Family fun event

Trap Shoot, Young Guns Turkey Shoot, & Top Gun Contest

Award Ceremony followed by a Silent Auction

BBQ, Brownies & Pumpkin Pie

December 4, 2025

Ellis County Sportsman's Club

About Us

5 Shooter Teams - $600

Single Elimination Bracket Format
12 gauge recommended
Bring your own ammo
Shot size no larger than 7.5
Eye & Ear Protection required

Prepay Team Entry Here

Top Gun Entry - $20 per 25 clay round

Don't have a team? Can't make the 1pm start? Team eliminated early? Top Gun is open to all shooters!

One entry = One shooter, one round of 25 clays
Re-entries welcome (buy-in again for another 25 clay round)

Prepay Top Gun Entry Here

Join in on the fun, food, and fellowship!

Even if you are not on a team you are welcome.

$40 for Adults
$20 for ages 12 and under

Purchase Meal Tickets Here

Consider becoming an event sponsor

Purchase Sponsorships Here

Young Guns - Turkey Shoot

The turkey shoot tradition in America traces back to the colonial era, rooted in frontier necessity and festive competition. Early settlers faced lean winters; a successful shot could mean meat on the table. Live turkeys, abundant, wily, and hard to hit were tethered or placed behind logs at 100–150 yards. Contestants paid a small fee per shot, and the best marksman claimed the bird. These events doubled as militia training, honing rifle skills for defense and hunting.

By the 19th century, turkey shoots became staple community gatherings, especially around the holidays. Post-Civil War, the tradition spread westward with settlers, often tied to harvest festivals or Election Day. Live birds gave way to paper targets (for safety and animal welfare), and distances shortened to 25–50 yards with .22 rifles or shotguns.

In homage to this centuries-old tradition. We are holding a "Young Guns Turkey Shoot". The format is simple:

Entry Fee is $5
One Shot with a pellet rifle (supplied)
Closest to the center of the bullseye wins
Restricted to shooters below age 13
No advanced entry required
Turkey Shoot starts at 3pm

Who is Commissioner Louis Ponder?

Louis is a resident of Midlothian with family roots going as far back as the 1890s in Ellis County. In his youth Louis fished and hunted his family land, was in the scouting program from Cub Scouts through Boy Scouts and played football in Jr High and High School. From mowing lawns at age 11 ($5 each) to working at Ratcliff's Grocery to farm hand for John Charles Clark through high school. In his senior year Louis learned to weld through the Welding Technologies program at Waxahachie High School. This resulted in jobs at Wakeland trailer and later at Universal Products in Duncanville. March of 1980 marked the beginning of a 20-year career at Gifford Hill Cement (Now Ashgrove) where he went from plant cleanup to heavy equipment operator tp locomotive operator to Quality Control Lab Technician to Control Room Operator and finally he appointed Production Shift Foreman.

In 2005, Louis and his wife Kathy joined the entrepreneurial world by launching Approved Home Health Care. The driving force behind founding this business was Louis's desire to help our aging population. AHHC provides skilled care: nursing, home health aide, physical, occupational and speech therapy for our elderly homebound residents in their homes. Louis has a long history of supporting local charities to include Meals on Wheels of Ellis and Johnson County and Ellis County SPCA, Knights of Columbus (4th Degree) and more.

In 2018, Louis took on the mission of stopping forced annexation in Ellis County. Louis, led the efforts of dozens of volunteers and local businesses around the county to collect over 13,000 signatures in six months. The initiative, known as PROP-A made the May 2019 ballot. Louis and his band of devoted volunteers finally saw their efforts succeed with an 87% win at the polls. This win in Ellis and seven other counties gained the attention of Texas legislators. Louis went to Austin to speak to the committee hearing arguments for Bill HB347. Once signed by Governor Abbott, this law eliminated forced annexation state wide. Louis and his wife, Kathy raised 2 daughters in Ellis county.

Family fun event

Trap Shoot, Young Guns Turkey Shoot, & Top Gun Contest