Feat of clay
Toolbox
By Dennis Jensen Staff Writer - Published: June 28, 2009
BERLIN — The sound of gunfire echoing across a broad field is constant. If you took the time, you would be hard-pressed to count to three without hearing the loud report of a shotgun. That's all day long, for three days.
Thousands of shattered orange clay pigeons litter the open field in front of the five shooting stations, while the pungent smell of gun powder drifts in the air.
During the first day, about 150 shotgunners step up to the line and, taking turns, try to bust anywhere from 100 to 200 clay targets, measuring about 4-1/4 inches in diameter.
When the bright-orange clay pigeon comes flying out of the station, at 42 mph, the competitors have no idea which direction, from left to right, it will fly.
Still, the 165 competitors are so good with their shotguns, few flying targets escape the pellets.
A small group of spectators and shooters, seated near the headquarters with a grand view of the setting, take it all in, commenting on the shooting, the fresh-baked cookies, the chances of rain, or whatever else comes to mind.
Welcome to the 101st annual Vermont State Championship Trapshoot, held recently at the Montpelier Gun Club.
Even the threat of rain did little to dampen the spirits of the gun-toting competitors.
Meanwhile, one trapshooter who was creating a buzz around the place is a red-headed kid with a great smile and a deadly aim.
On the first day, during the preliminary single competition, Collin Bigras broke 100 out of 100 targets. That's called perfect.
"Today — I don't know why — was one of the most nerve-wracking hundreds I've ever shot in my life," said the 17-year-old who will be a senior this fall at U-32 High School.
Bigras got the Vermont clay target crowd all abuzz last August when he won the 2008 Junior Clay Target Championship at the World Championships held in Sparta, Ill. In a field of about 2,500 shooters, Bigras picked off 200 out of 200 clay targets, then went on in a shoot-off to win the title.
The East Montpelier youth is currently ranked No. 3 in the country in the junior (under 18) category.
But despite all of that, Bigras said he was thrilled to be competing — practically in his backyard.
"This is my state shoot," he said. "It's one of the most important places to perform and shoot well. I want to shoot my best."
Family support
Asked if his peers in high school understand the extent of his accomplishments in trapshooting, Bigras shook his head.
"I don't think so, not to the full extent," he said. "But my closer friends realize it."
Bigras bemoaned the fact that high schools in his home state don't offer shooting as a varsity sport.
"It's big out West," he said, "and in places like Missouri, Ohio and Iowa. In some schools, it's a letter grade. I wish we could have that up here in New England."
But why wouldn't a gun-friendly state like Vermont have shooting as part of a high school's curriculum or as a sport?
"I think it's mostly the school systems," he said. "A lot of people are not big fans of guns and wouldn't support something like that."
Bigras attributes his success to the support of his family — particularly his father Steve.
"Family and friends, that's what it comes down to," he said. "My dad is the only reason I'm capable to do what I'm doing. He pays for the shoots and supports me."
Bigras said his father has never shot him down, when it comes to his performance.
"He doesn't put the pressure on me," he said. "He lets me take the course and shoot the best I can. In my five years of shooting, he has never criticized me. 'Just shoot your best,' he tells me. 'That's all that counts.'"
Bigras went on to take second place in the High-Overall competition and won the Junior Singles Championship.
Like many Vermont youths handy with a shotgun, Bigras is an avid hunter. He particularly enjoys turkey and deer hunting.
"I like to hunt a lot," he said. "I'm trying to get a moose permit this year."
With a small village of campers lined up across from the range and a food trailer that serves up dishes so tasty they're worth the trip alone, the three-day event seems more like a camping jamboree with shotguns than a trapshooter's paradise.
Howard Patch is a trapshooter who has been coming to the state championships since the mid 1970s. Patch said Vermonters make the event the best place to hang your hat, when it comes to competitive shooting.
"This is a shoot I would never miss," said the 72-year-old Patch who hails from Center Barnstead, N.H. "It's a lot of fun, with a lot of easy people. There are really nice people up here."
The event goes far beyond trapshooting, Patch said.
"We camp out here. We bring our trailers and our wives. When we get back (from shooting), we party. It's like camping out," he said.
dennis.jensen@rutlandherald.com
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