Farragut shooting range opens this week

Bench shooters and gunners in northern Kootenai County will have a place to practice their hobby when the Farragut range opens Friday.

The public shooting range located at 33644 N. Shooters Road in Athol opens for the season beginning May 3 and will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m Friday through Monday.

The range, which is owned and operated by Fish and Game as part of the Farragut Wildlife Management Area in partnership with Idaho Parks and Recreation offers clay pigeon launchers for shotgun shooters, a covered pistol shooting facility, a long gun range to 200 yards as well as mile-long 3-D target archery range.

Certified range safety officers monitor the facility and supervise patrons during all public shooting hours. Eye and hearing protection is required for firearm shooters and can be purchased on-site. Cost to use the range is $5 per shooter, per day.

The range includes 7-yard to 50-yard lanes for handguns and rimfire rifles. The 50 to 100-yard lanes are limited to rifles and shotgun slugs. The 200-yard lanes are limited to rifle use.

Four trap shooting hutches use manually-cocked mechanical throwers. Shot size is limited to No. 7.5, 8, and 9 shot shells. Clay targets are not provided. The archery range includes 20 shooting points at 3D along a one mile loop. Crossbows allowed.

— Ralph Bartholdt