The Naperville Trapshooter The Official Newsletter of the Naperville Sportsman’s Club - October 2017

The Fred Section Members’ Meeting and Board Meeting

We will have a member’s meeting followed by a

board meeting at the clubhouse on Tuesday, October

10th. The meeting starts at 7:30; doors open at 7:00.

All members are invited and urged to attend both

meetings. …Fred Turek

Secretary

Do You Have any Sportsman’s Stories? This newsletter is the perfect place to brag about your outdoor adventures. Submit your pictures and stories about your hunting, fishing, sporting clays and even your skeet outings. Are you into golf or some of the other shooting sports? Let us know about it. It doesn’t have to be a long article. Submit a note and a picture and we will make it work to highlight some of the other activities our members are enjoying. Submissions can be made to tcoleman@napervillesportsmansclub.org I look forward to hearing from you.

Tom Coleman

President’s Message Open House

We held the 80th Anniversary Open House on Sunday

September 17th. Thanks to Jay Spitz for putting together a

great program for our guests to enjoy. Dave Paulinski

provided the training and supervision for the trap shooting

and Orvis took care of the fishing. Club Members came

out to make it all happen. Thanks to everyone for helping

out. We had around 80 individuals shoot Trap and try Fly

Casting. The weather was great!

The NSC was Honored

The DuPage County Board honored the Club with a

proclamation at their meeting on September 12th. Fred

Turek and I attended the meeting to accept. Jay Spitz

received the City of Naperville proclamation. Illinois

Representative Grant Wehrli presented us with a check for

$1000 from the Sportsmen’s Caucus at the Open House.

Illinois Senator Michael Connelly presented us with a

proclamation from the Illinois Senate at the Open House

as well.

Upcoming Events

NSC Wobble League: Ongoing

NSC Trophy Shoot: October 8th

NSC Trap Fundamentals Class: October 15th

NSC Gobble Wobble Shoot: November 16th

Gun Auction

The Board of Directors has decided to hold a Silent Gun

Auction for the guns the Club does not need anymore. We

will keep all of the Benelli Nova shotguns we own and

sell the rest. We will use our email system to collect the

bids. Keep an eye out for an email blast with the

particulars.

New Member Orientation

The next three new member orientations (informal history

and workings of the club) will be held at the club on

Sunday October 8th, Sunday November 12th and Sunday

December 10th at 10:00 AM. Please RSVP to myself at

630-842-0391. The Range Volunteer clinic will begin at

11:00 AM on those days. Everyone interested in learning

how the machines work should attend.

…Jim Monk

President

Training Committee Report: Well we have been very busy for September. We had

another great class of students for our Trap Fundamentals

Class. The responses we received from the participants

was fantastic. My continued thanks to Dave, Steve, and

Ray. We have a great team.

We celebrated our 80th anniversary this month with an

opportunity to provide supervised Trap Shooting to the

general public who came out. With the help of Jay, Dave,

John, Dave K., and many others we provided the

participants with a lasting shooting experience. Many

stayed around to socialize and share in the Sportsman's

Grill with our favorite chefs Jim C. and Jim Monk. The

weather was warm but the fun we had was well worth the

effort.

It is efforts like this that are having a positive impact on

our communities and the general public when it comes to

responsible Shooting Sports. Our club mission is one of

the best in the area from what I have experienced this

training season. My continued heartfelt thanks go out to

all our members who have helped us to grow and move

forward in the coming year.

Finally, I have completed the Hunter Education training

season at our club and at Newark Sportsman's Club. We

did lose two seasoned instructors in this past year, but

have gained two more who are completing their

"apprenticeships," at this time. They will soon become

full IDNR Hunter Safety Instructors. One from our club;

Dave Krause, and another from Newark's Club; Det. Ron

Blair. Remember, I am always looking for new talent

who wish to donate a few hours of their time each year to

become IDNR Hunter Safety Instructors. We are

becoming desperate in recent years with our older

instructors retiring. I promise you, it is very rewarding,

fun, and enjoyable for all.

