The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is partnering with the Missouri 4-H Foundation to get public input on services and usage of many of MDC’s unstaffed shooting ranges across the state.
Missouri is a national leader in providing free, publicly owned shooting ranges with MDC maintaining 70 unstaffed and five staffed shooting ranges around the state, including an unstaffed facility at the Gist Ranch Conservation Area in Texas County that features covered bench rest stations with targets at 25, 50, 100 and 300 yards separated by large earthen berms. Through the partnership with 4-H, their staff will ask MDC shooting range users to participate in a brief exit survey about their experiences using the ranges.
“The Missouri Department of Conservation’s shooting ranges provide safe places to practice shooting and archery skills for Missouri citizens,” said MDC Hunting Education and Shooting Range Coordinator Kyle Lairmore. “This user survey will help us better understand the needs of people using the ranges.”
MDC partnered with Missouri 4-H for the survey because of their mutual interest and long-standing involvement in promoting shooting sports across the state.
“Missouri 4-H is a national leader in youth shooting sports with a significant interest in the quality of the experience at the shooting ranges in our state, so we’re very pleased to implement this important program on behalf of MDC and the public,” said Missouri 4-H Foundation Executive Director Cheryl Reams. “We encourage range users to participate in this survey to help MDC to continue providing the best facilities for our states’ hunting and shooting enthusiasts.”
Celebrating 64 years of service to 4-H youth, the Missouri 4-H Foundation secures and manages funds for the MU Extension 4-H Youth Development Program, provides higher education scholarships, and recognizes 4-H volunteers. MU Extension 4-H is a community of 276,921 youths from across Missouri learning leadership, citizenship and life skills.
Missouri has a rich history of hunting and shooting sports, including being a national leader in public shooting range development.
For more information about 4-H in Texas County, call the MU Extension office in Houston at 417-967-4545.
For more information about MDC shooting ranges, including locations, hours and driving directions, visit mdc.mo.gov/node/6209.