IDNR Announces 2016 Schedule for Wingshooting Clinics
On April 1, 2016 the Illinois Department of Natural Resources released a statement regarding their dates for the 2016 Wingshooting Clinics. This is a great way to introduce youngsters, women and first time shooters to the thrill and fun of wingshooting. In the press release, you'll find information regarding those who are eligible along with the different types of wingshooting classes that are being offered.
"Clinics are taught by instructors certified by the IDNR. Many clinic instructors also have a National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) instructor certification."
Click the IDNR link to find out where and when these fun and informative clinics are going on -
IDNR Announces 2016 Schedule for Wingshooting Clinics
SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), in cooperation with a number of partners and cosponsors, will conduct wingshooting clinics at sites throughout Illinois from spring through mid-November, intended to provide instruction and improve the shooting skills of beginners and experienced hunters. Most clinics are conducted on weekends at IDNR sites, cooperating gun clubs and shooting ranges, hunting preserves, and farms.
Youth/Women’s Wingshooting Clinics are designed to provide instruction on safely shooting a shotgun at a moving target with reasonable reliability. Girls and boys ages 10-15, young adults ages 16-18, and women of all ages are eligible to participate. Each clinic starts with a morning shotgun safety presentation, followed by a short small group hands-on shotgun orientation session with each group’s wingshooting instructor. After a lunch break, students spend the afternoon in the field shooting flying clay targets on presentations designed for beginning and novice shooters. Students learn to safely handle and shoot a shotgun, and they learn that being skilled at shooting clay targets is a lot of fun. Most youth/women’s clinics are provided at no cost to participants, or have a nominal registration fee. Shotguns, shotshells, and clay targets are provided.
Hunter Wingshooting Clinics are hands-on, and include extensive live fire at a variety of clay target presentations on sporting clays courses specifically designed for teaching typical hunting situations. From ducks and doves to pheasants, quail and rabbits, hunters will find clay target presentations that resemble their favorite and most troublesome shots. Hunter Wingshooting Clinics consist of two wingshooting sessions each day. A short briefing about shotgun safety and handling and on-range safety occurs during the first 15 minutes of each 4-hour shooting session. The clinics are designed primarily to improve the wingshooting skills of hunters, but are not limited to just hunters. The clinics are designed for shotgun shooters with reasonable experience. Young shooters ages 12 to 15 must be in at least the "Intermediate" skill level category to enroll in these clinics. Young shooters 12 to 15 must also be accompanied by and shooting with an adult who is participating in the hunter clinic. Shotgun shooters 16 and older with beginning to advanced wingshooting skills who want to improve their shotgun shooting skills are encouraged to attend. The fee to participate ranges from $30 or $35 per participant.
Clinics are taught by instructors certified by the IDNR. Many clinic instructors also have a National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) instructor certification. The participant-to-instructor ratio is usually four-to-one. Participants are typically grouped with others of similar shooting ability.
The 2016 clinic schedule includes several special events. The IDNR Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) program offers shotgun shooting classes as part of an extensive outdoor skills program. (Registration for the BOW workshop in June is already full). During the National Hunting and Fishing Day activities at Silver Springs State Fish and Wildlife Area in September, the opportunity to shoot clay targets is available under the supervision of IDNR Hunter Safety instructors. The Healing Outside of a Hospital (HOOAH) Program provides sporting clays shooting opportunities under the supervision of IDNR wingshooting instructors to active duty military personnel recovering from injuries, and to veterans with disabilities.
For the 2016 IDNR Wingshooting Clinics schedule and information on registering for clinics, check the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov. The wingshooting schedule is at this link:
http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/programs/wingshooting/WingshootingDates.html
IDNR Announces 2016 Schedule for Wingshooting Clinics
Located in Grundy County, Heidecke Lake was a power plant cooling lake considered to be one of the best of its kind in the nation for hybrid striped bass. Heidecke Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area is maintained and operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The IDNR provides a variety of recreational opportunities, including fishing, hiking, hunting and picnicking. Fishing is allowed from April 1 through the second Sunday in October. The only water sport permitted is fishing - swimming, wading, water skiing and other water activities are prohibited.