The 100-yard public firearms shooting range located at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Mansfield, Georgia will temporarily close beginning Oct. 20, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division.
The 100-yard range, scheduled to re-open 4-6 weeks from the start date, is set to have noise-reducing infrastructure installed during this time period. Additionally, new safety lights and a public address system will be installed. During this 4-6 weeks of work, the other ranges available at Charlie Elliott, including the 50-yard range, shotgun range and archery range, will remain open.
Other nearby ranges (private and public) include:
· South River Gun Club (Covington; 12 miles)
· Trading Place Indoor Gun Range (Monroe; 21 miles)
· Cedar Creek Shooting Range (23 miles)
Why do the work now? Planning for these range improvements has been underway for some time, with final plans and approval received late this summer necessitating the upgrades to occur this fall.
Funding for range improvement work is done by using funds from the Federal Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program. Sportsmen and women provide more than $30 million each year through the Federal Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program to fund wildlife conservation in the state through license fees and self-imposed excise taxes collected on the purchase of firearms, ammunition, archery equipment and fishing equipment. Funds are granted on the State level based on several factors, including the number of paid sporting licenses in Georgia.
Georgia has 18 public shooting ranges (firearms or shotgun ranges) and 12 archery ranges. To receive free updates on ranges (closures, new ranges, etc.), be sure to “click” on the red envelope at www.georgiawildlife.com/hunting/archery-shooting-ranges and sign up.
Range visitors should note that most areas require possession of a Georgia Outdoor Recreational Pass (GORP) or other qualifying license prior to use. Be sure you have the appropriate license before visiting. For information, visit www.georgiawildlife.com/hunting/archery-shooting-ranges.
