Hi-Line Living: The Locale for Legends

Havre Trap Club has made its home south of the city for 31 years, and for the past 15 years it has opened its doors, and bunkers, to the Legends for Lights Pheasant Jamboree fundraiser to help bring in money for Montana State University-Northern athlete scholarships.

Northern Lights Athletic Scholarship Foundation's major fall fund-raising event this year brought NFL legends for guided pheasant hunts Saturday and Sunday - opening weekend of pheasant hunting this season.

Before the heading out to hunt fields and brush, though, participants had an opportunity to polish their shooting skills and get in a little friendly competition at a trap shoot last Friday at the trap club.

Other than the autograph session Oct. 8, the trap shoot is the only opportunity for the public to mingle with the legends and participate in the Pheasant Jamboree without being a hunt team member or volunteer, said Chandra Moomey, administrative director and events organizer for the foundation.

"The trap shoot could not happen without the Junior Rifle Club that serves lunch and without the Havre Trap Club - Jim Bachini, Karen Evans, Shelly Erhard, Emi Smith, Matt Sasaki - they've all been intricate parts of the trap shoot," she said.

Hosting events for groups outside the trap club is not new to the nonprofit organization, said Bachini, president of Havre Trap Club. They regularly make the range and instructors available to 4-H clubs, Boy Scouts of America and even individuals. They also bring the Junior Rifle Club in to serve meals and work in the bunkers during their matches and special events, like this one so the rifle club can make a little money to help their own club.

Bachini said foundation members approached the trap club to host the shoot at the beginning. The idea was that the event would give people attending the pheasant hunts an opportunity to get reacquainted with their shotguns before going hunting, while also having fun.

"So we said, 'Sure, let's bring them up there,'" Bachini said. "And, of course, they're football players and the competition - they like that."

Shooters at the competition last Friday used regulation trap-load shotgun shells, provided as part of the entry fee, to shoot at clay pigeons launched from a bunker in each of five lanes.

Although different fun shoots were held before the day was over, for the main competition the shooters, in groups of five, competed in two rounds, one at a 16-yard distance and the other at 25-yards, firing shotguns at clay pigeons. Participants had a chance to win prizes based on scores, but they also could win extra payouts if they were lucky enough to get a colored pigeon - and then get their shot to hit home.

The trap-load shells are a slightly lighter load, Bachini said. This produces less recoil than shotgun shells normally used hunting.

While range etiquette normally dictates quiet during rounds of a trap shoot, friendly banter, good-natured ribbing and a fair amount of taunting could be heard on the range and from onlookers. Conversations of old friends and new catching up in the spectator area lulled only to listen to the caller announcing whose turn was up next.

One of the original driving forces behind the Legends for Lights Pheasant Jamboree was Mike Tilleman, owner of Tilleman Motor Co. in Havre and 11-year defensive tackle in the NFL. He networked with former teammates and opponents as well as other sports contacts to bring legends in for the event.

Dale Hackbart, a former teammate of Tilleman's on the Minnesota Vikings, said he's been coming to the event for five years.

"I don't think I hit a lot of these clay pigeons," he said, but that's not necessarily the point of being there.

"Mike said to come, buy some things, spend some money and make a contribution to the university," Hackbart said. "Then he said, 'Are you interested in a new car?'"

Hackbart laughed hard at the retelling of Tilleman's sales pitch, but claimed he is coming back to get a new car.

Dylan McFarland of Missoula talked a lot about "commitment to excellence" and expecting to do his best, but he hedged around any mention of scores, while a handful of friends laughed at his verbal athletics. Despite not revealing his first-round score, the former Griz and Buffalo Bills player said he was glad to contribute to the cause.

"Obviously, it's a ton of fun, but it's great to raise some money, too. For fundraisers, I always get hit up to play in golf tournaments and things like that, but this a completely different deal," he said.

As one of the younger crowd of the 32 legends participating in the weekend event, McFarland said, he enjoyed talking to the older players as well as his former teammates and other players from his era of football. He also said he enjoyed the opportunity to see the north-central countryside as he has traveled to different hunt areas over the five years he has been attending.

"It's great to have all the community pitching in, all the landowners and farmers providing their land. It's just really unique ... and it's a good opportunity for us," he said.

"We have generous landowners that donate their land for us to use to hunt," said Moomey, and dog handlers with their hunting dogs of all breeds come from across the state to help, as well, Saturday and Sunday.

The student athletes from Northern who will benefit from the scholarships were in abundance at the trap shoot volunteering for everything from loading clay pigeons in the launchers to score keeping and helping guide competitors to their lanes. In between tasks they took moments to mingle with the athletes.

Randy and Laura Martin, who coach the VFW Junior Rifle Club provided burgers, hot dogs, drinks and snacks. And a strong contingent from the 60 to 70 member trap club were on hand to help the event go smoothly.

"This is such a great event," said Darren Overlie, a member of the scholarship foundation board. "It's fun to see the NFL guys get together that haven't seen each other in years. It gives local people and people from out of town a chance to go hunt some birds and visit. I think that's the fun part, the camaraderie that comes from it. People that come back every year tell me that they look so forward to coming back that they don't ever plan on missing it."