Be Safe

Dave Paulinski Training Committee Chair

Annual Northern Illinois Hunting and Fishing Days Report: I am pleased to report, that with all the efforts, donations,

and support, we had another successful Trap Shooting

Event in Silver Spring State Park this past weekend. The

shooting event is hosted by the Northern Illinois IDNR

Hunter Safety Instructors each year. Several years ago,

the IDNR pulled their financial support from the event,

but the area instructors refused to let it die. Pooling our

own

resources, and donations from area clubs, and shooting

ranges, they were able to maintain and continue to offer

this special "free," shooting opportunity to the public from

our area communities.

This year was special since many of our instructors are

getting older and have many health issues. Added to that,

the weather was absolutely brutal with temperatures on the

range at an average of 96 degrees both days. With that in

mind, I was coming up short on the required help needed

to provide this service. I put a call out to our area clubs

for NRA Certified Shotgun Instructors. Our club having

the most Certified Instructors provided the most help to

that call on such short notice. My sincere thanks go out to

Dave Krause, Art Dwight, and Don Sitter. They were

there in a pinch, and provided expert instruction and

support. Without their support, we would have been

severely limited in the ability to provide the timely

services we offer.

My thanks also go out to Aurora Sportsman's Club for

their ammunition donation, St Charles Sportsman's Club

for their help, and a very special "thank you," to Miss

Taylor Roe from JR' Shooting Sports. Taylor has worked

diligently behind the scenes with the NIHFD event board

in my absence for months, and pitched in with all of us on

those hot days to make this event happen. I would also

like to mention the great donation we have enjoyed from

JR's Shooting Sports for many years. That donation and

only a very few others have helped us grow and refine our

abilities to provide the Trap Shooting Event each year.

Finally, as I mentioned to the board last month and several

members, this year’s Trap Field hosted by the IDNR

Hunter Safety Instructors was dedicated to the memory of

Ed Heasley. I have included some of the photos taken

during the two-day event for your enjoyment. To all my

fellow members, thank you for your continued support.

Dave Paulinski

IDNR Master Hunter Safety Instructor

The Crew from Northern Illinois Hunting & Fishing Days

80th Anniversary Open House… Naperville Sportsman’s Club Day, 2017

Four score and few weeks ago, the Naperville

Sportsman’s Club embarked on a mission of

sportsmanship and conservation. We were homeless,

in the sense we had no permanent location and our

activities were allowed due to the grace of local farm

owners.

When you think about it, eighty years as an active

community organization is quite remarkable, as we

have seen our share of turbulence over those years. I

would‘ve enjoyed observing those first few years,

watching the Club roughing it and flying by the seat

of its pants. In 1948, a few generous members pooled

some money and approached the town to lease, what

was otherwise a garbage dump. IMAGINE…

members clearing and cleaning and watching Earth

moving equipment to dredge the ponds and channel,

build that berm and grading the land that would

become the future home of the Club. The lease was a

nominal 25¢ per member per year.

It would be another eight years until we had a

clubhouse. The clubhouse we enjoy today was a gas

station restaurant building that stood where the

DuPage Children’s Museum stands today at Spring

and north Washington streets, donated by the Moser

Family, where their lumber yard would stand.

Envision seeing our little building being moved

through town… and as I heard the story, getting a

little too close to the south pond’s edge and having a

piano, rolling around inside, hitting a wall that

might’ve become another doorway… having a

foundation laid with the building being remodeled by

the club members. Try to picture the caretaker’s

cabin where we hold our picnics today

In the heyday, of the late 40s, 50s, 60s the club was a

private bastion for members, hosting big, well-known

Midwestern regional rifle matches, offering archery,

pistol shooting, hunting and fishing derbies. The

Naperville police practiced with their “Tommy”

guns. Trapshooting as we know it today was a late

comer to the party.

In the early 70s, our success brought unwelcomed

attention from the Naperville Park District. Founded

in 1966, the district set its eyes on acquiring the

Sportsman’s Club acreage. In 1988, after 15 years of

contention, the issue came to a head and the City

ended 40 years of leases, by voting to not to further

lease directly to the Club. That could have killed the

operation, but Club leadership chose to stay involved

and help the Park District lease the land and work out

a cooperative effort to create a public program.

Neighbors were not always so neighborly. With the

leasing of the property to the park district, certain

neighbors and a local political group tried on

numerous occasions to shut the shooting program

down. In 1998, an environmental lawsuit against the

Club, City and Park District, forced shooting to stop

for 32 months, while we toiled in federal court.

