Students aim for competition

By Gus Bode

Skeet and Trap Club reactivated

Factoid:For more information on the Skeet and Trap Club, contact the group at [email protected].

A year ago, Tim Blockyou had never shot anything that could fly without wings.

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The Greenville native had been an avid hunter since he was 16, but the clay pigeons often used in trap and skeet got the better of him that day. He only hit three of the 25 discs.

“It’s a lot different than shooting a bird,” said Blockyou, a senior in administrative justice. “Usually you have this seven or eight-inch bird in the sky, but suddenly you have this little disc. It’s a lot more challenging.”

Blockyou said his aim has gotten a little better since that day. He hopes it will continue to improve, and as a part of a handful of SIU students in the reactivated Skeet and Trap Club, he gets a lot of practice.

The group takes the 40-minute drive to the Rend Lake Shooting Complex nearly every Thursday to participate in the sport.

“It’s a really friendly atmosphere,” Blockyou said. “It’s one of those relaxing things where old guys tell you stories about them shooting back when they were 20 years old.”

Carri Perez, a forestry graduate student from the Quad Cities, said it is not uncommon that students in the Skeet and Trap Club take up, or already participate in, hunting.

“Some people join to learn, some to practice, and some to network – find out the good hunting spots in Southern Illinois, or maybe find a hunting buddy,” she said.

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Like hunters, Skeet and Trap shooters use shotguns to destroy the target. In Skeet shooting, one clay pigeon is thrown straight out, while two are used in trap shooting, and are released at angles.

“With trap shooting, you have to follow the target, which, for me, provides more of a challenge,” said Perez.

Unlike hunting, the clay pigeon busts when struck by the spray of shot fired from the shotgun. But since the disc is much smaller than most hunting targets, it is a more difficult task.

The Skeet and Trap Club is also interested in shooting as a competitive sport. Drew Wackerlin, one of the groups members, is very active in competition but would like to form a collegiate team, so that the group can go up against other schools.

Wackerlin, a senior in electrical engineering from Aurora, said competing adds a different aspect to the team. Skeet and trap is a widely practiced sport and it has a spot in the Olympics. But the main purpose of the group is having fun.

“We also want to beat U of I,” he said.

Blockyou said the activity is generally turned into a competition between members, but that he is interested to see how the club could do as a team.

In order to compete, the SIU Skeet and Trap club needs at least five members at each competition, which Perez thinks will not be a problem as the group already has 15 members and continues to look for more.

Perez said anyone on campus can enjoy this activity. The Skeet and Trap Club is open to anyone on the SIU campus who posses a FOID (Firearm Owner’s Identification) card, which can be obtained from the state.

“People can join because they like to shoot, or would like to learn to shoot,” Wackerlin said.

Perez said members of the Skeet and Trap Club are also willing to teach individuals how to shoot. She said she has received many phone calls from women wanting to join so they can learn to properly use a shotgun.

“With skeet and trap, you can shoot a bow or a gun in a safe environment and just have a good time,” she said.

The group is also interested in teaching a hunter safety course later in the year and hosting a collegiate competition at the Rend Lake Shooting Complex in the spring.

“Guns aren’t just used to kill people,” Blockyou said. “You can really just have a good time with you buddies and enjoy a safe activity.”

Reporter Katie A. Davis can be reached at [email protected]

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