Club La Roue du Roy Visit - Sept 2021

Crossed the border for the 4th time.  

We visited Club La Roue du Roy in Hemmingford, Quebec.

It took a full 48 hours before we received are negative COVID test results.  Cutting it close. Your test is only valid for 72 hours. If past that, null and void. Anyway, that left only the third day for crossing.

Rained in the AM and we weren't sure we were going to have clear skies.  Afternoon turned out to be sunny.

We shot sporting.  First time we shot sporting since March.

Been two years from the last visit to chub.

The rear 8 station course is halious.  Eight machines per station.  64 machines total.  Some serious targets.

The club has a tower on the front course.  If I remember correctly, four machines.  

As in past, the only vehicle going and returning at the border.  

We had firearms physically inspected when entering.  Was told they were checking to see if we had prohibited weapons (I have a Canadian Firearms License).  They took them out of the case for inspection.  I use trigger locks.  A debate if they are needed or not when transporting in a vehicle in Canada. I just go with the flow.

The agent on the return had past military service.  We talked retirement before we went on are merry way.

For those who live in the region, we stopped for michigans on the way home.

Farnham Visit

 Made it over to Club Farnham today (Sep 12). 

Club was holding it's annual trap/skeet fun shoot.

Sometimes I can't believe all the people I know when I visit the various clubs.  Some of the guys and gals I haven't see since Sept 2019.  It was all good!

Love the French Fries.  Could only eat half the bag.  Hey, I'm trying to lose weight.

It got windy in the afternoon.  Skeet was starting to look like wobble skeet instead of American skeet.  Trap, especially field #1 was just as bad.

Saw gas for 1.33$ Canadian.  That's the per liter price.  One liter equals 1.1 quart.  So give or take Canadians are paying around $5 a gallon.  I'm sure someone will jump all over my calculations.  All I can say if your visiting Canada, fill the tank before you cross.

Still no traffic when crossing the border.

Cute shot I got.  Well, I liked it.  Two little guys watching there dad shoot trap.

 

Montpelier Gun Club Donation

Thanks to the Montpelier Gun Club for the generous donation!

Always appreciated.....

Second trip to Canada using ArriveCAN

 Successfully completed the ArriveCAN app for my second trip to Canada this upcoming Sunday.

You would think it would save your information from the first completion; name, travel ID, COVID vaccine information and dates, photo copy of COVID card, but nope it doesn't. Why not, it's a password protected account?

It still has a quirk in the system and I discovered a new one.

You still have to enter a quarantine address even if you select, return home (they want a Canadian address). As before I used a motel.

The second quirk is it ask if you had any overseas travel in the last 14 days other then the United States. It would not let me enter Canada. So I selected, No.

I had to be aggressive to get an appointment for a COVID test. I had to baby sit the Walgreens site until Friday appointments were available. You can't telephone, website only.

Walgreens changed the name of the COVID test when I received the test results. What!!! I drove to Walgreens paperwork in hand. The head pharmacist assured me it would be accepted at the border.

Quebec COVID Passport

 Quebec is requiring COVID passports for many activities and events within the province.

If you are visiting Quebec.

Instructions for travellers to Québec.

People travelling to Québec must show photo ID and proof issued by their country or Canadian province that they have had two doses of one of the following recognized vaccines:

Pfizer

Moderna

AstraZeneca

Covishield

Janssen (only one dose required)

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If your a fully vaccinated American traveling to Canada you meet the requirements.

Klaus Hiptmayer

Thursday August 26, 2021 

Klaus passed away with a long battle of bone cancer and prostate cancer! 

With his daughter Nicole and Son Gert by his side!

Traveled to Canada Aug 22nd

 Almost two years from the time of my last visit (September 2019).

What it took.....

Use ArriveCAN to enter Canada (I put it on my phone)
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/arrivecan.html

You have to tell them what crossing your using and time.  I googled Canadian Quebec crossings and found mine.  The
app has a drop down menu. I think you can only start the form 4 days before you cross.

Near end of completion you have to designate a place to quarantine.  I googled an found a motel in Valleyfield and used
that.  I wanted to click on RETURN home, but it still required an Canadian address, that's why I used a motel.  
Never asked about it at the border.

Canadian government will send you an email receipt.

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Friday at 3pm (Walgreens appointment) did the drive thru.  You need to sign up and have a Walgreens account.

The test must be within 72 hours of crossing.  I was able to get the Friday appointment late Wednesday evening.  If it
initially says no appointments available, make sure you get to the calendar section to check, as none were available on
Wednesday, but they had openings on Thursday and Friday.

I took the ID Now COVID test.  FREE.  Remained in vehicle.  You do it yourself.  Suppose to have results within 24 hours.  
DON'T signup for the 15 minute test.

Checked my email at 5:20pm the same day and found my results in my junk mail.  I printed out the complete PDF results.

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Didn't need the email receipt at the border (but I had it with me).  I think they use the receipt at airports.

ID and COVID test results.  

Mar 2021 @ Bradford

 Bradford Sportsmen’s Farm

We shot two of the three sporting clays courses Thursday afternoon.  Passed on the skeet in the woods course.

Had the place to ourselves except for one other shooter. 

