Sharpshooter Bird & Clay Classic Competition

Application 2021

The Competition Hunt is limited to 20 teams, 6 team members will be allowed per team.

Team criteria will include:
 Meeting the application deadline.
Complete the application form and waiver
$1000 deposit is due with application. (The remainder is not due
until weekend of the hunt).

Registration fee:  The cost for each team is $1,800.  A $1,000 deposit is due with the application and is non-refundable (unless the spot is filled). The payment type includes a certified check, money order or personal check.  The remainder of the registration fee will be due upon check-in on December 10th, 2021.  The entry fee includes the Friday night reception, the Competition Hunt and your box of shells for the hunt and one box of shells for the trap shoot. Fee also includes the Saturday night banquet, and bird processing.

Hunt Registration:  The hunt is limited to 20 teams with 6 hunters per team.  Teams are required to submit applications by August 1, 2021 and enclose a $1,000 deposit.  20 team spots will be drawn for the remaining open spots after August 1, 2021. Remaining open spots will be drawn September 1, 2021. Deposits will be refunded for the teams not drawn for the competition. Teams will be accepted if spots are available until December 1, 2021.  All hunters must have valid South Dakota hunting license, if under age of 18, the youth must complete a hunters’ safety course and must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult (at least 18 years of age or older).  All hunters Must wear proper hunting gear (must have on some identifiable blaze orange on for team safety).

Score keepers:   Each team will be accompanied by a representative of the landowner and two non-partisan scorekeepers.  Scorekeepers will be responsible for tracking time in the field, shots taken and number of pheasants harvested.  The scorekeepers’ decisions are final when made in the field.  Prior to check-in of the birds, the committee can review the scorekeeper’s decision if brought to a committee member by a team member that was score for clarification.  Scorekeepers are there to document and monitor the hunt and are not allowed to assist in the retrieving of birds, blocking or driving birds.

Hunt Times:  The teams will be allowed to hunt beginning at 10:00am Saturday until one of the following occurs: the limit of birds is reached, all shells provided are used or 2:00pm deadline is reached. Scorekeepers will accompany the birds, remaining shells and the entire team back to the designated area before or by the 3:00pm check-in time. The team captain and scorekeepers must accompany the birds to officially record the count.

Check in:  Each team along with scorekeepers must check in their birds at the designated location by 3:00pm. At this time the birds will be counted and officially counted and officially documented by the check-in committee.  Check in times will be strictly enforced and teams that check in after 3:00pm are subject to disqualification.  Immediately after check-in teams will be given opportunity to have their team photos taken with their birds, dogs, landowner and scorekeepers.

Guns and shells:  Shells will be provided to each team for both the pheasant hunt and for the team trap shoot. Team members will be all be required to use 12-gauge shot guns and must use only the shells provided. Team are required to use the same gun for both the pheasant hunt and trap shoot.

Dogs:  Three (3) dogs will be allowed on the ground per team.

Land:  The committee will provide the land for the hunt and teams must hunt on the designated land for their team.  Teams will draw for their landowner at the Friday night reception and will have an opportunity to meet at that time.  Road hunting will not be allowed for this competition.  The land- owner or a representative assigned by the landowner will accompany the team to the field.  If a team draws land owned by one of the team members, that team will redraw.

Clay target shoot: Teams, once they return from the hunt will have a team clay target shoot.  Teams will select 5 of their team members to  shoot the 25 shells with each member shooting 5 shells.  Team members will be shooting from 20-yard designated spots.  The 6th member of the team will also be involved in the shoot.  Each team, if they bring back any unused shells from the hunt will be exchanged for trap load shells.  The 6th member will have a designated spot on the trap line and the 6th person will be able to use the team’s unused shells to back up their teammates.  The 6th man can back each of the 5 shooters but not able to fire until the shooter on the line fires and it is a miss.  If the 6th man fires prior to the line shot it will be ruled as a miss.  Teams will be able to decide who shoots in each spot.  Range officers’ decisions are final on all hits and if any re-throws needed.  Each clay target is worth .72 points with a maximum score available is 18.  Shooters must use the same gun they used in the field.  Team members are allowed to change chokes.

Awards: Winners will be determined by total score of pheasants shot and clay targets (clay targets are valued at .72 per target) shot.  Tie breakers if needed will be based on remaining shells from the pheasant hunt. Awards will be given to first, second, and third place teams and landowners. Awards include guns for all 1^st 2nd, 3^rd place team members and landowner. Awards will be awarded on combine score of pheasants and clay target shoot.

Insurance: The Winner Area Chamber of Commerce carries liability insurance covering the Sharpshooter Classic event. All landowners must carry appropriate liability insurance to cover hunting on their property.

Other hunting rules and regulations:  Current South Dakota hunting regulations supersede any of the Sharpshooter Classic rules.  All hunters must have a current South Dakota hunting license and adhere to all South Dakota hunting regulations.  All birds must be tagged and logged in by the scorekeeper/judge prior to leaving the field.

The daily limit, according to State law, is 3 cock pheasants per person.  Possession limit is 15 cock pheasants, taken according to the daily limit.   Limit accrued at the rate of 3 birds and 15 birds may not be possessed until after the 5^th day of hunting.

All hunters must sign a liability waiver form before they will be allowed to participate in the hunt.  The committee, land owners, officials and sponsors are not responsible for accidents, injury or theft.

If any team disagrees with their scorekeeper/judge’s decision or scorekeeping, finish the hunt and the team must bring up the discrepancy to rules committee at check-in.  The rules committee will have the final ruling in any discrepancy.

This is a gentlemen’s competition and a fair chase contest. All pheasants are to be taken in FLIGHT and not on the ground. Any hunters firing on the ground will be disqualified from the hunt immediately, if a dog traps a live bird on the ground, a shell will be taken away for the harvest of that bird.

There will be NO ALOCHOL tolerated on Saturday until after the hunt ends after the hunt and trap shooting.  Anyone violating this rule will be immediately disqualified.

We ask that anyone choosing to smoke use extreme caution when in the field.  Please have courtesy for the landowner’s property.

After check-in, the birds will be transported to Dan’s Last Shot, Colome, SD.  It is the teams’ responsibility to pick up the birds from Dan’s Last Shot after processing is complete.  Bird processing and cleaning is included in your entry fee.

A Calcutta will be held at Friday night reception for teams and landowners.

More details will be available upon receipt of application.

Return forms and deposit to:

Winner Ara Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 268, 246 S Main St.
Winner, SD 57580

If you have any questions, call 605-842-1533 or email thechamber@gwtc.net