Range rehab

Tuesday night trap!

That's just one of the many activities available to residents and visitors at the shooting range west of Carrington.

Courtesy of grant dollars and a lot of elbow grease, the community once again has access to a trap shooting facility right here at home.

Owned by the City of Carrington and operated by the Central Dakota Sportsmen's Club, the range is open to the public 24/7 and includes pistol, 100-meter rifle and trap shooting areas.

More than a dozen youth took part in the weekly trap shoot on Tuesday evening, and all are welcome to show up on any given Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m.

Cody Krause is president of the Central Dakota Sportsmen's Club, and he said a new trap house was installed a couple of years ago using Pitman-Robertson Act dollars, which is a federal tax on firearms and ammunition. The funds are distributed by the N.D. Game & Fish Departments using an allocation provided by the Department of the Interior.

The club has received a great deal of support from local charitable organizations and individual contributors as well. Carrington Wrestling Club and Carrington Youth Sports, as well as the Anchor Bar in Jamestown, have granted charitable gaming funds to the club for use. A $10,000 contribution from Carrington Endowment Fund was used for various range improvements.

The retractable roof and door for the trap house was built by Jamie & Deb Clifton, and the concrete was donated by Schroeder Construction. Dry Dock Sports also contributes, offering discounts on shells and other supplies for the youth to use.

Youth aged 18 and under can shoot rounds for free, courtesy of grant dollars and charitable gaming funds. There are even a few youth firearms kids can use if they don't have their own. A hunter's education certificate is not required to participate, as long as the youth have adult supervision.

The cost for adult trap shooting is $5 per round. A person can bring their own shells, or purchase shells from the club for $10 per box.

Recent repairs and improvements

Now that the trap shooting area is back in action, club members are turning their attention to other areas of the facility in need of work, and there's "a lot of work" to be done, notes Brad Weninger, another member of the club.

Cameras have been installed in the pistol, trap and rifle shooting areas, for the safety and security of range users.

"We had some vandalism problems, so we recently installed some security cameras to eliminate that," Krause said.

They also installed gongs in both the 100-meter and pistol sides. The new benches in both areas built by Josh at CMF are height-adjustable and feature swivel seats, making it easier for sportsmen of all ages and sizes to shoot.

Maintenance is also ongoing. Arrowwood Prairie Cooperative recently Arrowwood Prairie Cooperative recently came on board to help spraying weeds and has assisted with other maintenance on the grounds. The City of Carrington mows the property.

What's ahead downrange

As they work to complete projects, club members are also constantly looking to improve and expand.

They are currently seeking fill material to level off the area that surrounds the trap shooting range. Right now the ground is uneven and there's a lack of parking space.

We will "get fill wherever and whenever we can," Krause added. Noting the cost of fill, Krause said they are appreciative of any opportunity to procure fill material, particularly at a reduced cost or donated.

Archery targets are in the works, hopefully to be placed before the archery hunting season begins. The existing stand isn't safe for use in its current condition, however, so work lies ahead for the members there.

They also want to plant more trees to stifle the sound of gunfire and improve the overall aesthetics of the range.

Future plans call for a 600-yard range for high-powered rifles, which Weninger and Krause say will be one of only two public access ranges with that capacity in the state.

They plan to use clay from the Garrison Diversion pipeline project slated to pass through about a mile south of the range next year. A berm will be built parallel with the county road, just west of the access road, defining the area for the 600-yard range.

Those are some lofty goals for a few guys who are "just starting to get going again" after several years of little to no activity.

They started with about a half dozen, and now about 20 people attend their bimonthly meetings typically held on Tuesday nights, Weninger said.

"We're always looking for more people and more volunteers," Krause added. To learn more or volunteer, contact the Central Dakota Sportmen's Club on Facebook or email [email protected].

The Central Dakota Sportsmen's Club is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Anyone who wishes to donate can make a contribution by Venmo to @Dakotasportsmen.

(Correction: In the print version of the Independent, this article was given the wrong byline.)