BELLA VISTA — Randy and Russell Krah of Taylorville, Ill., have spent lots of time together over the years hunting and trap shooting.
It’s no surprise Randy asked his son to join him for his annual seven-hour trek to Northwest Arkansas.
The 65-year-old Krah made his 11th consecutive trip to participate in the Trap Shooting Tournament held Friday in conjunction with the 20th annual Cancer Challenge at the Bella Vista Gun Range.
He had no connection to Northwest Arkansas until Macon Metal Products, the company he works for, started doing business with a company in Bentonville.
“We started doing business with those guys in about 2000 and they told me about this Cancer Challenge they have every year,” Krah said. “I went and told the people I work for about it. It’s a good cause and now I come every year.”
Krah, who has been shooting competitively for 25 years, said the people affiliated with the event in Northwest Arkansas took him in immediately.
“They treated me like gold,” Krah said. “Everybody here treated me like part of the family, like I’ve been here all my life.”
Jeff Waggener of Bentonville, one of the tournament organizers, recalled when Krah came down for the first time.
“He didn’t really know anybody at all, but he’s just one of those guys who has never met a stranger,” Waggener said. “I’ve gotten to know him over the years and he just keeps coming back. Now he’s bringing his son with him.”
That is the way the tournament has grown with people who were newcomers returning and bringing others with them, Waggener said. But it’s also an interesting mix of serious shooters and novices.
Trapshooting differs from skeet shooting since the targets are launched from a single machine away from the shooter, while skeet targets are launched from two machines in a sideways path that intersect in front of the shooter.
The event is probably at its max this year with more than 100 shooters for a one-day event at one location, according to a tournament spokesman.
“There’s probably more novice shooters out here than serious shooters, but they just keep coming back,” Waggener said. “But you never know who is going to be on teams together. So you get to meet different people.”
Three years ago, he asked his son, Russell, to come along and now it’s become an annual father-son trip.
But really, it’s not unlike everyday life, Russell Krah said.
“We do everything together,” Russell said. “Whether it’s hunting, shooting, playing pool. It’s pretty much me and him. You’ve got a dad that loves to fish and shoot guns.”
“He didn’t have much choice,” Randy interjected.
The tournament gives them the chance to spend time together and have fun. But the cause isn’t lost either.
Randy and the company he works for make annual donations in the fight against cancer.
Russell acknowledged his family has been touched by the disease.
“My mother-in-law is a breast cancer survivor and she’s currently fighting leukemia,” Russell said. “I had an aunt die of breast cancer at 34, so yeah our family has been hit by it.
“It’s one of those evil things and stuff like this helps raise money to find a cure.”