DNR celebrates first-ever National Shooting Sports Month in August

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will celebrate National Shooting Sports Month in partnership with the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Created to encourage participation in the many shooting sports genres and emphasize firearms safety, this nationwide celebration will take place throughout the month of August.

“We’re excited to see the launch of National Shooting Sports Month,” said Dennis Fox, manager of the DNR Recruitment and Retention Section. “This is a great time for the DNR’s regular range customers to introduce someone new to the sport they love and for those who haven’t been out to the range lately to grab their firearm and get in some practice.”

There are more than 1.2 million target shooters in Michigan – and the state ranks in the top 15 nationally in the number of handgun, rifle, shotgun and air gun target shooters – according to a recently released report on shooting sports participation, prepared for the National Shooting Sports Foundation by the National Sporting Goods Association.

The DNR’s’ seven staffed shooting ranges in southern Michigan offer a safe shooting environment staffed by customer-friendly and highly trained employees, and feature amenities like handgun ranges and modern restrooms. They include Bald Mountain Shooting Range in Oakland County, Dansville Shooting Range in Ingham County, Island Lake Shooting Range in Livingston County, Ortonville Shooting Range in Lapeer County, Pontiac Lake Shooting Range in Oakland County, Rose Lake Shooting Range in Clinton County and Sharonville Shooting Range in Jackson County.

To learn more about the DNR shooting ranges, other ranges around the state and the shooting sports, visit

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DNR shooting-related events taking place during National Shooting Sports Month include:

• The DNR's Ortonville, Pontiac Lake, Rose Lake and Sharonville shooting ranges offer the opportunity for visitors to hone their clay target shooting skills, as clay target throwers will be available Sundays through the month of August. The range staff will load the throwers for shooters’ pulling.

• In partnership with the DNR, the National Wild Turkey Federation and Pheasants Forever will present BB gun shoots at several Michigan state parks.

These free events will take place:

- Aug. 1 at Straits State Park in Mackinac County

- Aug. 4 at Algonac State Park in St. Clair County

- Aug. 4 at Clear Lake State Park in Montmorency County

- Aug. 5 at Waterloo Recreation Area in Washtenaw County

- Aug. 11 at Seven Lakes State Park in Oakland County

- Aug. 24 at Ludington State Park in Mason County

- Aug. 25 at Sleeper State Park in Huron County

For experienced competitors, hunters or those just becoming interested in acquiring their first firearm and learning how to shoot, ranges are encouraging skill-building and firearms safety education during National Shooting Sports Month. Visit

to learn more.

Have plans to head to a National Shooting Sports Month participating range in August? Share your experience on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #LetsGoShooting.