Taking a shot at skeet shooting

Photo By Janecze Wright | The Fort Hood Skeet and Trap range was updated in 2019. During my visit on Feb. 11, 2023, I learned that the establishment now boasts state-of-the-art equipment. Tucked behind the Sportsman’s Center, the facility has been open continuously since November 1948. (U.S. Army photo by Janecze Wright, Fort Hood Public Affairs)  

FORT HOOD, TEXAS, UNITED STATES

02.11.2023

Story by Janecze Wright 

Fort Cavazos Public Affairs Office

FORT HOOD, Texas -- It’s one thing to know about all the unique things the Great Place has to offer, it’s another to get to experience them.

In my effort to gain more information about Fort Hood’s Skeet and Trap Range, I was afforded the opportunity to try trap shooting for the first time.

Before heading out to explore the range, I got a lesson in the history of the facility and the sport from Dave Wood, manager and president of the Fort Hood Skeet and Trap Club.

Wood, who has worked at the range since 1994, expressed pride in the longevity of the facility, which has been open continuously since November 1948.

“Once a facility closes on post, it’s almost impossible to overcome the financial burden of setting that back up again,” he explained. “So, keeping this place open and keeping it here is very important.”

I didn’t know much about trap or skeet, so Wood provided some background on the sport.

Originally called “around the clock” as a nod to the 12 shooting stances positioned like dials on a clock, players remained in the same spot as a machine positioned in the middle of the circle launched the targets. This set-up presented a few challenges, so the course was cut in half, with a machine placed at each end and the game took off.

In the late 1940s, Field and Stream hosted a contest to name the sport, providing a $100 prize to the winner. Gertrude Hurlbutt won with the term “skyte,” a Norwegian word for shoot.

Wood explained that there are three types of clay shooting disciplines: trap, skeet and sporting clays. Trap requires stationary shooting at a target propelled from one direction, skeet includes one or more targets propelled from different directions and sporting clays involves playing over a course of multiple stations with targets of varying speeds, angles and distances. Skeet shooting, trap and sporting clays are the most popular clay target sports in the U.S. today.

“The wonderful thing about clay target shooting is it doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a woman, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a youngster or a really old person,” Wood explained. “If you put those little BBs in the right place in the sky, the target just doesn’t care, it breaks no matter what and so it’s an equal opportunity for everybody.”

With that said, I was ready to give it a shot. I donned my safety gear and headed to the range accompanied by Wood, Donald Buckley, vice president of the Fort Hood Skeet and Trap Club, and Sgt. Mark Yensen, a regular visitor who is new to skeet but grew up bird hunting and shooting trap.

“I feel very lucky to have this. Sounds like they’re closing a lot of the other ones on the other posts,” Yensen conveyed. “So I’m glad that I can drive the five minutes from my house just down the road and be here to shoot. I think that’s really great.”

After a thorough explanation of the safety rules, and in-depth instruction on the proper stance, I was ready to shoot. Buckley encouraged me to lead the target or aim to hit it where it will be. He said this is the reason skeet was used to train gunners.

The range was updated in 2019 and now includes new trap houses for the skeet fields – two high houses and two low houses, updated in-ground electrical wiring and new trap bunkers centered on the trap fields.

The houses have machines that rotate as they propel clay targets either remotely or by voice command using microphones.

With my rifle aimed at the sky, I yelled, “pull,” and fired as the first disc flew into the air. The recoil was more than anticipated but I was anxious to try again. I didn’t connect with any targets, but Wood said I was very close, and that was good enough for me.

“The important thing is to make this available so that Soldiers like Mark have someplace they can walk down the hill and get to do this,” he said.

Yensen’s experience and skill was evident as he connected with single and multiple targets. I was impressed.

Wood said that it breaks his heart that people don’t know about the facility but he’s hoping this article will help get the word out and increase membership.

I’m considering becoming a member, so I’d say, goal accomplished.

• Date Taken: 02.11.2023
• Date Posted: 03.07.2023 12:57
• Story ID: 439693
• Location: FORT HOOD, TEXAS, US