Spots are still available for an introductory wingshooting clinic Saturday, May 14 at the Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area in Will County.
The clinic is designed for boys and girls 10 years and older and adults who are interested in learning to shoot or improving their ability to shoot a shotgun at moving clay targets. For this wingshooting clinic, participants need to be in the beginner/novice shooting skill level.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the Illinois Conservation Foundation, and several co-sponsors are hosting the clinic, which is designed to teach participants how to safely shoot a shotgun at a moving target with reasonable reliability.
The clinic will begin with a shotgun safety presentation at 10 a.m., followed by a short, small-group, hands-on shotgun orientation session with each group’s wingshooting instructor. Clinics are taught by instructors certified by the IDNR or the National Sporting Clays Association. The participant-to-instructor ratio is four to one.
Lunch is provided. The afternoon is spent in the field shooting clay targets until about 4 p.m. Not only do the participants learn to safely handle and shoot a shotgun, they learn that being skilled at shooting clay targets is a lot of fun.
Co-sponsors assist the clinic by providing funding for the clay targets, shotshells and participant lunch. The event co-sponsors are Dale Athletic Club, Friends of Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area, German Shorthaired Pointer Club of Illinois, Illinois State Rifle Association, and North American Versatile Hunting Dog.
Advanced registration is required. Forms can be found online at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/recreation/wingshooting/Pages/default.aspx. Click on the calendar button and look for the date to access the registration forms. Follow the instructions on the forms.
Participants will be required to observe all guidance from the CDC and Illinois Department of Public Health at the time of the event regarding face coverings and social distancing.
***Report Courtesy of the State of Illinois***
