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Off Season

by William Scott :: Featured: August, 2002

After rabbit seasons ends, most of us put our guns up till next season. At least that's what I was doing.

My son-in-law asked if I would be a driver for the trap team at our club. They were in a league and had to drive once a week to 6 other hunting clubs to shoot, and have a few beers after shooting. I started driving them to their shoots and watched. Well, when they where done with that league, our club starts a league within our club, which anyone can join. I never shot trap, but they talked me in to it. I started to shoot. If you never shot trap; you start at one trap house, there are five positions and you shoot five times at each position, which give you 25 shots at each house, so you would shoot a total of 50 shots. Well, I use an old double barrel 12 ga. side by side for rabbit hunting. That's the shotgun I started shooting with. At first I found that the clays that came out of the house, came pretty quick. I started shooting like I normally would if I were rabbit hunting. Well, let me tell you there is a lot to learn everyday. Like shooting with both eyes open, I had a few old timers tell me that if I could learn to do that I would be a little better shot. Most of us learned to shoot with one eye so your looking down the bead with one eye. Well I have been trying the both eyes open method, and to my own amazement I am getting better and breaking more clays every week I shoot. I'm not the greatest at this trap shooting, but from what I have seen and done I am sure that this will help when rabbit hunting starts in the fall. I can see that with both eyes open, when the rabbits run through the brambles and bushes, you have a better chance of keeping the bead on them and a better chance of hitting them. Shooting traps will keep you in tune with your shotgun, and it doesn't hurt anyone to practice. Who knows, you might find that you like to shoot traps and it will give you something to do in the off season. If you’re interested in this, there's usually a listing for this in most areas and states. Most hunting clubs that do have trap houses that are very reasonable priced.

One old timer told me, that no matter what have fun doing it. If you don't have fun it isn't worth doing!

William Scott Field Writer
Life Member/ North American Hunting Club