pete Taylor, experienced quiet careful. It was a lucky break
for me that I was able to draw these men and stand in their squad. But it was best put in words by Matt Skinner.." I quit shooting for 3 years and came back because it's about the comrade and of being with your friends that count the most at the end of the day.." Today his squad was made up of Rodney Buck, Doug Gonzales, Fred Demichalis and Greg Gasaway. It was easy to see they were here for a good time....but it was breaking targets that brought the smiles and laughter among these good friends.
As the "NewGuy" I left smarter and wiser having learned something from everyone.
From the disturbing news from Don Gallagher who drove in from Las Vegas and reported that the largest Sporting Clays Course in the USA under construction
outside Las Vegas was being delayed over water issues, his prediction was maybe 3 more years. Jim and Don Appling assured me Jerry Smith was no longer wanted by Rangers Scott Werner or John Sequeira of the East Bay MUD District .
If there were rumors it would have surfaced around the table or under the tent. An unnamed source wearing a disguise leaning against the Ammo dock in the vendor section whispered the possibilities of a new State Champ?
Fred Mathews roared with laughter at the suggestion the crown may pass. So we watched the Master Class shooters as they approached the stations in the RED ZONE on the last day. Who could forget station 4 with a midi moving at light speed and quartering away followed by a lazy "out of the tree" target. Relief came every once in a while, station 6 was not one of the relief stations in fact many scoffed at the 2 crossing rabbits and turned them to dust....many did not! Then finely a station that merited a smile...a squirrel rolling gently down a tree trunk at 10 yards
followed by an incoming sleepy quail. Thanks Larry! 
But lets not forget the support from the wives and girlfriends who made the trek out to the shoot as the weather went from bad to good and back to bad. Our one hope is that next time unleaded coffee and hot chocolate might be added to the service menu. But very little went to waste and everyone wanted to help tend the BBQ fire on those cold wet mornings. Tom Krumbholz and his crew worked hard to please...even offering an exclusive bag of specially grown beans found only in Santa Maria. 
As for familiar faces the most notable is a hard working guy from the Southern California range of Moore & Moore Sporting Clays....our own Guy St. Louis, pronounced GEESTLOUIS, so just call him GEE, Guy is not only a local hero to his club but a faithful generous member.
...and lets not forget the Pierce family, most often seen together flying by in the sizzling flaming shooting cart, Paul, Antony and Cory. Hey click on any picture in the story and it will enlarge.
In closing I would like to say that in light of what has taken place at Virgina Tech we as responsible gun owners are under more and more pressure from the left to give up our guns. Please let us remain vigilant to politicians that would take this right away....and California is...and will always be... the front line in this fight. 
See you at ZONE!
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