ASHLEY — While a number of facilities operated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife have temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Delaware Wildlife Area Archery Range remains open to the public.
A notice on the Public Shooting Ranges section of the ODNR Division of Wildlife website states, “All Class A Shooting Ranges are closed at this time. Deer Creek and Woodbury Class C shotgun ranges are closed also, because they are located behind a closed gate.
“All other unsupervised ranges will be open, conditions permitting, but will be limited to no more than 10 participants at a time. This includes the Class D archery ranges at Deer Creek and Delaware Wildlife Areas.”
Class D Archery Ranges means these ranges are open free-of-charge. No permit is required to use these ranges, and no range attendant or restroom facilities are provided. Delaware Wildlife Area Archery Range is provided free of charge and open during daylight hours. It’s located at 471 County Road 21, Ashley.
Visitors are encouraged to follow all social distancing guidelines and respect the personal space of others while at a shooting range. Shooters are reminded to follow all posted rules and regulations when visiting a shooting range.
Meanwhile, work has begun on a complete renovation of the Delaware Shooting Range. Construction is expected to be finished up by the end of 2020. Contractors have been doing site preparation so environmental remediation efforts can begin. When completed, the range will require Class A (supervised rifle and pistol) and Class C (unsupervised clay target shotgun) permits.
Individuals interested in purchasing an annual or daily shooting range permit can do so by visiting wildohio.gov or any location where hunting and fishing licenses are sold. An annual permit costs $24 and a daily permit is $5. An annual shooting range permit and hunting license combo is available to Ohio residents for $29.12.
For more information on the Delaware Wildlife Area, call 614-644-3925.
Further changes and updates will be posted on wildohio.gov, if necessary. Follow the Division of Wildlife on Twitter and Facebook for updates, outdoor recreation ideas, local wildlife information and more.
