Typically, clay pigeons are thrown at a speed of a little over 40 mph, so hitting one could be difficult for someone new to the sport.
For Jason Krause of rural Sutton/Henderson, this challenge is something he’s perfected over the years, ever since he started participating in trap shooting in high school.
Recently, Krause was named the World Clay Target Champion at the Grand American competition July 30-Aug. 9, in Sparta, IL, hitting all 200 targets thrown.
There were 2,000 competitors in total, with 57 trying their hand at hitting 200 targets.
Not only did he bring a huge trophy home, he also received a Grand American Ring, complete with an emerald of his choosing, a diamond, and the year he won. Krause said those who receive the ring call it “getting a grand ring.”
Each year, there are five world champion competitions, and anyone registered with the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) can participate in state and regional meets.
Krause registered as a member with the ATA in 1998, and has recently been getting more competitive.
From May to the end of August/mid-September, Krause is practicing or attending trapshooting competitions.
When he became more competitive, he started shooting a lot more targets, reaching between 15,000 to 20,000 registered targets in a year. This means using about 20,000 shells a year, too.
If it’s possible, he’s shooting every week of the summer. There’s only one place in the entire U.S. that has an indoor shooting range for trapshooting practice, which means even when the weather turns cold, he’s still outside practicing.
“As long as I can stand being outside, I’ll go,” he said.
There are local options for winter shoots, including in Aurora, where they host shoots all winter, as well as other opportunities throughout the year.
So far in 2025, Krause has been to 10 competitive shoots. Some of the longer- distance competitions have included the Cardinal Center in Ohio and the spring and autumn grands in Tucson, AZ.
For the most part, however, he tries to stay local, such as the Aurora shoots or heading to Kearney.
When he goes to competitions, Krause said he’s trying to score All-American points, which means— depending on your points— competitors can be placed on teams, and oftentimes the higher the placing, the better chance of getting sponsors.
Two years ago, Krause was in 15th place, then he moved to ninth place, before sitting at his current standing of sixth place so far this year.
Currently sponsored by Remington, Krause said having a sponsor is helpful when it comes to buying shells, clothes, and even guns, as this sport isn’t cheap.
“You can win money back, but not something to make a living on,” he added.
However, the chance of winning money isn’t what keeps him coming back. Trapshooting is “basically a big community. You make new friends, go new places. We’re all friends and have fun in between shoots,” he said, adding how the camaraderie and getting to travel doing a sport he loves is going to keep him going with trapshooting for as long as possible.
When he’s not traveling or practicing, Krause is a truck driver, working as much in between his next adventure as possible.
Often joining him on his trips—when he’s not in school—is his 8-year-old son, Jake, who seems just as enthusiastic about the sport as his dad.
