[X2 fan]

Some out there know who I am. I am asking all out there who sits on 'the other side of the desk' at their club a question. When will you feel ok with taking average cards, plastic cards, cash, or credit cards from others? Many others have posted here on other threads re their thoughts on standing in lines to sign up, cashier, etc. Even if "Stay at home" orders are lifted how will you react to those possible scenarios? Will you just say no? Will you accept some risk?
Thanks.

 

[quiltedlumber]

I suspect once the bans are lifted I will be less concerned as life around me will at least begin to head back to normal and I won't think about it as much. Overall I believe this will change all of our personal habits regarding being in and around other people. One of things I thought about was since everything has been wiped down and no one has been close to anyone that there should be a significant drop in every other "normal" sicknesses ( flu, colds, measles, chicken pox etc) which never really concerned me before.

To answer your question, I'm ready ......but will naturally take some additional precautions..... :balltrap:

 

[Joe Potosky]

Will you accept some risk?

In my case if I get the virus, unlike the flu, it will most likely kill me or make me seriously ill.

Walked into a Dunkin Donates yesterday. Huge plastic screen separated the cashier from the customer. Cashier was wiping down after every transaction, to include wiping her hands. She had a mask on.

Until a vaccine I suspect some clubs may want to go that route to protect the people sitting behind the desk (and the shooters), especially for the elderly and those with medical conditions.

Those who provide a trapper may not let anyone approach the trappers chair. Was reading just today that as testing kids is almost non-existent many of them may have the virus and passing it on to adults and no one the wiser.

Anyway, the older the more risk, to include death.

 

[Township Chief]

Wow, good question. I’m trap chairman at my little one trap club. I’m the one, as you said, who takes the money, makes up the squads, and generally run our shoots. Twice a week! I keep getting text and email messages from people, members, and non members who shoot, on a regular basis, with us, as to when we are going to open again. I’m ready. We have lots of birds, the trap has been serviced, and we are ready to shoot. I’m not so sure, due to the size of my club, if we, or even I, am ready to take the risk. Close quarters. It’s definitely something I’m going to have to consider.

 

[Phatmann]

I have too have the title of Trap Chairman at my club. We operate our shoots as a “team” with duties split amongst our volunteers such as classification, squadder, cashier, trophies. The backbone of our shoots are our “scorer” volunteers.

The decision or comfort level to hold our next shoot, September 7, will be based on our joint decision. Most of us are in the “Susceptible age group” (shocking huh!) so Im sure we will have some good safety controls in place...

Hopefully this decision will be a no brainer!

 

[BIGDON]

Try rubber gloves based on your question.

Don

 

[H M]

Yes ,we all need to be more careful out there with the ban lifted or not .The big plastic screens are good and probably stay in place at most places . I assume no ATA till June ,but the problem is is the Trap help ,aka kids you need to tell them constantly what not to do . All this is a big live changer and I hope and think it will turn out ok .

 

[Gene58]

I also run a small club and we mostly shoot 22 benchrest out of the club house and with 16 shooters it is close in there,so now we are planning outdoor shoots at the metal targets we also use for muzzle loaders.I have a 12volt thrower and we may try more trap than in the past.Going to stock our pond with more fish for the youth to get out doors and have fun.We also have alot of senior shooters and health susceptable people so we must be careful for them.The good thing is our county has only had 4 cases as of today but our club is about a mile from Wv. and Pa. so we get shooters from other places that has more problems.

 

[stocker1042]

I hope the shooters will be accepting of some adjustments if they intend on shooting this year. You may no longer be able to pick the perfect bank or people you want to shoot with. Getting that close to have a conversation with the shoot management or looking at their computer screen may not be an option. I would be in favor of filling squads up as they come to the window and that's it. It would speed the process up and eliminate contact time between not only management but the shooters also. I would also say that paying for the entire shoot in advance may be the way to go to limit interactions, along with payouts for options waiting until the last day and/or going to checks only to be mailed.

I have visions of people all standing in line like they normally do. Even if no changes are made to the classification/squadding process, this will need to change. I know some people will not like some changes to limit close quarter interaction, but if we are going to try and shoot as early as June here in the northeast something will need to change as far as the sign in procedure goes to protect people.

 

[sacky07]

I think this will change everyone in general a little bit. There will certainly be more germophobs than there was before and that's understandable.

 

[Setterman]

Hopefully the CDC will have more answers on contagiousness and testing by May 1st. With the current claim that it can spread up to 13' by a cough or sneeze and can be on shoes, plastic, and paper for 12+ hours, it would take some careful planning. Congestion in Central Entry buildings is a problem. Squadding at big shoots can be done via pre-squadding or email (if available), but expect a decrease in shooters, as many just won't do it. How do you protect workers at the squadding table? A plastic screen? Somehow you have to get your ATA membership number to the classifier, and unless they are computerized , you'll also have to give them yardage and class, without handing a card to them or breathing on them. And most of the people that normally do the classifying and squadding have a few years on them. And then there's handling money and checks. Might be tough finding people willing to do those jobs. Clubs are going to have to ask members and employees what they are willing to do before scheduling shoots.

You are also going to have to transfer score sheets from the traps to the tabulators, handle boxes of birds, open and close traps, and then what about food service and drinks?

