2.  Early in the new year Bassan, Johnny, OMB and Roger continued club house repairs necessitated after the installation of new windows last fall. The boys set about repairing rotted out sections of wall and floor board caused from water leaking in through the old windows.

3.  The walls of the clubhouse were made from logs harvested onsite when the building was built back in 1962. They are formed from a half log outside, a layer of 1/2" plywood and another half log inside. This makes for a strong structure but keeps the weather out much more effectivly than using full logs.

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6.  The new windows look great inside & out but more importantly keep the building weather tight.

7.  In late January one of our committee members noticed fuel leaking from our Diesel Generator while running it for their weekly shoot. We found that the rubber section of fuel line connecting the filter to the generator dry rotted and leaking.

8.  The catch pan did a great job of preventing a big mess. Our policy of always closing the fuel valve at the fuel tank prevented the possibility of an even bigger mess while the building was unattended.

9.  I sourced new high quality fuel line from a local shop in Mount Pearl and installed it with fresh clamps. Once the fuel system was bled we ran the generator finding no more leaks.

10.  In February we began having trouble with the Generator again, this time the battery going dead between weekly winter shoots. After taking apart the control box I found many wires chafed on the inside of the PVC box which was surprising. What caused the battery to go dead was that two of the wires were shorting out on one of the control box mounting bolts energizied one of the fuel relays creating a slow parasitic drain on the battery.

11.  None of the wires were broken so first I repaired each one individually with high quality 33+ 3M electrical tape.

12.  Next I bound each section of harness with a cloth based automotive TESA tape to keep the harness snug and add another layer of abrasion protection.

13.  Finally I installed flexible wire loom over each section of harness to add an extra layer of abrasion protection, which is a much better set up than what we started with from the manufacturer.

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15.  After our March Orientation session I completed a semi annual inspection on the club ATV and performed a service including oil change, brake adjustment (rear drum) and general check over.

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17.  On April 28th we held our annual clean up day at the club which saw more than 50 volunteer members come out to the club to complete a number of tasks across our facility. Bassan and I loaded up the Silverado with tools to complete window trim, generator maintenance and other projects on our list around the club.

18.  I started out by performing our annual Spring maintenance on the Kubota generator as outlined in the service manual. This started with replacing both fuel filters then bleeding out the fuel system. (our recently replaced fuel hoses were holding up well!)

19.  Next was an engine oil change, fan belt replacement, and general inspection including building a new wooden battery stand.

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21.  With the generator back up and running I carried on with a few more tasks moving on to re-painting the sign board I built last year on new Range A. The paint didn't stick real well to the pressure treated plywood, hopefully the new paint holds up better.

22.  Our prototype target stands on new Range A held up reasonably well but were prone to blowing over in high winds that frequent our fair province.

23.  I made repairs to the stands as needed and installed 2 - 6x6 by 4' to the bottom of each stand to add a considerable amount of weight. I also reduced the overall height of the target stand by making the chloroplast 3' high instead of 4' which should also help with toppling over.

24.  While I was working outside Bassan and Johnny were busy inside the clubhouse installing pine trim on every one of the new windows. The final product is fantastic and makes for a nice clean finished job.

25.  In addition to our work other crews were busy removing ricochet rock hazards on the rifle range, picking up old targets & chloroplast strewn about by winter storms, cleaning out the Range Storage shed, fixing up the Archery Trail, and cleaning up the Sporting Clays shed among other tasks. All in all it was a very busy and productive day!

26.  In May the SJRGC with the help of a dedicated group of member volunteers entered a booth in the annual Newfoundland Sportsman Outdoor Expo held at the Paradise Double Ice Complex. It was a fantastic three day show that helped us promote the club and illustrate the importance of a safe facility for the enjoyment of the shooting sports.

27.   In June maintenance and improvements continued at the club with the installation of paper towel & soap dispensers in the Bathrooms and Kitchen of the clubhouse.

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30.   On June 30th we held our annual Youth Outdoor Skills event in partnership with NL Wildlife Division. This is a one day event open to the public through pre-registration for up to 50 youth. We had lots of kids pre-registered but the weather on the day of was very very wet. It's an impossible event to postpone due to commitments of many different agencies to put this together, so the event went ahead rain or shine with 36 very happy youth participating!

31.   Toby ran our outdoor survival station this year changing it to an indoor format due to the weather.

32.   Outdoor stations of Archery, Shotgun & Rifle shooting went ahead in the rain with no complaints! Thankfully the weather was warm despite the rain.

33.   Of course the rain was at times very heavy but the event was a success. Participants, Parents & Volunteers were treated to an awesome hot lunch put off by the club and the weather cleared for the afternoon sessions. Big thanks to event sponsors Delta Waterfowl, Newfoundland Sportsman Magazine & Coastal Outdoor, and of course our St. John's Rod and Gun Club volunteers!

34.   In July I headed up to the club midweek to help get ready for this weekend's provincial trap shooting championships. Since there is quite a bit of grass at the club, I loaded up my lawn tractor and had the grass cut in just a couple hours.

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37.   Bassan & Johnny arrived around suppertime and set about cleaning the clubhouse while Johnny manned the trimmer to clean up the edges of the grass.

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39.   July also saw our first big Saturday Archery event of the season, the Newfoundland Sportsman Archers Open held at the club on our trap range and the 3D Archery range. Over 20 participants took part to make this another excellent event put off with the hard work of our Archery Committee.

