Annual memorial shoot expected to draw crowds

PLAINS – The annual Tom Kunzer Memorial Shoot will be held at the Plains Trap Club on June 22 and 23.

The event starts at 9 a.m. both days and will continue until all shooters get a chance to participate in the events they are interested in.

According to organizer Cookie Kunzer, there are three events on both days: sixteen yard, handicap and doubles.

Typically 60 to 70 shooters show up for the event and Cookie explained they are expecting the same amount this year.

The event has 300 birds a day and in total is a 600-bird event. Prizes will be given out to the winner of each event.

Cookie explained people from all over come to participate from as far as Washington and Idaho, to Hamilton, Missoula and Kalispell.

Saturday night a Calcutta will be held for the handicap event on Sunday followed by dinner.

The memorial is held for Tom Kunzer who passed away in 2009 in a vehicle accident outside of Plains.

In 2010 the memorial shoot was named after Tom, although the shoot, called the “firecracker shoot” took place a few years prior to his death.

The first ATA shoot took place in 2005 where 47,900 targets were thrown between the Firecracker Shoot and the Bruce Frye Memorial. In 2009 the Firecracker Shoot was renamed to the Tom Kunzer Memorial Firecracker “600” in memory of Tom.

In 2009, 64,700 targets were shot with both shoots.

Cookie explained the event is always held as close as possible to the Fourth of July, Tom’s favorite holiday.

Tom and Cookie both moved to Plains in 1993 and Tom was a well-known electrician in the area. Him and his brother Don began the Plains Trap Club.

In the early Spring of 1999, the Army came out to the club and did field work on the area. They leveled the ground to build the clubhouse and it was put up in May 1999. The sidewalks were then poured in 2000.

A memorial statue donated and created by Derek VonHeeder of Tom was placed in 2009.

“We have a wonderful group of members of the club that come together and help make this happen. They are appreciated and Tom would be very proud,” said Cookie.

All proceeds go to the gun club and are used to maintain and update the rifle range.