A
trio of Ohio’s public shooting ranges are re-opening after a
seasonal shut-down extended by the threat from the coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic.
Here
is the full text of the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s press release
on the subject.
Note
the new special social distancing requirements the Wildlife Division
is imposing on the three locations as well as the strong
recommendation about making reservations first.
Note
as with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ web site being
down it will be more difficult to navigate further information.
Class
A shooting ranges at Deer Creek, Grand River, and Woodbury wildlife
areas will reopen to the public on Thursday, May 21, according to the
Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.
These
three shooting ranges were initially closed in March 2020 as a safety
precaution because of COVID-19 concerns.
Reservations
are highly recommended to secure a preferred shooting time, as ranges
will be operating at 50% capacity. The Division of Wildlife will
accept reservations beginning Monday, May 18.
Reservations
can be made by calling the numbers provided below, from
Monday to
Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m..
Shooting
times are broken into 70-minute blocks, with 20 minutes in between to
allow for proper cleaning.
Visitors
with reservations should arrive and check in no later than 15 minutes
prior to their scheduled shooting time. Walk-ins are accepted as
space allows within the 70-minute block.
State-owned
Class A ranges that are reopening include:
- Deer Creek Wildlife Area shooting range, located at State Route 207 & Cook Yankeetown Road NE, Mt. Sterling 43143. Reservation phone number: (614) 644-3925.
- Grand River Wildlife Area Shooting Range located at 6693 Hoffman Norton Road NW, Bristolville 44402. Reservation phone number: (330) 644-2293.
- Woodbury Wildlife Area Shooting Range located at 23370 State Route 60, Warsaw 43844. Reservation phone number: (740) 589-9930.
Deer
Creek and Grand River shooting ranges are open Thursday to Sunday
from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The shooting range at Woodbury will be open
Thursday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m.
to 5 p.m.
Visitors
are asked to follow all social distancing guidelines and respect
others’ personal space while at the shooting range. In addition,
visitors are also encouraged to follow this guidance to stay safe:
- Follow the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines on personal hygiene prior to heading to the range, including hand washing, carrying hand sanitizer, staying home if you feel sick, and covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
- The range restroom will be open, but guests should anticipate short closures for areas to be cleaned and sanitized. Bathroom hand driers and drinking fountains are not available.
- Masks are highly recommended to be worn at all times while using the range, in addition to proper eye and ear protection.
Shooting
benches will be disinfected regularly with a commercial disinfectant.
Shooters are encouraged to bring a towel or blanket to protect
firearms and equipment. Shooters should also plan to provide their
own eye and ear protection, targets and target holders.
Unsupervised
shotgun, pistol and rifle ranges, as well as archery ranges on state
properties, also remain open.
A
shooting range permit is required to shoot at Class A (supervised
rifle and pistol), Class B (unsupervised rifle and pistol) and Class
C target ranges (unsupervised clay target shotgun).
A
shooting range permit is not required at Class D (unsupervised
archery) or other ranges not classified by the Division of Wildlife
(other fees or purchases may apply).
Purchase
an annual or daily shooting range permit through the Division
of Wildlife’s online store
or any location where hunting and fishing licenses are sold. An
annual permit costs $24 and a daily permit is $5.
An
annual shooting range permit and hunting license combo is available
to Ohio residents for $29.12.
- By Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
JFrischk@Ameritech.net
JFrischk4@gmail.com
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