40.   Weekly August Sunday trap at SJRGC, preceded that morning by our monthly New Member Orientation Session which saw over 30 new members receive their membership cards.

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42.  On August 11-12th we held our annual Memorial Shoot at the club. Day one (Saturday) had Sporting Clays and the Zombie Apocalypse Shoot take place, day two saw Trap shooting and a Pig Roast. The weather was amazing the entire weekend, particularly on Sunday where we had 28 degree temps and almost zero wind. A very slight breeze played with the targets a little but also kept the flies away. LoL

43.   The morning session consisted of 100 (4 rounds) of Singles Competition.

44.   While shooting took place Dave Kannenberg already had our supper cooking on a Charcoal Spit. 

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46.   The afternoon shooing session consisted of 50 pairs of doubles. We also managed to accommodate a few fun shooters that showed up late by converting Trap A back to singles.

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50.   With shooting complete supper was ready. Dave had the pig carved up in no time and ready to serve the very eager crowd.

51.   Pork was served alongside an amazing vinaigrette coleslaw, fresh chunky potato salad, bean salad, pickles, bread and more. It was a truly amazing meal!

52.  Not a lot of news for September, some of the trapshooting crew attended the annual Atlantic Provinces Trapshooting Championships held this year at the Highland Gun Club in Yarmouth Nova Scotia. Check out Shootatlantic for shoot results and lots of pictures!

The executive board purchased two AED devices for the club. These units are specifically designed for locations without power or heat and will provide another level of safety for club members. One has been installed in the Clubhouse, the other in the Longbranch near Rifle Range B.

53.   On September 29th the club held our inaugural Delta Waterfowl Clays championship. This event saw 20 shooters take part in a clay target shoot consisting of Sporting Clays in the morning, and Trap in the afternoon all in support of an awesome partner to the club, Delta Waterfowl.

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56.   Like all of our big events, an awesome hot lunch was served which this time consisted of Moose Soup prepared by Bassan made from the Moose harvested on last year's club NFP moose license.

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59.   In October Bassan and Roger were busy making more repairs to the clubhouse to ensure it's weather tight before winter. The rear door to the patio is due to be replaced but it wont be completed this year. The old sill was rotted and no longer weather tight so a custom piece was crafted on Bassan's table saw and screwed in place.

60.  A quick coat of stain will keep it looking good for the rest of the shooting season.

61.   As you may have seen on my Misc Garage projects 2018 page, I recently built four new gun racks for the Trap range at the club, the four existing racks are needed on our recently expanded Sporting Clays Range.

62.   The new racks are complete, they were brought out to the club for the annual Turkey Shoot and utilized right away on the trap range!

63.   On November 4th we held our annual Turkey Shoot at the club. This event saw over 50 shooters participate in Sporting Clays, Trap, 3D Archery, and pistol events followed by an amazing good old fashioned home made turkey dinner with all the fixings.

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65.   The day brought a little wet weather which isn't unusual for Fall here in Newfoundland, but things dried up in the afternoon.

66.   Huge thanks to our kitchen volunteers Dave Reddin, Joan, Sandra, Josephine, Roger and countless others who helped clean, peel vegetables, and put together an outstanding dinner.

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68.   I even managed to run our regularly scheduled new member orientation once all the shooters went outside for the morning Sporting Clays & Archery events. Needless to say it was quite a busy day at the club!

69.   Our clubhouse can comfortably handle about 50 people for a sit down dinner, this year tickets sold out and we were at capacity.

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72.   Needless to say no one left hungry today!

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74.   After our dinner we held our draw for turkeys and hams, this year we opted to pass out gift cards so the winners can pick out their own preference of prize.

75.   Another Trap shooting season is coming to a close, this one seemed to absolutely fly by. The club will remain open throughout the winter as our Sporting Clays and Pistol groups will continue to hold events in the snow and cold. The rifle & pistol ranges are regularly used by general members and rental agencies all winter long. As I write this I have a pot of Moose Soup on the stove getting ready for our last Trap shoot of the season which will be followed by removing launchers from the trap houses for safe, dry winter storage.

76.   December 2, 2018 saw the final new member orientation session for 2018 and also the end of trapshooting for the season at the club. While I ran orientation, Bassan, Johnny, Roger & Dave B. set about disconnecting the first three trap machines while a few hardcore shooters braved the snow and had one final shoot.

77.   Once orientation finished I lent a hand to the boys who were busy disconnecting electrical from the Pat Traps, unbolting them from the steel tables inside the trap house and lifting them aboard the trailer for transport to the target garage.

78.   Over the winter the trap houses historically flood and partially fill in with snow as they are not 100% weather tight and the drains tend to freeze. Storing them in the garage keeps them high and dry and ready for the spring.

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81.   Before storage, each machine is cleaned of clay target dust and the tops sprayed with a film of Red Rust Check to prevent corrosion over the winter. In the spring the machines will be cleaned with brake parts cleaner and fully serviced before being reinstalled.

82.   At the end of the day we enjoyed an awesome meal of Moose Soup that Sandra and I prepared, fresh rolls and a multitude of deserts. A new year is right around the corner so there is a lot of paperwork to get done for our annual mail out, Annual General Meeting, and membership renewal season which will begin in full force in February. 2019 is shaping up to be another very busy year at the club as we are hosting the 2019 Atlantic Trap Championships plus a multitude of other events throughout the year.

Cheers, MIKE

Copyright © 2025 Michael Smith