DWR to offer free entry to 2 shooting ranges for National Hunting and Fishing Day
Sep 18, 2023, 2:00 PM | Updated: 2:23 pm
Shooting on an archery range can increase the chance you take a deer or elk when Utah's general archery hunts start Aug. 19. (Mike Christiensen/Utah Division of Wildlife Resources)
(Mike Christiensen/Utah Division of Wildlife Resources)
SALT LAKE CITY — In celebration of Saturday’s National Hunting and Fishing Day, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources announced it would offer free and discounted shooting at two local ranges on Saturday.
National Hunting and Fishing Day
National Hunting and Fishing Day was set aside in 1973 for the “recognition of the substantial and continued contribution by hunters and fishermen toward the sound management of wildlife in Utah,” according to a press release from the DWR.
DWR Director J Shirley said in the release, “Hunters and anglers are the backbone of wildlife conservation in the U.S.”
Celebrate for free
The DWR is offering free and discounted shooting at both the Lee Kay Public Shooting Range and the Cache Valley Shooting Range.
All you need on Saturday is a valid Utah hunting, fishing or combination license in either a paper or electronic form.
Your valid license will grant free admission to the rifle, handgun and archery shooting ranges all day.
You can also get up to five rounds of shooting at half price at the trap and skeet ranges that day.
“The discounts at these shooting ranges are a small token of our appreciation for funding crucial wildlife projects that help maintain healthy populations of a variety of wildlife species in Utah,” Shirley said.
Lee Kay Shooting Range Manager Blanche Smith said in the release, “Since our ranges and programs are funded through excise taxes from the purchase of shooting equipment and ammunition, as well as the sale of hunting and fishing licenses, we proudly celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day as a way to thank those that support us.”
Why go?
For many hunters, a visit to the range in late summer or early fall also provides the opportunity to familiarize themselves with a new gun or bow and make sure that the old weapon of choice is as ready for the season as you are.
But beyond the practical reasons for heading to the range, it’s just plain fun.
These ranges provide the perfect place to instill a love of shooting in a safe and controlled environment for the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts.
Smith reminded everyone, “We want to promote not only fishing and hunting, which are both family-friendly activities but also shooting sports in general.”
For the non-hunter trying your hand at the trap and skeet ranges at both facilities could be the beginning of an entirely different passion.