 

[o-hale]

Great question and one I had not thought about.
If we get to the point of being able to shoot this year I would think most of the seriousness of the virus would have passed. Can’t imagine any club taking a chance of a lawsuit if the virus ban is still in effect. Also can’t see any way to completely limit the contact between shooters, classification, cashiers, and shoot management.
It would have to be a personal choice on whether or not you are willing to take the chance to associate with the many shooters you know nothing about based on your current health issues.
As this plays out the same few words apply, only time will tell.
Wishing you all good health.

 

[Doc!]

Great questions and great answers - A lot to think about..
Here is another question: For your area - What length time period will have to occur with zero (0) new cases, zero deaths (0), etc -- for you to feel safe traveling, staying in hotels, eating out etc. --- going through shoot registration - being close?????
In our area - the mortality rate for people 70 and over (who get Covid) is 18% or so..... look around at your shooting friends … How many are in there late 60s or 70s? How many have other health conditions? (heart, respiratory, etc) - Or for that matter have a spouse or family at home with health conditions where Covid would be very serious?
How long will the "the coast is clear" be in effect before you will venture forth?
For myself, it will be a while ----
My wife is a micro-biologist, so I have had the drill drilled into me for a while …..
I really cant answer my own question - but it will definitely require a lot of thought.

 

[bobski]

the sport isnt worth dieing for.....or being an accessory to death by passing it on.

 

[stocker1042]

I am in one of the two biggest hot spots in the country, NJ. Just about everyone who lives in the upper 2/3rds of the state knows someone who has it or has had it. I have a family member right now who is on her 3rd day of it and it isn't fun. I have another friend who had it and he is still feeling the effects. His wife was hospitalized for days. All of these people are in their 40's.

At what point will I feel safe to shoot? Great question. I think it we put some things in place that I mentioned in an earlier post I would be OK in mid June but if I was in my 60's I am not sure if I would. All the models predict a large drop in cases by then on the east coast. I am younger and while I am doing everything I can not to get it, I know that if I get it I will most likely survive. It will suck royally for about 2 weeks but I'll survive.

We have been locked down for a month now. All the gun clubs in this state have been closed for about 3 weeks. Everyone is itching to get out, but I do not see any major social gatherings like shoots going on until June.

 

[Mapleton Gun Club]

This brings up things I have not thought about operating in the future. Should we provide masks like we provide hearing protection and safety glasses for the kids. Will parents allow their kids to work the club? What about the shooters if mask are to be worn and a shooter will not wear one. Is he / she to be ejected its a whole new can of worms. It use to be enough to have worry about the speed and height of the birds. At least it not Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease which is rare but family members had to take care of an individual who were infected. You can not kill prions not with sanitizer, heat maybe a nuke but that seems a bit harsh.

 

[tony4338]

I'm a trap shooter, and our club has cancelled all activities for April. Our club along with nine other clubs have a trap league, and our first league shoot is April 29th. I am guessing that will be cancelled. As for the rest of the season I don't know. I run M1 Garand shoots , one a month, April through August, have not scheduled any, and probably won't. As far as participating in the trap league if any restriction's are removed I'm pretty sure I won't shoot. I'm going to be 70, I'm a diabetic, and have a heart condition. I believe if I contract this it could be a death sentence. Don't get me wrong I miss shooting, but is it worth the chance. My 13 yr. old grandson said be safe pappy we have lot's of time to shoot. Got to love him.

 

[Old31]

No problem at all. I have spent the equivalent of over 4 months in airplanes during my life with people from all over the world plus time in crowed airports and accepted there were risks of catching darn near every disease out there to live my life doing what I wanted to do. I consider this virus like all the others:; if I catch I either get over it or die from it. That is the way the world has always worked and we have managed to breed to over 7 billion people, most in appallingly unhygienic conditions. If I get it there us far less than 1% chance of dying from it and that is lower than the heart procedures I have had.

I think everyone should manage their own risk as they see fit just don't expect me to manage it for you at the expense of my freedom.

I go out and I see old, obese people with a mask on and I am sure their doctor has told them for years to lose weight. They evidently weren't afraid of dying from stuffing their face, or perhaps stop smoking or cut down on the booze all of which will kill them just as dead as this virus. I just shake my head.

 

[Devonian]

Our club runs 6 Sporting Clay shoots during the Summer that are well attended as well as League Trap shoots during the Winter. These shoots are mostly run by the board of directors with help by some of the other club members. The main problem as I see it is that most of the contact work with shooters that visit our club for these shoots are 65 or older and this does pose a risk to their health.
It could be that for the rest of the year we may need to put the organized Sporting and Trap shoots on hold and just open the club to member use only where we can maintain a certain amount of "social distancing".
It may be easier for our rifle section to run shoots as there is already distance between the shooting benches on the covered firing points and on the grass outside for prone shooting.
We can only hope that we can beat this virus and life can return to something like normallity, but I fear it maybe a while.
Devonian.

 

[Doc!]

Yeah -- it is sort of like if you are out messing around, taking a known risk for fun, with a rattle snake and he bites you with a full load of venom - you are not going to transmit it to your spouse or grand children...…. but this pandemic China menace virus ….another story