Does anyone know if they reopened the Willow Slough Gun Range Yet - or if there is an open date?

Update: DNR says Early September should be open!!

The site says late summer of 2016. We are getting close to late summer and there is no update on the site yet. Called a few times and there is no answer. I have to drive about 60 miles to get there, so I want to make sure its open.

I could go to JP, but The Slough is closer. Thanks!

http://www.in.gov/activecalendar_dn...3&view=EventDetails&information_id=17199

Email Mark Reiter @ mreiter@dnr.in.gov or call 317/232-8129. He's pretty much a gun nut and as Director of Fish & Wildlife, Willow Slough is one of his responsibilities. Good guy. Knows a lot about guns.

Jack

Mark is the current Director for the Indiana DNR Fish and Wildlife Division. He's an avid hunter, fisherman and shooter and has belonged to the NRA as long as I can remember him. I met him and became close friends back in School at Purdue in 1975 Aug. We have several classes together and use to hang out and drink beer and watch TV all the time. I don't see him much anymore as we are so far apart. He lives in Indy and I'm down here near Evansville. I know he doesn't like the trip down here much but that was before I-69 was started. He does NRA shooting stuff and certifies gun ranges these days. So if anyone can get that shooting range back open he's the man. He wishes that his budget bigger I'm sure. He has some things he wants to accomplish at IDNR before he retires. And my guess it that it's more shooting ranges. LOL

I see that Sam Whiteleather is the property manager up there now. He use to be down here at Bluegrass and Sugar Ridge Fish and Wildlife area.

Man that shooting range is going to be super. I wish we had more shooting ranges down here closer to Evansville.

Moose1m, I use to shoot at Sugar Ridge FWA, when I lived in Evansville. I sure miss it since I moved here in Central Kentucky. Got plenty of places to shoot targets & hunt on my 83 acres (mostly wooded). But I have a tough time finding an area on my property to shoot since it is so hilly. There are no shooting ranges in Taylor County or even a Gun Shop other than Walmart, which I find strange.

I sent an email. I'll update this thread when I hear from him. Thanks for the info and contact info. Great guys on here!

Answer:

"Lou,

We’re hoping to open in early September. Check back with me in few weeks and maybe I’ll have the date then.

Thanks"

I believe it is open now. YAY.

I've read it's now ran by a private company and it's no longer free. Don't take my word for it, I'm just trying to recall, but I think it was $7 an hour on a lane with $3 charge per other people on the range, when your hour is up you can pay a lower rate to stay on for an additional 30 minutes at a time. I'll be going to J/P.

I found the article. I'm sure it'll be a nice range, but changing it a hourly rate with a per additional guest fee and just made it a profit based business...

http://www.daily-journal.com/sports...9f4a22c-ed21-5924-8e0f-cd916b63bb77.html

I think every time they upgrade them they begin charging a fee to use them so the money can be used for upgrades and such so it doesn't come out of the budget... I have not used one yet but I did see Atterbury's when they opened it and it looks very nice....

They did that to the Kingsbury range...there is a Rangemaster you HAVE to listen to over a loud speaker and it is a pay to shoot now, with strict safety rules !!....it is all a concrete enclosed range, which makes it loud as all get out with the echoing. wait till some one shoots a 375 H&H next to ya !! ...lol....... Not sure if thats what they did at the Slough with the enclosed concrete..... JP is a all open range, 25/50/100/200 yds ranges with benches, no over head if it rains...there is a DNR employee that watches over everything, he stays in a DNR truck driving back and forth, making sure all is going safely.... I was just there last week messin' with the Slug gun and ML and 22-250....