Trap shooting, which originated in England during the 18th century, has a rich history in Skagit Valley.
“We are in a rural community out here so there are a lot of duck and bird hunters,” said Eric Thompson, a board member for Old Skagit Gun Club in Burlington. “There is a lot of gun culture here so it is natural for them to shoot in a controlled environment.”
The club promotes recreational and organized competitive shooting and offers practice and competition trap shooting on four fields, open to the public, which are lighted for night shooting. Youth participation has been growing and annual memberships are offered as well.
The gun club has 74 shareholders and 55 general members, totaling 124 members. Its busiest times are during charity events and the high school season, bringing in about 100 people to the site. During an average weeknight, the number of people varies.
Trap shooting is one of three clay pigeon shooting events. The other two are skeet shooting and sporting clays. Trap shooting is more simple than the others as it is being launched from a single machine, also known as a trap house. Depending on the shooter’s skill, the trap shooter cannot stand closer than 16 yards from the house.
At the Old Skagit Gun Club, shooters typically stand between 16–40 yards from the houses. Old Skagit Gun Club has four trap houses on a 9.55-acre facility, located on Josh Wilson Road in Burlington.
Gun club history
Old Skagit Gun Club was founded in 1913 while the facility opened in 1954. It is currently owned and operated by Moose Old Skagit Gun Club Social Purpose Corporation Inc. and is a National Rifle Association affiliate club.
The Moose Lodge was a private club for members until the early 2000s. The gun club began separating itself from the Moose Lodge, and in 2014, Old Skagit Gun Club president Chuck Manning decided to work with some lawyers to create the Old Skagit Gun Club Social Purpose Corporation.
Manning put down an offer to buy that facility in 2016 and the Moose Lodge agreed. Since he did not have the money yet, he had to sell 265 shares of the club for $1,000 so they could afford the place. With hours remaining before the offer expired, several farmers and gun club members packed the facility and bought enough shares.
“There was a blue-collar family with three sons who bought the first share for $1,000 and I was shocked,” Manning said. “The next one came in cash and our knuckles got bloody banging on doors to get those shares. We met the Moose Lodge in a parking lot and they handed me the deed and I handed them a check just in time.”
Youth participation
“We are a for-profit corporation but if you look at our books, we are as close to a nonprofit as you can imagine,” Manning said. “We just don’t don’t file the paperwork.”
One of those reasons is the opportunities they provide for youth shooters in the area.
“It costs about $8 for 25 targets we shoot,” Manning said. “To encourage young people, we pay half of that cost. It takes about $10,000 to subsidize these kids.”
Roland Thompson, Eric’s son, is one of the young shooters who is at the gun club regularly.
Roland, a junior at Burlington-Edison High School, is one of the top youth shooters in the state. He began shooting around age 10 with his father and older brothers, but now shoots for his high school team and across the country, including a recent perfect 50 score at the Future Farmers of America 2024 Regional Trap Shooting Competition.
As Roland travels the country with his family, he has seen the sport grow in the last few years, especially in the Midwest.
“When I first got in, I didn’t realize how big it was,” Roland said. “It is like football in Texas. There are small football towns here and there, but then you go down to Texas and they have stadiums. It is the same thing for trap shooting in the Midwest where they have up to 250 traps.”
Roland and many others have a passion for trap shooting because of the social aspect, camaraderie and ability to shoot when it is not duck or pheasant hunting season. Compared to other sports, trap shooting does not cut athletes from the roster or limit their playing time.
“Anybody can participate,” Eric said. “You don’t have to be 6 feet tall and weigh 240 pounds. It is an individual sport and there is no judgment and nobody sits on the bench.”
The Old Skagit Gun Club has seen the sport grow because it hosts the Skagit teams and the FFA Regional Championship annually. Roland hopes the sport continues to grow and believes it can if kids learn it is not about how many targets you hit.
“Nobody is paying attention to how you shoot because everyone misses,” Roland said. “Everyone wants to see the club prosper and grow.”
Charity work
Old Skagit Gun Club hosts two annual charity events for Toys 4 Tots and Meals on Wheels. The club held its 19th annual Turkey Shoot for Toys 4 Tots on Nov. 9.
The gun club’s charity work goes back to the local community. In 2023, the club raised $17,000, and it also raised money throughout the pandemic in 2020. In 2024, they raised $15,300.
“When COVID came along, all I had for a check was $3,500,” Manning said. “I went to the administrator in the county for Meals on Wheels and felt sorry. She said, ‘You don’t understand, that is all we got.’ I got teary-eyed and have never looked at these the same since then.” The Meals on Wheels event has not been scheduled yet, but typically takes place in the spring.
If you go
The facility is open to the public from 5–7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
A new membership for a single person is $80 plus $30 for initiation/background check, while a family membership is $100 plus $45 for initiation/background check. A renewal for a membership is the same price but does not require a background check again. Members can also pay a trap fee (per round of 25) of $7 per round or get a punch card for 20 rounds for $140.
Non-members can attend any time the gun club is open but must pay extra for trap fees. The fee is $8 per round and non-members cannot purchase punch cards.
Memberships are available to anyone 18 years or older and legally entitled to own firearms. Family memberships can include a child under the age of 18 or a domestic partner. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Trap shooters must bring their own guns as well.
This story was updated on Friday, Dec. 13 at 11:30 a.m. to include the donation amount for the 2024 charity event.
Nick Zeller-Singh is CDN's sports reporter; reach him at nickzellersingh@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 104.