We played a lot of cards and watched TV, when our

guns went silent. But the Club never closed its doors

over those 145 weeks. We lost members and guests,

who chose to shoot elsewhere when forced to use

steel shot. Down, but not out, the Club persevered in

the face of adversity and competition. If you observe

the front wall of the clubhouse, you’ll see where new

siding was placed… to repair the cowardly act of

arson that nearly destroyed our home.

We have continued to thrive in an unlikely setting,

offering traditional recreation in a highly urbanized

environment. 69 years ago, Naperville was a quiet

farming community on the outskirts of an expanding

Chicago. The park then, was out in the country, with

a nearby plant nursery down an un-paved road you

can see, if you look close enough.

We had 100 guests celebrate our anniversary. Friends

and families came to learn how to shoot and some to

fish… our City, County and State lawmakers

acknowledged and proclaimed our contributions over

the past eight decades… we filled our bellies with

plenty of food and ice cream.

All in all, I’d say we had a heckuva birthday party!

Jay Spitz Life Member

Celebrating 80 Years at the 2017 Open House

ATA for 2017 – Plan your schedule now For those club members who participate in ATA shooting, or for those who are interested in starting, I compiled a

summary of shoots in and around the Naperville area that are planned for the coming year. While our club will be holding four shoots as usual, the number of shoots at local clubs has declined over last year.

So, for the list below I expanded the list of clubs to include other area clubs that also offer ATA shoots. The list

also includes information on state shoots for all the surrounding states as well as some of the regional events in the

Midwest. You’ll see from the information below, there are plenty of opportunities to register ATA targets without

travelling too far. Keep in mind that the clubs listed below could change or cancel a shoot for a variety of reasons, so it’s always a

good idea to check with the club before making the drive. Websites for all the clubs and associations are also

listed below, so you can find specifics on each shoot and contact information about the club. If you have questions about any of these clubs, or would like more information about participating in ATA events,

please contact Scott Calhoun (scalhoun@napervillesportsmansclub.org or at the range during shooting hours).

2017 Target Year (September 1, 2016 thru August 31, 2017) March:

19 – Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club

April:

9 – Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club

23 – Naperville Sportsman’s Club (targets only)

23 – Peoria Skeet and Trap Club

23 – Maywood Sportsmen’s Club (Doubles Marathon)

May:

4-7 – Michigan Spring Team Shoot (MTA Homegrounds, Mason)

7 – Peoria Skeet and Trap Club

14 – Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club

15-21 – Missouri State Shoot (MTA Homegrounds, Linn Creek)

21 – Downers Grove Sportsmen’s Club (Illini Indian)

23-28 – Great Lakes Satellite Grand (MTA Homegrounds, Mason, Michigan)

24 – Maywood Sportsmen’s Club (6:00 – 9:00 pm, targets only)

27 – Peoria Skeet and Trap Club (marathon targets)

28 – Janesville Conservation Club

June:

2 – Peoria Skeet and Trap Club (targets only)

3-4 – Peoria Skeet and Trap Club (Illinois Central Zone)

3-4 – Janesville Conservation Club (Wisconsin Southwest Zone)

4 – St. Charles Sportsmen’s Club (Bob Sommers shoot)

10 – Downers Grove Sportsmen’s Club (targets only)

11 – Naperville Sportsman’s Club (targets only)

12-18 – Illinois State Shoot (Brittany Shooting Park, Bunker Hill)

19-25 – Ohio State Shoot (Cardinal Center, Marengo)

24 – Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club (Doubles Marathon)

25 – McHenry Sportsmen’s Club (Illini Indian)

25 – Janesville Conservation Club

26-2 – Michigan State Shoot (MTA Homegrounds, Mason)

27-2 – Kentucky State Shoot (Central Kentucky Gun Club, Berea)

July:

2 – Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club (Illini Indian)

4-9 – Indiana State Shoot (Indiana Gun Club, Fisher)

8-9 – Janesville Conservation Club

9 – St. Charles Sportsmen’s Club (Illini Indian)

11-16 – Wisconsin State Shoot (WTA Homegrounds, Rome)

17 – Peoria Skeet and Trap Club (Illini Indian)

