SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), in cooperation with its partners and co-sponsors, will conduct wingshooting clinics at sites throughout Illinois from March through mid-November. 
The clinics provide instruction and help improve the shooting skills for both beginners and experienced hunters. Most clinics are conducted on weekends at IDNR sites, cooperating gun clubs and shooting ranges, hunting preserves, and farms.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
Youth/Women’s Wingshooting Clinics are designed to provide instruction on safely shooting a shotgun at moving clay targets. Girls and boys ages 10-15, young adults ages 16-18, and women of all ages are eligible to participate. Each clinic starts with a morning shotgun safety presentation, followed by a brief, hands-on shotgun orientation session. Students will break for lunch then spend the afternoon in the field shooting flying clay targets.
Most youth/women’s clinics are provided at no cost to participants, but some require a nominal registration fee. Shotguns, shotshells, clay targets, safety glasses and hearing protection are provided.
Hunter wingshooting clinics are hands-on and include extensive opportunities to shoot a variety of clay target presentations on courses specifically designed for hunters. From ducks and doves to pheasants, quail and rabbits, hunters will find clay target presentations that resemble their favorite and most troublesome hunting shots.
The hunter clinics are designed for shotgun shooters with reasonable experience. Young shooters ages 12 to 15 must be in at least the "Intermediate" skill level category to enroll in these clinics. They must also be accompanied by an adult who is participating in the clinic. Shotgun shooters ages 16 and older with beginning to advanced wingshooting skills who want to improve their shotgun shooting skills are encouraged to attend. Hunter clinic fees range from $30 to $35 per participant.
Wingshooting clinics are taught by instructors who are certified by the IDNR. Many clinic instructors also have a National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA) instructor certification. The participant-to-instructor ratio is usually four-to-one. Participants are typically grouped with others of similar shooting ability.
The 2018 IDNR Wingshooting Opportunities Schedule, registration information, and details about other clinics and special events are available on the IDNR website at www.dnr.illinois.gov.
More like this:
