William M. Hunter ("Bill")

William (Bill) Hunter, a California resident becomes the first non-resident to be inducted into the Georgia Trapshooting Hall of Fame. While many of you may not recognize the name, some of us here (Bill Clay, Dan Brigito, Jimmy Tiller, Robert Duvall) have benefited directly from his generosity and devotion to the sport of Trapshooting. 

Bill has become well known for his activities in promoting every facet of this sport. From supplying free donuts and coffee at gun clubs; to giving parties in honor of trap help; furnishing trophies and awards; donating ATA Life memberships through the ATA Hall of Fame or any other deeds than enhances his beloved sport. 

His uncle, George Hunter, introduced Bill to trapshooting in 1966 and like many other trapshooters, fell in love with this sport. Bill, found the time to serve as a California director from 1969 to 1976. To promote trapshooting in California, Bill developed and produces a calendar of shooting events, which he distributes to every registered shooter in the state. This calendar also includes a director of shooter owned businesses for their promotion and for shooter conveniences. 

In 1985 Bill began donating ATA Life Memberships. During the years 1988 through 1996 he donated 100 Life Memberships each year; sixty going to the state and provincial championships: twenty to the Grand American; eight to the satellite and Gold West Grand; five to zones and seven on a special basis. All together more than one thousand shooters have received an ATA Life Membership. 

On occasions, Mr. Hunter has donated annual Trap & Field subscriptions, ATA annual memberships to Junior and Sub-juniors and trophies to numerous gun clubs throughout the country. On two special occasions in conjunction with Silver Seitz, he has donated or purchased a Seitz shotgun for the ATA HOF designated to honor the memory of two HOF enshrinees. (Frank Little and Robert W. Smith) 

At the present Bill donates through the ATA HOF, special belt buckles to the winners of the HOF purse at the Satellite Grand’s, the Grand American and the ATA silent auction. This year at the Grand he gave three Life Memberships to Sub-juniors. 

In any T&F magazine you will fine Bill and Ruthie Hunter as benefactors to the ATA HOF to honor and in the memory of shooters. Please take note this is a family mission with complete support of his wife Ruthie, daughters Jan and Kim. His generosity is not limited to just trapshooting, but to a wide range of charities and civic organizations. 

It goes without saying: Bill is setting a standard in this sport that will not be equaled in the half dozen generations. Many states are in the process of changing by-laws so that Bill will be recognized and honored as the truly “GREAT ALL TIME BENEFACTOR”, of trapshooting. 

Mr. Hunter was inducted into the California HOF in 1994, Iowa State in 1995 and the ATA HOF in 1996. This is a direct quote from Bill “we’re not here very long, and if we can make things just a little better while we are here, that’s part of our philosophy”. 

Although his actual participation in shooting has declined in the last few years, he has still managed to register 72,525 singles, 116,700 doubles and 133,900 handicap targets. It’s easy to see what his preference was. 

This information was taken as partial or complete quotes from Trap & Field, the ATA HOF and other sources of information on Mr. Hunter. 

Enshrined September 2004