Pull!!

By Barbara Perkins
Golf with a shotgun? From the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio to Norfolk’s course at Ye Olde Newgate Coon Club, the analogy is an apt one. Sporting clays courses, like golf courses, are influenced by local terrain and are designed to simulate the hunting of a variety of birds including duck and pheasant and even rabbits. As the layout of a hole on a golf course defines its degree of difficulty, the orientation of a stand (the tee) relative to obstacles such as foliage or brush piles and where and how the clay (the pin) is launched, determines how tough a particular shot can be.
It is generally held that England gave birth to sporting clays, but there are several theories regarding its specific evolution. Some say the game grew out of the need of 19th century gun fitters for suitable targets while customizing a firearm. Others believe it grew from the desire of wealthy landowners for reliable targets while on an afternoon hunt. Either way, it is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation today. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, sporting clays appeal to everyone, from the seasoned hunter looking for a way to keep skills sharp in the off season, to the individual who enjoys being outside but doesn’t have the heart (or desire) to take aim at an actual animal. Over half a million shooters now log 25 or more days a year trying to break the assortment of disks known as standards, minis, midis, battues, rabbits and rockets.
Though England’s premier sporting clays competition, the British Open, was first held in 1925, the biggest growth in participation happened in the last 20 years. And Norfolk hasn’t been far behind.

Sporting clays enthusiasts enjoy an afternoon of shooting, Icebox style, at Norlfolk’s Olde Newgate Coon Club.

Now in its eleventh season, the course at the Coon Club is sporting clays Icebox style. That is to say, it is original, inventive and homegrown. Long time member Bob Busha had the idea to put a (clay target) thrower on the back of a truck, making for variable presentations, different from the more traditional single location trap shooting.  After receiving a green light from club leadership, Busha, along with current Course Director Joe Gimelli and a host of volunteers, cut 12 shooting stations the first year. As Gimelli tells it, “It was a real group effort. We didn’t have a budget, but that didn’t matter. Guys showed up and pitched in. We’d have a shoot, raise a little money, have another shoot, raise a bit more, and then buy a (clay target) thrower. Basically, one shot at a time we built this place.” He goes on to say that they now have 16 stations and 24 presentations from a combination of manual and automatic throwers. He is quick to point out the targets are biodegradable. “We are still a work in progress. There is always something to be done and people are quick to step up and volunteer.”
The Sporting Clays Course hosts seven major shoots each year, including the Good Friday season opener, the Fourth of July Firecracker 180 and full course season finale Christmas at the Coon.  In addition, the course hosts fundraisers for the Boy Scouts of America and Ducks Unlimited.

Due to seasonal constraints of clearing stations and plowing roads, the course is modified to a Five Stand presentation, which gives the shooter five stations on the single shooting platform from which to hit a variety of combination presentations from 10 target throwers. Both the Five Stand and the full course are open to non-members of the Coon Club. Cost for the Five Stand is $8 for 25 targets and the full course is $45. For more information call Joe Gimelli at 860.238.7893 or email him at coonclubclays@earthlink.net.