The Farragut Shooting Range will open for the 2018 season on Friday, May 4. It will be open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. through the first week in November.
The range is managed by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and has been the recipient of several range grants from the National Wild Turkey Federation, the NRA, and the Fish and Game range improvement program for safety and facility upgrades.
A new range office and maintenance building were completed near the end of the 2016 shooting season.
Three-dimensional archery course was added in the summer of 2017. Archery targets have been purchased with grants from the National Wild Turkey Federation ($1,400) and the National Rifle Association ($6,000). A temporary, primitive, known-distance archery range is planned to be set up this summer, with hopes of obtaining funds for a fully developed known-distance range over the next two years. Only target points can be used (no broadheads) on the new range, which is a standard practice for archery ranges.
In the next few years, lighting will be installed in the shooting bays. Shooters have indicated that the overhanging roof makes the shooting stations a little dark.
A Fish and Game shooting range grant will provide funding to develop classroom space and flush toilets. This will provide a great facility to host hunter education classes, gun safety and marksmanship training, and a climate controlled space for organized shooting events. Construction on these improvements should begin next spring.
Idaho Fish and Game Biologist Dave Leptich has overseen Farragut Shooting Range improvements.
“Since fully reopening after safety improvements were completed, range use has increased significantly over the last three years," Leptich said.
He anticipates additional growth in use. “The addition of archery to the Farragut Range facilities broadens the services the range provides the public, and will be popular with families and competitors in addition to the bow hunting community,” Leptich said. “The new classroom space next season will provide even more new opportunities at the facility.”
Leptich manages the range for Fish and Game in cooperation with staff at Farragut State Park near where the range is located. The range provides handgun, small-bore rifle, high power rifle, and shotgun shooting venues to accommodate a broad range of shooting sports interests.
Reserved use of the range can be accommodated on both normal days of operation and days when the range is closed to the general public.
“Reserved use continues to grow,” said Leptich. “We host a local muzzleloaders club monthly. The range has also been reserved for formal firearms and marksmanship training classes, and some limited law enforcement training.”
The user fee for the range remains a modest $5 per person per day. Additional charges apply to reserved use.
Range access is off Perimeter Road on the east side of Farragut State Park and approximately 1.5 miles north of the traffic circle on Highway 54. This is just before you enter Farragut State Park. This allows those who are only using the range to avoid paying the Farragut State Park entrance fee on top of the range use fee. Those who wish to take advantage of other Farragut State Park facilities will need to purchase either an annual Idaho State Park pass, or pay the daily park entrance fee.
All range activities are monitored and supervised by an NRA Certified or similarly credentialed Range Safety Officer (RSO). At least one RSO is present on-site each day of operation. The RSO’s are responsible to, and act under the direction of, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. All Range Safety Officers are volunteers. The range would need to close without their generous gift of time and service. Please tell them thank you.
RSO’s are there to educate you about and enforce the range rules that keep you safe. They also protect, maintain, and otherwise ensure the integrity of the range infrastructure. They are there to help you have an enjoyable experience at the Farragut Shooting Range. If you have a question about the range or its use, please ask them.
However, while they may be able to offer a word of friendly shooting advice or assist with a common firearm malfunction, RSO’s are not shooting coaches or gunsmiths. If you desire firearms training or have a firearm with a significant malfunction that you cannot clear easily seek the services of a trained professional.
For more information, contact Dave Leptich at (208) 769-1414, or the Farragut State Park Visitors Center (208) 683-2425.