Clay shoot

It’s not quite like the video game "Duck Hunt."

But Odessans Steve Payne and Rene Christensen spend much of their free time at the Midland Shooters Association shotgun range obliterating clay targets into dust.

Sporting clay has brought them together while providing a challenge and way to meet friends. At the same time, the couple says the popularity of the sport has increased significantly since they started getting involved five years ago.

"We just started going and tried it. We kept going because it got better and better each time," Christensen said.

They say every time they go new people are trying the sport, particularly families or couples looking for something to do together.

Shooting range office manager Kayla Rogers said the number of shooters present every day can vary but tends to be at least around 20 people. She said many are coming because the economy makes it easier to just shoot locally instead of traveling to many other competitions.

She explained that the sport has a number of levels somewhat like different belts in karate. Shooters start out as a "D" shooter, progressing up to "C" and eventually reach a "master" shooter level. They can "punch" in to a higher level through winning best in class in each step a certain number of times.

To compete in national contests, a shooter only has to have 500 targets under their belt and be registered with the National Sporting Clays Association, a process that costs $40.

Rene and Steve have both competed, with some success at the national level. She is a middle-level "C"-class shooter, while he has reached the "master" level.

"We have lots of trophies, often top five in our class at nationals," Christensen said.

She said she received first and third place in past competitions, while Steve won first in the small gauge division at nationals.

The pair says sporting clay is a challenging because of the variety to the courses.

"Each course is different, with angles and a setup that are completely unique," Payne said.

Sporting clay differs from skeet shooting and trap shooting because it’s meant to simulate a real hunting experience by including a course with a number of different types of clays. The Midland Shooters Association course includes 10 shooting stations with different surroundings and types of shoots.

For example, one station may have birds zipping in and out of trees or the air, while other stations may have targets floating in toward the shooter from a tower. "Rabbits" are discs thrown on the ground that mimic a hopping animal. In addition, targets vary in size, from small and hard to see to larger, easier to track discs.

It’s so challenging that Steve said it’s replaced hunting as his shooting hobby.

"I would rather do this than hunt birds because it is so challenging. And I don’t have to clean and eat the birds," he said.

He said others use the sport to practice when not hunting or just for some extra enjoyment as well.

As a master shooter, Steve is working toward becoming a licensed instructor.

"I like helping people and I am shooting a lot because I want to get my license," he said.

For Rene, the number of women shooters coming out is impressive for her. She said when she first started, it was mostly men, but now lots of women have gotten their hands behind the shotgun and experienced the same thrill she has had.

"They love it. There is something just so empowering about it," she said.

Steve emphasized the family aspects of the sport that actually outranks golf in terms of popularity in England. He said many kids can come out to try their hands at the sport and tend to do well due to a strong ability to track the discs.

He describes the shooters he sees regularly as almost a family.

"If you need help, somebody will give it. It’s just great," he said.

TYPES OF CLAY SHOOTS

>> Sporting Clay: Shooting course with a variety of stations to mimic actual field shooting and provide a variety of environments.

>> Five Stand: Variety of shooting angles in a smaller space compared to sporting clay, with five stands to shoot from. Not near as much walking is involved.

>> Trap field: Type of shooting that uses a trap station to send out "birds" in different directions from the trap house in a 44 degree horizontal arc.

>> Skeet: Squads of up to five people shoot from shooting stations arranged in a semicircle between two skeet houses, with a specific series of angles done in sequence at each stand.