COEUR d'ALENE - "Don't chase the zombies, they could be leading you to an ambush."

That's advice from Eric Johnson, owner of the Shoot House, the downtown Coeur d'Alene business that lets real-life zombies attack you.

Your best defense is a simulated weapon of your choice, from a 9mm handgun to a fully automatic machine gun, so when they come at you, blast away.

"This is the entertainment, the hook of the business," Johnson said. "Zombie shooting has really taken off in the last three years."

Google zombie hunt and a slew of pages will come up. Everyone, it seems, wants to shoot one. Credit Hollywood movies, credit political correctness for not feeling bad for killing the already dead, just know it's popular.

And Coeur d'Alene's obstacle course, open for roughly three weeks, is at 403 N. Second St., connected to the next-door businesses, Downtown Guns and Ammo.

It's more than just blasting zombies. It offers real-life firearm training courses for the general public to law enforcement agencies. The training courses use a smokeless, non-toxic marking cartridge from a converted firearm. The cartridges, made by Simunition, don't penetrate and the discharges are quiet, so the shooter doesn't have to wear ear protection.

The courses incorporate home-based and real-life situations, like an attack at an ATM machine, or a home invasion, to give it more realism. Using live attackers adds stress for the trainee, making the lesson more valuable.

"The live targets add a whole other element to the training," Johnson said.

But it's the zombie blasting that's taking off.

Dressed up, padded, the people playing the zombies hide in corners and come at you from behind doors as you make your way through an obstacle course in the back of the Shoot House. With screams in the background, zombies banging on walls, and little light to size up your attacker, the hunt can be downright intense.

There are mannequin zombies to shoot, too.

Johnson moved to the area two years ago from California. He has been a certified firearm instructor for a dozen years, and has operated similar training facilities with live rounds. He said his goal is to teach firearms safety, provide experience building on the use of firearms and teach life-saving exercises.

The city of Coeur d'Alene granted the business permit in October. Patrons aren't allowed to bring their own guns, only the converted ones for the special cartridges that the business provides.

And don't chase the zombies as they run away. They're setting you up, just to take you down.

Zombie hunts are from noon until close Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the closing time depending on the amount of shooters. Monday and Tuesdays will have law enforcement training, and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will offer private classes.

It costs 90 cents per round.

Info: 667-3786