18-23 – Iowa State Shoot (Cedar Falls Gun Club, Cedar Falls)

23 – Naperville Sportsman’s Club (targets only)

August:

2-12 – Grand American (World Shooting and Recreation Complex, Sparta, IL)

27 – McHenry Sportsmen’s Club (Buckle Shoot)

27 – Janesville Conservation Club

29-4 – Heartland Satellite Grand (Stockdale Gun Club, Ackley, Iowa) – 2017 target year

2018 Target Year (begins September 1, 2017) September:

7-10 – Michigan Fall Team Shoot (MTA Homegrounds, Mason)

9-10 – Downers Grove Sportsman’s Club (Northern Illinois Zone)

10 – Peoria Skeet and Trap Club

17 – St. Charles Sportsmen’s Club (Fall Handicap)

17 – Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club

24 – Janesville Conservation Club

October:

1 – Downers Grove Sportsmen’s Club (Grundy County Handicap)

8 – Naperville Sportsman’s Club (trophy shoot)

8 – Peoria Skeet and Trap Club (Fall Handicap)

16 – Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club (Thank You Handicap)

Club and Association contact information: Amateur Trapshooting Association - http://www.shootata.com/

Area Clubs:

Brittany Shooting Park - http://brittanyshooting.com/

Chillicothe Sportsmen’s Club - http://chillisportsmen.org/

Downers Grove Sportsmen’s Club - http://www.downersgrovesc.com/

Janesville Conservation Club - http://www.janesvilleconservationclub.com/

McHenry Sportsmen’s Club - http://www.mchenry-sc.org/

Naperville Sportsman’s Club – http://www.napervillesportsmansclub.org/

Peoria Skeet and Trap Club - http://www.peoriaskeetandtrap.com/index.html

Plug and Pellet Sportsman’s Club - http://plugandpelletclub.org/

St. Charles Sportsmen’s Club - http://www.scsportsmans.org/sc/

State Associations:

Illinois State Trapshooters Association - http://www.illinoistrapshooters.org/

Indiana Trapshooting Association - http://www.indianatrap.com/

Iowa State Trapshooting Association - http://www.iowastateshoot.com/

Michigan Trapshooting Association – http://www.michigantrap.com/

Missouri Trapshooters Association – http://www.motraps.com/

Wisconsin Trapshooting Association - http://www.witrapshooters.com/

Ohio State Trapshooting Association - http://www.ohiotrap.com/

Officers and Board Members President: Jim Monk

Vice President: Michael Moore

Secretary: Fred Turek

Treasurer: Tom Coleman

Bob Beyer: Director ’17

Steve Pfister: Director ’17

Charlie Tlapa: Director ’18

Ray Courney: Director ’18

Dave Paulinski: Director ’19

Jim Chakour: Director ’19

Park District Liaison: Gary Foiles

Newsletter Editor/Publisher: Tom Coleman

Club Information The Naperville Sportsman’s Club

PO Box 27

Naperville, IL 60566

www.NapervilleSportsmansClub.org

Board/Member Meetings: 7:30 PM, 2nd Tuesday

Range Information Sportsman’s Park Trap Range

735 S. West Street

Naperville, IL 60566

Clubhouse phone: 630-848-2124

Hours of Operation:

Thursdays: 6:00 – 10:00 PM

Sundays: 12:00 – 6:00 PM. Final Signup at 4:00 PM

Hours are subject to weather and attendance, holidays, and

community events

Open year round

Classifieds Many thanks to our contributors. Please support those who support our club.

AD SPACE FOR RENT Business Card Size Rates: $10/month - $100/year

October 2017

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Club Open

Club Open

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Club Open New Member Orientation

NSC Board & Member Meeting – 7:30 PM

Club Open

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Club Open Trap Fundamentals

Club Open

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Club Open

Club Open

29

30

31

Club Open

November 2017

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

Club Open

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Club Open

Club Open

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Club Open New Member

Orientation

NSC Board & Member Meeting – 7:30 PM

Club Open

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Club Open

Club Closed Thanksgiving!

26

27

28

29

30

Club Open

Club Open

Naperville Sportsman’s Club

P.O. Box 27

Naperville, IL 60566

www.napervillesportsmansclub.org