Staff Writer

Scarborough High School senior James Publicover lifts his shotgun, resting it on his shoulder. He eyes his target down the barrel of his gun, slowly stalking the target by following it with his gun as the target moves away.

He fires a shot, and the target instantaneously explodes.

Publicover’s target is not a deer, moose, or even a turkey, but an orange disc. He’s one of five members of the Scarborough Fish and Game Youth Trap Team practicing his shooting skills during the team’s recent practice last Saturday at the Scarborough Fish and Game trap field, located across the street from Beechridge Motor Speedway.

Scarborough Fish and Game Youth Coordinator Mike Scammon said trap shooting is a game with five shooters standing at five stations, all lined in a row. Each trap shooter takes a turn shooting at an orange disk shot out of a hidden thrower. Each shooter stays at their station until they have done five shots and then moves on to the next station until they have had a turn at each one of the five stations.

Each shooter can gain a total of 25 points, one point for each target that is hit.

Scammon said last year was the beginning of the first full year of a youth program within the organization. He said last year the program mostly focused on one day shotgun clinics, with students who graduate from the clinic participating on shooting at stationary targets before moving on to shooting games, such as trap shooting. 

“Graduates of that program wanted to do that more often, so we formed a team,” Scammon said.

Scammon said the team is preparing for the 119th Annual Maine State Shoot Championship, which will be hosted at the Scarborough Fish and Game facility July 18.

Scammon said one of the most important lessons the team learns is safety, including a set of rules every shooter must obey while they are at the shooting range. Among the rules is keeping the muzzle of the shotgun pointed toward the ground, always wearing eye and hearing protection, keeping the trigger finger off the trigger until it is time to shoot and keeping the gun unloaded until it’s time to shoot.

Publicover said he became involved with the team after taking part in a rifle class with Scarborough Fish and Game while he was in Boy Scouts last year. 

“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s pretty laid back, but it’s competitive and I like that.”

Publicover said an important aspect of trap shooting is not pointing the shotgun straight at the target, but leading it, so the ammunition can hit the target at the right time. He said the wind also plays a factor when shooting, as it has the ability to alter the path the target is traveling.

Publicover said he hopes to join the rifle team while he’s attending Maine Maritime Academy in Castine this fall.

Paul Connolly, whose son, Anthony is on the trap shooting team, said at first, he was more interested in shooting than his son.

“At first, he didn’t show a lot of interest,” Paul Connolly said. “I think I had more interest.”

Connolly said Anthony became more involved with shooting after a trip to a shooting range in Eliot.

“I think that day, Dad shot better than him,” Paul Connolly said. “Then he was like ‘I’m going to have to conquer this.’ It’s incredibly addicting.”

Scammon said the key to being a good shooter is having good mind, breath and body control.

“It’s almost like yoga,” Scammon said. “You have to be in control of your mind and body.”

The Scarborough Fish and Game Youth Program also offers clinics for rifle, pistol and archery. For more information, contact Scammon at 885-9838.

Staff writer Dave Dyer can be contacted at 282-4337 ext. 219