Who We Are

Club History

Poulsbo Sportsman Club was founded by Ernie Knudson, Glenn Danielson, Al Byrd, Wilford Smith and Glenn Schechert sometime in 1956. Discussions for trap club were held informally at the Poulsbo Junction car lot office.

Money was raised to start the club by holding innovative shoots, using a hand spring trap borrowed from the National Guard, on what is now adjoining property as well as 22 shoots, such as Shooting-Off-Rat-Tails, etc. Prizes consisted mostly of money or cartons of cigarettes. Later, turkey shoots were a big draw.

We found the existing club property was available by word-of-mouth and arranged to purchase it from the owner, Mr. Sunde, with $200.00 (earned to date by shoots) and monthly payments on a contract held by the owner. Total price for the 25 original acres was $2,500.

Sometime in 1957 or early 1958, a clearing for the trap and club house area was traded for existing timber in the area to be cleared. Layout for the first trap house and walks was done by Harold Brenner. The walks were poured and finished by a volunteer crew and the trap house was built by Glen Schechert.

In 1958, walls for the first clubhouse were constructed from log slabs scrounged from area cant mills . This building was located in area of the new gate and burned down in 1959.

The North half of the existing club house was originally the JRO Real Estate building, which was built in 1952 and located adjacent to the Lofall Ferry ticket office. The building was donated to the club by W.F. ”Ty” Tytler, president of JRO Inc. in exchange for labor of dismantling and reassembling, when the Hood Canal bridge was opened in 1961. Slab for first half was finished by Glenn Haskins with help after work by others. This building caught fire inside in its’ first year of use and had to be rebuilt inside. The second half (south end) was added about 1965. Cedar for both halves was cut at Salo’s Mill in Millers Bay. Walls were kept tight by pea gravel poured in top of planks in hollowed out joints.

In the mid 1960’s, the rifle range (originally only 100 yards) was graded so that members could have a place to sight-in their rifles before hunting season. The original warning for “range in use” was a red flag raised by shooters on the path to the range. The original back stop consisted of a pile of old tires. Present berms were pushed up at time of grading for a 200 yard range. Some years later, many modern improvements, as we now have, were added by current members.

The first archery walks through woods and targets were built by 2 or 3 members who were interested in this sport, which was in it’s infancy around here, and tolerated by most as long as they didn’t interfere with trap shoots.

In the first 10 or 15 years, most improvements were funded by trap shoots, with a little help from membership dues.

An official name for the club wasn’t decided upon until we had been shooting for a few years and decided to incorporate. Up until then, we were simply “The Club” or “No Name Trap Club”. The first discussions of a formal name was for “Trap Club”, but decided on “Sportsman Club” so as not to exclude interested parties for other uses. Poulsbo was decided upon instead of Kitsap (first considered) so as to separate us from existing Bremerton Trap Club. A logo was designed at this time, we believe, by Wilford Smith.