Feb 2021 @ Jacksonville

 Jacksonville Clay Target Sports

Shot both sporting clays courses.  Easy to moderate targets.  

A number of repetitive targets.  Easily fixed if they would move machines away from shooting stands.

On one course I asked a shooter if the targets get any harder?  He just gave me a look.  I'm not a Master shooter, but I shot enough targets in both the USA and Canada to know the level of targets presentations being thrown, and I know when I'm getting bored (especially at $.51 cents per target).  Not courses to train on if planning on attending a major shoot, such as the Florida Challenge held at Bradford last week.

But, it is what it is and shooters on the course seemed to be having a good time and that is the bottom line for the club.

Only one machine not working for us.

Last visited the club a few years ago. A nice addition was restrooms built on both courses.

Non-member rate for skeet/trap: $11.25 per round.

Challenger ammunition being sold for $9.50 per box. We brought are own.  A club we visited last week was selling Challenger ammunition for $6.50 per box.

Feb 2021 @ Flagler

 Flagler Gun & Archery Club

Shot a couple rounds of trap.

Blue skies and great shooting background.

Member access via gate key card. You have to be a guest of a member to gain access. 

For when the trap fields are not open they have a coin operated field you can access seven days a week.

I'm told you can get a key to the skeet fields and shoot on non operational hours on the honor system. 

Jan 2021 @ Amelia

 Amelia Shotgun Sports

Northeast part of Florida. Almost at the Georgia line.

76 degrees.  Overcast.

Busy, very busy.  

$39 for 100 targets.  Ammunition available.

14 stations.  3 machines per station.

They have a five station "Yellow" course for beginners.  Very basic targets.

You can easily walk the course without a golf cart (available for rent, as well as hand carts).

We didn't have any machine/target issues.  As we arrived at one station a young man was replacing a battery.

When we were leaving there were six or seven women who were gathering to learn how to shoot sporting clays with whom I assume was a club instructor.

Rabbit

Pavilion

Jan 2021 @ Saltwaters

Saltwaters Shooting Club

Morning fog.  Overcast. In the 70's.

Two sporting clays courses and a FITASC parcour.

Read about ammunition shortages and brought are own, 12 gauge, 1oz., Clever shells. 

Shot with a Beretta 400 and a 300 sporting.  No shell issues.

The club does have ammunition for sale.

Recommend you rent a cart.  With club membership you have use of a cart.

John Wooley (shooting instructor) was on the course teaching a new shooter.

We tend to bounce around and sampled targets from both sporting courses.  Targets for all levels of expertise.  Beginners need to stick to the course starting at the club house.

Trump greeted by chanting supporters as he arrives in Florida

 

Supporters gathered with Trump flags to show support.

Odds and Ends - October 2020

I filmed the 5-Stand shoot at North Country Sportsmen's Club in Vermont.  12 and 20 gauge events.

VIDEO as well as results.

I got the impression it was a well run shoot. Heard some good comments about target presentation.  The club lucked out in regard to rain and turned out to be a nice day for this time of the year.

I didn't shoot but did pull three 20 gauge squads.  I made a few mistakes, but didn't piss off to many people.  I did get better.  It did wear me out... Don't tell my doctor : )

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Next day my wife ask where's my shooting cart?  Opps... Left it at the club. I was using the cart to transport camera gear. Picked it up on Wednesday.  The club had it stored in a locked building.  

Back in the day when I helped out at the local club I had a couple of phone calls asking if I was missing anything.  Yep... my gun still in the gun rack at the club : (

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Canadian boarder closed until November 21.  Looks like I won't be shooting in Canada until the spring of 2021.  I'd really like to get back into ATA trap shooting but until the boarder opens no where close for me to get targets in.

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I don't expect to be posting anything in regard to my shooting or club visits until February 2021.

Odds and Ends - Sept 2020

Wife has been shooting an A300 Sporting for the last nine months or so. Just in the last several weeks she has shot trap with it.

The main concern was the lack of a conventional shell catcher. Yes, there is a wire shell catcher available that you glue on, but hoping not to go that route.

The deal was she was always going to shoot to the left of me, so If a problem it would only be my problem.

Turns out nothing to worry about (hitting the next shooter over with spent hulls).

Two different types of hulls. No hulls flying and hitting the next speaker over, nor hitting the shooter or hitting the concrete pad.

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Federal Top Gun shotgun shells. Wife going straight and missing the 25th shell. Maybe she dropped one on the grass.... Go back to the vehicle and open up another box and it only has 24 shells. A brand new, never opened case of shells....

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Canadian/USA border not to open until late November. I suspect not until spring of 2020.

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Canadian shooter (and great fisherman) Andre Garneau passed away. I lost saw Andre fishing off a pier in St Augustine, Florida near the light house. We talked of getting together to shoot sporting clays, but unfortunately several days later the virus became serious and all Canadians returned to Canada. He will be missed!

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On a personal note. As a result of the immunotherapy treatment I was receiving for cancer, a side affect left me with something like rheumatoid arthritis, but isn't. Sore joints and muscles. Hard to lift out of a chair. Could only lift a shotgun for just a short period of time. No strength in my hands to speak of.

Finally, been on a medicine for three weeks that seems to be working. Today was the first time I went shooting without being in pain.