SOUTH DAKOTA IS NSSA STATE SHOOT GRANT RECIPIENT

WILLOW CREEK WILDLIFE located just west of Fort Pierre is one of our state’s two NSSA affiliated clubs. They offer skeet shooting, sporting clays, five-stand and can guide you on a pheasant or other hunt. This past weekend they hosted the Dakota Blast Sporting Clays shoot. They will be hosting the State Skeet Championship in September on their two skeet fields.  This year Willow Creek was one of just ten State Shoots in the US and Canada to receive a special shoot grant from the NSSA. These funds will be used to reduce the entry fee cost for new shooters of the state competition. More details to come! Call Bob or Steve anytime you want to shoot skeet, they are very accommodating.

NSSA AFFILIATED CLUBS

The MITCHELL GUN CLUB is one of two NSSA affiliated clubs in the state and will host three NSSA Registered shoots this year. Our next registered shoot will be the CATTAIL FOUR-GUN CHALLENGE. Event options include 100 12-gauge targets on field #1 and 100 20-gauge targets on field #2 held Saturday, July 19, followed by 100 28-gauge targets on field #1 and 100 410-bore targets on field #2 held on Sunday, July 20. Preregistration will open this week!

Mitchell is not hosting a local league this year, but shooter scores are being submitted to the Virtual League. Mitchell has two skeet fields. We were very fortunate to have Blaine Frizzell shooting at our club this weekend. Blaine set a benchmark by shooting the very first 100 straight at skeet at the Mitchell club using the 12 gauge. Did I mention Blaine is 16 yeras old? At least the the 20, 28 and 410 100-straight marks are still open!  Blaine, a native of South Dakota was here from Nebraska spending time with relatives and looking for an opportunity to practice for the upcoming USAYESS National Junior Clay Target Championship held at the former Olympic Training Center at Kerrville, Texas and continuing at the National Shooting Complex at San Antonio. He is currently AA class in the 28 gauge and A class in the other gauges and Doubles. We wish Blaine success at the National Tournament and expect to see him baclk in MItchell for one of our upcoming shoots.

SDSSA VIRTUAL LEAGUE

Thus far we have 68 Skeet shooters posting scores to the SDSSA Virtual League. Any Skeet shooter shooting skeet at a South Dakota skeet club can participate. Your club does not have to host a local league, in fact individual scores can be entered directly though our web site.  You can find League standing and other information under the SHOOT ACTIVITY tab on our web site. Or give me a call, I’d be happy to explain and help you get involved!

YOUTH LEAGUE ACTIVITY

The USA CLAY TARGET LEAGUE state shoot was held at the Aberdeen Gun Club the first weekend of June. Fourteen South Dakota high school youth skeet teams consisting of 106 skeet shooters competed at the three-day Skeet tournament. At the same time 766 youth shooters shot in the trap competition. Wyatt Mortenson from the Stanley County team took the high gun with a 98. Alexandra Klocek with the Belle Fourche teams also scored a 98 coming in second due to reverse run. Treyson Stout of the Pierre team came in third with a 97 and fourth was Chase McQuirk with the Chamberlain team, also with a 97 but taking fourth due to reverse run. Fifteen shooters shot a 25 straight, all four winners shot 50 straight and Wyatt Mortenson shot 75 straight. Congratulations to all the shooters.  As a team Belle Fourche took first place, followed by Pierre in second and Stanley County in third place. The Mitchell teams captured three of the six first place individual titles.

The SCTP Youth League will hold their SCTP State Championship June 24 and 25. SIngles and doubel trap will be held at the Izaak Walton League field at Pierre, while the Skeet and Sporting Clays competition will be held at the Willow Creek Wildlife facility at Fort Pierre. I had the opportunity to work with Melanie Seiter's SCTP trap team from Crook this past week. The goal was to give them some experience on the skeet field prior to the Championship. Several of the shooters who had little or no skeet experience were able to break station 8. One of her shooters did quite well on an entire round of skeet. Maybe Melaine will consider adding  the sport to her teams cirriculum in the future.

SD SKEET CLUB ACTIVITY

The individual league at CROOKS GUN CLUB at Sioux Falls is off and running with something like 30 shooters participating. Scores are concurrently being submitted to the SDSSA Virtual League. Crooks also has a number of fun shoots schedule. The side by side was held three weeks ago. Last week was the pump gun competition. They will also have a 28 gauge and 410 competitions. Guns are available for shooters who do not have a side by side, pump gun, 28 or 410. They only ask that you use factory ammunition if you are borrowing a gun. This Thursday they will host a three-event fun shoot. Shooters will shoot three of four events: 25 straight trap, 25 doubles trap, 25 skeet or 25 Krazy Quail. Check it out!  The Krazy Quail is a hoot! Crooks has two skeet fields and normally shoots Monday and Tuesday evenings and Wednesday mornings.

The JAMES RIVER TRAP CLUB near Yankton just started their annual League. League choices include Skeet, Straight trap and Handicap trap.  The Skeet League consists of four teams shooting 25 League targets per week. These targets are also concurrently being submitted to the Virtual League.  The Yankton club has one skeet field. They are open on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

The BROOKING GUN CLUB will be completing some work on the skeet field this summer and will not be hosting a league. A couple of their shooters also shoot at Crooks where targets are being submitted to the virtual league. The Brooking club has one skeet field that is weather dependent. That is wind out of the north or west shuts down the field so that targets do not trespass on the neighbor’s property.

The RAPID CITY TRAP CLUB is not hosting a skeet league this year, but a few shooters are submitting scores for the Virtual League.  The Rapid City club is open on Thursday evening and Sundays being about noon. They do have two skeet field, though the east field is primarily used for five-stand. A couple of weeks ago a young lady showed up which had everyone scratching their head until she got out a Kolar shotgun with tube and a box of 28 gage shells. This was Victoria Stellato from Arizona. Victoria is a world class skeet shooter currently classified AAA in the 12 & 20 gauge and AA in the 28, 410 and Doubles. She is also an NSSA Level III Skeet Instructor. She will be in the area the next few months, don’t be surprised if she stops into the Rapid City Club again.

The WATERTOWN GUN CLUB usually hosts a league. We hope to see them submit scores to the Virtual League as well.  The Watertown club has two skeet fields and (I believe) are open Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

The ABERDEEN GUN CLUB has also been approached about submitting scores to the Virtual League. I believe they have a small league and would like to grow.  We will be making a trip to Aberdeen to meet and shoot with their shooters soon. The Aberdeen club currently has two nice skeet fields and will add a third field by next spring for the USA Clay Target League Tournament.

The SOUTH DAKOTA SHOOTING SPORTS COMPLEX just got a name change. They will now be known as the PETE LIEN & SONS SHOOTING SPORTS COMPLEX. This complex is located ten mile north or Rapid City along Elk Vale Road. To get their turn north at the Hwy 16 bypass off I-90. This range will have multiple rifle and handgun bays. Clay target sports will include three skeet fields, two (international) Bunker traps, five-stand, a 19 station sporting clays course and a Helice field. The complex if scheduled for completion in October.

At present little is known about the LEMMON TRAP & SKEET ASSN., the KIMBALL TRAP CLUB and the PRESHO CITY RANGE. Presho will be adding a second skeet field as I am told. We will have to look into those in the months to come.

Bill Coad

SDSSA President

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