I’ve been involved in both club level and registered trap since the late seventies, I guess about 45 years. I‘ve seen it wax and wane several times but the latest decline of 10+ years shows no sign of turning around. Because of the cost of expendables like ammunition as well as club costs like memberships, clays, range fees and not to mention very expensive equipment, trap has never been an inexpensive sport even without much travel. For many years the ranks were heavily populated by small business owners, tradesmen, lower and middle management, farmers, ranchers, commercial fishermen. The bulk of these shooters were in their prime earning years and were, if not wealthy, certainly financially stable. As such, most of the dedicated shooters were always in their 50’s,60’s,70’s and up. Of course there was always younger shooters and a few women but they were in the minority until they matured in.
Today and for the last 10-15 years as these people aged out or died off they are not being replaced in numbers on the range. Like for many things life is becoming more complicated and much more expensive for most people. Recreation of any kind is frequently the first target when personal budgets need to be tightened. Less participation results in fewer opportunities as events are abandoned and facilities are shuttered. BDFT, in the 1970’s, 1980’s, maybe until nearly 2000 trap was very strong in your part of northwestern BC. Most of the ranges started in the 1950’s. There were active trap clubs at New Hazleton, Kitimat, Terrace and Prince Rupert as well as your home club at Smithers. Did you know that Smithers produced one singles and two doubles BC Champions in the early 1970’s? These clubs all held one more more registered PITA shoots each year and 40-50 shooters at one of these shoots was not unusual. Kitimat with only one trap held a weekend doubles marathon, Terrace combined trap and sporting clays for a two day event. Prince Rupert, being on the coast and in the mild coastal climate always had the first event of the year in March and they even always had a good representation of shooters from Ketchikan Alaska. One by one they shrivelled and died. Kitimat went first, they lost their beautiful riverside log chalet clubhouse to a disastrous fire, along with all their trophies and records and outbuildings. The club sparkplugs were too devastated to start over. Terrace slowly imploded through lack of interest. New Hazleton died when Rolly Senden died, a few people tried but they couldn’t keep it going. I heard sad things about the once mighty Prince Rupert club following the passing Wally Robinson and Wally Phillipew, I suspect they too are rapidly going downhill. I’m sure your home club is feeling the loss of my old friend Bob Blackburn as well and as your club is becoming more isolated you have a serious challenge ahead of you.
My present club was burnt out in the huge Elephant Hill wildfire in 2017 but our trap facilities and clubhouse somehow survived. This was followed by several years of serious flooding brought about by the fire. In decline, the club hadn’t held a registered shoot since about 2003 but the trap section remained active with a small dedicated group. Our latest challenge is industrial encroachment threatening our trap safety zone which has resulted in the complete shutdown of out trap range. Options? MAYBE we can reposition one or two houses to comply, all we need now are two or three hundred thousand dollars and the patience to wait 2-3 years for a favourable range inspection….. I’m getting too old for this BS.
