Much has started to take shape over the past two months. Below highlights the key activities and what is in store for the rest of the year.

501(c)(3) TAX EXEMPT STATUS

As of May 13, 2025, the IRS officially granted the SDSSA 501(c)(3) tax exempt status.  This is huge!  The key advantage to the (c)(3) status is donors can deduct contributions they make to the organization. 

VIRTUAL LEAGUE

Crooks (Sioux Falls) and the Mitchell club have started to participate in the SDSSA State-wide Virtual Skeet League. So far, we 47 participants and hope to add more. Just about every club in the state was contacted regarding potential participation. All the clubs I talked to expressed interest. I will be reaching out to the other South Dakota Clubs again over the next few days to see if we can gain additional shooters. Curious about the league? Check out the Details, FAQ’s and Submitted Scores on our website under the SHOOT ACTIVITY tab. 

2025 SDSSA SHOOT POSTERS

Posters for all four South Dakota NSSA skeet shoots are now posted on our web site. We also have a single poster highlighting all four shoots that fits 11 x 17 paper. These too will be found under the SHOOT ACTIVITY tab. Mitchell already hosted an NSSA Youth Invitational. 

SPRING FLIGHT INVITATIONAL

The Mitchell Gun Club hosted a combination Skeet and Trap shoot which was attended by several of the USA Clay Target League school teams. We would have liked to have invited more teams, but risked having to add a second day of shooting. Altogether we had 83 trap shooters and 24 skeet shooters competing under youth league classifications. The skeet shooters also concurrently competed under NSSA rules. 22 of these youth shooters were given free Complimentary Limited Membership in the NSSA.  This will expose them to the NSSA and allow them to participate in other NSSA shoots this year. It is my hope this effort will increase our youth participation in our other NSSA shoots by four new shooters. The results are posted under the SHOOT ACTIVITES tab with pictures posted on the GALLERY tab. 

CATTAIL FOUR-GUN CHALLENGE

This will be a two-day, four-gun shoot at the Mitchell Gun Club in mid-July. The 12 and 20-gauge events will be held Saturday, July 19, with the 28 and 410 bore events held Sunday, July 20. All gauges will be 100 bird events. The shoot poster and registration portal can be viewed under the SHOOT ACTIVITIES tab; registration will open mid to late June. 

PRAIRIE POTHOLE TWO-GUN CLASSIC

This will be a one-day, two-gun shoot at the Mitchell Gun Club in late August. Events will include 100 12 and 100 20-gauge targets. The shoot poster and registration portal can be viewed under the SHOOT ACTIVITIES tab; registration will open in late July.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP

The 2025 South Dakota State Skeet Championship will again be held at Willow Creek Wildlife west of Fort Pierre from Friday, September 19 through Sunday, September 21. This will be a four-gun event and will also include doubles. These events will be 50 bird each with shooters being able to shoot up to three events per day. Concurrently the State Five Stand Championship will be held as well featuring two fifty target five-stand courses. The shoot poster can be viewed under the SHOOT ACTIVITIES tab. Shooters should contact Willow Creek prior to the shoot to preregister.

Bill Coad

SDSSA President

The South Dakota State Skeet Association was incorporated on January 31, 2025, as a South Dakota Domestic Nonprofit Corporation. The founding directors include William Coad, Robert Stoeser, Steven Clark, and Nicholas Coad. Our first board meeting was held on Saturday, March 1, 2025, during which our new By-Laws were adopted, and officers were elected. William Coad was elected President, Robert Stoeser was elected Vice President, and Nicholas Coad was elected Secretary and Treasurer. Steven Clark will continue to serve as a director.

Our new By-Laws outline two classes of membership in the association. Club Members will consist of clubs that are members of the NSSA and have registered a minimum of 500 targets, either through NSSA tournaments or monthly targets. These Club Members will be allowed to appoint one representative, who will have one vote on matters brought before the general membership.

We will also have Individual Members, who, in addition to being NSSA members, have registered a minimum of 200 targets in the past five years or have achieved a lifetime total of 5,000 or more registered targets. Each Individual Member will have one vote on matters brought before the general membership.

There will be no annual dues assessed to SDSSA members. Instead, the SDSSA will collect a per-target fee as follows: The SDSSA recognizes the long-term benefit of minimizing barriers for potential new members, so there will be no per-target fee for youth-only NSSA shoots or for NSSA monthly targets. However, the SDSSA will assess a fee of $0.05 per target ($1.25 per round) for all other South Dakota NSSA tournaments. Funds raised will be used to cover operating expenses and promote skeet shooting in South Dakota, with priority given to supporting our state championship.

Our board will include the current National NSSA Director for South Dakota, elected by all South Dakota NSSA members to serve a two-year term. The board will also include four State Directors, each serving two-year terms. Every fall, two State Director positions will be up for election. Both the National and State Directors will have one vote on matters brought before the board.

The board will nominate and elect officers annually from among the National and State Directors. These officers will form the Executive Committee and may appoint up to six Ad Hoc Directors to represent South Dakota non-member clubs. Ad Hoc Directors will not have voting privileges but will serve as an advisory board and a communication channel for non-member clubs.

The board will meet at least three times a year. We will hold a general membership meeting at least once a year. This year, the general membership meeting will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2025, following the conclusion of the state championship shooting. The meeting will take place at the Willow Creek clubhouse, but a Zoom option will also be available for those unable to attend the State Championship.

Several resolutions were passed, enabling us to move forward as an association, including filing for 501(c)(3) status and seeking membership in the NSSA. In the near future, we intend to apply for a grant from the NSSA to support our state championship at Willow Creek. Additionally, we will administer a statewide virtual skeet league involving NSSA member clubs and several non-member clubs.

Bill Coad
SDSSA President

The South Dakota State Skeet Association was incorporated as a non-profit corporation on January 31, 2025, by William Coad of Mitchell, SD.
Our first board will consist of William Coad of Mitchell (Mitchell Gun Club), Bob Stoeser of Fort Pierre (Willow Creek Wildlife), Steven Clark of Sioux Falls (Crooks Gun Club), and Nicholas Coad of Tea (Crooks Gun Club).

Our goal is to foster the growth of skeet shooting in South Dakota from the ground up, ultimately leading to increased membership in the NSSA, more competitive shooting, and greater participation in our State Championship.

We have a lot to do to get our organization up and running. The board will need to meet soon to approve bylaws, elect officers, open a bank account, file for a tax ID, apply for a sales tax permit, and file with the IRS for 501(c)(3) status.

We expect to host four skeet tournaments this year. The Spring Flight Invitational will be held in early May at Mitchell as a youth-only shoot. In July, the Cattail Four-Gun Challenge will take place at Mitchell. This will be a four-gun, two-day shoot with 100 targets per event. In late August, the Prairie Pothole Two-Gun Classic will be held. This will be a one-day, two-gun (12 & 20 gauge) event with 100 targets per event. Then, in mid-September, Willow Creek will host the South Dakota State Championship. Like last year, this will be a three-day shoot with all four gauges and doubles, with 50 targets per event.

Finally, we will be hosting a free, statewide Virtual Skeet League. Though the SDSSA will be organizing and administering the league, these will not be NSSA registered targets. This league can be shot concurrently with any local league you might already be participating in. The goal here is to expand our horizons and increase interactions between our skeet shooters and the clubs.

William Coad
NSSA National Director, SD