http://www.wiscnews.com/baraboonewsrepublic/news/local/article_bf87ab5b-5b8f-5985-8181-a2c22e33b1da.html

Not really madison area.

The libs made an issue of this when there was a public comment period, they didn't want it, nor trails for motorized vehicles. Just "nature", walking paths and stuff.

It may not pass this time either, unless the DNR has the guts to ignore the loud minority.

Yeah. It's not like there's enough land there to have 3 ranges side by side and still have tons left over for nature walks.







Wait a minute......

I'm much more optimistic than I was before I read this article, because the DNR hasn't quietly dropped the range idea, as I thought they might.  The DNR is working to keep the range a possibility, which is good news.

As far as "not Madison area", it's a 35 minute drive which is closer than any other public range I know about.

I live about 5 minutes from Badger in Sauk City.  Id like to see a 500 yard range out there.  Not like they dont have the room, and a heck of a back stop.

The issue is too many people are sticking their nose into this that dont need to to.  The committee that runs this needs to actually do something, as the article reads, they are falling apart because nobody actually wants to do their job and push this through.  The other issue is outside pressure from a handful of left swinging people worried about something that is none of their damn business.  The committee and the DNR just need to sack up and push this through.

Im a member at Circus City Sportmen in Baraboo which is a decent place to shoot at, and costs me $30 a year and generally a couple days a year I help out with keeping up with range maintenance, and I would continue to be a member there.  However having a range over 200 yards other than Winnequah (which Im 20 minutes from) that could be used for free, or a nominal daily charge, would be great.

Milford Hills is within that drive.

 

This was asked about at the recent Winnequah members meeting.  The president said the state offered absolutely nothing compelling to the club to open it up to the public - no reimbursement, no indemnity, nothing.  

Winnequah has many public-accessible activities ranging from deer season sight in days, shooting matches, hunter safety courses and the like.  Several police organizations train there, too.  It's a very community-friendly range.  The DNR makes it look like Winnequah's being selfish by not being 'interested' in helping expanding public access.  Since I had just paid $300+ for a year's dues, I don't know what the DNR was thinking.  Yeah, sure, let freeloaders come and occupy our limited facilities, toss junk everywhere, bump-fire rounds over our backstop, put holes in our steel and shoot up our target frames.  Brilliant!  

How about you use some of those hundreds of acres at Badger that are just sitting there and put a public range there, DNR?  You want a range open to the public?  Put it on public land!

And don't call it a Madison range,  Badger's in Sauk county.  Put a public range in Dane County, too!

Personally, public ranges are fucking terrifying to me. If I was asked by the DNR if I wanted my hypothetical private place to open up as public or have them pay to build a new public range I think the answer would be obvious.

Exactly.  Ranges often have a strained relationship with the surrounding community due to noise issues and the perceived danger of fliers.  This is not improved by opening a private range to the public as there are more, and often less-safe, people shooting there.  People who are not invested in a range are more likely to abuse the range and its' rules, too.  

Public ranges should be provided for, though.  Especially in a state where hunting is crucial to wildlife management.  Ideally these would be supervised with safety rules taught and enforced.

It would be nice to have a range with distances of over 100 yards available within a reasonable driving distance (for me), for trying loads.

Although I'd make sure to go during a weekday, just to avoid the majority of idiots.