Skies clear for Turkey Shoot

“It ain't raining and it ain't blowing, so it's nice,” said Tom Kunzer of the 2008 Turkey Shoot at Plains Saturday.

Between 65 to 75 men, women and children took part in the day-long trap shoot competition, hosted by the Plains Trap Club, located about four miles west of Plains next to the Plains Golf Course. Just the same, participants had a good time and most walked away with prizes, said Kunzer, one of the coordinators of the event and a competitor.

Cookie Kunzer, who also helps put on the event, said numbers were a down from an average of about 100 shooters, probably because people from outside Sanders County thought it would be storming Saturday. Threatening-looking clouds loomed in the distance, but the temperatures didn't drop below 45 degrees and the sky was clear during the trap shoot.

The competition ranged from 16 yards for the youth to the final shoot of the day from 40 yards. Called “Five from Forty,” about 20 shooters competed in the last event, which involved taking five shots from 40 yards, which cost each contestant $5. Don Kunzer, a Plains resident and a competitor, said that if two or more people tie in a round, all the participants (who want to pay another $3) shoot again. They went three rounds before Al Gehl of Hamilton hit three of five clay pigeons to take home the pot.

Cookie said they had shooters from Trout Creek, Thompson Falls, Plains, and Paradise, along with folks from Missoula, Hamilton and Kalispell, taking part in the seven-hour competition. A family from Bozeman, including their 10-year-old son Tyler Dahly, took part for the first time. This was the first trap shoot competition for Dahly, who won two prizes in the youth class.

Fourteen youths from 10 to 17 - all boys - participated, said Cookie, who has been a competitor in the past. Alexis Kunzer, daughter of Tom and Cookie, has also competed before, but instead helped out with the event Saturday. Fifteen women, some veteran shooters, were on hand for the trap shoot.

The Plains Trap Club gave away about 60 turkeys, 120 hams, and six cases of bacon. Plains VFW Post 5960 donated soda, beer and liquor, said Joe Eisenbrandt, the post's quartermaster.

The competition included shooting from novice to experienced, singles, doubles, junior, youth, ladies, mixed, buddy shots, and the traditional Annie Oakley competition. Dozens of shooters lined up for the Annie Oakley competition. The competition called for three shooters to go after the bright orange clay bird. If the first person missed, the second went after it. If he missed, the third tries. If the first shooter hit the bird, the next three in line ready for the next one. If the first one missed and the second shooter got it, the first one was out. If the first two missed and the third hit it, the first two were out. If all three miss, it goes to the next three. The shooting continued until they were down to one, the winner.

The Plains Trap Club began with one trap in 1998, starting with about a dozen members. Today, the club boasts of about 180 members. The club normally holds two turkey shoots a year - one in the spring and one in the fall - but Tom Kunzer said it's undetermined if they'll have a fall competition this year.